Earth Science

The term “hazardous waste” brings up images of anything that is hazardous, including biologicals, solids, liquids and gases. But the official definition of hazardous waste can vary. The EPA, for example, begins with the requirement that the waste is solid. The US…
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The planet Earth is described by climatologists as currently being in an “interglacial” period.  In other words, the planet Earth exited from an “Ice Age” around 10,000 years ago, a time when massive ice sheets covered all of what is now…
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Trees grow and flourish where local conditions suit the specific tree species’ ecology. One of the most important abiotic (non-living) factors that influences that suitability is the local climate. Ash trees are predominantly in the genus Fraxinus; such as the…
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Corporate farming is first and foremost about making a profit. Corporations almost always use what is termed the conventional agricultural methods, that have  mostly developed since World War II, on large tracts of consecutive farmlands. They generally target their land…
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Malthusian Catastrophe is a theoretical event that is named for the well-known economist, Thomas Malthus. The event is named for him because he was the first person to theorize that such an event could occur. Since that time, many people…
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Riparian restoration has been a major issue in the Western United States and in other places of the world where habitats of waterways, creeks, streams, marshes or rivers have been compromised as the result of natural or man made pollution…
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Pressure gauges and a device known as a “blowout preventer” are the two biggest fail-safe tools used on oil rigs to determine if there is a potential problem and correct it. But none of these will function properly without adequate…
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A sustainable environment is a way of life. Everyone becomes a steward of the land, and natural resources. Collectively we each take or use only what we need to live, and survive. Communities adopt a conserve and preserve mentality, creating…
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It is not really all that difficult to reduce our electricity consumption at home, though it may be more difficult in the office where many things are beyond our control. There are however still ways that we can contribute to…
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Global warming and agriculture are closely interrelated. Global warming is believed to have significant impact on factors affecting agriculture, such as temperature, soil fertility, length of growing season, glacial retreat, carbon dioxide, and precipitation.  These factors determine the ability of…
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