ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Sunday, October 24, 2010
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Efforts underway to rescue vulnerable bananas, giant swamp taro, other Pacific Island crops (October 23, 2010) -- Hoping to save the vulnerable varieties of bananas painted by the artist Paul Gauguin, rare coconuts, and 1,000 other unique varieties of staple fruit and vegetable crops across the Pacific, crop specialists from nine islands have launched a major effort to preserve the indigenous diversity of foods that are deemed critical to combating diet-related health problems. ... > full story
Scientists open electrical link to living cells (October 23, 2010) -- The Terminator. The Borg. The Six Million Dollar Man. Science fiction is ripe with biological beings armed with artificial capabilities. In reality, however, the clunky connections between living and non-living worlds often lack a clear channel for communication. Now scientists have designed an electrical link to living cells engineered to shuttle electrons across a cell's membrane. This direct channel could yield cells that can read and respond to electronic signals, or efficiently transfer sunlight into electricity. ... > full story
Sound of the underground: New acoustic early warning system for landslide prediction (October 23, 2010) -- A new type of sound sensor system has been developed to predict the likelihood of a landslide. Thought to be the first system of its kind in the world, it works by measuring and analyzing the acoustic behavior of soil to establish when a landslide is imminent so preventative action can be taken. ... > full story
NOAA lists population of spotted seals as threatened (October 23, 2010) -- NOAA has listed the southern distinct population segment (DPS) of the spotted seal as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, strictly regulating importation of the animal or its parts into the U.S. ... > full story
Chemical engineers use gold to discover breakthrough for creating biorenewable chemicals (October 23, 2010) -- Chemical engineers have uncovered the key features that control the high reactivity of gold nanoparticles in a process that oxidizes alcohols in water. The research is an important first step in unlocking the potential of using metal catalysts for developing biorenewable chemicals. The scientific discovery could one day serve as the foundation for creating a wide range of consumer products from biorenewable carbon feedstocks, as opposed to the petroleum-based chemicals currently being used as common building blocks for commodities such as cosmetics, plastics, pharmaceuticals and fuels. ... > full story
Plants play larger role than thought in cleaning up air pollution, research shows (October 22, 2010) -- Vegetation plays an unexpectedly large role in cleansing the atmosphere, a new study finds. The research uses observations, gene expression studies, and computer modeling to show that deciduous plants absorb about a third more of a common class of air-polluting chemicals than previously thought. ... > full story
Succimer found ineffective for removing mercury (October 22, 2010) -- Succimer, a drug used for treating lead poisoning, does not effectively remove mercury from the body, according to new research. Some families have turned to succimer as an alternative therapy for treating autism. ... > full story
Value-added sulfur scrubbing: Converting acid rain chemicals into useful products (October 22, 2010) -- Power plants that burn fossil fuels remain the main source of electricity generation across the globe. Modern power plants have scrubbers to remove sulfur compounds from their flue gases, which has helped reduce the problem of acid rain. Now, researchers in India have devised a way to convert the waste material produced by the scrubbing process into value-added products. ... > full story
Another winter of extremes in store for U.S. as La Niña strengthens (October 22, 2010) -- The Pacific Northwest should brace for a colder and wetter than average winter, while most of the South and Southeast will be warmer and drier than average through February 2011, according to the annual Winter Outlook released by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. A moderate to strong La Niña will be the dominant climate factor influencing weather across most of the U.S. this winter. ... > full story
Scorpion has welcome sting for heart bypass patients (October 22, 2010) -- A toxin found in the venom of the Central American bark scorpion (Centruroides margaritatus) could hold the key to reducing heart bypass failures, according to new research. ... > full story
Arctic Report Card: Region continues to warm at unprecedented rate (October 22, 2010) -- The Arctic region, also called the "planet's refrigerator," continues to heat up, affecting local populations and ecosystems as well as weather patterns in the most populated parts of the Northern Hemisphere, according to a team of 69 international scientists. The findings were released in the Arctic Report Card, a yearly assessment of Arctic conditions. ... > full story
Scary chupacabras monster is as much victim as villain (October 22, 2010) -- As Halloween approaches, tales of monsters and creepy crawlies abound. Among the most fearsome is the legendary beast known as the chupacabras. ... > full story
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