Droughts, natural gas flaring cuts, insect art: this week in environmental news

By Kary Askew Garcia, MNA Intern

Every Friday, MNA gathers news related to the environment from around the state and country. Here are a few highlights from what happened this week in environmental news:

 

Drought in the southwest. Photo by Mark Henle courtesy of the Guardian.

US drought to deplete Lake Mead to levels not seen since 1930s (The Guardian): Federal water managers said the drought in the southwest will drop water levels below 1,082 feet. Officials from the US Bureau of Reclamation said water obligations would be met for at least the next year with no shortages and supply will continue to be monitored.

When beliefs and facts collide (New York Times): Americans continue to stay divided in their belief of theory on how the earth was created, global warming and other issues. Surveys have concluded that many Americans don’t know all of the facts.

Natural gas flaring in North Dakota to be significantly reduced by 2020 (Huffington Post): North Dakota’s booming oil industry will face rigid restrictions in attempt to reduce flame waste byproducts from the industry by 2020. Because of the fast pace of oil drilling, much natural gas is burned off rather than given to pipelines and processing facilities who can’t keep up.

 

“Artistic endeavors of leaf cutter bees” Photo by Chris Worden courtesy of Great Lakes Echo.

Insect art: competition sheds new light on garden damage (Great Lakes Echo): Experts from the Canadian Pollination Initiative and the University of Guelph teamed up to start an art contest that brings a new perspective to insect-eaten plants. Their aim is turn frustration into pride — feelings that are all too familiar when gardeners come across holey plants and leaves among other beauties.

Climate change will alter fire patterns, push caribou herds around (Conservation Magazine): Increasing heat and drought have brought on more wildfires, which have been connected to the habitat of the caribou. Although wildfires may mean less trees, the trees are not what’s important to caribou; the lichens growing on them are. These lichens are what caribou subsist on and wildfires are burning them away.

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Protecting the sturgeon, transforming agriculture and a grey wolf shot dead: this week in environmental news

By Kary Askew Garcia, MNA Intern

Every Friday, MNA gathers news related to the environment from around the state and country. Here are a few highlights from what happened this week in environmental news:

Children holding a sturgeon. Photo by Michigan State University, courtesy of The Great Lakes Echo

Volunteers guard Michigan’s spawning sturgeon (Great Lakes Echo): The lake sturgeon, a threatened fish species in Michigan, will have several guardians ensuring its safety at the Black River in Northern Michigan. Volunteers will stand watch on the banks through June to ensure no fish are illegally snatched and are able to leave the Black Lake and reproduce in the Black River.

Grey wolf appears in Iowa for the first time in 89 years — and is shot dead (The Guardian): It was just recently confirmed that an animal shot dead in February in Iowa was a grey wolf, an animal which hadn’t been seen in the area since 1925. Because the hunter who shot the animal believed it to be a coyote and cooperated with the authorities, he has not been cited even though grey wolves are protected in that area.

California’s thirst shapes debate over fracking (The New York Times): Opponents of fracking have a new argument on their side. A drought that was declared early this year in California may have an impact on decisions made about fracking. Last year, fracking one oil well took 87 percent of water which would normally consumed by a family of four in one year.

Smart soil: transforming american agriculture one class at a time: (The Huffington Post Blog):

John Reganold, soil scientist and professor at Washington State University speaks of his study and success with creating sustainable agriculture in the United States. Reganold advocates for organic soil systems as a more sustainable way of growing and producing better crops.

 

A fish swimming near the reef. Photo courtesy of Conservation Magazine

Reef fish don’t care where conservation lines are drawn (Conservation Magazine): Over the years there have been increasing amounts of established marine protected areas, or MPAs, particularly near the Caribbean. Despite establishing these areas, fish often tend to migrate in and out, swimming outside of the bounds of protection. A research group of the Marine Institute of the United Kingdom tracked several different reef species and determined that conservation efforts must take this migration into account.

Hope for the honey bees? Experts pitch plans to curb deaths (NBC News): Honey bees throughout the world have been suffering from colony collapse disorder and scientists think they may have found a way to lower the death rate. It was found that certain types of pesticides played a role in largely killing the bees — some of the world’s largest contributors to the food and crop industry because of their pollinating role in nature.