Masters of the Environment

Is your Mac a friend or foe of the environment?

2009-03-15T15:29:00.006-04:00

Would you have bought your precious iBook if you knew Apple was one of the worst performers when it came to addressing and reversing climate change? According to Climate Counts, a climate conscious consumer organization, when it comes to action on climate change, Apple ranks the lowest among 12 leading producers of electronics. IBM and Toshiba actually take the top spots.

East and West working together to understand the mind

2009-03-04T10:11:00.009-05:00

One of the more intriguing collaborations that I have found is between neuroscientists and monks. I first heard about this partnership when reading The Art of Happiness by the Dalia Lama. The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddism and one could argue for all Budhhists in the world, has chosen to embrace the science community. He became one of the cofounders of the Mind and Life

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Who Cares?

2009-02-27T13:20:00.017-05:00

Let's be honest, sometimes there's nothing more annoying than carrying around a plastic food bin leaking spaghetti sauce inside your already stuffed backpack.So, what's the harm in throwing it into your nearest trash can? Or just leaving it next to a bench in the park or on the ocean-side boardwalk? The problem is gone.Or so it appears.In the meantime, places around the world are becoming

Conversing with the Fringe

2009-02-27T12:57:00.011-05:00

Have you read The Travels of a Tee Shirt in a Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli? Whether or not you have, you would’ve enjoyed a presentation given by Rivoli on February 24 at Fuqua School of Business. The author, a business professor at Georgetown University, spoke about free trade after following a tee-shirt from the cotton farms in Lubbock, TX, to Shanghai, China, to Washington, DC, to New York,

The Price Appalachia Pays

2009-02-26T15:38:00.017-05:00

“Out of sight, out of mind” is why most Americans do not know what mountaintop removal coal mining is or that it is one of our country’s greatest environmental and human rights tragedies.In order to quickly and easily access the seems of coal in the Appalachian mountains, mining companies first strip away the forests and topsoil, then use explosives-up to 100 times as strong as those used in the

Why a ‘fart tax’ might be just a load of hot air

2009-02-25T21:43:00.014-05:00

In recent months rumors have been circulating that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a ‘fart tax’ for livestock as part of their new plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions. A similar proposal has outraged farmers in both New Zealand and Australia.Why do we care about such obscure taxes becoming a reality? Is it possible that these 'fart taxes' are just a load of hot air? (See

Costa Rica Revisted

2009-02-24T22:07:00.031-05:00

Its now been ten years. Ten years since I last stepped foot on Costa Rican soil. Fresh out of high school and still trying to find my way in life I somehow drifted down to our continental isthmus. Into a world strange but not unkind.In one week I'll be heading back down to that lush country, and I could not help but reminisce a little. I admit that I was young and naive when I first found myself

Choose Both

2009-02-23T16:53:00.001-05:00

Would you rather…You know the game, right? I hate it. But here I am, asking the question. So get ready. Squirm. Giggle. Feel awkward. Be nervous (really nervous). You can do whatever you want, but ultimately, like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, there is no choice but to play.Don’t worry. This time the question has nothin’ to do with eating gross things or kissing a hoary librarian. If you were

The China Syndrome: One (or Two) Babies, Please!

2009-02-23T15:02:00.000-05:00

Most people are aware of China’s population policy permitting each couple to have only one child in order to control the population explosion.Recently, Jonathon Porritt, who chairs Great Britain’s Sustainable Development Commission suggested to a London Newspaper, “Curbing population growth through contraception and abortion must be at the heart of policies to fight global warming and green

Goats are on the Front Lines in the Battle Against Invasive Plants

2009-02-23T14:40:00.009-05:00

A particularly rampant invasive plant species in the southern U.S. is Kudzu (Pueraria montana), a vine introduced from Asia and widely planted to combat soil erosion. Unfortunately, it now covers 7 million acres and has buried native vegetation under a thick coat of vines, choking off much-needed sunlight.So what’s the newest way people are combating the spread of Kudzu? The answer: Goats. Goat

How do we reach the people who have been mauled by shrews?

2009-02-23T11:59:00.020-05:00

Ever stepped on a yellow jacket nest? You should try it!No, really, you shouldn't. For your convenience, I present the things you should avoid in bold (excepting, of course, the word "bold").Yellow jackets love to build their nests in forest detritus, such as leaf piles and rotten logs (so watch it). They are incredibly touchy, getting upset over the least little things, like a human coming along

More Blogging Tips

2009-02-20T15:21:00.009-05:00

Some things to note as you blog:Remember that hotlinks should go within the body of your post, highlighting particular words in your sentences, not listed separately at the end. You can list additional references at the end, of course. Also, mix up your links. The best links are ones that support your claim or serve as precise reference for a specific concept. General info links (like

Live blogging at Sustainable Foods Seminar

2009-02-18T19:10:00.031-05:00

http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/people/students/orgs-farmhand-seminar.htmlYay Deb Gallagher, oh matron saint of ENV 301.25! (Deb co-advises the seminar with UNC partners)Kudos to Nicholas MEM's Cassie Ann and Gretchen7:00PM - SEED (Durham, NC) - Kavanah RamsierThey campaigned to allow chickens in the City of Durham!DIG encourages local youth to get into the whole of food process, from encouraging

Come In, We're Closed

2009-02-14T00:28:00.018-05:00

As students of the environment, we are bonded by trying to solve the largest problems of our world. But lurking in our midst, adjacent to our Nicholas School home in the Levine Science Research Center (LSRC), hides a problem of serious waste so easy but yet so difficult to fix: the perpetually shining lights at the Blue Express cafeteria. Certainly you’ve noticed. Have you been fooled as I have,

The Issue of Liberal Fundamentalists

2009-02-11T11:09:00.021-05:00

The post by the green eyed monster entitled "Defending Science from the Scientists" brought me back to my undergraduate curriculum in religion and environmental sicence and encouraged me to once again go down the dangerous road of Religion v. Science, God v. Evolution, and of course Richard Dawkins v. Anyone who will challenge him.Richard Dawkins, the well known scientist, atheist, and author of

An Elephant and the Environment

2009-02-09T17:04:00.001-05:00

There’s a story about seeing an elephant. It goes something like this…In the early days hundreds, perhaps thousands, of families loaded into canvas covered wagons and set out for the west. Can you imagine their sense of anticipation? Can you imagine their sense of discovery and potential? It must have been amazing. Amazing and epic.The epicness is where the elephant comes into the story. It’s a

“I’M NO TREE-HUGGER”: PERSISTING STEREOTYPES PREVENT THE FULL-ON ‘GREENING’ OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

2009-02-09T14:31:00.010-05:00

What comes to mind when someone says ‘environmentalist,’ or the oft synonymous word ‘tree-hugger?’ For many, these words conjure up a particular stereotype that has been traditionally associated with fringe groups. This has the unfortunate effect of marginalizing the idea of a ‘green’ way of life, and creating a perception among some groups in society that environmentalism is only for certain

Defending Science from “Scientists”

2009-02-09T13:24:00.000-05:00

Mankind's discoveries through the years of scientific exploration simply blow my mind. Although a comprehensive list of the most important scientific achievements goes well beyond the scope of a blog post, some of the most memorable moments in the history of science include:Identifying the double-helix sequencing of DNADemonstrating that God doesn’t existDescribing the basic force of plate

Earth, Wind, and Fire: Creating True Multi-Use Landscapes

2009-02-09T10:34:00.073-05:00

Despite recent winter congestion in my head, ideas about wind have been passing through on a regular basis. A proven technology with potential for exponential growth, wind power is an unobtrusive, clean energy source. And possibly a way to get more than just reductions in CO2 emissions.Opponents of wind power have argued that it kills birds (true but unsubstantial, here, here, and here), degrades

Giant Hissing Cockroach - friend or foe?

2009-02-09T01:20:00.019-05:00

My presentations with the Madagascan Giant Hissing Cockroaches at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry typically resulted in numerous shrieks from visitors.But, many guests were also surprised to learn that these non-biting insects are highly social and oftentimes hiss to attract mates or defend their territory. So, what is it about these creatures that makes them initially appear

What's on your dinner plate?

2009-02-08T23:53:00.019-05:00

Which is worse for global warming-the fork or the SUV? To many the answer seems obvious—we all know how fuel efficient those Dodge Durango and GMC Yukons are.But the answer is actually the fork, at least when that fork is being used to eat a big slab of meat. Our meat-heavy western diet is heating up our climate in a big way. A 2006 United Nations report that received little media attention, “

Is the Renewable Fuel Mandate Reasonable?

2009-02-08T23:29:00.007-05:00

Given the well-documented energy price increases in 2008 and our very uncertain energy future, the Renewable Fuel Mandate, passed by Congress as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 needs to be reconsidered. This legislation requires a gradual ramping up of ethanol production, from the current 10 billion gallons to a total of 31 billion gallons by 2022, in an effort to achieve

The Future of Oz: Wildfires, heat waves, and climate change

2009-02-08T22:48:00.011-05:00

During the 18 years I spent growing up in Perth, Western Australia, I never experienced Christmas with a “real” Christmas tree. We used a plastic tree (as did many other families) for fear that our house would catch on fire in the intense summer heat.That fear has become a reality for many in recent months after Australia’s latest wildfires – the worst in the nation’s history - killed over 180

Is Environmentalism a Religious Issue?

2009-02-08T15:28:00.011-05:00