Pumpkin shortage

Pumpkin brand Libby's reports that unusually rainy weather in Illinois has affected the harvest of pumpkins negatively, but the company hopes to meet the needs of this year's holiday bakers. Pumpkins need warm weather to grow , but if there is too much rain, they don't get as big and they suffer more diseases.

Some climatologists affirm that the record rainfall in Illinois is related to climate change.

Pumpkins by Martin Doege ( Wikimedia)

From http: //scienceworld.scholastic.com/Earth-Science-News

Written by Sara Mirás, 3rd A ( 9th grade)

A plastic that recycles itself

Recycling electronic gadgdets is really difficult because it is not easy to separate their plastic components and dangerous to burn them.

Now researchers have invented new plastics which can be degraded exposing them to ultraviolet light. These new plastics dissolve into a clear solution after this exposition. Their small components can be used again to make other plastics, therefore we generate less waste and we reduce raw materials.

Researchers have to check if the use of light influences the properties of plastics, for instance, their strength or durability.

From http://news.sciencemag.org/chemistry/2014/11/plastic-recycles-itself 

Written by Daniel Vázquez and Santiago Rojas - 3rd ESO (9th grade).

Production of hydrogen fuel using sunlight

Michael Grätzel, a Swiss chemist, and his group developed a photovoltaic device using perovskites which are cheap and abundant materials. This device is used to break water into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight. 

Grätzel's gadget improves the efficiency and price of previous aproaches using silicon. But more work is needed on the durability and stability of the solar cells.

 

 

 

From https://www.sciencenews.org/article/solar-cell-powers-water-hydrogen-conversion

 

Written by Marisol, Noa and Sofía (3rd ESO - 9th grade).

 

 

Did climate change cause Super Typhoon Haiyan?

Super Typhoon Haiyan killed at least 10,000 people in Philippines. Most scientists think that hotter climate contributes to some increase in hurricane strength. Therefore, climate change will mean more intense tropical storms.

Did you know that a hurricane and a typhoon are the same thing, except one takes place in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific and the other in the South Pacific.

From The Week, November 11th, 2013