News & commentary on sustainability, activism, urban planning, politics, and our world.
Chemical structure of the antibiotic tetracycline–one of the four classes of antibiotics that sampled soil microbes showed increased resistance to in the 2009 Study. The prevalence of antibiotic resistant genes (ARG) in soil bacteria has been increasing steadily over the past seven decades, despite tighter controls on the use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes (in [...]
African Elephant Bull Photographed in Kruger Park on 20 June 2009. The author’s last two posts have shown that culling is often used as a “solution” to limit the growth in animal numbers in a particular situations. At the extremes, some animal rights lobbyists oppose the killing of animals on the basis of principle alone [...]
It really is miraculous how within hours of birth, some mammals find their legs and learn to walk. They might be unsteady at first, but it doesn’t take long for baby horses and other newborn animals to appear as though they’ve been walking for years, not days. Many animals seem to progress so quickly, but [...]
Some species are already on the move because of climate change, but a lot more is needed for species & ecosystems to survive. A new study by the California Academy of Scientists attempts to estimate how fast species and ther ecosystems will have to move to keep up with climate change. On average, the team [...]
Ecovillages are great habitats and support systems for people who want to live environmentally friendlier, happier, healthier lives. One of the most famous modern ecovillages, Findhorn Ecovillage, starts this ecovillage spotlight series. Ecovillages often combine ecological planning and design with innovative social, political and/or economic systems. Additionally, they often include certain cultural or spiritual goals. [...]
