Earth Wise

Carbon dioxide emissions from human activities are altering the chemistry of oceans.  As more CO2 is released into the atmosphere, a significant portion of it is absorbed by seawater. This reduces the ocean’s pH, driving greater acidity, and disrupts marine ecosystems – a process known as ocean acidification.  The acidifying oceans pose problems for many […]

Floating solar power is starting to gain some traction in the United States.  Installing solar panels on rafts so that they float on water instead of sitting on land allows them to not take up land that can be used for other purposes.  There are other benefits as well. The world’s largest floating solar farm […]

Plastic pollution is a pervasive environmental problem that manifests itself in multiple ways.  Very little plastic is recycled; most of it ends up in landfills or is burned, both solutions having serious shortcomings.  High-income countries – such as many in Europe, the United States, Japan, and Australia – facing increasingly strict regulations in disposing of […]

Forests are well-known to be major storehouses of carbon in the environment.  Less known but also extremely important are peatlands and wetlands and, like forests, both have suffered declines as a result of human activity.  And, like forests, both are seeing efforts at restoration. Restoring peatlands has the drawback that it initially causes a spike […]

The mountain yellow-legged frog is a species that lives in the mountains of Southern California.  It is listed as an endangered species for protection by the federal government.   Surveys 20 years ago determined that the frog’s population was declining and on a trajectory toward extinction.  The frogs are severely impacted by water pollution and are […]

The state of New York has the ambitious goal of having 70% of its electricity come from renewable sources in 2030 and a 100% zero-emission electric grid by 2040.  Meeting these goals is becoming increasingly unlikely as the state faces multiple challenges including local opposition to projects, rising inflation, and the termination of offshore wind […]

Neonicotinoids – often called neonics – are a class of insecticides that are among the most widely used in agriculture.  They are neuro-active, meaning that they affect the central nervous system of insects, killing or harming a wide variety of both target and non-target insects.  They are often applied to seeds before planting as a […]

A long-standing complaint about electric cars is the amount of time it takes to charge their batteries.  A decade ago, this was a serious shortcoming.  Even at the fastest chargers available at the time, it could take hours to refill the electric fuel tank.  Combined with the limited range earlier electric cars had, this made […]

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago north of the mainland.  It is known for its glaciers, tundra, and wildlife – especially polar bears, Arctic foxes, and reindeer.  It is home to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a place to safeguard critical seeds for the world’s food supply.  The location was chosen for its remoteness and perpetual […]

Elephant ears play a crucial role in keep the giant animals cool.  Elephants don’t have significant sweat glands.  Instead, they rely on their large ears to regulate body temperature.  Their ears make up 20% of their body’s surface area.  The ears act like a natural air conditioner, making use of a network of blood vessels […]