Science

Jun

08

Climate change will really hurt the butterflies.

Fauna / Science  Posted by / 0 comments

Climate change will really hurt the butterflies. Science expects extinction of one third of the entire butterfly population due to climate change. Imagine if 1/3 of us just got wiped out by lack of food or heat or a tidal wave or a tornado (see above)! This news compounds earlier research that found our early spring was killing the butterfly population. Beyond sheer numbers, butterflies are also particularly important for our ecosystem. “Insects and plants are at the base of the food pyramid and are extremely important, but they often get less attention when we are studying the ecological impacts of climate change,” explains researcher Javier G. Illan. [Oregon State University]

May

22

Release of Arctic methane could accelerate warming – environment – 21 May 2012 – New Scientist

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Melting Arctic permafrost could put even more methane – a potent greenhouse gas – into the atmosphere than previously thought, with worrying implications for the pace of global warming.

via Release of Arctic methane could accelerate warming – environment – 21 May 2012 – New Scientist.

May

13

A Creation Myth for the Computer Age | MIT Video

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A Creation Myth for the Computer Age | MIT Video.

Historian of technology George Dyson discusses the remarkable story that inspired his latest book, Turing’s Cathedral.