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Environment

What are the environmental risks associated with beach resorts?

EarthTalk® E – The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: What are the environmental risks associated with beach resorts?   –– Shine Shoukkathali, via e-mail While they may put up with a lot of stress from wind, waves and weather, beaches and the coastal environments surrounding them are surprisingly fragile. The ecosystems which make up coastal areas […]

sunflower
Environment

Sugar production harming environment

Dear EarthTalk: I saw an article on sugar’s effects on the environment. Has anyone compared different sweeteners (artificial or natural) for their environmental impacts? — Terri Oelrich, via e-mail The production of sugar has indeed taken a huge environmental toll. “Sugar has arguably had as great an impact on the environment as any other agricultural […]

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Environment

How far along are we at developing algae-based and other higher yield sources of biofuels?

Dear EarthTalk: How far along are we at developing algae-based and other higher yield sources of biofuels? — Jason McCabe, Tullahoma, TN A few years ago biofuels were all the rage. Environmental advocates to national security hawks alike were extolling the virtues of ethanol and biodiesel as a carbon-neutral bridge to our energy future. But […]