Urbanization, higher temperatures can influence butterfly emergence patterns

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140428121244.htm

While people everywhere are trying to figure out how to slow down global warming, scientists continue to look at the effects it's having on different species. For example, researchers at North Carolina State University, Case Western Reserve University, the Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas in Brazil, and the University of Maryland study butterflies. It's known that butterflies naturally "emerge earlier in North Carolina than they do in New England, because it's warmer", so these scientists were wondering what would happen if everywhere is getting warmer, specifically urban cities. The results of the study showed that "the combined effect of an urban area and a warmer part of the state appeared to delay emergence in seven of the 20 species" studied. The scientists don't know what the tipping point is, and may never find out. This research is difficult and the species aren't always able to adapt.

Green clouds on the horizon for computing

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140428074644.htm

With new technology developing everyday, it's hard for even a teenager to keep up. But one has to wonder what the environmental impact-positive or negative-of each new invention is. Dietmar Nedbal and Mark Stieninger from the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria in Steyr, Austria researched just that, specifically focusing on the use of "the cloud" by current apple products. According to their research, "small businesses could save up to 62% of energy costs by switching to a cloud computing system". But, as with every research and every new technology, there are controversies. As put in the article, "there have been concerns that cloud computing does not reduce energy demands and emissions, but simply displaces them" or that "increased internet traffic" would increase energy use and pollution. But, according to the research of Stienhinger and Nedbal, cloud usage is a positive thing for the environment, proving that it reduces carbon dioxide emissions and costs by more than half.

Some corals adjusting to rising ocean temperatures

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424143737.htm

Climate change is having an affect on everything. Steve Palumbi is a scientist at Stanford who led research about corals affected by climate change, actually finding out that some "can quickly switch on or off certain genes in order to survive in warmer-than-average waters". The reason they have to adjust to the new water temperatures is because of climate change. For example, even 86 degree water, while seemingly normal to the human senses, is deadly for coral. So how are they coping with warmer climates every day. So how do they cope? According to Palumbi, "corals, like people, have adaptive genes that can be turned on or off when external conditions change", which is good because corals are essential to fisheries, aquaculture and storm protection, These apparent adaptive qualities found in these corals will help them survive for at least a few more years than they were predicted, according to the harsh effects of climate change.

How costly are natural hazards? Experts link cost assessment with risk management

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140426155351.htm

Risk assessment has always been a fascinating topic to me. Heidi Kreibick is a scientist at the German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ and is leading a group of international scientists in a study looking at how to better assess risk and what it would actually take to educate people more, specifically about the costs of natural hazards, which are now at "historically high levels". One of the major flaws of people's assessments on disaster costs are what are called "indirect damage". Examples of indirect damages would be factories forced to shut down. According to Kreibich, "the cost assessment cycle involved the continuous monitoring of costs associated with the natural risk management, thus enabling the early detection of inefficient risk mitigation strategies". Not only jut everyday people predict risk, but it's more important on the national level where leaders have to make precautionary decisions. In order to do so efficiently, they first must  understand the true risk.

Meeting climate targets may require reducing meat, dairy consumption

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140330193735.htm

Climate change has been a topic discussed over and over again. In the latest study from Chalmers University of Technology, they're exploring a possible cause that has yet to be addressed: dairy and meat consumption, The UN wants to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, but this may not be possible by just eliminating carbon dioxide emissions, because it turns out that's not the only issue. "Because agricultural emissions are difficult and expensive to reduce via changes in production methods or technology, these growing numbers of people, eating more meat and dairy, entail increasing amounts of climate pollution from the food sector". New technology and different food choices may help us see a better, less polluted, future without living in fear of constant climate change.

More male fish 'feminized' by pollution on Basque coast

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140328103039.htm

Scientists have found that some male fish in Spain have in fact become female due to pollution. The scientists were members of the Cell Biology in Environmental Toxicology group and the main areas where it's been proven are Gernika, Arriluze, Santurtzi, Plentzia, Ondarroa, Deba and Pasaia. The researchers have figured out that the pollutants are "acting as estrogens" and are the reason why these males have become females, as in ovocytes (immature ova) have begun appearing in them. Miren P. Cajaraville is the director of the research group and he stresses that "we have a problem with pollutants", which is clear when examining the recent study.

 Looking at the effects of the pollutants from both a chemical and biological perspective, the group ultimately came to the conclusion that "it is the pollutants that are responsible for the feminization of the male fish". Pollution has become more and more serious over the years and this is just another example of the consequences.

Great earthquakes, water under pressure, high risk: Research reveals interactions between plate tectonics, fluids and quakes

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140328075811.htm

Earthquakes have been studied by many scientists, frustrated that they're unpreventable. However, we can learn more about them in order to help cope with the destruction. Scientists from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and from Liverpool University took a closer look at the formation of earthquakes, focusing on the earthquake in Chile in 2010 that had a magnitude of 8.8. They discovered that "water trapped in the boundary between both plates has a dominant influence on the earthquake rupture process", because "the stress build-up before an earthquake and the magnitude of subsequent seismic energy release are substantially controlled by the mechanical coupling between both plates". The scientists explored an array of scientific fields, form geodesy to seismology to petrology to look at earthquakes from all different angles and come up with their theory that it's the water trapped between tectonic plates that causes such severe destruction form earthquakes.