environment
Keep pets safe from the heat
Dear EarthTalk: How can I keep my pets safe during the increasingly frequent heat waves we are experiencing lately? —Mary B., Bern, NC Sept. 28. Summer may be over but the heat still lingers in much of the US and elsewhere. As such, the need to keep pets safe becomes an increasing concern. Heat poses […]
Dam: What’s up with these water-stopping relics?
Dear EarthTalk: What’s the story with so-called “deadbeat dams” causing ecosystem problems across the country? — George H., Seattle, WA Sept. 20. The invention of dams was certainly one of humanity’s most innovative feats of engineering. Able to harness power from the water currents, reserving water and effectively controlling floods, dams have been crucial to […]
EarthTalk: Can we predict where and when wildfires will occur?
Dear EarthTalk: How can we get better at predicting when and where wildfires will occur so we can adequately mitigate their impact? —R.K., Tarrytown, NY Sept. 13. In recent years, wildfire incidents have intensified, driven by factors including climate change, land use patterns and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. As we grapple with the growing risk, […]
EarthTalk: Why is nuclear fusion a hot topic?
Sept. 6. Dear EarthTalk: Why are Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, among others, so bullish on developing nuclear fusion as a power source? —Mark P. Newton, MA 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 […]
EarthTalk: What’s being done to phase out Styrofoam?
Aug. 29. Dear EarthTalk: Styrofoam is terrible for the environment and hard to recycle but still prevalent across the U.S. What’s being done to phase it out? — Michael Brophy, Boston, MA Plastic foam, better known under its brand name of Styrofoam, has been used for insulation, packaging and foodware (cups, takeout containers, etc.) for […]
Be a Riverkeeper: LKN clean-up Oct. 5
Aug. 27. Catawba Riversweep—the annual Lake Norman clean-up day—is Saturday, Oct. 5, from 9 am to noon. The Catawba Riversweep is one day a year when citizens from all over the Catawba-Wateree River Basin come together to clean up on the same day, launching from dozens of sites from Lake James to Lake Wateree. Organizers […]
EarthTalk: Coming clean about pesticides on food
Dear EarthTalk: What’s the most effective way to remove pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables that I buy at the supermarket? —R.L.J., Kansas City, KS Aug. 23. For decades, pesticides have been a vital tool for farmers to ensure that their harvests aren’t overgrown by weeds or eaten by pests. As a result, pesticides remain […]
EarthTalk: What’s really going on with tech companies going green?
Dear EarthTalk: Which of the big tech companies are considered the greenest now? – B.P. via email Aug. 9. As global demand for sustainable practices intensifies, the race among major tech companies to adopt green practices has become highly competitive. Many tech giants, including Microsoft, Apple and Google are pursuing demanding sustainability goals. Microsoft has […]
EarthTalk: What’s up with rising sea levels?
Dear EarthTalk: Why is sea level rising more in some regions—like the U.S. Southeast—than others? Is there a way to reduce sea level rise in certain specific locales? – C.T, Tampa, FL Sea level rise is a pressing global issue, exacerbated by climate change. And its impacts are not uniform across the globe; some regions […]
Town of Davidson undertakes plastic-free challenge in July
June 26. “Plastics” is the classic one-word line from “The Graduate.” The ubiquitous material is everywhere, harms the environment and recycling it is problematic. Indeed, Greenpeace says no more than 6 percent of all discarded American plastic was recycled in 2021. Act locally The Town of Davidson is joining the Plastic Free Challenge during July […]
