According to study co-authored by UCLA ecologist, the answer is devastating news for Earth’s largest animals
Many of the world’s largest herbivores — including several species of elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses and gorillas — are in danger of becoming extinct. And if current trends continue, the loss of these animals would have drastic implications not only for the species themselves, but also for other animals and the environments and ecosystems in which they live, according to a new report by an international team of scientists.(more…)
Zum Start der Olympischen Winterspiele 2010 in Vancouver: WWF präsentiert Rekorde aus dem Tierreich.
Wenn am 12. Februar die Olympischen Winterspiele in Vancouver beginnen blickt die Welt gebannt nach Kanada und fiebert sportlichen Sensationen entgegen. Doch bei aller Bewunderung für die menschlichen Athleten, im Vergleich zu den Höchstleistungen im Tierreich verblasst der Glanz manch einer Goldmedaille: Pottwale tauchen bis zu 2500 Meter tief, Gletscherflöhe produzieren ihr eigenes Frostschutzmittel, der Amur-Tiger trotzt Temperaturen von bis zu 45 Grad unter Null und ein Schneeleopard kann 16 Meter weit springen. „All diese rekordverdächtigen Leistungen und Fähigkeiten sind evolutionär als Folge der Anpassung an einen bestimmten Lebensraum entstanden“, sagt Volker Homes, Leiter Artenschutz beim WWF Deutschland. „Extreme Lebensräume, wie etwa Arktis und Antarktis, die Tiefsee oder das Hochgebirge, erfordern extreme Fähigkeiten.“ Diese Vielfalt gälte es, so der WWF, zu bewahren. Denn Klimawandel, Lebensraumzerstörung und Wilderei machten auch vor den extremsten Ökosystemen des Planeten nicht hal (more…)
Am Freitag ist es soweit, dann werden die XXII. Olympischen Winterspiele im russischen Sotschi eröffnet. Gestern, am Dienstag, hat sich der größte Teil der deutschen Delegation auf den Weg in Richtung Osten zur russischen Schwarzmeerküste aufgemacht, um bei den Wettkämpfen um Gold, Silber und Bronze auf Schnee und Eis mitzumischen. Jedoch ist die Küstenstadt Sotschi nicht gerade bekannt für winterliche Bedingungen mit Schnee und Eis. Vielmehr können lokal sogar Palmen begutachtet werden, die ein Symbol für ein maritimes und mildes Klima sind. Aus diesem Grund wurden für die Kufen-Disziplinen große Hallen gebaut und die Schneewettkämpfe in die etwa 30 km nördlich gelegene Schneeregion um “Krasnaja Poljana” in Höhengebieten zwischen 500 und 1000 m ausgegliedert. Doch auf welches Wetter müssen sich nun die Athleten einstellen? (more…)
Michelle Bayefsky hopes that London’s future will be filled with elm trees.
The Yale junior spent part of her summer in that city helping to ensure that will be the case.
An International Bulldogs Internship allowed Bayefsky the opportunity to work for an environmental charity called The Conservation Foundation, which among other initiatives is engaged in a project to re-establish elm tree populations in the United Kingdom (U.K.). For Bayefsky, the experience was not only an introduction to environmental work, but also confirmed that small actions can sometimes have a big impact. (more…)
COLUMBIA, Mo. — One person dies every hour from melanoma skin cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. A technique known as photoacoustics can find some forms of melanoma even if only a few cancerous cells exist, but a recent study by University of Missouri researchers found that the technique was limited in its ability to identify other types of cancer. Attaching markers, called enhancers, to cancer cells could improve the ability of photoacoustics to find other types of cancer and could save lives thanks to faster diagnoses, but the technique is in its early stages.
“Eventually, a photoacoustic scan could become a routine part of a medical exam,” said Luis Polo-Parada, assistant professor of pharmacology and physiology and resident investigator at the MU Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center. “The technique doesn’t use X-rays like current methods of looking for cancer. It could also allow for much earlier detection of cancer. Now, a cancerous growth is undetectable until it reaches approximately one cubic centimeter in size. Photoacoustics could potentially find cancerous growths of only a few cells. Unfortunately, our research shows that, besides some cases of melanoma, the diagnostic use of photoacoustics still has major limitations. To overcome this problem, the use of photoacoustic enhancers like gold, carbon nanotubes or dyed nanoparticles is needed.” (more…)
Chemists at Brown University have created a triple-headed metallic nanoparticle that reportedly performs better and lasts longer than any other nanoparticle catalyst studied in fuel-cell reactions. The key is the addition of gold: It yields a more uniform crystal structure while removing carbon monoxide from the reaction. Results published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Advances in fuel-cell technology have been stymied by the inadequacy of metals studied as catalysts. The drawback to platinum, other than cost, is that it absorbs carbon monoxide in reactions involving fuel cells powered by organic materials like formic acid. A more recently tested metal, palladium, breaks down over time. (more…)
In 2010, China mined the record amount of gold in the world. The production volume of nonferrous metals in China amounted to 340.88 tons, which is 8.57% higher than a year earlier, and continues to grow. In recent years, China has consistently increased the amount of its gold reserves. Nevertheless, experts believe that China has a long way to go to reach the level of the world leading economies.
According to the China Gold Association, in 2007 China ranked first in terms of gold mining. It outran South Africa and is holding this position to this day. Starting 2004, the volume of production of the precious metal in China has been steadily growing. In 2009 it amounted to 313.98 tons. The volume of the gold imported by China within ten months of 2010 amounted to 209.72 tons, which is six times more than the year before, Rosbalt reported. (more…)
A new study from researchers at North Carolina State University sheds light on how a technique that is commonly used for making single-metal nanoparticles can be extended to create nanoparticles consisting of two metals – and that have tunable properties. The study also provides insight into the optical properties of some of these nanoparticles.
Tuning the optical properties of nanoparticles is of interest for applications such as security technology, and for use in making chemical reactions more efficient – which has multiple industrial and environmental applications. (more…)
