Photos by Brian Merchant
Today, on the coast of the Galapagos Island Espanola, I saw two birds with blue feet puff themselves up, awkwardly cuddle, and then proceed to dance around with all the grace of teenagers at a junior high dance. I had never planned on devoting an article to the mating rituals of rare, weird-looking birds. I was going to make it a point to focus solely on hot-button issues with global resonance….
A US regional interest group is positioning on environmental and energy issues - well before the January 2009 Presidential inauguration. So, the West has been heard from (see below). Now what, the New West? The South? Great Lakes States? The Coasts? The Mid-Atlantic? The Southeast? The Southwest? Red Blue and Green and In-Between States? Ya diddy yah.
Are we not one nation under the sun, in the wind, and above the geothermal, divisible over natural gas, oil and coal?
Th…
It appears that global warming has finally created its own version of the Wounded Veteran. Sitting in a puddle of himself in Buenos Aires’ Plaza Francia, a young man from Red Cross Argentina issued pleas to passers-by: not for spare change, but for action against climate change.
Tags: eco, art, activism, environmental, buenos, aires, cruz, roja, red, cross, argentina, climate, change
One of the most important developments in human civilization was the practice of sustainable agriculture. But we were not the first; ants have been doing it for over 50 million years. Just as farming helped humans become a dominant species, it has also helped leaf-cutter ants become dominant herbivores and one of the most successful social insects in nature.
Dust collected from coal-tar sealcoated parking lots in Central and Eastern U.S. cities contains concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are about 1,000 times greater than levels found in Western cities where coal-tar sealcoat is less commonly used, according to a new study.
A team of researchers from the Netherlands and Florida has found that plants that range beyond their normal distribution because of warming climates may have advantages over native plants. Global warming-induced biological invasions may represent an additional threat to biodiversity.
A Spanish research study has tested different combinations of supports and indigenous plants to determine which are the best for reducing energy consumption inside buildings. This type of roof is a “rurban,” sustainable architectural solution that will lead to a reduction in environmental and acoustic contamination levels in cities, and be visually pleasing.
The 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially comes to a close on November 30, marking the end of a season that produced a record number of consecutive storms to strike the United States and ranks as one of the more active seasons in the 64 years since comprehensive records began. A total of 16 named storms formed this season. The storms included eight hurricanes, five of which were major hurricanes at Category 3 strength or higher.
The loss of soil organic matter due to poor land-management practice threatens farmlands, and while the use for crop residues as feedstock for biomass ethanol and bio-based products increases, these materials no longer contribute to the health of the soil. Scientist have now developed a method of measuring soil quality to assure an adequate amount of soil organic matter, called the CQESTR model.
Image via apolloalliance.org.
Change is definitely in the air these days. President-elect Obama is putting together his plans for some sort of New Deal-like program, which he has said will include massive investments in building public institutions like schools, renewable energy and infrastructure.
Meanwhile, advocates for all sorts of policies are busy putting together their own proposals for the new administration in Washington. And with everyone from Wall Street traders to Detroit car makers bombarding the government w…
