Earth Wise

Oklahoma has had its share of disasters over the years.  It has seen tornado outbreaks, massive wildfires, huge dust storms and even onslaughts of tumbleweeds.  But one thing it was not known for is earthquakes. But thanks to the widespread and intensive use of oil and gas wastewater being pumped deep into the ground, parts […]

It was already well-known that coral bleaching was a serious problem in the Great Barrier Reef, but extensive aerial surveys and underwater dives have now revealed the shocking extent of the problem. The Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of more than 2,900 individual reefs […]

There are predictions that the world’s population could reach 10 billion by the year 2050.  Whether population growth can be slowed down enough to prevent this remains to be seen.  Regardless, it is clear that we need to figure out how to feed many more people than we have today and we are not even […]

Should we really be putting food scraps down our sinks? Advertisements for kitchen garbage disposals assure us that these devices are a ‘hygienic way of eliminating waste and keeping odors at bay’ – but behind marketing materials questions remain. When we add ground-up organic materials to water, we increase what is known as the Biological […]

The Scottish government has an ambitious plan to meet 100 percent of its demand for electricity from renewable sources by 2020.   Like much of the world, Scotland has produced significant amounts of its electricity by burning coal for more than 100 years.  But no longer. After nearly 50 years of service, Scotland’s last coal-fired power […]

The world’s first floating wind farm is being built 15 miles off the northeast coast of Scotland.  The Hywind pilot park, expected to come online late next year, will generate enough power for 20,000 homes.  The location will take advantage of average local North Sea wind speeds in excess of 20 miles per hour. Floating […]

The Caribbean island nation of Grenada has installed a wind and solar powered off-grid streetlight.   An Irish company called airsynergy has developed the underlying technology which it calls a Remote Power Unit or RPU. The use of hybrid technology – combining a small wind turbine and a solar panel – provides the flexibility of generating […]

Food fraud means selling food products that have misleading labels, descriptions or promises that give consumers substandard, less desirable, counterfeit, and sometimes even dangerous products.  This sort of thing has gone on throughout history.  It leaves consumers feeling duped and distrustful and sometimes can lead to people eating foods that violate religious or moral values […]

Every few years many of us face a big decision: is it time to buy a new car? The trusty vehicle that has carried us so well has gotten too rusty to pass inspection or too old to assure us of its continued reliability. What vehicle choice is best for the environment? The energy it […]

People continue to find new ways to generate energy from unusual sources.  A team of scientists at several universities recently reported on a new fuel cell that uses tomato waste left over from harvests in Florida. Tomatoes are a major crop in Florida and they actually create a significant waste problem.  In fact, Florida generates […]