Mounting archaeological evidence is revealing that modern lions may have roamed free in Southeastern Europe—overturning long-held assumptions about art and […]
A decade ago, United Nations members crafted an agreement to curb the loss of biodiversity. We’ve failed miserably, but all […]
More…
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
Are we in the midst of a sixth mass extinction?The Scientist, Jul 2022. Today’s extinction rates are sky-high. But scientists debate if that’s sufficient evidence to conclude that Earth is undergoing a mass extinction event—or whether that’s even a helpful designation.
Scientists can’t agree about Chernobyl’s impact on wildlife. Knowable Magazine (republished by Inverse), Feb 2022. Is Chernobyl a radioactive wasteland reeling from chronic radiation, or a post-nuclear paradise with thriving populations of animals and other life forms? Studies don’t always agree about levels of mutations and other ill effects.
The last wild lions of Europe. Sapiens (republished by The Atlantic, Atlas Obscura), Jan 2022. Mounting archaeological evidence is revealing that modern lions may have roamed free in Southeastern Europe—overturning long-held assumptions about art and mythology in the process.
The human right that benefits nature. BBC Future, Mar 2021. More than 100 constitutions across the world have adopted a human right to a healthy environment, often serving as a powerful tool to protect the natural world.
Seventeen “extinct” European plant species found alive. The Scientist, Mar 2021. Plant species officially reported to be lost are in fact persevering in the wild, in seed banks or botanical gardens, or as other species now recognized to be taxonomic synonyms.
Can rewilding predators regenerate ecosystems?The Scientist, Nov 2020. As some conservationists and researchers begin to return large carnivores to areas where they once roamed, scientists intensify efforts to study the ecological roles of predators.
Fly through the caves. BATS Magazine, Mar 2020. How LIDAR imaging technology helps scientists protect bats.
Amidst UK pollinator declines, migrant hoverflies are doing well. The Scientist, Jun 2019. A decade-long study tallies the numbers of pest-eating, flower-pollinating hoverflies that travel to the UK every year, and illustrates their important ecological roles in southern Britain.
Canary in the coal mine. Blue Ridge Outdoors, Aug 2018. Scientists are starting to observe some concerning impacts of fracking on local wildlife in Appalachia.
Fish poop a big player in ocean carbon sequestration. The Scientist, Oct 2021. A modeling study estimates that by drastically reducing fish biomass over the past century, industrial fishing may be affecting ocean chemistry, nutrient fluxes, and carbon cycling as much as climate change.
Does protecting the sea harm fishermen? It’s complicated. The Counter, Apr 2020. President Obama created some of the world’s largest protected marine reserves, a decision long protested by the fishing industry. Yet some are hopeful that these no-fishing zones may actually help fishermen in the long run.
Climate change is altering the chemistry of wine. Knowable Magazine (republished by The Atlantic, Ars Technica), Jun 2022. Warming, wildfires and unpredictable weather threaten to disrupt the delicate processes that underlie treasured wines. Researchers and producers are innovating to keep ahead.
How unseasonal winters affect our minds. BBC Climate Emotions, Feb 2021. For those who grew up marveling at snowflakes or hurtling downhill on a sledge, how do you adapt to a world where these joys are growing increasingly few and far between?
The daring plan to save the Arctic with glass. BBC Future Planet, Sep 2020. The fear that action to combat climate change has been too slow has led some scientists to test unconventional methods to stem the loss of Arctic sea ice.
Green energy’s dirty side effects. Foreign Policy, Jun 2020. The global transition to renewables could lead to human rights abuses and risks exacerbating inequalities between the West and the developing world.
Could geoengineering projects help tackle climate change?Deutsche Welle, Jan 2020. A range of technologies — loosely defined as ‘geoengineering’ — are being explored as responses to climate change. Yet their effectiveness, and whether they should be implemented at all, is debated among scientists.
A tale of two ballot measures. Grist, Nov 2018. Why Nevada upped its renewable energy standards (and Arizona didn’t)
Warming seas kill coral – but some are beginning to resist the heat. New Scientist, Aug 2018. Repeating an experiment 47 years after it was originally carried out has revealed some rare good news about coral reefs – some species appear to have become significantly better at surviving temperature increases.
Southern discomfort. Grist, Aug 2018. Solar panels could flood sunny Alabama with cheap, clean power. What stands in the way?
Researchers find flaws in high-profile study on trees and climate. The Scientist, Oct 2019. Four independent groups say the work overestimates the carbon-absorbing benefits of global forest restoration, but the authors insist their original estimates are accurate.
Deforestation tied to changes in disease dynamics. The Scientist, Jan 2019. Numerous studies link habitat destruction to malaria and other vector-borne diseases, but the relationship isn’t always clear.