How to survive marine otters in icy waters without becoming hypothermic.

Many of the mammals that live in the ocean â€" and that during the winter have to face icy waters â€" turn to body fat to keep the internal temperature constant, as in the case of whales, walruses, dolphins, sea lions and many others.

The Sea Otter is also a mammal that swims in freezing waters in winter and not to die of cold has to maintain an internal temperature of about 37.7 degrees Celsius, almost twice the water temperature where nothing. But how does this animal to keep body temperature constant and avoid hypothermia?

Unlike the large mammals, the Otter is small, which means you're always losing heat. In evolutionary terms, the Otter is relatively recent, having only appeared there are 1.6 million years. Already the whales emerged there are 50 million years, the sea lions between 23 to 29 million years, which is enough time to adapt to life in the ocean.

The secret of the otters to cope with low temperatures is fur, which is the thickest of all the animals on the planet, about a million by 2.5 inches square, writes the TreeHugger. The hair, which is waterproof, lets still imprison air near the surface of the skin, which helps keep the temperature and gives the characteristic bright aspect of the otters when they're in the water.

It was also this hair that almost caused the extinction of the species. During the 19th century marine otters were hunted extensively almost to extinction, for the manufacture of hats and coats.

Although the population of otters have recovered gradually over the years, the International Union for conservation of nature continues to classify these animals with the status of threatened. Currently, the greatest danger for the otters is not hunting for the production of clothing, since the species is protected internationally, but oil spills.

The oil interferes with the impermeability of the hair, in addition to making the otters patients due to toxins that they ingest.

Marine otters play an important role in terrestrial ecosystem and mitigate some of the environmental impacts of human activity. The otters help protect the kelp-Kelp algae, an order large algae that belong to the class Phaeophyceae â€" of sea urchins, which in turn slow down global warming.

Thus, it is important to protect this animal, not only for not perish but also to mitigate global warming.

Foto: goingslo/Creative Commons

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Mysterious and legendary metal retrieved from the ship which sank in the 6th century BC.

Legend has it that, when Atlantis (pictured fictionalised) submerged in the ocean, took all the orichalcum can't. This metal, is quoted in various ancient texts, including the criticism of Plato, and considered the second most valuable metal after gold.

Now, a team of divers announced the discovery of 39 blocks of orichalcum on a ship that was wrecked in the 6th century BCE, near Sicily. According to Discovery News, the ship will have left Greece or elsewhere in Asia minor, and was carrying metal to Gela in southern Sicily, having been caught in a storm and wrecked the 300 metres from the harbour.

"Never found anything like it. We know the orichalcum of ancient texts and a few ornamental objects, "said Sebastiano Tusa, responsible for the Ministry of the sea of Sicily.

Experts claim that the orichalcum is a bronze alloy, developed by reaction of zinc ore, coal and copper metal. When the new bricks were analyzed by x-ray, explains the Discovery, it was discovered that the metal had 75 to 80% copper, 15 to 20% zinc and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron.

Currently, the team of Tusa's working in excavations related to the rest of the ship, which may reveal new findings about the work of artisans of antiquity.

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Most of the reserves of fossil fuels will have to be explored to avoid climate change

Most of the vast oil reserves of the former USSR, the United States, the Arctic and the Middle East, as well as coal from China and from the African continent may have to remain unfulfilled in order to avoid serious climate change. The conclusion of a new study that analyzed the fossil fuel reserves that cannot be exploited.

According to the study by two researchers at the University College of London, one-third of oil, half of the natural gas and more than 80% of the existing coal reserves will have to remain underground in order to avoid global warming more than two degrees Celsius by 2100. The study reinforces the idea that companies and investors should consider carefully the reserves of fossil fuels as financial assets. The idea also applies to countries whose economies rely heavily on these natural resources.

This is not the first research to calculate the amount of reserves that must be explored. However, the analysis of Christophe McGlade and Paul Ekins is the first to present a meticulous level of detail, indicating what could happen to the production of fossil fuels in the different areas of the globe.

"We now have tangible figures on the quantities and locations of fossil fuels that should be explored in an attempt to limit warming to two degrees Celsius," said Christophe McGlade to the Guardian.

Reservations must be indicated in the unexplored study result from the difference between the amount of greenhouse gases that would be released if all reservations were exploited and the maximum amount of these gases that can be released into the air so that the temperature does not increase by more than two degrees by the end of the century.

Foto: Gary Rides Bikes/Creative Commons

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Singapore: collision between two cargo ships causes stroke for the Pacific

A freighter of Libyan crude and a freighter bulk oil Singaporean collided last week in the Singapore Strait, causing the spill of 33,000 barrels of oil to the Pacific.

According to the Sea Port Authority of Singapore, the ship from Libya, and the Singaporean vessel Alyarmouk, Sinar Kapua, collided at about 11 nautical miles northwest of white rock East of Singapore. Reuters writes that it was the damage caused in the cargo tanks from Alyarmouk, resulting from the collision, which caused the stroke.

The Alyarmouk traveling from Malaysia to China, while the Sinar Kapuas travelled from Hong Kong to Singapore. Maritime Port Authority of Singapore said that the two companies responsible for the vessels have already been called to clean the spill.

With the accident last week, the number of strokes in the Strait of Singapore rises to 11. The most violent occurred in 1997 when 28,463 tonnes were spilled into the sea.

Foto: United States Government Work/Creative Commons

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Portugal guides already gathered 30 tons of Cork since 2005

Launched in 2005, the draft Action corkscrew, developed by Portugal guides, has allowed the collection of 30 tons of Cork Stoppers used, taking them to recycling. According to the Portuguese Association, the project has a "dual-objective: to contribute to the preservation of the environment, reusing a natural resource; and collaborate with institutions of social solidarity, since the value that results from the sale of the corks for [these].

With sampling points in the districts of Faro, Lisbon, Porto, Santarem, Viana do Castelo, Braga, Viseu and the autonomous regions of Azores and Madeira, Portugal guides have placed rolhões in cafes, restaurants, schools or hotel units. "We remain fully available to provide rolhões to all interested parties," said the Green Savers Sara Noble, President of the Association of Guides Portugal.

In addition to collection, Portugal Guides Association has carried out a series of initiatives to promote recycling of Cork Stoppers, such as exposure to Action Project Acorn "corkscrew", which was held in the Municipal Environmental Interpretation Centre of Viana do Castelo and the "Stopper" fair which took place at the gates of the city of Ponta Delgada and on which the tabs have put several products on display, all of them made from reusing corks.

Those interested in contributing to the collection of Stoppers Portugal Guides Association can contact the tabs of these districts and request a rolhão, combining the location and date for delivery. Subsequently, the guides do the replacement of the rolhão and the collection of corkscrews.

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Japan: rice passes for the first time in tests of radioactivity from the disaster of Fukushima

Since the disaster of Fukushima, in 2011, the rice grown in Japan showed high levels of radioactivity. This year, and for the first time since the nuclear disaster, the rice harvested presents levels of radioactivity under safety standards implemented by the Japanese Government.

Government sources indicated that 360,000 tons of rice were verified and all showed levels of radioactivity under 100 becquerels, the value stipulated by the Government. "The fact that the amount of rice that does not pass our tests has been consistently declining over the last three years indicates that we are taking the right decisions," indicates Oonami Tsuneaki, government official, cites the Inhabitat.

After the nuclear disaster of Fukushima, the Japan was forced to suspend its exports agricultural and fishing, which severely damaged the country's farmers and fishermen. The restrictions have now been lifted, but due to the constant radiation leaks from several central countries, particularly South Korea, still do not import food products from Japan.

Photo: Narcís Molina Montasell / Creative Commons

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Mexico: La Paz will be a 100% solar city at the end of 2015

When a new solar plant start producing electricity by the end of 2015, La Paz, on Mexico, will become a 100% solar city. The Aura central Solar I, Latin America's largest solar plant, began operations last year and already provides 64% of the electricity that the city of 200,000 inhabitants need. With Grupotec I starts work, the Mexican city's energy needs are to be fully supplied with solar energy.

For a medium-sized city like La Paz, the bet on renewable energy is a major breakthrough. The Solar Aura I replaced an old power station and can provide energy to 164,000 inhabitants of the town. The new central Grupotec I will provide between 40 to 42% of the energy necessary to La Paz, through 97,000 photovoltaic panels and an installed capacity of 30 megawatts, as well as a storage capacity of 11 megawatts, writes the Inhabitat.

As the central Solar I, Grupotec Aura I will have a power purchase contract of 20 years with the local electric company. The energy will be sold at a rate equal to the cost of production and the price of electricity to the end-customer should remain unchanged.

Photo: Creative Commons/Macaronimami

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