“Americans are noticing changes all around them. Summers are longer and hotter, and extended periods of unusual heat last longer than any living American has ever experienced. Winters are generally shorter and warmer. Rain comes in heavier downpours. People are seeing changes in the length and severity of seasonal allergies, the plant varieties that thrive in their gardens, and … [Read more...]
Did You Ever Wonder What Sea Turtles Do During Hurricanes?
Realizing they were sitting on a mountain of data, NOAA Fisheries researchers sifted through location and dive records of satellite-tracked sea turtles, as well as weather buoy data along a stretch of the Mid-Atlantic that had been gathered as a hurricane tracked its way through the sea turtles’ seasonal territory. As Leah Crowe, a biologist with the team said, … [Read more...]
Where Should Your Family Consider Living to Lessen the Impact of Climate Change?
Conversations with friends and family about the best places to live to avoid the harsh impacts of climate change are becoming more regular and less abstract in my corner of the world. Even if I may not live to see the worst of what’s likely, it is hard to put aside worries about what kind of world our children and grandchildren will face in 10, 20, or 30 years. Research … [Read more...]
Are You Ready to Eat Bugs for the Good of the Planet?
Amidst growing concerns about future global food security, many people are thinking about sustainable ways to provide adequate protein for the world’s growing population. In their book, Sustainable Protein Sources, a team from the U.S. and Canada warns that the world’s population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, bringing with it a projected 80% increase in … [Read more...]
Salt Marshes: Your Life and Your Way of Life May Depend on Them
If you live near the sea, chances are your life, home, and/or way of life have already been saved at least once by salt marshes that protect against coastal erosion and mitigate the effects of extreme weather. The daily rhythm of these precious coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained with the tides usually goes unnoticed by humans. They are teeming with life, … [Read more...]
A Little Community Food Cupboard with a Big Impact
The community food cupboard in this image may seem small, but for one person or family, it could make a huge difference in getting through the day as they wrestle with the food insecurity ramping up quickly in the U.S. An independent research group at the University of Chicago (NORC) conducted an analysis called the “COVID Impact Survey” and compared … [Read more...]
Here Is One Way To Feel Better About What’s Going On In Our Mad and Scary World
One of my favorite environmental activists is also one of my favorite philosophers: Joanna Macy is an ecophilosopher. She has written over a dozen books and travels extensively to share her thinking in workshops and lectures on topics that include ecological awareness, personal and social change, as well as spiritual issues. Macy calls the “empowerment process” she teaches “The … [Read more...]
What’s a Citizen Scientist and How Can You Become One?
Do you have a passion for the environment, but work in a totally different field and wish you could somehow still contribute to better understanding of issues like climate change or protection of endangered species? Are you looking for interesting activities to do with your kids that might nourish potential lifelong interest in conservation? Do you just need a formal … [Read more...]
Ghost Forests: Sad Legacies of Climate Change
Forests are in the fight of the century. Covering almost 30% of the earth, forests provide a home to 80% of life on land, including plants, animals, and insects.1 Millions of acres of trees are lost to drought, heat stress, insect attacks, fires, and rising sea levels. Often several of these factors work together to heighten climate change threats such as winter warming … [Read more...]
COVID-19 Impact on Crop Pollination: “It’s a bit of a different sort of disaster than normal.”
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, farmers whose crops rely on the pollination services of beekeepers are worried. The coronavirus pandemic has taken hold at a time of the year when an army of agricultural trucks begins the annual circuit carrying thousands of beehives to destinations that include almond farms in California, apple orchards in Washington, sunflower … [Read more...]