K-Cups And The Environment
The biggest news in the past decade in the coffee business is not the arrival of yet another new Starbucks two blocks from the old one. It is the explosive growth of pod-based coffee machines. These gadgets used to just be in offices and businesses, but almost one in three American homes now has one.
Turning Divesting Into Investing
Colleges and universities are bustling with activity. Among the conversations on campus: the call from students to sell endowment investments in the fossil fuel industry. Stanford has eliminated its coal investments, and a small number of other universities have divested to varying degrees.
The Expanding Threat Of Algal Blooms
It may seem like we are constantly talking about toxic algal blooms – in the ocean, in lakes, and in rivers. That’s because they are occurring with greater frequency and are posing a greater threat than they have in the past.
The Wind Boom Continues
Wind power continues to increase its contribution to the US power grid. The second quarter of this year saw almost 1.7 GW of new turbines come on line and there are almost 14 GW under construction.
Wikipedia: Especially Unreliable for Politically Controversial Science Topics
Wikipedia is world’s most popular online encyclopedia, the sixth most visited website in America, and a source most students rely on. But, according to a recent study, Wikipedia entries on politically controversial science topics can be especially unreliable.
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Female Thermal Demand
If you work in an office, you know the following scenes are not unusual: a coworker wearing a woolly sweater at her desk on a 90-degree day; a woman vigorously rubbing her hands together for warmth in the conference room; or two colleagues engaged in a passive aggressive battle over the thermostat.
Mosquito Migration
Globally, there are more than 3,000 mosquito species, with around 150 native to the U.S. To many listeners – a mosquito is a mosquito. But depending on the species that bites you, mosquitoes can be a nuisance or a public health threat.
Earth Overshoot Day
Earth Overshoot Day is the day when, according to estimates, the total combined resource consumption of all human activity on the planet reaches the total amount that the Earth can generate for the year. It is the natural resource equivalent of the date by which you have spent your entire salary for the year.
Los Angeles’ Shade Balls
The worst drought in California history is leading to some creative ideas for saving water. The city of Los Angeles turned its primary reservoir into a giant ball pit.
The Environmental Movement Works
When each day seems to bring more bad news about the health of our planet, it can be easy to wonder if the environmental movement is working. But a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found that, at the state level, environmentalism is linked with lower carbon emissions.
A New Labeling Initiative
Hydraulic fracturing – or fracking – is a well-stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a pressurized liquid to free otherwise trapped natural gas or oil.
Testing V2G Technologies
Electric cars are still pretty much a novelty in most places, but their numbers are increasing. Electrical utilities around the world are trying to understand what will happen if and when there are millions of them on the road.
Nature: A Natural Stress-Buster
If you’ve ever taken a walk outside to “clear your head,” it turns out you were onto something. Scientists, doctors, and the average person have long known that time spent in nature can have de-stressing, mood-boosting effects. They just haven’t been exactly sure why.
Street Trees Are Good For Us
Want to feel younger? Live on a street with more trees. That’s the finding of University of Chicago researchers who studied the impact of street trees on the real and perceived health of residents of Toronto, Canada.
Meat Consumption & Biodiversity
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Several studies warn that the current loss and decline of species is contributing to what appears to be the beginning of earth’s sixth mass extinction. More than 400 species have gone extinct in the last 100 years. And scientists suggest up to 37 percent of the world’s species could go extinct within the next 35 years.
Moving Toward 100% Renewables
More and more cities, states and even entire countries are setting goals to use 100% renewable energy. For the most part, these goals relate to electrical power, which is the energy need most attainable via renewable sources. But ultimately, we would like to cover all of our energy needs – electrical power, heating and cooling, and transportation – using sustainable renewable resources.
El Niño On The Way
There are starting to be a lot of news reports about a strong El Niño being on the way later this year. El Niño is a weather phenomenon that occurs in the eastern tropical Pacific every two to seven years. East-to-west trade winds weaken and ocean surface temperatures go up. The result impacts the weather throughout the Pacific region.
The Really Big One
Most people have heard of the San Andreas fault line. It runs the length of California, and is perpetually rumored to be to be on the verge of unleashing a big earthquake. But there’s a much lesser known fault line located just north of the San Andreas that’s predicted to trigger an even larger quake.
We Need More Free-Range Kids
