wildlife

Greenfield, Mass. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – A postcard I use as a bookmarker contains a set of principles for gardening in urban soils for minimizing risks to human health from exposure to lead and other contaminants. Developed many years ago for Boston Natural Areas Network by Dr. Wendy Heiger-Bernays, a toxicologist, and myself, […]

Biodiversity

The Serviceberry: Native American Ecology and the End of Carbon Capitalism

H. Patricia Hynes

Greenfield, Mass. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – No one wrote more powerfully about humans’ poisoning the Earth and its consequences than biologist Rachel Carson–with a focus on one contaminant, the pesticide DDT. She traced its toxicity through the food chain of nature and the loss of beneficial insects and birds, and then warned of […]

Arctic

Why we need to Transform the Arctic Ocean into a North Pole Marine Reserve

The Conversation

(The Conversation) – Kirsten Freja Young, University of Exeter and Brendan Godley, University of Exeter At the most northerly tip of the UK, looking north from the island of Muckle Flugga, Shetland, the cold wind whips up the sea and gannets dive. While biodiversity loss in the Arctic Ocean may seem like a distant issue, […]

Climate Crisis

Climate Change is making Plants less Nutritious − that could already be hurting Animals that are Grazers

The Conversation

By Ellen Welti, Smithsonian Institution (The Conversation) -More than one-third of all animals on Earth, from beetles to cows to elephants, depend on plant-based diets. Plants are a low-calorie food source, so it can be challenging for animals to consume enough energy to meet their needs. Now climate change is reducing the nutritional value of […]

Climate Crisis

Corals are starting to Bleach as Global Ocean Temperatures hit Record Highs

The Conversation

By Ian Enochs, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | – The water off South Florida is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) in mid-July, and scientists are already seeing signs of coral bleaching off Central and South America. Particularly concerning is how early in the summer we are seeing these high ocean temperatures. If the […]

Climate Crisis

How Climate Change is causing a Communication Breakdown in the Animal World

The Conversation

By Mahasweta Saha, Plymouth Marine Laboratory | – What do the following changes have in common? Some ant species are struggling to follow trails, as warming temperatures cause a certain pheromone they use to communicate to decay. The water fleas Daphnia are finding it harder to evade predators as CO₂ levels rise in the water. […]

Agriculture

Time to Dial it Back: We Humans have Exceeded the Boundaries of 80% of the Planet’s Key Systems

The Conversation

By Steven J Lade, Australian National University; Ben Stewart-Koster, Griffith University; Stuart Bunn, Griffith University; Syezlin Hasan, Griffith University; Xuemei Bai, Australian National University | – (The Conversation) – People once believed the planet could always accommodate us. That the resilience of the Earth system meant nature would always provide. But we now know this […]

Arab World

Egypt’s Nile Delta is badly polluted by Heavy Metals

Sustainability Times

( Sustainability Times ) – The Nile is one of the world’s most iconic rivers and in ancient times it gave rise to a unique cilvilization that lasted for several millennia. Yet its delta, once the heartland of Lower Egypt, could soon be no more in any recognizable form, scientists are warning. “Large-scale heavy metal […]

Oceans

“Plasticosis:” Seabirds that swallow Plastic Waste have Diseased, Scarred Stomachs

The Conversation

By Matthew Savoca, Stanford University | – As a conservation biologist who studies plastic ingestion by marine wildlife, I can count on the same question whenever I present research: “How does plastic affect the animals that eat it?” This is one of the biggest questions in this field, and the verdict is still out. However, […]