Birds Are Becoming Gay From Mercury Pollution, According To New Study On White Ibis Breeding
A new study on white ibis breeding has discovered that mercury pollution is resulting in males of the species mating with each other.
Dr. Peter Frederick of the University of Florida embarked on the five-year research to determine what was significantly impacting the reproduction of the birds, but even he was stunned by the findings. “We knew mercury could depress their testosterone levels but we didn't expect this,” Frederick told the Telegraph.
According to Nature.com, coal-fired plants and gold mining are the main sources of global mercury pollution, though the burning of medical and municipal waste is likely the prime culprit in Florida, ingested by the wetlands birds through their food sources.
Phi Beta Iota: We did a double-take, and then checked to make sure this was not in the Comedy section. This helps emphasize what many books have been reviewing, which is the unanticipated and now unaddressed impact on humanity of the many toxins and pollutants that corporations are allowed to not just externalize, but include within their products or as a side effect of their services. “True costs” is the meme, and Transparency is the method.
See Also:
Worth a Look: Book Reviews on Disease
Worth a Look: Book Reviews on Environmental Degradation (Other than Emissions)
Worth a Look: Book Reviews on Poisons, Toxicity, Trash, & True Cost
