By: Priscilla Yu,
on 4/18/2016
In the 21st century, “show-me-the-bodies” seems a cruel and outdated foundation for public policy. Yet history is littered with examples—like tobacco and asbestos—where only after the death toll mounts is the price of inaction finally understood to exceed that of action.
The post Show me the bodies: A monumental public policy failure appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Samantha Zimbler,
on 3/22/2016
These are the images I carry in memory that form my understanding of passion and compassion in science: Rachel Carson waking at midnight to return to the sea the microscopic marine organisms she has been studying, when the tidal cycle is favorable to their survival; John Muir clinging to the upper branches of a tall pine during a violent storm, reveling in the power of natural forces.
The post Passion and compassion: The people who created the words and numbers of environmental science appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Priscilla Yu,
on 3/19/2016
What do Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Brazil, and India have in common? They have banned the use of Roundup—the most heavily applied herbicide in the United States. Why have these nations acted against what is the most heavily used herbicide in the world today? This is because of growing reports of serious illness to farmworkers and their families.
The post Potential dangers of glyphosate weed killers appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Priscilla Yu,
on 2/29/2016
A tired old elephant hunched in the room as President Obama announced the launch of a new moonshot against cancer during his State of the Union address a month ago. We've heard that promise before. On 23 December 1971, when President Nixon first declared a national war on cancer, he also based his conviction on the successfully completed moonwalk.
The post Cancer is no moonshot appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Samantha Zimbler,
on 11/30/2015
This year's United Nations Climate Change Conference, the 21st annual session of the Conference of the Parties since the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 11th session of the Meeting of the Parties since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, will be held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December.
The post Entering an uncharted realm of climate change appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Samantha Zimbler,
on 4/22/2015
No time to plant a garden or ride your bike to work this Earth Day? Don't worry--you can still do your part to honor Mother Nature today by staying informed about our global environment. Test your knowledge of water, weather, air, sea, and soil with the Earth Day quiz below, featuring content from Oxford Bibliographies in Environmental Science.
The post Are you an “earth ranger”? [quiz] appeared first on OUPblog.
