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In addition to melting icecaps and imperiled wildlife, a significant concern among scientists is that higher Arctic temperatures brought about by climate change could result in the release of massive amounts of carbon locked in the region’s frozen soil in the form of carbon dioxide and methane. However, new research led by Princeton University researchers and published in The ISME Journal in August suggests that, thanks to methane-hungry bacteria, the majority of Arctic soil might actually be able to absorb methane from the atmosphere rather than release it. 

More Americans than ever before are supporting their local food markets, and new research has found it's not just because they believe the food is fresher and tastes better.

Una vez que el mercurio es emitido a la atmósfera por las chimeneas de las centrales eléctricas, el contaminante tiene una trayectoria complicada; incluso después de que se instala en la tierra y se hunde en los océanos, el mercurio puede ser re-emitido a la atmósfera en varias ocasiones. Este llamado "efecto saltamontes" mantiene la sustancia altamente tóxica circulando como una "emisión heredada" que, combinada con nuevas emisiones de las chimeneas, pueden extender los efectos ambientales de mercurio durante décadas.

The race to find cleaner energy sources has led to a boon in hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) in search of natural gas. Highly pressurized chemicals and water are pumped deep underground to break shale and release natural gas for harvesting. Residents and environmentalists have long been opposed to the process, which has seen an increase of health issues due to contaminated water. In drought stricken California, there is also concern about the amount of water being used in fracking operations, as well as what is done with the wastewater.

California farmers are frustrated with oil companies that have encroached on their areas. Fertile farm land is also filled with natural gas and there has been an increase in fracking operations. As the name implies, hyrdraulic fracturing is a water-intensive process. At the front-end, freshwater is infused with chemicals and is pumped into the shale. This has put farmers and oil companies in competition for the ever decreasing amount of water available.

Black bears in Yosemite National Park that don’t seek out human foods subsist primarily on plants and nuts, according to a study conducted by biologists at UC San Diego who also found that ants and other sources of animal protein, such as mule deer, make up only a small fraction of the bears’ annual diet.