biodiversity
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Adorable reindeer die to teach you a lesson about sustainability [COMIC]
Stuart McMillen’s comic “St. Matthew Island” is a parable about population control, resource scarcity, sustainability, and biodiversity, with bonus cute reindeer. Here’s the short version: The reindeer of this tiny Bering Strait island weren’t native, but were brought in by the U.S. military. Left to their own devices, they thrived, then competed for dwindling resources, […]
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Use your smartphone to become a ‘citizen scientist’ with Project Noah
We all know people who seem to spend more time gazing into their smartphones than they do looking at the reality in front of them. But one app is trying to reverse the trend, and make your iPhone (or Android) into a tool that encourages you to dial into the biodiversity around you. It’s called […]
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Carnivorous plant goes batshit for bat shit
File under "the disgusting wonders of nature": Scientists have discovered a species of pitcher plant in Borneo that is a living bat toilet. The plants offer cozy quarters for local bats, and the bats repay them by shitting down their necks. Talk about the circle of life.
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Pikas: The cutest animal you may never see again [SLIDESHOW]
Is the pika America's cutest rodent? Think fast about that one, because global warming is herding it towards extinction. We've put together a slideshow, so you can get your fill of their cuddly little faces before it's too late.
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More reasons why birds are dumb and humans are terrible
Birds falling from the sky -- sign of apocalypse or coincidence? More the latter, but here's what bird deaths had in common: Humans are bad neighbors.
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Ethanol is dead; all hail plant-based synthetic gasoline! [PODCAST]
In my latest podcast, I talk to Jim Thomas of ETC Group, my go-to source for cutting-edge information on the machinations of global agribusiness. He blew my mind on the topic of ethanol and the "new biomass economy."
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Biodiversity is an urban concern
Biodiversity doesn't get as much attention as it should now that climate change has become preeminent among environmental quandaries. But it's important!
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The omnivore's delight: One day, four meals, and 53 species
If variety is the spice of life, we Homo sapiens are the spiciest of species. I calculated that in just 24 hours, I consumed 53 species spanning four biological kingdoms and five continents. Here's why our diet biodiversity matters.
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Oil now threatening Gulf’s cradles of biodiversity, its reefs
As corals are particularly susceptible to oil detergents and dispersed oil, the results of these assays rules out the use of any oil dispersant in coral reefs and in their vicinity.–From a 2007 paper by Israeli researchers, published in The Journal of Environmental Science (USGS photo)After reading those words a few days ago, I became […]