Tag Archives: pollution

Why Environmental Water Pollution is a Health Hazard

Water is a natural element that provides life to all living things, from plants to animals and especially human beings. Thus, it is vital that water be consistently available for consumption. It does much more than quench your thirst. It is necessary to regulate body functions, and therefore keep you alive. However, water has evolved over time. From the clear and reflective waters of the rivers, streams, lakes, seas and oceans during the early years of the earth’s birth, water has gradually turned into different a kaleidoscopic, dirty mass that’s almost drowning the earth in pollution. This basically comes from the waste of man. Massive environmental pollution has had such a huge impact on our health, and here’s what you should know about it. (more…)

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Ecosystem Effects of Biodiversity Loss Could Rival Impacts of Climate Change, Pollution

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Loss of biodiversity appears to impact ecosystems as much as climate change, pollution and other major forms of environmental stress, according to a new study from an international research team.

The study is the first comprehensive effort to directly compare the impacts of biological diversity loss to the anticipated effects of a host of other human-caused environmental changes.

The results highlight the need for stronger local, national and international efforts to protect biodiversity and the benefits it provides, according to the researchers, who are based at nine institutions in the United States, Canada and Sweden. (more…)

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Link Between Air Pollution and Cyclone Intensity in Arabian Sea

*Disruption of wind shear enables stronger storms*

Pollution is making Arabian Sea cyclones more intense, according to a study in this week’s issue of the journal Nature.

Traditionally, prevailing wind shear patterns prohibit cyclones in the Arabian Sea from becoming major storms.

The Nature paper suggests that weakening winds have enabled the formation of stronger cyclones in recent years–including storms in 2007 and 2010 that were the first recorded storms to enter the Gulf of Oman. (more…)

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Re-emergence of Salmon in The Thames ‘Not From Restocking’ Say Exeter Academics

*The recent returns of Atlantic salmon in the Thames are more likely to be a result of fish straying from nearby rivers rather than a consequence of expensive restocking efforts, according to new research by the University of Exeter.*

A team of University of Exeter bio-scientists, in collaboration with the Environment Agency, Westcountry Rivers Trust and Oviedo University, Spain, have been collecting genetic data from returning fish, which suggests that habitat restoration was more effective than re-introductions. The findings will be published in the journal ‘Biological Conservation’.

Lessons from the study could be applied to other rivers across the UK according to the co-author of the paper Dr Jamie Stevens, Associate Professor of Molecular Systematics at the University of Exeter. Dr Stevens says: “Traditionally, people – such as river owners and anglers – have wanted big fish swimming up their rivers. The easiest way to ensure this quickly has been to restock those rivers with exogenous fish (from outside the river system).” (more…)

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Film by Yale Environment 360 Receives Oscar Nomination

Yale graduate student James Franco will be in the spotlight on the night of the Academy Awards as both co-host of the ceremony (with Anne Hathaway) and a “Best Actor” nominee (for “127 Hours”). But also vying for its share of the glitter will be a short Yale film on a big topic: the fledgling environmental movement in China.

“The Warriors of Qiugang” — co-produced by Yale Environment 360 (e360), an online publication of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies — has been nominated for an Academy Award in the category “Best Documentary: Short Subject.” (more…)

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Deep Plumes of Oil Could Cause Dead Zones in the Gulf

WASHINGTON — A new simulation of oil and methane leaked into the Gulf of Mexico suggests that deep hypoxic zones or “dead zones” could form near the source of the pollution.  

The research investigates five scenarios of oil and methane plumes at different depths and incorporates an estimated rate of flow from the Deepwater Horizon spill, which released oil and methane gas into the Gulf from April to mid July of this year.

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Texas Petrochemical Emissions Down, but Still Underestimated

WASHINGTON — A thick blanket of yellow haze hovering over Houston as a result of chemical pollution from petroleum products may be getting a little bit thinner, according to a new study. But the new findings — which have implications for petrochemical-producing cities around the world — come with a catch, says a team of scientists who participated in the research.

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