Sciences

A positive story for wildlife and farmers

There are so many stories about the conflict between wildlife and farmers. Each one is trying to make their living and their approaches aren’t always compatible. Burrowing animals create holes that animals like horses and cows can fall in and get injured. Predators can prey on animals on the farm. Herbivores can decimate crops. On … Continue reading →

We need to change how we use and recycle plastics to achieve sustainability

Plastics are everywhere. For decades they’ve been cheap and disposable. But plastics are made mostly from crude oil. So between the impacts of the oil and the impacts of the waste plastics, particularly incinerating these wastes, release huge amounts of carbon dioxide. This makes plastic a huge issue for climate change. But, you might ask, … Continue reading →

It takes more than adding some fish

Ah, the charismatic megafauna, a curse and a solution. I don’t remember when I first learned this term. I can guarantee it was in an ecology course. Charismatic megafauna are animals, almost always mammals that conservationists think people will care about like bears or caribou. Instead of focusing conservation on improving the entire ecosystem, we … Continue reading →

How does cycling volume impact crash statistics?

As a bike commuter I really appreciate a lot of cycling infrastructure. Marked bike lanes are great, and separated paths are typically better, except for one giant caveat: intersections. I am always extra vigilant at intersections, but especially ones where I’m moving from a separated path across the intersection. It definitely feels like drivers don’t … Continue reading →

What is the environmental impact of a sugar substitute?

Sugar substitutes like Stevia are generally promoted as a health choice. They are low or no calorie and are often significantly sweeter allowing people to use less. But while the health effects are continually the subject of research, the environmental impacts have been less well studied. Suckling and colleagues (2023) have attempted to address this … Continue reading →

Taking care of industrial food waste

In the US, approximately 30-40% of all food is wasted according to the USDA. Generally, on this topic the discussion focuses on how to reduce this number with strategies for every stage of the chain from farm and manufacturing to the consumer. But Saba and colleagues (2023) have taken a different approach. Focusing specifically on … Continue reading →

What do you keep but never use?

I wrote before about things that are too nice to use. At the time, I searched for research on this idea and came up dry. But a recent study has started to fill the gap. Kowalski and Yoon (2022) looked at how the reasons that people are attached to different products impact whether those products … Continue reading →

Submissive or not?

Do you know how to make your diet more sustainable?

I’ve looked into research on food sustainability and to say it’s complex is an understatement. Local good but meat bad; what if it’s local meat? Fruits and veggies good; what if they’re grown with lots of fertilizer and pesticides? What about farming practices and transportation distances and water use? I have a good background to … Continue reading →

How much of a menu needs to be vegetarian?

If you aren’t vegetarian or vegan do you look at the vegetarian section of a restaurant menu? Would you be more likely to choose vegetarian or vegan if those items are mixed in with similar meat based dishes? How about choosing an item from a section called “Environmentally friendly main courses for a happy planet”? … Continue reading →