Wildlife Protection at Glover’s Reef, Belize Falling Short
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Belize, the small Central American nation facing the Caribbean Sea on the Yucatan Peninsula, is home to extremely diverse and tropical wildlife. A large stretch of sea surrounding Glover’s Reef, an atoll reef lagoon that is home to a beautiful resort, has been placed under government protection. As a result of the fishing ban, populations of barracuda, groupers, snappers, and other predators have rebounded. However, populations of herbivorous fish have only slightly increased. This means trouble for the corals which depend on the herbivorous fish to eat the algae which collects upon and smothers them.
Dawn at Vesta
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Vesta is the second-most-massive asteroid after the dwarf planet Ceres,and comprises an estimated 9% of the mass of the asteroid belt. Vesta is thought to be a remnant protoplanet with a differentiated interior. It lost some 1% of its mass less than a billion years ago in a collision that left an enormous crater occupying much of its southern hemisphere. NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has sent back the first images of the giant asteroid Vesta from its low-altitude mapping orbit. The images, obtained by the framing camera, show the stippled and lumpy surface in detail never seen before, piquing the curiosity of scientists who are studying Vesta for clues about the solar system’s early history. The surface shows abundant small craters, and textures such as small grooves and lineaments that are reminiscent of the structures seen in low-resolution data from the higher-altitude orbits. Also, this fine scale highlights small outcrops of bright and dark material.
Frankincense May Be Doomed
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Frankincense has a long history as an ingredient in incense and perfumes, with references dating back to ancient Egypt. In the Bible, the Magi brought the fragrant resin as a gift to the baby Jesus, along with gold and myrrh — and it remains part of the classic Christmas story. But frankincense, whose smell is sometimes described as sweet or spicy with a mix of lemon and pine, will soon become only a relic of the past if nothing is done to protect the trees that produce it, according to a new study.
Historic Mercury Regs from EPA a Boon for Health, the Environment and Jobs
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
A few small drops of mercury can contaminate a 20-acre lake and the fish that happen to reside there, thanks to coal-fired plant emissions. That’s a major reason why the EPA’s decision to regulate the emissions of mercury, lead and other toxic pollutants from coal- and oil-fired plants is a major victory for the health and environmental welfare of the nation. And please ignore the scare tactics from Big Coal and right-wing politicos about blackouts, job losses and energy security risks as a result of the rules.
Nigeria coast braces for Royal Dutch Shell oil spill
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Nigerian authorities were putting emergency measures in place on Thursday to prevent an oil spill from a Royal Dutch Shell facility, the biggest leak in Nigeria for more than 13 years, washing up on its densely populated coast.
Tuesday’s spill, which Shell said happened while a tanker was loading oil, has led to the complete shutdown of the company’s 200,000 barrel per day (bpd) Bonga facility, about 120 kilometers off the coast of the West African nation.
Shell’s pipelines in Nigeria’s onshore Niger delta have spilled several times, which it usually blames on sabotage attacks and oil theft, though it did not in this case.
“It’s comparable to what happened in 1998 with the Exxon Mobil spill, in terms of the quantity that has been spilled, it’s the biggest since then,” Peter Idabor, director of Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), told Reuters by telephone from the capital Abuja.
In 1998, some 40,000 barrels leaked from a ruptured Mobil pipeline off the coast of Nigeria.
Smoking Linked to Skin Cancer in Women
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Conventional thinking suggests that the best way to avoid skin cancer is to use sunscreen, particularly one made from organic materials. New research, however, continues to find other risk factors. Long known as a causative factor in lung cancer, new research suggests that smoking increases your chances of developing skin cancer, especially if you are a woman. For the now, the data is correlational.
Traditional farming can save threatened species
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Traditional farming methods are crucial for protecting a number of threatened bird species in the developing world, including bustards, cranes, ibises and vultures, a study has found. Livestock grazing and features associated with arable farming — such as hedgerows — create environmental conditions that certain birds currently depend on for food, shelter and breeding, the authors report.
New EPA rules threatening aging power plants
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
More than 32 mostly coal-fired power plants in a dozen states will be forced to shut down and an additional 36 might have to close because of new federal air pollution regulations, according to an Associated Press survey.
Who pays most for electricity?
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Want to lower your electricity bill? Move to Utah.
States weigh pros, cons of ‘smart’ utility meters
December 26, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
The cost of using an air conditioner — whether it runs during the peak time for electrical usage or during off-peak hours — is still the same for many electricity users across the country. The same goes for using a clothes dryer.
