envirobites

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are experiencing increased stress and anxiety. Although social distancing is in practice, most recommendations say it’s still okay to take a walk outside (just keep your distance from others!). In fact, spending time in nature can help reduce stress. Researchers examined how sights, smells, and sounds affect stress recovery in urban natural areas.

Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Bats, Immunity, and COVID-19

March 25, 2020March 25, 2020 Riley Lovejoy 0 Comments bats, COVID-19, DNA, Immunity, Infection, Model Organism, RNA, virus

Did you know that bats could help us fight human viral infections? Believe it or not, bats are incredible at staying well when infected by viruses! By studying how their immune systems respond to infection, researchers may be able to find new ways to help treat human diseases.

Cities Ecosystems Science through time

Witness trees tell how ecosystems of Silicon Valley have changed

March 24, 2020March 27, 2020 Andrew Trlica 0 Comments biomass, historical science, mediterranean climate, savanna

A new study scientifically tackles an important aspect of the story of our urban landscape: how do ecosystems change from the time prior to first permanent settlement to today, after growing into a densely developed modern city?

Ecosystems Environmental Science

T.G.I…M.? Why Wildlife Wants Your Vacation to End Sooner

March 23, 2020March 22, 2020 Sarah Shainker 0 Comments BSC4052, parks, recreation, wildlife

When the workweek ends and the weekend arrives, many people leave their office life to visit the great outdoors. From birdwatching to biking, spending time in nature may be a positive experience for you, but your presence may make the animals living in the natural spaces you visit on the weekend wish it was Monday already.

Environmental Science

Wild Animals Fertilise Wild Ecosystems

March 22, 2020 Andrew Abraham 0 Comments

Humanity is currently grappling with the breakdown of both our climate and biodiversity systems. The collective impact of animals in fertilising ecosystems across the world links these crises and offers (some) hope.

Human Exposure and Public Health

An Environmental Fitness Tracker

March 20, 2020March 19, 2020 Mary Davis 0 Comments Air pollution, air quality, Fitness, health

Personal fitness trackers are all the rage, and their ease of use enables people to keep an eye on not only their physical activity, but their general fitness and wellness. What if you could use the same convenient method as a Fitbit to measure a type of environmental fitness like air quality?

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science

Double trouble: how floods after bushfire affect the health of our rivers

March 19, 2020 Jackie Webb 0 Comments bushfire, climate extreme, flooding, rivers, Wildfire

Between Christmas 2019 and the 2020 New Year, forested mountain ranges across drought-stricken areas in Eastern Australia came alight, with fires ravaging 11 million hectares of bush (Eucalyptus woodlands and rainforests) – a size comparable to England’s land area. These megafires threw the states of New South Wales and Victoria into a state of emergency. The bushfire crisis took a sudden turn when heavy rainfall flooded the scorched land in the span of just two weeks. Unfortunately, while rainfall might appear to be a blessing in light of the megafires, the resulting floods were ultimately not sweet relief for rivers.

Cities Human Exposure and Public Health

The Role of the Built Environment in COVID-19 Transmission

March 18, 2020 Munim Deen 0 Comments built environment, disease, public health

We are in the midst of a true pandemic, with COVID-19 cases and deaths around the globe. Recent research, still in progress, sheds light in the various ways the built environment can contribute to COVID-19 transmission.