More heat waves and unpredictable rainfall could destroy vineyards from California to Greece by 2100, according to a new study, while at the same time creating ideal conditions for wine growing in the United Kingdom and other unexpected regions. “Climate change is affecting grape yield, composition and wine quality. As a result, the geography of […]
Quick Key Facts What Are ‘Wetlands’? A wetland is exactly what it sounds like: ground that is covered by or saturated with water for all or part of the year. The water that makes a wetland can come from a variety of different sources, including ocean tides; freshwater sources like lakes, rivers, or ponds; underground […]
The EU has drafted rules that will require companies linked to microplastic pollution to partially pay for cleanup. Companies will have to pay at least 80% of microplastic recovery costs, while the government will subsidize the rest. The proposed plan identifies specific industries that would need to help pay for the cleanup, also known as […]
Quick Key Facts What Is Slow Fashion? Back in 2007, design activist Kate Fletcher coined the term “slow fashion” when talking about the needs for systems-level change in the fashion industry. It was a hat tip towards the Slow Food Movement, which began in Italy as pushback against the fast food industry, overproduction and waste, […]
A new study has discovered that small coastal estuaries contain concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals” high enough to indicate a worldwide issue. For the study, the researchers looked at the distribution, occurrence and risks of PFAS during the dry season in three micro-estuaries, a press release from Hebrew University of Jerusalem […]
In 1968, the U.S. government passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, designating the first eight free-flowing rivers as protected — the Rio Grande, Rogue, Clearwater, St. Croix, Eleven Point, Idaho’s Salmon and Wolf Rivers. Today, there are 226 wild and scenic rivers and streams covering more than 13,4000 miles in the national Wild and […]
In the past 40 years, snowpack has sharply declined and is expected to continue this trend, according to a new study by researchers from Dartmouth College. With winter storms currently hitting across the U.S., snow can be a confusing element when it comes to better understanding and tracking climate change and global warming. Some areas […]
Quick Key Facts What Is Upcycling? Many of us are familiar with the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” in terms of sustainability, but it’s become apparent that “Reduce, Reuse, and Repurpose” might be a smarter avenue in terms of reducing waste streams. Right now globally, 2.12 billion tons of waste is dumped annually. Many industries, particularly […]
Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors has voted for a plan to improve stormwater capture, with a goal of capturing more stormwater for local reuse rather than importing water from other regions. The L.A. County Water Plan aims to increase the local water supply by 580,000 acre-feet per year by 2045 so that 80% of […]