Health
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.
Waiting to feel climate change
Even though the scientific evidence for the dangers of human-made climate change is overwhelming at this point, there is still plenty of skepticism about it among ordinary people and, unfortunately, among policy makers. An important factor in this situation is that we don’t experience climate; we experience weather and weather is highly variable. [Read more…] about Waiting to feel climate change
Galapagos green
The Galapagos Islands are famous for inhabitants like giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies. Nearly the entire archipelago is a national park that carefully preserves this unique environment. But the Galapagos is also home to over 30,000 people living on four of the islands and involved in the tourist trade, in farming and fishing, and in local businesses. The human inhabitants need electricity and, like most islanders, have mostly gotten it from diesel generators. [Read more…] about Galapagos green
The cost of climate change
The costs of climate change are many – from the destruction of ecosystems and the loss of species to increased risk of famine. The famous Stern Review by the British government in 2006 looked at the effects on the world economy. Eight years later, a recently released report focuses on the financial bottom line in the U.S., providing an assessment of how unmitigated climate change will add up over the remainder of this century. [Read more…] about The cost of climate change
Climate change and human development
There is much public discussion about the role of human activities in the changing climate but one research study looked at a diametrically opposite concept: the role of changing climate in the development of human culture. [Read more…] about Climate change and human development
Neonicotinoid pesticides
Neonicotinoid pesticides have been known for some time to pose a threat to bees and other pollinators. In fact, last year the European Commission imposed a two-year moratorium banning them on plants that attract bees. But now, research suggests they are a danger to everything from lizards to shellfish. [Read more…] about Neonicotinoid pesticides
True food
Genetically modified organisms – or GMOs – are a hot topic in the food industry. More than 70% of packaged foods sold in North America contain genetically modified ingredients. More than 88% of corn, 94% of soybeans, and 90% of cotton in the U.S. are grown from GMO seeds. And all of these figures are rising. [Read more…] about True food
Illinois microbead ban
Last month, Illinois became the first state to ban the sale of cosmetics containing plastic microbeads. [Read more…] about Illinois microbead ban
Weed crops for a warming world
Rising temperatures, droughts and higher CO2 levels pose threats to the world’s food supply. Grains like wheat and rice have been bred for centuries for productivity but are not well suited to a changing climate. [Read more…] about Weed crops for a warming world
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Pacific Ocean hosts the largest trash dump on Earth. It is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and it’s at least as big as Texas but might be much larger. Estimates are that it holds more than 3.5 million tons of garbage and at least 80% of it is plastic. [Read more…] about The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Offshore wind turbines can slow hurricanes
Wind power is welcomed by farmers and ranchers in the Great Plains for the income and economic activity it brings, but it has made much slower progress in the densely populated Northeast. Here, residents often object to wind turbines disrupting their views of formerly pristine ridge-lines, and offshore wind runs into objections from politically powerful owners of beachfront property. [Read more…] about Offshore wind turbines can slow hurricanes
New EPA standards benefit our health
The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a plan to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by the year 2030. This is excellent news for the environment, as power plant emissions cause global warming, acid rain, mercury poisoning in fish and wildlife, and ozone damage to crops and trees. [Read more…] about New EPA standards benefit our health
Summertime ozone
Ozone is a puzzling air pollutant. Human activities are not direct sources of a lot of ozone, but ozone concentrations increase to markedly unhealthy levels in many areas during the summer. About 30 years ago, atmospheric chemists solved this mystery. [Read more…] about Summertime ozone
Microbeads
When we think about protecting our waterways from plastic pollution, we think of recycling water bottles or moving toward canvas grocery bags. But what about the plastics we can’t see? [Read more…] about Microbeads
Science and art
Science and art are rarely thought of as going hand-in-hand. In fact, we typically think of scientists and artists as having entirely different type of brains – one logical and analytical, the other creative and subjective. [Read more…] about Science and art
New EPA carbon dioxide standards
In a big win for the environment, the Environmental Protection Agency recently released a plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Specifically, it calls for existing power plants to cut their emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2030.
Death by air pollution
The human health effects of air pollutants are hotly debated. Since air pollution is typically a long-term, diffuse problem, it is difficult to link human mortality to any particular air pollutant. Studies of the human health effects of acute chemical spills are much easier. [Read more…] about Death by air pollution
Sunken shipping containers
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/EW-06-17-14-Sunken-Shipping-Containers.mp3|titles=EW 06-17-14 Sunken Shipping Containers]
Shipping containers on cargo vessels – technically called intermodal containers – have been around since the 1950s. These large steel boxes, some of which are over fifty feet long, are used to carry thousands of goods around the world. [Read more…] about Sunken shipping containers
China’s polluted groundwater
