Solar Boxes Save Bats

The bat population in parts of Canada and the United States has witnessed a major decline due to a newly discovered fungus.  Researchers have discovered that this fungus leads to a condition known as the white-nose syndrome, which has brought death upon hundreds of thousands of bats.

White-nose syndrome apparently kills bats by waking them up during their winter hibernation. Bats desperately need to sleep during this period of time because the insects they feed on aren’t around during the winter. When the bats wake up in advance, they have nothing to eat and, as a result, starve to death.

So how do solar cells play into all of this?

With solar cells, the bats have the potential to sleep through this deadly disease. By warming the area in which the bats rest, they are more likely to remain in hibernation.  Researchers have suggested using solar powered insulated boxes that are powered by car batteries linked to solar cells to house the bats.  These solar cells have the potential to lower the mortality rates as low as 8%.

Information acquired from: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/ecogeek/997/solar-boxes-save-stricken-bats.html;_ylt=AnMf6UWVQb99Qu0wTqX7.VetV8cX

Image taken from AP Images

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More Than Half of Americans Living with Dirty Air

Recent studies show that more than half the nation’s population lives in areas with frighteningly high levels of air pollution.  According to Charles D. Connor, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, “Six out of ten Americans live in areas dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, to shape how kids’ lungs develop, and even dirty enough to kill.”  An astonishing 40 million people live in regions where the air quality has failed every test.

The problem of air pollution is often overshadowed by the threat of global warming and the idea of energy independence.  Although our nation has witnessed improvements over the past decade, the problem still poses as a major, lingering threat.  Ozone pollution causes inflammation by burning the lining of the airways.  It is also known to cause shortness of breath, chest pain when inhaling, wheezing and coughing, and even severe asthma attacks. Even short-term pollution can be deadly due to lung disease, heart attacks, and stroke.

Fargo, North Dakota, was named as the nation’s cleanest city overall due to its passing grade in all three areas of air pollution.  These categories consist of ozone pollution, year-round particle pollution and short-term particle pollution.  Los Angeles, on the other hand, was given the title of the nation’s dirtiest city.

According to Connor, possible solutions to our nation’s air pollution problem consist of using less electricity, driving less, and avoiding the burning of wood or trash.

Information acquired from:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090430/hl_hsn/morethanhalfofamericanslivingwithdirtyair;_ylt=AgJu5hFzA8x9gDFx_DLvZTBpl88F

Image taken from AP Images

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