#environment

Beavers are Front Line Warriors Against Climate ChangeBeavers build dams, which gives them a unique niche in the ecosystem. The are sometimes seen as a nuisance, but only because the confound human plans for the land. The effects of the dams and ponds that beavers build help keep the earth from warming as fast as it would without them. New studies show that they can even assuage the damage of wildfires, drought, and even heat waves! Now if we could just agree on letting them have their way with the wilder parts of the world, beavers could prove to be more useful than we ever knew. -via Vox#beaver #climatechange #environment

"Lithium Fields" Show the Heavy Environmental Price of Extracting Lithium for Electric Car BatteriesLithium is the lightest known metal on the planet. Because of this excellent characteristic, there has been an increasing demand for the aforementioned chemical element. Lithium is widely used in various electric devices such as cell phones and electric cars. Simply put, lithium plays a large role in today's world. Extracting this element, however, has harmful effects on the environment.Whether it's fossil fuels (such as coal and oil) or lithium, resource extraction could lead to many environmental issues such as soil degradation, water shortages, biodiversity loss, and even global warming. Lithium extraction, specifically, causes soil damage and air contamination.These lithium extraction fields in Chile (photographed by Tom Hegen) may look bright and colorful, but they also show the dark truth behind our "swiftly electrifying world."But does this mean we should stop mining lithium? Some scientists believe so and are calling to stop such activities. Some scientists, meanwhile, are looking for better alternatives like iron and silicon-based batteries.Images: Tom Hegen#Environment #Lithium #Batteries #Energy

Uvariopsis dicaprio: New Species of Evergreen Tree in Cameroon Named after Leonardo DiCaprioThe first new plant species to be given a scientific name in 2022 was this new tropical evergreen tree from the Ebo forest of Cameroon.The 4-meter tall plant, with distinctive yellow-green flower that grows on its trunk, was named Uvariopsis dicaprioin honor of the actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who has campaigned to save the forest from logging.The plant was previously unknown to the scientific community as well as to local inhabitants. The tree was identified as new by Martin Cheek of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, together with his colleagues from the National Herbarium of Cameroon and the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon. "This is a plant which, for a botanist, just jumps out at you," says Cheek, "It's so spectacular."As there are fewer than 50 individual U. dicaprio trees found - and all are located in the same area of the Ebo forest, the species is considered critically endangered.Photo by: Lorna MacKinnon#NewSpecies #Cameroon #Tropical #Uvariopsisdicaprio #Environment #LeonardoDicaprio #plant

A'seedbot: This Real Life Wall-E is an Adorable Seed Planting RobotMeet A’seedbot, an autonomous robot that plants seeds upon finding fertile areas. The miniature robot is the graduation project of Mazyar Etehadi from the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation. Etehadi developed A’seedbot in the hopes of seeking a solution for desertification in the UAE."I just wish that there were more plants, more greenery out there," Etehadi told CNN. The real life version of Wall-E is 20 cm long. Its venture in the desert lands are powered by solar panels, designed to recharge during the day and power A’seedbot at night as it works. The robot’s 3D-printed legs are capable of traversing through sand to search for areas that have the right levels of moisture so it could plant a seed. Image credit: Global Grad Show #robotics #UAE #Aseedbot #environment 

NASA's Eyes on the Earth Lets You Track Its Satellites in Real-TimeGet to know our planet better through NASA's real-time visualization tool called "Eyes on the Earth." With it, you'll be able to see the planet's "vital signs" such as air temperature, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide levels, sea level, and many more. The tool also displays the path of the many satellites that roam the Earth.The tool is available over at NASA's official website.NASA also provides easy-to-follow tips on how to use it, over here.(Image Credit: NASA)#NASA #Earth #Environment #satellite

Visualizing the Devastating Sea Level Rise due to Climate Change in Various Locations Around the WorldFrançois Hollande, the former president of France once said, "We have a single mission: to protect and hand on the planet to the next generation."The video shows snapshots from the future which shows a catastrophic sea level if we remain in denial of climate change. If nations today keep their current ways which are harmful to the environment, the planet’s temperature will soon rise about 3 degrees Celsius, but if pollution is cut in half by 2030, global warming could be stopped after rising about 1.5 degrees Celsius.The comparison between the scientific projections of the sea levels, depending on the path that will be taken by nations, shows how small actions lead to big results. In this case, the future of our environment now depends on our hands. Ask yourself about the environment where the future generation will live, and act upon that vision. Video credit: Climate Central #SeaLevel #ClimateChange #World #Future #Environment #GlobalWarming

These Amazing Cows Were Trained By Scientists to Urinate in a Special Pen Called the "MooLoo"Cows pee a lot. And when I say “a lot”, I mean A LOT. According to Lindsay Matthews, an animal behavioral scientist, a single cow can produce as much as 8 gallons (over 30 liters) of urine a day. When not disposed of properly, cattle urine, along with cattle dung, could contribute to nitrous oxide emissions — a substance more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. To address this serious environmental issue, scientists have wondered if cows could be potty trained. The study was published in the journal Current Biology, and the study found that “cows are at least as good as children, age 2 to 4 years, at least as quick.” Scientists have dedicated a special pen called the “MooLoo” for the cows. But how did they entice the cows to urinate there? Find out how they did it over at AP News. (Image Credit: Thomas Häntzschel/FBN via AP) #Cow #PottyTrain #Urine #Nitrogen #NitrousOxide #Environment

Recreating a Lost Generation of Ancient Trees for Biological DiversityTrees can live thousands of years if they aren't cut down for wood or to clear the land, and no matter how many trees we plant, we cannot replenish the supply of thousand-year-old trees. As useful as young trees are, a tree near the end of its life is uniquely essential to the world's biodiversity. An example is Big Belly Oak, a 1100-year-old tree in England's Savernake Forest.While an ancient tree like this is impressive at a distance, take a look inside and you will see something even more intriguing.Oak polypore fungi and stag beetle larvae feast on the dead heartwood, adult stag beetles sup the sugary liquid from the "sap runs", the living layers of wood which transport water and minerals throughout the tree. Hover flies lay eggs in water-filled rot holes, rat-tailed maggots devour leaf litter and violet click beetles eat up wood mould that is rich with faeces and other remains, accumulating over a century. Knothole moss and pox lichen cling to the bark in rainwater channels. Barbastelle bats hibernate in crevices and under loose bark. Woodpeckers and nuthatch enlarge holes for nesting, while owls, kestrels, marsh tit and tree-creeper move in to ready-made cavities. These rich pockets of life are a secret world, a diverse habitat teeming with insects, fungi, lichen, birds and bats. The ancients of our forests provide essential food and shelter for more than 2,000 of the UK's invertebrates species. In Savernake Forest alone, these trees are home to nearly 120 species of lichen, more than 500 species of fungi, and other important wildlife such as the elusive white-letter hairstreak butterflies.Such trees fill environmental niches around the world. But while we can't plant ancient trees, conservationists from several different organizations have developed techniques for artificially aging trees for the purpose of supporting these other species. At least one technique ages a tree 100 years in just two years time. Read how this may work to recreate ancient natural ecosystemsat BBC Future. -via TYWKIWDBI #tree #environment #habitat #ecosystem

The Amazing Ecological Transformation of Ascension IslandAscension Island in the south Atlantic was an unremarkable volcanic island formed around a million years ago. It had some grass and a freshwater spring, and sea turtles and birds made it their home. In 1815, a British garrison planted a vegetable garden and brought in livestock, but there were no trees at all on the island. When Charles Darwin's famous Beagle expedition stopped there in 1836, he pondered the island's possibilities.Seven years later, British botanist and explorer Joseph Hooker visited the island. Edged on by Darwin, Hooker advised the British Navy that vegetating the island would help capture rain and improve the soil. Trees would capture moisture and reduce evaporation, while their roots will break down the lava rocks and create thicker and loamy soils.Beginning in 1850 and continuing for a decade, the Royal Navy imported thousands of saplings encompassing more than 330 different species from botanical gardens in Europe, South Africa and Argentina. The plants were specifically chosen to withstand the harsh conditions of life on this volcanic desert. In twenty years, more than five thousand trees had begun to take root. They covered the crown of Green Mountain, the highest point of the island, in a lush halo of bamboo, while tall Norfolk pines flanked the slopes. These trees were planted to be used as replacement masts for sailing ships.

Climate Change-Themed Mini Golf Course in Brooklyn, New YorkThis is not your usual windmill and castle mini golf putting green!A new climate change-themed 18-hole mini golf course called the Putting Green has opened in the Two Trees River Ring site in Brooklyn, New York. It's a collaborative community project where local artists and designers, community and school groups, as well as environmental advocacy groups and public agencies designed the course.The designs focus on various themes centered on climate change, including green infrastructure, animal habitat, energy and emissions concerns. By playing the course, it is hoped that visitors can explore their own roles in understanding and solving the climate change crisis.The Putting Green was constructed in an environmentally conscious way, including using repurposed planks from a dismantled Domino Sugar factory for decking wood and planters, using recycled tires, recycled bricks and steel drum to construct the golf courses, and planting native species throughout.#golf #minigolf #climatechange #brooklynNYC #environment