Since the 1960s, the Aral Sea, formerly the fourth largest lake in the world, has been drying up, leaving hundreds of fishing boats rusting in the desert.
environment
In Sweden they have trained wild crows…
In Sweden they have trained wild crows to trade cigarette butts for peanuts, helping to clean up Swedish streets.
Owing to a surge in production…
Owing to a surge in production at the end of the 19th century, oysters became cheaper than meat, poultry, and fish, making them a popular dish on working class tables in the United States and Europe. This period of mass production is known as the Golden Age of Oysters.
New York is right next to where a giant oyster reef used to be. People used to be able to just walk outside and collect them for dinner. The oysters also cleaned the water and protected the city from storms. Each adult oyster filters 50 gallons of water per day.
Then they ate them all. Now the city is vulnerable to storms and has water pollution problems.
Some people, particularly in the USA…
Some people, particularly in the USA, modify their cars to produce a thick black diesel smoke in order to annoy or protest against cyclists and environmentalists. This modification is known as “Rolling Coal”.
In the 1930s, metallic paints were…
In the 1930s, metallic paints were invented for cars. They were made with fish scales and it would take 40,000 herring to make a single kilo of paint.
Nebraska community college student…
Nebraska community college student Katy Ayers grew a canoe out of mushroom roots (mycelium) to prove fungi is a bio-friendly building material. It floats with two passengers, but when it gets wet it fruits (sprouts mushrooms). Katy plans to get a Ph.D. in mycology then help save the planet.
Hairdressers in Mauritius are offering free haircuts to residents, as their excess hair can be used as an ultra-absorbent material to clean up the oil spill on their shores.
Hairdressers in Mauritius are offering free haircuts to residents, as their excess hair can be used as an ultra-absorbent material to clean up the oil spill on their shores.
Monks against littering
Monks in the Khun Han district of Thailand were frustrated with littering in their district, so they built a temple entirely made from discarded beer bottles.
It takes 15 gallons of water…
It takes 15 gallons of water to produce just 16 almonds and they rely on pesticides to grow successfully; the popularity of Almond Milk is causing environmental and sustainability problems in California where 80% of the world’s almonds are grown.
As it becomes more difficult to find…
As it becomes more difficult to find nectar in the environment, honeybees resort to stealing honey from nearby hives. Scientists found that the amount of guarding and fighting at hive entrances is an indicator of foraging difficulty in the environment, highest in late season.