환경 관련 기사

Time to get off the couch and make your mark . . . after all, it is Earth Day! Originally celebrated in North America on April 22, 1970, this year's theme is 'The Face of Climate Change' - aptly reflecting the dire situation our planet is going to be in, if something is not done to turn around global warming soon. In case you are still procrastinating, here is a visual reminder of why we should do all pitch in, to save our beautiful planet....

While ants may appear to be just pesky insects whose sole purpose in life is to annoy humans, they are in reality, quite amazing - they can survive the biggest floods by morphing into living rafts, find their way anywhere, thanks to a built-in GPS and now it turns out, may even have the ability to predict earthquakes - Something even the world's best brains have been unable to do so far!...

On April 22nd, people all over the world will celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day. Besides conducting environmentally friendly projects within their communities, over one billion people are also expected to participate in rallies to voice their concern about the dire effects of global warming on our planet and vow to take actions to help reverse the trends....

After being slammed by severe winter storms, some areas of the East Coast of the United States are now getting ready for another onslaught - This time, from the millions of cicadas that are about to emerge from the ground for the final three months of their lives....

Last week, Japan's Tokyo Sea Life Park unveiled its latest exhibit - A transparent fish that has no scales and clear blood. The specimen of the Ocellated Ice Fish, believed to be the only one of its kind in captivity, was brought to the center by Japanese krill fisherman in 2011....

A 2005 study by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service revealed that over 80 million birds are killed each year due to collisions with motor vehicles. However, one smart bird species that resides in some areas of the Western United States like Nebraska, seems to be bucking the trend and if two researchers are to be believed, it is all to do with evolution....

'Green' or environmentally responsible buildings that use minimal resources by depending on solar energy or recycled water are becoming increasingly common. However, the Torre de Especialidades Tower currently being constructed as an extension of a hospital in Mexico City, is taking that concept to a whole new level, with a new innovative tile that is capable of absorbing pollution from the atmosphere....

The image of a fresh vegetable garden in subarctic weather may be a little difficult to conjure up. However, believe it or not, thanks to global warming this is not as rare a sight and as years go by, one that may become increasingly common especially, in areas like Greenland....

Last year's spectacular London Summer Olympic games may seem like an event of the past, but its legacy is still manifesting itself in impressive ways. 'Speed of Light,' an art performance combining technology and athleticism to showcase the travel of light using human generated kinetic energy, is one of the most stunning examples....

If you are planning to fly from New York City to Amsterdam aboard KLM airlines sometime soon, you may want to bring along some fries or fried catfish - Not because the airline has decided to stop feeding its passengers, but because mixed in with the normal jet fuel is cooking or biofuel from the kitchens of Louisiana!...

Humans are naturally curious - They like to seek out the wildest adventures even if it means intruding on the habitats and lives of other species. Nowhere is this fact more obvious than Stingray City in the Cayman Islands. The popular tourist destination attracts over a million visitors each year, all eager to swim and pet the stingrays that flock to the shallow sandbars in droves....

We all know that coffee can get humans all wired up and active, but powering a truck? That has to be a first! However, it is what engineer Martin Bacon and a group of volunteers from Teesdale Conservation in Durham, England were able to successfully demonstrate, on February, 19th, 2013....

While Elephants are revered by the local people of Thailand, they are also used as beasts of burdens. In the past, it was to help fight battles. Today, these majestic animals are extensively utilized to help carry wood for the logging industry. It is therefore, nice to hear that on National Elephant Day the mighty mammals are treated like the royalty they are, and served with meals fit for a king....

If you happen to live near a farm or are one of those city dwellers that have a chicken coop complete with a rooster, you are probably used to being awakened by their customary crows at the crack of dawn. However, given that these birds also crow noisily at the slightest disturbance, made two animal physiology researchers wonder if the roosters truly knew that it was morning or, if they were just faking it. Curious to know what they discovered? Read on . . ....

While all of us cannot be as enterprising as Felix Finkbeiner, the 13-year-old German school boy that has spearheaded a global eco campaign, we can still help reverse global warming trends with small things - Like switching off all lights and electronic devices for an hour, which is what hundreds of millions of people all over the world are planning to do from 8.30-9.30 on Saturday, March 23rd, in celebration of Earth Hour. Believe it or not, this minor action will go a long way in helping global warming....

Imagine lighting a fire to a hard-packed snowball or the mud deep inside the ocean bed. While that may sound impossible, it is not only feasible, but the government of Japan believes that they can use this energy to fuel the entire country, for at least a century....

Since 2006, US based Evolo magazine has held an annual contest challenging architects and designers to envision skyscrapers of the future. What makes the competition fun is that the entrants are not rewarded for the practicality of the design but their novel use of materials, technology and aesthetics. This allows the creators to run wild with their imaginations and results in some pretty cool, gravity defying structures....

Though researchers have known for many years that certain flowers have evolved their colors to attract bees as their pollinators, the same had not been confirmed about those that solely depend on birds to do the job. Now, a report published in the March issue of New Phytologist by a team of Australian scientists, reveals that this is indeed the case, at least for their local flowers....

As if battling against a government they don't approve of is not enough, the people of Egypt now have another foe to deal with - One that they are almost helpless against - A thirty million strong army of Desert locusts that showed up on March 2nd, 2013 in the Southern region of the country's capital, Cairo....

At first glance, these pictures seem a little intriguing and even appear cool to some of you. However, that opinion may change once you realize that the images are not some kind of modern art but instead, those of actual bacteria that are thriving upon the touchscreens of all smart phones....

A team of brilliant engineering students from Peru's University of Engineering and Technology have transformed a mundane billboard into a water station - A lifesaver for the residents of the desert mega city, Lima....

Though rumors and anecdotes about squids flying over the Pacific Ocean have been circulating since 1892, nobody had been able to substantiate it with scientific evidence. This was largely because observing these elusive creatures in the wild is a little difficult, thanks to the fact that they spend most of their lives underwater. Now some Japanese marine biologists have not only confirmed that they fly, but also, unveiled how the cephalopods take-off, move through the air and land back gracefully....

From a distance, El Anatsui's shimmering tapestries look like just any other beautiful work of art made from the best silks available. However, come closer and you will realize that they are not made from the finest materials but, from flattened bottle tops. Come even closer and you will be able to read the names of all the liquor bottles they came from!...

While designating areas as nature reserves and marine reserves is quite common and had been done for many centuries, doing the same for the skies is still quite rare - But thanks to the ever increasing population, saving them from light pollution is becoming a pressing problem, one that needs to be curbed, before it's too late....