Environmental Journalism

Assignment Earth, Environmental Journalism, Environmental Protection, Sustainable Living / 23.03.2011

  Making the growing season grow longer, that’s the idea for Daphne Yannakakis, an organic farmer in western Colorado. Along with husband Don Lareau on Zephyros Farm, they’re growing vegetables in wintertime as part of a study by Colorado State University. The vegetables grow under the protection of unheated green houses called high tunnels, which hold in heat stored by the Earth at night and capture solar heat during the day. They also provide protection from the wind. These farmers plant a variety of cold hardy vegetables at monthly intervals and record weather data electronically with custom software. The data is collected from five farms across Colorado and will be compiled and made available to other small-scale farmers. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and called the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program or SARE, the study is intended to help small-scale farmers in the Rocky Mountains remain productive and profitable through much of the winter by utilizing high tunnels. Even when outside temperatures reach sub-zero extremes these simple structures allow vegetables to survive harsh winter conditions and enable farmers to grow more.
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Camping, Environmental Journalism, Film Review, Kids in Nature, Outdoor Recreation / 18.03.2011

“The landscape of childhood has changed.” From the opening frames of Play Again, directed by Tonje Hessen Schei, the documentary makes it clear that the world we knew as children is fundamentally different than it is today. With a proliferation of technology that captivates both the time and attention of young people, a generation of humanity is emerging out of touch with the natural world. And as teenagers spend more and more time playing video games and surfing the web indoors the producers of this feature-length movie warn that as they grow to become adults they may be deprived of the very experiences that make us human.
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Assignment Earth, Environmental Journalism, Environmental Protection / 11.03.2011

  Collisions with automobiles make it pretty clear where Mule Deer don’t make it across the road. But what researchers want to find out is where they do. The answer is important as officials in Wyoming get ready to expand major highways -some up to five lanes- that run through this wildlife rich gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.   “If we can figure out where animals are crossing, we can at least hope to reduce some of those wildlife vehicle collisions, which will help from a population perspective to keep the animals alive,” said Embere Hall of Teton Science Schools. “Secondly it will help improve human safety. No one wants to hit an animal with their car.” A three-year study is underway to better understand the highway-crossing behavior of mule deer. At a cost of my more than $300,000 this labor intensive project aims to discover exactly how animals maneuver through this increasingly busy valley.
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Africa, Charitable Giving, Climate Change, Environmental Journalism, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection, Ethiopia, Manic Media Monday, philanthropy / 07.03.2011

  There’s hardly a storage of news to be had in our worldwide 24/7 media cycle. What’s remarkable is the sheer volume of information out there that tends to clog the pipe and make it difficult to find those articles that truly help to shape our thoughts. For those of us engaged in an active sustainable lifestyle there are several stories worth following this week that can both inspire and encourage our personal efforts to make the world a better place.
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Environmental Journalism, Film Review, Mountain Film / 03.03.2011

Several documentaries in recent years have made American consumers rethink the many products they purchase and…well… consume. Outrage over the seemingly irreparable harm imposed upon the planet and our personal health is compelling many to make proactive choices to rid their lives of plastic single-use disposable containers. The film Bag It directed by Suzan Beraza may very well prompt eco-minded consumers to make those changes permanent.
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Environmental Journalism, Environmental Protection, Manic Media Monday / 21.02.2011

[caption id="attachment_4728" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo by Clint Thayer www.focalflame.com"][/caption] Protests around the world lead the news this week. Legislation here in Wisconsin threatens to remove the collective bargaining rights of state employees as demonstrations in Madison continue through the weekend into Monday. Unfortunately as all traffic Downtown was brought to a standstill the annual Winter Festival was forced to an alternate location. The much-anticipated celebration of snow sports was held this year instead at the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union. Typically an event that draws cross-country skiing, snowboarding and ice sculpting to the Capital Square, the event was thoroughly overshadowed by rallies and a chanting throng of protesters waving signs. While attempting to balance a budget deficit of $140 million newly elected Governor Scott Walker and a Republican majority face off against more than 50,000 union members and their supporters. World events will always have a direct impact  our daily lives, particularly those that effect the environment. Here are a few other stories in the news this week to keep an eye on:
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