Earth Wise

Snow leopards are majestic animals native to Central Asia.  They roam the region’s rugged terrain, from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan and Russia in the north, and to India and China in the east.  Snow leopards are known for their thick white coat of fur with ringed black and brown spots.  These markings help camouflage the animals […]

We’ve all come to take for granted the ability of GPS systems to help us find our way around our cities, the countryside and, for that matter, the world in general.  Software interacting with Global Positioning Satellites allows us to pinpoint our location on the Earth with remarkable accuracy.  At least, as long as places […]

The Red and White Fleet has been ferrying tourists around San Francisco Bay since 1892 and is a company committed to environmental sustainability.  When looking for ways to reduce the emissions from its fleet of passenger ferries, the company wondered if there was a way to eliminate emissions entirely.  That question was put to researchers […]

Back in December of 2013, a little less than three years ago, Earth Wise reported that the observatory on Mauna Loa in Hawaii had briefly measured carbon dioxide levels greater than 400 parts per million for the first time ever.  During the following year, readings above the 400 level started to pop up occasionally elsewhere […]

Wind power is a growing contributor to the energy grid but it has its limitations.   Wind turbines need to be located in windy places and the structures are big, get in the way of things, and are rather costly. Some people believe that there is a better way to generate electricity from the wind:  kite […]

Poaching and illegal trafficking in exotic animals is a world-wide problem that most of us are aware of.  What most of us are less aware of is that the most trafficked mammal in the world is the pangolin, which you may well have never even heard of. The pangolin is a truly weird animal.  It […]

When looking at the best ways to meet humanity’s energy needs, there is little doubt that the sun is the ultimate answer.  In one hour, the Earth receives enough energy from the sun to meet all of our needs for a year.  Despite this fact, the world currently only gets about 1% of its energy […]

One week from today many of us will head to the polls to make critical decisions about who will represent us in the White House, in Congress, and in state and local offices.  And in several states, people will also vote on the humane treatment of animals. In a blog post, Michael Markarian, chief operating […]

Halloween is traditionally a day when we choose to ignore the inconvenient truths about candy.  Many of us overindulge on sweet treats and give little thought to what’s inside… particularly with respect to nutrition.  But there is a spooky side to candy that is neither a trick nor a treat:  palm oil.  This cheap and […]

Ocean energy is still one of the biggest untapped clean energy sources on the planet.  There are many studies that have shown that it could provide power for millions of homes in the U.S. alone.   But despite this, the technology is still in its infancy and it is unclear when and if it can become […]