New York Bans Plastic Bags
On Sunday, March 31, it was announced that New York would implement a statewide ban on most single-use plastic bags provided by supermarkets and other stores. Exemptions to the ban include bags used to wrap meats, dry cleaning and plastic bags for fruits and vegetables at supermarkets. This ban was…
Living on Water: Our Future Neighborhoods
[caption id="attachment_2164" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Floating houses IJburg East AmsterdamSource: Marcel van der Burg and Arch Daily[/caption] The usually small and motorized dwelling known as a houseboat has become something a little bit larger: a floating home. Whether it’s because of spatial practicality or to create adventurous new neighborhoods, floating homes…
Warming Oceans Causing a Decline in Fish Populations
Fish populations have been declining for the past 80 years due to factors such as overfishing, pollution, and other anthropogenic activities. However, a recent study shows that ocean warming, an effect of climate change, also contributes to an overall population decline. Scientists examined data on ocean temperatures, catch sizes, fish populations,…
Fernandina Tortoise Thought to be Extinct Spotted in Galapagos
[caption id="attachment_2142" align="aligncenter" width="802"] From The Guardian, Photograph: Rodrigo Buendía/AFP/Getty Images[/caption] A tortoise that was last seen in 1906 has been spotted in the Galapagos Islands. A female on Fernandina island, which was thought to be extinct for 100 years, came meandering along as the Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative (GTRI)…
Migratory Birds are in Danger in Lebanon
Around 2.1 billion migratory birds move between Europe and Africa each year. Lebanon is a particularly special area as it has around 30 bottleneck regions, areas where migratory birds have to pass through. Poachers take advantage of this situation and set up illegal hunting materials, like nets, to capture small…
Budweiser Moves to Renewables
Anheuser-Busch InBev, the corporation responsible for Budweiser, America's "King of Beers" announced that they plan to run on 100% renewable energy by 2025. While they are working toward their sustainability goal, the company also announced that their beers are brewed with 100% wind energy, a great milestone they will celebrate…
Iguanas Return to Santiago Island, Galapagos
https://mygoodplanet.com/galapagos-iguana/ The Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) was reintroduced to Santiago Island, Galapagos this week after a roughly 200 year absence. Last seen in 1835 by Charles Darwin, this species was decimated by cats, dogs and feral pigs over the decades. About 1,400 land iguanas now join the pink Galapagos…
Rising From the Ashes: A Deeper Look at Wildfires
It is easy to label wildfires as something to be feared. With their talent for displacing people from their homes, destroying previously lush landscapes into rubble, and creating toxic plumes of smoke, it is difficult to think of wildfires as anything but detrimental. After all, Smokey has been drilling the…
Cool for the Summer
Summertime is here! While getting some sunshine occasionally is relaxing and refreshing, waking up in the middle of the night sweating is absolutely no fun. In recent years, the summer heat has consistently reached records highs, especially this year - 124 degrees Fahrenheit in Africa, 106 in Japan, and 98…
Power Up: Generating Electricity with the Human Body
What if your morning run could charge your phone for the day? What if even the touch of your fingers or rattling around in your pocket could power your smartphone? Engineers and scientists have long been interested in the idea of using the human body to generate energy, but not…