Monthly Archives: September 2014

A Discussion on Cities and Nature

I was listening to NPR this morning and tuned in on a conversation about cities and nature.  Human infrastructure has reached nearly all parts of the terrestrial environment, but the majority of our population can be found in just a handful of places, especially along the coast.  Rising populations, increased energy use and development all contribute to a changing landscape, ecology, and climate.  As our influence over nature is obvious and undeniable, it is necessary to understand the relationships that these urban areas have on their surroundings.  This discussion does a good job of identifying the important questions we should be asking and explains some of the interactions that go on between cities and nature.  Give it a listen!

Listen to the NPR broadcast here!

A Brief Article on Climate Change

Long time no post!  It’s been a busy couple months since my last contribution to the page and I thought I would break the spell with an article that I found through the Environmental Defense Fund.  This article briefly discusses the ways in which we can observe climate change.  While climate change is often described in terms of temperature, the effects of a changing climate are wide ranging.  From sea level rise, increased ocean acidity, melting ice sheets, glaciers, and permafrost, we can physically measure the effects of climate change.  For someone who wants to brush up on their climate change knowledge, this article is a quick and informative read.

What are some of the other ways in which we can observe climate change?  Furthermore, what do these effects mean?  What are their consequences both short-term and long-term?  Take a look at the article and feel free to add your thoughts.

Why “slowed” global warming is not what it seems