Environmental Issues – PossibleThreat Articles

US corn yields get boost from a global warming 'hole'

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Climate, Endangered Plants, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Issues, Food and Agriculture, Global Warming, Nature

The global average temperature has increased 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 100 years. In contrast, the Corn Belt of the U.S., one of the most agriculturally productive regions of the world, has experienced a decrease in temperatures in the summer during the growing season. Known as the 'US warming hole,' this anomalous cooling phenomenon, which occurred in tandem with increasing rainfall, was responsible for boosting corn yields by 5 to 10 percent per year, according to a new study.

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Fungi could reduce reliance on fertilizers

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Climate, Environmental Issues, Food and Agriculture, Fungus, Geochemistry, Global Warming, Organic

Introducing fungi to wheat boosted their uptake of key nutrients and could lead to new, 'climate smart' varieties of crops, according to a new study.

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Catalysis that neutralizes air-polluting NOx from power plant emissions

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Air Pollution, Air Quality, Alternative Fuels, Environmental Issues, Environmental Science, Graphene, Inorganic Chemistry, Spintronics

New research describes the mechanism behind catalysis that neutralizes air-polluting NOx from power plant emissions. Researchers used a High Field (HF) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer in conjunction with reaction studies to test three theories around titania-supported vanadium oxide. They found that tungsten oxide changes the structure of vanadium oxide from a less active form to a highly active form.

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Magnets sustainably separate mixtures of rare earth metals

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Chemistry, Earth Science, Energy and Resources, Environmental Issues, Geochemistry, Geology, Inorganic Chemistry, Spintronics

A new study describes a novel approach for purifying rare earth metals, crucial components of technology that require environmentally-damaging mining procedures. By relying on the metal's magnetic fields during the crystallization process, researchers were able to efficiently and selectively separate mixtures of rare earth metals.

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Earliest well-preserved tetrapod may never have left the water

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Ancient DNA, Drought, Drought Research, Environmental Issues, Evolution, Fish, Fossils, Water, Wild Animals

Superbly preserved fossils from Russia cast new and surprising light on one of the earliest tetrapods — the group of animals that made the evolutionary transition from water to land and ultimately became the ancestors not just of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, but of ourselves.

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Climate change could hasten deterioration of US bridge infrastructure

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Civil Engineering, Climate, Construction, Engineering and Construction, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Issues, Global Warming, Thermodynamics

Scientists are studying the toll climate change may take on aging US infrastructure, which includes over 600,000 bridges. A new study links the potential impacts of climate change with the structural integrity of thousands of bridges transecting America's highways and towns. The analysis demonstrates a need to rethink the nation's priority order of bridge repair, as climate change looms and infrastructure funding remains limited.

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Embracing sustainable practices would help some winery tasting rooms stand out

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Beer and Wine, Behavior, Behavioral Science, Consumer Behavior, Environmental Issues, Nutrition Research, Recycling and Waste, Sustainability

Wineries in the mid-Atlantic region should consider recycling and encouraging their customers to bring bottles to their tasting rooms for refilling to distinguish their businesses from so many others, according to a team of wine-marketing researchers who surveyed consumers.

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Satellite data used to calculate snow depth in mountain ranges

October 22, 2019 0 Comments Climate, Environmental Issues, Geography, Global Warming, Severe Weather, Snow and Avalanches, Storms, Weather

Bioscience engineers have developed a method to measure the snow depth in all mountain ranges in the Northern Hemisphere using satellites. This technique makes it possible to study areas that cannot be accessed for local measurements, such as the Himalayas.

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Exposure to environmental PCBs impairs brain function in mice

October 22, 2019 0 Comments Brain Injury, Brain Tumor, Environmental Issues, Environmental Policy, Immune System, Intelligence, Nervous System, neuroscience, Sustainability

Human-made toxic chemicals that linger indefinitely in the environment disrupt the performance of critical helper cells in the mouse brain, leading to impaired function over long-term exposures.

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New flame retardants, old problems

October 22, 2019 0 Comments Child Development, Child Psychology, Children's Health, Civil Engineering, Construction, Earthquakes, Environmental Issues, Fertility, Health Policy, Learning Disorders, technology, Wildfires

New flame retardants escaping from our TVs, other electrical and electronic products, and children's car seats are just as toxic as the flame retardants they're intended to replace, according to a new study. The authors found that the replacement chemicals, called organophosphate flame retardants, have been associated with lower IQ in children, reproductive problems, and other serious health harms.

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