McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
A new study has found that air pollution from urban and rural environments may be harming the pollination abilities of insects like butterflies and bees by stopping them from sniffing out wildflowers and crops that depend on them.
The U.K. study, published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Pollution, found that common air pollutants like nitrogen oxides emitted from diesel exhausts can chemically alter floral odours, disrupting the cues that certain insects need to find and pollinate flowers.
Researchers from the University of Reading, the U.K. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Birmingham found that there were up to 70 per cent fewer pollinators and up to 90 per cent fewer flower visits when common air pollutants found on ground level were present. An overall pollination reduction of up to 31 per cent was also observed in test plants.
“We knew from our previous lab studies that diesel exhaust can have negative effects on insect pollinators, but the impacts we found in the field were much more dramatic than we had expected,” said project lead Robbie Girling in a news release.
Previous studies conducted by members of the University of Reading team have shown that diesel fumes can alter floral odours, and the new study is the first to observe a negative impact by the pollutants on pollination in nature.
The new research also suggests that pollution could be contributing to the ongoing decline in pollinating insects by making it more difficult to find food sources, nectar and pollen.
“The findings are worrying because these pollutants are commonly found in the air many of us breathe every day. We know that these pollutants are bad for our health, and the significant reductions we saw in pollinator numbers and activity shows that there are also clear implications for the natural ecosystems we depend on,” said study lead James Ryalls in the release.
The study used a specially built fumigation facility to pump regulated levels of nitrogen oxides into an open field environment and then observed the effects these pollutants had on the pollination of black mustard plants on free-flying, locally occurring pollinating insects over two summer field seasons.
Researchers used pollution concentrations well below the maximum average levels, approximately 40 to 50 per cent of the limits currently designated as “safe for the environment” by U.S. laws, which “pale in comparison” according to the release of the far higher levels of pollution that occur globally due to breaches in regulations.
The study found there were 62 to 70 per cent fewer pollinator visits to the plants located in the polluted air, and this reduction was seen in seven groups – particularly bees, moths, hoverflies and butterflies. There were also 83 to 90 per cent fewer flower visits by these insects and overall a 14-to-31-per-cent reduction in pollination based on data from seed yield and other factors.
The research is part of continuing studies into the effects of air pollutions on insect health and the environment.
“This truly cross-disciplinary work demonstrated very clearly how atmospheric pollutants negatively impact on pollination with direct consequences for food production as well as the resilience of our natural environment,” said study co-author Christian Pfang in the release.
The results of the study indicate that air pollutants at levels currently deemed by legislation to be safe for the environment can cause significant reductions in insect-provided pollination, and the researchers wrote that further studies should be done to prioritize investigations into the broader ecological and economic consequences of pollution disruption of pollination.
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.