Welcome back for another round up for The Environment This Month. Now that Spring is officially underway, the weather is turning warmer. I thought maybe we would get out of March without anymore storms, but maybe some wind and rain. Yet, the Northeast was struck with Stella, a serious, ass-kicking winter storm that dumped almost two more feet of snow. My baby crocuses were buried out of sight for over a week! This happened last year and it really brought down my mood. Thankfully, I weathered this storm much better. Still, this was a late and serious storm that shutdown my area, and it’s evidence of climate change. Let’s see how things go this month…
Reusing space exploration material can go a long way to mitigating the junk problem the programs all over the world have created. Here is one example of how…
SpaceX did something on Thursday (March 30) that really hadn’t been done before: launch a cheaper, partially-used rocket into orbit.
Recycled Rockets Could Drop Costs, Speed Space Travel – The New York Times
If the United States is going to survive the overreach being seen in the current administration, it will need to undertake costly and lengthy arbitration, such as this:
Prominent environmental advocacy groups are taking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to court following a decision by the agency to reject the ban of a widely-used agricultural chemical linked to human health problems.
Environmental groups sue EPA to force ban on controversial pesticide
Otherwise, we stand to see more tragedy such as the Great Barrier Reef is undergoing (declared dead in recent months).
A cyclone that left a trail of destruction in northeast Australia and New Zealand has also damaged one of the few healthy sections of the Great Barrier Reef to have escaped large-scale bleaching, scientists said on Monday.
Cyclone Strikes Healthiest Part of Great Barrier Reef
Read more on the reef here:
Two-thirds of Great Barrier Reef damaged
‘Tragedy’ on the Great Barrier Reef as coral bleaching devastates for second straight year
Here’s a great article that you can throw out at that friend or family member who insists that regulations hurt business and the economy…
In coal country, restoring streams like this one near Logan, W.Va., is a big business. But the practice remains controversial among some scientists.
Chris White and his brother Jason have also found steady work through these regulations. They created a company called Appalachian Stream Restoration.
But when asked if he considered himself an environmentalist, Chris White said he thinks of himself instead as a capitalist.
The Whites employ about 30 people, many of them displaced miners. They travel across the region fixing broken streams with backhoes and other heavy machinery. The National Mitigation Banking Association, a trade group, says ecological restoration is a $25 billion industry.
In coal country, environmental regulations are creating jobs | Minnesota Public Radio News
Also, when people pish-posh environmental impacts and the cost, you can show them how far reaching it can be, such as health issues…
Hog farm dust already hurts farmworker lungs—new research says elevated CO2 could make it worse.
Carbon dioxide may worsen hog farmworkers’ breathing problems. — Environmental Health News
Things won’t appear any better once you watch this, but it is information that you should have. The ice melt is happening rapidly. So, being complacent, thinking that it won’t make a difference to you, could be a bad decision. The unprepared are the disadvantaged. It won’t just be children and the elderly in emergency situations. Be sure to share this with your friends.
Many of the effects of climate change are irreversible. Sea levels have been rising at a greater rate year after year, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates they could rise by another meter or more by the end of this century.
What Earth would look like if the ice melted – Business Insider
Now that I’ve depressed you thoroughly, let’s look at something really interesting, and something that is sure to lift your spirits.
Landscape architects at North Carolina State University developed open-source modeling software that uses the basics of role-playing games to help solve environmental problems.
Using RPGs to Solve Environmental Problems | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
I’m not sure where we went wrong; the moment where we stopped respecting teachers and scientists. I grew up hearing about how valuable they are. Today, I hear that they know nothing, despite their many years of study. I hear that people who barely squeaked out of high school, or even dropped out, say that they know more. I’d love to see them do a version of are you smarter than a PhD in Theoretical Physics, or Mrs. Murphy, fifth grade teacher? The embarrassment of these arrogant folks who want their ignorance to be equal to real intellect would be super cathartic. In the meantime, let’s watch educators do what they do…
Thousands of people will participate in Saturday’s March for Science. We contacted three experts on teaching and climate change to ask how the event — and its aftermath — can help engage young people.
Finding Teachable Moments In The March For Science : NPR Ed : NPR
Please note: If you’ve noticed the conspicuous absence of any news mentioning the damage being done by the new administration of the United States (aka 45), that was a conscious choice to not give a platform to them, anymore than they already have. The news outlets are swimming in scare-news centered on 45’s buffoonery. That so many news outlets will be covering the stories this month, for me to do so would not only alienate my readers, but also serve to inflate an ego already out of control. We need to do a lot of work to prevent the damage being done, but we don’t need to be told we face a battle in accomplishing environmental health and sustainability for in the United States as well as across the globe. Much like women’s health issues, I can’t believe I still have to fight this shit in 2017. I will assess the situation again in May. #Resist
Thanks for reading! Until next time…
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