Air and Water
Algorithms and ecology: A new partnership.
If you shop online, this is a familiar scenario: You click on a product like a book, and the online merchant presents you with a list of related items. “If you like X, you might also like Y.” Behind the scenes, the merchant has assigned a series of attributes to each product. For instance, the new Sibley Guide to Birds is classified as nonfiction, recent, about nature, about birds, illustrated, a field guide, and so on. Based on that information, the merchant might suggest a different bird book, or a memoir about birding.
[Read more…] about Algorithms and ecology: A new partnership.
Holy Toledo!
Tiny blue-green algae brought Toledo, Ohio’s municipal water system to a halt this summer. Toxic blooms left residents scrambling for bottled water to meet their drinking, cooking, and washing needs.
Wind farms and seals
When it comes to renewable energy, wind farms have been somewhat controversial. Some argue against them as a source of noise pollution, others find them eye sores. Then there’s the issue of environmental impact, with wind farms posing a threat to birds and bats. Yet new research shows that offshore wind farms could be a haven for some aquatic species – particularly, grey and harbor seals.
Climate change and food
A study led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests that climate change may pose an even greater threat to the global food supply than previously thought. That’s because higher temperatures will also increase air pollution. A significant increase in the production of ozone, a toxic gas, could prove deadly for many important crops.
Environmental drones
A mention of drones most likely brings to mind military operations or, more recently, their potential future as delivery carriers for companies like Amazon.
New desalination technologies
In an era of rising water demands and more frequent extreme droughts, there is growing interest in desalination technologies. Removing the salt from seawater or various impurities from wastewater are among the few ways of obtaining fresh water that are independent of rainfall.
Trouble from tropical fish
One of the highlights of visiting tropical destinations such as the Caribbean and the South Pacific is the profusion of colorful tropical fish that inhabit the warm waters of these places. Climate change is raising water temperatures far from the tropics and tropical fish are migrating to entirely new locations. While this may sound like a good thing, is definitely isn’t.
Polluted beaches
Few things are more beloved in the summer than a trip to the beach. It’s a time to relax and take in the calming beauty of the sand and surf. If you enjoy swimming, however, you might want to consult the National Resource Defense Council’s new ‘Testing the Waters’ report.
Coral and sunscreen
Summer is in full swing. With temperatures at their peak and beach vacations underway, most of us have probably stocked up on sunscreen. We slather it on children to prevent painful burns and apply it to ourselves to avert skin cancer. But as much as sunscreen protects our skin from harm, it can do just the opposite to coral reefs.
Storing carbon under the sea
There are many strategies at play for reducing the carbon emissions that are driving global climate change. These include reducing energy demand through conservation and efficiency measures and changing over to renewable energy sources. But despite these efforts, the burning of fossil fuels continues to dominate the world’s energy sources because fossil fuels are plentiful and cheaper than the alternatives.
A dangerous world for birds
As wind farms become more and more commonplace, one frequently hears about the dangers that wind turbines pose to birds. Multiple studies have looked at bird mortality due to collisions with these machines.
Cyanobacteria
In early August, nearly half a million people in Toledo, Ohio were told not to use their tap water for drinking, cooking or bathing. The cause was a bloom of algae in Lake Erie, in this case a microbe known as cyanobacteria, which produces a dangerous toxin called microcystin.
Overfishing and coral
Climate change has been blamed for the rapid decrease in coral cover in the Caribbean over the past few decades. But new research suggests that the impacts of pollution and overfishing may have been underrated. This is good news, experts say, because these problems are easier to address and reverse.
Energy from humidity
The majority of methods we use for generating electricity convert mechanical energy into electrical energy in some fashion. We may utilize nuclear power or burning coal or rushing water or wind but we end up spinning a turbine to create electricity. Over time, we have developed numerous ways to initiate the motion in a generator.
Cigarette butts
When we talk about the hazards of cigarettes, we typically focus on health risks – lung cancer, heart disease, or the dangers of secondhand smoke.
Tides in the Bay of Fundy
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EW-08-21-14-Tides-in-the-Bay-of-Fundy-.mp3|titles=EW 08-21-14 Tides in the Bay of Fundy]
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
Save the frogs
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EW-08-19-14-Save-the-Frogs.mp3|titles=EW 08-19-14 Save the Frogs]
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
Tracking fishing boats
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/EW-08-14-14-Tracking-Fishing-Boats.mp3|titles=EW 08-14-14 Tracking Fishing Boats]
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
Illinois microbead ban
