Science Sketches

A Bump in the Night

2009-08-07T18:38:00.004-04:00

After living in Brooklyn for four years I'm used to hearing the city sounds at night, like traffic, people talking, and dishes clattering. What I'm not used to hearing is rustling in the trees and bushes at 4 am, so when I heard just that in the garden next to our new apartment's bedroom, I got nervous. I thought my reaction was perfectly normal considering that there could be some sort of intruder mere feet away from us--in the middle of the night, no less--but when I heard branches break and crunching sounds, I realized that what I was hearing was an animal. My anxiety melted into curiosity.

I came up with the two most probable options: raccoon or opossum. A look outside didn't do much good, since it was 4 am and dark out, and even though I was squinting, my eyesight just isn't that good without my glasses. Then I tried to narrow down my choice based on what I knew about the animals. They're well adapted to human environments. They eat...and here's where I faltered. Even though I'm an environmental journalist, I really don't know much about the habits of these wild animals. How embarrassing.

My search for information led me to John Harder, a biologist at Ohio State University who did a study on opossums in New York. He told me that "raccoons and opossums are sort of common.
If you have one you probably have the other."

So what could he tell me about an opossum's diet, then? They're generalists that eat everything from earthworms to dog food. "They love dog food--of any kind," he said. People mistake them for rats because of their pointed noses, but they actually eat them. The most interesting thing about the Virginia opossums, the species most likely to live around here, Harden said, is that they're actually marsupials, more closely related to kangaroos and koalas than rodents. They climb trees and the young ones even hang from their tails, he said. And yes, they allegedly play dead, putting themselves into a coma. That's not a behavior often seen by humans, though. They're not very impressed by us, apparently.

Raccoons also eat almost anything. In addition to garbage, they eat plants, animals, eggs, and insects. They've been haunting yards in my neighborhood for years, Anne Won, told me. As the director of landscape management at Prospect Park, one of the larger parks in New York located a few blocks from my place, she's heard of them prowling the grounds.

Having them, as well as opossums, is "just natural in any city park, just like in backyards," she said. "They’re going to be opportunistic. It’s a good habitat for them." So is our garden, so if I can play a small part supporting the local wildlife, I'm happy to do so. Now I just have to find that flashlight...

DTV Transition

2009-01-22T10:28:00.004-05:00

The transition to digital television is creeping up on us, and with it the possibility of tons of electronic waste. As long as Congress doesn't postpone the switch to June, a move that the Obama administration is pushing for, the changeover will happen on February 17th.

Delaying that deadline could give state governments more time to implement e-waste recycling legislation. It could also give the federal government the chance to pass a law that makes it impossible for companies to just ship the defunct devices overseas.

To learn more about the problem (and some solutions), check out this story I wrote for Sprig.

Tired and Cranky

2008-04-25T15:10:00.005-04:00

As evening darkened to night a few weeks ago, signifying the end of a wonderful but nearly sleepless weekend, I began to feel not only my eyelids, but also my mood getting heavy. As far as I could tell, there was no obvious reason for my crankiness other than my sleep deprivation attributed to a couple of early morning flights and a busy few days.

I remember returning from sleepovers when I was little and my parents telling me that I was cranky, but at the time I attributed it to something other than fatigue (something more along the lines of Mom and Dad were being just plain mean). But I’ve noticed my temperament changing when I’ve gotten fewer than the necessary hours of shut-eye. I started to ask myself if lack of sleep could actually be making me grumpy.

To my surprise, 60 Minutes reran a piece last night that focused on that very issue. Researchers like Matthew Walker at the University of California, Berkeley found that people who don’t get necessary 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep a night have more violent mood swings than those who get that amount of sleep.

Walker found this when he and his team deprived voluntary subjects of sleep and then showed them violent images while they were in a machine that shows brain activity. They found that one area of the brain is more active when someone has gotten less sleep.

“In the sleep-deprived subjects, Walker discovered a disconnect between that over-reacting amygdala (a region of the brain) and the brain's frontal lobe, the region that controls rational thought and decision-making, meaning that the subjects' emotional responses were not being kept in check by the more logical seat of reasoning. It's a problem also found in people with psychiatric disorders,” explained t.v. journalist Lesley Stahl.

So sleep plays an important role in moderating emotional reactions. These findings could even alter treatments for people with psychiatric disorders.

There are several other important reasons to get 8 hours of sleep a night (sleep helps moderate metabolism and improves memory), which scientists are only now beginning to understand.

I used to argue that people can get used to less sleep, but that also turns out to be incorrect. It seems that people now are proud of how little sleep they get, scientists in the story admitted. Based on an American Cancer Society survey of one million Americans, people in this country get an average of 6.7 hours of sleep a night, down 15 percent from just 50 years ago. Yet less is not more in this case: sleep remains a valuable and necessary part of life, say the researchers.

Although I don’t always spend a third of my day (or night) in bed, my mood may depend on just that. So apparently your prescription was right again, Mom and Dad. To avoid being cranky after a late night, I should just take a nap.

Are You a Scuppie?

2008-04-25T14:23:00.009-04:00

When my wonderful fiancée Tim went to see an old friend of his the other day, his buddy asked if we are scuppies. A little confused, Tim asked for the definition of scuppie before answering yes or no. His friend answered with something like, "You know, a socially conscious yuppie."

Apparently I'm way behind the ball on this one. The word was coined by financial planner Chuck Failla, the author of the soon-to-be-published Scuppie Handbook. Treehugger published a post way back in March about scuppies, a number of people have already written articles on the term, and there's even a scuppie website for the book.

So what does it take to be a scuppie? Well, we unplug our power strip when we leave the apartment; we shop at the farmers' market for our vegetarian meals when we can (and bring our groceries home in our own canvas bags); we changed our lightbulbs; and we recycle. But I'm not sure that's enough.

There are also many things that we don't do, like work on a community garden, as Michael Pollan suggested in The New York Times Magazine last week. We don't offset our travel with carbon credits or anything, we don't compost, and we don't use only green cleaning products. We also eat fish (so I guess, technically, we're pescatarians).

I haven't decided if we fall into the scuppie category. After doing some thinking, I decided that there should be another term specific to the environment for people who are doing everything they can to live a sustainable lifestyle. Ecuppie? If only it didn't sound so much like a hiccup...

Melting Ice

2007-09-10T22:34:00.003-04:00

It can be difficult to envision exactly what global warming looks like. In this AFP video [no longer available] about Andean glaciers, which scientists find melted five meters this year, the narrator equates the ice and the resulting waters that flow from it to endangered species.

Although glaciers may not have the aesthetic appeal of a Siberian tiger or a giant panda, they are even more vulnerable to climate change than many species on the brink of extinction. Thankfully, researchers have developed projects like the frozen zoo and the encyclopedia of life to preserve animal biodiversity, but it is a pretty sure bet that all glaciers will fall victim to global warming. Despite their chilly reception, glaciers are some of the best indicators of climate change and while they last, they will continue to help scientists better understand our environment.

Stories of Plenty

2007-07-21T16:46:00.000-04:00

Check out the most recent issue of Plenty magazine on stands now. I also wrote two stories for the website last week. The first is on the environmental effects of crops that are genetically modified with the Bt insecticide gene, and the second is a Q&A with Alan Weisman, the author of the new book The World Without Us. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Solutions to Seltzer

2007-06-04T23:13:00.001-04:00

As the days get hotter, there are certain things that are irresistible: ice cream, cold beer, and seltzer. The only problem with seltzer is that it seems that it only comes in plastic bottles or aluminum cans.

Sure, you can recycle both of those containers, but wouldn't it be great if there was an easy way to make your own bubbly refreshment? A Grist reader asked Umbra today about recycling soda siphons, which, it turns out, can be economically and environmentally beneficial:

Once I bought the siphon, the only cost would be the charging capsules, and that would be about the same cost per quart as the bottled water.

Soda siphons might not be the first alternative I thought of the last time I guiltily purchased a seltzer water in a plastic bottle, but this summer, I just might give it a try.

Local Eating Challenge

2007-05-20T10:57:00.000-04:00

I tried eating locally for a week, which turned out to be great. But I'll admit that I made more exceptions that I originally anticipated. I still came in under my budget, but I would like to do the same challenge again to see how much money I spend in another seven-day time frame.

Here are some answers to the survey I completed after the Penny-Wise Challenge:

The hardest thing about eating locally on a budget had less to do with the budget part as much as the local part. The temptation to grab something around the corner instead of finding, buying, and transporting something local when I'm not at home can be nagging, but the price restriction was not as much of a problem.

The easiest thing was visiting the farmers' markets. I just love the experience of going to the market, searching out the foods that are fresh and in season, and buying the products from people who actually grow and harvest them.

I think that if people are willing to take the time and make the effort, they can eat locally on a budget. For me, eating locally is a challenge and at times it can be expensive. Yet it is becoming a habit at my house, which is something that I am increasingly proud of.

I will continue to incorporate local foods into my diet, especially now that more and more local foods are coming into season!

Penny-Wise Challenge

2007-04-21T18:06:00.001-04:00

This year, I've really become interested in local eating and in the 100-mile diet in particular. Most of our food travels 1,500 miles before it reaches our plates. Eating more locally can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transporting that food, it helps support local farmers, and promote seasonal eating.

To get a better idea of whether local eating is more expensive, less expensive, or just about the same (financially, of course) as eating commercially produced food, the Eat Local Challenge is organizing the Penny-Wise Eat Local Challenge. People participating in this particular challenge will try to stay within budget goals from this Monday, April 23rd through Sunday, April 29th.

Personally, I'll be trying to stay with in the two person, two wage earners budget of $144 a week. If I wasn't living with someone, my goal would be a mere $68 for the week. My definition of local is 100-mile radius of my home. Since salt, coffee, and tea aren't produced locally, I'll make exemptions for those things. Stay tuned to see how it goes!

Green Taxes

2007-04-03T19:46:00.001-04:00

Thankfully, I've already filed my 2006 tax return, but I'm even happier to report that I noticed some environmental incentives as I was punching my numbers into TurboTax.

First, there was the energy efficient improvements tax break, then the break for owning a hybrid, alternative energy, or electric vehicle. Even though there aren't that many alternative energy fueling stations yet in the United States (compared to regular gasoline stations), the industry is certainly growing.

Farmers are planting more corn this year than they have since 1944, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As the Board of Trade went wild after the agency published its prospective plantings report last Friday, an article in the Chicago Tribune explained why farmers are crazy for corn:

The move to plant corn is in large part due to a rush to produce corn-based ethanol, which is blended with gasoline. There are now 114 ethanol refineries nationwide and another 80 under construction.

So, even though I don't own a car and couldn't claim that I did on my taxes, alternative fuel cars are on the rise, which could help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels at least a little bit.

As the Worm Turns

2007-03-05T15:38:00.001-05:00

Worms are getting their day in the sun. They are finding homes in portable compost containers in apartments and even offices. There, they compost organic waste and create rich soil for planting. Even California's Integrated Waste Management Board ranked composting worms as the number two way to recycle in the office.

Not only are earth worms gaining popularity with people, but also with businesses. Some companies like TerraCycle are selling the soil that worms digest. According to an article on CNN.com yesterday, the company is cashing in on the surge in organic products--despite the lack of strict definitions of the word.

"Sales of organic products, especially food, have surged of late. But the National Gardening Association estimates just 5 percent of the $8.5 billion U.S. fertilizer and insecticide industry is all-natural, with uncertainty about what 'organic' means muddying the picture, according to experts," the article states.

Yet companies are making the move to create genuinely natural products: "That may be changing, with market researchers Freedonia Group estimating 10 percent annual growth for the organic fertilizer market, twice the projected growth for all lawn and garden goods."

It's appropriate that now companies are starting to design products because of public demand for green goods, otherwise they couldn't make a profit, but it's not like worms are some sort of new technology. At least the benefit that worms provide is finally coming to light and people can stop thinking of them simply as slimy, wiggling garden dwellers.

Bummin' Beluga

2007-02-19T14:15:00.001-05:00

About two weeks ago, the UN lifted its year-long ban on beluga sturgeon caviar. Even though countries that export the delicacy said that they would reduce the amount of caviar they caught by 29 percent, many environmentalists are still angry that eggs can be harvested from a species that could be close to extinction.

According to an article in Reuters, certain environmental protection groups think that the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is not fulfilling its responsibility by lifting the ban: "'This is irresponsible behavior by international trade officials,' said Ellen Pikitch, executive director of the Pew Institute for Ocean Science and co-founder of Caviar Emptor, a group campaigning to protect Caspian Sea sturgeon."

So what is the alternative? Some groups like SeaWeb are suggesting that people boycott the beluga eggs, which accounts for 90 percent of the world's caviar. If the population declines even more dramatically, CITES could reinstate the ban, but if a 45 percent decrease in the population from 2004 to 2005 is not enough to maintain a ban on the caviar for longer than a year, the species might not survive so swimmingly.

Toxic Technology

2007-01-24T08:18:00.001-05:00

Every time we buy a new cell phone, computer, or trade in that television for a shiny, new flat screen, we often struggle to figure out what to do with the old one. Many of these electronics contain toxic chemicals, and the fact that the parts come from all different parts of the world makes regulation difficult.

This relatively recent problem of e-waste is not ignored by the press. Outlets like Wired, the New York Times, and National Geographic have written about it for a few years now, but it still remains a growing problem.

So how do we make our technology greener and help stop the toxic electronic waste from piling up? In 2005 the European Union decided to enforce stricter standards and as a result, many new cell phones are built without chemicals like mercury and lead, according to a recent article in the Inter Press Service News Agency.

In the EU, all mobile phone companies are obligated to set up take-back and recycle programs for batteries and phones under the bloc's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive that entered into force in 2005.

Some states here in the United States are ensuring that electronics already in existence don't end up in landfills where the chemicals can seep into groundwater. So far, four states--New Hampshire, California, Massachusetts, and Maine--all approved legislation that restricts dumping of certain electronics. That leaves only...46 more states to go!

Some things that you can do include recycling your old cell phone through your service provider, waiting to take that old computer monitor out of your closet until the city sponsors an electronics recycling day like they have here in New York, or buying a recycled product. Will that be enough? Probably not, but it's a start.

Wal-Mart in Lights

2007-01-19T08:56:00.004-05:00

Wal-Mart's greening image turned to emerald a couple of weeks ago when chief executive H. Lee Scott, Jr. announced the ambitious goal of selling 100 million fluorescent light bulbs each year by 2008.

A fluorescent light bulb is an easy way for people to conserve energy, as explained by an article in the New York Times:

It uses 75 percent less electricity, lasts 10 times longer, produces 450 pounds fewer greenhouse gases from power plants and saves consumers $30 over the life of each bulb.

Now, with Wal-Mart's help, this technology could help to reduce the nation's collective energy use.

So why, aside from feeling some social responsibility, is Wal-Mart setting its sights so high and trying to sell so many of these light bulbs? Well, that's up for debate, but as James Kunstler points out in "Making Other Arrangements," an article in the January/February issue of Orion magazine, with less oil will come necessary lifestyle changes that could threaten the Wal-Mart way of life.

We're not going to run Wal-Mart, Walt Disney World, or the Interstate Highway System on solar or wind energy, hydrogen, ethanol, tar sands, oil shale, or anything else you can name. We will desperately use many of these things in many ways, but we are likely to be disappointed in what they can actually do

The more energy we conserve, the less oil we use, and the longer places like Wal-Mart will be able to survive. Regardless of the company's motivation, using less energy is an environmentally friendly endeavor. So put on your sweater and curl up by the fluorescent light.

Caviar from the Caspian

2007-01-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

Days after the New Year, the United Nations announced that it would lift the ban on caviar harvested from the Caspian Sea. The ban was in place during 2006 because the main exporting countries failed to provide information on fish stocks (check my previous post for more information). New 2007 quotas on the delicacy from sturgeon in the Caspian Sea, where 90 percent of all caviar originates, are 15 percent lower than they were in 2005.

In the early '90s, caviar production fell by over 90 percent, environmentalists estimate, because of over-fishing. In 2001, the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) began monitoring the fish stocks.

Despite the monitoring, sturgeon numbers are still declining. The Secretary-General of CITES, Willem Wijnstekers, admitted so much in a press release:

Ensuring that sturgeon stocks recover to safe levels will take decades of careful fisheries management and an unrelenting struggle against poaching and illegal trade. The income earned from the sale of sturgeon products in 2007 should provide both an incentive and the means to pursue the long-term recovery of this commercially and ecologically valuable natural resource.

The group put off the decision to lift the ban on the more expensive beluga caviar until next month so it can have more time to collect information. If they decide to remove that ban as well, there will be at least one definitive consequence--fewer baby belugas in the deep blue sea.

Eau d'Antoinette

2006-12-26T16:21:00.000-05:00

The Chateau of Versailles recently released a limited edition of the scent worn by Marie Antoinette.

A modern perfumer recreated the scent from detailed notes recorded by one of the perfumers that created scents for Marie Antoinette. Although Mademoiselle Antoinette was a "trend setter" according to one of the perfumers in a story on National Public Radio because she bathed every day, much of her court did not, so perfume was a good way to relive the nose of the distasteful odors. But the way that perfumers created Marie's aroma back in the 1700s is a little different than the way perfumes are made today.

Some components of modern perfume are synthetic. Back then they were not, so a scent like rose smells a little waxier, explains Francis Kurkdjian, the perfumer who reincarnated the fragrance. Also, the flowers used in perfume before Marie was beheaded during the French Revolution were boiled altogether, whereas now they are boiled individually before being added to the mix.

The Versailles perfume experiment was not only an experiment in chemistry, but also in history. So, while we are eating cake we might also be able to smell the complex scents of pre-revolution France.

Smart Kids Eat Their Veggies

2006-12-18T22:50:00.001-05:00

Even though most kids tell stories about hiding their Brussel sprouts in their napkins, the smartest ones often end up vegetarians.

According to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, kids with high IQs reported that they are vegetarians in adulthood.

In the study, researchers took the IQs of more than 8,000 kids who were 10 years old. Twenty years later, the researchers polled the study group to see how many reported that they were vegetarians. They found that 4.5 percent were vegetarians, and over 30 percent were vegetarians who ate fish or or chicken.

I must admit that I am in the category of vegetarians who eat fish, which many people don't consider to be a "true" form of veggie. While I agree (to a certain extent), the study showed that there was no difference in IQ between kids who turned out to be vegetarians and those who are now pesce vegetarians, as we are called, or chicken eating vegetarians. I also must admit that I know plenty of people who eat meat and are quite intelligent as well.

Drilling Decision

2006-12-12T12:14:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, as Friday night turned to Saturday morning, the Senate voted to allow offshore drilling on over eight million acres in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico.

The royalties will go to the states surrounding the gulf--Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas--so that they can invest in "coastal restoration and hurricane recovery," according to an article in the Mobile Press-Register.

In that area, experts estimate that there is enough gas to heat six million homes for 15 years, but that could be at the expense of the surrounding habitat. Opening up that area so that we can continue to feed our hunger for energy might result in oil spills and disrupted coastal ecosystems. Let's just hope that one of the worst consequences of a gulf coast spotted with rigs is an uglier horizon.

Vicky's Catalogues

2006-12-07T19:44:00.001-05:00

Two days after Victoria's Secret's annual fashion show aired on television, the company announced that it would stop using paper made from trees in threatened caribou habitat for its catalogues.

Every year, the company mails out 350 million catalogues, published by Limited Brands. For years environmental groups, like Forest Ethics tried to convince Limited Brands to change its paper sources.

Now the company, which is also the parent company of Bath & Body Works, Henri Bendel, and Express, says that at least 10 percent of the paper it uses for catalogues will come from companies using sustainable practices that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, or from recycled products.

Not only did Limited Brands help Victoria's Secret reveal its lingerie this week, it helped exposed the company as a budding, environmentally conscious company.

Manure Mania

2006-11-29T11:18:00.001-05:00

Cow manure may not be an obvious energy alternative, but it is fueling farms in Vermont. Central Vermont Public Service started a program called Cow Power, which uses methane from cow dung to generate electricity.

Methane, a green house gas that traps 20 times more heat than carbon dioxide, can significantly contribute to global warming. Trapping it and using it for fuel can help to reduce energy costs and potentially slow climate change.

Some dairy farms install a machine that scrapes floor of the barn, collecting waste from the cows. The manure is then put into a 100 degree holding tank, called an anaerobic digester, where bacteria that is naturally found in the cows’ stomachs continue to digest it like an enlarged stomach.

Over the course of three weeks, methane is collected from the manure in the sealed tank and sent to a natural gas engine where it is used to create electricity. Unless it leaks, there is no reek. And the heat from the engine helps to keep the digestion tank hot.

Some of the remaining waste is in liquid form while the rest is solid. Farmers can spread liquid over the farm fields as fertilizer. The now odorless solid can replace sawdust that is spread on the floor of the bar and used as bedding for the cows.

One cow can produce up to 30 gallons of waste a day, which can light two 100-watt light bulbs 24 hours a day, according to the website. Maybe best of all, the fuel is renewable.

Cow power not only supplies farms with energy, it can also provide energy to other institutions. Green Mountain College announced in October that it would purchase 50 percent of its energy from cow power.

Although cow manure may not be an energy alternative for everybody, it certainly is an option that doesn’t stink.

Cooling Forest Fires

2006-11-21T12:15:00.001-05:00

Scientists now think that forest fires could actually decrease global warming.

Forests absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, creating what scientists call carbon sinks. Global warming causes droughts and longer summers, so there are more forest fires, which destroy these sinks and release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. But a new study published in the journal Science shows that when there are fewer northern boreal forests, more light is reflected back into space, decreasing the absorption of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

After a northern forest burns to the ground, scientists think that evergreen forests will be replaced by deciduous forests when the earth is warmer. These deciduous saplings have lighter green leaves than mature trees, so they reflect more light. They also shed their leaves in the fall and winter, so snow that falls to the ground will also reflect more light.

How's that for an unexpected negative feedback loop? After all this talk about how global warming is going to fuel itself, this study show that we still don't exactly know all the systems in play.

Plastic Ocean

2006-11-07T10:08:00.001-05:00

The ocean can absorb heat from the sun and carbon dioxide from the air, but it can't absorb our plastic trash. A report released yesterday by Greenpeace states that plastic people threw away and was subsequently dumped into the ocean is now part of the marine environment and (surprise, surprise) is harming animals.

"Marine debris has become a pervasive pollution problem affecting all of the world’s oceans. It is known to be the cause of injuries and deaths of numerous marine animals and birds, either because they become entangled in it or they mistake it for prey and eat it," the report reads.

So what we throw away does not actually go "away" after all! It does to the extent that most people just don't see it floating in the ocean, even though a select few have observed it first hand. Carl Safina, an ecologist and award-winning writer, points out some of the dangers of garbage that he saw in the oceans in his book Voyage of the Turtle, released earlier this year.

I'm not advocating a toothbrush reuse program or anything, but I don't think it hurts to know that discarded plastics are swimming among the fish.

Fish Food

2006-11-03T10:09:00.001-05:00

If you like your sushi, you may be able to savor each bite for just a few more decades. The fish that we currently eat could be fished out by 2050, a new study published in the journal Science concludes. With each species that we fish nearly to extinction, the ecosystem deteriorates, the scientists found.

"Unless we fundamentally change the way we manage all the oceans species together, as working ecosystems, then this century is the last century of wild seafood," said co-author Steve Palumbi of Stanford University in an article published by the National Science Foundation.

The four-year study is the most comprehensive yet, the article states, including historical, observational, and experimental data. It also supports what scientists observed on a smaller scale.

The less biodiversity, the less resistant the ecosystem is to other stresses. If we protect our ocean ecosystems, however, we could extend the estimated drop-dead date. Even though we seem to be sending ocean environments into a downward spiral, the more species we protect, the healthier the ecosystem will be.

Carded

2006-11-02T11:01:00.002-05:00

Whole Foods has started selling wind cards. What are wind cards you ask? They are similar to gift cards, but instead of being redeemable for a product, they help the wind energy industry to market their product. Shoppers can buy cards in $5 or $15 amounts, representative of the cost of energy for an individual or a household per month, reported Planet Ark. The grocery store bought wind power in January to offset the company's dirty energy costs. Renewable Choice Energy, which is selling the cards with Whole Foods, provides the market with its wind power credits.

On the Renewable Choice Energy website, the company advertises a free gift card to Whole Foods if you sign up to pay for a monthly card. It is not clear, however, exactly whether the cost is meant to offset individual or household carbon emissions by purchasing clean energy, or if the money is just for industry marketing.

The idea of some sort of carbon card is not new. This summer, David Miliband, the environmental secretary of the UK, proposed a personalized carbon card system. Each UK citizen would get a certain number of carbon "points," which would be deducted depending on what that person did. Drive a Hummer and your points are spent in an instant. Thankfully, you can buy more. The system hasn't been implemented yet, so we will have to see if it works.

Regardless of the form they take, the cards are a nice reminder of what it costs to fuel the way we live, whether you buy into it or not.

People, People Everywhere

2006-10-18T23:39:00.001-04:00

The 300 millionth person to enter the United States wasn't met with any bells as whistles. In fact, even though the Census Bureau counted him or her on Tuesday, no one really knows who he or she is, or even if he or she was born in a hospital or just crossed the border.

Aside from some discussion about how the United States' population is now only behind China and India, other reports of this milestone seem to gloss over many of the issues surrounding this event like resource use, pollution, health care, and economic benefits of an expanding crowd.

Many articles on the topic are from local newspapers claiming to be the home of the 300 millionth American. Some others like Live Science do better by briefly touching on the economic benefit of a robust population. That article even mentions the fact that some goverments are fearful of decreasing numbers. But still, the view through an environmental lens is somewhat lacking.

With so much talk about countries like Germany and France that struggle to sustain their populations, the U.S., which welcomes a fresh face every 11 seconds, might benefit from another look at what 300 million really means.

Orange Plastic

2006-09-30T19:05:00.001-04:00

Shrouded in black curtains, the wonders of Wired Magazine's Nextfest displayed themselves to a (dare I say?) somewhat geeky crowd that was eager to see the latest science and technological innovations this weekend. Needless to say, I was among them.

Deep in the recesses of the giant room was the "green" section. There, standing at a small table were two young guys who were telling people that natural things like citrus fruits can make plastic.

How does this possible? Well, according to these two Cornell Ph.D. graduates, it's pretty simple. Stacked on top of each other were three clear, plastic boxes. One had a white balloon inside, representing limonene (which is found in citrus fruits) and two had red balloons, representing carbon. This molecule creates a strong plastic that is comparable to the plastics used to create things like a cup.

Apparently one company is interested in buying this technology that can decompose in a compost heap. Is it truly possible that organic things can make biodegrading plastic? One would like to think that if they can get a booth at Nextfest, anything can happen.

Nanotechnology for Water

2006-09-26T23:04:00.001-04:00

Using a technology that is virtually invisible to the naked eye, scientists may be able to make your water, and everyone else's, cleaner. Nanotechnology designed to find contaminants in water and possibly even filter it in a way that conventional technology cannot could be the wave of the future, scientists and nanotechnology advocates told me when I was reporting a story for Scienceline, my Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program's webzine (the shortest distance between you and science).

At this point, even a hard look into a crystal ball won't be able to tell us whether or not all will be well after materials are nano-sized. The government is still supporting research, but oversight committees also caution that a close eye should be trained on the possibility of unintended health effects, The Scientist also reported yesterday.

If you believe in technological innovation, however, the future looks bright. Such little things might help us go a long way.

A Legend's Discussion

2006-09-22T11:19:00.001-04:00

I know it may seem like I am obsessing a bit about E.O. Wilson, but after hearing him talk last week, I thought that other people might like to read about his presentation:

As E.O. Wilson, the Harvard entomologist, put his reading classes on to read from his book at the request of his interviewer, a hush came over the audience. Reading flawlessly, Wilson managed to captivate over 200 people after reading just two pages, enchanting the crowd with his words.

At the beginning of his new book, Creation, Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize winning author, writes to a fictional Baptist minister in Alabama, requesting that the Baptist church and its congregation get involved in protecting the earth. “If a tiny fraction could be recruited, it could tip the balance,” he said to Ira Flatow, his interviewer from National Public Radio’s Science Friday broadcast.

Wilson’s intention in writing the book was not to give his two cents about the marriage of science and religion, he explained to the crowd at the New York Public Library last Thursday. “I didn’t want to get into it,” he said. “I have too many relatives in Alabama,” he joked.

The reason that he decided to address the Baptist community, he said, was “pure and simple I wanted to save creation.” There is a natural overlap between the two groups, he explained, even though their ideologies are sometimes at odds.

Wilson doesn’t think that Intelligent Design should be taught in science class or that the scientific and religious communities must reach some sort of compromise. “There is no room for compromise,” he said. “Why would we have to compromise in the metaphysical to take action?”

The two groups come to the discussion from different perspectives, he said, and both can speak of a creation using different words. Baptists have the Bible and scientists have research. Humans see just one tiny section of the spectrum of light and can hear only certain frequencies, Wilson said. Research shows that elephants communicate at lower frequencies than humans can hear, while bats use a higher frequency than humans can hear. We can’t even feel electricity physically like some marine animals unless we stick our fingers in a socket, Wilson said. “Science is the best of what the Old Testament poets could have asked for.”

Wilson is asking the Baptist community to show concern about what is happening to the planet. He illustrated his point by quoting Billy Graham: “Just because humans have dominion over the earth doesn’t mean we have to destroy it.”

Wilson makes his eloquent request because his has seen the damage first hand. “I’m tired of going down to the tropics where I started my research and seeing one more acre of rainforest gone,” he said, leaning back in his chair. The earth’s history shows that one species in a million naturally went extinct every year. Now, because of humans, the extinction rate has gone up an order of magnitude to 1,000 and could reach 10,000 if it’s unabated, Wilson estimated.

“How awkward I feel that I and other scientists should have to plead for life. I feel like a defense attorney,” he told the audience.

Despite the seriousness of the topic, Wilson kept the mood light, telling the audience that he didn’t want to sound like a Pollyanna, but that he did think that we could turn things around. One woman in the audience expressed the effect of Wilson’s message: “Now I feel like I can get up in the morning.”

Talk Amongst Yourselves

2006-09-07T18:33:00.001-04:00

Did you ever list E.O. Wilson as one of the people you would like to invite to dinner? He's not exactly sitting at your dining table, but the web has given us the next best thing. In celebration of Wilson's new book on environmentalism and religion, Audubon magazine (where I interned this summer) is engaging him in an e-conversation with a scientist and a religious leader all this week. Check it out and decide if you agree that science and religion are a match made in heaven.

GMO No!

2006-08-22T16:40:00.001-04:00

They're invading, and not just the agriculture business. Genetically modified crops, banned by the EU and shunned by much of the environmentalist community, are starting to mingle with natural crops in the U.S.

A few weeks ago, agriculture and food safety authorities found genetically modified (GMO) rice in otherwise untainted rice bins in Arkansas and Missouri, Reuters reported. The experimental strain was concocted by Bayer CropScience, which is now testing whether the GMO strain has permeated long-grain rice ready for export.

Japan doesn't want GMO rice, and either does the EU -- two places where the U.S. exports the commodity. If the GMO strain is found in commercial supplies, the U.S. rice industry could be in for a shock. Even though GMOs don't hurt anyone, says Bayer CropScience, apparently not everyone wants to play with their food.

On the Chiquita Banana Highway

2006-08-12T12:11:00.001-04:00

Driving along the bumpy roads of Costa Rica, occasionally you come upon a rickety, one-lane bridge built by Minor Keith from the Chiquita Company at the turn of the century. According to the Lonely Planet Guide for Costa Rica (and the company's website), he built the bridges as part of the railroad that connected Puerto Limon to San Jose, but couldn’t pay the bills. He planted banana trees to feed his workforce and decided to try to sell the fruit in the U.S. Soon after the bananas were sold at markets around the world, raking in huge profits.

The success came at a price to the environment, however, and the company became notorious for environmental degradation. Now, with the help of a do-gooder within its ranks, the company has turned over a new leaf, according to a post in Treehugger. The company partnered with the Rainforest Alliance and now recycles 100 percent of its plastic bags and reduced its pesticide use by over a quarter.

It is nice to see companies changing policies because of one person who makes a difference, especially from a company known for its affect on the land it uses to profit. If only there was a BP employee that wanted to do the same…

Shrinking Stature

2006-08-03T16:18:00.001-04:00

President Bush is shrinking, reported his doctors after his physical exam on Tuesday, just like most other aging people.

In an article published on Slate yesterday, Daniel Engber explains that men usually start shrinking around 30. Unfortunately, women are not exempt.

The reason for the loss of stature is because the fluid-filled discs between the vertebrae start to lose their water, compressing over time. Then the bones have less space between them, so they press together and start to deteriorate. These factors take fractions of inches off of a person's height each year, according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Even though it may not be a comforting thought to know that you will probably shrink as you get older, at least there is an explanation. It could be worse. Your approval ratings could be shrinking, too.

Final Evidence

2006-07-31T17:24:00.001-04:00

Weather forecasters warn that New York City is going to reach a heat index of 110 degrees in the next few days, worrying everyone from energy providers to subway riders. Although a few days of searing temperatures are not necessarily evidence of global warming, the final proof is in: underwear.

Much of the scientific community agrees that global warming is not only a real phenomenon, but also a threat to humans, animals, insects, fish, and habitats (just to name a few). The evidence can be seen all over the globe, including in Greenland, Antarctica, and even California.

In Napa Valley, experts warn that the wine producing region will be too hot for grape growing by 2100, according to a study conducted by scientists from the U.S. and Italy. They (the experts) also say that ski resorts could be devoid of snow by around that time, reports Vail Daily.

Sometimes it helps to have it all laid out on the line, so it's clear just how drastically things can change. We may be late bloomers when it comes to recognizing the reality of our warming earth, but now we shouldn't be afraid to air our dirty laundry and see the truths of global warming in all their shapes and colors.

Fresh Air, Bad Lungs

2006-07-27T11:24:00.001-04:00

A breath of fresh air may not really be as satisfying anymore. Air fresheners can actually make the air harder to breathe, according to a new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. One particular Volatile Organic Compound, 1,4 dichlorobenzene, which is emitted from fresheners like room deodorizers and mothballs, was found to reduce lung function.

Other recent studies also show that things commonly found in the air can negatively affect lung capacity. Ozone levels in the atmosphere, produced by car exhaust, are higher in the summer and also make it harder to breathe, especially for children, according to a study published in June (also in Environmental Health Perspectives). Ozone action days help people recognize when levels are higher so that they can stay inside and take other precautions like driving less.

But who is really going to stop using air fresheners or stop going outside in the summer? I would venture to guess that very few people want to smell some disgusting odor when the problem can be remedied immediately. These studies and warnings help people understand why it is harder to breathe, but might not help them breathe any easier.

Beach Sickness

2006-07-19T00:21:00.001-04:00

Sometimes even the things that we love the most can make us sick - like an enjoyable meal that results in a bout of food poisoning, or that delicious wine that clouds our heads the next day. A nice day at the beach doesn't seem to fit into the same category – unless the water is contaminated.

At 28 beaches along the coast of California, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles and Stanford University found that nearly 1.5 million people could be getting sick from beaches with high bacteria counts, according to an article by the Associated Press. People who get sick experience gastrointestinal illnesses like vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. The study, which was published online in the Environmental Science and Technology journal, credits the bacteria with causing up to $414 million in health care costs.

So the next time that you pack your beach bag, just be aware that although it may be nice to squish the sand between your toes, taking a dip in the salt water may not be worth the consequences of getting water up your nose.

Mining Central America

2006-07-13T10:48:00.000-04:00

The battle between local communities and business is gaining momentum in Guatemala as a Canadian company plans to re-open a nickel mine despite fierce opposition.

Skye Resources Inc., announced that it will start mining again in 2008, according to an article published by Planet Ark. The company's exploration license covers nearly one hundred square miles, home to over a dozen Mayan Q'eqchi' communities. Mayan locals worry that the mine, which was closed in 1980 because of falling nickel prices, will pollute the surrounding forest and Lake Izabal.

Guatemala is only one country where companies looking to profit from natural resources face challenges. Last year, BBC reported that Ecuadorian tribes vowed to stop oil and natural gas companies from searching their land in the Amazon.

As the world's superpowers search for natural resources in more remote places, it may be up to local communities all over the globe to stand their ground.

Caviar Can Still Taste As Sweet

2006-07-06T21:49:00.001-04:00

Ever since most of the countries that harvest wild sturgeon caviar were banned by the UN from exporting the delicacy earlier this year, complaints have been heard around the world, but now that farmed sturgeon caviar is a thriving industry, people may start to taste the benefits of a sustainable harvest.

The branch of the UN that oversees the export of products from endangered species, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES), put a ban on the export of wild sturgeon caviar last April. The ban was instated after most of the countries that export the product failed to supply information that showed that the wild industry is sustainable. The only country to escape the ban was Iran, which is allowed to export caviar from wild sturgeon in the Caspian Sea.

Wild sturgeon “stocks have dwindled to dangerously low levels” because of over-fishing and illegal poaching, according to a press release issued by the UN in April.

A meeting held last month focused on eliminating the illegal trade of caviar. Importing and exporting country representatives met to identify solutions to illegal trade. As of July 9th, a new European Union (EU) regulation requires all caviar containers to have a label with information about the product, and all producers and processors in the EU will have to be registered.

Since the ban, sturgeon farms in California, which were not very successful when wild caviar was exported, have become lucrative. According to an article published by the New York Times, California sturgeon farms have seen a significant increase in profits in the past two years. One of the largest fish farming companies, Tsar Nicoulai, says that it has doubled its profits over the past two years.

Although experts say they can taste the difference between the wild and the farmed fish eggs, the benefits of having fish that will continuously provide such a valued product may outweigh the demands of the few people with the most sophisticated palates.

Narrative Medicine

2006-06-30T10:04:00.001-04:00

Anyone who has ever been sick has a story. People who get an illness, a disease, an ailment, seem to be more willing to discuss their experiences of unexpected results or terrible side effects, tragedy or success, and medical journalists are trying to figure out the best way to weave together the science with those stories.

“80 percent of illness can be diagnosed based on a patient’s story,” said Sandeep Jauhar at a panel discussion hosted by the Association of Health Care Journalists this week. A cardiologist and freelance writer, he and many medical journalists are taking those stories and writing them in the style of “new journalism.”

Medical journalists continue the debate about how those narratives should be incorporated into scientific stories.

A good medical story should have all the qualities of any other good story. It should be both interesting and informative and often the best way to pair those qualities is through people’s personal experiences. Readers are interested in hearing about illnesses that affect them. “You don’t have to sell people real hard on being mortal,” said Henry Finder, the editorial director of the New Yorker magazine, at the panel discussion.

In Finder’s opinion, a good story must have an A plot, the foreground of the story, and a B plot, what it means, which can both be explained with narratives. The smaller narratives are wrapped around the primary narrative of the story he said, like cutouts from the main picture. “Every piece you write is going to be, if it’s interesting, tangential,” he said.

But anecdotes are not always just about the patients, they are also about the writers. Paul Raeburn, a contributor to the New York Times Magazine, wrote a book called Acquainted with the Night, which is about his children who both have mental illnesses. “You want to step out of that wallowing in your own story,” said Raeburn at the panel, and share experiences with disease, even as the writer.

Other medical journalists don’t want to rely on the narrative. “I don’t want to write about my mother’s Alzheimer’s,” said a woman in the audience. She would rather stick with what science shows.

Every story is different, and different approaches can be equally effective, but as far as the narrative is concerned, medical journalism, like most other forms of journalism, continues to evolve and find its footing.