#enrivonment

[nokohihi]

Sundered Grove from Risk of Rain 2

[terrainunexplored]

Valley of monuments

Johnny Budden. Monument Valley, Arizona.

[inbonobo]

#environment #biology #pollution #Atlantic #killifish may be up to 8,000 times more resistant to highly #toxic industrial #pollutants such as #heavymetals due to the high level of #DNA #diversity seen in their populations, a new study has found.

The Atlantic killifish is renowned for its ability to tolerate large fluctuations in temperature, salinity and oxygen levels.However, its rapid adaptation to the normally lethal levels of toxic pollution found in some urban estuaries in the US is unusual, even for such a hardy species.Researchers including those from the University of Birmingham in the UK, analysed the genomes of four wild populations of pollution-tolerant killifish compared with four non-tolerant populations, to identify the mechanism behind this adaptation.They found that the genes responsible for the trait were those involved in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signalling pathway, which combined with observations of desensitisation of this pathway in tolerant populations, led them to conclude that the AHR pathway is a key target of natural selection.The team also showed that the potentially negative effects of desensitisation of the AHR pathway were ameliorated through compensatory adaptations in terms of cell cycle regulation and immune system function.This, combined with the diversity of pollutants present in estuaries, results in a relatively complex adaptive genotype in wild populations compared to that of laboratory models.“This report highlights the complexity of the processes involved in the adaptation of wild fish to lethal levels of environmental pollution,” said John Colbourne, Chair of Environmental Genomics at the University of Birmingham.“It also demonstrates how the DNA of populations that differ in their susceptibility to pollutants can reveal “signatures” of the adverse effects of chemicals in the environment,” Colbourne said.“The Atlantic killifish seem particularly well-positioned to evolve the necessary adaptations to survive in radically altered habitats, because of their large population sizes and the relatively high level of DNA diversity seen in their populations,” he said.The researchers warn that these findings should not be used to justify the harm caused by human pollution of the natural environment.Department of Environmental Toxicology and lead author on the study, said:“Unfortunately, most species we care about preserving probably can’t adapt to these rapid changes because they don’t have the high levels of genetic variation that allow them to evolve quickly,” said Andrew Whitehead, associate professor at University of California, Davis in the US. The study was published in the journal Science. — PTI

[popthirdworld]

Save the Great Barrier Reef!

The Marine Park Authority will soon decide whether to allow Abbott's proposal for dredging and spoil to be dumped at the Great Barrier Reef. You only have 2 days left to contact the Marine Park Authority and ask them to stop this dredge-ful plan!! This should be a no brainer, but I guess Abbott is the one with no brain, so maybe you need a bit of brain to know this is a terrible idea hey. I'll work on my smackdowns! You work on clicking here and contacting the Marine Park Authority!!!

[dohanews]

As COP18 gets underway, Qatar University unveils biofuel research progress

As world leaders convene in Doha for the UN Climate Change conference, COP18, which began today, Qatar University (QU) has revealed details of its research into an environmentally-friendly fuel designed for use in the aviation industry.

It's the sort of good news Qatar needs as it comes under the inevitable global scrutiny that such a conference brings. 

Working in collaboration with Qatar Airways and the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), QU researchers have developed a biofuel based on single-celled organisms (cyanobacteria and microalgae) that are unique to Qatar.

These organisms grow well in Qatar's extreme heat, strong sunlight and highly saline waters. When fully grown, fat is extracted from them to make the fuel, which is being specifically designed for aircraft. 

Qatar produces nearly 50 tons of carbon dioxide a year for each of its 1.8 million residents, leading environmental campaign group WWF to name Qatar as the country with the largest ecological footprint in the world.

This is why this new fuel - which recycles Co2 rather than pumps it back into the atmosphere - is of such interest to the government. 

So far, the research team has been growing the organisms in 1,500-liter outdoor tanks at QU’s research farm in Al Khor. Having grown them successfully for six weeks, they will now carry out a trial in 25,000 liter, specially-designed outdoor research ponds. 

Biofuels Project Director Dr. Malcolm Potts explains:

“There is a real push for fuel derived from organisms living on the planet – biofuels. The problem is that in many countries arable land is used for growing them.  What we are doing here is working with photosynthetic micro-organisms which can be grown anywhere, and which are particularly suitable to the environment of Qatar. We are trying to develop a biofuel industry here in Qatar, using new technologies not found anywhere else in the world.”

Qatar Airways has long been keen to utilize alternative fuel sources, which will help it reduce the airline's carbon footprint and its costs simultaneously.

In 2010, it conducted the world’s first commercial passenger flight using a Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) fuel blend. GTL fuel is derived from natural gas, which although still a fossil fuel, is a "cleaner burn", meaning that it will reduce the airline's emissions significantly.

Qatar's hosting of COP18 is not without its critics, but Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Qatar's deputy prime minister and the conference president, insists Qatar is committed to bringing about real environmental change:

"We hope the conference will produce tangible results and reinforce international cooperation", he told Al Jazeera. "Qatar is also one of the 10 developing countries predicted to be most affected by rising sea levels.  Environmental sustainability is a key pillar of our national vision."

However, Jamie Henn, co-founder of the environment campaign group 350.org, sees things differently:

"It is hard to avoid the irony of Qatar hosting the event," he says. "This is a little bit like McDonald's hosting a conference on obesity. If anything, it shines a bit more spotlight on Qatar and on the steps that can be taken to address the problem."

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo courtesy of Qatar University