Coral reefs are some of the ecosystems most vulnerable to the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that if global warming reaches even two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, 99 percent of them will die off. Yet these unique ecosystems, which currently only take up less than 0.1 percent of ocean […]
Many bird species are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, especially the extreme ones that come with climate change. Global heating is especially difficult for birds, who need shade, cool water and breezes to cool down. A new study by the Oregon State University College of Forestry suggests some bird species can get relief from climate change […]
There’s no better hiking companion than your favorite furry sidekick! Taking your dog into nature for a hike is not only a great bonding experience, but also keeps them physically active and provides important mental stimulation. Just like us, it’s important for our canine pals to get outdoors! However, hiking with a dog does require […]
Across Europe, more and more bus stops are sporting a new look — with lush green roofs designed to support pollinators. The number of bus stops topped with pollinator gardens is expected to increase another 50% in the UK alone by the end of this year. The “bee bus stops” began popping up in Utrecht, […]
Factory farming is on the ballot in Switzerland, which could become the first country in the world to ban the agricultural practice linked to a host of environmental harms from animal cruelty to the climate crisis.
Making neighborhoods more “green” through environmental infrastructure and other green investments such as open space parks, rain gardens, permeable pavement and rainwater harvesting can result in an area being perceived as more desirable, which can lead to rents and property values going up. This, in turn, leads to lower-income residents being pushed out — a […]
The perhaps underappreciated champions of underground carbon storage and resilience, grasslands can often be found at most latitudes in open, continuous areas. Their grasses grow to between eight inches and seven feet in height with roots that go deep underground, according to NASA Earth Observatory. The height of the grass depends on soil depth and […]
Sometimes, beauty can be a death sentence. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the demand for decorative feathers devastated the populations of birds like great egrets and birds of paradise. Today, it is the exotic pet trade that threatens bright birds with extinction. A new study published in Current Biology September 15 found that […]
The plains-wanderer is a small, critically-endangered bird with a tawny marking on its chest that can only be found in south-eastern Australia’s arid grasslands. It is estimated that only 250 to 1,000 of these speckled birds are left in the wild, according to Bush Heritage Australia. The plains-wanderer is at risk of impending extinction and […]