Many of us have been holed up inside for months now, and many of us want to get out in the world again. Personally, I’ve never wanted to be in nature more. While the general public knows of the adverse effects of such accessible technology and the positives of being in nature, the two correlate…
Tag: Environment
COVID-19: A Chance to Re-Evaluate our Approach to the Environment
Coauthored by Ashley Smith While many of us are concerned how Corona Virus will affect our health and economy in the long term, another area of our lives is being affected by the pandemic in some positive ways – our lived environment. NASA scientists are some of the people reporting their findings on the environmental…
Beef Be Gone?
In a climate change report published in October, scientists warn that if the environment isn’t being taken care of soon, by 2030 global warming could ensue some seriously harmful effects. In this report, one of the most prominent suggestions was reducing meat consumption in diets. In an article written by CNN (https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/08/world/ipcc-climate-change-consumer-actions-intl/index.html) cows in particular,…
Endangered PA Animals
Its no secret that hunting is a popular recreational activity in Pennsylvania. So much so, that the day after Thanksgiving, is reserved so that those in school are able to take a day off and hunt. There are more than 20 species, currently endangered in Pennsylvania and five are on the threatened species list. Now…
The Plastic Bank
Learn about The Plastic Bank and how it is helping to keep plastic out of the oceans all over the world. “It‘s our mission to stop Ocean Plastic by gathering a billion people together to monetize waste while improving lives. Plastic Bank is a root cause solution to prevent the flow of plastic into our oceans.” https://www.seeker.com/videos/earth/the-blockchain-solution-to-plastic?jwsource=cl
Conversations with Grandma
One purpose to learning, and increasing knowledge, is the opportunity to share this knowledge with others. Any scientific topic can be difficult to discuss because there is a baseline level of knowledge, and terminology, necessary for understanding. Regardless, there are ways to share knowledge accessibly through conversation. In an article for Yale Climate Connections, Sara…
Who should you discuss climate change with?
In the past I have considered how, for some topics, certain individuals are more easily persuaded compared to others. Karin Kirk, in her article for Yale Climate Connections, introduces the spectrum of persuadability. There is a good figure in her blog post illustrating the spectrum. As Kirk explains, the spectrum of persuadability includes the following…
Considerations for a Hydroelectric Plant in Pittsburgh
Hydroelectric dams offer a sustainable solution compared to fracking, but they are not a perfect solution. According to Rita Michel from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rye Development of Boston are looking to install a hydroelectric dam below the Highland Park Bridge. She explored some of the possible detriments to a hydroelectric dam through interviews with people…
Is Technology an Important Part of Climate Change Prevention?
Carbon dioxide is being sucked out of the air in Iceland. Should this technology be further developed? Could Carbon Dioxide removal (CDR), or negative emissions technologies, be an essential part in keeping impacts of global warming near 1.5 degrees Celsius? In the summary for policymakers section of the IPCC report there are some important insights…
But, what about soil?
Available healthy soils begin to decrease as populations in urban areas continue to increase. Anthropogenic activities are causing contamination to soils that could be used for food production and ecosystem health. Urban soils are limited in growing cities, seen in parks, urban gardens, and homeowners backyards. Forests are few and far between and the…