Food & Agriculture
Can ‘Vaccines’ for Crops Help Cut Pesticide Use and Boost Yields?
Researchers are using gene editing to develop biodegradable vaccines that protect crops from pathogens. As the world looks to feed more and more people, this and other emerging technologies hold promise for producing more food without using chemical pesticides.
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Interview
What Extremely Warm Winters Mean for the Future of the Arctic
In an interview with Yale Environment 360, polar scientist Mark Serreze talks about the rapid changes he has witnessed over more than three decades of working in the Arctic and the future stability of the region if temperatures continue to climb.
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Cities
How a ‘Toxic Cocktail’ Is Posing a Troubling Health Risk in China’s Cities
A recent study in Chinese cities found a potential link between a hazardous mix of air pollutants and death rates. These findings point to the need for a new approach to assessing the dangers of urban smog in fast-industrializing parts of the developing world.
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Transportation
End of the Road: Are Diesel Cars on the Way Out in Europe?
A small environmental organization has taken on Germany’s powerful auto industry in court and has begun winning limited bans on heavily polluting diesel vehicles. Some analysts say this may be the beginning of the end for diesel automobiles in Germany and the European Union.
Solutions
With a Green Makeover, Philadelphia Is Tackling Its Stormwater Problem
In a major initiative, Philadelphia is building an extensive network of rain gardens, green roofs, wetlands, and other infrastructure to capture stormwater. The goal is to prevent runoff from overwhelming sewers and polluting waterways and to help green America’s fifth-largest city.
E360 Digest
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Colombia Expands Protected Areas by 31,000 Square Miles
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos announced this week that the country will add 31,000 square miles of land to its protected areas and will also give indigenous communities the autonomy to govern their own territories, according to Mongabay and Thomson Reuters. More about Colombia Expands Protected Areas by 31,000 Square Miles →
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Lyft Announces Carbon Offset Program, Saying It Will Make All Rides Carbon Neutral
The ride-hailing app Lyft, whose 1.4 million drivers shuttle passengers over a billion miles annually, has announced it will start offsetting the emissions from its network of cars by investing in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy and reforestation initiatives, Reuters reported. More about Lyft Announces Carbon Offset Program, Saying It Will Make All Rides Carbon Neutral →
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Americans Who Accept Climate Change Outnumber Those Who Don’t 5 to 1
Seventy percent of Americans now accept that climate change is happening, outnumbering those who don’t by a 5 to 1 ratio, according to a new survey by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. More than half of those surveyed, 58 percent, said they also understand global warming is caused mostly by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels. More about Americans Who Accept Climate Change Outnumber Those Who Don’t 5 to 1 →
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In urban areas, the forces of rapid natural selection are leading to striking genetic changes in animals. Dutch biologist Menno Schilthuizen talks to Yale e360 about the transformations seen in creatures ranging from mice in Central Park to anole lizards in Puerto Rico.
Energy
Energy Hogs: Can World’s Huge Data Centers Be Made More Efficient?
The gigantic data centers that power the internet consume vast amounts of electricity and emit as much CO2 as the airline industry. To change that, data companies need to turn to clean energy sources and dramatically improve energy efficiency.
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Conservation
For Endangered Florida Tree, How Far to Go to Save a Species?
The Florida torreya is North America’s most endangered conifer, with less than one percent of its population remaining. Now, scientists are mounting a last-ditch effort to save the torreya and are considering using new gene-editing technologies to protect it.
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Biodiversity
Despite Government Pledges, Ravaging of Indonesia’s Forests Continues
Seven years after Indonesian officials declared a moratorium on logging in undisturbed areas, logging and palm oil interests have not eased their assault on the world’s third-largest expanse of tropical forest, with major impacts on biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Opinion
How Climate Activists Failed to Make Clear the Problem with Natural Gas
The climate movement’s biggest failure has been its inability to successfully make the case that natural gas is not a clean replacement for other fossil fuels. So as natural gas has boomed, U.S. emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, have increased dramatically.