Referring to the surrounding ecosystem of the planet Earth, its natural mechanisms and balances, and study of the effects of human interaction with it.
Questions tagged [environment]
191 questions
21
votes
2 answers
Do active volcanoes emit more CO₂ than humans?
We all know that volcanoes emit a tremendous amount of CO₂ when they erupt. I've often heard people argue that the amount of CO₂ an erupting volcano emits dwarfs the amount of CO₂ that humans emit in an entire year. Is this true?
Update: I don't…
Javid Jamae
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Does unadjusted NASA climate data show no long-term global warming?
The Real Science blog by "Steven Goddard" claims that NASA have altered their data in the USA and other countries to show global warming.
Right after the year 2000, NASA and NOAA dramatically altered US climate history, making the past much colder…
user20862
20
votes
1 answer
Does rolled sod produce 40x as much oxygen as a pine forest?
From an advertisement for turf / rolled sod by a German company:
250 m² Rollrasen produzieren etwa so viel Sauerstoff wie 10.000 m² Kiefernwald oder etwa so viel, wie eine vierköpfige Familie zum atmen braucht.
translation:
250 m² rolled sod…
Daniel Jour
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20
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Is food becoming less nutritious because of depletion of soil minerals and nutrients?
Over and over, I have heard and read claims that the soil growing much of the planet's crops is "depleted" and thus our foods do not have sufficient minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients.
Five examples of such…
RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket
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20
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Does the Earth only have 60 years of harvests before the top soil is lost?
According to this 2014 Scientific American article by Chris Arsenault
Generating three centimeters of top soil takes 1,000 years, and if current rates of degradation continue all of the world's top soil could be gone within 60 years, a senior UN…
Selene Routley
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20
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2 answers
Is "peak wind" coming?
The concept of "peak oil" has been bandied about for some time (see this question: Is peak oil still set for 2013?) by people who believe the world hydrocarbon stocks will soon be so depleted that annual production will soon decline whatever we do…
matt_black
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19
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2 answers
Insects as food: Is it feasible for humans to replace traditional "livestock" meat with insects?
I have heard of some benefits of insects as food, but are there any drawbacks? I've never heard of a human culture whose primary protein intake came exclusively from insects. Would someone converting to an insect-only diet need to supplement their…
Dogmafrog
19
votes
1 answer
Do Americans use three times as much toilet paper as Europeans?
This article "5 Seemingly Innocent Ways You've Screwed The World Today" on cracked.com contains the following claim:
Delicate American bottoms prefer plush, bleached white, multi-ply paper with all the toppings. We also use three times as much…
Tom77
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Does hydraulic fracking endanger the drinking water supply?
According to an industry website the process of Hydraulic Fracturing (or "fracking") is safe. According to an article in the Huffington Post the process is not safe. At least, there is evidence the process is not safe. Have any independent…
user2085
18
votes
3 answers
Could Global Warming be good for life?
A paper from Nature Geoscience (reported by the BBC here) claims that the carbon dioxide humanity has pumped into the atmosphere is holding off a new Ice Age.
This has revived an old idea best described by Hoyle and Wickramasinghe in 1999 (full…
matt_black
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18
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3 answers
Are electric cars beneficial to the environment compared to low consumption modern cars?
Imagine an electric car in a country where most energy come from coal (which i believe is the dirtiest). Add this to the pollution that disposing the batteries will create, or the carbon footprint generated during its production.
Is this car really…
ariel
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Can indoor plants recycle the air we breathe?
This question on the Gardening SO site suggests that plants can be used to clean the air within a home or office environment.
I know of the research done by NASA on indoor plants which can clean/reduce certain pollutants in the air. [...] According…
going
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Are more than a billion umbrellas thrown away every year?
I own a Blunt umbrella. From their and other umbrella sites, there is a claim that over a billion umbrellas are thrown away every year.
Blunt claims it on their website
Finisterre claims it
Senz claims it as well
Nobody quotes a source, and I…
Mark Mayo
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18
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Do "smart meters" bring about any significant savings?
UK television stations are showing multiple commercials such as this one which make claims about making significant savings if you get a smart meter (the linked ad claims fitting a smart meter would save enough money to run a mobility scooter for…
GordonM
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Is credit card use more environmentally friendly than cash?
A popular organic food store in Amsterdam has this sign posted near the entrance:
Welcome!
Marqt accepts all credit or debit cards, free of charge. Thank you for contributing to a safer and cleaner environment.
and in the small print at the…
Flimzy
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