Wildlife and Habitat
The ethics of birdsong apps
Tech-savvy birders are probably already familiar with digital field guides. Loaded onto smart phones and tablets, these tools put a wealth of information at your fingertips, with features including range maps, illustrations, and birdsong applications. [Read more…] about The ethics of birdsong apps
Heat waves and climate change
This summer has seen some particularly debilitating heat waves in many parts of the country. Some places have seen temperatures in the 120’s and the Northeast has boiled in hot, steamy weather for days and even weeks on end. [Read more…] about Heat waves and climate change
Have we polluted the last vast place on earth?
Back in the 1950s, when our family visited Cape Cod, my father described the ocean as too big to get polluted. There were only 3 billion or so humans occupying the planet then, and he may have been right. The oceans offered a place of infinite dilution. [Read more…] about Have we polluted the last vast place on earth?
Elephants and their ivory
There’s been a global ban on trading “new” ivory for more than 23 years. Still, the fate of the world’s elephants hangs in the balance, due to escalating demand for black market ivory. [Read more…] about Elephants and their ivory
Powassan encephalitis
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The number of tick-borne illnesses reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on the rise. Lyme disease leads the pack, with some 35,000 cases reported annually. [Read more…] about Powassan encephalitis
Finding the signal before the collapse
What do earthquakes, heart attacks, seizures, and the collapse of stock markets and fisheries have in common? They’re all examples of what scientists call “tipping points” or “regime shifts.” [Read more…] about Finding the signal before the collapse
Marijuana cultivation and fishers
Most of us are familiar with the stereotype of the peace-loving, tree-hugging hippy with a penchant for marijuana. So just how green is grass grown in sunny California? The answer might surprise you. According to a recent study in the journal Conservation Letters, illegal marijuana cultivation on public lands, such as California’s picturesque Sierra National Forest, is having a negative impact on wildlife. [Read more…] about Marijuana cultivation and fishers
Offshore wind and marine life
The growing number of offshore wind farms is starting to provide real-world data on the effects of these installations on marine life. Long a source of concern among wind power opponents, the impact of offshore turbines on birds, sea mammals, and various undersea creatures is being carefully monitored at various installations. [Read more…] about Offshore wind and marine life
Listen to the science
I’m amazed at the rancor that surrounds climate change debates. Recently, a local newspaper described some of my experimental work investigating how elevated carbon dioxide affects poison ivy. Like most studies, we found that poison ivy grows faster under high CO2 conditions. [Read more…] about Listen to the science
Migration: Everybody’s doing it
Birds are famous for migration. Species ranging from ducks to hummingbirds gather in flocks in the autumn to travel to warmer climates—sometimes thousands of miles away. The arctic tern is a champion, traveling 44000 miles each year from northern Canada to the southern tip of South America, and back. [Read more…] about Migration: Everybody’s doing it
Our eye in the sky
Landsat 8, the latest satellite addition to the Earth’s observation system, recently received the ‘all clear’ to begin its 5-year mission recording global coverage of the landscape. And scientists around the world are breathing a collective sigh of relief. [Read more…] about Our eye in the sky
Avoiding a goose in the engine
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When we took to the air with our metal machines over a hundred years ago, the skies weren’t empty. They were full of birds. Orville Wright holds the distinction of being the first pilot to record a bird strike in 1905. Such incidents are now commonplace. [Read more…] about Avoiding a goose in the engine
When antibacterials go down the drain
The rise of antibacterial products has come with a hidden cost to human health and the environment. An earlier segment explored triclosan, which was first used as a hospital scrub in the 1970s. Around half of liquid soaps now contain the chemical, as do toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, and other personal care products. It’s become a billion dollar industry. [Read more…] about When antibacterials go down the drain
Urban Forests
In earlier segments, we’ve discussed how trees improve our mental and social well-being. Trees increase property values in neighborhoods where they are planted. Through the evaporation of soil water, trees cool the urban environment, reducing the need for air conditioning. In fact, a number of cities have embarked on large campaigns to plant trees within the city limits. [Read more…] about Urban Forests
Gauging the health of the world’s ecosystems
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources – also known as the IUCN – has been undertaking an ambitious inventory of the world’s plants and animals. [Read more…] about Gauging the health of the world’s ecosystems
Swimming to cooler waters
There’s been a lot of anecdotal evidence that fish are migrating as a result of global warming. Over the past few decades, folks in the fishing industry have been noticing shifts in the quantity and type of their catch. [Read more…] about Swimming to cooler waters
Habitats from offshore wind
One of the criticisms of offshore wind farms is the potential for disruption of natural habits for wildlife, namely sea creatures and birds. As a result, environmental impact studies are a big part of the wind permitting process. [Read more…] about Habitats from offshore wind
What makes the water rise in trees?
Did you ever wonder how water gets to the top of trees? Defying physics, water rises even to the top of 300-foot redwoods by the draw of the atmosphere. Almost like sucking on a straw, the atmosphere pulls water upward from the soil, through the plants, where it is lost from leaves in the process known as transpiration. [Read more…] about What makes the water rise in trees?
Celebrate an anniversary for the environment
