This week scientists made a landmark discovery when ragweed – a highly allergenic weed native to North America – was detected in South African pollen spore traps for the very first time. The discovery was made by Dr Dilys Berman, an aerobiologist at UCT and Prof Jonny Peter, who heads up the UCT Lung Institute’s Allergy Unit. Palynologist, Dr Frank Neumann, based at Wits … [Read more...]
Desertification step 1: drought and fires courtesy of climate change
Climate change is making floods, fires and droughts more frequent and severe, by intensifying the circulation of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. Higher temperatures increase the amount of moisture that evaporates from land and water, leading to drought in many areas. Lands affected by drought are more vulnerable to flooding once rain falls. As … [Read more...]
