Eco Oddities: More Strange Environmental Stories
Posted by Kyley Eagleson on Mon, May 21, 2012 @ 12:16 PM
It has been a while since our last Eco Oddities Post so I thought I would share some more strange environmental stories I have come across recently.
1. Fish Glow Green After Genetic Engineering - National Geographic reports that new genetically engeneered fish glow green from the inside to show scientists the effects of water pollutiants on the inside of the fish bodies. The glow is used to track what certain endocrine disruptors are doing to the fish. Study leader Charles Tyler says about the expierement, "We've essentially put genetic elements within the fish [embryos that], over time, that are specifically designed to identify where the chemicals penetrate and act within the body." Read the whole story (and see a photo of the glowing fish) here.
2. Trees Grow Crooked in Poland - A forest of about 400 pine trees in western Poland grow with a 90 degree bend at the base of their trunks - all bent northward. Surrounded by a larger forest of straight growing pine trees this collection of curved trees, or "CrookedForest," is a mystery. The trees are believed to have been planted in 1930 and grew for seven to ten years before getting held down, in what is understood to have been human mechanical intervention. Though why exactly the original tree farmers wanted so many crooked trees is unknown. See photos and the original story here.
3. Upcycling--A class at Midland Christian School Builds a Milk Jug Igloo - The class built a 428-jug igloo after collecting (and cleaning) milk cartons for about 3 weeks. The medium-sized igloo is large enough to hold about 8 to 10 kindergarteners or first graders. The total cost for the project was about $12 for the 80 glue sticks. The milk jug igloo is expected to provide opportunities for links to social studies, math, science and reading topics. See the full story (with instructions on how to make your own igloo) here.
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