Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category


Tar sands - Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Canada’s oil-drenched sands give it the second-largest oil reserves in the world. Using the “tar sands” pollutes air and water, destroys forests and could cause cancer. Should we leave oil sands alone?



Raising (Whooping) Crane - Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Ultralight aircraft are guiding crane chicks toward Florida wintering grounds. Dangers remain, but it’s a step ahead for Americas’ largest flying bird, once reduced to 21 animals.



Planetary limits: More than just global warming - Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Scientists propose 9 limits on human actions: Wrecking ozone, over-using fertilizer, killing species could block key “ecosystem services.” Are there natural limits to fresh water use and pollution?



No joke: Laughing gas attacks ozone! - Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

The ozone layer protects Earth from UV rays: Twenty-two years after a treaty to protect ozone, how is the layer doing? What has happened to the ozone hole above Antarctica?



Fertilizing the ocean - Thursday, August 6th, 2009

As Earth warms, we may need huge geoengineering projects to fight climate change. Would adding iron to fertilize ocean plants withdraw enough carbon dioxide to slow warming? Could the plan backfire?



History of fishing - Thursday, May 28th, 2009

A new study finds a surprising number of fish, birds and mammals in the oceans 100 and 1,000 years ago. Can this information help regulators slow the decline of important marine animals?



Counting birds - Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

The feds put out a massive report on American birds, and the #1 source of data is – amateurs! What is the role of amateurs in ornithology? Hint: if you want to survey 800 species on 3.5 million square miles…



Bush creates huge Pacific reserves - Sunday, January 25th, 2009

Three giant new reserves, extend 50 miles out from shore, will protect coral reefs, fish, clams, and other life forms. But how effective are marine protected areas?



Carbon tax or carbon trading? Can economics battle global warming? - Thursday, December 4th, 2008

Carbon tax or carbon trading? Can economics battle global warming? As the United Nations gets set for (another!) pow-wow on global warming, policy wonks are focusing on two mechanisms to reduce carbon pollution. Which gets more control at a lower price: carbon tax or carbon cap-and-trade?



New concern as ocean grows more acidic - Thursday, November 13th, 2008

Each hour, the ocean dissolves 1 million tons of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuel. As the water grows more acidic, sound travels further. What will happen to marine mammals, which rely on an exquisite sense of hearing?


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