Search Results

Clothing has assumed a major economic role in human society ever since we began to wear animal skins.  Along with the provision of food, shelter and fuels, the manufacture of clothing contributes to human environmental impact worldwide

I hang around ecologists most of the time, and when I go into the field with some of them, I frequently hear them say that a local stream is “unhealthy.” Now, I can imagine that if it contained raw sewage or toxic and corrosive chemicals, it would be pretty clear to everyone that a stream was unhealthy. But, are there other criteria that pertain as well?

More and more frequently I hear about ecosystem restoration—the attempt to reestablish a natural ecosystem on degraded land. Sometimes I even hear that “designer ecosystems” might provide services or experiences similar to or better than nature.

In the face of evaluating human impacts on nature, environmental scientists have struggled to define a healthy ecosystem. The most successful definitions focus on the attributes of the ecosystem—for instance, a forest or a wetland—versus what might be their characteristics in the absence of human activities.

Michelle Wong came to Cary from Cornell University, where she received her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Wong works with Cary scientist Sarah Batterman studying how nutrients effect the regrowth of tropical forests.

Only a decade or two ago it was widely thought that tropical forests and intact natural environments teeming with exotic wildlife threatened humans by harboring the viruses and pathogens that lead to new diseases in humans like Ebola, HIV and dengue. But a number of researchers today think that it is actually humanity’s destruction of biodiversity that creates the conditions for new viruses and diseases like COVID-19.

The global movement of people and goods brings exotic diseases to most ecosystems on Earth, including Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19 to humans in North America.

Go to the mall or shop on-line—a nagging question for those who want to minimize their environmental footprint. And, of course, now with the social distancing recommended to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, it is even more pertinent to know the impact that on-line shopping brings to the environment and to climate change.

As panicked consumers flock to grocery stores, emptying shelves in preparation for homebound quarantines that could last for weeks, the coronavirus pandemic is revealing an alarming longer-term concern about the world's growing appetites and the stresses they impose on a warming planet. 

As many policy groups—such as Maine’s Climate Council—try to grapple with effective responses to the ongoing global changes in climate, interest has focused on harvesting vegetation as a climate-smart solution. For forests, this involves the use of woody biomass as an alternative to fossil fuels. 

This summer, I created a map depicting where in the US salamanders might be at risk of contracting Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), a fungal pathogen that would be devastating if it were to arrive in the United States.

In the Hudson Valley, one of the most damaging invasive species is Japanese knotweed. It was brought from Asia to the United Kingdom, then made its way into the US.

In a world where water seems so abundant, consistent access to drinkable freshwater is surprisingly scarce – so much so that the World Economic Forum ranks inconsistent access to freshwater to be among the top-five risks facing people across the globe.

Among the tools of the “green revolution,” that has increased crop yields worldwide and allows us to fed nearly 8 billion people, are breeding and genetic modifications of crop plants (GMOs), pesticides, and fertilizer.

My research this summer investigated how mosquito abundances vary with temperature and habitat.

We are thrilled to be launching a major reinvention of our headquarters. Please join us to learn about our renovation plans and see the renderings.

Recording of event is available.

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies will be transforming its Millbrook, NY campus to better advance ecological science. The renewed headquarters will have additional space for research and will be energy-efficient, sustainable, and healthier for people and the planet.

In moderation, eating salt-laden junk food is not terrible; however, eating too much salt can have serious consequences for our health. The same is true for the environment. Too much salt is a very bad thing.