Can California’s New Sustainable Groundwater Management Plan Turn the Tide on Drought?
It looks like the state of California is heading towards another parched dry season. Measurements taken by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) at the start of April (when the state’s snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountain range is normally at its peak) revealed that the amount of precipitation during the wet season was as much as 40% lower than average this year. Since California’s groundwater supplies are supposed to be replenished from the melting snow from the mountains, the DWR Director Karla Nemeth is forecasting another “critically dry year” for the state.
Read full storyEat Sea Urchin, Help Save the Pacific Coast!
Take a dive beneath the water along Northern California’s coast, and you will be surprised to find a carpet of purple. This strange sight is the result of billions of sea urchin taking up residence along California’s shores over, with devastating effects on the local marine ecosystem. And it’s due to a combination of factors, primarily precipitated by manmade global warming.
Read full storyTampa Bay’s Manatees in Danger Following Piney Point Leak
Last week, more than 300 residents living near the abandoned fertiliser plant at Piney Point, were ordered to evacuate their homes because one of the plant’s wastewater reservoirs had sprung a leak, and was releasing hundreds of millions of gallons of contaminated water into Tamp Bay. While local officials were initially concerned about the effect of the gushing wastewater on human life – given that it was potentially radioactive – the affected households have since been able to return to their homes, as the authorities have sought to reassure everyone that the water was merely acidic (with high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus) and not radioactive, as originally feared.
Read full storyThe Keystone XL lawsuit will be a test case for the environment
On March 17, the attorney generals of Texas and Montana, together with 19 other Republican-leaning states, filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, challenging the President’s unilateral revocation of cross-border permits for the Keystone XL pipeline extension.
Read full storyNorth Carolina District Judge Grants Reprieve for Red Wolves in Landmark Wildlife Conservation Ruling
Unless you work in wildlife conservation in eastern North Carolina, chances are you have not heard of – much less seen – a red wolf. With their russet-coloured coat and lean figures, these canids look more akin to coyotes than their gray wolf cousins and prey on small animals such as rabbits, rodents and raccoons.
Read full storyMiami Beach gets ready for a environmentally-motivated makeover – by saying goodbye to its iconic palm trees
When we think of Miami Beach, we think of sun, surf and – of course – palm trees. But according to a recent article published in the Miami Herald, local officials have agreed a long-term plan that will see city undergo a makeover over the next 30 years that will see a significant reduction in the number of palm trees. The plan is motivated by several considerations, most of them linking back to climate change… and unfortunately, palm trees fall short in several key categories.
Read full storyHow Our Growing Fondness for Meat is Damaging the Planet – And What We Can Do to Fix It
Let’s face it – Americans are a nation of carnivores. While there has been a growing shift towards plant-based diets in recent years, as a whole, Americans are still consuming more than the recommended amounts determined by the USDA. In fact, in 2018, the country set a new record not only in terms of the amount of meat that it consumed, but also in the amount of meat that it produced.
Read full storyElectric cars are not as green as we think - but they are getting better
As our world speeds irrevocably closer to the global warming tipping point, many of us are consciously choosing to buy local, switching to plastic free and generally thinking more about our consumer choices in order to minimise our carbon footprint. This eco-conscious consumerism can be seen in the car industry as well, with many buyers choosing electric vehicles over their ‘dirty’ petrol or diesel counterparts in the belief that such choices will help create a cleaner planet. In reality, however, the picture of the electric car is not as green as many in the industry would have you believe.
Read full storyThe case of Texas highlights how unprepared we are for the effects of climate change
Global warming is supposed to raise the Earth’s average temperature, leading to warmer weather all around, right?. While scientists have been warning us for decades that the copious amounts of greenhouse gases that we have been pumping into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution will cause a spike in global temperatures, the commonly raised consequences of melting ice sheets, rising sea levels and more severe droughts are only part of the story.
Read full storyEurope is revisioning its urban spaces – the US should follow suit
America is often thought of as the land of the car. In 2020, the country had 287.3 million cars registered, against a total population of 332.2 million. That equates to roughly 865 cars per 1,000 people.
Read full storyWhy Showering Less is Better for You and for the Environment
If you are like most people, you probably take a shower at least once a day. Whether it’s to help you wake up in the morning, to relax you after a long day, or simply to wash away unwanted sweat and odour, having regular showers is an ingrained part of our daily routine.
Read full storyElon Musk puts money on carbon capture and storage in fight against climate change – but is he backing the right horse?
Last week, billionaire entrepreneur and world’s richest person, Elon Musk announced on Twitter that he is co-sponsoring the “largest incentive prize in history” to encourage the development of innovative carbon capture technologies in an effort to stem – and even reverse – the effects of man-made global warming by 2050.
Read full storyIkea is leading the way in making cheap furniture more sustainable – other retailers should follow suit
Last October, the self-assembly furniture giant Ikea announced that it will roll out a new sell-back scheme in order to improve its green credentials and reduce the amount of cheap furniture that ends up in landfill.
Read full story6 Ways to Make Your Wardrobe More Sustainable
Do you have more clothes in your wardrobe than you will ever wear? Do you tend to jump on the bangwagon of the latest fashion-trend only to find that you only wore the item twice? You are not alone...
Read full story3 Ways to Give Your Old Clothes New Life
Like most people, you probably have clothes languishing at the back of your wardrobe that you have only worn once or twice. But when it comes time to clean out your wardrobe, what do you do with the clothes that you have decided you will never wear again? Here are three simple options!
Read full story3 Reasons Why You Should Rethink Your Reliance on Synthetic Clothing
Since their invention in the 1930s, the use of synthetic fibres in clothing has taken the fashion world by storm. In 2015, it was estimated that 60% of all clothes were being made of the stuff, and that figure was only expected to increase, pushing naturally derived fibres out of favour.
Read full story4 Eco-Conscious Products for your Kitchen
In our quest for convenience, we have invented many products and gadgets to make our lives easier in the kitchen. With the help of fridges and freezers, we can slow down the degradation of food, allowing us to enjoy food for longer. Microwaves and kettles allow us to heat food and water in minutes, while smart ovens cook our food to perfection.
Read full story6 Ways to Reduce Your Food Waste
For many of us, the kitchen is the heart of our home. It may be a cramped little space just big enough for a stove and a sink where you make your morning brew. Or you may be lucky enough to have a cavernous open-plan space with all the latest mod-cons to let loose your inner Gordon Ramsay. Whatever set-up we may have, the kitchen is a place where we cook, eat, talk, work, and ruminate.
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