https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf en-us 2018-01-23 14:23:08 UTC 2018-05-11 03:21:49 UTC hello@padlet.com 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223788195 Plastics are often created party from petroleum, which makes it's producers seek fossil fuels, which produce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Because of this, scientists are trying to find a way to create plastics from biomass. Instead of the petroleum, scientists are trying to derive the plastic from a plant based solvent. These renewable plastics are high in demand, with businesses such as coca-cola, ford, and Nike, demanding 1.5 billion tons per year. Cost is a big factor in this situation because petroleum derived plastic is cheaper. The current cost to produce a ton of this plastic is $1,490, but as manufacturing becomes more mainstream, the cost could drop considerably and compete ]]> 2018-01-23 14:32:26 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223788195 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223804811 Almost seven years ago, Pennsylvania officials asked for the disposal of wastewater from fracking not be dumped in surface waters but a new study shows high levels of radioactivity in multiple sediments of drop sites. Under their current state regulations, this oil and gas water can still be released into streams and rivers. This water also contains radium, which is radioactive. This radioactive material then dissolves into the sediment and can develop into more harmful radioactive elements. At the site of the water disposal, the radiation level was 650 times higher than farther upstream. Sediment was collected from three disposal sites and three sites upstream which were compared. ]]> 2018-01-23 14:58:26 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223804811 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223819372 A scientists has linked a floral bloom in a remote tropical forest to climate change and rising carbon dioxide levels. The carbon dioxide levels are leading to an increase in overall flower production. This finding shows how species in tropical forests are more sensitive then previously thought. Researchers looked at flower production over the past 28 years and also looked at some driving climatic factors such as temperature, rainfall, and carbon dioxide, but carbon dioxide stood out from all of the rest. With more abundant carbon dioxide, the plants could convert it into more energy and in result produce more flowers. ]]> 2018-01-23 15:20:42 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223819372 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223827397 A research study showed that if mega cities had just 20% more trees in them, the city would benefit from things such as pollution reduction, carbon sequestration, and energy reduction. 'Urban Forests' they are called, and they have a multitude benefits to the cities themselves. Trees cleanse the air, cool city goers, and even provide food and other products directly into the city. The researchers were able to use technology to estimate the tree coverage in mega cities across five continents and found that through removing pollution from air, saving energy, and providing food, the urban forests provide $500 million of savings per year.]]> 2018-01-23 15:32:26 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223827397 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223848379 Researchers were able to come across how a lasting impact from humans are still affecting the Amazon Basin today. In the Amazon, there are hints of past human settlements because of Amazonian dark earths. At the sights where these dark earths are found, biomass, tree height, and tree cover are all less than other places in the amazon. These areas were also more likely to experience a drought. It is thought that indigenous people used a "slash and burn technique" which could have setback plant growth in that area a couple decades.]]> 2018-01-23 16:05:28 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223848379 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223876246 Coral reefs are some of the most important environments in the ocean, and also some of the most delicate. Scientists have been recently studying coral resilience and how coral reefs respond to these threats. Coral bleaching is one of these threats, and it is the result of the rising ocean temperature. Some coral near shores have a higher resistance to this heat than coral reefs out in the middle of the ocean. We may need to accept the fact that altered reefs may need to be used into the future due to these threats, and because some coral is more resilient than others are. ]]> 2018-01-23 16:50:03 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5grrr0obukdf/wish/223876246