Air and Water
Oil on the water
Canada’s oil sands deposits are found in northeastern Alberta, where few people ever travel. It would be easy to overlook them, except for the controversy surrounding the Keystone XL pipeline that would deliver crude oil from these deposits to Gulf Coast refineries. [Read more…] about Oil on the water
Keeping your beach trip healthy
As Labor Day and the end of summer approach, many of us probably hope to squeeze in a few more trips to the beach. But we may want to be cautious about where we swim.
[Read more…] about Keeping your beach trip healthy
Heat waves and climate change
This summer has seen some particularly debilitating heat waves in many parts of the country. Some places have seen temperatures in the 120’s and the Northeast has boiled in hot, steamy weather for days and even weeks on end. [Read more…] about Heat waves and climate change
Have we polluted the last vast place on earth?
Back in the 1950s, when our family visited Cape Cod, my father described the ocean as too big to get polluted. There were only 3 billion or so humans occupying the planet then, and he may have been right. The oceans offered a place of infinite dilution. [Read more…] about Have we polluted the last vast place on earth?
Finding the signal before the collapse
What do earthquakes, heart attacks, seizures, and the collapse of stock markets and fisheries have in common? They’re all examples of what scientists call “tipping points” or “regime shifts.” [Read more…] about Finding the signal before the collapse
Marijuana cultivation and fishers
Most of us are familiar with the stereotype of the peace-loving, tree-hugging hippy with a penchant for marijuana. So just how green is grass grown in sunny California? The answer might surprise you. According to a recent study in the journal Conservation Letters, illegal marijuana cultivation on public lands, such as California’s picturesque Sierra National Forest, is having a negative impact on wildlife. [Read more…] about Marijuana cultivation and fishers
Migration: Everybody’s doing it
Birds are famous for migration. Species ranging from ducks to hummingbirds gather in flocks in the autumn to travel to warmer climates—sometimes thousands of miles away. The arctic tern is a champion, traveling 44000 miles each year from northern Canada to the southern tip of South America, and back. [Read more…] about Migration: Everybody’s doing it
Our eye in the sky
Landsat 8, the latest satellite addition to the Earth’s observation system, recently received the ‘all clear’ to begin its 5-year mission recording global coverage of the landscape. And scientists around the world are breathing a collective sigh of relief. [Read more…] about Our eye in the sky
Experimenting with a day off
In air pollution studies, it’s difficult to perform traditional science. Normally, we can’t stop running a city’s transportation system or power plants to assess the impact on our daily activities. But, inadvertently, we do perform some accidental experiments. [Read more…] about Experimenting with a day off
When antibacterials go down the drain
The rise of antibacterial products has come with a hidden cost to human health and the environment. An earlier segment explored triclosan, which was first used as a hospital scrub in the 1970s. Around half of liquid soaps now contain the chemical, as do toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, and other personal care products. It’s become a billion dollar industry. [Read more…] about When antibacterials go down the drain
Urban Forests
In earlier segments, we’ve discussed how trees improve our mental and social well-being. Trees increase property values in neighborhoods where they are planted. Through the evaporation of soil water, trees cool the urban environment, reducing the need for air conditioning. In fact, a number of cities have embarked on large campaigns to plant trees within the city limits. [Read more…] about Urban Forests
Gauging the health of the world’s ecosystems
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources – also known as the IUCN – has been undertaking an ambitious inventory of the world’s plants and animals. [Read more…] about Gauging the health of the world’s ecosystems
Swimming to cooler waters
There’s been a lot of anecdotal evidence that fish are migrating as a result of global warming. Over the past few decades, folks in the fishing industry have been noticing shifts in the quantity and type of their catch. [Read more…] about Swimming to cooler waters
Habitats from offshore wind
One of the criticisms of offshore wind farms is the potential for disruption of natural habits for wildlife, namely sea creatures and birds. As a result, environmental impact studies are a big part of the wind permitting process. [Read more…] about Habitats from offshore wind
What makes the water rise in trees?
Did you ever wonder how water gets to the top of trees? Defying physics, water rises even to the top of 300-foot redwoods by the draw of the atmosphere. Almost like sucking on a straw, the atmosphere pulls water upward from the soil, through the plants, where it is lost from leaves in the process known as transpiration. [Read more…] about What makes the water rise in trees?
Celebrate an anniversary for the environment
The seeds of America’s modern environmental movement were sown 50 years ago on Storm King Mountain, along the Hudson River. [Read more…] about Celebrate an anniversary for the environment
Marine invaders in the global marketplace
Next time you go shopping, keep an eye out for the origins of the things you purchase. From kiwis grown in Chile to shirts made in Bangladesh – we are living in the age of the global marketplace. [Read more…] about Marine invaders in the global marketplace
A weight loss program for the planet
A gallon of gas weighs 6.1 pounds. When that gas is burned, in your car, your leaf blower, or your lawnmower, it creates 18.2 pounds of carbon dioxide, or almost three times the weight of that original gallon of gas. [Read more…] about A weight loss program for the planet
Wild bees are unsung heroes
