High mountain

I found this article in regards to the Sierra Mountains growing faster then expected.  I have been their a couple of times in life and its magnificent.  The mountains always seemed so majestic.  I've always was curious to find out why how mountains get so big.

Geologists studying deposits of volcanic glass in the western United States have found that the central Sierra Nevada largely attained its present elevation 12 million years ago, roughly 8 or 9 million years earlier than commonly thought.  The finding has implications not only for understanding the geologic history of the mountain range but for modeling ancient global climates. (yahoo.com)

The higher the mountain, the more pronounced the rain shadow effect is and the greater the decrease in the number of heavy hydrogen isotopes in the water that makes it across the mountains and falls on the leeward side of the range. By determining the ratio of heavier to lighter hydrogen isotopes preserved in volcanic glass and comparing it with today's topography and rainwater, researchers can estimate the elevation of the mountains at the time the ancient water crossed them.

My question how do these scientists get all this information.  What exactly do they study in order to get this information.  How do they determine how old these elevations are.  I would like to get inside the head of the scientist.

New mammal

A new mammal was discovered in ireland the mammal, Crocidura Russula, has been discovered in parts of the midlands and south-west of the republic. Its natural range is in parts of Africa, France and Germany.

This shrew is one of the 'white-toothed shrews'; it lacks deposition of iron in the enamel of the tips of the teeth as seen in the red-toothed shrews. The upper surface of the body is greyish or reddish brown in color, the underside becomes more of a yellowish grey, and there is no clear demarcation between the two. The tail is covered in long whisker-like white hairs. Although generally larger in size, this species is very similar in appearance to the lesser white-toothed shrew, so much so that the only truly reliable method to distinguish between the two species is by detailed examination of the teeth.(yahoo.com)

So it seems that new species are being discovered everyday.

Noise pollution

Noise can have a detrimental effect on animals by causing stress, increasing risk of mortality by changing the delicate balance in predator/prey detection and avoidance, and by interfering with their use of sounds in communication especially in relation to reproduction and in navigation. Acoustic overexposure can lead to temporary or permanent loss of hearing.

An impact of noise on animal life is the reduction of usable habitat that noisy areas may cause, which in the case of endangered species may be part of the path to extinction. One of the best known cases of damage caused by noise pollution is the death of certain species of beached whales, brought on by the loud sound of military sonar.

Noise also makes species communicate louder, which is called Lombard vocal response. Scientists and researchers have conducted experiments that show whales' song length is longer when submarine-detectors are on.  If creatures don't "speak" loud enough, their voice will be masked by anthropogenic sounds. These unheard voices might be warnings, finding of prey, or preparations of net-bubbling. When one species begins speaking louder, it will mask other species' voice, causing the whole ecosystem to eventually speak louder.

Zebra finches become less faithful to their partners when exposed to traffic noise. This could alter a population's evolutionary trajectory by selecting "sexy" traits, sapping resources normally devoted to other activities and thus lead to profound genetic and evolutionary consequences

Electric cars

Remember the craze regarding electric cars and how everyone was going to have one.  Well from what I can tell, not a whole a lot of people have them.  Well a film was made who killed the electric car.  The film deals with the history of the electric car, its development and commercialization, mostly focusing on the General Motors EV1, which was made available for lease in Southern California, after the California Air Resources Board passed the ZEV mandate in 1990, as well as the implications of the events depicted for air pollution, environmentalism, Middle East politics, and global warming.

The film details the California Air Resources Board's reversal of the mandate after suits fromautomobile manufacturers, the oil industry, and the George W. Bush administration. It points out that Bush's chief influences, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, and Andrew Card, are all former executives and board members of oil and auto companies.

A large part of the film accounts for GM's efforts to demonstrate to California that there was no demand for their product, and then to take back every EV1 and dispose of them. A few were disabled and given to museums and universities, but almost all were found to have been crushed; GM never responded to the EV drivers' offer to pay the residual lease value ($1.9 million was offered for the remaining 78 cars in Burbank before they were crushed). Several activists are shown being arrested in the protest that attempted to block the GM car carriers taking the remaining EV1s off to be crushed.  

Electric cars are still around but seldom seen.  

Sewage Leak

More than a day after a sewage leak flooded South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, forcing beach closures and blocking access to city's main road, officials labored Friday to repair the breach.  The northbound lanes remained closed between Diamond and Center streets according to police and the southbound lanes were expected to be shut down again early this morning for more repairs. This report is from the Los Angeles Times.

About 6,500 gallons of sewage flowed into the ocean at Agate Street.  The rupture in the 24-inch pipe was contained about two hours later, with crews working overnight to make additional repairs.  But 10,000 additional gallons polluted the water Friday afternoon when a pump station was shut down during repairs and sewage backed up and overflowed into storm drains.

Laguna Beach has spent millions to upgrade its aging sewer lines in recent years after sustaining enough spills that water quality regulators fined the city for the contamination.  Orange County health officials closed 1.25 miles of coastline in South Laguna Beach because of potential bacterial contamination, including E. coli and Salmonella, from the sewage discharge.

The traffic snarl caused headaches for drivers trying to get in and out of the city, hemmed in by canyons on one side and the ocean on the other.  Employees of the Tail Wagger pet grooming shop on Coast Highway carried pets out to their owners, who were stranded in traffic.  Dozens of vacuum trucks crowded the area where the sewage leak occurred. Because of the high pressure, repair workers struggled to fit a new metal collar on the sewer main.

After several failed attempts, city officials temporarily shut down the Bluebird Pump Station to relieve the pressure and facilitate the clamp's repair. That caused Friday's 10,000-gallon spill into the ocean at Bluebird Beach.  A faulty rubber gasket on the new clamp forced city officials to shut down the pump station a second time with more sewage spills possible.  Sewage spills shut down part of the city's beachfront in November 2006 and in June 2005 during the Bluebird Canyon landslide.

Global warming

Temperatures are rising faster in the american west then any other region in the united states. For the past five years I'm sure you have noticed the steady rise in the temperature.  Based on the news study called Hotter and drier "The Wests Changed Environment".  The report was released by the Rocky mountain climate organization.  Climate change is no longer an abstraction according to scientists.  The article was in the A section of the Los angeles times on a18 on March 29, 2008.

Carbon dioxide pollution from vehicles and power plants are a major contributor to global warming.  A high rash of heat waves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming had their hottest Julys on record last summer.  In Los angeles the global warming barometer has risen.  So a climate bill idea has been tossed around to slash greenhouse gases.  The rising temperatures in the western states will continue to be a problem.  

Trash

Trash is a problem in regards to the enviroment. Every house has alot of trash and it adds up. It gets burned which causes pollution. What can we do with all this trash. It s a continous cycle. Solid waste pollution is considered a serious threat by many environmentalists and can broadly be defined as any pollution associated with waste and waste management practices.
In a more specific sense however, solid waste can be considered any item which would typically find its way to either a landfill or recycling center, this would include albeit very loosely, various gases and liquids found within solid waste such as CFC propellants from aerosol cans and liquids such as heavy oils and acids which may seep from small motors, batteries and other items. However it should be noted that gases and liquids are only to be associated with solid waste when referring to their point of origin, they themselves are not to be considered solid waste. Some other form of help must come along.