environment
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 […]
Big cleanup nets 930 lbs. of trash
April 23. Cornelius Parks and Recreation, Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists and more than 20 volunteers collected 930 lbs. of trash throughout Cornelius and Lake Norman this past weekend. For every 25 lbs of trash collected, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation will be donating one tree, and the Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists will match their donation. […]
Earth Jam is Saturday
April 9. Earth Jam 2024 will be 4 pm to 7 pm Saturday at Robbins Park. The event, organized by Cornelius Parks and Recreation to celebrate Earth Day, features food, live music and opportunities to learn how to “create change in our community to be a little kinder to our planet.” More than two dozen […]
Branch out with Arbor Day celebration March 23 in Davidson
March 13. Arbor Day was launched in the United States in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska City, Neb. By the 1920s, each state in the United States had passed public laws stipulating a certain day for observances. —National Arbor Day is celebrated every year on the last Friday in April; other states have […]
$60,000 needed to battle Lyngbya in early stages on Lake Norman
Jan. 31. By Dave Yochum. Funding for the battle against Lyngbya must be in place by April 1 to stem the fast-rising tide of noxious blue-green algae in Lake Norman, local officials and concerned citizens say. From 2022 to 2023 Lyngbya doubled in Lake Norman, with dense mats—sometimes called sludge—evident in coves around Cornelius, more […]
