[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EW-07-15-14-Saving-the-Bees.mp3|titles=EW 07-15-14 Saving the Bees]
Agriculture
Ecosystems need predators
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EW-07-10-14-Ecosystems-Need-Predators.mp3|titles=EW 07-10-14 Ecosystems Need Predators]
Salt marshes are extremely important ecosystems. They shield coasts from flooding, they remove pollutants from water, and they are the baby nurseries for many kinds of fish. In recent years, salt marshes in places like the coastlines of New England have been dying off. [Read more…] about Ecosystems need predators
Honeybees and environmental health
There are many ways to evaluate the health of a landscape. A new study suggests one way may be to listen to dancing honeybees. Of course, the bees aren’t dancing because they’re happy– rather, they use their signature waggle dance as a way to communicate to one another where the best food can be found. [Read more…] about Honeybees and environmental health
Wasting food
Scientists have long been concerned about potential food shortages in a world facing climate change and a rapidly increasing population. [Read more…] about Wasting food
No-till farming
Overall, the loss of grassland in favor of farmland throughout the Midwest has resulted in a loss of wildlife diversity. But recent research from the University of Illinois has shown that the soybean fields that abound throughout the region actually attract nesting birds. [Read more…] about No-till farming
Sterilizing salmon
Farm-raised or wild-caught? That’s a question many people have asked themselves when it comes to buying salmon for dinner. Experts are now concerned about wild and farm-raised salmon associating with one another. [Read more…] about Sterilizing salmon
Refuge for bees
Throughout the country, efforts are underway to cultivate habitat for bees. Recently, the federal government committed $3 million dollars to support honeybees in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. And in California’s Central Valley, researchers are encouraging ranchers and farmers to grow plants that attract pollinators. [Read more…] about Refuge for bees
How we fill the breadbasket
Everything we eat can be traced back to the Sun. Sunlight powers plant photosynthesis, which yields the grains that we eat in bread, cereal, and rice. Plants feed the animals that provide us with beef, pork, and poultry. And the fishes of the sea feed on tiny phytoplankton that photosynthesize in the upper layers of the ocean’s waters. [Read more…] about How we fill the breadbasket
Oil-palm in Africa
Palm oil is in demand. It’s found in nearly half of the processed foods in our supermarkets, from ice cream and cookies to canned soup and baby formula. But plans to cultivate the oil palm tree in its native Africa are raising concern about deforestation and the protection of primates. [Read more…] about Oil-palm in Africa
California's water
We’ve all seen the news reports of this winter’s devastating drought in California. Last year was the state’s driest in more than a century, resulting in a water shortage with dire consequences, especially for farmers. Even recent rain and snow storms have made only a minuscule improvement in the severe water deficit. [Read more…] about California's water
Salt-water fish save water
An estimated 80% of the water used in the U.S. supports crop and livestock production. Resource managers are increasingly concerned about the excessive amount of water required to satisfy our nation’s appetite for beef. Using conservative estimates, it takes 441 gallons of water to produce one pound of conventionally raised beef. [Read more…] about Salt-water fish save water
Antibiotics in meat
Concerns have long been raised over the presence of antibiotics in the meat we eat. Now, a federal analysis has shown that many of those antibiotics are likely to blame for the increasing number of bacterial infections resistant to treatment in humans. [Read more…] about Antibiotics in meat
Growing insects on the farm
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/EW-02-24-14-Growing-Insects-on-the-Farm.mp3|titles=EW 02-24-14 Growing Insects on the Farm]
The precipitous decline in pollinating insects – particularly bees – has become an issue of great concern around the world. Insects pollinate 75% of the crops that we rely on for food worldwide, and bee populations have declined by as much as 96% over the past century. [Read more…] about Growing insects on the farm
Toxic insecticides
The European Food Safety Authority has recommended lowering acceptable human exposure levels to two insecticides — acetamiprid and imidacloprid – due to concerns over their effect on developing human nervous systems. Both are part of a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids, which have come under scrutiny before for their effect on bees. [Read more…] about Toxic insecticides
Coming from a barnyard near you
Atmospheric scientists recognize the long-distance transport of air pollutants. When we used leaded gasoline, we saw elevated levels of airborne lead in cities, but also in the Greenland ice pack, thousands of miles away. And past shutdowns of coal-fired power plants in the Midwest resulted in lower nitric oxide concentrations in the eastern U.S. [Read more…] about Coming from a barnyard near you
Let’s quit carping about it
In the 1960s, grass carp were brought to the U.S. from Asia to control weeds in southern fish-farming operations. Unfortunately, like so many other exotics, these fish escaped into the wild, and have been moving northward. As of last month, they were found to be reproducing in Lake Erie. [Read more…] about Let’s quit carping about it
Food and climate change
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/EW-01-13-14-Food-and-Climate-Change.mp3|titles=EW 01-13-14 Food and Climate Change]
A leaked draft of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that global warming may cause a world food shortage in coming years. [Read more…] about Food and climate change
Forest fragmentation
Scientists have long known that habitat fragmentation poses a threat to native species. It can lead to stress on the surviving animals, and weakened genetic fitness due to their smaller breeding populations. [Read more…] about Forest fragmentation
Birds: Worth their weight in coffee
I’m a bird-watcher and an advocate of bird conservation. But often, my friends ask me if birds really make a difference. Normally, I point out the large amount of money spent by birdwatchers in travel and for tour guides to their latest bird “hot spot.” But, that income doesn’t always filter down to locals. [Read more…] about Birds: Worth their weight in coffee
Farming crops and sunlight
