Degradation of the Environment, The
Scientist and climate change expert Michael Oppenheimer talks about what he calls the two driving forces behind the degradation of the environment: the technologies at our disposal and the number of people using them.
Disappearing Species and the Endocrine System
Zoologist and World Wildlife Fund senior scientist Theo Colborn talks about the impact of environmental toxins on the endocrine systems of exposed animals. Dr. Colborn observes that some of the species being affected hav..
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 carbo..
Ecology: Biosphere 2: Elevated Carbon Dioxide Levels
By overstocking the soil with organics, an excess of carbon dioxide production was created in Biosphere 2. The elevated levels of carbon dioxide affected the pH of the ocean water and the growth and productivity rates of..
Ecology: Biosphere 2: Studying Extinction First-hand
The accidental introduction of a common greenhouse ant into Biosphere 2 resulted in the loss of their pollinators. The impact of the loss was felt immediately in the miniature biosphere. The size of the earth and the red..
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..
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 ..
Economic Impact of Air Pollution
Scientist and climate change expert Michael Oppenheimer discusses some of the economic impacts of air pollution, including those related to health, the natural environment, and infrastructure decay.
Economics, Public Policy and the Environment
Zoologist and World Wildlife Fund senior scientist Theo Colborn observes that economic concerns often trump environmental issues in the public policy arena.
Endocrine Disrupters
Zoologist and World Wildlife Fund senior scientist Theo Colborn explains that additives found in some of the plastic products most of us use every day are "endocrine disrupters."