logo

What an orphan owl taught an ecologist about bird intelligence

Owls are associated with intelligence, which isn’t surprising, because these birds have incredible smarts and even distinct personalities, as ecologist Carl Safina learned firsthand. After he and his wife Patricia rescued a baby screech owl that couldn’t be returned to the wild, they learned a lot about what owls are really like, as it grew up and raised its own baby owls....

Originally posted on salon.com

If we can’t fix this “frightening” problem, then we have “no hope” of addressing the climate crisis

One of the world’s most prominent advocates for taking action to halt human-caused climate change is Dr. Michael E. Mann, a professor of earth and environmental science at the University of Pennsylvania. The climatologist and geophysicist’s latest book is “Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth’s Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis.”...

Originally posted on salon.com

Transforming old oil rigs into seaweed farms could resurrect “dead zones” in the ocean

As Big Agriculture continues to dump fertilizer and other cattle ranch runoff into the Gulf of Mexico, our aquatic systems suffer. Algal blooms wind up flourishing, killing fish and shellfish alike while causing eye and respiratory illnesses in humans. In addition, the dumping of this pollution into the Gulf of Mexico creates “dead zones,” or areas of the ocean where the oxygen is so low that life struggles to survive....

Originally posted on salon.com

A new documentary presents devastation from climate change from the perspective of animals

Summer 2023 is officially the hottest summer on record, while freak storms and rising sea levels are all around us. But we often only think of these impacts in terms of how they affect humans, such as how many billions of dollars in damages hurricanes or wildfires cause. A new documentary takes a different approach, with a specific eye toward how animals are reacting to climate change....

Originally posted on salon.com

Do animals feel shame or are they faking it? An expert unmasks what dogs and cats may really feel

Whether you’re a fan of dogs or not, chances are you’ve seen “dog shaming” online. It is the meme-able, viral trend of photographing one’s dog next to handwritten signs in which the pups “confess” to their real-life misdeeds. Such canine crimes include barking too loudly, biting strangers, eating remote controls, stealing cookies from children and peeing on a Virgin Mary statue....

Originally posted on salon.com