In the wake of Hurricane Sandy
In late October, a tropical cyclone devastated parts of the Caribbean and America’s East Coast. Named Hurricane Sandy, this “super storm” was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record. Many impacted areas are still recovering, with damages in excess of $50 billion dollars. [Read more…] about In the wake of Hurricane Sandy
Coal ash – waste piles we don’t often consider
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Coal is a rock, albeit a soft rock that is mostly made of carbon. When we burn coal, this carbon is released to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. A portion of the remaining materials, composing about 1% of coal, is left behind as ash. [Read more…] about Coal ash – waste piles we don’t often consider
The carbon impact of your meals
Many people have adopted a philosophy of buying local food because they are concerned about the carbon footprint of transporting food long distances. People are rebelling against tomatoes from South America and garlic from China, because they can reduce greenhouse emissions by buying locally. Some people even start their own gardens for this reason. [Read more…] about The carbon impact of your meals
Military veterans and agriculture
The Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training Program focuses on transitioning military veterans into careers in agriculture. Launched by Marine Sergeant Colin Archipley and his wife and business partner Karen, the program gives veterans the skills they need to get from ‘seed-to-store.’ [Read more…] about Military veterans and agriculture
Trading one form of pollution for another
Recent work at a Superfund site located outside of New York City has revealed that a water clean-up effort appears to be polluting the air. Newtown Creek is one of the most polluted waterways in America. [Read more…] about Trading one form of pollution for another
Deer hunting season is underway is some parts of the country – and will soon be in others
Whether you are for or against deer hunting, one thing is certain − deer overpopulation carries a heavy price tag. [Read more…] about Deer hunting season is underway is some parts of the country – and will soon be in others
Throughout much of the Northeast, trees have just lost their autumn finery – soon their fallen leaves will turn into fertilizer.
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Maples, oaks and other trees are now, for the most part, barren. In residential landscapes, fallen leaves have been raked, bagged, and sent to the dump. The lawn reigns. But in the forest, it’s a different story. [Read more…] about Throughout much of the Northeast, trees have just lost their autumn finery – soon their fallen leaves will turn into fertilizer.
The year of the acorn?
Every few years for reasons unknown to biologists, all the oak trees in a landscape produce a huge crop of acorns. This is called a mast year. In California, mast years are simultaneous among stands of blue oak throughout the state. [Read more…] about The year of the acorn?
The carbon footprint of your household trash
Americans dispose of an average of 7.1 pounds of trash per day, or well more than a ton yearly. That’s per person, and it doesn’t include what we put in the recycling bin. Our non-recycled trash goes largely to landfills, some of them a long distance away. Trash is transported by truck, train, or even ship—all of which use fossil fuels. [Read more…] about The carbon footprint of your household trash
A comeback for the American chestnut?
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The tall, stately American chestnut once dominated our eastern forests. Sturdy wood from chestnuts was used for furniture, floors, and telephone poles, and its prolific nuts were a favorite food for people and wildlife. [Read more…] about A comeback for the American chestnut?
It’s fall – that means raking leaves, apple pies, and the reappearance of the ozone hole
Ozone is found in two places in Earth’s atmosphere. At ground-level, ozone is a dangerous air pollutant with a wide variety of human-health effects. About 25 miles above us, the ozone layer shields us from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Without ozone in the stratosphere, the Earth would be uninhabitable by higher forms of life….like us. [Read more…] about It’s fall – that means raking leaves, apple pies, and the reappearance of the ozone hole
From the frontlines to the farm field
When Marine Sergeant Colin Archipley is confronted with rising water prices, retiring farmers, and stretched food supplies – he sees opportunity. [Read more…] about From the frontlines to the farm field
A push for transparency at the supermarket
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As consumers, we’ve come to expect nutrition information on our packaged foods. Organic foods are labeled. And many grocers are beginning to list the origins of produce. But in the U.S., there are no rules governing the disclosure of genetically modified foods. [Read more…] about A push for transparency at the supermarket
Clear-cutting the ocean floor
We’re all familiar with the environmental damage that can be caused by clear-cutting rainforests. So it is unfortunate to hear that a similar scenario is being played out underwater, in our oceans. Research shows that trawling for fish can disturb the seabed in ways comparable to slash-and-burn clear-cuts.
Trawling is on the increase, in part because of improvements to fishing gear. Nets are dragged on the ocean floor to catch bottom dwellers like cod, shrimp, and scallops. As these species are overfished, trawlers go farther out to sea, or use nets equipped with rubber wheels to navigate rocky areas and coral banks that were once safe-havens.
Research has shown that ocean floors once complex in topography and rich in marine life have been scraped bare by trawling. As ocean floors are flattened, and sponges, corals, and giant kelps are damaged. Loss of habitat threatens an array of ocean life, including young fish. And sediment loosened by trawling clouds the water and reduces its oxygen content.
Researchers studying trawling have written that, “with the possible exception of agriculture, we doubt that any other human activity physically disturbs the biosphere to this degree.”
Remediating seafloor damage will probably involve limiting what kind of trawling equipment can be used in sensitive areas and establishing no-trawl zones as underwater wildlife sanctuaries.
We must balance the need to feed and shelter our population and to provide jobs with the desire to protect the environment. That’s why our policymakers need the best information science can provide—so that they can make informed decisions about critical environmental issues.
Web Links
Ploughing the Deep Sea Floor (Nature, September 23, 20123)
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v489/n7415/full/nature11410.htm
Disturbance of the Seafloor by Mobile Fishing Gear
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1523-1739.1998.0120061180.x/abstract
Photo, taken on June 20, 2011, courtesy of Mike Baird via Flickr.
American agriculture and the albatross
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Fertilizer supplies key nutrients to plants, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In the early 20th century, chemists learned to synthesize nitrogen fertilizer in the lab, sparking the Green Revolution. [Read more…] about American agriculture and the albatross
Economic growth vs. quality of life
I recently attended a breakfast of business executives, hosted by the local chamber of commerce. All lamented the lack of economic growth in the community, particularly the lack of growth in tax revenues to support public services. Similar conversations play out across upstate New York and the Midwest, where cities have lost their industrial base and the best talent has moved away.
The articulated solution—bring in more people. Now as a plumber, the Chair of this meeting probably sees this as reasonable. More people means more houses to build, more toilets to fix, and a higher income. But, is that real growth?
In the long term, I would argue that economic growth based solely on population growth is hollow. What we need to pursue is growth in quality of life—not more people, but people living better. A focus on quality of life is a focus on education, innovation, research, and development.
A vibrant, sustainable steady-state economy doesn’t divide up a limited resource base among increasing numbers—instead it affords each productive citizen a higher quality of life while extracting less from the natural environment. And a basic tenet for quality of life is clean air and clean water. Nurture a healthy environment and business will come.
This fall, when candidates are debating how to stimulate our sluggish economy, pay attention to what they are really promoting. And choose growth in quality, not growth simply based on more people in your community and the nation.
Photo, taken on July 17, 2012, courtesy of University of the Fraser Valley via Flickr.
Biodiesel versus ethanol: American-made fuels
Bioethanol is in the gas most of us put in our cars. This renewable fuel comes from corn, potatoes, and other plants, and reduces the harmful emissions associated with petroleum-based fossil fuels. As a reminder, fossil fuels like coal and oil are also derived from plants, but they are not considered renewable because it takes the Earth thousands of years to convert plant material into these energy-rich forms. [Read more…] about Biodiesel versus ethanol: American-made fuels
Sportsmen and conservationists
I started watching birds as a teenager, under the tutelage of a sportsman who took me hunting for grouse, woodcock, and duck. I watched him read the weather, the vegetation, and the fallen leaves for signs of game. In the off-season, he was also a birder. What he really enjoyed was being outdoors. [Read more…] about Sportsmen and conservationists
Protecting the little fish to preserve big fish
