Category Archive: Water & Energy

Feb 03

Protecting birds on the ground and in the air

The western Lake Erie basin is an important stopover site for migrating songbirds… and that means development in the region can impact our feathered friends. Shieldcastle: “It’s a constant vigilance and concern. For birds, not only is the habitat a concern, but you know structures.” That’s Mark Shieldcastle of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in …

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Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/development/protecting-birds-on-the-ground-and-in-the-air/

Jan 27

Lake trout stocking

A fishy tale: In the 1800s, lake trout were abundant in Lake Superior. Then, in the early to mid 1900s… Hansen: “… populations began to decline rapidly.” That’s biologist Michael Hansen. He says overfishing and predatory invaders known as sea lampreys were to blame. By the time an effective way to control lampreys was discovered, …

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Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/water-and-energy/lake-trout-stocking/

Jan 17

Bioacoustics in the Great Lakes

A “sound” strategy for learning about fish: Aaron Rice, of Cornell’s Bioacoustics Research Program, tracks fish populations and behavior. He does it using sound. Rice: “The advantage of using sound as a survey method is that with digital recording technology that’s available now you can take a hydrophone, connect it to a essentially waterproof computer …

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Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/water-and-energy/bioacoustics-in-the-great-lakes/

Dec 17

Dams: The Good and the Bad

Dams can benefit society—and harm river ecosystems. Listen up for why it’s important to balance the good with the bad: Dams can create a reservoir to hold water, protect areas from floods, or generate clean electricity. All good, right? But wait, there’s more: A dam also physically blocks migrating fish and changes the overall biology …

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Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/water-and-energy/dams-the-good-and-the-bad/

Oct 02

Coal ash goes to court

When coal is burned for power, a residue called coal ash is left behind. “It contains a slew of toxic pollutants such as arsenic, cadmium, and selenium,” says Lisa Hallowell of the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project. She says utilities used to frequently dispose of coal ash in unlined ponds that could leak into ground and surface …

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Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/toxic-contamination/coal-ash-goes-to-court/

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