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Title: Glaciers Are Retreating. Millions Rely on Their Water Author: Henry Fountain and Ben C. Solomon Date: January 16, 2019 Source: The New York Times URL: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/15/climate/melting-glaciers-globally.html?fbclid=IwAR3rDOeEHZwaQO14SCFY0KM01isLUH4J_YyeYnX7KGQXpLDcxO2aUbGSDgg&mtrref=undefined In Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, the Tuyusku glacier is rapidly melting, with water streaming down the glacier's edge. Researchers have planted stakes in holes in the ice that they're measuring to see the changes over time to the height of the ice. They found that it was already three feet thinner. This glacier is a reprsentation of the glaciers all around the world, which have lost the equivalent of a 70 foot layer of ice and are getting shorter, causing sea level to rise. Just like the Little Almaty, many streams or rivers are fed by melting glaciers. These will all be affected by glacial retreat, in their own ways and at different t...

Title: The Wild Experiment That Showed Evolution in Real Time Author: Ed Yong Date: January 31, 2019 Source: The Atlantic URL: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/unprecedentedly-thorough-evolution-experiment/581521/?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=82cc3a3e8c-briefing-dy-20190201&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-82cc3a3e8c-42308611&fbclid=IwAR2PENczQSNDRD1jTuxLLDnH1qgMcwMHdqcxLGCJz3dW8CgtlfRiYXphk-I Rowan Barrett wanted to create an experiment in Nebraska to see natural selection for himself. He got a field from his friend and created sections with dark colored soil and light colored soil and put mice in each one. He took pictures of each mouse and took it's DNA and made sure the experiment was controlled and the mice couldn't leave their enclosures. After time, he found that indeed, the dark colored mice thrived in the dark colored soil and light colored mice thrived in the light colored sand. He then investigated further and...

Title: 'The river is dying': the vast ecological cost of Brazil's mining disasters Author: Jonathan Watts Date: January 29, 2019 Source: The Guardian URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/29/the-river-is-dying-the-vast-ecological-cost-of-brazils-mining-disasters?fbclid=IwAR1YphJ69URgJ1G3cSBrhonRXspB9dSXt-g3pcVrYC3rleepI_ilHJC9q5U In Brazil, there was a stream of mud and iron ore tailings that invaded the community of Brumadinho, affecting the humans and the animals. The tailings dam collapsed and innocent people were swept away. The damage is spreading from the community to other communities and Brazil's ecosystem. The mass amount of water stirred up heavy metals buried in the bottom of the Rio Paraopeba river, which is hurting the fish species. Also, the damage is expected to reach the hydropower plant nearby, which could inflict damage present for years. Many are campaigning for tighter regulations and punishing those involved for all the damage. Howev...

Title: Where to Find Rare Earth Elements Author: Ainissa Ramirez Source: PBS Date: April 2, 2013 URL: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/rare-earth-elements-in-cell-phones/?utm_source=FBPAGE&utm_medium=social&utm_term=20190126&utm_content=2098983887&utm_campaign=NOVA+Next&linkId=62767578&fbclid=IwAR14AFWXu89s-Q-SBWC1-tz2zN5JL2zLyXSkCW2abCFh2JGJqtiNnCmEgBE Every cell phone is made with a few grams of rare earths. While this many not seem like a lot, there are so many phones circulating in our society that it adds up to be a lot. In addition to cell phones, virtually everything that has a screen or a speaker is using rare earths. Most of these elements, 97% actually, are solely in China, who has driven up costs because of all their demand. Many countries are trying to find another other places to get rare earths, like when the US opened Mountain Pass, the biggest resource in the US. They had to close it down due to environmental problems. Rare earths ...

Title: A Hard Look in the Climate Mirror Author: Kimberly A. Nicholas Source: Scientific American Date: July 12, 2017 URL: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/a-hard-look-in-the-climate-mirror/ Nicholas outlines four things that people can do on a personal level to decrease their carbon footprint and create a more sustainable future. The first change is implementing a plant based diet. This cuts methane emissions from livestock and because raising livestock uses so many resources, it is also good for the environment overall. The second change is avoiding traveling by airplane. Each airplane emits 1.6 tons of Carbon Dioxide and avoiding one trip can make a big difference. In relation to transportation, the third change is living car free. Each year without a car saves 2.4 tons of Carbon Dioxide, which not even electric cars can claim to do. The fourth change is considering limiting the size of your family. Raising a child is a huge addition of carbon and overall ...