EcoMyths Team
Pssst: This is part 2 of our epic water supply myth. Read Part 1 for the full picture. Great Expectations for Transfers and Incentive Programs How can we smartly invest in a more sustainable water supply? Let us count the economical ways…that investing in water transfers and incentives can make a world of difference. Confused … Read more
A Tale of Two Regions: The Thirsty Old West and the Great Lakes While parched California’s dreamin’ all about rain, in the Great Lakes, the jaw-stopping chill that was the Polar Vortex is actually helping increase the region’s long-term water supply. It’s a striking difference, with the West languishing in drought, and the Great Lakes … Read more
For Richer or Borer: Does Loving Ash Trees Mean Cutting Them Down? Miss seeing a few of your favorite trees around town? You can shake your fist at a tiny, most unwelcome guest: the emerald ash borer. This invasive wood boring beetle has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the U.S., and is … Read more
You may have noticed many beautifully formed lush street trees and park trees being cut down over the past few years. Most of these are ash trees that are suffering from an infestation of emerald ash borer. At EcoMyths we wondered: Why do the trees have to be cut down? Is there any other way … Read more
—by Bob Fuller, M.S., Facilitator of 49th Ward Green Corps As a child, whenever I stayed with my grandparents in rural Maine we would collect our garbage—seltzer bottles, coffee grounds, and mounds of Grammy’s cigarette butts being the primary ingredients—and every couple of days, Grampy would have me ride along to drop off our collection … Read more
Students at Round School Elementary — an Eco-School in Virginia — enjoy some valuable time outside. (Photo via NWF/Eco-Schools USA) It’s hard to believe but true: The average American kid spends an average of 7 1/2 hours per day using entertainment media on an computer, cell phone, TV, or other electronic device, according to a … Read more
Nature Unplugged: Can Today’s Kids Get Enough Time Outside? These days most adult-types under the age of, well, 100 find themselves more frequently communing with computers than with Mama Earth. But unlike the many of us who grew up running around outside all day, today’s kids are less connected to the environment than ever. Yes, … Read more
Growing up in Northbrook during the 1960s, I often took for granted the simple pleasures that many of us enjoyed during our childhood, such as running through the sprinklers and splashing around in our neighbor’s built-in pool, which was always filled to the brim. My parents were very mindful of the environment, but water conservation … Read more
Changing Perspective for a Changing Climate There’s something fishy happening in our rivers, streams, and lakes. Fish species that Americans have enjoyed for generations are experiencing population declines. Water temps are rising, while water levels are, well, doing the opposite. Freshwater ecosystems are changing—and not for the better. Indeed, global warming is at hand… What, … Read more
Remember those wonderful, lazy days fishing at the lake with your grandfather? My Grandpa and I would bait our hooks, reel in a couple of good sized perch, and bring them back for Grandma Evelyn to cook. Those days are under threat now, and not just because of our obsession with Twitter and Angry Birds … Read more
