A solar landfill
When landfills have reached their capacity, their contents are capped in order to isolate the wastes and contaminants within. Hazardous waste landfills utilize specialized liners in order to prevent leakage and once they are capped off, they are monitored for decades for any gas or leached materials. Sometimes the sites can be reused for such things as parks or parking lots, but all too often they become no-mans-lands that serve no purpose. [Read more…] about A solar landfill
The price of ivory
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The demand for ivory in Asia is reaching epic proportions, fueling organized crime and threatening the future of the African elephant. [Read more…] about The price of ivory
Tides in the Bay of Fundy
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The Bay of Fundy is on the Atlantic coast on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada. It is the site of several national and provincial parks as well as the location of major ports for the pulp and paper industry. But the Bay of Fundy’s greatest claim to fame is that it may have the largest tidal range in the world. [Read more…] about Tides in the Bay of Fundy
Waiting to feel climate change
Even though the scientific evidence for the dangers of human-made climate change is overwhelming at this point, there is still plenty of skepticism about it among ordinary people and, unfortunately, among policy makers. An important factor in this situation is that we don’t experience climate; we experience weather and weather is highly variable. [Read more…] about Waiting to feel climate change
Save the frogs
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Since the 1980s, there has been a worldwide decline in the population of amphibians – frogs, toads, and salamanders. For a while, biologists were skeptical that these declines were anything more than natural variations. However, study after study has revealed that the amphibian decline is a real and severe threat to biodiversity. [Read more…] about Save the frogs
Urban mining
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Mining precious metals like gold, silver and these days copper is extremely costly as well as being energy-intensive, environmentally harmful, and dangerous. We continue to seek precious metals because they are not just used for ornamentation; they are essential parts of modern electronic devices. [Read more…] about Urban mining
No energy bills
A net-zero energy house is one that creates as much energy as it uses over the course of the year. It is a home that doesn’t pay any energy bills. [Read more…] about No energy bills
Tracking fishing boats
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The Global Ocean Commission has released an eight-point plan aimed at protecting the high seas. Two-thirds of the ocean is considered ‘high seas,’ meaning it lies outside of a national territory. The goal of the GOC is to ensure effective management of these areas, safeguarding them from threats like overfishing. [Read more…] about Tracking fishing boats
Galapagos green
The Galapagos Islands are famous for inhabitants like giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies. Nearly the entire archipelago is a national park that carefully preserves this unique environment. But the Galapagos is also home to over 30,000 people living on four of the islands and involved in the tourist trade, in farming and fishing, and in local businesses. The human inhabitants need electricity and, like most islanders, have mostly gotten it from diesel generators. [Read more…] about Galapagos green
An ammonia economy
The world’s leading automakers are betting on hydrogen-powered cars as the future of personal transportation. These are electric cars that use fuel cells as the source of electricity instead of batteries. [Read more…] about An ammonia economy
The cost of climate change
The costs of climate change are many – from the destruction of ecosystems and the loss of species to increased risk of famine. The famous Stern Review by the British government in 2006 looked at the effects on the world economy. Eight years later, a recently released report focuses on the financial bottom line in the U.S., providing an assessment of how unmitigated climate change will add up over the remainder of this century. [Read more…] about The cost of climate change
Climate change and human development
There is much public discussion about the role of human activities in the changing climate but one research study looked at a diametrically opposite concept: the role of changing climate in the development of human culture. [Read more…] about Climate change and human development
Molecular solar power
As the use of solar power expands, there is growing attention to the problem of what to do when the sun isn’t shining. The ability to store solar energy when it is available and use it later is the basic solution to the problem. Developing technologies like battery banks and molten salt tanks are currently the major focus. [Read more…] about Molecular solar power
Neonicotinoid pesticides
Neonicotinoid pesticides have been known for some time to pose a threat to bees and other pollinators. In fact, last year the European Commission imposed a two-year moratorium banning them on plants that attract bees. But now, research suggests they are a danger to everything from lizards to shellfish. [Read more…] about Neonicotinoid pesticides
True food
Genetically modified organisms – or GMOs – are a hot topic in the food industry. More than 70% of packaged foods sold in North America contain genetically modified ingredients. More than 88% of corn, 94% of soybeans, and 90% of cotton in the U.S. are grown from GMO seeds. And all of these figures are rising. [Read more…] about True food
CO2 cold storage
Around the world, scientists are looking for ways to capture and store the CO2 generated from large power stations and industrial plants. Carbon capture and storage, or CCS, is the enabling principle behind “Clean Coal”, a technology that is currently more theoretical than practical. [Read more…] about CO2 cold storage
Renewables growth continues
For the first five months of 2014, renewable energy sources accounted for 54% of the new electrical generating capabilities installed in the United States. Just about all the other new installations were natural gas plants. Although coal-fired plants are still the largest source of electricity in the country, no new coal plants have come on line this year. [Read more…] about Renewables growth continues
Lost in migration
For decades, scientists and researchers have wondered whether electromagnetic noise – emitted by our use of electronic devices such as cell phones, radios, and televisions – affects birds’ ability to migrate. [Read more…] about Lost in migration
Solar-powered Germany
