January-March, 2010

Volume 11, Number 1

Features

Garbage In, Garbage Out
When a single swath of ocean contains more plastic than plankton, the simple act of taking out the trash becomes a grueling scientific challenge.
By Susan Casey

Stung From Behind
Researchers may be overlooking an insidious pollinator crisis—one that has little to do with bees and everything to do with booming markets for raspberries, pears, and chocolate.
By Nathaniel Johnson

Wounds That Can Heal
A pioneering study of nature’s recovery times delivers a ray of hope—and a respite from apocalyptic storylines.
By Marguerite Holloway

Solutions

A Flock of Jets Mimicking birds could reduce airline emissions
Cheap Labor
Penguins, seals, and petrels drafted to map the sea
Skin Cream for Ships
Hulls engineered to mimic whale skin may improve fuel efficiency
Biological Batteries
Tapping into the power of the electric eel
Disturbing the Peace
War-inducing chemical turns invasive ants against each other
Spider Silk Muscles
A two centimeter rope of spider silk can hoist an SUV

Lighten Up

Cartoons by Peter Ommundsen. Print Edition Only.

Essay

Shy Affectionate SF Seeking LTR With Nature
By Kathleen Dean Moore

Journal Watch

Coyotes thriving in North American cities
Some species build heavier shells in acidic seawater

Wildlife farming increases appetite for threatened species

Rising CO2 levels could battle back nitrogen pollution’s assault on plants

Planting trees in mid-latitudes—rather than the tropics—keeps the planet cool

The dark side of green consumerism

Blue whale songs are mysteriously changing frequencies

The boom and bust cycle of shade-grown tropical chocolate

Amphibians may not be canaries in a coal mine after all

Some forests may sequester less carbon as climate warms

Book Marks

Jacques Cousteau, The Sea King Print Only

Think Again

Why is Climate Change Denial so Seductive?
by George Monbiot