Taylor Connelly

EarthTalk

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Pre-Bunking Climate Misinformation

Dear EarthTalk: What is “pre-bunking” when it comes to climate change?

The act of pre-bunking has grown in popularity, especially since the 2020 election. It is a way to combat misinformation by warning people about it before they encounter it online or in real life. It attempts to anticipate false claims and provide accurate information to counter them. The strategy comes from a branch of social psychology research called inoculation theory. The theory is similar to that of countering vaccinat
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Bill Gates & Jeff Bezos Excited About Promise Of Nuclear Fusion

Dear EarthTalk: Why are Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, among others, so bullish on developing nuclear fusion as a power source?

While nuclear fission is commonly used in nuclear power plants across the globe, nuclear fusion is a lesser-known process. Whereas fission is the process of releasing energy by splitting atoms apart, fusion is the opposite. During nuclear fusion light nuclei collide with each other to form heavier nuclei, a process that releases large amounts of energy. To produce fusion,
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Embodied Carbon = 10% Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions!

Dear EarthTalk: What is so-called “embodied carbon” and what percent of our greenhouse gas emissions does it make up? And more important, how can we reduce it?

As the process of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions continues to grow in importance, the building operations industry has been working hard on limiting theirs. The problem is that this industry typically targets operational carbon rather than embodied carbon. Operational carbon is the sum of the carbon produced over the lifetime of
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Throwing Soup At Mona Lisa For The Climate Cause?

Dear EarthTalk: What was the point of eco-activists throwing soup at the Mona Lisa? Is defacing art and other great works of culture now some kind of tactic?

On Sunday, January 28, 2024 two women walked into the Louvre, went up to what may be the most famous painting in the world, and hurled pumpkin soup at the enticing smile of the Mona Lisa. On the women’s t-shirts the words “FOOD RIPOSTE” could be read written in thick black marker. Da Vinci’s iconic painting was protected behind safety glas
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Toilet Paper Choices: Which Is The Greenest?

Dear EarthTalk: Which are the greenest toilet paper varieties?

When thinking of ways to live a greener lifestyle, toilet paper isn’t usually the first thing people think of, but the average American uses more than 50 pounds of tissue paper per year. Like other paper products, toilet paper is typically made from trees. As consumer demand grows, trees continue to be cut down at alarming rates. Between 1996 and 2015, loggers cut down around 28 million acres of woodland, an area roughly the size of
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Trump V2: An Environmental Nightmare?

Dear EarthTalk: What would a second Trump term in the White House mean for efforts to stave off cataclysmic climate change?

For years former President Trump has repeatedly made false claims that climate change is a hoax. His efforts to negate progressive climate change policies were evident in his first term, when he pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, rolled back environmental regulation, and relaxed regulations on oil and gas drilling. According to Trump’s allies and advisors,
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Wild Turkeys On The Ropes?

Dear EarthTalk: What’s causing the decline in U.S. wild turkey populations?

Americans have always loved wild turkeys, perhaps too much. By 1900, we had nearly driven this close relative to the chicken to extinction as a result of unregulated hunting and habitat destruction. But thanks to conservation and relocation efforts, these big birds started making a comeback in the 1940s. Over the next several decades, thanks to a series of reforms and demographic changes, wild turkey numbers grew and th
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Spent Wind Turbine Waste

Dear EarthTalk: I hear that there are thousands of damaged and spent wind turbine blades piling up in Texas. Is this waste an issue for the wind industry?

In the West Texas town of Sweetwater, about 40 miles west of Abilene on Interstate 20, there is a field filled to the brim with unwanted wind turbine blades. The first of these blades were deposited in 2017 and over the years the blades have accumulated to cover over 30 acres of land. Each of the blades is between 100 and 400 feet in length a
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Using Wildlife To Track Environmental Conditions

Dear EarthTalk: How are researchers using wildlife to track environmental conditions and monitor climate change?

Scientists currently rely mainly on a complex network of satellites, ocean buoys, weather stations and balloons to help predict the weather and the effects of climate change, but it might not be the best solution. What if instead of using satellites and weather stations to study the planet, scientists used animals? Imagine a world where a pigeon could help gather information on air p
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Why Are Companies Reneging On Emissions Reductions?

Dear EarthTalk: Why are some companies backing off their previously stated commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions? How can we get them to turn it back around?

In February 2024, three major investment companies stepped back from efforts to limit climate-damaging emissions. JPMorgan Chase’s and State Street’s investment arms have both quit a global investor alliance encouraging companies to avoid emissions, and BlackRock has largely limited its involvement. These companies aren’t the only on
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4 Day Workweek = Good 4 Climate

Dear EarthTalk: What are the climate benefits of switching over to a four-day workweek?

Nearly 200 companies across the globe have completed six-month trials of a four-day workweek with promising results. Juliet Schor, an economist and sociologist at Boston College, is leading the trials with the nonprofit group Four Day Week Global. Schor says, “Stress, burnout, mental health, physical health…job satisfaction… all of those are going in the right directions.” While the four-day workweek seems t
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Cruise Industry Ripe For Greening

Dear EarthTalk: Has the cruise industry cleaned up its act regarding its environmental footprint in recent years?

Cruise ships are a big part of the marine shipping sector that is responsible for close to three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. No doubt, as much as these big boats might recycle or use less harmful cleaning spray in guest rooms, they are still big polluters. And the consumers that keep filling up more and bigger boats—the cruise industry is the fastest-growing sector i
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Can New Denialism Upend Climate Mitigation Efforts?

Dear EarthTalk: What is so-called New Denialism all about?

For years, human-induced climate change has been a controversial topic, despite heaps of scientific evidence proving its existence. In the past, climate change deniers have used the rhetoric of simply denying that climate change was happening. New denialism is different because instead of focusing on the existence of climate change, it attacks the policies meant to combat global warming, denies the benefits of clean energy, and targets
Emagazine.com •

Can New Denialism Upend Climate Mitigation Efforts?

Dear EarthTalk: What is so-called New Denialism all about?

For years, human-induced climate change has been a controversial topic, despite heaps of scientific evidence proving its existence. In the past, climate change deniers have used the rhetoric of simply denying that climate change was happening. New denialism is different because instead of focusing on the existence of climate change, it attacks the policies meant to combat global warming, denies the benefits of clean energy, and targets
Emagazine.com •

Lessons Learned From Biosphere 2

Dear EarthTalk: What ever became of the Biosphere 2 project in Arizona and what did we learn from it?

Biosphere 2 project began in 1984, led by John Allen who called it “The Human Experiment.” The project sent eight explorers, or “biospherians,” to live in a sealed ecosystem for two years. The facility they would be living in came complete with an intensive agriculture unit and five separate biomes including a tropical rainforest and a savanna grassland. Early on, Biosphere 2 was the world’s fi
Emagazine.com •

Lessons Learned From Biosphere 2

Dear EarthTalk: What ever became of the Biosphere 2 project in Arizona and what did we learn from it?

Biosphere 2 project began in 1984, led by John Allen who called it “The Human Experiment.” The project sent eight explorers, or “biospherians,” to live in a sealed ecosystem for two years. The facility they would be living in came complete with an intensive agriculture unit and five separate biomes including a tropical rainforest and a savanna grassland. Early on, Biosphere 2 was the world’s fi
Emagazine.com •

All-Natural Pest Control: Does It Work?

Dear EarthTalk: What are some all-natural ways to control insects and rodents?

Natural pest control has become increasingly popular given the slew of health and effectiveness issues with conventional pesticides derived from synthetic chemicals. Since synthetic pesticides became popular after World War II, toxic chemicals have infiltrated nearly 90 percent of U.S. waterways. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Americans carry around some 43 different pesticides
Emagazine.com •

All-Natural Pest Control: Does It Work?

Dear EarthTalk: What are some all-natural ways to control insects and rodents?

Natural pest control has become increasingly popular given the slew of health and effectiveness issues with conventional pesticides derived from synthetic chemicals. Since synthetic pesticides became popular after World War II, toxic chemicals have infiltrated nearly 90 percent of U.S. waterways. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Americans carry around some 43 different pesticides
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Compostable Plastic: Too Good To Be True?

Dear EarthTalk: Is compostable plastic too good to be true?

In recent years there has been a global movement to pressure corporations into becoming more eco-friendly. One of the most frequent measures taken by these companies is limiting the use of single-use plastics and replacing them with so-called compostable plastics. Compostable plastics are frequently confused with biodegradable plastics. Biodegradable plastics are defined by their ability to degrade completely into biomass within a give
Greenfield Recorder •

EarthTalk: Old-growth forest inventory shows promising results

Dear EarthTalk: How much “old-growth” forest is left in the U.S. today and what are we doing to protect it?

Scientists have found it tough to settle on a precise definition for old-growth forests. There’s no single formula to determine what is considered an “old” tree, and growth rates among tree species are varied. Some species have ages at which they can be considered “old.”

At 80 years, Gambel oaks are considered old-growth, but for bristlecone pines it is 300 years. In general, old-growth
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Solar Roadways: Still Just A Fantasy?

Dear EarthTalk: Are solar roadways still a “thing”? Why don’t we have them everywhere now helping us keep our EVs charged up and rolling?

In 2014 the concept of solar powered photovoltaic road panels that could collect sunlight and convert it into useable energy went viral when the Idaho-based company Solar Roadways heralded it as a solution to the global energy crisis. The company proposed developing solar-powered panels to form smart roads, highways and parking lots. These solar roadways woul
Emagazine.com •

Old-Growth Forest Inventory Shows Promising Results

Dear EarthTalk: How much “old-growth” forest is left in the U.S. today and what are we doing to protect it?

Scientists have found it tough to settle on a precise definition for old-growth forests. There’s no single formula to determine what is considered an “old” tree, and growth rates among tree species are varied. Some species have ages at which they can be considered “old.” At 80 years, Gambel oaks are considered old-growth, but for bristlecone pines it is 300 years. In general, old-growth f