Earth Wise
Airlifting rhinos
When it comes to the issue of poaching in Africa, attention is often focused on elephants. Yet theirs is not the only population being decimated by poachers – rhinos, too, are being pushed to the brink of extinction.
Holy Toledo!
Tiny blue-green algae brought Toledo, Ohio’s municipal water system to a halt this summer. Toxic blooms left residents scrambling for bottled water to meet their drinking, cooking, and washing needs.
Saving energy and birds
A comprehensive study by the Smithsonian Institution and the US Department of Fish and Game this year found that hundreds of millions of birds are killed each year in the United States as a result of collisions with buildings. Given that a large number of bird species in this country are in significant decline, the building collision problem is a serious one.
The Asian camel cricket
There’s a new invasive species to be concerned about: the Asian camel cricket.
The virtues of organic produce
Do you eat organic produce – or go conventional? It’s a hot-button issue. Organic fruits and vegetables are more expensive than conventionally grown counterparts. Some think ‘organic’ labeling is smoke and mirrors – a marketing ploy to make consumers think they’re eating healthier.
Renewables in China and India
As western industrialized nations make the transition over to renewable energy sources, there is great concern about what is going on in China and India. These two nations have the largest populations in the world and both are undergoing rapid and dramatic industrialization.
Wind farms and seals
When it comes to renewable energy, wind farms have been somewhat controversial. Some argue against them as a source of noise pollution, others find them eye sores. Then there’s the issue of environmental impact, with wind farms posing a threat to birds and bats. Yet new research shows that offshore wind farms could be a haven for some aquatic species – particularly, grey and harbor seals.
More efficient solar panels
The most important metric for solar panels is the cost of generating a given amount of power. As this number drops, the case for using solar power becomes increasingly compelling.
Environmental drones
A mention of drones most likely brings to mind military operations or, more recently, their potential future as delivery carriers for companies like Amazon.
New desalination technologies
In an era of rising water demands and more frequent extreme droughts, there is growing interest in desalination technologies. Removing the salt from seawater or various impurities from wastewater are among the few ways of obtaining fresh water that are independent of rainfall.
The length of a bee’s tongue
Most of us have probably never given much thought to the length of a bee’s tongue – or, for that matter, the fact that bees even have tongues. Yet new research suggests tongue length may be a key factor in bees’ ability to survive their ever-changing environment.
Agrihoods
Residential amenities are typically thought of in terms of golf courses and fitness centers. But at new type of neighborhood popping up all over the U.S., the main attraction is a farm. Called ‘agrihoods,’ these communities center around farm-to-table living.
Recovering waste heat
Thermoelectric materials convert temperature differences into electric voltages and vice versa. The Peltier Effect, which allows voltages to provide either heating or cooling, is used in portable coolers and in some car seats. But the Seebeck Effect, which produces electricity from temperature differences, has far more potential for practical use.
Trouble from tropical fish
One of the highlights of visiting tropical destinations such as the Caribbean and the South Pacific is the profusion of colorful tropical fish that inhabit the warm waters of these places. Climate change is raising water temperatures far from the tropics and tropical fish are migrating to entirely new locations. While this may sound like a good thing, is definitely isn’t.
Light rail systems really help
More and more American cities have been adding or expanding light rail systems in recent years. Notable examples over the past decade include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Dallas and Denver.
Hellbender populations
North America’s largest salamander is disappearing at an alarming rate. Hellbenders commonly reach two feet in length and have a life span of up to 30 years. They are the third-largest salamander in the world, after the Chinese giant salamander and the Japanese giant salamander.
Throwing away fish
The worldwide fishing industry is in danger. If current trends continue, it could collapse by 2050 because three-quarters of the world’s fish stocks are being harvested faster than they can reproduce. Some 80% of fish species already are fully exploited or are in decline and the great majority of all large predatory fish already are gone.
Turning food waste into biogas
Turning food waste into fuel is not a new idea, but it is one that is finally starting to catch on in a big way. A growing number of wastewater treatment plants across the country are participating in the effort to recycle food waste and produce biogas.
Polluted beaches
