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","_key":"eafea982e9ee"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Or is the bee apocalypse still coming?","_key":"653073e18dbb"}]},{"_key":"26768b3a989f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The threat of colony collapse disorder","_key":"f219ff9469100"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"df54cf6d2206","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Most of the dystopian scenarios involving the end of honeybees stem from speculation about something called colony collapse disorder, which experts said started leading to eradication of entire colonies about two decades ago.","_key":"0668469d93e60"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c98950b84da3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"More recently,","_key":"c541afae8dcd0","_type":"span"},{"text":" nearly half of the honeybee colonies were lost ","_key":"4d83271c1773","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_key":"994bb7d96c23","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"in the span of just one year beginning in April 2022, with the primary cause being an infestation of virus-carrying Varroa mites."}]},{"_key":"e732bcf4a066","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"These statistics appear to be rooted in reliable data, so it makes sense that so many people believe we’re on the verge of struggling to survive in a world without honeybees.","_key":"6aa6dfd7ecc40"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"884f544063ea","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The truth is a little more complicated","_key":"411eaa1524ca0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"All you need to do is take a look at the soaring popularity of almond milk to realize that there’s still plenty of pollination going on. 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In response to space limitations and climate change, farmers have been forced to grow a greater yield within the farmland they have available.","_key":"ee2ad7e8b61a0"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Innovative watering strategies, more effective pesticides, richer fertilizer, and genetic modification have contributed to the","_key":"7254d85a6f1c0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" ability to maximize crops","_key":"1b7761b30874","_type":"span"},{"_key":"5afa35950725","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" at a rate unheard of just decades ago. And some farmers stand out from the pack — like David Hula of Virginia, who has won the National Corn Yield Contest more than a dozen times."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"69688db74e23"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Last year, his nearly","_key":"4bc9786cc0de0"},{"_key":"8c378d5289f1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" 624 bushels per acre"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" was more than three and a half times higher than the national average.","_key":"ea6bb4a0a160"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"739f9e694458","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Now, a more pressing focus for U.S. farmers involves exporting these strategies to underdeveloped nations where farmers are only able to grow a fraction of the yield that American farms produce.","_key":"c3e2559319840"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f120ad8cc22d"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Supply and demand","_key":"255dfbb108040"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"337d6ddb643b"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Corn and soybeans are two of the most widely grown crops, but a surprising amount of it never reaches the plates of hungry humans around the world. 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And data scientist James Gerber says that’s by design because corn and soybeans receive a disproportionate level of government subsidies."}]}],"title":"Here’s Why More And More Farmers Are Growing Crops That Nobody Eats"},{"_createdAt":"2024-01-26T21:00:29Z","_updatedAt":"2024-01-26T23:40:26Z","_rev":"x85C0o6nGPFIdPQ9kPtfcQ","publishDate":"2024-01-27","category":"environment","summary":"It's impacting one of the most pristine environments in the United States.","image":{"hotspot":{"y":0.5147126436781608,"height":0.8038314176245208,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9195402298850573,"x":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Michael Carey/US Geological Survey","asset":{"size":182368,"_updatedAt":"2024-01-26T20:59:17Z","originalFilename":"65a165dcdcdb354a985719ca.jpeg","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/58e76b1d8e45940ff92440a0b6cdaede79039226-960x750.jpg","_id":"image-58e76b1d8e45940ff92440a0b6cdaede79039226-960x750-jpg","_rev":"x85C0o6nGPFIdPQ9kOl5eZ","mimeType":"image/jpeg","sha1hash":"58e76b1d8e45940ff92440a0b6cdaede79039226","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/58e76b1d8e45940ff92440a0b6cdaede79039226-960x750.jpg","_createdAt":"2024-01-26T20:59:17Z","extension":"jpg","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAQABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEAQb/xAAgEAABBAICAwEAAAAAAAAAAAACAAEDBBEhBTESMkFR/8QAFgEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQED/8QAGREBAQEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACEjFB/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDoG5gYybzPyFuxfabLHYtsEvHxEUZd5+JVeSrEzPVpAwZ9j3lU2eQnkjKOMnEW+DpF77HLKi+lklG2xdxjroj2hSwMZR5MSJ/10LQzqnK//9k=","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":960,"aspectRatio":1.28,"height":750},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"V6L3fKsF5GsA%J}@sEw}NMobU_^$-oE7NL_4?uI-RoWa","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3,"background":"#a7805c"},"lightVibrant":{"population":4.27,"background":"#e2ba94","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":1.1,"background":"#9e783f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":4.07,"background":"#c6aba1","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"vibrant":{"background":"#e0b560","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.31},"dominant":{"population":4.27,"background":"#e2ba94","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":2.08,"background":"#765c51","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false},"uploadId":"Sv5ZABP3Dq8e8AHkeQcaKLDCc4VcIKLr","assetId":"58e76b1d8e45940ff92440a0b6cdaede79039226"},"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0}},"slug":"/story/2024/01/experts-know-whats-causing-rivers-to-turn-orange-but-they-dont-know-why","id":"vRXw7fc9","body":[{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There are few places in the United States more protected than the Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska, but that hasn’t stopped a stream that runs through the area from picking up what looks like a ","_key":"eaf485693a6b0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["674ae0b1b325"],"text":"troubling","_key":"eaf485693a6b1"},{"text":" amount of pollutants.","_key":"eaf485693a6b2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6e5b6d469554","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-alaskas-rivers-turning-orange/","_key":"674ae0b1b325"}]},{"children":[{"_key":"ca13d704b8190","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"“This is bad stuff”"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bbbe3fe512d0","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ac78c0523be2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That was the response from University of Alaska Anchorage ecologist Patrick Sullivan when he surveyed the remote area last year.","_key":"18678512bd900"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"b8885c45c8ef","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"4ae3d5bb2efd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"He took some measurements and found that the stream’s pH level was roughly"},{"_key":"3ce6c931990c","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" 100 times higher "},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"than the river into which it deposited. 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Walker said that begins by communicating the importance of preserving what is there and restoring what has already been lost.","_key":"5f66a0a02b6e0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“In order to protect something, ","_key":"463ff1196d5a0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"people have to love it","_key":"559561c6b0e2"},{"_key":"dda0b5e03910","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", and this is like giving us the opportunity, the world stage, to share our stories and our history and why this place should love it,” she said."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0d5045880325"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ca0bfce23d4c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"8587b02955690","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Walker noted that her tribe has long been “stewards of these waters” and the effort to create a new marine sanctuary is just the latest chapter in the ancient story."}]},{"_key":"d1b9e1216049","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A joint effort is underway","_key":"f4d193a4b80e0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although there are other marine sanctuaries in place across the country, if this one becomes a reality it would be the first to be proposed by an indigenous group. 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Walker touted the tribe’s ongoing work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a promising sign.","_key":"a38e8abeec690","_type":"span"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"0b2f19da903b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"c1c961693bc50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“We’re in a place today that’s "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"the first of its kind","_key":"3fcc50325b9a"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", and that’s because conservation efforts are being led by tribal people,” she concluded.","_key":"220466a5ee9a"}],"_type":"block"}],"_rev":"W9Y77iLTLvMZQV8NpjP9KM","category":"environment","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"publishDate":"2023-11-13"},{"body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"f5129157e3f5","markDefs":[{"_key":"46e6b321bc53","_type":"link","href":"https://www.vox.com/cities-and-urbanism/23930284/trees-living-city-des-fitzgerald-cities-urbanism-climate-change"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As the world faces an uncertain environmental future, cities are looking for ways to reduce pollution, guard against extreme weather, and achieve a more “","_key":"a0aa7c52a1c60"},{"_type":"span","marks":["46e6b321bc53"],"text":"livable","_key":"a0aa7c52a1c61"},{"text":"” society.","_key":"a0aa7c52a1c62","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a8f11229147e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"A big part of many such plans involves planting trees. And this ","_key":"187a00d9f55f0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"sounds like a great strategy","_key":"9d0cda0ea652"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". After all, trees produce oxygen, remove carbon dioxide from the air, and provide shade.","_key":"a9fbdfa958f8"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"2ca35b7067ce0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But is it really an effective pursuit? Some experts aren’t convinced — and their reasoning might surprise you."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4907519ed020"},{"_key":"9da80509adf7","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Des Fitzgerald makes his case","_key":"20cecd88ca220"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In a new book titled “The Living City,” medical humanities and social sciences professor Des Fitzgerald","_key":"7fd9333a90040"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" takes a contrarian view ","_key":"d0433f12c847"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"on the widespread push to preserve cities by turning to nature.","_key":"df89ca5a9ca6"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"69e51fb4aba1"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While he doesn’t reject plans to plant a bunch of trees outright, he argues that it’s not the path to achieving big goals.","_key":"f7c802987b660"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d4e033b0f376"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Fitzgerald noted that London’s plan to become the world’s “first National Park City” got him thinking about the “","_key":"f26534a2a0ed0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"very strange vision","_key":"8c3f35f73c30"},{"_key":"596c3a768acf","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” some urban planners have for the world’s modern metropolises."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d0d209e1d084"},{"style":"normal","_key":"535a5721e1a9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Tackling the talking points","_key":"bc830b0692f70"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One issue many folks say would be positively impacted by greener cities is mental health, but Fitzgerald said that “if you wanted to take urban mental health seriously, that is not where you would start.”","_key":"98dd6cd8ba5f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b73fd71e8ee0","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"b07ef728cc0a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Instead, he urged city leaders to focus on ","_key":"a3936951a1400"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"inequality, housing, jobs, and other factors","_key":"c1cf10cb0ece","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that take a daily toll on those struggling with mental health problems.","_key":"7279869180cf"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_key":"7bebee53320e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As for the argument that planting more trees is good for the environment, the professor acknowledged the benefits but said too many see it as a way to bypass the hard work."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"765fae43df9f","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"bc8b04fe45f4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So what’s his goal? ","_key":"6beff0a8147d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"To spark new conversations","_key":"1b0a5ebb1347"},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"b4d76e6479f7","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"65548614bff2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"“It’s not that I’m against urban improvement or anything like that, but I think we need to think really carefully about what I think we’ve collectively decided a good city looks like.”","_key":"3287619c5558","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"_createdAt":"2023-11-09T00:28:15Z","visibility":"true","_rev":"b28Q1Zd9IX35ClbivN7uY0","category":"environment","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"summary":"Is planting trees enough? 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But as more of us take a somewhat pessimistic look at the future, there’s a new litmus test for would-be hometowns: What would it be like to live there during the collapse of society?","_key":"e466ae4cd5c4"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"255068bb6aa3"},{"_key":"05ff13a9d300","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.businessinsider.com/cities-americans-move-cheap-homes-good-infrastructure-fewer-natural-disasters-2023-11","_key":"4c2c883e84d9"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Sure, that sounds like a bummer … but it might be a ","_key":"a9aa344537320","_type":"span"},{"marks":["4c2c883e84d9"],"text":"question","_key":"a9aa344537321","_type":"span"},{"_key":"a9aa344537322","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" worth asking."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"f22548c01a55","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The climate conundrum","_key":"4f77158107f30"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"aa5a4b77a6b3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There are many ways that our fragile world could start to crumble, but the most obvious is related to the environment.","_key":"7ea85db78de40"}]},{"_key":"9e72b445615f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This means that the cities with the best plan for weathering (no pun intended) the climate crisis could see huge population surges.","_key":"a4094badfec40"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And by the same token, regions that are ill-equipped — ","_key":"ab478cc8d7550"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"either due to inaction or geography","_key":"ca29a73862be"},{"text":" — could witness a mass exodus.","_key":"2b990f078e00","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2e79ca9f076c"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A lot of local leaders are already taking steps to protect their residents and infrastructure from extreme weather events and rising temperatures. And we’ve seen some insurance companies accelerate the trend by refusing to issue policies in places that are prone to wildfires, hurricanes, and other potentially devastating events.","_key":"f24d670b76640"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d82082a2f0d0"},{"children":[{"_key":"dc2fd3b27d1c0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A reversal of fortunes"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a0cb92b1ed19","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"0faebd95dabd","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This newfound focus on resilience in the face of uncertainty could benefit some cities that have seen their populations dwindle over recent decades. With natural protections against flooding, fires, and earthquakes (not to mention easy access to resources such as water), currently struggling cities like Detroit and Cincinnati ","_key":"a0e65e80ebcd0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"might start to welcome climate refugees","_key":"45317ebd0130"},{"text":" in the near future.","_key":"9a80a76e72b8","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"864a9f213765","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"On the other hand, metro areas like Phoenix, which has seen a massive influx of residents recently, ","_key":"d13ee806fde70","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"could become utterly inhospitable","_key":"45cc725e44c1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" amid rising temperatures and worsening droughts. 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There’s a major environmental ","_key":"79c88730443b0"},{"_key":"79c88730443b1","_type":"span","marks":["4527fd9d0905"],"text":"problem"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" with vaping devices described as “disposable.”","_key":"79c88730443b2"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"A host of hazards","_key":"d36f102491fc0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0d7a7a53bb48"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"b5efda75f8490","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Aside from the internal battery that powers e-cigarettes, scientists and regulators alike say there are some potentially dangerous components in these devices that should prohibit them from simply being tossed in the trash."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4aa6da7ab253"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"34e177763e0b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Various metals used in the construction of vape pens as well as the traces of nicotine left inside of them has led to a federal prohibition on simply throwing them away. But countless consumers do exactly that when they deplete these supposedly disposable e-cigarettes.","_key":"5639e3991a490"}]},{"_key":"e11a2ba13eb8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Estimates indicate that about ","_key":"5a61a4a204270"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"12 million of these devices","_key":"1fe2a3947073"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" are sold every month, which adds up to a big problem for local authorities tasked with finding an environmentally friendly way to get rid of the hazardous waste.","_key":"8d5016d71852"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"f8973a5d6790","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The great meltdown","_key":"5f1e2eeb40640"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Without sufficient federal oversight, officials are often left to come up with the best of several bad options. That’s why thousands of e-cigarettes were loaded into steel drums in Monroe County, New York, earlier this year and sent off to an Arkansas incinerator where they were burned.","_key":"ce2361b70d6c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b28455d86f4d"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"42805fbffdeb","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"That’s not an ideal way to dispose of them, but environmental services director Michael Garland said it’s better than allowing them to end up as litter or in landfills where the lithium batteries can lead to dangerous fires.","_key":"3c0e1b17cc6f0","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"children":[{"_key":"faee9ddeaa330","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“These are "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"very insidious devices","_key":"66a280f387d8"},{"text":",” he said. “They’re a fire risk and they’re certainly an environmental contaminant if not managed properly.”","_key":"0ef6cb50af37","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d2d9aec8ca58","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Regulators are trying to address the problem — but more than half of all e-cigs are disposable, so there’s a lot of work to do.","_key":"00bd976f654c0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"56ac0c415e10"}],"_id":"0dceaa91-f1eb-4ce1-806c-dc5a96f489ef","_createdAt":"2023-10-19T20:00:39Z","visibility":"true","summary":"Local officials are struggling to dispose of the increasingly popular devices.","publishDate":"2023-10-20","title":"Exposing The Dirty Secret About So-Called ‘Disposable’ E-Cigarettes","id":"wM2Icufk","image":{"asset":{"description":"Illustration of the Puff, it is a new form of electronic cigarette with different fruits flavors (e-cigarette), single use, therefore disposable. 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The effort is focused on the Klamath River, where a total of four dams have regulated its flow.","_key":"2d85f942cbc32","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fad9267dcd45","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"One was removed earlier this year and plans are in place to take down the others, returning the materials back to nature and allowing the water to flow along its natural course once again.","_key":"9fa9d2e346260","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"02eb7d871374"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ann Willis of the nonprofit group American Rivers applauded the mission, declaring: “One of the fastest ways to heal a river is to remove a dam.”","_key":"63369e8f26e20"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"545f2f778990","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A national issue","_key":"f151044904250"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ac25ba3765fa"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6faad7f54d1e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"a0ea6aa50b4d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although California is at the forefront of this ambitious effort, a recent report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers suggests that other dam-focused initiatives will need to be developed across the country."}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"47edf051d7d2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Whether it involves dismantling, repairing, or rebuilding existing structures, something clearly needs to be done. 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Planted Detroit planned to build another farm in its operation but abruptly ceased operations entirely over the summer.","_key":"37dfe1ff1a172"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"befd1a9b0f11"},{"_key":"448a8785483f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The lesson seems to be that it’s imperative to build on a model that is sustainable economically as well as environmentally.","_key":"773e1d8b2acc0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Accentuate the positive","_key":"725eb8d312fb0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"876bac2614f5"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fdc34696e9b7","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Advocates of indoor farming are quick to point out ","_key":"a83677596edd0","_type":"span"},{"_key":"a83677596edd1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"all of the potential pros"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" associated with the process, including:","_key":"a83677596edd2"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3542672c8980","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Using less water and land","_key":"1c1892714b730"}],"level":1},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d35d3311c976","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"862b67dfe2990","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Cutting down on transportation"}],"level":1},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Reducing the need for pesticides","_key":"b42487e8dca10"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d0973f85bb58","listItem":"bullet"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4642b387301b","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Allowing for year-round harvests","_key":"3585ac9ee4940","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1},{"style":"normal","_key":"28ced1003639","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"e9a4434843170","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Any company that is able to capitalize on these selling points is likely to survive the current period of uncertainty, according to Eden Green grower Jacob Portillo, who said: “The fact that other people are failing and other people are succeeding, "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"that’s going to happen in any industry","_key":"e9a4434843171"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" you go to, but specifically for us, I think that especially as sustainable as we’re trying to be, the sustainable competitors I think are going to start winning.”","_key":"e9a4434843172"}],"_type":"block"}],"id":"9YI5dchc","summary":"New farms are appearing even as many existing ones go out of business."},{"_createdAt":"2023-09-19T19:50:49Z","id":"DmRuGCdZ","_updatedAt":"2023-09-19T19:50:49Z","category":"environment","visibility":"true","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://abcnews.go.com/US/researchers-find-new-store-carbon-dioxide-absorbed-plants/story?id=103276606","_key":"9e80648c7e50"}],"children":[{"text":"Scientists have long understood that increased carbon dioxide emissions are bad for our planet’s atmosphere, but they’ve generally been at a loss when it comes to","_key":"afb5a9b2c8900","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" figuring out an adequate way to contain it","_key":"afb5a9b2c8901","_type":"span"},{"_key":"afb5a9b2c8902","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". 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While this can be effective to a point, "},{"_key":"68439faae2ea1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"it is far from a perfect solution"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"68439faae2ea2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"577bc8a43939","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"f02f01743e310","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Researchers at the Israeli company Rewind, however, think they’ve found a much better way to get rid of these emissions once and for all. 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And in New York, there’s a pretty decent chance that the last stop for garbage will be Seneca Meadows."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0a47a99d0109","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/17/nyregion/new-york-landfill-seneca-meadows.html","_key":"e6a5ac25bf57"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A brief overview","_key":"847b593404d60"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"307e73f6d5cd","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"84e3a8ba9de0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This massive landfill is the state’s biggest and has long been a sore spot for those who live nearby. 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And for a while, it appeared that would be the case.","_key":"5691ed82321f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ece787e2a4eb"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The site had been ","_key":"17f8a57634df0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"scheduled to close","_key":"17f8a57634df1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by the end of 2025.","_key":"17f8a57634df2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"de0e1a9740c1","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Change of plans","_key":"9f8483c4ab470"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e25b6cee1dda"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Waste Connections, the Texas-based company that owns the landfill, apparently doesn’t want to abandon the gigantic garbage heap. It has petitioned state authorities to allow continued dumping in ","_key":"2ce576df46d90"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a 47-acre area","_key":"2ce576df46d91"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" between the site’s two biggest mountains.","_key":"2ce576df46d92"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"038e07bd48f4","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Doing so would result in piling on enough garbage to fill MetLife Stadium ","_key":"f57adab30def0"},{"_key":"f57adab30def1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"at least 10 times over"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and would likely keep Seneca Meadows in operation until at least 2040.","_key":"f57adab30def2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f8be5fa3f103","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Locals say the problem goes beyond a pervasive stench of rotting diapers and decaying meat.","_key":"73fa393a65620"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"548b4399268a"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For those living to the east of the enormous mound, ","_key":"cf17d4f5783c0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"the sun actually sets sooner","_key":"cf17d4f5783c1","_type":"span"},{"_key":"cf17d4f5783c2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" due to the obstruction. Then there’s the traffic congestion caused by the dump trucks constantly visiting the landfill."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ba9650c3c922"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"194b78d45a0c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But perhaps the worst side effects are health-related. 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There’s been some concern about finding a sufficient supply, but a ","_key":"f59601ddc4b82","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["e9f5ae91202a"],"text":"discovery","_key":"f59601ddc4b83"},{"_key":"f59601ddc4b84","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the Southwest United States might just provide the solution."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"441e36793137","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"An ancient eruption","_key":"739c94b0fff50"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"e53a01afdd63","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to experts, a crater formed by a volcano that erupted roughly 16 million years ago has left a stash of as much as ","_key":"c202b1d2b6950"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"40 million metric tons","_key":"c202b1d2b6951"},{"marks":[],"text":" of lithium near the border between Nevada and Oregon.","_key":"c202b1d2b6952","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Geologist Anouk Borst said it’s impossible to determine a precise amount at this point, but seemed optimistic given the early estimates available.","_key":"7804be495f9f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8dd45677e405","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"98efede4d0ff","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"ba6a5a19ae620","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“If you believe their back-of-the-envelope estimation, this is "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a very, very significant deposit","_key":"ba6a5a19ae621"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of lithium,” he said. “It could change the dynamics of lithium globally, in terms of price, security of supply, and geopolitics.”","_key":"ba6a5a19ae622"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"text":"At this point, the U.S. only has one operating lithium-produced brine, and this discovery would massively increase the domestic production of this useful element.","_key":"502626af955e0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3a22e0390eea","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"How it was created","_key":"cbe03322e25a0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d2057b124726"},{"_key":"e42a6c798c69","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The current theory behind this massive deposit involves an initial volcanic eruption that produced a range of particles, including many that were rich in lithium. After that, ","_key":"e0ef359d331c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a large lake formed","_key":"e0ef359d331c1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the crater left behind.","_key":"e0ef359d331c2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"a9005f06bc57","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Hundreds of thousands of years later, another eruption created thick, hot sediment that eventually cooled off into clay packed with potassium and lithium.","_key":"608c0c22c1dc0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"e2e0fbf8d904","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As Borst explained: “They seem to have ","_key":"7ca6901c9f500"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"hit the sweet spot","_key":"7ca6901c9f501"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" where the clays are preserved close to the surface, so they won’t have to extract as much rock, yet it hasn’t been weathered away yet.”","_key":"7ca6901c9f502"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4e20ceae2157","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This means that not only is there a lot of lithium available, but it can probably be mined and put to use without a lot of unnecessary expense.","_key":"6fb9813e44090"}]}],"category":"environment","_rev":"U0Q7vpJfI9lIAC0Insk4xC","_createdAt":"2023-09-10T22:39:21Z","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2023-09-11"}]