ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

Carbon Dioxide Emissions May Trigger a Devastating Reflex in the Carbon Cycle, Study Finds

Surpassing a “carbon threshold” could lead to mass extinction. Daniel Rothman, professor of geophysics and co-director of the Lorenz Center in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, has found that when the rate at which carbon dioxide enters the oceans pushes past a certain threshold - whether as the result of a sudden burst or a slow, steady influx - the Earth may respond with a runaway cascade of chemical feedbacks, leading to extreme ocean acidification that dramatically amplifies the effects of the original trigger.

Japan On An Uphill Battle Against Plastic Use

Although the figures show that Japan is recycling a total of 84% of its plastic, a recent article argues that the recycling efforts may not be what they seem.

Bees Declared To Be The Most Important Living Being On Earth

Seventy percent of the world’s agriculture depends entirely on bees. The bees have been declared the most important living beings on this planet, the Earthwatch Institute concluded in the last meeting of the Royal Geographical Society of London.

A Mushroom that Lives Solely on Plastic Has Been Discovered

Plastic waste is one of the biggest environmental issues of our time. And while a straw ban is not the way we're going to solve it, people everywhere are looking for ways to reduce plastic use and mitigate the effects of waste. From handing out plastic bags with embarrassing labels to removing the plastic from six-packs to harnessing the power of a plastic-eating mutant bacteria, more and more of us are working to find solutions to a growing global program.

ISS Astronauts Witnessed Raikoke's Recent Explosion

Japan's Raikoke volcano in the Kuril Islands last erupted in 1924 and has been silent since then, until a few days ago when nearly a century's silence was broken by a massive eruption with such high velocity.

Japan Resumes Whale Hunting After 31-Year Ban

Whaling has been a Japanese tradition for centuries and was particularly important post-World War II to feed the country's poor. Now, the government wants to revive the whaling industry despite growing disinterest in whale meat among Japanese.
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