August 2019 – Page 2

Friday, April 26, 2024

What goes around, comes around: Accumulation of PFAS in Marine Critters

August 14, 2019August 17, 2019 Mary Davis 0 Comments AFFF, PFAS, WaterQuality

PFAS are a family of chemical pollutants of emerging concern. They are extremely useful in processing and manufacturing non-stick and stain-resistant consumer products, as well as foams used in firefighting, but they are also particularly persistent in the environment, and in humans! Efforts are being made to control the spread of these chemicals, and it’s important to understand both where they are coming from and how they move through the environment. In a recent study, researchers show how snails and crabs might be better informants about PFAS contamination sources than fish.

Cities Climate Environmental Science Remediation

My Chemical Romance

August 13, 2019August 9, 2019 Kristen Brown 0 Comments

Did your chemistry teacher tell you that chemistry is all around you? It very literally is! You can find chemistry in many places, and the air around you is one of those places. Scientists use chemistry to figure out how to keep our air clean so we can stay healthy.

Environmental Science

100% Sustainable Electricity by 2050 is Quite Possible

August 12, 2019August 10, 2019 Munim Deen 0 Comments electricity, Global Warming, greenhouse gases, Pollution, Renewable energy

The technology to produce electricity from renewable resources like sunlight and wind has been around for many years. However, the vast majority of electricity in the world is generated from fossil fuels, which is a major contributor to pollution and climate change. Recent research shows that sustained, incremental changes can lead to sustainable, renewable electricity around the globe by 2050 – mitigating environmental damage from current practices.

Environmental Science

Navigating the Future of Insects in an Illuminated World

August 7, 2019August 9, 2019 Anita Masse 0 Comments air quality, Ecology, urban ecology

Humans bring light to even the darkest of places, but how does this affect the creatures we share the night with? In our quest to illuminate our world, we are altering the fate of insects for generations to come by contributing to their decline and pressuring them to adapt to an environment that has artificial light at night.

Environmental Science

Genetic clues to bee conservation

August 7, 2019August 9, 2019 Sarah Shainker 0 Comments Climate Change, Conservation, ecosystem services

Bees pollinate our food crops, make honey, and provide livelihood to families around the world. As climate change and habitat loss reduce their populations, scientists search for genetic clues to learn how the bees are adapting and how we can better conserve them.

Environmental Science

Snowballs for Conservation: Taking DNA from Snow to Detect Rare Carnivores

August 6, 2019September 29, 2019 Abigail Bezrutczyk 0 Comments Conservation, DNA, Environmental DNA (eDNA), snow, surveys

One of the challenges of wildlife biology is the work needed to track rare animals in the field. In this new study a clever group of researchers use DNA analysis to attempt to solve this issue. Read on to find out more.

Climate Human Exposure and Public Health

Learning from Yesterday, Planning for Tomorrow: Predicting the Future Impact of Climate Change in Michigan

August 2, 2019 Kristina Blank 0 Comments cities, Climate Change, extreme heat, extreme precipitation, heat-related illness, Michigan, models, policy, public health, resilience

Climate change is scary. Michigan researchers are empowering their community to prepare for it by predicting how extreme heat and precipitation events may impact public health in the future. Policy makers can use these findings to protect the most vulnerable members of the community!