Most students have heard the term “going green.” This is because there is a worldwide movement that encourages people to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Many of us now hand over reusable shopping bags when cashiers ask us “paper or plastic?” In some cities, there are carpooling traffic lanes. We have environmentally friendly clothing. We […]

Thirty, twenty-nine, maybe thirty-two? How many days until we start our summer break? If you have a fabulous summer vacation planned, you are probably aware of the exact number! Maybe you plan on hiking one of the U.S. national parks or rafting a wild river. Or perhaps your plans take you to more exotic locales […]

I recently read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. One of the issues Pollan calls readers’ attention to is the meaning of “organic.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture appears to have a clear sense of what it means to be organic. See their web page on which 12 links to organic farming-related documents appear. Most […]

Success stories in animal preservation are not very common. Since 1973 when the Endangered Species Act was passed, only 16 species of over 1,350 have been delisted. The whooping crane is not one of them, although its numbers have increased from 21 in 1941 to over 350 today. On February 22, 2009, the NYTimes.com published […]

Wind power is recognized as a clean, quiet, feasible alternative electricity source around the world. When you think of wind power, what image comes to mind? A wide expanse of undeveloped land dotted with sleek, rotating turbines? What about rooftop turbines right in the city, similar in arrangement to solar rooftop panels?
The NYTimes.com published a […]

A third of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction, according to the first-ever comprehensive global assessment to determine their conservation status. Corals produce reefs in shallow tropical and sub-tropical seas and have been shown to be highly sensitive to changes in their environment. The study findings were published July 11, 2008 by […]

No one wants to see pandas, polar bears, or penguins go extinct. Why have organizations like the World Wildlife Fund been so successful in garnering the general public’s support for their conservation efforts? Perhaps it is because we find these animals appealing on an affective level. In many people’s minds, they’re worth conserving for emotional […]

The American Association for the Advancement of Science news site, EurekAlert!, brings us this week’s topic. Increasing rates of extinctions have focused conservation biologists on finding the most effective means of preserving biodiversity. Releasing captive-bred animals is one. However, a review of 45 published studies of 17 different carnivores revealed the high mortality rates of […]