Rick Bass is an American author of more than thirty books, both fiction and non-fiction, on a wide range of topics. An environmental activist, he is also an artist drawn to the beauty of the natural world. The winner of numerous awards, his most recent essay collection, With Every Great Breath, was released this February […]
Our food choices can have substantial environmental impacts. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, worldwide food production — especially animal agriculture — is the main cause of biodiversity loss. One of the major reasons is that livestock and their feed require a great deal of land. Certain foods — such as Indian kidney bean […]
Some grocery chains are moving to help protect pollinators by requiring their suppliers to stop using nitroguanidine neonicotinoids, or neonics. Chains including Whole Foods and Kroger have recently outlined policies that will ban the use of neonics in crop production. Whole Foods’ policy also applies to its floral department. According to the Whole Foods policy, […]
According to a survey by BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, hedgehog sightings in the UK are finally on the rise after declining observations of these mammals since 2000. A separate report from 2022, State of Britain’s Hedgehogs, noted a marked decline in hedgehogs, particularly in eastern Britain. According to that report, rural hedgehogs had decreased 30% […]
Quick Key Facts What Are ‘Coral Reefs’? Coral reefs consist of hundreds of thousands of coral polyps — marine animal invertebrates with hard calcium carbonate exoskeletons. Different species grow to form a variety of measurements and shapes — from the size of a pinhead to as large as a foot in diameter. Coral colonies are […]
Horseshoe crabs have been on Earth for more than 450 million years — since before the dinosaurs. They are more closely related to spiders and scorpions than crustaceans and can live as long as 25 years. Despite having lived through ice ages, the breaking apart of the continents and many other geological and atmospheric changes […]
If you’re looking to go on an adventure in the great outdoors, the variety of landscapes in the Pacific Northwest — from temperate rainforest and brilliant geological formations to expansive sand dunes and stunning river-carved canyons — are awe-inspiring for even the seasoned traveler. Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington State Named for the Hoh […]
A first-ever United Nations report — State of the World’s Migratory Species — has found that more than 22 percent of migratory species are at risk of extinction globally due to overexploitation, habitat destruction and climate change. The report was launched by the UN’s Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) […]
A new study has revealed that the chemicals in air pollution may be disrupting plant reproduction, as the pollutants mask the scent of flowering plants and make them more difficult for pollinators to find. The study, published in the journal Science, showed how nitrate radicals (NO3), which can form from combustion in gas-fueled vehicles and […]