Is the ocean pumping iron?
About 30 years ago, an oceanographer, John Martin, noticed that large areas of the sea contained ample supplies of nitrogen and phosphorus. He wondered why these nutrients, which fuel plant growth, were not being used by marine plankton. [Read more…] about Is the ocean pumping iron?
Curbing global mercury pollution
Mercury exposure has been tied to a suite of health problems, among them damage to the central nervous system and the immune system. [Read more…] about Curbing global mercury pollution
Fast, cheap, and wasteful: Americans and food
A past Earth Wise segment explored global food waste: worldwide some 30-50% of food produced is never eaten. This figure includes inefficiencies in harvesting, storage, and transport, among other things. [Read more…] about Fast, cheap, and wasteful: Americans and food
The world is getting dustier
Scientists have estimated that dust in our atmosphere has doubled in the last century. Some airborne dust comes from naturally occurring geological events, such as drought or volcanoes. [Read more…] about The world is getting dustier
Are we prone to future urban drought?
Once in a while, we get a good piece of environmental news. Such is the case with a new assessment on the vulnerability of U.S. urban areas to water shortages. [Read more…] about Are we prone to future urban drought?
Get to know I-522
Three months ago, California voters struck down Proposition 37. The proposition, which was defeated 53-47%, would have required food and beverage manufacturers to clearly label products that contain genetically modified organisms—commonly known as GMOs. Opponents of the legislation led a $46 million dollar campaign to help ensure its defeat. [Read more…] about Get to know I-522
Can we sprawl forever?
How often do we return to the city of our childhood only to see massive suburban sprawl, traffic congestion, and loss of natural habitat? [Read more…] about Can we sprawl forever?
Reducing greenhouse emissions through contraception
Population Matters is a British nonprofit dedicated to improvements in family planning, sex education, and girls’ and women’s’ rights worldwide. [Read more…] about Reducing greenhouse emissions through contraception
The hazards of dust
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It’s well known that dust is a human health hazard. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates the emissions of particulate matter, which is essentially dust, from construction sites, power plants, dirt roads, automobile tailpipes and industry. [Read more…] about The hazards of dust
Methane: The other greenhouse gas
Most of us are familiar with the idea that we need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to prevent global warming. Methane is also a problem, and we hear about it much less frequently. But compared to carbon dioxide, methane’s impact on climate change is some twenty times more powerful. [Read more…] about Methane: The other greenhouse gas
Loss of Arctic ice claims two more victims
Polar bears were the first animals to gain Endangered Species Act protection as a result of climate change. At a press conference announcing their listing some five years ago, then Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne acknowledged that warming was shrinking the sea ice essential to the bear’s survival. [Read more…] about Loss of Arctic ice claims two more victims
Collective action on invasive species
Recently, two Cary Institute scientists spoke out about what citizens can do to prevent the spread of invasive species. Forest ecologist Gary Lovett and freshwater ecologist David Strayer had a number of practical recommendations. [Read more…] about Collective action on invasive species
Climate change and the Big Apple
A few months ago, Superstorm Sandy tore through the New York Metropolitan region, causing significant damage to homes, businesses, and municipal infrastructure. Hard hit areas, like the Jersey Shore and Staten Island, are still recovering. [Read more…] about Climate change and the Big Apple
Clearing the air
Mercury, hydrogen chloride, and sulfur dioxide. These are just a few of the air pollutants emitted by industrial boilers. And, thanks to new air pollution standards that have been more than a decade in the making, some of our nation’s dirtiest boilers will be cleaning up their act. [Read more…] about Clearing the air
Are falconers more effective than scarecrows?
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Falconry is an ancient sport, believed to have originated in the Mongolian steppes some 3,500 years ago. Before the days of firearms, the art of training bird of prey to hunt in the wild – and submit to a human – was a prized skill. It’s often associated with nobility; France’s Louis the XIII is said to have kept some 300 falcons. [Read more…] about Are falconers more effective than scarecrows?
Cement plant emissions
Cement is all around us. It’s used in everything from concrete and mortar to stucco and grout. But making cement is dirty business. A number of pollutants are emitted from cement plants – from both the production process and the fuels used to stoke kilns. [Read more…] about Cement plant emissions
Fish have to eat
My colleague Emma Rosi-Marshall is an aquatic ecologist at the Cary Institute. One of her research projects involves an endangered fish called the humpback chub. She and her team spend a lot of time counting insects in the Colorado River downstream of the Glen Canyon Dam. You might think her time would be better spent counting the actual fish, but her approach will provide us with a lot more information. [Read more…] about Fish have to eat
When the cure is worse than the disease
The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil well caused nearly 5 million barrels of oil to spew into the Gulf of Mexico. Countermeasures included physical barriers such as booms and the use of chemical dispersants to break up the oil slicks. [Read more…] about When the cure is worse than the disease
Saving species isn’t cheap, but it's sure worth it
