Will warmer winters mute fall foliage?
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Leaves change color in the fall when deciduous trees and shrubs stop producing chlorophyll, the green pigment that lets plants obtain energy from sunlight. Shortly before leaves are shed, they put on a colorful show. [Read more…] about Will warmer winters mute fall foliage?
Tough times for corn
This year, drought dealt a heavy blow to U.S. corn production, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture listing half the crops in poor or very poor shape. Yields are down and corn prices are rising–bad news for food processors, dairy operations, and livestock farms. Further complicating things, low inland water levels are causing shipping headaches for the barges that haul the grain. [Read more…] about Tough times for corn
The Clean Water Act’s 40th birthday
Just four decades ago Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River was known for its flammability. It, and countless other rivers, streams, and lakes were used as dumping grounds for sewage and commercial waste. [Read more…] about The Clean Water Act’s 40th birthday
Invasive species: good, bad, or neither?
When we hear about the devastation caused by invasive species like emerald ash borers and hemlock wooly adelgids, it is easy to believe that all invasives should be killed. But in fact many well established invasives have neutral or even positive qualities: witness the popular sport fish rainbow trout and large-mouth bass. [Read more…] about Invasive species: good, bad, or neither?
Who's having the rice with arsenic?
New tests conducted by Consumer Reports have found that many rice products contain arsenic— some at worrisome levels. [Read more…] about Who's having the rice with arsenic?
Fall color in New England – is it endangered?
This time of year, the Northeast comes alive with fall color: hillsides full of scarlet, orange, plum, and amber leaves set off against the lush dark evergreens. [Read more…] about Fall color in New England – is it endangered?
Autumn leaves – not just a colorful display
We’re all familiar with the dramatic changes in our deciduous trees during the fall. First, the leaves turn a bright red, orange, or yellow. Then they brown and fall to the ground. [Read more…] about Autumn leaves – not just a colorful display
Pollution doesn’t recognize state lines
The Cross State Air Pollution Rule was initiated to encourage states to be better neighbors. If pollution from a coal-fired power plant in Ohio was poisoning air downwind in Connecticut, the Environmental Protection Agency would have a mechanism to reduce offending emissions. [Read more…] about Pollution doesn’t recognize state lines
The environment used to be a bipartisan issue
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“Shall we surrender to our surroundings, or shall we make our peace with nature and begin to make reparations for the damage we have done to our air, to our land, and to our water?”
That’s from the State of the Union Address of 1970, during wartime, by a Republican president.
Restoring nature to its natural state is a cause beyond party and beyond factions. Clean air, clean water, open spaces-these should once again be the birthright of every American. If we act now, they can be.”
Richard Nixon, an unlikely environmental trail blazer, went on to call for the most comprehensive environmental program in America’s history. Under his leadership, the Environmental Protection Agency was formed.
Finally, the U.S. had a central authority overseeing environmental protection. And that was just the beginning. Nixon empowered the EPA to let us all breath a little easier by signing the Clean Air Act Extension of 1970. Under it, we saw reductions in harmful emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, and lead.
Water got cleaner too. Nixon proposed the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, which allowed the EPA to set and enforce federal drinking water standards.
It wasn’t all rosy. Nixon subjected environmental regulations to rigorous cost-benefit analyses and vetoed the Clean Water Act. But his legacy stands as a reminder that environmental progress doesn’t have to follow party lines.
Photo courtesy of Iberia Airlines via Flickr.
There is life in dead trees
It’s that time of year again. Many of us are tidying our yards before winter sets in. But if you spot a dead or dying tree on your property, and it doesn’t pose a safety hazard, consider leaving it alone. [Read more…] about There is life in dead trees
Exporting our carbon emissions
On the face of things, it sounds like excellent news. The Department of Energy recently reported that in 2011, the amount of carbon dioxide our nation emitted from energy production declined. This was the third time in four years that such a trend was noted. [Read more…] about Exporting our carbon emissions
Trying to clean up dirty oil sands
Our neighbors in Canada are sitting on an enormous energy reserve. The Canadian oil sands, located in Alberta, cover a swath of land the size of England. It is estimated they contain 170 billion barrels of recoverable oil, second only to Saudi Arabia. [Read more…] about Trying to clean up dirty oil sands
Putting organic food in perspective
Recently, a Stanford University study on organic food received a firestorm of press coverage. The dominant buzz, heard from some of our nation’s leading newspapers and wire services: organic food isn’t worth its higher price tag. [Read more…] about Putting organic food in perspective
Rising seas threaten coastal regions around the world
Recent scientific research from Climate Central suggests that global sea levels will rise by an average of three feet by the year 2100, and anywhere from 18 to 29 feet over the next several centuries. Low-lying countries and coastal communities face an unprecedented challenge, and we have climate change to thank. [Read more…] about Rising seas threaten coastal regions around the world
Old wine, new insights
Scientists are always looking for reliable records of past environmental conditions, so they can see if current observations are at all unusual. Good records are frequently obtained from lake sediments, which faithfully record yearly inputs of materials washed in from their watersheds. Increasingly, records taken from the ice packs on Greenland and Antarctica are used to show global changes in our atmosphere. [Read more…] about Old wine, new insights
Recycling – it’s the nature of nature
The Earth is a giant recycling machine. Every year, a portion of the seafloor merges into the Earth’s crust. As these materials travel downward, they cause earthquakes. The land surface does not wear down because in other areas, mountains are uplifted, roughly balancing the volume of materials lost from the sea floor. The Earth is thus a recycling machine on a grand scale. [Read more…] about Recycling – it’s the nature of nature
Nanoparticles—tiny particles that pack a punch
Increasingly, we hear about the use of nanoparticles and nanotechnology in new products. Tiny particles of silver act as anti-microbial agents in clothing. Similarly small particles of titanium enhance the brightness and application of paints, cosmetics, and sunscreen. And particles of a rare element, cerium, remove otherwise noxious components from diesel exhaust. [Read more…] about Nanoparticles—tiny particles that pack a punch
A tale of Rachel Carson, malaria, and misinformation
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Fifty years ago Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, her landmark book exploring how pesticides compromise the health of humans and wildlife. It challenged us to envision a spring without birds and is credited for igniting the modern environmental movement. [Read more…] about A tale of Rachel Carson, malaria, and misinformation
Green washing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
