The current issue of Smithsonian Magazine pointed out some of the
wonders of discovery since the first Earth Day in 1970. Not all of them
were negative. Ocean placed wind farms aren’t as damaging as many
environmentalists thought they would be. Birds are not as threatened
and habitat for ocean creatures has improved under the platforms.
On the other hand, bio-fuels have turned out to be more damaging than not. Mainly because preparing them releases more methane than the burning oil would have.
And, several new and exciting species were found, an Australian dolphin, a neon gecko and several species of mice. We think we have seen every living creature and it kind of amazes me that we have not.
Global warming has already caused food prices to increase and, that will likely get worse. Habitat loss for penguins, polar bears and smaller creatures is a difficult problem to solve, and it may be unsolvable in the end. The oceans are in bigger trouble than anyone thought possible. And, eating meat warms the planet. Hmm. Now, that is something I personally wrangle with. More on that tomorrow.
A great result on bee colony collapse. Scientists now know with solid proof that colony collapse is caused by pesticides. And some positive progress on white nose bat syndrome fungus. The fungus is identified, it is better understood and now scientists are working diligently on a cure.
Did you know that some of our elected officials do not believe in science? And that some religions and fanatical groups refute science. They are called Flat Earthers. Science was always my favorite subject in school and my youngest daughter and son-in-law are both scientists and I love bragging about them. So, if you like science, Smithsonian has a list of wonderful blogs you might like. This is only a partial list and I haven’t visited many of them: I picked them because they sounded intriguing.
Skepcheck—Cocktail Party Physics—Real Climate—Science Made Cool—Geeks Are Sexy—Extinction Countdown—13.7: Cosmos And Culture.
And one of Smithsonian’s blogs: Food And Think.
On the other hand, bio-fuels have turned out to be more damaging than not. Mainly because preparing them releases more methane than the burning oil would have.
And, several new and exciting species were found, an Australian dolphin, a neon gecko and several species of mice. We think we have seen every living creature and it kind of amazes me that we have not.
Global warming has already caused food prices to increase and, that will likely get worse. Habitat loss for penguins, polar bears and smaller creatures is a difficult problem to solve, and it may be unsolvable in the end. The oceans are in bigger trouble than anyone thought possible. And, eating meat warms the planet. Hmm. Now, that is something I personally wrangle with. More on that tomorrow.
A great result on bee colony collapse. Scientists now know with solid proof that colony collapse is caused by pesticides. And some positive progress on white nose bat syndrome fungus. The fungus is identified, it is better understood and now scientists are working diligently on a cure.
Did you know that some of our elected officials do not believe in science? And that some religions and fanatical groups refute science. They are called Flat Earthers. Science was always my favorite subject in school and my youngest daughter and son-in-law are both scientists and I love bragging about them. So, if you like science, Smithsonian has a list of wonderful blogs you might like. This is only a partial list and I haven’t visited many of them: I picked them because they sounded intriguing.
Skepcheck—Cocktail Party Physics—Real Climate—Science Made Cool—Geeks Are Sexy—Extinction Countdown—13.7: Cosmos And Culture.
And one of Smithsonian’s blogs: Food And Think.
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