A Little Greener

After being side characters in two episodes (Rocky Mountain Adventures and White-tailed Deer), it's time for moose to step into the spotlight! Casey and Sara discuss what makes moose special, the tangled web of moose population control, conservation, and climate change, and why in the world the plural of moose isn't "meese."   The two articles referenced in the last portion of the show are: How Should Colorado Handle Its Booming Moose Population? | Smithsonian Do Moose “Belong” in Colorado?   Additional resources for this episode: Moose Research in Rocky Mountain National Park Species Spotlight - Moose (U.S. National Park Service) ‘No chain stores, but moose on every corner’: as Colorado herds thrive, clashes with people rise | Wildlife | The Guardian Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Moose Survey Moose Research | Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department Winter tick Winter Ticks: Moose: Mammals: Species Information: Wildlife: Fish & Wildlife: Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife As New England Winters Warm, Ticks are Killing Moose at High Rates | Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Moose in New Hampshire  

Unless you're living in Florida, you may have missed out on the fallout from a proposed development plan involving nine of Florida's state parks. Casey and Sara discuss the whole situation, from the problems with the proposals to the odd secrecy around the plan to the fallout--and share some lessons that we can all take from the situation to help make our voices heard to protect the planet. Resources for this episode DEP Announces 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative to Increase Public Access, Recreation and Lodging at Florida State Parks Florida State Parks Threatened by Development https://floridawildlifefederation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-Overview.jpg Legislation Scrapped in 2011 Offers Clues to How Florida Might Fund ‘Great Outdoors’ Initiative) State offers more details on plan to revamp parks including in South Florida DeSantis' plan to develop state parks faces setback as golf course backer pulls out | AP News Audubon Protects Florida State Parks from Development Proposals

The Chicago Marathon is one of six World Major Marathons, and this year will host around 50,000 runners from around the world, not to mention the spectators, vendors, and volunteers. So, is it possible for an event of this magnitude to be sustainable? On this episode, Casey and Sara chat with Cat Morris, the Sustainability Manager at Chicago Event Management, overseeing the Chicago Marathon. Hear about how the Chicago Marathon became certified as an Evergreen Inspire event through the Council for Responsible Sport, how waste, from water cups to gel packets, is being diverted from landfills, and how runners and spectators can get involved!   Sara will be running the 2024 Chicago Marathon as part of Team Fox, raising funds for the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. If you'd like to donate to support the Foundation's work to find a cure for Parkinson's, you can donate through Sara's fundraising page here: https://give.michaeljfox.org/fundraiser/5270913   Resources for this episode:  Chicago Marathon Sustainability Community Impact through Compost: Chicago Distance Series Instagram: Tina Muir, Chicago Marathon Sustainability Ambassador Instagram: Chicago Marathon Know Before You Go: Sustainability  

This week, Casey and Sara recap Sara's first trip to the Rocky Mountains, covering everything from road trip musings on land use to wildfires to amazing wildlife encounters! Resources for this episode: Natural Features & Ecosystems - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Moose Research in Rocky Mountain National Park Tribal Partners - Rocky Mountain

White-tailed deer may not be the first species that pops to mind when you think of conservation, especially if you live across much of North or Central America. For many of us, these animals are commonly seen around our own homes and (unfortunately) roadways. Depending on your perspective, they can be seen as a nuisance, a game species, beloved local wildlife, or all of the above. In this episode, Casey and Sara discuss the history, ecology, and conservation of one of our most recognized animals. Resources for this episode: White-Tailed Deer-Penn State University The Relationship Between Deer Density, Tick Abundance, and Human Cases of Lyme Disease in a Residential Community You're More Likely To Hit a Deer This Week while Driving Deer-Vehicle Collisions | Purdue Extension Forestry & Natural Resources Reproductive characteristics of female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the Midwestern USA - ScienceDirect

Lithium-ion batteries are found everywhere, from watches to power tools to e-bikes and electric cars. But perhaps you've heard a thing or two about these batteries that make you unsure. This week, Casey and Sara discuss some of the environmental, social justice, and safety issues associated with lithium-ion batteries and how we can look to improve moving forward. Resources for this episode: How Lithium-ion Batteries Work | Department of Energy A Comprehensive Comparative Analysis: Lithium vs Alkaline Batteries - The Earth Awards Safety Risks to Emergency Responders from Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in Electric Vehicles EVs are being set on fire in Ottawa for NRC battery abuse research Electric Car Fires: What You Should Know | Edmunds Deadly fires from phone, scooter batteries leave lawmakers playing catch-up on safety Environmental impact of direct lithium extraction from brines | Nature Reviews Earth & Environment The Environmental Impacts of Lithium and Cobalt Mining Potential impacts of proposed lithium extraction on biodiversity and conservation in the contiguous United States - ScienceDirect How is lithium mined? | MIT Climate Portal Maine Has the Lithium America Needs, But Won't Allow Mining | TIME Society Watch: Across the globe, indigenous rights are being trampled in lithium goldrush | Reuters What Is Thermal Runaway? | UL Research Institutes Their batteries hurt the environment, but EVs still beat gas cars. Here's why This electric car battery takes less than 5 minutes to charge | CNN Business Tribes face an uphill battle to defend their sacred land against lithium mining A fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea kills 22 mostly Chinese migrant workers

This week, Sara and Casey chat with conservation biologist and data scientist, Dr. Vaughn Shirey, for a wide-ranging conversation about his work in butterfly conservation and climate change. Learn what got Vaughn interested in the field, how artificial intelligence is being used in his work, and what cold climate butterfly species (yeah, that's a thing) are telling us about climate change. Resources for this episode: Find more on Dr. Vaughn Shirey and his work HERE Find Vaughn Shirey on Twitter Find Vaugh Shirey on Instagram Vaughn Shirey - Google Scholar

Mosquitoes are common flying insect that inhabit all continents except Antarctica. There are over 3500 species of mosquitoes worldwide, but only somewhere between 6 and 9.3% bite humans and are disease vectors. That said, mosquitos are the deadliest animal on the planet, thanks to their role as a vector for disease. So, would we be better off getting rid of this pesky insect? Casey and Sara discuss the role of mosquitos in the environment, the pros and cons of eradication, and why mosquito gut bacteria is more important than you might expect! Resources for this episode: Mosquitopia - NCBI Bookshelf MOSQUITOES Why Are Some People Tastier to Mosquitoes Than Others? | Pfizer About Mosquitoes - CDC Robust network stability of mosquitoes and human pathogens of medical importance | Parasites & Vectors Can Garden Plants Really Repel Mosquitoes? - Consumer Reports. Invasive Mosquitoes - Birds Not Mosquitoes Aedes communis: The Pollinating Mosquito. Millions of Mosquitoes Will Rain Down on Hawaii to Save an Iconic Bird | Scientific American Genetically Modified Mosquitoes - CDC

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "artificial intelligence?" Does chatGPT or Alexa come to mind? Do you imagine robots taking over the world? What might not immediately come to mind are things like biodiversity preservation, green energy optimization, and water conservation, but AI is in fact being used in all these areas and more. Casey and Sara take a look at some of the ways AI is or has the potential to be used in the conservation realm and also explore some of the challenges with AI as a conservation tool.  Resources for this episode: A.I.’s ‘Her’ Era Has Arrived - The New York Times Platforms - Wild Me TrailGuard AI and Nightjar Saving our Planet’s Biodiversity with AI | Ganes Kesari | TEDxAsburyPark ASC Science Sundays - Tanya Berger-Wolf: AI for Wildlife Conservation How artificial intelligence is helping tackle environmental challenges Tackling climate change with machine learning | MIT Sloan Artificial Intelligence to Help Prevent Extinction? | Wildlife.ai: Conservation Charity tinyML Talks: Efficient AI for Wildlife Conservation Seven ways utilities are exploring AI for the grid | Latitude Media Why AI and energy are the new power couple – Analysis - IEA AI for the grid has potential, DOE says — but comes with pitfalls | Latitude Media How AI Is Cropping Up In The Agriculture Industry US farms are making an urgent push into AI. It could help feed the world Artificial Intelligence Can Prevent Enormous Amounts Of Damage And Water Loss From Building Leaks AI and Water: Pioneering Solutions for a Thirsty Planet AI to stop water pollution before it happens Hundreds of sewage leaks detected thanks to AI    

Jeffrey Rissman is the Senior Director of Industry at Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan energy and environmental policy firm. He is also the author of a new book, Zero-Carbon Industry: Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity. Casey and Sara were thrilled to welcome Jeffrey to the show to discuss his ideas on cleaning up the industrial sector. Jeffrey shares policy ideas, new technologies, and simple changes that can be made to bring global industry to zero carbon within the next 50 years. To purchase the book and get a 20% off coupon code, visit https://zerocarbonindustry.com/ Resources for this episode: https://www.jeffreyrissman.com/ We must cut carbon from industry. Here’s how we can do it.

Trees help give us clean air to breathe, keep us cool, and can even benefit our mental health. But not everyone has equal access to trees. In this week's episode, Casey and Sara discuss the benefits (and challenges) of urban trees and take a look at the factors involved in tree disparity across different neighborhoods.  Resources for this episode: The Inequitable Distribution of Urban Trees Tree Equity Score National Explorer Public Health Benefits of Urban Trees Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review Green gentrification in European and North American cities | Nature Communications Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan: 2016 -2026 Biden-Harris Administration Announces Historic Funding to Expand Access to Trees and Green Spaces in Disadvantaged Urban Communities | USDA. 50 years after being outlawed, redlining still drives neighborhood health inequities. Urban and Community Forestry Grants - 2023 Grant Awards | US Forest Service

With the total solar eclipse visible over parts of North America in just a few days, Casey and Sara discuss what we know about animal behavior during eclipse events. Listen to find out: What are Baily's Beads and why does Sara like them so much? How would Casey's pets respond to a total solar eclipse? Why should we care about how animals act during an eclipse?  If you are in the path of the eclipse, whether total or partial, you can join North Carolina State University's Solar Eclipse Safari project or take a look at NASA's Eclipse Soundscapes project. And if you are viewing the eclipse, remember to do so safely! Never look directly at the sun! Total Solar Eclipse Safety - NASA Resources for this episode: Researchers to observe how total solar eclipse affects animal behavior | PBS NewsHour NASA Eclipse Science 2024 Total Solar Eclipse - NASA Total Eclipse of the Zoo: Animal Behavior during a Total Solar Eclipse - PMC Unlocking the mysteries of animal behavior during cosmic events: IU News Surprising Ways Animals React to Solar Eclipses - National Geographic How Do Animals Respond to a Total Solar Eclipse? | Scientific American Animals act weirdly during an eclipse. Help NASA find out why | CNN

Join Casey and Sara for a discussion on the North Atlantic right whale. Learn where you can find these amazing animals, why they're called "right" whales, and what we can do to help save this incredibly endangered species. Resources for this episode: Reducing Vessel Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales | NOAA Fisheries North Atlantic Right Whale | NOAA Fisheries We know how to save the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Why aren’t we? - Vox IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Female North Atlantic right whales growing smaller, leading to fewer births Scientists release annual population estimate for critically endangered North Atlantic right whale amid ongoing threats - New England Aquarium North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2024 | NOAA Fisheries Maine fishing rope found in dead North Atlantic right whale | National Fisherman

Pulling weeds around the yard isn't most people's idea of a good time. Busting out a spray bottle of herbicide might be the easy way out, but what's the price we pay for that? Casey and Sara discuss the use of herbicides in agriculture and urban areas, including the recent news surrounding the use of dicamba.    Resources for this episode: Protecting Pollinators from Herbicides: Rethinking Weed Management at Home Benefits and risks of the use of herbicide-resistant crops - Kathrine Hauge Madsen & Jens Carl Streibig How to use herbicides to safely control weeds on farms | OSU Extension Service Different pesticides dominate in different land-use areas Video: Herbicides: A Double-Edged Sword? What We Know about Herbicide Impacts on Pollinators History of Weed Control in the United States and Canada Herbicide Use in the Era of Farm to Fork: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Future Implications - PMC New Study: Agricultural Pesticides Cause Widespread Harm to Soil Health, Threaten Biodiversity Glyphosate-based herbicides and cancer risk: a post-IARC decision review of potential mechanisms, policy and avenues of research - PMC Weed Management in Lawns Guidelines--UC IPMBee Precaution Pesticide Ratings

Last spring, Casey and Sara discussed some of the ways parents might be able to make eco-friendly choices while expecting and raising a baby. Now that Casey is a mom, she's taking a look back at how things went for her and sharing some additional tips and resources based on her experiences. Resources for this episode: Climate change is making people think twice about having children Environmental Impact of Feeding with Infant Formula in Comparison with Breastfeeding - PMC Disposable Diaper - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics Facts | Breastfeeding | CDC Study: Plastic Baby Bottles Shed Microplastics When Heated. Should You Worry? : Goats and Soda : NPR A highway paved with recycled diapers may change the cloth vs. disposables debate - The Washington Post Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK

In this reunion episode, Casey returns to the podcast, joining Kristen and Sara in a discussion about the impact of various art forms on the environment, as well as the other ways that art and nature intersect. Nature often inspires art (and might be considered art in and of itself), art often depicts nature, and art can also be used to benefit nature and conservation!  Resources for this episode: Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments - PMC Understanding the Hazardous Environmental Impact of Paint Painting Safety In The Arts Sustainability of Art Supplies. Art is a powerful means of conveying… | by Libby McClough | Environmental Justice Coalition | Medium Mindful of Its Impact on the Planet, the Art World Aims for Sustainability Meet Abhi; The Charcoal Artist raising Climate Change Awareness | by Abhijeet Shrivastava | Medium Quick Guide: Detox Your Art Studio | Artwork Archive How to Create an Eco-Friendly Art Studio | Artwork Archive Resin Art and Sustainability Backlash How to Make Plant Paints: Zero Waste Art - Greenify Me KaiNav Conservation Fund Painted Dog Conservation Washed Ashore

Kristen and Sara discuss the threats facing coral reefs around the world, what conservationists are doing to help, and how we can all get involved! Resources for this episode: Visual Feature | Status of Coral Reefs of the World What Florida’s coral bleaching means as high ocean temperatures continue - The Washington Post Warming, acidic oceans may nearly eliminate coral reef habitats by 2100 - AGU Newsroom Extreme Ocean Temperatures Are Affecting Florida’s Coral Reef | NESDIS Coral on the Red List of Endangered Species | FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg Natural Threats to Coral Reefs Crown-of-thorns Starfish - Oceana Five fascinating facts about crown-of-thorns starfish - Great Barrier Reef Foundation Coral Diseases – South Florida Aquatic Environments Threats to Coral Reefs | US EPA Coral Nurseries | Reef Resilience Coral bleaching 101 | gbrmpa The Truth About Corals and Sunscreen | Smithsonian Ocean The Great Reef Census Deepest Fish Discovered Hydropower Map

When we think of coral most of us probably think of giant, colorful reef structures. But there's so much more to coral! We take a deeper look at the tiny animals that make up those reefs--and that can be found beyond those reefs, as well. Video for Weekly Challenge: Lens of Time: Corals in Motion   Resources for this episode:  What are corals? | ICRI NOAA CoRIS - What are Coral Reefs All About Soft Corals - Ocean Conservancy Coral tentacle elasticity promotes an out-of-phase motion that improves mass transfer | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Coral Polyp Anatomy - Coral Disease & Health Consortium Did you know: How do corals form colonies? Coral Reef Ecosystems in the Deep Sea Red Sea Expedition: Acrobatic mushroom corals are fun-guys IUCN: Eastern Water Dragon National Zoo: Asian Water Dragon

Kristen and Sara discuss the pros and cons of using water to produce electricity. Listen in to learn the three main ways we currently produce hydropower, the environmental impacts, and how hydropower might fit in to the future of energy production.  Resources for this episode: Planning a Microhydropower System | Department of Energy Dam that threatens orangutan habitat faces three-year delay BATANG TORU HYDROPOWER PROJECT Factcheck and References on Key Issues Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre: Dam Displacement Why hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean energy UN warns most will live downstream of ageing large dams by 2050 | Flooding | The Guardian What Is Green Power? | US EPA Hydropower Basics | Department of Energy Hydropower explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Hydropower: US Department of Energy Why aren't we looking at more hydropower? | MIT Climate Portal Hydropower - IEA Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity - Energy Education Where hydropower is generated - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Hydro power by state in 2022 (United States)

With all the hype around Barbie these past few weeks, Sara and Kristen decided to take a look at the environmental impact of the iconic doll--and some of our other toys, as well. Listen in as they chat about their favorite Barbies, the challenges of plastic, and how to balance our desire to give the kids in our lives the things that they want and still be a little greener.  Resources for this episode: (From intro) Nuclear fusion breakthrough repeated by lab | Fortune (From intro) Tour de Turtles Barbie Sustainability | Mattel Barbie and the Problem With Plastic - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Plastic Pollution Facts and Issues | The Problems With Plastic In Our Real World, Barbie’s Plastic Is Not So Fantastic Most materials are recyclable, so why can’t children’s toys be sustainable? | Yale Environment Review Life in Plastic, It's Not Fantastic - Earth Day Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Mattel launches sustainable new Barbie Loves the Ocean range My Kids Want Plastic Toys. I Want to Go Green. Here's the Middle Ground Hasbro: Environmental Responsibility