oceans
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XKCD has some amazing facts about oceans for you
Randall Munroe, writer of the web comic XKCD, has put out another one of his dizzyingly meticulous infographics, and this one is about the depths of various bodies of water. No, wait, don’t leave, it’s actually really cool!
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This ocean climate model is downright hypnotic
Last year, a group of NASA scientists and animators put together this animation of the world’s ocean surface currents, based on ocean flow data for June 2005 to December 2007. The video starts over the Atlantic, and as the globe rotates, you can see the whorls and waves dancing across the ocean, the relative calm […]
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Robot jellyfish will use water for fuel, spy on you
A team working out of Virginia Tech and the University of Texas at Dallas is building a robotic jellyfish that mimics the real thing. Here it is in action: The robot gets its power from hydrogen and oxygenate, which reacts with platinum to create heat, driving the jellyfish’s “muscles.” One day, the jellyfish won’t even […]
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Why less arctic ice means more mercury in your babies
Thin sea ice leads to a "bromine explosion" that turns gaseous mercury in the atmosphere into a toxic pollutant that falls on snow, land and ice and can accumulate in fish.
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Critical List: Sierra Club took natural gas money; solar panels made from grass clippings
The Sierra Club’s executive director, Michael Brune, revealed that from 2007 to 2010 the environmental group took more than $26 million of donations from people and companies connected to the natural gas industry. The Obama administration is moving forward with offshore wind development. Warming oceans are encouraging the growth of coral … for now.
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Capsized cruise ship could ruin pristine marine park
The reef-stricken cruise ship Costa Concordia managed to crash itself in one of the most pristine marine areas in the Mediterranean. Of course. And as the ship lists dangerously, threatening to fall further into the ocean and spill tons of oil, endangered species and other marine life are at risk. The ship has 2,400 tons […]
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Watch an orca chase a shark out of the water
Orcas might be charismatic movie stars, but they are also killer whales. A family of beachgoers in New Zealand caught on film an orca fighting with a few sharks. One shark was so eager to get away from the whale that it beached itself in the shallow water. (That's the most interesting part of the footage, so if you've already seen Free Willy ten gazillion times, just fast-forward to 0:56.)
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Fleeced again: How microplastic causes macro problems for the ocean
On Black Friday, outdoor retailer Patagonia took out a full-page ad in The New York Times asking readers to “buy less and to reflect before you spend a dime.” Beside a photo of their iconic fleece jacket, the headline read: “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” And, while their message about retail consumption undoubtedly made a splash, […]
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Durban dispatch: Climate deniers rip Tutu
Canadian climate deniers gave Archbishop Desmond Tutu flack for speaking out against Canada’s oil sands.Photo: Greater Tacoma Community FoundationCross-posted from ThinkProgress Green. Activists used hundreds of LED emergency lights to spell “climate fail” across the Canadian Parliament lawn in huge, illuminated letters to send Prime Minister Stephen Harper the message that he must listen to […]
