Polar bears are an iconic creature, their white fur, and giant size is unmistakable. But humans have been taking these creatures for granted for far too long. To say that the polar bear is in trouble is a bit of an understatement. According to the IUCN red list, polar bears are considered vulnerable [1]. In...
Planet
Clean water and power are both necessities, and this ingenious company found a way to provide both at once. The LucidPipe Power System was incorporated into Portland, Oregon, in 2014, and it creates electricity through the water flowing through the city’s pipes. This is a way to get the benefits of hydropower without any environmental...
There’s no doubt that humanity has had a detrimental impact on our planet’s wildlife. Sadly, scientists now estimate that human activity has caused the death of 86 percent of all wildlife and half of all plants. Statistics like these are not just disheartening- they are downright devastating. While Mountain lions, antelope, bald eagles, lions, and...
Scientists have recently determined that humanity has killed 83 percent of all wild mammals and half of all plant species. Experts have estimated that the rapid loss of species we are seeing today is one thousand to ten thousand times greater than the natural extinction rate (ie- the rate of extinction if humans did not...
The plastic pollution crisis is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, and it has inspired individuals, organizations, and businesses to come up with innovative solutions for dealing with the plastic waste that is overwhelming our ecosystem. Companies around the world are developing ways to make roads out of plastic, volunteer groups...
A large portion of the CO2 emissions produced by the United States comes from burning fossil fuels to produce electricity. If the US wants to make a serious dent in their carbon emissions, it is imperative that they find an alternative source of electricity generation. Nuclear energy is a great alternative to fossil fuels because...
Global plastic pollution has become one of the most critical environmental issues we are facing today. This “miracle material” has made modern life possible, but with a vast majority of these products being used only once before being thrown away, they are now overwhelming our ecosystems, clogging our waterways, and killing our wildlife [1]. The...
For two weeks in February each year, thousands of tourists flock to Yosemite National Park, California to witness a startling natural phenomenon called the Horsetail Fall, more popularly known as “the winter Firefall [1].” The Firefall occurs when the setting sun casts its light on the Yosemite Fall, a small waterfall tumbling down about 2,000...
Have you ever dreamt of sleeping under the stars in the jungle? How about lounging over breakfast as you watch a group of elephants peacefully stroll by? This may sound like something out of a dream, but a resort in Thailand is making it a reality. Jungle Bubbles The Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and...
The recent bushfires in Australia have devastated the country. As of January 24, 2020, the total area affected across all states is 7.7 million hectares (19 million acres). This has claimed the lives of at least 32 people, destroyed nearly 2000 homes, and has decimated the country’s wildlife population [1]. The Australian bushfires have been...
Before the escalation of global warming, Northern Europe was a lot colder than it is now- and that’s saying something because the region is still bitingly cold for most of the year. Since earth can act as natural insulation, people in Iceland began to construct houses out of turf (grass and the surface layer of...
On any single night in the United States, over half a million people go homeless. While some of these people take refuge in emergency shelters, just under 200 thousand of them are unsheltered on our streets, in parks, cars, or abandoned buildings [1]. The situation across the pond isn’t any better. Germany has seen a...