ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

NASA—How Tropical Rainforests May Help End the Climate Change Issue

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE If 2014 made anything evident on the global stage, it’s that climate change is a serious issue and one that must be dealt with urgently. Many hope that the United Nations Summit in 2015 will bring some sort of international change, but with new research from the US space agency NASA, researchers are now saying that we may have some added help on our side—tropical rainforests.

Scientists Baffled by Mysterious Sea Bird Deaths

Scientists have been trying to discover the cause of death of many sea birds up and down the shores of the Pacific Coast. These mysterious deaths have been increasing in number since October 2014 and researchers are, thus far, baffled by the cause -- although they continue to investigate.

Environment May Become Part of New Dietary Guidelines

When the government releases its next version of recommended dietary guidelines to encourage Americans to eat healthier, environmental concerns could also be addressed as part of the guidelines.

NASA Says Tropical Rainforests May Hold a Key To the Climate Change Issue

While tropical rainforests may be vanishing, a new study led by NASA researchers reveals yet another reason why trees in the tropical rainforest may in fact be man’s best friend. With greenhouse gas emissions on a constant rise since the dawning of the industrial revolution and the subsequent population growth that followed, researchers in recent years have tried to estimate exactly how much carbon dioxide is actually absorbed by plants to better assess a serious global issue. And in a new NASA-led study, researchers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory were able to combine three different divisions of science to reveal that tropical rainforests may be absorbing far more CO2 than many researchers previously thought, in response to rising atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas.

Blue Hole of Belize—The Fall of Maya Civilization Found in the Sand

Over the past Millenia, civilizations even before the age of written history, have fallen when faced with famine, disease and even war. But when the most advanced civilization in the world disappears without a reason, the mystery creates some unique speculations. For years now, researchers and archaeologists have sought out an answer to what happened to the Mesoamerican Mayan civilization, and while theories have run the gamut from mass suicide to disease and famine, researchers now believe that they have found the answer entombed in an underwater lagoon.

What One Discovery May Mean For Conservation Efforts in Southeast Asia

Now, while conservation efforts have sought out to stop this practice that ruins tropical ecosystems, many have failed as national and international agencies refuse to step in unless something else causes a pressing concern. And in that hope, the forests of Indonesian island Sulawesi may soon find their deforestation coming to a close; all thanks to strange-breeding frog species.

Monarch Butterflies Could Soon Be Deemed “Endangered”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced earlier this week that it is considering placing the monarch butterfly under the federal protection of the Endangered Species Act. And now, for the next sixty days, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hear comments from the public on the idea of listing the butterfly.

Endangered Subspecies of Giraffe Born in Chester Zoo, Raising Hope For The Future of The Species

The tallest terrestrial animal on the planet, giraffes, occupy the scorching plains of Sub-Saharan Africa. And, despite popular knowledge, "giraffe" is what scientists like to call an umbrella common name, consisting of, at least 9 different subspecies. And while some subspecies are more abundant than the rest, one particular subspecies that is quite endangered has new hope on the horizon. On December 29th, a Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti) calf, named Zahra, was born at the Chester Zoo in England, added some new genetic variation into the small population left in captivity of Rothschild's giraffes.

Great Lakes' Water Levels Cause Erosion Concern

The Great Lakes have been rising over the last two years, putting an end to a decade of lower than average water levels, and creating favorable conditions for both boating and commercial shipping. In fact, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say water levels in lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario are all above seasonal averages for the first time in 16 years.

Chatty Zebra Finches May Slur Their Speech When Drunk, But Then Again Who Doesn’t?

Well, they may not be the normal bar hoppers you’re likely to spot out on New Year’s Eve, but a new study shows that when zebra finches imbibe even just a bit, they won’t likely pass a sobriety test no matter how high their tolerance. Spiking the drinks of the small Darwinian subjects, researchers with the Oregon Health & Science University found that after drinking even small amounts of liquor the birds were less inclined to fly around but certainly slurred their songs and chirps with a distinct drunken vibe.

Illegal Import May Be the Death of a Few Species, Including Humans—Coconut Crab in Hawaii

In a strange sequence of events, officials with Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture reported that an illegally transported Coconut Crab was found roaming down Honolulu’s Salt Lake Boulevard early this past weekend. And while the species may sound like a small an unassuming small beach crab, with claws strong enough to pierce through coconuts, the discovery of one on the island has researchers and department officials on edge from the possibilities of what may come.
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