Pricey Chernobyl study available for free download

People of a certain age remember 1986 and the Chernobyl disaster, the  “worst technogenic accident in history.” Desdemona was playing tennis with a friend as the radionuclide cloud passed overhead. Maybe it was coincidence, but both of us had lymph nodes that were swollen for days; they were little hard nodules like Des hasn’t experienced […]

Globalization burdens future generations with biological invasions, study finds

ScienceDaily (Dec. 20, 2010) — The consequences of the current high levels of socio-economic activity on the extent of biological invasions will probably not be completely realized until decades into the future, according to new research. A new study on biological invasions based on extensive data of alien species from 10 taxonomic groups and 28 […]

Graph of the Day: Length of Four Fish Species on the Scotian Shelf, 1970-2002

There has been a decline in the size and condition in a number of groundfish species. There has been a reduction in the size of some groundfish species (e.g., haddock, cod, pollock, and silver hake) since the start of the time series in 1970. This decrease in size has been observed both on the Eastern […]

Humans consume increasing share of the biosphere, now up to 25 percent

By James Dacey, contributing editor to www.environmentalresearchweb.orgDec 15, 2010 NASA satellite images have revealed that the biosphere is being placed under increasing strain as rising population on a global scale is accompanied by increased consumption of crops and animals per capita. If population and consumption continue to grow at present rates then by 2050 more […]

Global warming alters reproductive timing of amphibians

By Maggie Fox; editing by Todd EasthamWed Dec 15, 2010 WASHINGTON Dec 14 (Reuters) – Climate change is affecting the breeding cycles of toads and salamanders, researchers reported on Tuesday, in the first published evidence of such changes on amphibians. They documented that two species were breeding later in the autumn than in years past, […]

Shark finning continues despite EU ban, says report

By Mark Kinver, Science and environment reporter, BBC News 9 December 2010 Last updated at 04:53 ET Loopholes in EU regulations mean that illegal shark finning is continuing undetected, a report warns. Finning involves cutting off a shark’s fins and throwing the rest of the carcass back into the sea – a practice that the […]

Veron: The end is in sight for the world’s coral reefs

By Joe RommDecember 7, 2010 Reefs are the ocean’s canaries and we must hear their call. This call is not just for themselves, for the other great ecosystems of the ocean stand behind reefs like a row of dominoes. If coral reefs fail, the rest will follow in rapid succession, and the Sixth Mass Extinction […]

Sperm whales full of pollutants

Even whales near the supposedly pristine Galapagos Islands carry disturbing levels of man-made pollutants in their bodies. By Jennifer ViegasMon Dec 6, 2010 08:49 AM ET Sperm whales throughout the Pacific Ocean carry evidence within their bodies of exposure to multiple man-made pollutants, according to a new Environmental Health Perspectives study. In a surprising finding, […]

Jellyfish are taking over the oceans: Population surge as rising acidity of world’s seas kills predators

By David Derbyshire3 December 2010 Britain’s beaches could soon be inundated with records numbers of jellyfish, marine experts warned today. Scientists say the number of jellyfish are on the rise thanks to the increasing acidity of the world’s oceans. The warning comes in a new report into ocean acidification – an often overlooked side effect […]

Scientists alarmed by worldwide spread of ‘black anoxic zones which belch up dead sea life’

James Cook UniversityNovember 30, 2010 Australian marine scientists have expressed disquiet over the continued worldwide spread of large, dead zones in the ocean. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg and Associate Professor Mark McCormick of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies have recently published scientific articles, which raise concern about the impact of large areas […]

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