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Environment

A Burning Issue: The Ecology of Fire

The ecology of fire is a fascinating and important subject that we need to clearly understand. Fires are powerful forces of nature that have the ability to destroy, define, and shape ecosystems. While fires can be extremely destructive, and devastating to the environment, they are natural processes that are an essential part of ecology, and are widely used as a land management tool. Fire is a reaction between various components of an ecosystem – a fire needs three basic elements to sustain it: fuel (vegetation or combustible material/liquid/gas), oxygen (air/wind), and an ignition source (spark).

Environment
Colony Collapse Disorder: Why are Bees Dying Off?

by
Jenny G

There has been widespread bee die offs throughout the world, leaving scientists, ecologists and farmers concerned for the future of…
Energy, Environment
How Would a Biofuel Spill Impact the Environment?

by
Jenny G

Biofuels are toted as being a green fuel source, but a biofuel spill could potentially be far more devastating to the environment than a gasoline oil spill.
Environment, Nature & Wildlife
S.O.S. – Save Our Seabirds

by
Jenny G

Every year hundreds of thousands of albatrosses and petrels are killed by longline fishing boats. This can be prevented by simple mitigating measures.
Energy, Environment
Fukushima radiation continues to affect fisheries in northeastern Japan

by
Jenny G

More than a year after a tsunami damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, leaking radiation into the ocean, fish continue to show high levels of contamination.
Environment, Nature & Wildlife
Canary in a Coalmine: Birds as Environmental Indicators

by
Jenny G

Birds are our environmental barometers. Their sensitivity to changes in the environment make them good biological indicators of environmental change.
Environment, Nature & Wildlife
Nuking Nature: The Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Birds, Bees and Trees

by
Jenny G

Cellphones and other wireless devices function by means of electromagnetic fields, which we cannot see, and therefore don’t really give much thought about. But, could these electromagnetic fields – that we are surrounded by on a daily basis – be compromising our health, and the health of the environment?
Climate Change, Environment
Skating on Thin Ice: The Effects of Melting Ice Sheets on Polar Ecosystems & The Earth

by
Jenny G

Glacier melts around the world are an area of concern, especially with regard to loss of precious freshwater reserves. However, melting of ice sheets is most dramatic in the polar regions, where ice sheets and glaciers are diminishing at an alarming rate in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
Environment
Impacts of Algal Blooms in Freshwater Ecosystems

by
Jenny G

Algal blooms frequently occur in coastal ecosystems, and in slow flowing rivers and lakes. The impact on these environments can be quite dramatic, and is often associated with high fish mortality and loss of other aquatic life. Learn more about the causes and consequences of algal blooms in aquatic ecosystems.
Energy, Environment
Are Hydroelectric Dams an Environmentally Friendly Alternative Energy Solution?

by
Jenny G

Hydro-electric power is a renewable energy source but it needs to be managed responsibly in order to prevent hydroelectric dams from having such a devastating impacts on our rivers.