Among the meandering waterways of the Tennessee Valley lies the Kingston Fossil Plant, sited at Watts Barr Lake reservoir, about 60 km (40 mi) west of Knocksville, a well-known spot for birdwatching. The plant converts five million tons of coal a year into electricity for the atomic reactor at nearby Oak Ridge and when it …
In July 2006, during renewed conflict between Israel and the Lebanon, Israeli bombers hit a power plant at Jiyeh, south of Beirut, and vast quantities of heavy fuel oil escaped from damaged tanks into the sea. The Lebanon had no experience of this type of ecological disaster, which was a potential threat to the whole …
Beekeepers expect to lose some bees, but in recent years a rapid increase in unexplained mass desertions by worker bees has prompted investigation, research and an official name’ Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Also called Honey Bee Depopulation Syndrome, it is characterized by the complete disappearance of workers from the hive, leaving only the queen, immature …
During the 20th century, our oceans were fouled by pollution of all kinds and now contain increasing numbers of dead zones, where pollution-fed algae deprive existing marine life of oxygen. Oil spills from tankers are the most visible manifestation of pollution, but make up only a small percentage of the total. As holidaymakers avoid flying …
Threats to the World’s Oceans: Pollution and Over-Fishing – 20th and 21st centuries Read More »
Even the most skeptical of critics now admit that global warming is a fact of life, so their line has switched from ‘it isn’t actually happening’ to ‘it’s actually happening but it’s part of a natural cycle rather than manmade’. But few scientists now doubt that the earth’s atmosphere is warming as millions of tons …
Once upon a time, rainforests wrapped around the earth’s equator like an unbroken green girdle – and that time was not long ago, though now rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate. These very special biological treasure houses contain a huge diversity of plants and animals. They are also home to many different indigenous peoples …
Rainforest Destruction – 20th and 21st centuries Read More »