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Pollution is slowing the melting of Arctic sea ice, for now | John Abraham
Human carbon pollution is melting the Arctic, but aerosol pollution is slowing it down
The Arctic is one of the “canaries in the coal mine” for climate change. Long ago, scientists predicted it would warm quicker than other parts of the planet, and they were right. Currently, the Arctic is among the fastest-warming places on the planet. Part of the reason is that as the Arctic warms, ice melts and ocean water is uncovered. The ocean is darker than ice so it in turn absorbs more sunlight and increases its warming. This is a feedback loop.
Another reason is that the Arctic doesn’t get that much sunlight so increased energy from the atmosphere has a bigger influence there than it would have elsewhere.
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Air pollution linked to changes in heart structure
Study shows correlation between levels of exposure to fine particulate matter and chamber enlargement seen in early stages of heart failure
Air pollution is linked to changes in the structure of the heart of the sort seen in early stages of heart failure, say researchers.
The finding could help explain the increased number of deaths seen in areas with high levels of dirty air. For example, a report last year revealed that people in the UK are 64 times more likely to die from the effect of air pollution than people living in Sweden. Such premature deaths can be linked to a number of causes including respiratory problems, stroke and coronary artery disease.
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Tweets going viral: birds can 'learn second language' from peers
The Australian fairy wren can master the meaning of a few key ‘words’ by listening to other species
Birds can learn a second language by listening to the tweets and chirps of other birds, helping them to find out when a predator is approaching, scientists have found.
Wild animals are known to listen to each other for clues about lurking predators, effectively eavesdropping on other species’ chatter. Birds, for example, can learn to flee when neighbours cluck the equivalent of “hawk!” — or, more precisely, emit a distress call.
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5,500 UK churches switch to renewable energy
Churches estimated to have diverted £5m from fossil fuels to clean energy providers
More than 5,500 churches including some of the UK’s most famous cathedrals have converted to renewable power to help tackle climate change.
Church of England places of worship, along with Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Quaker and Salvation Army congregations, have made the switch to 100% renewable electricity, and faith leaders are urging more to follow suit.
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Pollutionwatch: city sparrows' decline linked to car exhausts
RSPB found urban sparrow colonies waning at fastest rate where traffic-borne nitrogen dioxide was worst
The cheeky house sparrow is the archetypal city bird. You can find them around the world, but they are in serious decline in cities in Italy, Canada, India and the UK. London’s house sparrow population fell by 60% between 1994 and 2006.
Scientists from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds fed London sparrows in 33 colonies and compared them with birds at 33 other places where no extra food was offered. More food meant more fledglings, but it did not improve their wintertime survival.
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