A look at our changing environment.
A spore-producing bacterium is the source of various crystal toxins (known as Cry proteins) that are widely used in modern agriculture to combat insect pests – generally caterpillars and other larvae – that attack important crops. Pest control in corn, soybean, and cotton use these insecticidal proteins for protection against major insect pests. The pesticides […]
When ocean waters get too warm, corals – which are actually tiny animals – eject the colorful algae that inhabit their tissues. The symbiotic relationship between coral polyps and algae is essential to coral survival When the algae is ejected, previously colorful coral turns white, and the coral can ultimately die. If waters cool off, […]
The numbers of elephants, rhinos, and other animals in Uganda’s nature preserves is steadily improving, reversing the trend of steady declines previously caused by poachers, wildlife traffickers, and conflict. Between the 1960s and 1980s, political conflict and lawlessness in Uganda led to massive declines in some species as poaching, trafficking, and encroachment ran rampant. Uganda’s […]
PFAS – per- and polyfluoralkyl substances – are a group of organic compounds that have been extensively used to provide water-, oil-, and dirt-resistance to a wide range of products ranging from non-stick pans, clothing, and packaging to paint, car polish, and fire-suppressant foam. Exposure to specific PFAS compounds is associated with multiple adverse health […]
The food industry generates enormous amounts of waste and by-products. Each year, 40 million tons of chicken feathers are incinerated, causing adverse environmental effects. Not only does it release large amounts of carbon dioxide but also produces toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide. Researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore […]
Airplanes have been around for over a century, but the idea of powering them with electricity rather than with liquid fuels has been little more than a fantasy. Over the years, billions of dollars have been invested trying to make electric planes practical. In recent times, progress on battery technology has provided a much-needed boost […]
Many of us buy blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and more in those little clear plastic clamshell boxes. We try to check them out at the store to make sure they are ok and even if are, many soon end up coated with gray mold and other fungi. It is a problem that is both disappointing and […]
Birds face a wide range of dangers. Billions of them each year face violent deaths. Concerned individuals point at such things as wind turbines, which in fact do kill hundreds of thousands of birds. But the great majority of bird deaths are caused by cats. And that’s a danger that isn’t going to go away. […]
Agriculture is the primary cause of land-based biodiversity loss. As the global population grows, agricultural production needs to keep pace. Estimates are that production needs to double by 2050. How this can be accomplished without doing further harm to the environment and biodiversity is extremely challenging. Climate change adds further complications to the challenge. As […]
A new study by the University of Exeter in the UK suggests that the world may have crossed a tipping point that will inevitably make solar power our main source of energy. This data-driven model of technology seems to fly in the face of the current situation in which wind power contributes considerably more generation […]
In late October, New York announced its largest state investment in renewable energy to date that includes three offshore wind projects, and 22 land-based clean energy projects totaling more than 6 GW of power generation. The portfolio of projects is expected to create approximately 8,300 jobs and spur $20 billion in economic investments statewide. The […]
For decades, there has been talk of the hydrogen economy in which hydrogen would take the place of fossil fuels in a wide range of domestic and industrial applications. Over time, hydrogen’s potential advantages in some applications have diminished but it is still seen as perhaps the most promising way to decarbonize long-distance truck, ship, […]
The effort to mitigate the effects of climate change has a goal of keeping the global temperature increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. To date, the average global temperature has increased by more than 1 degree. We hear about rising sea levels, powerful storms, and various other alterations in climate and weather patterns. […]
Alaska snow crabs are a cold-water species found off the coast of Alaska in the Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi Seas. They are one of ten commercially-fished species in Alaskan waters. The perils of crab fishing in this region have been well documented for many years in the reality TV series Deadliest Catch. Last year, officials […]
Multiple forces have been at play that have been detrimental to pollinators including climate change, land use change, pesticide use, and more. There have been substantial declines in both the abundance and diversity of insect pollinators. There is increasing public awareness of this issue, but it hasn’t really risen all that high among many people’s […]
In the U.S., there are as many as nine million feral swine living in 38 states. A conservative estimate indicates that they cause about $1.5 billion in property and agricultural damage each year in this country. Pigs were introduced to the United States centuries ago as a food source, but they quickly established wild populations. […]
In 2017, a supergiant iceberg known as A-68 calved from the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica. In 2020, it drifted close to South Georgia, a British island in the South Atlantic Ocean, and then began to break up. This iceberg was enormous – nearly the size of Delaware. When it started to break up, […]
Wildfires are a natural phenomenon. They have occurred long before there were people around. Ecosystems adapt to fires and some species can benefit from them or even depend upon them. But in recent times, fires have been intensifying and increasing in frequency and they are beginning to outstrip nature’s ability to bounce back from them. […]
Once celebrated as a symbol of modern innovation, plastic is now both a blessing and a curse of our time. Since the 1950s, more than nine billion tons of plastic have been produced, and 50% of that has been during the past 15 years. Plastic is ubiquitous in every sector, and agriculture is no different. […]
Geoengineering – deliberate interventions to alter the climate and curb climate change – is a controversial topic, to say the least. Once practically considered taboo even to discuss, there in increasing interest in at least exploring various ideas about how to halt or reverse climate change through direct actions that impact global temperatures. Putting aside […]