Millions of women are wrongly diagnosed with ‘breast cancer’ concluded the National Cancer Institute (NCI) commission last year, thanks to over-diagnosis via mammograms. This is because what is known as ‘early stage cancers’ such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) should not be regarded as cancers, but benign or indolent growths. In an attempt to quantify the benefits and … [Read more...]
Carbon nanofibres made from CO2 in the air
Scientists in the US have found a way to take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and make carbon nanofibres, a valuable manufacturing material. Their solar-powered system runs just a few volts of electricity through a vat full of a hot, molten salt; CO2 is absorbed and the nanofibres gradually assemble at one of the electrodes. It currently produces 10g in an hour. The … [Read more...]
New study confirms Earth’s sixth mass extinction has begun
We are currently witnessing the start of a mass extinction event the likes of which have not been seen on Earth for at least 65 million years. This is the alarming finding of a new study published in the journal Science Advances. The research was designed to determine how human actions over the past 500 years have affected the extinction rates of vertebrates: mammals, fish, … [Read more...]
Rate of climate change to soar by 2020s
New research from a major national lab projects that the rate of climate change, which has risen sharply in recent decades, will soar by the 2020s. This worrisome projection — which has implications for extreme weather, sea level rise, and permafrost melt — is consistent with several recent studies. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) study, “Near-term … [Read more...]
Underwater robot shows Antarctic ice thicker than thought
Groundbreaking 3D mapping of previously inaccessible areas of the Antarctic has found that the sea ice fringing the vast continent is thicker than previous thought. Two expeditions to Antarctica by scientists from the UK, USA and Australia analysed an area of ice spanning 500,000 metres squared, using a robot known as SeaBed. The survey discovered ice thickness average … [Read more...]
Image series shows ozone hole development since 1979
The stratospheric ozone layer protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet light, which damages DNA in plants and animals (including humans) and leads to skin cancer. Prior to 1979, scientists had not observed concentrations below 220 Dobson Units. But in the early 1980s, through a combination of ground-based and satellite measurements, scientists began to realize that … [Read more...]
NASA scientist warns of 3-4 meter sea level rise by 2200
It is common knowledge in the climate change scientific community that governments around the world had better be planning for a one-meter rise in global sea levels by the end of this century. What isn't common is for a world-renowned scientist to warn that there could be a greater rise than that before 2100 - in addition to a catastrophic two to three-meter rise by 2200, … [Read more...]
Help make solar power better and win $1 Million
“Smaller is baller,” “Min it to win it,” “Think shrink.” Those are the puns Google is using to promote its new competition: $1 million to whomever can invent a working power inverter for solar and other forms of renewable energy that’s roughly as small as a laptop. The company has teamed up with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to launch the … [Read more...]
First 5 International Hope Spots coming to SA
Dr Sylvia Earle will lead a Mission Blue Expedition to South Africa to launch the country's first five Hope Spots in December 2014. Sustainable Seas Trust and BirdLife South Africa are organizing the tour, in concert with a number of supporting organizations with a view to igniting public support for marine conservation. Dr Sylvia Earle, the architect of the Hope Spot … [Read more...]
Afbrekende energiebeleid moet verander – Alliansie
Koolstofvrye hernubare energie maak net 12% van die energie uit wat wêreldwyd verbruik word, aldus die burgerregte-organisasie AfriForum op Aardedag. Fossielbrandstof word steeds gebruik vir 80% van die wêreld se energie en genereer 30 miljard metrieke ton se koolstofbesoedeling elke jaar. Bekende en toeganklike fossielbrandstofreserwes het in 2012 reeds meer as vyf keer … [Read more...]
Activists demand fundamental change in energy systems
Activists around the world welcomed the latest UN climate science panel's report by highlighting its passages on the need for fundamental change of energy systems. The report was greeted by a group of German climate justice activists holding banners and photos of protests and campaigns from the across the world. The campaigns are united by the Reclaim Power initiative, a … [Read more...]
Glow-in-the-Dark ‘Smart Highways’ Replace Street Lights in the Netherlands
Light-absorbing glow-in-the-dark road markings have replaced standard street lighting on a 500 meter stretch of highway in The Netherlands. This project is the first stage of a concept first unveiled back in 2012 by designer and innovator Daan Roosegaarde, who presented his ‘Smart Highway’ plans during Dutch Design Week. The goal of the ‘Smart Highway’ is to make roads that … [Read more...]
Health professionals worldwide demand urgent climate action
Health and medical organizations from around the world are calling on governments to respond to the major health risks described in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s recent Second Working Group reporting, ‘Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation,’ which was released on Monday. In a briefing document summarizing the IPCC report’s implications for health, … [Read more...]
