Tuesday, April 22, 2014

New studies from North Carolina State University suggest that Native Americans from the Cherokee tribe during the Trail of Tears in the 1830’s experienced an interference with the normal growth of their skulls due to extreme amounts of stress.  Stress affects cranial length, and this affect decreases the size of the skull. Data collected of adults born between 1783 and 1874 shows a significant truncation of the skull. The leader of the study, Ann H. Ross, says that this type of research allows scientists to interpret the effects of historical events.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

White House Unveils Plans to Cut Methane Emissions

President Obama and his administration have announced a new plan in which methane emissions will be significantly reduced. This plan is another part of what the White House plans to build to take action toward reducing climate change problems.  Methane in the United States has been increasing in recent years mainly though hydraulic fracturing and this gas can lead to more entrapment of infrared energy in Earth. The EPA and the white house will work together on this plan by updating standards and making them stricter. The EPA believes that these plans will be completed by 2016, right before President Obama will leave office.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Pollution and Dust in Britain Bring Health Warnings

In London, high levels of air pollution were reported in parts of England, which made the government enact smog alerts and health warnings for elderly and people with heart of lung problems. The French last month had seen similar problems of air pollution and the government had responded by imposing partial driving bans and offering free mass transit for several days. Environmentalists have used these incidents to emphasize the problems of pollution cannot be avoided, but rather fixed immediately.