Scienceblogtwo

According to a significant new analysis published in the journal Science, if global temperature increases by more than 1.5°C beyond pre-industrial levels, many climate tipping points might be set off. Five severe climatic tipping points are currently possible at the current rate of global warming, and the dangers are worse with every additional tenth of a degree of warming. An extensive analysis of more than 200 publications published since 2008, when climatic tipping points were first properly defined, allowed an international research team to synthesize the evidence for tipping points, their temperature thresholds, timelines, and implications. From nine to sixteen potential tipping points are now on the list. The study finds that human emissions have already pushed Earth into the tipping points danger zone. It was released ahead of the big conference "Tipping Points: from climate crisis to positive transformation" at the University of Exeter (12–14 September). The melting o...

90% of people's lives are often spent indoors, either at work, home, or when traveling. Residents of these enclosed spaces are exposed to a wide range of chemicals from numerous sources, including indoor infiltration of outdoor pollutants, gaseous emissions from furnishings and building materials, and byproducts of our own activities like cooking and cleaning. Additionally, through our breath and skin, we are powerful mobile emission sources of chemicals that enter indoor air. However, how do the chemicals return? This occurs to some extent naturally on its own, when it rains, and through chemical oxidation in the atmosphere outside. In great part, hydroxyl (OH) radicals are in charge of this chemical cleanup. These highly reactive chemicals, also known as the detergents of the atmosphere, are largely created when sunlight reacts with ozone and water vapor to make these very reactive molecules. Direct sunlight and rain have obviously much less of an impact on the air within. Since ...