Agriculture
If flowers could fly, they’d be called butterflies
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/EW-06-29-12-Butterflies1.mp3|titles=EW 06-29-12 Butterflies]
Butterflies are the most charismatic of our insects. We appreciate the artistry of their colors and patterns, and we are also captivated by their four-part life cycle, from egg, to larva, to pupa, to mature butterfly. [Read more…] about If flowers could fly, they’d be called butterflies
A taste for bullfrogs threatens West Coast amphibians
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/EW-06-08-12-Frogs-II.mp3|titles=EW 06-08-12 Frogs (II)]
Bullfrogs are in demand in metropolitan food markets, where they are sautéed and used in stir fries in Asian cuisine. While these frogs are native to North America, they are not native to the West Coast. In California alone, millions of bullfrogs are imported annually from factory farms in China, Taiwan, Uruguay, and Brazil. [Read more…] about A taste for bullfrogs threatens West Coast amphibians
What are you drinking?
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EW-06-06-12-Drinking-Water.mp3|titles=EW 06-06-12 Drinking Water]
What is more precious than safe drinking water? Each year more than 2.2 million people die because they don’t have access to clean water. Children in the developing world are the most vulnerable, with one lost every 20 seconds. When you travel in these regions, you’ll see roadside ditches filled with discarded plastic water bottles. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford them. [Read more…] about What are you drinking?
If you like to eat seafood, make an informed choice!
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EW-05-31-12-Seafood-Watch.mp3|titles=EW 05-31-12 Seafood Watch]
Some fish populations are declining, and some types of fish are high in mercury or contaminants that can threaten our health. There are several resources that help consumers and businesses make informed choices when purchasing seafood. One of them is Seafood Watch… [Read more…] about If you like to eat seafood, make an informed choice!
Just label it
Genetically modified foods are an established part of American agriculture. It began in 1994 with the Flavr Svr tomato, the first genetically modified food licensed for human consumption. [Read more…] about Just label it
What comes around goes around
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EW-05-11-12-Sewage.mp3|titles=EW 05-11-12 Sewage]
Modern society produces a lot of wastewater. Households, hospitals, businesses, and institutions discharge their dirty water into sewers. Each month, we allow every industry in the U.S. to discharge 33 pounds of hazardous waste. Sewage treatment plants are tasked with removing pathogens, metals, and an array of chemical compounds. [Read more…] about What comes around goes around
Wake up and smell the coffee
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EW-05-10-12-Coffee.mp3|titles=EW 05-10-12 Coffee]
We can add high quality coffee to the growing list of crops being destabilized by our changing climate. The Union of Concerned Scientists recently reported that Arabica coffee yields are down and prices are rising. This isn’t just bad news for coffee shops. It threatens the economy in places like Ethiopia, Costa Rica, and India. [Read more…] about Wake up and smell the coffee
Good management and the rise of the McLobster roll
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EW-05-08-12-Lobster-Fishing.mp3|titles=EW 05-08-12 Lobster Fishing]
For decades lobster has been associated with white table cloths and waiters. But for the past few summers, lobster has been making its way onto chain restaurant menus, from Ruby Tuesday to Panera. What gives? [Read more…] about Good management and the rise of the McLobster roll
Nitrogen might be the most ironic of all the elements
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EW-05-07-12-Nitrogen.mp3|titles=EW 05-07-12 Nitrogen]
Nitrogen is a key plant nutrient. And all of our plants grow in an atmosphere that is saturated with nitrogen—78 percent of the air we breathe is nitrogen. [Read more…] about Nitrogen might be the most ironic of all the elements
Why should we care about freshwater mussels?
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EW-04-27-12-Pearly-Mussels.mp3|titles=EW 04-27-12 Pearly Mussels]
There were once three hundred species of mussels in the United States. They supplied food to Native Americans and people harvested them for pearls and for mother-of-pearl to make buttons. Now, hardly anyone eats freshwater mussels and buttons are mostly made of plastic. [Read more…] about Why should we care about freshwater mussels?
Honeybees are critical to U.S. agriculture, and they’re in trouble
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EW-04-26-12-Honeybees.mp3|titles=EW 04-26-12 Honeybees]
At least a third of U.S. crops are pollinated by commercial beekeeping operations, including apples, blueberries, cucumbers, almonds, pumpkins. In the year 2000, the value of these bee-assisted crops was about fifteen billion dollars. [Read more…] about Honeybees are critical to U.S. agriculture, and they’re in trouble
Raising livestock outdoors is humane, but pasture-raised animals can cause environmental problems
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EW-04-25-12-Hog-Waste.mp3|titles=EW 04-25-12 Hog Waste]
Let’s focus on pigs. Most of the pork we consume comes from massive indoor facilities where a large number of animals are raised in a relatively small space. These operations are notorious for pervasive odors and for causing air and water pollution. For ethical reasons, many people prefer to buy pasture-raised pork. [Read more…] about Raising livestock outdoors is humane, but pasture-raised animals can cause environmental problems
Lightning can help your garden grow
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EW-04-24-12-Lightning.mp3|titles=EW 04-24-12 Lightning]
Nitrogen is one of the key nutrients that plants need to grow. It’s bountiful in our atmosphere, comprising seventy-eight percent of the air we breathe. But atmospheric nitrogen needs to be converted to ammonia in order to be useful to plants. [Read more…] about Lightning can help your garden grow
Fertilizer helps feed the world – but the way it's produced can be harmful
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EW-04-18-12-Fertilizer.mp3|titles=EW 04-18-12 Fertilizer]
Until the Industrial Revolution, we increased fertility in our farms and gardens by applying animal manure, compost, or minerals mined from the earth. Then, scientists developed a method to capture nitrogen for use in fertilizer. Synthetic fertilizer is responsible for the so-called Green Revolution that increased crop yields and supports the earth’s growing population. [Read more…] about Fertilizer helps feed the world – but the way it's produced can be harmful
Wonder fish or pink poison?
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EW-04-17-12-Aquaculture.mp3|titles=EW 04-17-12 Aquaculture]
Salmon consumption has been linked to improved cardiovascular health and brain function. But not all fish are created equal. In the U.S., two-thirds of salmon are farm-raised. Compared to their wild counterparts, these fish are often less nutritious and have a larger environmental impact. [Read more…] about Wonder fish or pink poison?
Holy mackerel!
Over the past two decades, stocks of Jack mackerel in the South Pacific have declined by 90%, from 30 million tons to 3 million tons. Many of the fish being netted are juveniles. This is a sad turn of events for one of the world’s richest fishing grounds. [Read more…] about Holy mackerel!
Herring – little fish of the sea
