Earth Wise
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
Most everyone wants to prevent the extinction of species—at least until it impacts local livelihoods and paychecks. But, what would it cost taxpayers if we were to buy enough land to ensure the survival of all of the species on the planet? [Read more…] about Saving species isn’t cheap, but it's sure worth it
It’s radiant in Virginia
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Most of us who worry about the safety of nuclear power plants think immediately of the reactors. The last thing we want is a Fukushima-style meltdown that results in many square miles of uninhabitable land. Imagine whole neighborhoods, schools, and shopping districts left as abandoned ghost towns. [Read more…] about It’s radiant in Virginia
Penguins on thin ice
Anyone who’s watched the documentary “March of the Penguins” knows that emperor penguins have evolved to live and breed under remarkably harsh conditions. [Read more…] about Penguins on thin ice
A tale of factory farms, fertilizer, and fish
A new study released in the journal Environmental Science and Technology is the second to highlight that manure used to fertilize farm fields may reduce the health of fish living in adjacent streams. [Read more…] about A tale of factory farms, fertilizer, and fish
A world without insects?
The revered biologist E.O. Wilson said, “If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.” [Read more…] about A world without insects?
How fast will the waters rise?
Everyone agrees that if the ice-caps on Greenland and Antarctica melt, the seas will rise. What is difficult is to estimate how fast this may happen, with the ongoing rise in global temperature. Recent measurements of sea-level rise hover about 3.5 mm/year—or about a foot and a half by the end of the century. The highest estimates puts the rate of rise at about twice that fast. [Read more…] about How fast will the waters rise?
Urban green spaces are losing ground
A new study has revealed a concerning trend in many U.S. cities: urban tree cover is in decline, and hardened surfaces are on the rise. [Read more…] about Urban green spaces are losing ground
Tough times for the Arctic
Arctic permafrost is warming, the Greenland Ice Sheet is melting, and the Arctic fox is facing extinction. So reports the 2012 Arctic Report Card—recently unveiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [Read more…] about Tough times for the Arctic
Turning algae into fuel
It took geology hundreds of millions of years to create the fossil fuels that power modern society. Can humble algae compress this process into months and make it carbon neutral? [Read more…] about Turning algae into fuel
How dams can cause fish declines
The Glen Canyon Dam was the last big dam built in the United States. Spanning the Colorado River above the Grand Canyon, it provides hydropower for the region and regulates the flow of water. Until the dam was built, the river would experience spring floods during snowmelt followed by low flow in the summer, especially during drought years. Now water below the dam flows at about the same rate year-round. [Read more…] about How dams can cause fish declines
Nesting in an ashtray?
Picture an urban environment. Now think about animals that capitalize off of resources discarded by humans. Most of us will conjure up an image of a rat foraging in a dumpster or a pigeon making off with some lunch scraps. But what about songbirds? [Read more…] about Nesting in an ashtray?
Kicking the can down the road
Fifteen years ago, the first international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was adopted. The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change recognized the threat elevated greenhouse gases posed. And it presented a framework for stabilizing emissions. [Read more…] about Kicking the can down the road
Making sense out of flame retardants
Flame retardants are making news again. Many of these chemicals, used to inhibit or resist the spread of fire, have been found to be toxic. Studies have linked flame retardants to cancers, altered hormones, and neurological problems. Children are especially vulnerable. [Read more…] about Making sense out of flame retardants
Underestimating climate risks
