http://cache.io9.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/io9.com.png http://io9.com/tag/environmental apocalypse http://io9.com/tag/environmental apocalypse

People living in areas with airborne toxins and pollution are likely to develop 60 percent more mutations in their sperm than people living in areas with relatively clean air. Sperm mutations could lead to infertility for the man, or might make his children suffer any number of birth defects. Will this quickly lead to a world where more than half the population is some kind of mutant? Possibly, though a recent study suggests an easy solution if you want to protect your precious reproductive fluids. More »
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As toxins invade environments where small animals dwell, and as those animals are bio-engineered to be smarter, you're going to see a booming market in safety gear for tiny creatures who want to stay pert for their Cute Overload closeup. I predict a run on artist Bill Burns' rubberized gas masks. They're made for any creature with a snout who is about the size of a possum or raccoon. Burns has got a whole line of safety gear for the post-apocalyptic Cheezburger set, including safety goggles and biohazard suits in diminutive sizes. Below the fold are pictures of some of the most useful gear. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=340955&view=rss&microfeed=true BBC News is reporting on a disturbing study presented this week at the American Geophysical Union meeting that shows the polar ice sheet is melting more quickly than anyone imagined. This past summer, the sheet retreated to a size of 4.13 million sq kilometers, the smallest in recorded history. You can see a flash animation of the ice cap's size over the past 27 years with the BBC story. The scientists who worked on the study say this new data means the ice cap might melt entirely by summer 2013. [BBC News] More »
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Massive algae blooms killed seals, birds and sea lions on the California coast earlier this yea because algae exudes a toxin called domoic acid. When these blooms got out of control, aquatic animals would ingest the toxin because the fish they eat had been nibbling on these super-blooms. But those algae blooms were nothing compared to this one, seen in London's Hyde Park last year. More »
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