Paths of Pollution: PCBs and the Great Lakes
As industries began to proliferate around the Great Lakes and its tributaries, contamination also began to accumulate in its waters. PCBs, which do not biodegrade, were routinely discharged into the environment before scientific evidence revealed th...
The Delicate Balance, Part 1: The Cost of Science, Technology, and Population Growth
The impact of modern science and technology on the biosphere is profound. The earth's natural ecosystems have the ability to cleanse the water; recycle wastes, turning them back into nutrients; pollinate crops; generate and maintain soils and more, ...
Ecology: Biosphere 2: The Mechanics of a Closed System
Biosphere 2 was built as a living laboratory to help explain how humans interact with the earth's systems and gauge their impact on the environment. The structure, located in the Arizona desert, relies on huge inputs of energy, sophisticated electro...
Acid Rain: Sources and Impact
Scientist and climate change expert Michael Oppenheimer discusses the causes and impact of acid rain. Oppenheimer states that the primary sources of acid rain are emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from electric power plants. The second...
Ecology: Biosphere 2: A Laboratory for Studying the Future
While Biosphere 2's efforts to duplicate earth's complex ecological systems were unattainable, this scaled-down model is ideal for studying the effects of man on ecosystems. It is possible, for instance, to elevate carbon dioxide to the levels predi...
Ecology: Biosphere 2: The Effects of El Nino
When an El Niño event occurred during the two year Biosphere experiment, it created surprising and unforeseen problems with food production. The unusually cloudy and rainy conditions resulted in drastically reduced crop yields. Many scientists beli...
Impact of Acid Rain and Climate Change on Ecosystems
Scientist and climate change expert Michael Oppenheimer talks about the consequences of acid rain in the lakes of southeast Canada and many states in the northeastern United States. "It leeches toxic metals, like aluminums, from the soils," Dr. Oppe...
Sustaining the Earth: Case Study: Industrial Symbiosis
An examination of a symbiotic industrial arrangement among four industries in Denmark in which the wastes from one industry provide the raw materials for another. This kind of planned cradle to grave management of resources has positive economic, so...