The New York Times – What do Covid-19, Ebola, Lyme and AIDS have in common? They jumped to humans from animals after we started destroying habitats and ruining ecosystems. “…There is much we don’t know about the origins of the ongoing pandemic and some details that we may never learn. Though genetic sequencing currently indicates… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Environmental Law
A Glimpse at the Faces Behind Scientific Illustrations
The Fisheries Blog: “The fields of art and the sciences are intimately combined. The detailed illustrations by artists and scientists, that back up years worth of scientific research describing new species, anatomy and behavior, complex processes, and new technologies, make a huge impact on the transfer of knowledge and understanding of these systems to interested… Continue Reading
2035 Report – Renewable Energy Costs & Our Clean Electricity Future
“The United States can deliver 90 percent clean, carbon free electricity nationwide by 2035, dependably, at no extra cost to consumer bills and without the need for new fossil fuel plants, according to a study released today from the University of California, Berkeley. The study also finds that without robust policy reforms, most of the… Continue Reading
Paper – The importance of street trees to urban avifauna
The importance of street trees to urban avifauna, Eric M. Wood and Sevan Esaian 11 June 2020 Ecological Applications 2020 e02149: “Street trees are public resources planted in a municipality’s right‐of‐way and are a considerable component of urban forests throughout the world. Street trees provide numerous benefits to people. However, many metropolitan areas have a… Continue Reading
How more lanes and more money equals more congestion
Transportation for America – “In an expensive effort to curb congestion in urban regions, we have overwhelmingly prioritized one strategy: we have spent decades and hundreds of billions of dollars widening and building new highways. We added 30,511 new freeway lane-miles of road in the largest 100 urbanized areas between 1993 and 2017, an increase… Continue Reading
Over 1,000 metric tons of microplastic particles fall into 11 protected areas in western U.S. each year
Wired – Plastic Rain Is the New Acid Rain – Researchers find that over 1,000 metric tons of microplastic fall on 11 protected areas in the US annually, equivalent to over 120 million plastic water bottles: “Writing today in the journal Science, researchers report a startling discovery: After collecting rainwater and air samples for 14… Continue Reading
Trump trashes 50-year-old environmental law, blames coronavirus
grist – “With the nation’s eyes on ongoing protests for racial justice (not to mention a seemingly endless public health crisis), last week President Trump signed an executive order that would waive key requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The landmark 1970 law requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of proposed… Continue Reading
Sowing seeds of happiness: Emotional well-being while home gardening
Princeton Environmental Institute: As civic leaders and urban planners work to make cities more sustainable and livable by investing in outdoor spaces and recreational activities such as biking and walking, Princeton researchers have identified the benefit of an activity largely overlooked by policymakers — home gardening. The researchers found that, across the study’s population, the level… Continue Reading
Waterloop – focusing on the importance of water
“Water is vital to our health, communities, environment, and economy. But there are tremendous challenges to the quality and quantity of our water. Public awareness, concern, and action on water must increase. waterloop aims to be part of the solution by presenting conversations and commentary in a podcast about water in our lives and on our planet.… Continue Reading
Weather and water quality for 7,000 Beaches
“Swim Guide is a website and smartphone app for iPhone® and Android. It helps you easily find your closest beaches, know at a glance which ones are safe for swimming, and share your love of beaches with friends and family. Swim Guide delivers free real-time water quality information for over 7,000 beaches, lakes, rivers, and… Continue Reading
HelpMeFind.com Plants
HelpMeFind.com: “A website devoted to roses, clematis and peonies and all that is gardening related, including selecting, buying, breeding, caring for and exhibiting. We have cataloged over 54,000 plants and have more than 170,000 photos along with thousands of Plant nurseries, public and private gardens, Plant societies, authors, breeders, hybridizers and publications from all over the… Continue Reading
Covid-19 Hits Conservation Efforts
UNDARK: Researchers behind habitat restoration and wildlife protection groups are struggling to continue work amid the pandemic. “..Across North America, Africa, and elsewhere, conservation efforts that keep delicate ecosystems in check are struggling as the Covid-19 pandemic keeps many people confined to their homes. There are no tourists, who help fund a range of projects.… Continue Reading
