10 Things We've Learned About the Earth Since Last 
Earth Day
Joseph Stromberg
Smithsonian Magazine
April 19, 2012
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/04/10-things-weve-learned-about-the-earth-since-last-earth-day/

Sunday is the 42nd celebration of Earth Day, which was
started in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson to help
educate people about environmental issues and
demonstrate public support for a conservationist agenda.
With that in mind, we decided it was the right time to
recap the most surprising, awe-inspiring and alarming
things that we have learned about the Earth and the
environment since last year's holiday:

1. Undiscovered species are still out there: Countless
discoveries over the past year reminded us that, despite
centuries of research, the planet still has plenty of
surprise species in store. Among the many finds include
seven new forest mice species in the Philippines, a
"psychedelic" gecko in Vietnam and a new type of dolphin
in Australia. A new analysis released last August,
billed as the most accurate ever, estimated that a total
of 8.7 million different species of life exist on earth.

2. Global warming is already driving up food prices:
While many fear that climate change will someday reduce
crop yields and cause food prices to rise, a study
published last May in Science indicates that this
troubling trend has already gotten started. The models
used suggest that reduced global yields of wheat and
corn are related to global warming. Although the effects
are relatively small so far, they may cause severe
problems in the future, as climate patterns continue to
change and food demand increases.

3. Natural gas is not so great: Although advocates of
natural gas argue that it contributes less to climate
change than other fossil fuels such as coal, a study
published last spring revealed that leakage of methane
from newer types of shale gas wells and associated
pipelines may be a bigger problem than first assumed. As
much as 7.9 percent of the methane mined from these
increasingly common wells may be escaping into the
atmosphere through loose pipeline fittings and during
hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a "fracking"). In the short
term, the greenhouse effect of methane is 25 times that
of carbon dioxide.

4. Offshore wind farms are good for biodiversity: Last
August, wind advocates welcomed the news that offshore
turbines apparently have no negative effect on aquatic
ecosystems, and might actually provide new habitats for
creatures that live in shallow water. Although a few
bird species might avoid the wind farms because of the
risks of spinning turbines, the net effect of the large
scale-wind farm studied by the team of Dutch scientists
was positive.

5. A fungus causes white-nose syndrome in bats: First
discovered in a New York State cave in 2006, the disease
has quickly spread to more than 115 bat colonies across
North America and has caused mortality rates as high as
90 percent in affected populations. Finally, last
October, researchers pinpointed the cause: the fungus
Geomyces destructans. The disease forces bats to awaken
too frequently from hibernation, leading to starvation,
and has already caused several bat species to become
endagered. Scientists are tracking movement of the
disease and working on developing a cure.

6. The oceans are in bigger trouble than we thought: The
annual State of the Ocean report, published in July by
an international team of experts, concluded that things
are far worse in ocean ecosystems than previously
feared. A range of stresses-including rising sea
temperatures, overfishing, acidification and pollution-
have combined to threaten extinction for many aquatic
species, including those that create coral reefs. "We
have underestimated the overall risks," the report
noted. "The whole of marine degradation is greater than
the sum of its parts."

7. Large wildlife are surviving the conflict in
Afghanistan: Research published in June by the World
Conservation Society revealed a tidbit of positive news
about the conflict in Afghanistan. A range of large
mammals (including black bears, gray wolves, wild goats
and rare snow leopards) have been able to survive
decades of violence in Afghanistan, despite the
attendant deforestation, habitat degradation and the
absence of rule of law. The researchers reaffirmed the
need for conservation programs that also provide
livelihoods for local people to ensure this trend
continues.

8.Pesticides play a role in bee colony collapses: A
study published last spring in Science proved what many
have feared-low levels of a common pesticide may confuse
honeybees, making it much more difficult for them to
find their way home after trips away from the hive. The
authors of the study say the results raise questions
about the use of the chemical, neonicotinoid, while
others note the possible role of other factors, such as
increased susceptibility to disease and a reduction in
wildflowers because of land development.

9. Eating meat warms the planet: A guide released last
July by the Environmental Working Group put firm numbers
on what many have argued for some time-namely, that
eating meat can contribute as much to climate change as
driving a car. According to the report, which took into
account every step needed to produce meat (including the
pesticides, fertilizers and water used to grow feed, the
emissions resulting from processing the meat, the
transportation and cooking of it and other factors), if
every U.S. citizen gave up meat and cheese one day per
week, the effect on greenhouse gas emissions would equal
taking about 7.6 million cars off the road.

10. Millions likely to be trapped by climate change: A
report by the British government, released last October,
warned that millions of people around the world will
likely end up trapped in places vulnerable to the
effects of environmental change over the next century.
Although previous studies simply estimated which areas
might be flooded by rising sea levels and assumed that
all residents would move, the report drew upon more than
70 research papers and recognized that in many cases
(such as New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina), the most
disadvantaged groups are unable to leave. Experts
advocate increased planning to financially support
migration, both within and between countries.

___________________________________________

Portside aims to provide material of interest to people
on the left that will help them to interpret the world
and to change it.

Submit via email: [log in to unmask]

Submit via the Web: http://portside.org/submittous3

Frequently asked questions: http://portside.org/faq

Sub/Unsub: http://portside.org/subscribe-and-unsubscribe

Search Portside archives: http://portside.org/archive

Contribute to Portside: https://portside.org/donate