Wildlife and Habitat
Tracking disease in a warming world
Understanding how infectious diseases respond to climate change would help public health officials and environmental managers predict and mitigate disease impacts. [Read more…] about Tracking disease in a warming world
Fighting climate change with trees
Researchers are looking at many approaches to mitigate the effects of increasing carbon dioxide on the climate. A group of German scientists has proposed a technique that they call carbon farming, which may help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. [Read more…] about Fighting climate change with trees
A measles-like virus that leads to dolphin loss
A measles-like virus has been sweeping through bottlenose dolphins along the Eastern Seaboard. Since July, more than 330 dolphins have washed up dead on shore between North Carolina and New York, and many more are likely infected. [Read more…] about A measles-like virus that leads to dolphin loss
Keeping cats in the house
Keeping pet cats indoors or allowing them to roam free, there’s more to the decision than managing fleas. Consider the fact that cats – domestic and feral – kill up to 3.7 billion birds each year, as well as 20 billion small mammals. [Read more…] about Keeping cats in the house
Giving some of your lawn back to nature
A manicured lawn is as synonymous with suburban America as the white picket fence. But if maintaining that perfectly green yard seems like a chore, that’s because lawns are – essentially – unnatural. [Read more…] about Giving some of your lawn back to nature
The hidden cost of antibacterial products
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/EW-10-14-13-Hidden-Cost-Antibacterials.mp3|titles=EW 10-14-13 Hidden Cost (Antibacterials)]
A new study is the first to reveal that triclosan – a synthetic antibacterial widely used in personal care products – is fueling the growth of resistant bacteria in streams and rivers. [Read more…] about The hidden cost of antibacterial products
Gray seals thriving off Cape Cod
If you visited Cape Cod this summer, you probably heard tourists and locals all over town talking about the seals. [Read more…] about Gray seals thriving off Cape Cod
Dams complicate river management
Managing fish in human-altered rivers is a challenge because their food webs are sensitive to environmental disturbances. So reports an exhaustive three-year analysis of a 240-mile stretch of the Colorado River downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. [Read more…] about Dams complicate river management
Restoring the darkness
Recently, France instituted one of the world’s most comprehensive lighting ordinances, and all over that country – even in Paris, the City of Light – late nights have gotten darker. [Read more…] about Restoring the darkness
Swamp rats: Coming to a neighborhood near you
There are many consequences of climate change, but here’s one you probably haven’t considered: swamp rats. As winters warm, large, semi-aquatic rodents called nutria have been expanding their range. [Read more…] about Swamp rats: Coming to a neighborhood near you
Streams and rivers on rolaids
Our activities are changing the water chemistry of many streams and rivers in the Eastern U.S., with consequences for water supplies and aquatic life. [Read more…] about Streams and rivers on rolaids
Keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are currently facing a significant threat from invasive carp. [Read more…] about Keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes
There’s a whole lot of shaking going on
One of the side-effects of the extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracture, widely known as fracking, is the possibility that the injection of water into gas-bearing rocks will cause earthquakes. There is no doubt that this can happen, but as summarized in a recent paper by William Ellsworth of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earthquake Science Center, the earthquakes from these oil and gas wells are too small to pose a significant hazard. Most are below magnitude 2.0, which can barely be sensed by humans. [Read more…] about There’s a whole lot of shaking going on
Recycling in the forest
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As the long days of summer wane, and we feel a chill in the air, we know that autumn is on the way. In the past, we’ve discussed why the leaves of forest trees turn brilliant colors in the fall. Some pigments degrade, allowing us to see others that have been hidden behind the scenes. [Read more…] about Recycling in the forest
The unfortunate state of the world’s conifers
Some of the world’s longest-lived organism may be facing extinction. A recent report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – also known as IUCN – revealed that a third of conifers are now endangered. [Read more…] about The unfortunate state of the world’s conifers
The U.S. carbon bank account
Carbon dioxide emissions in most nations are dominated by the use of fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas. In the tropics, however, deforestation is also a major source of CO2 to the atmosphere. [Read more…] about The U.S. carbon bank account
Warming the tundra
A lot of dead plant material is stored in the tundra soils of the far north. Most of it is frozen in permafrost, and inaccessible to the microbes that normally decompose organic matter in soils. [Read more…] about Warming the tundra
The fate of rain
Have you ever wondered what happens to rainwater? Some of it, particularly when it rains hard, runs off to rivers and streams, potentially causing floods. But, the fate of the rest is subtle—some evaporates from the surface and some soaks into the ground, feeding plants and replenishing groundwater. [Read more…] about The fate of rain
Gill nets have a devastating impact on seabirds
