Archive for 2018
Study: not even the depths of oceans are safe from us
“Nowhere is safe,” says a biologist, when it comes to human impacts on the planet’s ecosystems. And that includes even the depths of the oceans. Scary? Perhaps. But true, sadly. According to James Watson, a biologist and climate scientist at the
Putting price tags on illegally traded exotic animals
The illegal wildlife trade is a multibillion dollar business. Much of it entails endangered exotic species in countries like Brazil and Malaysia so many Europeans may think that it is a problem that only affects other parts of the world
We’re creating a climate not seen since dinosaurs ruled
Fans of dinosaurs are familiar with the Triassic period. It ran for around 50 million years from a mass extinction of species at the end of the Permian until the dawn of the Jurassic some 200 million years ago. The Triassic featured some
E. coli bacteria can help solar panels work on cloudy days
Solar power has much to recommend it, not least that it’s clean and carbon-free. It also draws on an inexhaustible natural resources in the form of sun rays. It does have a significant drawback, though. It only works when the
Discarded orange peels sprout a forest in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a major producer of oranges, but local orange juice-making companies tend to have little use of orange peels. So in 1998 one of those juice makers dumped 12,000 tons of peels and leftover pulp on a barren
South Africa wades back into a global nuclear debate
The Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom has been making historic deals lately, most notably a deal with China whereby Rosatom will construct several new reactors in the energy-hungry People’s Republic. Now some prominent South African politicians are hinting they may