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20 May ' 22:18
According to scientists, what is a possible reason Earth's temperature increase paused during the 2000s? a) God pressed a cold cloth against the brow of earth b) Sulphur pollution in China c) The Great Recession d) The death of Saddam Hussein e) The election of Barack ObamaSulphur pollution in China -
20 May ' 15:12
Financial Times, Mon May 20 2013: China: High and dry...In the face of China's rapid economic expansion and growing presence on the global stage, it is often forgotten that the country is running out of water. In per capita terms, China's water resources are just a quarter of the world average. Eight of China's 28 provinces are as parched as countries in the Middle East such as Jordan and Syria, according to China Water Risk, a consultancy based in Hong Kong....The economic problems are formidable, with the water shortage threatening to slam a brake on growth. Let them drink Coke. water issues GreenTech Media, Mon May 20 2013: How Low Can Utility Emissions Go?When it comes to emissions, carbon dioxide tends to get the lion's share of the headlines. But there have been large gains in some of the other major emissions of the largest power producers in the U.S., according to a new report from NRDC and major energy companies, Benchmarking Air Emissions. The ninth annual report found that sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are 70 percent and 72 percent lower, respectively, than they were in 1990. Mercury is down 40 percent since 2000, the first year that it was tracked In the post-Apocalypse we can (gingerly) pat ourselves on our leprosy-infested backs. airborne pollutantshabitat losssmart policy [Plague/Virus]: from Washington Post, Mon May 20 2013: Measles outbreaks flourish in UK years after discredited research tied measles shot to autismMore than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of now discredited research that linked the vaccine to autism. Now, health officials are scrambling to catch up and stop a growing epidemic of the contagious disease. This year, the U.K. has had more than 1,200 cases of measles, after a record number of nearly 2,000 cases last year. The country once recorded only several dozen cases every year. It now ranks second in Europe, behind only Romania. Why were these two people allowed to have so many children! pandemic [Climate Chaos]: from University of Colorado at Boulder, Mon May 20 2013: World's Melting Glaciers Making Large Contribution to Sea RiseWhile 99 percent of Earth's land ice is locked up in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, the remaining ice in the world's glaciers contributed just as much to sea rise as the two ice sheets combined from 2003 to 2009, says a new study led by Clark University and involving the University Colorado Boulder. The new research found that all glacial regions lost mass from 2003 to 2009, with the biggest ice losses occurring in Arctic Canada, Alaska, coastal Greenland, the southern Andes and the Himalayas. This loss of mass is likely responsible for the growing obesity epidemic. arctic meltdownrising sea level A domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers are poised to ship vast quantities of ... In the wake of a massive US Department of Agriculture report highlighting the continuing large-scale death of honeybees, environmental groups are left wondering why the Environmental ... For anyone anxious about toxic chemicals in the environment, Sunday marked a dubious milestone. It has been three years since the "chemicals of concernâ list landed ... More than half of common plant species and a third of animals could see a serious decline in their habitat range because of climate change. New research suggests that biodiversity ... What is most troubling about Australian swine flu? a) It is resistant to Tamiflu. b) It makes you grow horns. c) It is mixing with Avian flu. d) It killed thousands. e) It is killing swine.It is resistant to Tamiflu. -
16 May ' 13:44
[Climate Chaos]: from Science Daily, Thu May 16 2013: Methane Emissions Higher Than Thought Across Much of U.S.After taking a rented camper outfitted with special equipment to measure methane on a cross-continent drive, a UC Santa Barbara scientist has found that methane emissions across large parts of the U.S. are higher than currently known, confirming what other more local studies have found. Their research is published in the journal Atmospheric Environment.... Leifer was joined by two UCSB undergraduate students on the road trip from Los Angeles to Florida, taking a primarily southern route through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and along the Gulf of Mexico. They used specialized instrumentation, a gas chromatograph, to measure methane. The device was mounted in the RV, with an air ram on the roof that collected air samples from in front of the vehicle.... The researchers meandered slowly through areas of fossil fuel activity, such as petroleum and natural gas production, refining, and distribution areas, and other areas of interest. The wide range of sources studied included a coal-loading terminal, a wildfire, and wetlands. This would be scarier if I believed in "science." methane releaseanthropogenic change,death spiral A locust plague of epic size is devastating the island nation of Madagascar, threatening the lives of 13 million people already on the brink of famine. Billions of locusts ... 
death spiral What have researchers at the University of Wisconsin found to be a consequence of chopping down the rain forest? a) Angry angry beavers b) More room for frisbee c) Decreased shade d) Increased malaria cases e) More rainIncreased malaria cases -
15 May ' 08:33
[Climate Chaos]: from Scientific American, Wed May 15 2013: Climate Change Has Shifted the Location of the North and South PolesResearchers at the University of Texas, Austin, report that increased melting of the Greenland ice sheet -- and to a lesser degree, ice loss in other parts of the globe -- helped to shift the North Pole several centimeters east each year since 2005. "There was a big change," says lead author Jianli Chen, a geophysicist. From 1982 to 2005, the pole drifted southeast toward northern Labrador, Canada, at a rate of about 2 milliarcseconds --or roughly 6 centimetres -- per year. But in 2005, the pole changed course and began galloping east toward Greenland at a rate of more than 7 milliarcseconds per year.... Chen estimates that data on polar shifts goes back roughly a century, well before the advent of Earth-monitoring satellites. "We don't have a long record of measuring the polar ice sheet," he says. "But for polar motion, we have a long record." Humans have long since lost track of true north. melting glaciers,arctic meltdown So far, the inspection has turned up a crack about ½-inch-long around a nozzle... Scientists say a disease destroying entire crops of cassava has spread out of East Africa into the heart of the continent, is attacking plants as far south as Angola and now ... arctic meltdown What does a news study say may increase the possibility of stillbirth? a) All of these answers are true. b) Endocrine disruptors c) Cell phone radiation d) Air pollution e) Tsunami debrisAir pollution -
14 May ' 13:23
[Recovery]: from US Pirg, Tue May 14 2013: New Report: Reduction in Driving Likely to ContinueAs the average number of miles driven by Americans heads into its eighth year of decline, a new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund finds that the slowdown in driving is likely to continue. Baby Boomers are moving out of the phase in their life when they do the most commuting, while driving-averse Millennials move into that phase. These demographic changes and other factors will likely keep driving down for decades... The Millennial generation is leading the change in transportation trends. 16 to 34-year-olds drove a whopping 23 percent fewer miles on average in 2009 than in 2001" the greatest decline in driving of any age group. Shoot. There goes the resale value on my my Chevrolet Millennial. airborne pollutantscarbon emissionswisdom Michigan Live, Tue May 14 2013: Small crack found in tank at Palisades nuclear plant; inspection still ongoing, executives sayEight days after Palisades Nuclear Power Plant shut down May 5, an inspection is still ongoing of the safety injection refueling water tank. Until that inspection is complete, residents of Southwest Michigan won't know what the permanent solution to repair the leaking tank will be. It will, however, have to pass muster with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph....So far, the inspection has turned up a crack about ½-inch-long around a nozzle... A little crack goes a looooong way. health impactsradiation [Climate Chaos]: from Los Angeles Times, Tue May 14 2013: Carbon dioxide in atmosphere did not break 400 ppm at Hawaii siteCarbon dioxide measurements in the Earth's atmosphere did not break the symbolic milestone of 400 parts per million at a Hawaiian observatory last week, according to a revised reading from the nation's climate observers. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revised its May 9 reading at the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii, saying it remained fractions of a point below the level of 400 ppm, at 399.89. Crisis averted! carbon emissionsholyshit ... It's just one of many such stories of muzzled federal scientists and suppressed research that are being brought to the union's attention, he says. All against the backdrop ... The biggest oil and gas pipeline company in Canada is breaking National Energy Board safety rules at 117 of its 125 pump stations across the country, but Enbridge says it's ... Methane emissions from coal mines escaped being curbed by the Environmental Protection Agency, which said mandatory U.S. budget cuts didn't leave it with the resources to ... wisdom What was discovered about the State Department's conclusion that Keystone wouldn't substantially alter Canada's oil sands development? a) It was rejected by Obama. b) It was TOTALLY fabricated. c) It was paid for by the Koch brothers. d) It was TOTALLY accurate. e) It was provided by consulting firms with ties to oil.It was provided by consulting firms with ties to oil. -
13 May ' 16:53
InsideClimate News, Mon May 13 2013: A Rare Bipartisan Clean Energy Bill Is Ready for Passage...Legislation is moving through both houses to tweak the tax code to let clean energy developers form a master limited partnership, or MLP, a type of publicly traded company structure not subject to corporate taxes. For three decades, coal, oil and gas companies have used MLPs to raise hundreds of billions of dollars for pipelines, refineries and other projects. The financing vehicle is credited with helping sustain the nation's current drilling boom....No one expects much opposition to the Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act, the companion bills introduced last month. Co-sponsors include conservative Republicans and legislators from oil and gas states. The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's main trade group, is among its backers. I'd say "hell freezing over" except that the Arctic is already melting. renewable energy Christian Science Monitor, Mon May 13 2013: Google Earth Engine unveils how Earth has alteredGoogle has launched Google Earth Engine, a global, zoomable timelapse map that allows you to witness how humans have altered the surface of the Earth since 1984. Google has launched Google Earth Engine, a global, zoomable timelapse map that allows you to witness how humans have altered the surface of the Earth since 1984. Lucky us. We get to watch the train wreck technical cleverness Associated Press, Mon May 13 2013: Plans to export US natural gas stir debateA domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers are poised to ship vast quantities of gas overseas as energy companies seek permits for proposed export projects that could set off a renewed frenzy of fracking. Expanded drilling is unlocking enormous reserves of crude oil and natural gas, offering the potential of moving the country closer to its decades-long quest for energy independence. Yet as the industry looks to profit from foreign markets, there is the specter of higher prices at home and increased manufacturing costs for products from plastics to fertilizers. A fwacking fwenzy? Vewy fwightening! fracking RT, Mon May 13 2013: US approves new pesticides linked to mass bee deaths as EU enacts banIn the wake of a massive US Department of Agriculture report highlighting the continuing large-scale death of honeybees, environmental groups are left wondering why the Environmental Protection Agency has decided to approve a "highly toxic" new pesticide.... One group, Beyond Pesticides, has called the EPA's recent green light for use of a new insecticide known as sulfoxaflor irresponsible in light of its "highly toxicâ classification for honey bees. Here in the US we expect our bees to toughen up food crisisgovernmental idiocy [Biology Breach]: from Center for Public Integrity, Mon May 13 2013: 'Chemicals of Concern' list still wrapped in OMB red tapeFor anyone anxious about toxic chemicals in the environment, Sunday marked a dubious milestone. It has been three years since the "chemicals of concernâ list landed at the White House Office of Management and Budget. The list, which the Environmental Protection Agency wants to put out for public comment, includes bisphenol A, a chemical used in polycarbonate plastic water bottles and other products; eight phthalates, which are used in flexible plastics; and certain flame-retardant compounds called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs....The EPA proposal arrived at OIRA on May 12, 2010. There it remains -- a symbol, some say, of a broken regulatory system. What's three years in the scheme of things? contaminationgovernmental idiocybisphenol Aphthalates Another week of international climate negotiations ended in Bonn, Germany on Friday, but there was little mid-level bureaucrats could do when world leaders remain in thrall ... The Arctic ecosystem, already under pressure from record ice melts, faces another potential threat in the form of rapid acidification of the ocean, according to an international ... Living near a toxic waste site may represent as much of a health threat as some infectious diseases, a study in three developing countries finds. Researchers analyzed 373 ... U.S. EPA will return to court tomorrow to defend its regulations for fighting climate change from multiple challenges by Texas and industry groups. At issue before the ... Want to watch the slow-motion trainwreck of our climate in real time? Go to the Keeling Curve web site and see current ppm rate of CO2 concentration as we march inexorably ... What's happening to the Gulf Stream along eastern Canada? a) It's dancing the Macarena. b) It's undertowing its overreach. c) It's learning to say 'eh' just the right way, eh? d) It's edging northwards. e) It's changing its logo.It's edging northwards. -
13 May ' 03:46
[Species Collapse]: from BBC, Mon May 13 2013: 'Dramatic decline' warning for plants and animalsMore than half of common plant species and a third of animals could see a serious decline in their habitat range because of climate change. New research suggests that biodiversity around the globe will be significantly impacted if temperatures rise more than 2C. But the scientists say that the losses can be reduced if rapid action is taken to curb greenhouse gases.... The scientists projected that if no significant efforts were made to limit greenhouse gas emissions, 2100 global temperatures would be 4C above pre-industrial levels. In this model, some 34 percent of animal species and 57 percent of plants would lose more than half of their current habitat ranges. Thank heaven we're not an animal species! ecosystem interrelationshipsclimate impacts Scientists from the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) monitored widespread changes in ocean chemistry in the region.... It is well known that CO2 warms ... What is the ratio of plastic to plankton in the Pacific? a) Six of one, half dozen of the other. b) Six to one. c) A handful of plankton to a nurdle of plastic. d) One plastic happy meal for each little plankton. e) One slice peanut plastic, the other slice plankton jelly.Six to one. -
10 May ' 19:25
[Plague/Virus]: from New Scientist, Sat May 11 2013: Plague of locusts blankets MadagascarA locust plague of epic size is devastating the island nation of Madagascar, threatening the lives of 13 million people already on the brink of famine. Billions of locusts are destroying crops and grazing lands across half the country. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expects the plague to get worse, with two-thirds of the country likely to be affected by September.... "In Africa this is sometimes a cruel twist," says Jerome Buhl from the University of Sydney, Australia, who studies the swarming of locusts. "A good year for crops, with promises of unusually good harvests after bad years, also often means a potential locust outbreak which could devastate the entire harvest and make it end as a terrible year." Is this island half-full, or half-eaten? ecosystem interrelationshipsfood crisis Conservationists warned on Monday that Hong Kong may lose its rare Chinese white dolphins, also known as pink dolphins for their unique colour, unless it takes urgent action ... What did an exhaustive study reveal about the hacked e-mails between climate scientists? a) The scientists did NOT fake the science of global warming. b) The scientists are motivated purely by greed. c) The scientists were trying to get laid. d) The scientists faked global warming science for fun! e) The scientits mispel words alot.The scientists did NOT fake the science of global warming. -
09 May ' 05:22
[Plague/Virus]: from AP, via ABC, Thu May 9 2013: Scientist: Cassava Disease Spread at Alarming RateScientists say a disease destroying entire crops of cassava has spread out of East Africa into the heart of the continent, is attacking plants as far south as Angola and now threatens to move west into Nigeria, the world's biggest producer of the potato-like root that helps feed 500 million Africans.... In Uganda, a new strain of the virus identified five years ago is destroying 45 percent of the national crop and up to 80 percent of harvests in some areas, according to a new survey, said Chris Omongo, an entomologist and cassava expert at Uganda's National Crops Resources Research Institute. "The new strain looks to us to be much more aggressive," Omongo said. Those folks need the luck of the Irish. food crisis Cobalt in plastic building blocks and baby bibs. Ethylene glycol in dolls. Methyl ethyl ketone in clothing. Antimony in high chairs and booster seats. Parabens in baby wipes. ... How were endangered vandace transported up the mountains of the Lake District, Sprinkler Tarn, to a better habitat? a) By llama b) By ATV c) By helicopter d) In activists' mouths e) By GodBy llama -
08 May ' 23:07
[Biology Breach]: from Maclean's, Thu May 9 2013: When Science Goes Silent... It's just one of many such stories of muzzled federal scientists and suppressed research that are being brought to the union's attention, he says. All against the backdrop of sweeping cuts to water, air and wildlife monitoring programs, a total restructuring of federal environmental reviews, and the downloading of responsibility for lakes and rivers to the provinces. "It's almost like this government doesn't want any of this stuff to be open to public discussion," says the union leader. "What we're seeing is a total lockdown." Since taking power in 2006, Stephen Harper's government has rarely been caught on the wrong foot. Disciplined on the hustings, in the House, and above all with the media, Tory ministers and MPs have largely avoided the gaffes and unvarnished opinions that used to plague the conservative movement. But to many of its critics, Ottawa's obsession with controlling the message has become so all-encompassing that it now threatens both the health of Canada's democracy and the country's reputation abroad.... Current policy doesn't just seek to dampen the odd controversial story, it passes every bit of information through a political filter from which almost nothing emerges. "All the government scientists I know tell me that it's never been worse," says Hutchings. "It's like an Iron Curtain has been drawn across the communication of science in this country. And I think there's reason for all of us to be worried about that." Can we create glasnost fast enough for a kinder, gentler perestroika? corporate malfeasancegovernmental corruptiongovernmental idiocybad policy COVERT TOWNSHIP, MICH.-- Operators of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in southwestern have removed it from service because of a repeat water leak from a tank that caused ... bad policy governmental corruption What alarming trend has been discovered regarding Canada's forests? a) The beech bark beetles don't bite in Canada. b) They are now pumping out more climate-changing carbon dioxide than they are sequestering. c) They are full of evil flying monkeys. d) They are full of Earth First! members, living in the treetops. e) There are no Canadian forests left.They are now pumping out more climate-changing carbon dioxide than they are sequestering.
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