By Christopher Thompson With the impacts of a warming planet becoming more apparent every day, climate change is taking center stage in the race for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Most of the candidates have articulated commitments or released plans to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions through legislation, administrative actions, international diplomacy and other initiatives. […]

By Ryan Johnson When Cleveland’s Cuyahoga caught fire, it was as much about urban blight as environmental crisis. It was like a game of telephone. In the first whispers, which appeared in local newspapers on June 23, 1969, Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River didn’t burn. A floating oil slick did, for only 25 minutes, damaging a couple […]

By Christopher Thompson  Almost half of packaging used by supermarkets cannot be recycled, an investigation has found. Which? – a company which studies and tests the things we buy – looked at the packaging of 46 of the most popular items from 11 supermarkets. The average percentage of packaging – including cardboard, glass and plastics […]

By Ryan Johnson Sorry to be so personal, but you are probably pooping plastic. Human beings have covered the planet with plastics because these malleable, man-made polymers are so useful and versatile. Unfortunately, researchers are finding particles of discarded, degraded plastic everywhere from Antarctica to the North Pole, even in the ocean depths. (See Health […]

By Christopher Thompson Using farms to capture and store more carbon in soil is becoming trendy, but the science is still not settled on how much it can help to address climate change. A growing number of farmers are exploring the potential of capturing and storing greater amounts of carbon dioxide in soil as a […]

By Ryan Johnson Your blood sugar and impulsive behavior may influence behavioral flexibility or your ability to respond to changes in the environment. A study published in the journal Nutrition Research found that measures of impulsivity and blood sugar regulation can be used to predict behavioral flexibility. Both psychological and physiological factors influence behavioral flexibility […]

By Christopher Thompson Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer released his climate-change plan on Wednesday. Given that he has made the Trudeau government’s carbon-pricing regime a daily target for criticism, his plan invites examination. It begins with a straightforward statement: “Canada’s Conservatives recognize that climate change is real and evidence from around the world clearly shows […]

By Ryan Johnson Climate change is a reality. Yes, there are a few doubters still around, just as there are flat-earthers. But most people now accept that something unusual and potentially catastrophic is happening to our world and the window for acting is closing rapidly. A number of investors have written to me recently asking […]

By Christopher Thompson  Officials on the Big Island are considering a bill to loosen restrictions on plastics used by restaurants and other food vendors. The Hawaii County Council unanimously voted for a bill Wednesday allowing the substitution of plastics the county does not recycle as alternatives to polystyrene, West Hawaii Today reported Thursday. The bill […]

By Ryan Johnson Abundle of six small brie cheeses from Trader Joe’s seemed to sum it all up. Each 0.9oz wheel was encased in flexible clear plastic, bound together in a plastic sack, to be sold to Americans who might carry it home in a single-use plastic shopping bag, none of it apparently recyclable. Supermarkets […]