Blog

If a tree naps in the woods

#Research, #New Scientist

Trees and forests have a special place in our hearts. Not only do theyeat up CO2and emit delicious oxygen for us to breathe, their mere presence cancalm our nerves.

Because of this, trees get a lot of scientific attention, and a new study just asked a question youve

probably never even considered:do trees sleep?

Yup, for the first time, an international team of researchers from Austria, Finland, and Hungary have analysed howtrees change overnightusing extremely accurate laser scans. The results suggest that trees move at night by drooping slightly and then spring back up in the morning, but is this sleep?

First, lets talk about what the team did to get their results. According toPatrick J. Kigerfrom Discovery News, two trees, one in Finland and one in Austria, were observed using highly detailed laser scanners that recorded a cloud of over a million data points per tree. Continue reading »

#FAO, #WHO

FAO and WHO have released new guidelines aimed at reducing the damage done by pesticides that pose especially high toxic risks to human health and the environment. Products with high acute toxicity account for high numbers of immediate poisoning cases, particularly in developing countries, while products with chronic toxicity effects may cause cancer or developmental disorders among growing children. In industrialized countries, such so-called “highly hazardous pesticides” may be no longer permitted or subject to strict use limitations, yet they often remain widely available in developing countries. Even hazardous products that still are permitted in industrialized countries can cause severe problems in the developing world, where use circumstances can be very different. Small-scale farmers in developing countries in particular often do not have, or use, the necessary protective gear and mostly use back-pack sprayers that pose high risk of exposure. Restriction on the use of such highly hazardous products often prove hard to enforce, leading to widespread use by untrained persons. High numbers of poisoning cases, contaminated food and environmental damage can be the result.

#NGT, #CPCB, #MPCB

The western region bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) here has aired its displeasure over the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) failure to submit a report on how the sound pollution level of sirens and noise generated by vehicles is measured.

The tribunal was hearing a petition by activistDileepNevatia that seeks compliance of a July 31, 2014, notification by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), prescribing standards for multi-toned horns and sirens, and ban those which breach noise standards.

The bench of Justice Jawad Rahim and expert member Ajay A Deshpande observed on May 16, “The CPCB not only has a statutory duty, but was reminded of it by our several orders in the matter relating to sound pollution consequent to use of sirens and horns by vehicles.”
Continue reading »

#United Nations, #Climate Change, #weather, #Asia

Sounding a note of caution, a United Nations report touted the Asia-Pacific region as the worlds most disaster-prone region, accounting for 91 per cent of the worlds deaths due to natural disasters in the last century.

Mumbai figured twice in the study for being among the six cities, that also includes Kolkata, that will be exposed to coastal flooding by the 2070s and also for faring worse in its waste disposal management, with 12 per cent being burnt openly, jeopardising the health of millions of residents.

The report prepared with over a 1,203 scientists, hundreds of institutions and more than 160 governments involved, also noted the Asia-Pacific region for its acute contamination of water sources by human and industrial waste, including pharmaceutical and personal care, resulting in the consumption of water contaminated by human feces by about 30 per cent of the population.

Water-related diseases and unsafe water contribute to 1.8 million deaths annually and 24.8 million disability-adjusted life years in the region as well, the report added.

Continue reading »