Wildlife and Habitat
Our growing ranks
Land in the United States is increasingly dominated by people and their settlements. This is due to population growth and greater levels of wealth. Many citizens who can afford it prefer to live outside of dense urban areas. And suburbs require a large network of roads to support them. [Read more…] about Our growing ranks
Trees and indoor pollution
Living on a tree-lined street is not just idyllic, but good for your health. New research from England has shown that the presence of street trees can mitigate indoor air pollution stemming from vehicle traffic. [Read more…] about Trees and indoor pollution
Horseshoe crabs & red knots
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/EW-02-04-14-Horseshoe-Crabs.mp3|titles=EW 02-04-14 Horseshoe Crabs]
For 475 million years, horseshoe crabs have inhabited the Earth. Currently, their largest numbers are on the Eastern Seaboard, particularly in the Delaware Bay off the coasts of Delaware and New Jersey, where horseshoe crabs lay their eggs each spring. [Read more…] about Horseshoe crabs & red knots
Early warning for climate disasters
Climate scientists talk about “tipping points” for the calamitous consequences of global climate change. These are triggers for abrupt changes in the climate that could bring about a variety of disasters. [Read more…] about Early warning for climate disasters
Drones provide a window into the deep ocean
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With the advance of science and technology, few corners of the Earth remain unexplored. But much of what goes on beneath the surface of our oceans remains a mystery. [Read more…] about Drones provide a window into the deep ocean
Don't weep for this willow
Biomass – plant matter that can be burned or converted into liquid fuel – is an important source of renewable energy that augments more common sources such as wood and heating oil. Ideal biomass crops can be grown quickly and cheaply on marginal agricultural lands. [Read more…] about Don't weep for this willow
Let’s quit carping about it
In the 1960s, grass carp were brought to the U.S. from Asia to control weeds in southern fish-farming operations. Unfortunately, like so many other exotics, these fish escaped into the wild, and have been moving northward. As of last month, they were found to be reproducing in Lake Erie. [Read more…] about Let’s quit carping about it
Clearing the stage
You might think that it would be easy to keep track of deforestation around the world. Does the landscape have trees, or not? Turns out, it’s not easy. Much deforestation is associated with small clearings that do not show up on aerial photographs. And, many times governments do not want to admit to the rates of deforestation that they tolerate. [Read more…] about Clearing the stage
Riding the winds
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The impact of windmills and wind turbines on birds is controversial, to say the least. It’s not surprising that the American Wind Energy Association claims that there is no significant mortality of birds associated with windmills. It’s alarming that Save the Eagle International reports that 116 Golden Eagles were killed each year at the wind-turbine farms in Altamont Pass, California. But each of these groups has a clear agenda. Who are we to believe? [Read more…] about Riding the winds
Regulating fracking
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/EW-01-14-14-Regulating-Fracking.mp3|titles=EW 01-14-14 Regulating Fracking]
Hydraulic fracturing – better known as fracking – has driven a boom in natural gas production in the United States over the past decade. Fracking is also at the center of a raging controversy over its potential effects on public health and the environment. Despite these concerns, the federal government has left the issue of fracking regulation to individual states. [Read more…] about Regulating fracking
Gold’s tarnished side
The price of gold has more than doubled in the past decade, as a flood of new buyers has entered the world’s commodity market. Gold is in demand for jewelry and as a hedge against erosion in the value of traditional currency. Lots of new effort is devoted to finding new deposits of gold and to mining old veins that were not economical just a few years ago. Big new mines are proposed in Alaska and Canada. [Read more…] about Gold’s tarnished side
Forest fragmentation
Scientists have long known that habitat fragmentation poses a threat to native species. It can lead to stress on the surviving animals, and weakened genetic fitness due to their smaller breeding populations. [Read more…] about Forest fragmentation
Seawater: It’s just not the same anymore
We know that carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing in Earth’s atmosphere, and that this will increase temperatures on our planet. But, rising CO2 will have another effect—making the oceans more acid. [Read more…] about Seawater: It’s just not the same anymore
Nature and allergies
As a society, we place a high value on cleanliness. We like to have control over dirt, germs, and nature. Most of us now live in urban or suburban settings with minimal intrusion from the natural world. We clean and sterilize our hands, homes, and children, and our outdoor surroundings are dominated by concrete, pavement, and lawn. [Read more…] about Nature and allergies
Carolina wrens, daffodils, and other climate canaries
When I moved to the Hudson Valley from North Carolina, I didn’t expect to see red-bellied woodpeckers or Carolina wrens, two of my favorite backyard birds. But I was surprised. The woodpeckers are common, and the wrens come and go. They are sparse after a cold winter but usually rebound in a year or two. [Read more…] about Carolina wrens, daffodils, and other climate canaries
Native protection for the coast
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When coastal areas are subject to storm surges, for example, during hurricanes, areas with coastal vegetation tend to fare better. Salt marshes, mangroves, and sea weeds provide an important buffer. This natural vegetation breaks up the direct energy that the sea can exert on coasts and their beaches. [Read more…] about Native protection for the coast
Cattle, prairie chickens, and compromise
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/EW-12-30-13-Prairie-Chickens.mp3|titles=EW 12-30-13 Prairie Chickens]
The protection of a bird called the lesser prairie chicken has inspired intense debate in Texas – between the government, environmentalists, oil and gas companies, and private landowners. [Read more…] about Cattle, prairie chickens, and compromise
Invaders underfoot in our forests
Despite their familiarity, earthworms are an invasive species in America’s northern temperate forests. They arrived in the mid-1800s, with the arrival of European settlers. And today, humans continue to spread earthworms through activities such as road building, mountain biking, and bait fishing. [Read more…] about Invaders underfoot in our forests
Declining moose populations
