One of the possible pillars of renewable energy sources is to increase the use of biofuels; fuels that are grown and processed. A biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation as opposed to a fossil fuel. The green industry is interested in establishing a biorefinery sector in Denmark…

Coffee is a brewed beverage with a bitter flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. It is an accepted wake up call for many and a beverage to relax over and talk. But is coffee good for you? There is intense debate about that matter. Now comes a new study to reveal…

Although the seashore is most commonly associated with the word beach, beaches are found by lakes and alongside large rivers, as well as by the sea or oceans. Beaches are a fine place to hang out to enjoy the surf and the sun. Unfortunately beaches may not be the cleanest places to be due to…

The Blue Tit is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. The bird is easily recognizable by its brilliant blue and yellow plumage. Throughout Europe and western Asia, the blue tit is one of the most colorful birds to engage in their annual hormone-driven mating spectacle. Not unlike some among their human counterparts,…

Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. About half of the world original forests had disappeared by 2011, the majority during the last 50 years. Since 1990 half of the rain forests have disappeared. Forests are removed and converted into other…

Dead zones are hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in the world’s oceans, the observed incidences of which have been increasing since oceanographers began noting them in the 1970s. These occur near inhabited coastlines, where aquatic life is most concentrated A team of NOAA-supported scientists is predicting that this year’s Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone could range from…

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just proposed updates to its national air quality standards for harmful fine particle pollution, including soot (known as PM2.5). These microscopic particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and have been potentially linked to a wide range of serious health effects, including premature death, heart attacks, and strokes, as…

Vampire bats are bats whose food source is blood, a dietary trait called hematophagy. The very concept because of how humans perceive blood sucking varmints creates an image of horror. Only 0.5% of bats carry rabies. However, of the few cases of rabies reported in the United States every year, most are caused by bat…

Liquid Light, a New Jersey startup company, claims to be able to turn carbon dioxide into fuels and industrial chemicals. The innovative technology behind the process is simple: Take CO2 and mix it in a water-filled chamber with an electrode and a catalyst. The ensuing chemical reaction converts CO2 into a new organic molecule, methanol,…

Studies of continental Antarctica typically described broad bioregions, with the Antarctic Peninsula usually identified as biologically distinct from continental Antarctica. To many Antarctica is one vast singular frozen place. Later studies suggested a more complex biogeography. In a new study published in “Diversity and Distributions” 15 distinct, ice-free, Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions have been identified,…