Believe it or not, Clams are a ‘Living’ Source of Electricity

Photo: Journal of Energy & Environmental Science/Clarkson University/Ben- Gurion University of the Negev

The next time you turn on the light in your bedroom, think about this: one day the electricity required to turn on that light may be supplied by clams.

Clams have blood sugar which can be used as an energy source. Scientists recently demonstrated clams’ natural ability to generate electricity. The scientists “harvested” the clams’ blood sugar, creating a “living battery.” They gave the clams time to pump back up their blood sugar levels, making the system self-sustaining.

Imagine a day when, instead of digging up the earth for its coal and natural gas, people got all the electricity they needed by harvesting the blood sugar from clams and other suitable creatures.

That day, if it ever comes, is probably a long way off. But it’s worth thinking about the next time you turn on your bedroom light.

To learn more, check out this Mother Nature Netwrk article.

New Study: Twice as Many People Killed by Car Pollution than by Traffic Accidents

ALAMY

Would you believe that twice as many people die from car exhaust than from car accidents?

That’s the conclusion of a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The key word here is “prematurely,” meaning: sooner than you would expect.

The MIT study found that twice as many people die prematurely from the effects of air pollution caused by car exhaust. They die from such long-term illnesses as lung cancer and heart disease.

This whole idea of “premature” dying is a real downer. But if you care about your health, you need to think about it. If more people understood that they are losing years of their lives from the effects of using oil (and also coal) as energy sources, they might be more likely to embrace renewable energy sources like the sun and wind.

 To learn more, read this article from The Telegraph.

8 Ways Global Warming is Already Changing the World around Us

There are a lot of people who do not think that global warming is real. In some cases, that’s because they don’t think there is any evidence that proves that global warming is happening.        

But there is evidence – a lot, in fact.        

Let’s start with the fact that nations’ armed forces are paying more attention to the region at the top of the world as nations jockey for control of the oil and natural gas that can now be recovered as Arctic ice continues to melt.        

Another fact is that species like the penguin are changing their breeding season to adjust to warmer weather. Another is that simple species like the fruit fly are undergoing genetic changes. Still another is that growing patterns in mountainous areas are changing as the warm weather arrives earlier in the spring.        

Earth Preservers can’t say whether any of this will convince doubters that climate change is real. But it’s worth knowing the facts.        

You’ll find a lot more on this by reading this Live Science article.

New German Study Strengthens Link Between Global Warming, Extreme Weather

If you’ve been wondering whether all the extreme weather events we seem to be having (floods, heat waves, etc.) are linked to global warming, a new study from Germany says they “very likely” are.

The study, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research, won’t put an end to the political debate over whether global warming is real.
But as the prominent environmental activist Bill McKibben of 350.org recently told Earth Preservers, facts are facts. Watch the interview now.

It should be noted, however, that the Potsdam study’s “facts” aren’t entirely clear. While the researchers – using physics, statistics and computer modeling – found a very likely link between global warming and both rainfall and heat waves, the link with the number of storms wasn’t clear-cut.

And so, the research – and the debate – will continue.

To learn more, read this Reuters article.

Scientists Say BP Oil Spill is Killing Coral in Gulf of Mexico

Remember the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico a couple years back? Remember the pictures of oil gushing out of a broken underwater pipeline?

Well, the pipeline has been sealed but the damage that oil caused is still being assessed by scientists.

In a new report, marine experts say they have found what looks like a “graveyard of corals” a few miles from the site of the spill.

Scientists said they can “definitely” connect the damage to the spill after extensive testing of sediment and other experiments.

Of course, if the coral in the area has been damaged, that in turn may affect sea creatures that depend on the coral for their survival.

To learn more, read this Associated Press article.