El Niño is Back in town
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has now officially declared the arrival of El Niño 2015. And its expected to be a significant event. The last El Nino five years ago had a major impact with monsoons in Southeast Asia, droughts in southern Australia, the Philippines and Ecuador, blizzards in the United States, heatwaves in…
190 Scientists & Experts Urge UN to Deal with Emerging Wireless Public Health Crisis
190 scientists from 38 nations have submitted the International EMF Scientist Appeal to the United Nations, UN member states and the World Health Organization (WHO) requesting they adopt more protective exposure guidelines for electromagnetic fields (EMF) and wireless technology in the face of increasing evidence of risk from this rapidly increasing environmental pollutant. The scientists…
Binge Drinking, NCDs and Brains
While alcohol consumption has been decreasing in wealthy, developed countries over the past 20 or so years (down 2.5%), this has masked a worldwide increase in dangerous binge drinking in youth and women. Harmful alcohol use is a major factor in non-communicable diseases, early and accidental death and disability, and can affect brain function for…
This Bacteria-Infused Concrete Can Heal Its Own Cracks
Researchers in the Netherlands have invented a bacteria-infused concrete that is able to patch up its own cracks. Even such a solid material as concrete is prone to cracking, which inevitably leads to structural degradation and thus limits the service life of constructions. Now, two researchers at Delft Technical University have found an innovative solution…
The Drought in California Caused By Warm Ocean Anomalies
Historical Patterns, The 1930s Dust Bowl Drought A scientific paper published last month in the journal Climate Dynamics by a scientist from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center and three universities found that the 1930s drought was exacerbated by an anomalous warm spots in the ocean: Unusually hot summer conditions occurred during the 1930s over the…
Cyclone Pam Stole another Islet from Funafuti
Up until recently, Funafuti, Tuvalu’s capital, had 33 small islets located around its atoll rim. One was removed in 1997. This year Cyclone Pam completely removed another islet and severely battered several others. Life for Funafuti’s islets seems pretty tough. In 1992, McLean & Hosking recorded 33 islets spread around Funafuti’s atoll rim. The figure…