Image credit: Avon Wildlife Trust Lloyd has noted that sprawl is the death of us all , and we know that managing sprawl is more about proper planning than it is about fancy LEED-certified buildings. But given the fact that new housing continues to be built, often on previously unused land, how do we manage the pressure on wildlife and habitats… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Image credit: H. Koppdelaney , used under Creative Commons license. When I wrote about the UK government’s apparent redefinition of ‘zero carbon homes’ , an anonymous commenter noted how amusing it is “when governments figure out that it’s much harder to actually do something, than to say you’re going to do it.” And that got me thinking—given the urgency of climate change, peak oil and resource depletion, we need radica… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Up Close and Personal with Natural Selection in Action: The Tale of Two Islands of the Galapagos
December 2, 2010 No Comment
Marine iguanas are one of the better examples of adaptation in the Galapagos. All photos credit: Collin Dunn Each of the islands in the Galapagos is incredibly different. From landscape to ecosystem to the endemic species that can only be found in that one tiny spot, the diversity of life and living systems is truly amazing. It’s one thing to say that — “Sure,” you think to yourself, “Different islands, different stuff, I get it” — but really a totally different experience to see it for yourself. The smallest change, whether it’s the few nautical miles in between two islands, or … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Photo via press release Buying a Christmas tree isn’t exactly the greenest thing to do for the holidays, but if you’re bent on carrying out the tradition then you might want to check out a new trend that is greening up tree lots…beyond the piles of conifers, that is. Stellar Solar has provided its Mobile Solar Station to power two San Diego Purdy Farms Christmas Tree lots, helping to run much of the lot on renewable energy, including the lights and the el… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Photo via Procsilas The One Laptop Per Child project might need to step up, now that tablet devices are on the scene. Rice University has partnered up with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Villages for Development and Learning Foundation in India to develop a solar powered tablet computer that can be used in schools that lack electricity. Dubbed the “I-Slate,” it is already being tested out in classrooms. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Image credit: Electric Power Systems Research 57 (2001) 195-204 ; Ackermann et. al. My recent claim of ‘distributed power’ being inherently superior created some controversy. As did my claim that distributed power was a more useful and important concept than ‘green power,’ per se. (See: Decision Time: Invest In Distributed, Versus Central Power & More High Voltage Transmiss… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Photo: Stephen Messenger Over the past several years, the Brazilian government has been tackling deforestation in the Amazon with vigor, and it seems all their efforts are paying off. In an announcement made today, Brazil confirmed that the rate of forest loss over the last year represents the lowest in over two decades since record-keeping began — and down over 13 percent from the last year. The nation’s Environmental Minister describes the progress as “fantastic.” … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Photo credit: Polar Cruises / Creative Commons In the Arctic, polar bears have recently been observed swimming in icy water while carrying young cubs on their backs . It’s the result, researchers explained, of having to swim greater distances to find solid sea ice—and is an innovation that may be crucial for the survival of the species…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Photo: Andrew Atzert , Flickr, CC An objective look at that number — 9 miles per gallon — will cause most environmentalists to recoil. But in this one case, they should be rooting for that fuel efficiency standard to become a reality. The EPA is considering updating the fuel economy standards for semis and heavy trucks. It’s currently at 6 MPG. And raising that number would have a massive impact on polluting emissions and fuel usage…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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