Global groundwater use outpaces supply

Measure reveals unsustainable use of world's aquifers. Irrigation for agriculture drives much of the demand. A groundwater footprint larger than its aquifer means people are sucking down water faster than it can be replenished — treating it as a nonrenewable resource. Though 80 percent of the world’s aquifers have sustainable footprints, people drawing on other aquifers are draining the world’s water supply. For these overtapped reservoirs, groundwater footprints vastly exceed aquifer areas. We don’t know how long the aquifers will last. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/342896/description/Global_groundwater_use_outpaces_supply

Gulf spill harmed small fish, studies indicate

Two years after BP’s Deepwater Horizon well blowout, laboratory studies are finally offering clues to the spilled oil’s impact on sea life. Brief, very low exposures to oil were capable of killing many fish embryos and hatchlings, new studies show. Those that survived often exhibited major deformities that would diminish an animal’s fitness. Affected species ranged from the young of large open-ocean denizens, such as tuna, to minnow-sized coastal homebodies — the tiny fish that serve as lunch for everyone bigger. Many eggs refused to hatch, even though their embryos hadn’t died. Of those that did hatch, many of the fish exhibited heart, spine and other defects. The heart rate of hatchlings raised with heavily oiled sediment was only 60 percent of normal.A solution to this is to not put harmful chemicals that will kill the fish because we use fish to eat and we don't want to kill too many that we will run out of fish. Barries to this solution is we don't even realize sometimes how much waste and chemicals we put into the ocean. We aren't considerate of how many things we harm in the water by puMtting waste and chemicals into the water. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346573/description/Gulf_spill_harmed_small_fish_studies_indicate

Antarctic subglacial drilling effort suspended

Studying some of Antarctica’s hundreds of subglacial lakes will offer clues to whether ice-covered planets and moons could also support life. But after drilling two boreholes next to one another, each to 300 meters deep, engineers could not connect the two underground cavities that were meant to recirculate drilling water to the surface and keep it from contaminating the lake below. The progress was slower a calculation showed us that we didn’t have enough fuel to get to the surface of the lake. A solution to this is better equipment. A barrier to this solution is the equipment is too expensive. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/347299/description/Antarctic_subglacial_drilling_effort_suspended

Trees worldwide a sip away from dehydration

Seventy percent of the 226 tree species in forests around the world routinely function near the point where a serious drought would stop water transport from their roots to their leaves, says plant physiologist Brendan Choat of the University of Western Sydney in Richmond, Australia. Trees even in moist, lush places operate with only a slim safety margin between them and a thirsty death. Forests cover some 30 percent of the Earth’s land, sheltering a rich share of the diversity of life. Woodlands provide timber and other products and lock up carbon that would otherwise enter the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Tree species that produce flowers — such as maples and oaks — proved overall more vulnerable than conifers to drier conditions. But the researchers show that the majority of trees operate with only the slimmest of safety margins. wet forests were as vulnerable as the dry ones. trees are maximizing their carbon capture for food even though it strains the plumbing. We have to care about our environment.A barrier to this solution is when people don't take care of the environment. I know that keeping trees is important and that we rely on trees to live. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346630/description/Trees_worldwide_a_sip_away_from_dehydration

Night lights may foster depression

Psychiatrists sometimes prescribe light therapy to treat a form of depression in people who get too little morning sun. But too much light at other times may actually trigger such mood disorders. Chronic exposure to light at night unleashes depression, a new study finds — at least in animals. Mood disorders join a growing list of problems — including cancer, obesity and diabetes — that can occur when light throws life out of balance by disrupting the biological clock and its timing of daily rhythms. Compared with animals exposed to normal nighttime darkness, those getting dim light at night lost their intense preference for sweet drinks, which is a sign they no longer get pleasure out of activities they once enjoyed, In a second test, animals were clocked on how long they actively tried to escape a pool of water. Hamsters exposed to night lights stopped struggling and just floated in the water which is a sign of behavioral despair. All symptoms of depression, including the nerve-cell changes, disappeared within two weeks of the animals returning to a normal light-dark cycle, the researchers report. A possible solultion to depression caused from light is that we should creat at light that doesn't have these affects. A barrier to this solution is that it will be hard to find or make a light that won't affect people or animals in a negative way. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/342495/description/Night_lights_may_foster_depression

Stronger storms may destroy ozone

Climate change may spur the destruction of ozone in unexpected parts of the globe. In a warming world, many scientists believe, severe weather will become more common. That could be a problem in part because powerful rainstorms have the potential to erode ozone above the United States. Large storms often left behind extra water vapor in this part of the stratosphere, the remaining parts of melted ice crystals propel upward. A warmer atmosphere would hold more moisture but would also weaken the wind shear that whips up extreme weather.A possible solution to this is measurements tracking chlorine compounds in the stratosphere would help to confirm whether the damage is taking place and, if so, how widespread the problem may be. And while many climate simulations do call for more strong storms as temperatures continue to rise. My opinion is we need to take care of our ozone and find what we need to do if there are stronger storms taking place. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/342528/description/Stronger_storms_may_destroy_ozone

Shrinking polar ice caused one-fifth of sea level rise

Scientists now have one polar ice study to rule them all. An international team of researchers has compiled 20 years of data from 10 satellite missions to create the most comprehensive assessment to date of Greenland’s and Antarctica’s shrinking ice sheets. Between 1992 and 2011, the Greenland ice sheet lost 2,940 billion metric tons of ice while the Antarctic ice sheet shed 1,320 billion metric tons. All that water raised the sea level by an average of 11.1 millimeters, accounting for one-fifth of sea level rise over that period. A possible solution to this is better data and keeping up with data more frequently. A barrier to this solution is not having enough data. My personal opinion about this is its important to keep up with water levels and data. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346733/description/Shrinking_polar_ice_caused_one-fifth_of_sea_level_rise

Bumblebees do best with floral diversity

 

Areas with large amounts of roads and construction have lower numbers of ground- nesting bumble bees. These insects are very important native pollinators, which is a study from the University of Texas and the University of California. The study suggests that management strategies that reduce the local use of pavement and increase natural habitat within the landscape could improve nesting opportunities for wild bees and help protect food supplies around the world.  It was also discovered that with increasing the number of species-rich flowering patches in suburban and urban gardens, farms and restored habitats could provide pathways for bees to forage and improve pollination services over larger areas. In addition to finding that pavement negatively affects the bees, the scientists discovered that bees will move longer distances to find patches of flowers that are rich in species; it's not floral density that determines how far a bumblebee will fly, but floral diversity. Bees will also forage further away from their home nest if the surrounding landscape is less heterogeneous. "In some ways, it's a bet-hedging strategy," said Jha, a researcher at UC Berkeley. "If the landscape is composed of consistently dense flowering patches, bees take a risk and forage farther afield to find species-rich patches." Bumblebees nest in the ground, and each colony contains a queen and a force of workers. As with honeybees, all of the bumblebee workers are sisters who spend some of their time flying around searching for flowers from which to collect pollen and nectar to feed the larvae back in the hive. Unlike honeybees, which are not native, bumblebees do not make harvestable honey. They do, however, provide important pollination services to plants. I didn't know that bees had such an impact on our food supply. I think we should try a little harder to sustain the flower diversity and habitats for the bumblebees. My solution to the problem would be to give bumblebees their own habitats where humans can't mess up the environment for them. The problem with this solution is that our world is constantly expanding and it would be very hard to create space just for bumblebees.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121226080902.htm

Scientists Report Faster Warming in Antarctica

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/science/earth/west-antarctica-warming-faster-than-thought-study-finds.html?ref=earth

Scientist at a research center in West Antarctica have discovered that the temperature has increased by 4.4 degrees fahrenheit since 1958. It is twice as much as they had thought and the increase is three times the rate global warming is. An extreamly large sheet of ice is expected to collapse and is thought to majorly affect sea levels. This a very serious issue that everyone needs to know about. West Antarctica is now one of the fast warming regions on the planet. Even though the temperatures normally are well below freezing, sometimes in the summer they go above freezing. The 4.4 degrees increase then becomes a huge issue. In the summer of 2005 the interior of the region warmed enough for surfeace melting. Something needs to be done to stop this. If the ocean levels rise it will become a global crisis. The holes in the ozone layer above the poles need to repair. And the only way that will happen is with a tremendous decrease in CO2 emmissions.

As Forests Disappear, Examining the Mechanisms of Their Death

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/science/los-alamos-national-laboratory-studies-tree-deaths.html?ref=earth&_r=0

Scientist around the world are puzzled at why so many trees are dying. Everywhere trees are dying, and in large amounts. In the United States, in Greece, in North Africa, in Asia, and the rainforest trees are dying. Scientist think it has to do with bugs, water, and drought but there seems to be more to it. After examinations and experiements the scientist have figured out when trees have died before they always rebounded because the climate and natural events would change back. Due to human activity and human effects on the climate these trees are not rebounding at all. We humans need to protect the trees at all cost because they are the most important thing to us on the planet. They create the oxygen we breath. Cutting back on gas powered vehicles and changing to electric is a start. Replanting trees is a good idea too because the more trees we have the cleaner our air.

Invasive Grass Fuels Increased Fire Activity in the West

 

Scientists used satellite imagery to identify cheatgrass which is a plant species accidentally introduced by settlers in the West during the 1800s, in a disproportionately high number of fires in the Great Basin."Over the past decade, cheatgrass fueled the majority of the largest fires, influencing 39 of the largest 50 fires," said Jennifer Balch, assistant professor, Penn State's Department of Geography and Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. "That's much higher than what it should be when you consider how much of the Great Basin that cheatgrass covers." In addition to targeting the influence of cheatgass on major fires, the researchers, who reported their findings in the online version of Global Change Biology, also found that the plant may play a role in increasing the frequency of fires. One of the consequences of more widespread cheatgrass fires is that landscapes dominated by the grass have a shorter fire-return interval (which is the time between fires in a region) of the 78 years, compared to other species like sagebrush, which has a 196-year fire return interval. "What's happening is that cheatgrass is creating a novel grass-fire cycle that makes future fires more likely," said Balch, who started this work at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. "Fire promotes cheatgrass and cheatgrass promotes fires." "What you end up seeing is that most years when it is dry, the cheatgrass doesn't grow much," said Bradley. "But when there are wet seasons that occur due to the El Nino cycle, cheatgrass cover is very dense and continuous." Using a satellite they can detect the cheatgrass. Being able to monitor the cheat grass gives the researchers the ability to detect the fire activity along the Great Basin. I just think it’s crazy that one invasive species could make such a great impact on an environment. My solution to this problem is to try to remove all of the grass from the area to provent future fire activity. The prblem with this solution is that it is going to be very hard to remove grass from such a big area.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121205132357.htm

Death of Hemlock Trees Yields New Life for Hardwood Trees, but at what cost?

With the introduction of exotic pests and pathogens, tree species are being eliminated one by one from forests ecosystems. Scientists can observe immediately how their loss affects the environment. In the eastern United States, a pest called the hemlock woolly adelgid has decimated hemlock tree populations.  We found less nitrogen leaching from the soil because hardwood trees had compensated by increasing their productivity because of the decrease in hemlock tress. The hardwood trees were able to grow because, when the hemlock trees died, phosphorus was released and became available to the hardwood species in the area. The increase in available phosphorus stimulated the growth of existing hardwood trees, which then increased tree demand for nitrogen. The hemlock woolly adelgid is host specific, meaning it only infests hemlock trees. The aphid-like insect attaches itself to a needle, sucks the sap from it and the tree dies.  "Although the hemlock woolly adelgid doesn't do well in cooler climates, it is clearly affecting hemlock populations in the Northeast as well. It's just taking longer to see the impact," Fraterrigo said from the University of Illinois."We're seeing warmer temperatures at night across the nation and warmer winter temperatures in some places. Those two factors together could allow the insect to move slowly farther north. Fraterrigo said she'd like to continue the work in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which has also lost hemlock and has even higher rates of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. I think it is mind blowing that one factor of a decrease in the tree population could affect the whole nation’s weather. My solution to this problem would be to eliminate all of the exotic pests and pathogens that are destroying the trees. The problem with this solution is that it may be hard to get rid of the pest and pathogens.   

   ww.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121220143949.htm

As Forests Disappear, Examining the mechanisms of their death

All over the world, strange events have been occurring to the forests. In Canada and Russia, insects are eating the trees, pine trees in Greece are desiccating, and other odd events have been killing forests everywhere. When asked, the scientist still have yet come to a conclusion. They are positive that the rising temperatures, a decrease in water, and an increase in the insect population have something to do with the situation. However, they are not for sure why some trees are being affected and some are not. Dr. McDowell in New Mexico is attempting to find the answers. One of his theories are the trees are developing a disease called hydraulic failure. This is when the water that flows though the trunk of the tree stops circulating making the tree dehydrate and die. It has proven how close mammals and plants truly are.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/science/los-alamos-national-laboratory-studies-tree-deaths.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&ref=earth

Extreme Weather of Last Decade Linked to Global Warming

The past decade has been one of unprecedented weather extremes. Scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany argue that the high incidence of extremes is not merely accidental. Scientists are relating the increase in temperature and rainfall to human-caused global warming. In 2011 the US was hit by 14 extreme weather events that caused damages up to 1 billion dollars each. In most states the months of January to October were the wettest ever recorded. Japan also registered record rainfalls, while the Yangtze River basin in China suffered a record drought. In 2010, Western Russia experienced the hottest summer in centuries, while in Pakistan and Australia record-breaking amounts of rain fell. 2003 saw Europe´s hottest summer in at least half a millennium. The question is whether these weather extremes are coincidental or a result of climate change," says Dim Coumou, lead author of the article. "Global warming can generally not be proven to cause individual extreme events but in the sum of events the link to climate change becomes clear." "It is not a question of yes or no, but a question of probabilities," Coumou explains. The recent high incidence of weather records is no longer normal, he says. I think that these climate changes could be from global warming due to the fact that this has been an ongoing issue. Or maybe these major weather changes are just one big coincidence. My solution for the problem would be to work harder on the issue of global warming. The problem with this solution is getting people to actually get involved.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120325173206.htm

Cell Phones Qualify As Hazardous Waste

The cell phones that people throw out in the United States qualify as hazardous waste according to the ACS’ Environmental Science and Technology which is a semi - monthly journal.  There are long standing about the quantity of consumer electronics products that wind up in dumps and landfills. An estimated 700 million cell phones already have been discarded or are stockpiled awaiting disposal, with 130 million cell phones trashed in 2005 alone. Researchers used standard lab procedures to analyze chemicals in simulated cell phone "leachate" (the liquid that dribbles out into the soil from cell phones in dumps and landfills). Lead in the leachate was high enough to make cell phones classify as hazardous waste under Federal regulations, the study found. Lead-free phones, however, still are classified as hazardous waste under California regulations due to high levels of copper, nickel, antimony and zinc in the leachate. In my opinion, I think the cell phone makers should start creating phones that don’t contain these hazardous chemicals. I know it may be hard to leave out some of the materials that create the cell phone but I now they can find better materials that wouldn’t produce hazardous waste. My solution for this problem is to have a different area for cell phones to be desposed once they are thrown out. Put the cell phones some where that can't be effected by the waste they produce. The problem with this solution is that this waste may cause pollution in any area you put it.     

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070416092940.htm

EPA Introduces a more Strict Soot Pollution Policy

Friday the Environmental Protection Agency introduced a new policy that requires factories and local governments to cut down on soot pollution. Soot pollution has been linked to many public health concerns such as, asthma, lung disease, heart disease and increased risk to the elderly and children. Manufacturers, factories, utilities and businesses fought against the policy due to the fact that many had to make changes to their own companies. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson supports the act saying that it will help to save many people from asthma and other health effects. I believe that the EPA’s policy is very reasonable. Reducing soot pollution will absolutely help the public and it is not asking much from the companies. A barrier to this policy is the many businesses and factories teaming up to reverse the bill. In my opinion reducing soot pollution will have a great benefit to the publics health and will not cause considerable effects to the business that have to comply with it. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/science/earth/epa-proposes-tighter-soot-rule.html?smid=re-share&_r=0

Noise Pollution affecting Ocean

The ocean used to be quiet all except for the noises of fish and other sea creatures, but rising noise pollution from human activity as disrupted this balance. Noise from boats, oil rigs, and military testing all contribute to the noise that is now affecting the ocean and sea creatures. This noise can especially cause problems to dolphins and whales who heavily rely on hearing to navigate and communicate. Luckily the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association is trying to fix this problem by creating an undersea map tracking the sound across parts of the ocean and trying to pin point where most of the noise pollution is coming from. Using this technology will help scientist to be able to find out which areas suffer from the most noise pollution and will hopefully be able to solve the problem and help the local sea life. This solution may very well work but the shear amount of time, money and the size of the ocean are major problems that the NOAA needs to hurdle. In my opinion NOAA should gain support from other ocean organizations in America and other countries. If enough support is raised, then this project could be a success.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/science/project-seeks-to-map-and-reduce-ocean-noise-pollution.html

Amazon Under Threat From Cleaner Air

The UK and Brazilian climate scientists say that the Amazon rainforest which is so crucial to the Earth's climate system is coming under threat from cleaner air.The new study identifies a link between reducing sulphur dioxide emissions from burning coal and increasing sea surface temperatures in the tropical north Atlantic, resulting in a heightened risk of drought in the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon rainforest contains about one tenth of the total carbon stored in land ecosystems and recycles a large fraction of the rainfall that falls upon it. So any major change to its vegetation, brought about by events like deforestation or drought, has an impact on the global climate system. Dr Matthew Collins of the Met Office Hadley Centre stated that, "The rainforest is under many pressures. Direct deforestation is the most obvious immediate threat, but climate change is also a big issue for Amazonia. We have to deal with both if we want to safeguard the forest." Sulphate aerosol particles arising from the burning of coal in power stations in the 1970s and 1980s have partially reduced global warming by reflecting sunlight and making clouds brighter. This pollution has been predominantly in the northern hemisphere and has acted to limit warming in the tropical north Atlantic, keeping the Amazon wetter than it would otherwise be. Chris Huntingford of CEH, another of the co-authors, explains: "Reduced sulphur emissions in North America and Europe will see tropical rain-bands move northwards as the north Atlantic warms, resulting in a sharp increase in the risk of Amazonian drought." Lead author Professor Peter Cox of the University of Exeter sums-up the consequences of the study: "These findings are another reminder of the complex nature of environmental change. To improve air quality and safeguard public health, we must continue to reduce aerosol pollution, but our study suggests that this needs to be accompanied by urgent reductions in carbon dioxide emissions to minimize the risk of Amazon forest dieback." This information is very interesting; I’m shocked that cleaner air could potentially harm the trees. In my opinion I think we could try a little harder to reduce pollution to help the environments all over the world. My solution for this problem is to find a chemical balance for the amazon so we can have clean air but also keep the amazon hydrated. The problem to this solution is finding the difference between helping and harning the Amazon.   

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133259.htm

Venice Threatened by Global Warming

The lagoon city of Venice better know for its canals and waterways has become plagued by damaging floods recently. In November more than 70% of the city had floods, some were recorded up to 5 feet deep! Venetian officials blame the floods on storms in the ocean, but they also blame the rising water levels on global warming. The city is sinking at a rate of 4mm a year and water levels continue to rise due to climate change. If not stopped the part of Venice may be lost to the sea and more deadly floods may occur due to the climate problem. Levies and dams could be used as possible solutions to keep the rising tide at bay. Unfortunately dams and barriers will not solve the whole problem if global tides continue to rise. In my opinion the historical and cultural value of Venice deserves to be protected and this should be yet another reason why Global warming should be handled. 

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/italy/121112/venice-floods-acqua-alta-photos

Resisted for Blocking the View, Dunes Prove They Blunt Storms

Years ago,  it was decided in Long Island, New York not to create dunes along the beaches.  Surfers railed against it fearing it will interfere with their surfing and residents did not want their views to be blocked. They voted against the $7 million dollar construction plan to build the dunes. Little did they know it would save them in the years to come. Communities further down voted for the plan and the dunes were constructed.  When hurricane Sandy hit it cost Long Island $200 million dollars while  the beaches with the dunes protecting them were spared. I believe these dunes should be built in areas that are common for hurricanes to hit. This way they will be further protected by the storms. The only barriers would be the costs and the community fighting against it. It is a very safe and in a way economic for the beaches to build dunes. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/science/earth/after-hurricane-sandy-dunes-prove-they-blunt-storms.html?ref=earth&_r=0