Across the world, countless trees, shrubs, and algae perform photosynthesis, where sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water are turned into organic matter by a series of complex chemical reactions. Perhaps you had to memorize some of the steps for a high school biology class. As a process that takes CO2 out of the air and can …
Category Archives: Environment
Researchers Create Foster Care for Macaw Chicks
Macaws are large parrots found in central and South America that can live up to 60 years in the wild or 80 years in captivity. Most species of macaws that exist are endangered or under threat of endangerment. The main threats to the birds are habitat destruction and being captured for the international bird trade. …
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Sembrando Vida: Mexico’s Agroforestry Incentive Program
Agroforestry is the practice of planting trees or shrubs along with crops in a single field. This practice reduces soil erosion and can provide shade for crops. Furthermore, agroforestry can preserve the fertility of soil by mimicking a natural ecosystem instead of a monocrop field. The need for pesticides and fertilizers is likewise reduced on …
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Cicadas in the Midwest (For Those Who Are Curious)
If you live in the Midwest US, this blog will not be news to you. But for anyone not in the know, a remarkable event is happening spring and summer in the middle states. Billions, or perhaps even trillions, of cicadas have now crawled from the ground and are screaming in the trees. But this …
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Growing Popularity of Grass Alternatives
What is America’s biggest irrigated crop? Is it wheat, soybeans, or possibly corn? In fact, it is grass. Turfgass lawns are present in neighborhoods, suburbia, and golf clubs across the US. Although corn is more widespread than lawns in the US (80 million acres versus 40 million acres, respectively), corn is rarely irrigated, whereas grass …
Almost A Year since the East Palestine, Ohio Disaster
On 5 February 2023, fifty cars of a train derailed in East Palestine, an Ohio town near the border of Pennsylvania. The train cars contained, among other things, vinyl chloride, a substance that raises the risk of developing several types of cancers. The derailment caused an enormous fire that required the evacuation of a three-square …
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Yosemite National Park to Require Reservations in 2024
For years, visitors to Yosemite National Park have experienced severe traffic jams when driving into the park. Those wishing to see this treasure of the US can often expect to wait for multiple hours to get to a parking spot. According to the National Park Service, Yosemite receives over 4 million visitors a year, and …
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Hydrogen Trains: India and Elsewhere
Hydrogen trains are those that use the element hydrogen as their source of fuel. The hydrogen generates electrical energy in a fuel cell when oxygen is added, and steam containing water vapor is the only output. Electrolysis, or the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen, is the process used to obtain the hydrogen for …
Fusion Energy Breakthrough in July
On 30 July 2023, scientists at the US’ California-based National Ignition Facility (NIF) produced a fusion reaction that produced more energy than it consumed, leading many to renew speculation as to whether using fusion as an energy source is possible. Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms collide to form a heavier atom. For instance, two …
What Does the US Fish and Wildlife Service Do?
Many Americans are familiar with the activities of the National Park Service, but there are several other major agencies in the US that oversee various aspects of the environment. One such agency is the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The USFWS can trace its roots back to the late 1800s. In 1871, Congress created …
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