A new report concludes that large constellations of bright satellites in low-Earth orbit will fundamentally change ground-based astronomy and impact the appearance of the night sky for stargazers worldwide. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/astronomers-report-effect-of-satellite-constellations-astronomy…
Tag: pollution
Ozone Increased in the Northern Hemisphere Over the Last Two Decades
Phys.org reports:
In a first-ever study using ozone data collected by commercial aircraft, researchers from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder found that levels of the pollutant in the lowest part of Earth’s atmosphere have increased across the Northern Hemisphere over the past 20 years. That’s even as tighter controls on emissions of…
Strange Bacteria Can Build Electricity-Carrying Cables in Mud
Bacteria in mud samples have been transformed into microbial fuel cells generating enough electricity to power a toy car — just part of a larger phenomenon that one chemical engineer had originally dismissed as “complete nonsense.” Science magazine remembers how Lars Peter Nielsen’s 2009 experiment at Denmark’s Aarhus University changed the way the world viewed bacteria:
At the start of the experiment,…
Pesticides and industrial pollutants found in snow atop Arctic glaciers
The long journey of these compounds – likely originating in the U.S. and Eurasia – shows the far-reaching impacts of industrial pollution. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/pesticides-industrial-pollutants-found-atop-arctic-glaciers…
Simple technique could help find microplastics inside the human body
Researchers have developed a method of detecting microplastics in human tissue samples to help investigate the impact of plastic pollution on the body Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2251975-simple-technique-could-help-find-microplastics-inside-the-human-body/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
ESA’s dazzling laser hunts for atmospheric pollution in the Antarctic
The European Space Agency shines a laser beam out from the world’s most remote research station to study what we’re doing to the atmosphere Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24732951-300-esas-dazzling-laser-hunts-for-atmospheric-pollution-in-the-antarctic/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
How covid-19 spawned a plastic pandemic – and what we can do about it
Hygiene fears and the demand for masks have unleashed a plastic pollution pandemic, while industry lobbyists are pushing to roll back bans on single-use plastics Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2251045-how-covid-19-spawned-a-plastic-pandemic-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Lifestyle Changes Could Delay Or Prevent 40% of Dementia Cases, Study Says
Excessive drinking, exposure to air pollution and head injuries all increase dementia risk, experts say in a report revealing that up to 40% of dementia cases worldwide could be delayed or prevented by addressing 12 such lifestyle factors. The Guardian reports: The report from the Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care builds on previous work revealing that about a…
Gulf of Mexico dead zone: Summer 2020 forecast
NOAA scientists forecast that this summer’s dead zone would measure roughly 6,700 square miles – bigger than the long-term average recorded since 1985, but lower than 2017’s record-high extent. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/gulf-mexico-dead-zone-summer-2020-forecast…
To photograph comet Neowise, it takes patience and placement
The newly discovered comet Neowise is only visible from Earth once every 6,800 years, and photographers who want to document it seek places with high elevation and little smog or light pollution. A place like North Carolina’s famed Grandfather Mountain. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-07-comet-neowise-patience-placement.html…