Sustainable Living
The benefits of organic farming
Cultivation turns over and loosens the soil, stimulating the microbes that decompose organic materials, and releasing nutrients. In fact, cultivation of soils in the Great Plains is thought to be responsible for the loss of about 1/3 of their organic matter, contributing to the rise in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. [Read more…] about The benefits of organic farming
Cleaning up coal
Coal has been under a lot of fire lately. Environmentalists blame its CO2 emissions for exacerbating climate change. When burned, coal emits mercury into the atmosphere, where it later contaminates lakes and lake fishes. Coal is also a source of noxious air pollutants, like ozone and nitric oxide, which exacerbate asthma and emphysema. [Read more…] about Cleaning up coal
The trash-to-gas concept
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States consumes over 367 million gallons of gasoline each day—the majority of which is derived from imported oil. [Read more…] about The trash-to-gas concept
The fight against invasive species
Invasive species – plants, animals, and microbes introduced to regions beyond their native range – carry a global price tag of $1.4 trillion dollars. They are responsible for the loss of natural resources and biodiversity, damages to infrastructure, and an uptick in infectious disease. [Read more…] about The fight against invasive species
Australia’s climate change report card
Recently, a team of more than 80 marine scientists issued a climate change report card on the status of the marine ecosystems surrounding Australia. The effort, which details pressures faced by marine life, was funded by the Australian government and undertaken to inform decision making. The insights are sobering. [Read more…] about Australia’s climate change report card
Embedded energy – the energy we don’t see
Today, I want to talk about embedded energy, which is hidden in each product that we purchase. Consider a simple hamburger. Its embedded energy includes the energy needed to produce the cattle that made the burger—including the fertilizer that grew its feed and the irrigation system that kept the cow well-watered. It also includes the energy needed to cook both the burger and its bun. [Read more…] about Embedded energy – the energy we don’t see
The decline of ocean fisheries
Nowhere is the decline of fisheries more obvious than in Downeast Maine and the maritime provinces of Canada. Abandoned canneries are a reminder of better days gone by. Commercial harvests of cod, herring, and sardines are a distant memory, and fishermen resort to dragging the ocean bottom for scallops, and harvesting shoreline seaweeds. [Read more…] about The decline of ocean fisheries
Bumps in the Alaska Highway
In 1942 the Alaska Highway was built as an Army Supply route, with the goal of connecting the 49th state with the contiguous U.S. It was an epic task that involved carving through mountainous arctic forest. Following World War II the 1,500 mile road – which traverses British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alberta – was noted for its ruggedness. [Read more…] about Bumps in the Alaska Highway
New York's drinking water and the Catskill watershed
A two-thousand-square-mile group of watersheds north of New York City provides 8 million city residents with clean, delicious drinking water. Although this water is treated with chlorine, most of it is unfiltered. [Read more…] about New York's drinking water and the Catskill watershed
Greening the Olympic games
Every two years, the world tunes into the Olympics. Athletes at the peak of their fitness show their prowess at a range of skills, from gymnastics and swimming to beach volleyball. And for centuries—despite the obvious connection with physical health—environmental concerns took a back seat at the games. [Read more…] about Greening the Olympic games
Breast milk and the environment
Rich in illness-fighting antibodies, brain nourishing fatty acids, and easy-to-digest proteins – breast milk has been called ‘white gold.’ [Read more…] about Breast milk and the environment
Are cloth napkins better?
It seems like a no-brainer. Substitute reusable cloth napkins for paper ones, and you’ll save a tree. Use cloth instead of paper towels and handkerchiefs instead of tissues, and you’ll save a lot of trees. [Read more…] about Are cloth napkins better?
The ocean is turning into a giant ashtray
While we’ve made great strides in reducing roadside trash – largely through imposing and enforcing fines – when it comes to cigarette butts, we’re still litterbugs. [Read more…] about The ocean is turning into a giant ashtray
Are organic foods the solution?
Organic foods are certainly catching on in the United States—with sales topping $25 billion last year. Organic foods are grown without synthetic inputs—industrial fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. And they certainly don’t include genetically-modified crop species. [Read more…] about Are organic foods the solution?
Outsourcing our CO2 emissions
Last month, the administration’s Energy Information Agency reported that carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels in the United States have fallen by almost 9 percent since 2005. [Read more…] about Outsourcing our CO2 emissions
Is geo-engineering the solution to global warming?
When a major volcano erupts, it can inject sulfurous gases into the upper atmosphere—the stratosphere—about 5 miles above the Earth’s surface. These gases form tiny particles, known as aerosols, that reflect sunlight. For the couple of years that they spend in the stratosphere, before they mix down and are deposited on Earth’s surface, these sulfate aerosols cool our planet. [Read more…] about Is geo-engineering the solution to global warming?
Droughts and your grocery bill
In July, some 64% of the U.S. was experiencing intense drought. According to Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters the extent of the drought is second only to the great Dust Bowl of 1934. And, as you might have guessed, our crops are suffering. [Read more…] about Droughts and your grocery bill
Are bats on the rebound?
