Endangering endangered species

Endangering endangered species

by Bill Schlesinger In the matter of the proposed revision of the Endangered Species Act, we should strongly oppose the removal of the word “harm” from the list of prohibited actions against threatened and endangered species. As written, the Act ...
The Orange Tide

The Orange Tide

by Bill Schlesinger There are always buyers and sellers, but the price of stocks is said to be determined by the best collective knowledge of the current and future value of a company in the marketplace. Similarly, predictions of future ...
From Headwaters to the Sea

From Headwaters to the Sea

From Headwaters to the Sea by Bill Schlesinger Just outside of our townhouse in North Carolina lies a shallow, linear depression that is mostly filled with autumn leaves.  Come rain, this drainage way carries water downslope to Sandy Creek, a ...
Net Metering

Net Metering

by Bill Schlesinger In 2013, my wife and I built a home in Maine powered by 6.2 kW of Sunpower Solar panels installed by Revision Energy. Our solar panels are part of a “net-metering” program that has covered all our ...
Organofluoride contaminants

Organofluoride contaminants

by Bill Schlesinger Agricultural extension agents in separate counties in Texas and Maine have reported high levels of PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl) compounds in farmland soils, potentially contaminating groundwater and crops. Made only by humans, PFAS compounds have wide use ...
/ / Environment, Sections
MAGA and the World’s Future

MAGA and the World’s Future

Vector of World Map Made of Stickman Figures Classic Blue by Bill Schlesinger In the past few months, I have asked myself repeatedly, how did Trump win? The question is even more pressing now that he has been inaugurated. Trump’s ...
/ / Environment, Sections
The Methane Mystery

The Methane Mystery

(Photo by: QAI Publishing/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) by Bill Schlesinger The concentration of methane in Earth’s atmosphere is increasing rapidly, which concerns atmospheric chemists because methane is a powerful contributor to global warming. Moreover, there is an acceleration ...
/ / Environment, Sections
Fluoridation of drinking water, redux

Fluoridation of drinking water, redux

by Bill Schlesinger Reposted from April 2016 due to the current controversy about fluorine in drinking water A few weeks ago, I read an article describing outrage among a group of citizens over fluoridation of their local drinking water. What’s ...
/ / Environment, Sections
New Car Smell

New Car Smell

by Bill Schlesinger Ah, the smell of a new car. To get inside a new car for a drive with friends is part of the American experience. The “new car smell” is a sign that you have arrived. When we ...
/ / Environment, Sections
Wood Burial to combat climate change?

Wood Burial to combat climate change?

by Bill Schlesinger Bringing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere down to preindustrial levels will be a daunting task, including reducing current emissions and removing the CO2 that has accumulated from past emissions. The costs of rapid climate change demand ...
/ / Environment, Sections