Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Finally, Environmental Good News

Posted by Trent Walters at 12:00 AM
Scientific American: "seasonal plants can adapt quickly--even genetically--to changing climate conditions.... however,... longer-lived plants have a tougher time going with the flow."

New Scientist: "amphibians have a remarkable capacity to bounce back from environmental changes" however "Roelants warns that an ability to bounce back in the past does not necessarily mean amphibians will show the same resilience in the future."

Montserrat explodes and may explode again. Why is that good news? Locally, it's a major concern and a hardship, but according to Jared Diamond, it can be a source of new soil--even for areas distant to the explosion (strange how there can be good is some catastrophe). I also recall reading (although not where) that volcanic dust in the atmosphere may help slow the effects of global warming.

"The volcano's latest burst of activity began on Dec. 24. Glowing streaks of red from the pyroclastic flows have created nighttime spectacles visible across much of the island. The volcano's rising dome remained in place after Monday's explosion, raising fears of a bigger event soon."


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In other science new: black diamonds originate in space, and the highly educated lose vocabulary faster than the less educated (so even if you pile higher and deeper, you don't get to keep that pile).

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