While walking around Pittsburgh, Charlie stops to admire the Rachel Carson bridge. The author of “Silent Spring” was born in nearby Springdale in 1907 and studied at Pittsburgh-based Chatham.
Dr. Tyrone Hayes is a professor of Biology at UC Berkley who has been at the forefront of some groundbreaking research into the developmental effects of the pesticide Atrazine on amphibians and mammals. Dr. Hayes runs the Atrazinelovers homepage, a site dedicated to educating the public about the effects of the pesticide on our environment and human health. His research and outreach have earned him the ire of many in the pesticide industry, especially from Syngenta, the company that manufactures Atrazine. The Oyster’s Garter provides a good introduction to his research here.
Below is a video of one of his talks, summarizing his research:
Read More “Tyrone Hayes, Atrazine, Syngenta, and a little DMX” »
A crab pickin’ mug to the first reader* that can identify where this blue crab (Calinectes sapidus) came from: 40ml falcon tube and hand shown for scale. ~Southern Fried Scientist *Post answers in comments. Authors of Deep Sea News and Southern Fried Science Network not eligible. Contest ends 9:00 AM August 19, 2010.
From the microscopic to the gigantic, plastic debris has plagued our oceans since its invention. Much of the problem originated initially because we didn’t realize that plastics don’t degrade until after we had dumped tons into the ocean, largely off of ships as trash. WHOI offers a good summary of the history of plastic pollution. Many things changed since that first realization and the nature of plastics in the marine environment has a very different face nowadays.
The plastic is smaller and more widely distributed. There are fairly well-known areas that collect the plastics such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. There are also other areas affected that are closer to shore and where people use marine resources. Plastic often settles in seagrass beds that serve as important nursery habitat and on beaches where turtles and shorebirds mistake them for food and nesting material. Need more details on plastic?
One of the recurring themes of this year’s ESA conference is sustainability, but during a visit to the Pittsburgh zoo’s store, even Charlie is surprised to see how far some people will go.