Marcus Maeder: The Language of Growth

June 10, 2020 / activist360 / Leave a comment

The strange synthetic sounds heard in the video are sonification of growth data that were measured in three places on a tree (Pinus sylvestris) by the ecophysiologist, Roman Zweifel, from Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL.

In data sonification, a series of numbers – for example from a measurement – are used to control sounds that are generated with a computer. The growth spurts of the tree control the pitch of sine tones, creating a tonality that is reminiscent of a language, a voice.

WSL researchers also discovered that trees grow especially at night – in the early hours of the morning.

Spring is the beginning of the vegetation phase: the forest awakes with more intense sunlight, the longer days, and the higher temperatures – flowering and growth begin.

The video sounds best with headphones!

India’s Yamuna River Breathes as Pollution Drops

June 9, 2020 / activist360 / Leave a comment

Due to COVID-19 lockdown measures in India, factories are closed. Prior to the lockdown, plants dumped waste into the river. Now that they are shut, the Yamuna River and other rivers in India are clean again, with fish, turtles, and birds. Let’s hope Indians grow to appreciate the clean water and beauty of the river sufficiently enough to protect it from future damage.

COVID-19 Mortality Link to Air Pollution

June 8, 2020 / activist360 / Leave a comment

New research links COVID-19 mortality to air pollution – specifically, small increases in levels of fine particulate matter – explains Professor Francesca Dominici from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study is the first to look at the link between long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM_2.5)—generated largely from fuel combustion from cars, refineries, and power plants—and the risk of death from COVID-19 in the U.S.

The study concludes that a small increase in long-term exposure to PM_2.5 leads to a large increase in the COVID-19 death rate. The results underscore the importance of continuing to enforce air pollution regulations to protect human health both during and after the COVID-19 crisis. The data and code are publicly available.