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This is what ocean acidification is doing to creatures in the Arctic

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The Arctic ocean acidification is much worse than we thought. As we emit more and more carbon dioxide, the effects are being felt not just above ground, but also underwater.  A marine snail shows damage to its shell (jagged line radiating from center) due to acidic ocean waters. Image credits: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA Ocean acidification is often regarded as the unseen twin of climate warming. It’s unseen because we humans don’t spend much of our time underwater, but for the creatures that do, it’s a catastrophe. When carbon is emitted into the atmosphere, a part of it gets absorbed by the oceans, producing carbonic acid. This acid essentially dissolves the shell of marine creatures such as mollusks, sea urchins, starfish, and corals, making it difficult or impossible for them to survive. Researchers have already identified this process, as well as the way ripples it down the entire oceanic food chain. But according to a new study, it’s even worse than w...
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A record 53.6 million tons of e-waste was produced last year, says UN

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There's sign of decline in the near future. From flat-screen TVs to cellphones, humans generated 53.6 million metric tons of  electronic waste  last year, almost two million metric tons more than the previous year. Only 17% of the waste was recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, incinerated or just unaccounted for. Electronic and electrical goods such as computers, refrigerators, and kettles have gradually become indispensable in modern societies, making lives easier in many ways. But they can also have toxic chemicals, and a growing production of waste is damaging the environment and human health. The figures for last year, reported by the  United Nation’s Global E-waste Monitor , are equivalent to 7.3 kilograms of electronic waste for every man, woman and child on Earth, though the use is concentrated in wealthier countries. The amount of e-waste is growing three times faster than the world’s population Citizens of northern European countries produced the most ...
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The last 150 years of global warming undid 6,500 years of cooling

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Average global temperatures have risen to about 1ºC since the mid-19th century The global warming experienced by the planet over the past 150 years has undone all the global cooling that happened over the past six millennia, according to a new study. The findings reinforce the role of mankind in climate change and the urgency to take action to avoid its worst consequences. Credit Flickr The millennial-scale cooling of the planet began approximately 6,500 years ago when the long-term average global temperature topped out at around 0.7°C warmer than the mid-19th century, the researchers argued – just as the Industrial Revolution, which had begun in Britain, began to take hold across Europe and America. The period before industrialization represented the lowest global temperatures since the last Ice Age, culminating in a so-called “little ice age” in recent centuries, the study found. Since then, increasing greenhouse gas emissions from industrialized economies have contributed to global ...
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