Environmental cost of formula milk should be a matter of global concern
'The production of unnecessary infant and toddler formulas exacerbates environmental damage and should be a matter of increasing global concern,' argue experts.
Read moreEnvironmental Issues
Aspirin may halve air pollution harms
A new study is the first to report evidence that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin may lessen the adverse effects of air pollution exposure on lung function. The researchers found that the use of any NSAID nearly halved of the effect of PM on lung function, with the association consistent across all four weekly air pollution measurements from same-day to 28 days prior to the lung function test.
Read moreWarming impedes a coral defense, but hungry fish enhance it
Corals exude chemical defenses against bacteria, but when heated in the lab, those defenses lost much potency against a pathogen common in coral bleaching. There's hope: A key coral's defense was heartier when that coral was taken from an area where fishing was banned and plenty of fish were left to eat away seaweed that was overgrowing corals elsewhere.
Read moreEnvironmental toxins impair immune system over multiple generations
New research shows that maternal exposure to a common and ubiquitous form of industrial pollution can harm the immune system of offspring and that this injury is passed along to subsequent generations, weakening the body's defenses against infections such as the influenza virus.
Read moreExposure to BPA in the womb linked to wheezing and poorer lung function in children
Pregnant women exposed to higher levels of the commonly used chemical bisphenol A (BPA) are more likely to have children who suffer with wheezing and poorer lung function, according to new research.
Read moreRising ozone is a hidden threat to corn
By exposing a genetically diverse group of corn plants in the field to future ozone levels, researchers discovered hidden vulnerabilities.
Read moreMicrobes in warm soils released more carbon than those in cooler soils
Simply by moving tropical soils down a mountainside into warmer environments, a team has discovered that much more CO2 may be released due to increased microbial activity as soils warm.
Read moreCollapse of desert bird populations likely due to heat stress from climate change
Last year, biologists discovered that bird populations in the Mojave Desert had crashed over the past 100 years. The biologists now have evidence that heat stress is a key cause. Simulations with a computerized 'virtual bird' suggest that with higher temperatures, birds need more water to keep cool. Larger insectivores or carnivores should be most affected, and small seed-eaters less so if drinking water is available: just as the biologists reported last year.
Read moreSanta Barbara coastline: Preparing for the future
Santa Barbara County residents love their coastline, from the small-town beaches of Carpinteria to Santa Barbara's waterfront to camping hotspots like Jalama Beach and dramatic Guadalupe Dunes. But drastic changes are in store in coming decades as temperatures and sea levels rise, bringing massive impacts to local ecology and human systems.
Read more