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The fertile top layers of soils keep disappearing, a new study shows
By Roberta Attanasio Plants grow in and out of soils—and sustain almost all living beings on our planet, either directly or indirectly. But soils are rapidly disappearing from farms all around the world, threatening our ability to grow food. The treasure beneath our feet is continuously subjected to erosion and degradation, mostly resulting from intensive farming practices. Relentless tilling, for example, allows weeds control by turning the soil over, but leaves it bare and vulnerable to wind and rain—causing the loss of the fertile top layer. Even the famed black Iowa soil is disappearing. “In Iowa they call it ‘black gold’—a fertile blanket covering the landlocked Midwestern state. Thousands…
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Children exposed to air pollution are more likely to develop disease later in life
By Roberta Attanasio We have known for quite some time that the first years of life represent a unique “window of vulnerability”—exposures to environmental chemicals at this time influence cellular programming in ways that shape health and disease in later years. For example, recent research shows that there is a significant association between multiple prenatal and early life exposures to indoor pollutants and the degree of allergic sensitivity in 2-year old children. In other words, babies exposed to air pollution during prenatal life and for the first several moths after birth, up to 2 years of age, are at higher risk of developing allergic sensitivity. Now, results from a study published…
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To help the environment, turn your camera off during virtual meetings
By Roberta Attanasio All the activities we carry out online come with an environmental cost—no, it’s not only the relatively small amounts of carbon dioxide emitted because of the energy it takes to run our own multiple devices and power wireless networks. Rather, it’s the large amounts of CO2 emitted by the energy intensive high-end servers and data centers that usually sit in places we almost never see. Think of large facilities consisting of agglomerates of technical equipment, power subsystems, uninterruptible power supplies, ventilation and cooling systems, and so on. Now, results from a new study (The overlooked environmental footprint of increasing Internet use), show the environmental impact caused…
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Clean Air: The Effects of U.S. Power Plant Carbon Standards on Human Health
By Roberta Attanasio A little more than a year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in 2012 around 7 million people died — accounting for one in eight of total global deaths — as a result of exposure to air pollution. These estimates more than doubled the previous ones, and confirmed that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk. The WHO concluded that reducing air pollution globally could save millions of lives. But, what policy changes would be most effective at saving lives? The answer comes from a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change (May 4, 2015.) The study, (US power plant…
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Global Threats: Soil and Topsoil Erosion and Degradation
By Roberta Attanasio “Soil anaemia also breeds human anaemia. Micronutrient deficiency in the soil results in micronutrient malnutrition in people, since crops grown on such soils tend to be deficient in the nutrients needed to fight hidden hunger. (…) Managing our soil and water resources in a sustainable and equitable manner needs a new political vision.” M.S. Swaminathan — the “Indian Father of Green Revolution”. Soil, the earth’s skin, is one of our most valuable resources — it’s a dynamic and complex ecosystem that acts as a growing medium. Plant and animal life depend on the recycling of primary nutrients through soil processes. It plays a major role in determining the composition of the…
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What is Carbon Farming?
By Roberta Attanasio Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases, and ozone) work like the glass walls of a greenhouse and are responsible for the greenhouse effect. What is the greenhouse effect? It’s a process in which greenhouse gases let the radiation from the sun onto the Earth’s surface. At the same time, they trap the heat that reflects back up into the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect keeps our planet at an average 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). However, if the greenhouse effect is too strong, our planet gets warmer and warmer. This is what is happening now — the greenhouse effect is becoming stronger because of increased release of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.…
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Carbon Dioxide Fertilization Effect and Greening of Deserts
By The Editors Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels (CO2) are greening our deserts — in other words, many of the planet’s arid environments are greener than they would otherwise be if CO2 had remained constant. The greening of our deserts is due to the so-called CO2 fertilization effect, which can be defined as the enhancement of photosynthesis caused by rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Photosynthesis is the driving force behind most of the life on our planet. It’s a set of chemical reactions used by many plants and some other organisms to build carbohydrates (sugars) from carbon dioxide and water, using light as source of energy. Most forms of photosynthesis release…
