Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (March 29, 2013)

Nitrogen Balance
New studies show that while nitrogen pollution may be responsible for ecological and public health problems around the world, plants appear to be keeping overall nitrogen levels on Earth steady ---- for now.  In China, nitrogen emmissions have been linked to record air pollution, increased soil and water acidity, declining diversity and a spike in the country's estimated greenhouse gas output.  But why haven't overall atmospheric nitrogen levels risen across the planet?   One explanation, says Kansas State University geographer Kendra McLauchlan, could be that plants are sucking up more nitrogen as the planet warms due to the carbon dioxide-induced greenhouse effect.  But plants may not always be able to keep up, she warns.   "If the response of plants to elevated carbon dioxide slows, nitrogen availability is likely to increase and ecosystems will begin to change profoundly," says McLauchlan.
Forgetting the Scent
Commonly used pesticides have been found to damage a part of the brain in bees that allows them to remember the smell of flowers that guides them to nectar.  Pollinating insects are coming under greater threat around the world due to expanding use of chemicals, climate change and other factors.  Neonicotinoids are used commonly on crops in Europe while coumaphos are used widely in the United States.  Two seperate U.K. studies have now found that both the insecticides cause neurological damage to the pollinators in the laboratory.  But Bayer Crop Science Limited, which produces some of the pesticides, questionsthe findings.  It says the U.K. researchers applied the chemicals directly to the insects, rather than observing their effects in the field.
Lighter-Than-Air Solid
A team of chemical engineers in China has manufactured the lightest solid material ever produced, which they claim will one day play a major role in cleaning up pollution.  The material is called a graphene aerogel and has about one-sixth the density of air.  It's also extremely absorbent, capable of soaking up to 900 times its own weight.  This quality makes it a potentially invaluable tool for environmental cleanup efforts, says Gao Chao at Zhejiang University's Department of Polymer Science and Engineering.  "Carbon aerogel is expected to play an important role in pollution control such as oil spill control, water purification and even air purification," Gao says.  Aerogels are extremely light synthetic materisls, created by removing all the liquid from a gel and replacing it with gas.
Chilean Sea Deaths
The beaches of Chile's Coronel Bay were blanketed with a carpet of red from countless thousands of dead crabs and shrimp that mysteriously washed ashore.  Local fishermen suggested the deaths could have been caused by local power stations that use seawater as a cooling agent.  The power firm, Endesa Chile, denied the allegations.  The company project manager said that their own studies indicate the die-off "is due to the flow of deep waters coming from the continental platform, induced by currents of wind on the ocean."
Earthquakes
A powerful temblor centered in the heart of Taiwan killed at least one person and injured about 20 others.  Officials say the island was fortunate that no significant damage occurred.
* Earth movements were also felt in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Trinidad and the Scottish Highlands.
Indonesian Blasts
Indonesia's Mount Lokon volcano spewed ash more than a mile into the air above Sulawesi Island for the second time in a week.  Residents of nearby Kakaskasen appeared to go about their lives unconcerned with the eruption.  But farmers on the flanks of the mountain were issued face masks to protect against the falling ash.  The local disaster agency warned people to stay outside a 1.5 mile radius of the active crater.  Lokon roared to life in July 2011 after 20 years of slumber.  It has since produced several eruptions.  The mountain is located just a few miles from the North Sulawesi provincial capital of Manado.  Previous eruptions have created fertile conditions for those who grow coffee and cloves on Lokon's slopes.
Sweet Harvest
One group of business people not complaining about the seemingly endless winter in eastern North America this year is the region's maple syrup producers.  Those who collect the sap from Wisconsin and Ontario, eastward to New England, say the prolonged cold is perfect for a good harvest.  Last year, an abrupt warming sent sap rushing up through the trees so quickly that production was cut in half.  For many, it was the worst harvest in five years.  But with temperatures across eastern Canada and the northeastern United States currently rising above freezing during the day, followed by cool nights, experts are expecting a great harvest of the sweet elixir over the next few weeks.