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How Universities, Students Can Help the World Achieve SDGs by 2030
For years, the United Nations and its member states have been striving to create a world that is more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable for all. In 2015, they set 17 specific goals, named the “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs), and provided the world’s countries with guidance on how to achieve them by 2030. The goals,… Read More
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Wastewater is an Asset – It Contains Nutrients, Energy And Precious Metals, and Scientists Are Learning How to Recover Them
Most people think as little as possible about the wastewater that is produced daily from their showers, bathtubs, sinks, dishwashers and toilets. But with the right techniques, it can become a valuable resource. On average, every Americans uses about 60 gallons of water per day for purposes that include flushing toilets, showering and doing laundry.… Read More
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Small Streams and Wetlands Are Key Parts of River Networks – Here’s Why They Need Protection
The Trump administration is proposing to redefine a key term in the Clean Water Act: “Waters of the United States.” This deceptively simple phrase describes which streams, lakes, wetlands and other water bodies qualify for federal protection under the law. Government regulators, landowners, conservationists and other groups have struggled to agree on what it means… Read More
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Can Genetic Engineering Save Disappearing Forests?
Compared to gene-edited babies in China and ambitious projects to rescue woolly mammoths from extinction, biotech trees might sound pretty tame. But releasing genetically engineered trees into forests to counter threats to forest health represents a new frontier in biotechnology. Even as the techniques of molecular biology have advanced, humans have not yet released a… Read More
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How (and Why) to Stay Optimistic When It Feels Like the Environment is Falling Apart
Humans love optimism. It’s a no-brainer – optimism makes us feel good and wanting more. This attraction has deep neurological roots that affect both our brain functions and how we process new information. For this reason, optimism is powerful. Optimistic individuals or groups frequently perform better in sports, are better negotiators in business, and recover… Read More
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Listening to Nature: How Sound Can Help Us Understand Environmental Change
Our hearing tells us of a car approaching from behind, unseen, or a bird in a distant forest. Everything vibrates, and sound passes through and around us all the time. Sound is a critical environmental signifier. Increasingly, we are learning that humans and animals are not the only organisms that use sound to communicate. So… Read More
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Aquariums Take Stance Against Atlantic Coast Oil and Gas Explorations
A group of major public aquariums has announced its strong opposition to the federal government’s pending permits that would allow frequent seismic blasting to search for oil and gas along the East Coast. Such seismic blasts are damaging to many marine animals’ critical life functions, such as their ability to find mates and look for… Read More
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Forest Snowpack Decline Could Stunt Tree Growth, Impact Animal and Human Life
Climate change could drastically reduce winter snowpack in forests across the northeastern United States, creating a cascade of problems for the ecosystems of affected forests as well as human populations living in those areas, according to a new study. Drawing on over 60 years of data showing winter snowpack declines at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest… Read More
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New Report Links Climate Change to Health Problems, Premature Death
According to the United Nation’s World Meteorological Organization, 2018 has marked the fourth hottest year on record for the Earth. Despite some who still may disagree, the World Weather Attribution Study for northern Europe showed that this summer’s heat wave was twice as likely to have happened as a result of man-made climate change. Of… Read More
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Over 200 Worldwide Leaders’ ‘Call to Action’ to Reduce Biodiversity Loss
A group of more than 200 leaders representing global financial institutions, governments and corporations from around the world have jointly released a “Call to Action,” calling for the international community to heighten efforts to protect biodiversity, reduce biodiversity loss, and improve the standards of biodiversity mitigation efforts. The “Call to Action” was released by the… Read More
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The News You Missed Over the Weekend
Blame local news for polarization; atmospheric spray as a method to limit global warming; superheroes inspire compassion; new insight to saving reefs. [divider] Loss of local news responsible for political polarization Local news is struggling to survive, and that has contributed to increased political polarization in the U.S., researchers from Louisiana State University (LSU) find.… Read More
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Study Shows Increased Public Interest in Conservation
Despite popular belief, the public is becoming more interested in conservation, Princeton University researchers find. This rise in interest comes at a pivotal time, as climate change, pollution, overexploitation and changes in land use continue to drive plant and animal species to extinction. While increased awareness about any environmental issue is generally a good thing,… Read More
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Conservation Areas Help Bird Species Prepare for a Warming World
Conservation areas can help bird species adapt to climate change and stay closer to their native habitats, researchers in Finland find. The researchers looked at changes in the abundance of bird species both inside and outside conservation areas over the last 50 years. They found that as habitats grow increasingly threatened by the warming climate,… Read More
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Why Marine Conservation Efforts Must Include Seagrass
As coral reefs continue to decline, it is becoming increasingly important to turn conservation efforts towards seagrass meadows, researchers urge. Coral reefs have a long history of supporting many of the ocean’s organisms, and nearly 500 million people worldwide rely on coral reefs for food and income. But climate change, overfishing and alterations in land… Read More
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New Tool Can Help Save More Species From Extinction
Researchers from Arizona State University have developed a tool that can help conservationists properly allocate their funding to save the most species possible. While trying to save every species seems like a no-brainer, a lack of funding has made it extremely difficult. The number of species on the endangered list is piling higher than the… Read More
