Category Archives: Science

Monsanto or Organic? Who to trust with your food


(Sources and much more info, linked below this text)
In putting together this infographic (I have a larger version of the image if anyone wants it) it struck me that nearly all of the Monsanto endeavors I chose to highlight here, rode the same wave of public opinion. In regards to nuclear weapons, DDT, PCBs, Agent Orange and aspartame the talking point was that each was beneficial to America/Americans. It wasn’t until time (life’s best teacher) taught us that these were all highly toxic and deadly endeavors with the same two outcomes. People got sick/died and Monsanto got rich.
I am confident that GMOs will (eventually) follow suit.

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Also posted in Food, Green Cartoons | Tagged , , , , , , | 0

Tea Party Panda Bears

More info on Panda Poop Biofuel

From Grist: Panda poop could revolutionize biofuels
From the American Chemical Society: Panda poop may be a treasure trove of microbes for making biofuels
Grist again: Even Tea Partiers don’t think environmental protection kills jobs

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Also posted in Ecology, Green Cartoons, Nature, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , | 0

Protected Areas Aren’t Cutting It: Species Still Declining Despite Conservation Efforts

Extinct bird species by Barbol via flickr

Do you love conservation areas and protected landscapes as much as I do? If so, I’m sorry to tell you the bad news, but they won’t be enough to conserve and restore global biodiversity.

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Also posted in Animal Welfare, Biodiversity, Climate, Conservation, Ecology, Nature | Tagged , , | 0

Conservation International Opens Mekong Turtle Conservation Center

Photo via Conservation International Cantor’s Turtle Conservation Project. © Sun Yoeung/Conservation International.

The Cantor’s giant soft-shell Turtle, one of the world’s largest and rarest freshwater turtles, has hope for rebounding, all thanks to Conservation International (CI)’s effort to launch the Mekong Turtle Conservation Centre in Cambodia.

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Also posted in Biodiversity, Community, Conservation, Ecology, Lifestyle, Nature | Tagged , | 0

Sustainability for Undergrads: What One Oregon State Teacher is Doing to Inspire Action

Photo of Oregon State University by Ayric Andy via flickr

Summer term at Oregon State University’s Geology 300 (Sustainability for the Common Good) is a condensed four week course. For the students, this means four days a week of class time and a few out of class projects that end just quickly enough so that not much of summer is lost. For the instructor, simply called Julie, it means frantically cramming everything she can into four weeks to ensure her students not only access course work, but also retain it.

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Also posted in Community, Conservation, Culture, Lifestyle | 0

‘Thinking’ Like a Climate Skeptic

More on the cooling sensation of coal emissions

From Treehugger: Without China’s Coal Burning The Hottest Decade On Record Would’ve Been Even Hotter
From The Independent: China’s power stations generate ‘future spike’ in global warming
From Grist: How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic

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Natural Gas Drilling: Recent Study Makes Headlines

Photo by hudsonriverkeeper via flickr

Opposition to the natural gas industry is celebrating after a recent study out of Duke University demonstrated that proximity to natural gas drilling increases the risk of methane contamination of in Pennsylvania and New York. Meanwhile, industry representatives claim that the study is an example of poor science, merely highlighting a few bad well casings, proving that fracturing is indeed a safe process.

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Also posted in Conservation, Ecology, Energy | Tagged , | 0

Shark DNA “Zip Codes” May Help Prevent Shark Finning

Photo by richard ling via flickr

When beginning my education in ecology, one of the first things I learned about was shark finning. This brutal practice of killing sharks for only their fins is common in many Asian countries, but may be halted thanks to genetics.

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Hippo Inspires Army of Little Eco-Warriors

Denis Thomopoulos of Hippo Works. Photo by Donna Kohut.

It is never too early to educate and empower future environmentalists — and writer, educator, cartoonist, Denis Thomopoulos, is leading the way with his latest creation, Simon Says, “Let’s Stop Climate Change!” His work is attracting attention from the likes of author Mark Herstgaard and he has been featured at the Green Festival as it travels around the country.

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San Francisco’s Green Festival: A Network of Revolutionaries

Art by iluvmyplanet.org. Photo by Donna Kohut.

If it is your first time attending the Green Festival in San Francisco, the immersion into a fast-paced marketplace can be a bit overwhelming. But as I discovered, if you just take in a deep breath, go with the flow, and take some time to listen to speakers and enjoy some amazing vegan food, the holistic vision of the festival will emerge.

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Also posted in Biodiversity, Climate, Community, Conservation, Culture, Ecology, Energy, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 1