Antibiotic Resistant Genes Increasing in Soil Microbes
Dec/090
Chemical structure of the antibiotic tetracycline–one of the four classes of antibiotics that sampled soil microbes showed increased resistance to in the 2009 Study.
The prevalence of antibiotic resistant genes (ARG) in soil bacteria has been increasing steadily over the past seven decades, despite tighter controls on the use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes (in Europe). This is according to a recent benchmark study/analysis* of soil samples from five sites in the Netherlands. The research team, lead by David Graham of Newcastle University in the UK, found that “Seventy-eight percent of detected resistance genes, associated with four classes of antibiotics, showed increasing levels since 1940.”
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Antibiotic Resistant Genes Increasing in Soil Microbes
Gene Banks to Preserve World’s Crops from Climate Change
Nov/090
Design of the Svalbard seed vault as of early 2007
In 1992, the Global Biodiversity Convention (GBC) was adopted in Rio de Janeiro, and which placed the biodiversity issue center stage–calling for the world-wide preservation of biodiversity and its equitable and sustainable use. The convention was established in response to both the increasing rate of plant extinction (through habitat loss), fears by poorer nations of “biopiracy”, and the increasing agricultural use of land for high-value crops, to the exclusion of lesser-value ones–a practice that diminishes crop biodiversity. These lesser-value crops are typically grown by independent and small farms in less economically advanced countries. Many of these so-called “orphan crops” risk becoming extinct. Further, many species of plant or tree that fall outside the conventional definition of agriculture–such as the sea-water tolerant mangrove tree–are being ignored, to the possible peril of future agriculture.
Recent warming trends pose the greatest threat to preserving global “agrobiodiversity” due to its predicted alterations in temperature, precipitation, and sea level (thus the intrusion of saline water into fresh water ecosystems). Also, computer models show that global warming will increase the frequency and duration of flood and drought cycles. To protect civilization’s long-term food supply (and to protect against the social chaos of food shortages from consequent crop failures) from these potentially calamitous effects, scientists and agricultural policy experts, in cooperation with various governments, have begun establishing cryogenic gene banks to preserve the seeds of various, valuable crops for future agricultural use. The most notable example of this is the International Rice Research institute (IRRI) in the Philippines which stores over 100,000 strains of rice.
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Gene Banks to Preserve World’s Crops from Climate Change
Turning Desert into a Garden
Nov/090
About two kilometers from the Dead Sea and two from where Jesus was christened, in the country of Jordan, Geoff Lawton of the Permaculture Research Institute and his crew created a near miracle turning desert into a lush permaculture garden.
In August in this location, Lawton says that temperatures could rise above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). People farming there were farming under plastic strips and using tons of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers. The idea to grow a lush forest or garden of edible plants would probably make people laugh or roll their eyes. Nonetheless, the permaculture crew had exactly this vision in mind and a little funding to help them to do it.
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Turning Desert into a Garden
Swine Flu: First Confirmed Case of Pet Cat Contracting H1N1
Nov/090
Officials from Iowa and United States Department of Agriculture have confirmed a pet cat in the United States has tested positive for the H1N1 virus. This is the first confirmed case a feline has contracted the H1N1 virus in the United States, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA).
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Swine Flu: First Confirmed Case of Pet Cat Contracting H1N1
Swine Flu: First Case of Pet Cat Contracting H1N1
Nov/090
Officials from Iowa and the United States Department of Agriculture have confirmed a pet cat in the United States has tested positive for the H1N1 virus. This is the first time a feline has contracted the H1N1 virus in the United States, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA).
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Swine Flu: First Case of Pet Cat Contracting H1N1
Emergency Climate Control: Geoengineering Risks
Sep/090
With the news that climate change is occurring at a faster rate than climate models have predicted, geoengineering solutions have been brought to the fore and are being taken more seriously. The main focus of these emergency geoengineering strategies is a reduction in “shortwave” radiation entering the Earth’s atmosphere via the solar wind.
The short-term goal here is an overall reduction in global atmospheric temperatures to slow, or even reverse, warming trends. These solutions include increasing the amount of reflective particles surrounding the Earth by placing reflective particles (”mirrors”) outside the atmosphere. Such a solution may be justified to quickly curtail an emergent crisis–such as the rapid disintegration of the polar icecaps. Another strategy is to blanket the upper atmosphere with sulfur particles to block shortwave energy from reaching the Earth’s surface, thus producing a pronounced cooling effect (of variable duration).
However, in a recently published paper, Climate Engineering Responses to Climate Emergencies by Blackstock et al, this and other controversial strategies are analyzed in terms of feasibility, short-term impact, and also, the potential risks and dangers. The authors are also calling for a study phase. The major criticism in the paper is that current geoengineering strategies focus on a reduction of temperature without due consideration of the impact on precipitation, which also drives climate change. The cooler the surface temperature, in general, the less overall precipitation ( due to the fact that there is less energy for evaporation). Focusing only on temperature reduction, via incoming solar radiation, could backfire, leading to a shift in global hydrology cycles and, possibly, drought. Also, sulfur in the atmosphere combines with water to form sulfuric acid–the primary source of “acid rain”–a problem dramatically reduced since the passage of the Clean Air act.
Originally posted here:
Emergency Climate Control: Geoengineering Risks
Reintroducing the Iberian Lynx
Sep/090
The Iberian lynx, at risk of extinction, may be reintroduced into the wild on low-production olive groves soon.
A study by Spanish scientists says this may be the most appropriate place for the cat.
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Reintroducing the Iberian Lynx
Largest River Protection Area in Europe — Croatia and Hungary
Sep/090
Croatia and Hungary signed an agreement yesterday to protect a major biodiversity area that crosses borders along three rivers. The agreement is being called a “Trans-Boundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve” and has resulted in the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) awarding the two countries with a “Leaders for a Living Planet” award.
The reserve will preserve several endangered species, among other environmental jewels. There is also the possibility of the reserve expanding several times over into neighboring countries in the future.
Originally posted here:
Largest River Protection Area in Europe — Croatia and Hungary
Bahamas Outlaws Killing of All Sea Turtles
Aug/090
The Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources gives full protection to all marine turtles found in Bahamian waters, outlawing the killing, possession, and sale of the turtles.
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Bahamas Outlaws Killing of All Sea Turtles
Pesticides Used In California’s Central Valley Killing Frog Populations in Nearby Sierras
Aug/090
Scientists have determined the chemicals that make the Central Valley a rich agricultural region are responsible for frog deaths and tadpole abnormalities in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Just when it seems things can’t get much worse for our cold-blooded friends, researchers have added pesticides to the growing list of causes (such as habitat loss and chytrid fungus) for the massive worldwide decline in amphibian populations.
An article in today’s Central Valley Business Times says that zoologist Don Sparling and his team are continuing to build up a body of evidence that shows neurotoxin pesticides are making their way out of the valley’s farms and into the snow and streams where the frogs live and breed – with catastrophic consequences.
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Pesticides Used In California’s Central Valley Killing Frog Populations in Nearby Sierras
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