Ecology
Without Bees, the Foods We Love Will Be Lost (VIDEO)
Right now, we’re in a real crisis when it comes to bees. Every year, about a third of our honeybee colonies collapse. And the 4,000 native bee species in the United States suffer from those same threats that honeybees do.…
India Suffers ‘Worst Water Crisis in Its History’
India is facing its “worst-ever” water crisis, according to a report from a government think tank issued last week. Around 200,000 Indians die each year due to lack of water access, the report finds, and demand will be twice as…
These Toxic Chemicals in Food Packaging Are Getting Into Your Meals
On a busy weeknight, takeout and fast food are easy dinner time solutions. But your family’s favorite on-the-go meal may come with a side of toxic fluorinated chemicals. Per- and polyfluoralkyl substances, or PFAS, are a family of greaseproof, waterproof…
Delhi’s Air Pollution Is Now so Bad It Is Literally off the Chart
Smog more toxic than can be measured by monitoring devices has blanketed the Indian capital this week, months before the start of Delhi’s traditional “pollution season”. A thick haze was visible across the city from Tuesday and some government pollution…
Sea Stars Started Dissolving: What Helped Some of Them Survive?
In the summer of 2013, the ocher sea stars of the California coast fell victim to a deadly plague. First they developed ominous white patches. Then, in a touch straight from a horror movie, their rotting arms began to detach…
Sustainable Fashion Innovator Makes Fiber From Pineapple Leaves
In 1960, 97 percent of the fibers used in clothing came from natural materials. Today that number has fallen to 35 percent. But sustainable fashion veteran Isaac Nichelson wants to reverse that trend. His company, Circular Systems S.P.C. (Social Purpose…
Orca Whale ‘Crewser’ Presumed Dead as Population Reaches Its Lowest Point since 1984
Following the suspected death of an orca whale nicknamed Crewser, the population of southern resident orca whales is the lowest it has been in 34 years, The Seattle Times reported Saturday. The Center for Whale Research (CWR) declared the whale,…