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News & Articles By RJ Jhonson

11/11/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Study suggests air pollution is killing more Africans than HIV/AIDS

A new study declares air pollution to be the top cause of death in Africa, with air-pollution-related health conditions killing more people than either AIDS or malaria. The study revealed that as a whole, air pollution causes the premature death of more than 1.2 million people every year in Africa. In comparison, acquired immune deficiency […]

10/19/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Fruit and vegetable peels can be used to remove water pollutants

Fruit and vegetable scraps may often end up in the trash, but they are far from useless. A recent study published in the Journal of Chemical Education revealed that the seeds and peels of many fruits and vegetables can be used to remove pollutants, including dyes and heavy metals, from the water. The authors of […]

09/13/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

The challenges of reusing trash

Waste is a major issue in the modern world, so much that there is a concerted effort among different industries to reduce trash. Reusing and recycling are among the most popular solutions and while they have worked in certain countries and for specific types of garbage, uniform implementation remains an issue. Isabel Ordonez Pizarro, a […]

09/08/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Researchers find way to fight exotic plant invasions of forests through allelopathy

In nature’s contest for the survival of the fittest, plants fight just as hard as animals do: In their arsenal are biochemicals which they often use against other plants. A study published in Allelopathy Journal discusses the role that these chemicals play in the dynamics between native and invasive plant species. Different organisms compete over […]

08/27/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Conservationists looking at fungi to restore native plant populations

More than five million species of fungi have been identified so far, but only about 300 are known to make people sick. Fungi – both the “good” and the “bad” ones – play a vital role in the ecosystem, something that conservationists from Washington State University Tri-Cities (WSU Tri-Cities) are demonstrating through their research. Tanya […]

08/26/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

The hidden world of soil pathogens: Harmful microbes not only have to contend with a farmer’s chemical attacks but their microscopic neighbors as well

Many microscopic species of fungi and bacteria in the soil infect and damage plants. This makes them the enemy of farmers who use chemical pesticides to prevent or – at least – minimize damage to crops. In a study published in the journal mBio, researchers report that for these microscopic pathogens, an angry farmer isn’t […]

08/22/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Using phenolic acids to battle exotic plant invasion

Allelopathy is the process in which plants use biochemicals to hinder the growth and survival of potential competitors. A study published in Allelopathy Journal looked at how this process is used by both native and invasive plant species. The researchers noted that invasive species disrupt ecosystems by using “novel weapons,” biochemicals that native species are […]

08/21/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Minnesotan farmers use 10-15% more fertilizer than they actually need for healthy crops

Minnesota’s farmers are using more fertilizer than needed, say the state’s agricultural officials. The state government’s response to regulate the use of nitrogen fertilizer – a bid to ensure clean drinking water at, according to detractors, the risk of impairing one of Minnesota’s biggest industries – is seemingly a question of which gets the higher […]

08/20/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Hawaii is leading other states in generating renewable energy

The Aloha State could be the country’s leader in renewable energy as it moves toward getting 100 percent of its power needs from both solar and wind sources by 2045. As of this year, Hawaii gets around 33 percent of its power needs from rooftop solar, although there are days when the percentage goes up […]

06/21/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

A group of marine invertebrates use sheets of mucus to catch their food

The inhabitants of the ocean can be just as mysterious and fascinating as their home. Invertebrates called pyrosomes, for example, secrete sheets of mucus that they use as a net to catch their food. Pyrosomes belong to a group of marine organisms that Kelly Sutherland, assistant professor of biology at the University of Oregon, calls […]

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