Environment

The Barents Sea, which exists north of Norway, has been a unique marine ecosystem for decades. This is due to the sea's immediate proximity to the Arctic region and the yearly consignment of sea-ice. However, it now seems that a part of the Arctic is too warm to deliver this ice any more. This occurrence may also be responsible for a steady increase in salinity in the Barents. In other words, this sea is becoming more like the Atlantic than the frozen North.

Relatively simple chemical processes take place in our cells, every second. They occur to help build new proteins, break down foods for energy (or store the same energy for later) and to signal between and within cells. These events involve reactions such as hydrogenation, which is the addition of H atoms to molecules.

A large proportion of recently-discovered elements on the periodic table are rare earth elements (REEs), which are found in extreme and unlikely locations such as in volcanic or post-volcanic materials. For example, cerium (Ce) and lanthanum (La) are found in the Solfatara crater near Naples in Italy. Therefore, these elements do not particularly appear conducive to supporting life in any form.

As of a few years ago, it was calculated that more than 23 million passengers use the Indian Railways as a means of commute. To tend to the needs of this colossal number of people, the Railways are currently the nation’s largest consumer of electricity and diesel. It was estimated that this sector spent a whopping 31,000 crores INR ($310,000 million), in 2016, on fuel alone.

Among the several layers of the Earth’s atmosphere lies the stratosphere, where most of the atmospheric ozone is known to be concentrated. Since a molecule of ozone contains three unstable oxygen atoms, they are constantly being formed and re-formed. But research studies have shown that the ozone levels have remained, more or less, constant, over the last few decades.

The Earth generates a powerful magnetic field, which mainly functions to protect us and everything else on it from dangerous cosmic rays. This force has proven itself very reliable (assumption made through scientific observation), over time. Scientists perceive the magnetic field as constant and monolithic. However, this is not the case. The planetary magnetic field has, in fact, demonstrated remarkable fluctuation over the years, especially in certain parts of the globe.

Nitrogen, a chemical element first discovered in the late 1700s, was isolated from the atmosphere, where it is known to be found in large quantities. For many decades, the assumption has been that nitrogen can only occur in this form and source.

The rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere is an ecological issue that contributes to global temperature changes and impaired air quality. It has been evident that humans are producing more CO2, in the form of fuel and electricity, greater than the natural world is equipped to cope with.

The accumulation of discarded plastics is a global issue, particularly as it exists in the same landfills for hundreds of years. This makes it a prevalent health problem, as plastics can find their way into the food chain and vital ecosystems, thereby reducing the quality of the food and water we consume. However, biochemical and bioengineering researchers believe that their work can help reduce the global plastic burden by the improved ability to decompose them.

The European Commission published a report, in 2011, regarding the level of plastics in the environment and its negative impact on human and marine health. In that article, plastic wastes in the ocean were referred to as a “growing concern,” and the authors stated that even though there was a decrease in plastic production, maintenance of such a situation could be challenging.

Day by day, the Earth's population is growing. Social science research has clarified that the world's population is increasing at a rate faster than we thought! Now, overpopulation is a problem of major importance. It is estimated that the number of people will reach 9.9 billion by 2050. That makes it a 33 percent hike to the existing population. Forecasts predict that this kind of population explosion will lead to a huge food supply problem.

The phenomenon of 'climate warming' has been touted as the ultimate environmental risk of the future. This occurrence is being linked to potentially cataclysmic processes such as widespread flooding, hurricanes, and the concomitant, permanent loss of land-mass. It may also lead to large-scale damage to locations that are normally ice- and snow-locked.