Wildlife and Habitat
Profiting by reducing global warming
At this point, it is pretty clear to most of us that climate change is real, that it increasingly will threaten lives and property, and that it is going to take some real changes in society’s behavior to slow it down.
Deforestation and the grocery store
When we visit the supermarket or drugstore, deforestation is probably not at the forefront of our minds. Yet many of the items we purchase – from packaged cookies to body lotion – come with the hidden cost of illegal deforestation, particularly in tropical regions.
Valuable elephants
Over the past 40 years, the world has lost half of its wildlife and a very visible part of that loss has been the killing of African elephants for ivory. The illegal ivory trade is big business. Despite increasingly strong ivory trade bans, the slaughter of elephants has not abated. Some 23,000 African elephants were killed for their tusks in 2013 alone. The raw ivory value of a single poached elephant is estimated to be $21,000. All this money has led to corruption and difficulty in enforcing anti-poaching laws.
Defining Protected Waters
In the late 1960s, our country’s fresh waters were in crisis. Ohio’s Cuyahoga River and the Detroit’s Rouge River were prone to fires. Time Magazine declared Lake Erie dead.
Birds and climate change
New research by the National Audubon Society suggests that half of North America’s bird species could face extinction by the end of this century as a result of climate change.
Whales take Manhattan
This summer, if you took a trip to New York City, you may have seen a humpback whale breeching in the New York Harbor. A decade ago this would have been an anomaly. But within a few short years, humpbacks sightings have become common enough to warrant whale-watching cruises.
Super spiders in the city
Most of us assume the creepiest of creepy-crawlers are found in the wild – for instance, that you’d be more likely to encounter a spider the size of your face while camping than while dragging your trash cans out to the sidewalk.
Raw sewage in New York
Many of us take for granted the relatively seamless workings of our infrastructure – sewage systems, for instance. Yet in New York City, and particularly Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, the system is far from seamless. In fact, the reality is both alarming and a major public health hazard.
Smokey the Bear turns 70
August marked not just the anniversary of America’s longest-running public service campaign, but also a birthday – Smokey the Bear turned 70.
Mercury’s toxic legacy
New research from Harvard University indicates that the amount of mercury in the environment is much higher than previously thought. Prior estimates put mercury levels at around 720,000 metric tons; the new study suggests it’s actually two-and-a-half times that number.
Getting shark fin soup off the menu
Score one for the sharks. According to a new report by WildAid, sales of shark fin soup have dropped by up to 70 percent. A symbol of wealth and status in China and other parts of Asia, shark fin soup has historically been served at weddings, banquets, and government functions. The dishes’ popularity has had a devastating effect on the world’s shark populations.
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.
Airlifting rhinos
When it comes to the issue of poaching in Africa, attention is often focused on elephants. Yet theirs is not the only population being decimated by poachers – rhinos, too, are being pushed to the brink of extinction.
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.
Saving energy and birds
A comprehensive study by the Smithsonian Institution and the US Department of Fish and Game this year found that hundreds of millions of birds are killed each year in the United States as a result of collisions with buildings. Given that a large number of bird species in this country are in significant decline, the building collision problem is a serious one.
The Asian camel cricket
There’s a new invasive species to be concerned about: the Asian camel cricket.
The virtues of organic produce
Do you eat organic produce – or go conventional? It’s a hot-button issue. Organic fruits and vegetables are more expensive than conventionally grown counterparts. Some think ‘organic’ labeling is smoke and mirrors – a marketing ploy to make consumers think they’re eating healthier.
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.
Environmental drones
