globalbriefs
News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.
Scrambling Species Climate Change Favors Some Birds over Others
Decades of data show that climate change is manipulat- ing the way avian species move across continents. For instance, the orchard oriole is losing prime habitat in the South, but gaining more up north. Thousands of species worldwide face the same dilemma. Specific birds need a particular habitat, such as open spaces or groves of trees, and some of their traditionally preferred spots are becom- ing unlivable. England’s Durham University ecologist Phillip Stephens,
along with researchers from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the U.S. Geological Survey, have compiled nearly half a century’s worth of occurrence data from thousands of citizen scientists. Birders submitted their observations to the Pan-European Common Birds Monitoring Scheme and the North American Breeding Bird Survey for 145 terrestrial bird species native to Europe and 380 spe- cies native to the United States. “We used that information to generate a prior expectation for whether the spe-
cies would’ve been advantaged or disadvantaged by climate change,” says Stephens. The predictions were compared with actual bird abundance data from 1980 through 2010, and the populations that were expected to lose suitable habitat declined, while those expected to find their habitats improve increased. He states, “Recent climate change has already favored one set of species over another.”
Read the report at
ClimateChange.Birdlife.org.
LOL TTYL Hope for a New Generation
Despite being less confident than their elders, a new study by
PsychTests.com, in Montreal, reveals that Millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) are an ambitious and tenacious generation that continues to prove potential critics wrong. Labeled by some as self-entitled, arrogant and im- mature from being coddled by hovering parents, the company’s research says that Millennials are not afraid to push themselves to achieve lofty goals, work hard or take on difficult challenges. Collecting data from 1,035 people that took their Ambition Test, the researchers looked at the differences between Millennials, Generation X (born between 1960 and 1980) and Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1960) in terms of their levels of aspiration, persistence and sense of self-efficacy. The study reveals that while Millennials lagged a little behind the other two generations on some factors related to ambition, the potential of these young adults should not be underestimated.
“One can argue that Millennials’ hopeful and determined nature is a case of
idealism,” explains Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D., president of PsychTests. “Some have just started out in the workforce, so they’re eager to prove themselves, which could also mean that at some point they’ll be blindsided by the reality of what it’s like to be out there in the real world.”
12 Pocono, PA / Warren Co., NJ
HealthyLehighValley.com
Toxic Trinkets Low-Cost Jewelry May
Harbor Cadmium
In recent years, the European Com- mission has banned cadmium in all jewelry sold in Europe, but those shopping for low-cost jewelry in North America from popular fashion chains may be wearing products made with cadmium, a heavy metal that can be particularly toxic for kids. There are no known risks for people that wear contaminated jewelry, but swallowing or chewing on a piece containing high concentrations of the toxic metal could allow it to seep into the body. James Van Loon, director of risk management at Health Canada’s consumer product safety branch, says that children’s bodies more readily absorb the toxic metal, and because they are more likely to put things in their mouths, jewelry that is market- ed to those under 15 should contain virtually no cadmium. Dr. Gérald Zagury, who per- formed tests and has published several studies on heavy metals in jewelry, says one sample contained the highest amount of cadmium ever reported in Canada for such a product. “It’s pretty close to pure cadmium,” he says. According to Health Canada, cadmium is cheap and melts at a lower point than more commonly used zinc, lowering en- ergy costs for product makers. According to the Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Regis- try, cadmium is a known carcinogen that can also lead to kidney failure, bone loss and other complications in those that are chronically exposed over time.
Source:
EWG.org
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