My friends are starting to show irritation every time I spout off about what’s going on in my terrarium. When I finally take a breath, they ask if I’ve blogged about it yet. No, I say. Lately, I haven’t seen anything in there. It’s odd. The springtail population almost completely died off shortly after two new additions to the tank. On that note, meet Spiro, one of the two new additions.
When involved in a discussion about global climate change, have you ever heard someone declare “Small changes won’t do anything. We need fundamental systematic change!” Or how about, “The public should not be held responsible. [Insert hypothetically guilty party like industry, gov’t] needs to be accountable!” Statements like these are discouraging and not always true. Today I bring good news. There are ways for everyone to be a part of the solution that don’t involve a world-wide revolution. Here are a handful of suggestions written by scientists and other change-makers across the globe that came together to create “Project Drawdown” – the most comprehensive plan ever to reverse global warming.
If you follow my blog for a while, you may notice that I like alliteration. Sustainable Cities, World Water Day, Blowing Bubbles, SU-mmer Studies, Camping in Cuba, Warka Water, and now this post all have snappy titles that elicit a certain response. The feeling that my plant problems evoke is not good. There are times when I’ve prided myself for having a green thumb, but when issues with my houseplants arise from the abyss I question my ability to handle plants whatsoever.
Unlike everything else, my golden pothos is thriving.
I relish Google advertisements during the New Year’s Eve show because they usually remind me what went on in the world for the past 365 days. This past year was a blur. Here are some of the environmental goings-on that I can recall- good and bad.
Image from TIME by Ami Vitale – National Geographic Creative.
Shot hole disease. Pic from tree and ladder blog.
Deforestation is a daunting issue that seems to be a consequence of human existence. Not only are trees harvested for timber and fuel, but also clearing trees allows us to build shelter and create infrastructure that will improve our quality of life. Many people see reforestation as the solution to all environmental problems. Trees are expected to serve humanity while also negating the ugly effects of industrialization. That’s a lot of pressure to place on a single organism. First, let’s explore the reasons why deforestation occurs.
Oh, how I miss having a back yard. Living in an apartment complex has limited my ability to do back yard things such as reading a book in a lawn chair, or picnicking without having to take an elevator down ten flights and bike to the nearest park. Some days I explore the bike paths around town to see all the green and brown and blue that surrounds this city. Other days, I prefer the view standing still instead of whizzing by me in a blur of color. I still want a back yard, but the flower garden and nearby lake are passable substitutes. Continue reading
Mountain Lion, Torres del Paine, Chile by Gregoire Dubois. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The time has come for the second post in the collaborative blog series “Pumas in the Eastern United States”. This article was written by Josh Gross from The Jaguar and I encourage you to follow his blog and learn about his work on big cats. Let’s begin.
On June 11, 2011, a car traveling along the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut hit an animal that was crossing the road. But this was not a creature that Connecticut motorists were used to encountering: it was a puma (AKA mountain lion, cougar, or Puma concolor). Continue reading
