While using the word fishing is perhaps a bit misleading (though some chimpanzees and orangutans do apparently go fishing with their hands sometimes), new research has found that a population of wild chimpanzees in Bakoun, Guinea regularly go fishing for algae during the dry season using sticks. Sometimes these sticks used are very long, up
Common purslane is, despite its public image as a weed in many regions, a very nutritious food item — with the plants being high in a number of different important vitamins and minerals. Notably, common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) possesses higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids than any other leafy green vegetable does. While purslane
Peter McCoy’s Radical Mycology really ought to be on the bookshelves of everyone from fermented foodies to foragers, from ecologists to chemists, to permaculturists and orchardists and environmental engineers and doctors.
The past few years have seen a lot of speculation and debate about a possible ninth planet orbiting somewhere on the very out fringes of the solar system. Now, new research from the University of Arizona has provided some further support for the theory. The research also narrows the possibilities of where such a planet
In an example of how little is actually known about what goes on in the world’s oceans, researchers recently discovered 500 “new” (newly discovered, that is) methane vents off the west coast of the US. “It appears that the entire coast off Washington, Oregon and California is a giant methane seep,” commented RMS Titanic discoverer
Even deep sea animals, such as sea cucumbers, hermit crabs, and squat lobsters, are now ingesting microplastics pollution, according to a new study from Bristol and Oxford universities. The findings are the result of work down by researchers working in the mid-Atlantic and south-west Indian Ocean on the Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Cook. What
Climate change has many components — rising sea levels, alterations in rainfall patterns, and an increase in severe storm activity, among others. Communities around the world are faced with the need to plan for climate change but don’t have the information available to do so effectively. Two such communities are Sonoma, California, and Caldas, Colombia.
Originally published by gws on SkepticalScience.com A relatively large number of research publications has appeared in the peer-reviewed literature since we last updated our readers on fracking and methane, CH4, emissions. We cannot discuss them all here. However, in summary, it can be concluded from these papers that EPA is very likely underestimating fossil fuel
Nearly 30% of India’s land is now undergoing desertification, primarily as a result of the land degradation accompanying overcultivation, overgrazing, deforestation, and the overexploitation of water resources in dryland regions, according to a new report from the Indian Space Research Organization. To put that in different terms, around 96 million hectares of land in India
Very high levels of man-made pollutants and toxic chemicals — including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) — have been found in animals living in some of he deepest oceanic trenches in the world, according to brand new as yet unpublished research. The work involved the collection of small shrimp-like creatures, including Hirondellea
In the never-ending non-contest between climate change deniers and climate scientists, there is plenty of gloating to go around. Tossing down the gauntlet once again, Peter Sinclair challenges Joe Bastardi, the King of Climate Change Deniers, to a six-year review of Bastardi’s 2010 prediction on Arctic sea ice behavior. Award-winning climate writer and videographer Sinclair
First discovered by University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS 1 telescope on April 27, 2016, Earth’s new moon, or “mini moon” has been officially confirmed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Officially named “2016 HO3,” the newly discovered asteroid is dubbed a “mini moon” because it not only orbits the Sun–it orbits Earth, as well. Although NASA
Originally published on CleanTechnica. Proof of the hazardous, risky, severe results from fracking grows. Local communities are at serious risk from the process of fracking. A new report, Fracking by the Numbers, states: “The combination of two technologies—hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling—has enabled the oil and gas industry to engage to unlock oil and gas in underground rock formations
A group of scientists led by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the University of Colorado-Boulder has developed a new, eco-friendly method to produce ammonia, the main ingredient of fertilizers, using light. This study also included researchers from Utah State University (USU) and Montana State University (MSU). Discovery details The
There may be a remarkable potential energy future for nanotubes. Researchers at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) believe finely tuned carbon nanotube thin film has the potential to act as a thermoelectric power generator which captures and uses waste heat. According to press information, this research might help guide the manufacture of
Microbial communities featuring potentially pathogenic characteristics have been found living in the shower hoses at a major US hospital, as a result of new research from the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Institute of Technology. While its long been known that the human-built environment is home to all sorts of specialized microbial communities,
Fairy circles are generally circular, mostly barren patches of land that are found in portions of the grasslands of Namibia. As far as the scientific community was concerned, this region was the only place that these somewhat enigmatic features were found. New work from researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, however,
Hydropower costs reportedly equal the lowest levelized price of electricity compared to all major renewable energy and fossil fuel sources. This clean electricity source is regarded as the most mature, reliable, and cost-effective renewable power generation technology available in the world. Hydropower operations usually have flexibility in their design as well and can be structured to
For those who support the principles behind renewable energy, here is a list of solar energy and solar power facts which is nice to have handy. As a matter of fact, the next time somebody questions you about the viability of solar energy, arm yourself with some of these solar energy facts. After all, there’s nothing
The recent natural gas well blowout in Aliso Canyon, California, was the largest methane leak in US history, according to new research from the University of California–Davis, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others. During the period of activity — at least, October 23, 2015, through February 11, 2016 — more than 100,000 tons
A beautiful new image of our home Galaxy, the Milky Way, was recently released to celebrate the conclusion of the APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy (ATLASGAL) — an effort to map the entire Galactic Plane, as seen from the Southern Hemisphere, at sub-millimeter wavelengths. That is to say, at wavelengths between infrared
Does the solar power you enjoy use photovoltaics? Or is it a collector system? Does it generate electricity or heat? While it’s great enjoying the benefits of this clean power source, it is always helpful knowing what type of solar power is going to serve you best, its relative costs, and how it works. Here According to
Plastics are everywhere. It’s gotten to the point where pretty much anywhere you go, anything you do, you’re life is notably influenced by plastic — micro plastic is in the soil you’re standing on, the water you drink, and the food you eat. And, it’ll still be there long after your gone. So what effect
In a finding that should surprise exactly no one with any critical faculties remaining, it turns out that the replacement for BPA used in “BPA-free” plastic — BPS (Bisphenol S) — is itself involved in reproductive system disruption and altered embryonic development. The new finding (which has been expected by anyone who have been paying
Originally published on CleanTechnica The time-honored adage that we sometimes learn best by the mistakes we’ve made is now being applied by scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in their study of defects in solar cell defects, stating the results may lead to improved performance. The study reports about certain defects in silicon solar cells
Originally published on Chomping Climate Change. Walking by fruits, vegetables, or other plant material growing in sunshine, the fragrance is often exhilarating. That’s in part because plant material in sunshine creates oxygen, at the same time as it absorbs greenhouse gas from our atmosphere. But walking by livestock, the opposite happens, either in daylight or nighttime; there’s normally an unpleasant
Originally published on EV Obsession. In Paris, Renault-Nissan Alliance is providing official transport for the United Nation’s COP21. It is the largest fleet of electric vehicles for an international conference, with 200 EVs to transport delegates. 200 pure electric cars quietly, silently transporting people emissions-free to the annual summit that runs from November 30 to December 11. Now,
Originally published on EV Obsession. For anyone contending that extended-range electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt shouldn’t classify as “electric vehicles,” here are two stats for you from the most comprehensive EV driver study conducted to date: Nissan LEAF average annual electric miles driven: 9,697 Chevy Volt average annual electric miles driven: 9,112 Looking at total
The Orionids meteor shower will be reaching its peak this year on October 22, 2015, in the early morning hours — or, to put it another way, the meteor shower will be peaking late at night on October 21. The Orionids are usually best observed between the hours of around midnight and 4-5 am most
The, usually quite beautiful, Draconids meteor shower is now nearly upon us. The peak of this year’s Draconid meteor shower will be on the night of October 8, 2015 — though the night of October 9, 2015, should also make for a good experience as well. For those unfamiliar with the Draconids, a couple of
Ongoing changes in flower diversity, related to a shifting climate (amongst other things), are impacting the bodies of bumblebees, according to recent reports. These changes include a decrease in the length of bumble bee tongues — leaving the bees with less options as far as feeding goes — according to the work. The cause of
Despite earlier presuppositions that viruses aren’t actually “alive” new research is supporting the idea they viruses are in fact living entities — just ones that are very different from other forms of known life. The new work represents what the researchers involved say is the “first reliable method for tracing viral evolution back to a
The oldest yet evidence of the presence in the world of the “Black Death” bacteria was recently isolated from a flea that was entombed in Amber around 20 million years ago, according to recent reports. The “fossil” bacteria found is thought to be rather closely related to the bacteria thought to be responsible for the
Fossils of a new species of duck-billed dinosaur have been found in what’s now a very remote part of Alaska, according to recent reports. The fossils are thought to represent the most northern-living dinosaurs yet known. The species, which as an adult would have measured some 30-feet long, apparently spent much of its time in
Nearly 60% of all seabird species have plastic in their guts, according to new research findings published in the journal PNAS. The research, which utilized a number of published studies dating back to the early 60s, found a broad trend of rapid increase in seabird exposure to plastic pollution — in 1960 plastic was found
In yet another example of things turning out not quite the way that they are advertised… It’s come to light that a man vaccinated against polio 28 years ago has actually had an active infection in his gut the whole time, shedding the virus in his stools for the whole 3 decades. More interestingly (or
The larger Pacific striped octopus was first observed scientifically back in the 1970s, but owing to the fact that the behaviors observed by researchers seemed so strange the scientific community refused to publish any papers (only a single abstract) on the species. These earlier observations have been vindicated by new research though — with the
Early life starvation can lead to epigenetic changes that persist for multiple generations, according to a new research from Duke University. To be more specific — third-generation nematode worms still show signs of having survived famine. This represents what Duke University biologist Ryan Baugh has termed: a “bet-hedging strategy.” As the worms used in the
Even though plants don’t possess a nervous system they use signals previously assumed to only be associated with animals when exposed to stress, new research from the University of Adelaide has found. While the machinery may be different, the research has shown that the combination of electrical and chemical signals is remarkably similar to that
Stellar orbits within the Milky Way can change considerably over time, according to new research published in The Astrophysical Journal. The new work shows — via the use of map created via the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) — that roughly a third of the stars in the Milky Way have dramatically changed their orbits.
Researchers in Texas and Germany have created a nanoscale desalinization chip that can go anywhere and make fresh water from just 3 volts of electricity.
If waves of cheap rhino horns 3D-printed with real rhino DNA are flooded onto the Asian markets, is this a form of rhino conservation or capitalistic exploitation? This critical question is gnawing at the root of a controversial business venture to use real rhino DNA in the commercial production of 3D-printed rhino horns. In a
Not only posing significant risks for Earth’s natural systems, the effects of global warming on humans and human systems have only recently begun receiving the expanded attention they critically require. From hazardous effects causing potential loss of life, injury, or other negative health impacts, to the potential exposure of social, economic, and infrastructure assets to
24M, an MIT start-up, says it has found a new way to manufacture a lithium ion battery that has 5 times as much storage capacity and costs half as much.
After an absence of roughly 2000 years the Star of Bethlehem may soon be making a return to our night skies on June 30, 2015 — to be more specific Venus and Jupiter will be making their tightest highly visible conjunction in nearly two millennia. The reference to the Star of Bethlehem is with regard
Releasing this exclusive freely in the public interest, best-selling author Dr. Nafeez Ahmed is offering a unique view of the critically significant impact that climate change is having on our lives, our livelihoods, and even our likelihood of survival on this planet. Dr Nafeez Ahmed is an international security scholar and investigative journalist, currently serving as a
Declaring that the sixth mass extinction has arrived, Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich confirms that species are disappearing off the face of Earth faster now than at any time since the mass extinction of dinosaurs. Calling for “fast action to conserve threatened species, populations and habitat before the window of opportunity closes,” Ehrlich and his team
This years summer solstice is almost here — at 12:38 pm on Sunday June 21, 2015, the Sun will reach its highest point in the sky (as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere it’ll reach its lowest point in the sky). This marks the official start of summer, and the longest day
