What Lies Beneath: Massive amounts of carbon dioxide are locked safely within Arctic soils ... that is, until the permafrost melts and releases the gas into the atmosphere. Making matters worse, new research indicates that previous estimates of the soil's CO2 content were vastly understated. To give you an idea of just how much gas we're talking about: If all of the CO2 were released at once, it would be equivalent to two years worth of man-made emissions. Science
Dirty snow: Greenland ain't green, but thanks to wildfires, it's becoming less white, too. Smoke from wildfires in the Arctic is hastening the melting of Greenland’s ice sheets, with soot from the fires blowing over the glaciers and coating their surfaces with heat-absorbing black grit. New research shows that the warming effects of the soot are enough to increase melt rates. Climate Central
Beef bash: Mechanical tenderization may bring a nice texture to meat, but it could also be adding millions of harmful bacteria to your meal. A year long investigative report found that the beef industry relies heavily on machines to tenderize beef, a process that involves pounding or piercing the meat with needles or blades, which can drive bacteria, like E. coli, from the meat’s surface deep inside the cut -- where they might survive the cooking process. Kansas City Star
Timber troubles: The world’s oldest and largest trees are dying at an alarming rate. New research shows that these forest giants are losing the battle against a drier climate, logging, insect attacks, disease, and changes in fire management policies. Some of these trees are 5,000 years old, and they bolster biodiversity in their forests by providing a home for other organisms. New York Times
Steroid steaks: American horses, including retired racehorses, are often sold to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. The countries then process the meat and export it to Europe and elsewhere for human consumption. Whether or not the idea of eating horseflesh turns your stomach, this will: the meat of American racehorses could be toxic. Racehorses are pumped full of everything from painkillers to performance enhancers. While some (but not all) of these drugs are legal, they’re not considered a nice meat seasoning. New York Times
Lost Lobos: Winter is here, and with it came Wyoming’s first open hunting season on wolves in decades. It brought a bloodbath, which is obviously bad for the wolves, but science has also taken a hit: hunters have killed eight wolves with radio collars that were part of an ongoing research study in Yellowstone. The latest victim is a famous alpha female, known as 832F to scientists. Called “the most famous wolf in the world” by wildlife photographers, 832F was a favorite with Yellowstone tourists (until she strayed beyond the park’s bounds and was killed). The Guardian, New York Times
Drill, baby, drill: We might be in favor of drilling Antarctica -- if, that is, the drill bit is aiming at a mysterious lake that lies miles below a glacier. The waters of the sub-glacial Lake Ellsworth have been isolated from the rest of the world for half a million years. Scientists are now poised to begin drilling in search of cold-tolerant microbes. BBC
Rocky Mountain dry: Where should Denver get its water when the Colorado River runs dry? Just steal it from the Missouri River, obviously. Officials are scrambling to find ways to ease the demand on the Colorado, with one proposal entailing a 600-mile pipeline to bring Missouri River water to the Mile-High City. New York Times
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