"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Earth/Climate science
Community Psychological Stress From Lack of Water
11/04/20
“What are the impacts on a community’s psychological stress when there is a lack of drinkable water?”
Water accessibility is one of the fundamental issues that support communities. When there is a lack of water, community foundations slip away, causing thirst which leads to great psychological distress. This is why there is Community Psychological Stress From Lack of Water.
The COVID Housing Construction Slump
11/03/20
“Why is there a COVID-induced housing construction Slump?”
The COVID pandemic is stopping construction projects from proceeding everywhere. One of these is The COVID Housing Construction Slump, in which housing projects are being delayed and even canceled.
Northern Migration Due to Climate Change
11/01/20
“Why will there be a great northern migration due to climate change?”
For the vast majority of human history, the more habitable region of the Earth for humans was closer to the equator, where year-round good weather made it easy to live, work, and produce harvest. However, with the advent of climate change, this part of the globe is becoming hotter and hotter to the point where it might become less habitable. This will spring migration northward, reshaping planetary demographics as we know it. If handled with equity and care, this Northern Migration Due to Climate Change can lead to millions of new residents being integrated into and benefiting their host nation.
Aquifer Overdrafting
10/31/20
“What happens when enough water is siphoned from an aquifer to permanently damage it?”
Groundwater is taken from aquifers for a variety of human purposes. However, when too much is taken out, it can lead to permanent damage and even destruction of the aquifer. Aquifer Overdrafting is something that needs to be actively monitored and acted upon to avoid such catastrophic impacts.
Climate Epidemiology
10/29/20
“How will studying climate change and epidemiology become linked in the future?”
Global warming is going to make the world more habitable for disease-carrying vectors such as mosquitos and rats. This population multiplication is going to lead to these creatures spreading all over the globe and more interaction between humans and these species, giving rise to new diseases and epidemics. To prevent these disasters from getting out of control, researchers are going to need to yield the power of Climate Epidemiology to research what makes all of this tick.
Unsafe Drinking Water
10/28/20
“How can drinking water be unsafe?”
Drinkable water is one of the foundations of a habitable human civilization. However, in many places in the world, the local water may be unsafe to drink. This could be due to a variety of regions, ranging from a parasite infestation to pollution runoff. In any case, Unsafe Drinking Water is a global problem that requires an interdisciplinary thinking process to solve.
Desalination for Agriculture
10/27/20
“How can we use desalinated water for agriculture?”
Agriculture is one of the most if not THE most water-intensive industrial sectors. With the advent of climate change and depletion of freshwater resources, this resource is only going to become more and more scarce. One solution for this can be to use Desalination for Agriculture. Desalinated water can be pumped to agricultural centers, where they can replace other freshwater resources.
Image credit http://www.europenowjournal.org
Weather Derivatives
10/25/20
“What are financial products that are dependent on weather conditions?”
Although usually thought of as two independent factors, weather can have a massive impact on finances, whether (pun intended) it be through floods devastating homes or wildfire-prone weather making agricultural insurance riskier. As a result, financial institutions have created a series of financial products known as Weather Derivatives. These can come in many forms, such as changing electricity prices based on weather or looking at long-term climate projections to calculate hurricane insurance.
Agricultural Damage From Wildfires
10/24/20
“How can agriculture be damaged by wildfires?”
Agriculture is one of the most foundational sectors to human society. However, it is also one of the most reliant on environmental conditions. So when wildfires strike, it is only understandable that.it would be heavily affected, whether it be farm fields being destroyed, water sources for crops being polluted, or ash settling on fields. This is why Agricultural Damage From Wildfires needs to be taken seriously.
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