Bezos envisions moving polluters to outer space Caption: Artist concept of 3D printing with cementitious materials on the Moon. Credit: Greg Trent, Surface Construction. Dear EarthTalk: Is so-called “Off-Earth Manufacturing” really the environmental panacea that Jeff Bezos and other proponents say it is? — M. Traney, Smithfield, RI In July 2021, Richard Branson rocketed into suborbital […]
Caption: “Pips” of Rogue Detection Teams was able to find larvae and larval poop of the endangered checkerspot butterfly for the Forest Service in Washington State in 2019. Credit: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: What are conservation dogs?— Jon Gretcham, Portland, OR Simply put, conservation dogs are canines specially trained in […]
Caption: If you are concerned about the health implications of indoor air pollution, maybe it’s time to go electric in the kitchen. Credit: Roddy Scheer Dear EarthTalk: Should we all be ditching our gas stoves in favor of electric models?— Mary R., San Francisco, CA Walking into your kitchen to make dinner appears relatively simple […]
Caption: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the first net-zero-emissions arena of its size in the world, is home to the NHL’s Kraken and WNBA’s Storm. Dear EarthTalk: What is the “Climate Pledge” that Seattle’s new hockey arena is named after all about? — E. Howard, Washington, DC When Seattle’s new sports and concert arena opened […]
Caption: Dark-eyed juncos have evolved bigger bills in response to the larger temperature extremes they are experiencing throughout their range across North America thanks to human-induced climate change. Credit: DaPuglet, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that some wildlife species are evolving much more rapidly in response to the warming climate — D. Gould, Hendersonville, […]
Caption: Conservationists are working to create a 2000-mile long wildlife corridor between the Canadian Yukon and Yellowstone National Park so wolves and other charismatic megafauna can have enough space and resources to thrive. Credit: Brenda Timmermans, Pexels. Dear EarthTalk: Whatever happened to the Yukon to Yellowstone (Y2Y) wildlife corridor dream that was in the news […]
Caption: The current drought across the American West may just be the worst in recorded history. Thanks, global warming! Credit: Joe Leineweber, Pexels. Dear EarthTalk: What are the environmental implications of the current drought across the American West and how does it compare with past dry spells? — S. Diamond, Methuen, MA The National Oceanic […]
Caption: Ireland’s Avoca Handweavers have been making fashionable clothing items with the care and attention to detail nowadays associated with “slow fashion” since 1723. Credit: William Murphy, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: What is “slow fashion?” Does it relate to sustainability? – K. Lam, Taos, NM In the U.S., millions of shoppers pack clothing stores, excited to key […]
Caption: Bald eagles have come back from the brink of extinction in the Lower 48, but some wonder if there are too many of them around nowadays. Credit: Anthony, Pexels.com. Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that we’ve done such a good job bringing back bald eagles that they’ve become pests now?— D. Maguire, Winston-Salem, NC It’s […]
Caption: United Airlines has committed to purchasing 15 of Boom Supersonic’s first commercial supersonic (SST) jet, the Overture. Dear EarthTalk: Are the new SST jets friendlier to the environment than the SSTs of the 1970s?– P. Barnes, Midlothian, TX Nearly 20 years have passed since the last flight of the Concorde, the first supersonic passenger-carrying commercial […]
