New! Gold "Mining" Termites found, May lead to Human Riches
A new discovery leads to several opportunities! It has just been found that certain termites collect metals hidden in the ground to make their mounds. Some termites have been examined to find zinc and magnesium in their excretory systems, indicating the likelihood of the metals in the dirt. Aaron Stewart, an entomologist who works with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, believes that we, as humans, can use the termites habits to our advantage. They could easily be used to discover gold deposits and other precious metals that companies spend millions of dollars trying to find. Imagine how much money could be saved.
You don't even have to examine a termite to find out whether or not the ground contains important resources because their excretory systems take care of that. They leave behind small stones that have been through their elaborate system; therefore, people could just be hired to examine the mound.
If money and drilling could be cut out of the equation, I think that using the termites to find gold deposits is brilliant. It's a great way to limit drilling and fracking. Plus, the termites finding the metals is a natural process. That means, the environment wouldn't be hurt in the process. The only thing you'd have to worry about is the termites becoming indicator species, destroying the ecosystem. But in Australia, termites are everywhere. They could be placed anywhere and not disturb the natural ecosystem.
You don't even have to examine a termite to find out whether or not the ground contains important resources because their excretory systems take care of that. They leave behind small stones that have been through their elaborate system; therefore, people could just be hired to examine the mound.
If money and drilling could be cut out of the equation, I think that using the termites to find gold deposits is brilliant. It's a great way to limit drilling and fracking. Plus, the termites finding the metals is a natural process. That means, the environment wouldn't be hurt in the process. The only thing you'd have to worry about is the termites becoming indicator species, destroying the ecosystem. But in Australia, termites are everywhere. They could be placed anywhere and not disturb the natural ecosystem.
new! Beyond the Kiss, Mistletoe Helps Feed Forests, Study Suggests
In a recent study, mistletoe has surprisingly been found to be necessary to a forest's good health. How was this found? An experiment was started in 2004 in Australia; specifically a small woodland area located in New South Wales. The forest being experimented on was surrounded by farmland. Ecologist David Watson decided that the scientists needed to first completely remove mistletoe from 17 forests. Those forests would later be compared to 11 untouched woods and 12 where the plant had never been introduced. After a difficult time removing the mistletoe from the appropriate places (Watson discovered that the mistletoe was naturally scarce and spread out), they waited for 3 years so the forest could recover. But instead of recovering, the whole forest declined. A third of the birds had disappeared, along with some of the mammal and reptile species. This was the complete opposite of Watson's hypothesis. He had previously thought that mistletoe was indeed a keystone species.
Watson hadn't realized that mistletoe actually picks up and distributes nutrients along the forest floor, playing a big role in the food web. You see, it sucks water and nutrients out of tree branches, but isn't particularly thorough in doing so. It forgets about some of the nutrients and that nutrients gets to the floor of the forest by falling leaves. So in the end, mistletoe has a positive effect on the forests it inhabits. Watson believes it will help a a damaged forest in restoring its health. The only thing that could prove controversial is where the mistletoe is introduced. It can harm lumber trees to the point of fatality.
Finally! Something to fix our forests! Mistletoe should definitely be experimented with in America. We could use it. The forests in Yellowstone need it! They burn all the time and have a hard time restoring themselves. And because it is a national park, it has to be free of faster restoring chemicals. If mistletoe could come into play there, the forest would be healthier and would last longer!
Watson hadn't realized that mistletoe actually picks up and distributes nutrients along the forest floor, playing a big role in the food web. You see, it sucks water and nutrients out of tree branches, but isn't particularly thorough in doing so. It forgets about some of the nutrients and that nutrients gets to the floor of the forest by falling leaves. So in the end, mistletoe has a positive effect on the forests it inhabits. Watson believes it will help a a damaged forest in restoring its health. The only thing that could prove controversial is where the mistletoe is introduced. It can harm lumber trees to the point of fatality.
Finally! Something to fix our forests! Mistletoe should definitely be experimented with in America. We could use it. The forests in Yellowstone need it! They burn all the time and have a hard time restoring themselves. And because it is a national park, it has to be free of faster restoring chemicals. If mistletoe could come into play there, the forest would be healthier and would last longer!
Fire Up the Grill, Not the Atmosphere
Brian Palmer explains that cooking is killing the atmosphere more than transportation. Specifically for Fourth of July, when everyone in the patriotic USA rolls out their grill, Palmer suggests some foods that would lessen our carbon footprint on that memorable day. Most people enjoy foods such as potato salad, hot dogs and hamburgers, and various pies. According to the New York Times, it is more efficient to cube the potatoes because they take less time, and energy, to cook. For the meat, he states charcoal briquettes, which are made out of scrap wood that would otherwise go to waste, are not only more proficient, but greener, too. And finally, for dessert, Palmer proposes grilled fruit, over ice cream of course, using the same briquettes from the meat.
I've never really thought about cooking hurting the environment. The article opened up my eyes to how with even the simple action of turning on the oven, we could wound the atmosphere. This makes me want companies to come up with alternative energy sources that preserve our surroundings. I did some further research and found that, since 1990, America's oil and natural gas industry has invested $239 billion in improving the environmental performance of its products, facilities, and operations. That made me feel a bit better, that people were actually concerned and looking into making our factories a bit more environmentally friendly.
I've never really thought about cooking hurting the environment. The article opened up my eyes to how with even the simple action of turning on the oven, we could wound the atmosphere. This makes me want companies to come up with alternative energy sources that preserve our surroundings. I did some further research and found that, since 1990, America's oil and natural gas industry has invested $239 billion in improving the environmental performance of its products, facilities, and operations. That made me feel a bit better, that people were actually concerned and looking into making our factories a bit more environmentally friendly.
America's Cleanest (and dirtiest!) Beaches
In 2011, America's beaches experienced a good amount of closings and advisories due to bacterial percentage in the water. NRDC, National Resources Defense Council, went through and rated over a dozen beaches as five-star in cleanliness. But others, specifically fifteen, they deemed unsanitary and against health standards. They decided this through a lengthy water quality test that collected data from more than 3,000 beaches across the US. The report came back with many bacterial wonders, but the top pollutant turned out to be human and animal waste. Because of this, American beaches ranked third-highest number of closings and advisories. According to NRDC, "Progress is not being made".
I've heard more than once that beaches have been getting more and more contaminated as time goes on. This made me newly aware about the real quality of our costal waters. I did not know that storm water was a factor in making the water quality worse. I always thought it was all garbage and sewage overflows, which are some of the main components. I understand why NRDC conducted this test, to warn the public, but also educate them on how we are affecting the world. We all live in our own little ones and sometimes don't think about the big one we stand on every day. It makes me want to help out any way I can.
I've heard more than once that beaches have been getting more and more contaminated as time goes on. This made me newly aware about the real quality of our costal waters. I did not know that storm water was a factor in making the water quality worse. I always thought it was all garbage and sewage overflows, which are some of the main components. I understand why NRDC conducted this test, to warn the public, but also educate them on how we are affecting the world. We all live in our own little ones and sometimes don't think about the big one we stand on every day. It makes me want to help out any way I can.
Vocabulary
climate change - significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years
biodiversity - the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem
estuary - the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream
geospatial - relating to or denoting data that is associated with a particular location
pollutants - contaminate (water, air, or a place) with harmful or poisonous substances
biodiversity - the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem
estuary - the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream
geospatial - relating to or denoting data that is associated with a particular location
pollutants - contaminate (water, air, or a place) with harmful or poisonous substances