A Little Greener

Don't Look Directly at the Sun!! (Animal Behavior and the Solar Eclipse)

With the total solar eclipse visible over parts of North America in just a few days, Casey and Sara discuss what we know about animal behavior during eclipse events. Listen to find out:
What are Baily's Beads and why does Sara like them so much?
How would Casey's pets respond to a total solar eclipse?
Why should we care about how animals act during an eclipse? 
If you are in the path of the eclipse, whether total or partial, you can join North Carolina State University's Solar Eclipse Safari project or take a look at NASA's Eclipse Soundscapes project.
And if you are viewing the eclipse, remember to do so safely! Never look directly at the sun! Total Solar Eclipse Safety - NASA
Resources for this episode:
Researchers to observe how total solar eclipse affects animal behavior | PBS NewsHour
NASA Eclipse Science
2024 Total Solar Eclipse - NASA
Total Eclipse of the Zoo: Animal Behavior during a Total Solar Eclipse - PMC
Unlocking the mysteries of animal behavior during cosmic events: IU News
Surprising Ways Animals React to Solar Eclipses - National Geographic
How Do Animals Respond to a Total Solar Eclipse? | Scientific American
Animals act weirdly during an eclipse. Help NASA find out why | CNN

North Atlantic Right Whales

Join Casey and Sara for a discussion on the North Atlantic right whale. Learn where you can find these amazing animals, why they're called "right" whales, and what we can do to help save this incredibly endangered species.
Resources for this episode:
Reducing Vessel Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales | NOAA Fisheries
North Atlantic Right Whale | NOAA Fisheries
We know how to save the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Why aren’t we? - Vox
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Female North Atlantic right whales growing smaller, leading to fewer births
Scientists release annual population estimate for critically endangered North Atlantic right whale amid ongoing threats - New England Aquarium
North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2024 | NOAA Fisheries
Maine fishing rope found in dead North Atlantic right whale | National Fisherman

Herbicides

Pulling weeds around the yard isn't most people's idea of a good time. Busting out a spray bottle of herbicide might be the easy way out, but what's the price we pay for that? Casey and Sara discuss the use of herbicides in agriculture and urban areas, including the recent news surrounding the use of dicamba. 
 
Resources for this episode:
Protecting Pollinators from Herbicides: Rethinking Weed Management at Home
Benefits and risks of the use of herbicide-resistant crops - Kathrine Hauge Madsen & Jens Carl Streibig
How to use herbicides to safely control weeds on farms | OSU Extension Service
Different pesticides dominate in different land-use areas
Video: Herbicides: A Double-Edged Sword? What We Know about Herbicide Impacts on Pollinators
History of Weed Control in the United States and Canada
Herbicide Use in the Era of Farm to Fork: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Future Implications - PMC
New Study: Agricultural Pesticides Cause Widespread Harm to Soil Health, Threaten Biodiversity
Glyphosate-based herbicides and cancer risk: a post-IARC decision review of potential mechanisms, policy and avenues of research - PMC
Weed Management in Lawns Guidelines--UC IPMBee Precaution Pesticide Ratings

Greening Up Baby Revisited

Last spring, Casey and Sara discussed some of the ways parents might be able to make eco-friendly choices while expecting and raising a baby. Now that Casey is a mom, she's taking a look back at how things went for her and sharing some additional tips and resources based on her experiences.
Resources for this episode:
Climate change is making people think twice about having children
Environmental Impact of Feeding with Infant Formula in Comparison with Breastfeeding - PMC
Disposable Diaper - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
Facts | Breastfeeding | CDC
Study: Plastic Baby Bottles Shed Microplastics When Heated. Should You Worry? : Goats and Soda : NPR
A highway paved with recycled diapers may change the cloth vs. disposables debate - The Washington Post
Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK

The Art of Conservation

In this reunion episode, Casey returns to the podcast, joining Kristen and Sara in a discussion about the impact of various art forms on the environment, as well as the other ways that art and nature intersect. Nature often inspires art (and might be considered art in and of itself), art often depicts nature, and art can also be used to benefit nature and conservation! 
Resources for this episode:
Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments - PMC
Understanding the Hazardous Environmental Impact of Paint
Painting Safety In The Arts
Sustainability of Art Supplies. Art is a powerful means of conveying… | by Libby McClough | Environmental Justice Coalition | Medium
Mindful of Its Impact on the Planet, the Art World Aims for Sustainability
Meet Abhi; The Charcoal Artist raising Climate Change Awareness | by Abhijeet Shrivastava | Medium
Quick Guide: Detox Your Art Studio | Artwork Archive
How to Create an Eco-Friendly Art Studio | Artwork Archive
Resin Art and Sustainability Backlash
How to Make Plant Paints: Zero Waste Art - Greenify Me
KaiNav Conservation Fund
Painted Dog Conservation
Washed Ashore

Coral Part II: Coral Conservation

Kristen and Sara discuss the threats facing coral reefs around the world, what conservationists are doing to help, and how we can all get involved!
Resources for this episode:
Visual Feature | Status of Coral Reefs of the World
What Florida’s coral bleaching means as high ocean temperatures continue - The Washington Post
Warming, acidic oceans may nearly eliminate coral reef habitats by 2100 - AGU Newsroom
Extreme Ocean Temperatures Are Affecting Florida’s Coral Reef | NESDIS
Coral on the Red List of Endangered Species | FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
Natural Threats to Coral Reefs
Crown-of-thorns Starfish - Oceana
Five fascinating facts about crown-of-thorns starfish - Great Barrier Reef Foundation
Coral Diseases – South Florida Aquatic Environments
Threats to Coral Reefs | US EPA
Coral Nurseries | Reef Resilience
Coral bleaching 101 | gbrmpa
The Truth About Corals and Sunscreen | Smithsonian Ocean
The Great Reef Census
Deepest Fish Discovered
Hydropower Map

The Secret Lives of Coral

When we think of coral most of us probably think of giant, colorful reef structures. But there's so much more to coral! We take a deeper look at the tiny animals that make up those reefs--and that can be found beyond those reefs, as well.
Video for Weekly Challenge:
Lens of Time: Corals in Motion
 
Resources for this episode: 
What are corals? | ICRI
NOAA CoRIS - What are Coral Reefs
All About Soft Corals - Ocean Conservancy
Coral tentacle elasticity promotes an out-of-phase motion that improves mass transfer | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Coral Polyp Anatomy - Coral Disease & Health Consortium
Did you know: How do corals form colonies?
Coral Reef Ecosystems in the Deep Sea
Red Sea Expedition: Acrobatic mushroom corals are fun-guys
IUCN: Eastern Water Dragon
National Zoo: Asian Water Dragon

Hydropower!

Kristen and Sara discuss the pros and cons of using water to produce electricity. Listen in to learn the three main ways we currently produce hydropower, the environmental impacts, and how hydropower might fit in to the future of energy production. 
Resources for this episode:
Planning a Microhydropower System | Department of Energy
Dam that threatens orangutan habitat faces three-year delay
BATANG TORU HYDROPOWER PROJECT Factcheck and References on Key Issues
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre: Dam Displacement
Why hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean energy
UN warns most will live downstream of ageing large dams by 2050 | Flooding | The Guardian
What Is Green Power? | US EPA
Hydropower Basics | Department of Energy
Hydropower explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Hydropower: US Department of Energy
Why aren't we looking at more hydropower? | MIT Climate Portal
Hydropower - IEA
Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity - Energy Education
Where hydropower is generated - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Hydro power by state in 2022 (United States)

This Barbie is Eco-friendly?

With all the hype around Barbie these past few weeks, Sara and Kristen decided to take a look at the environmental impact of the iconic doll--and some of our other toys, as well. Listen in as they chat about their favorite Barbies, the challenges of plastic, and how to balance our desire to give the kids in our lives the things that they want and still be a little greener. 
Resources for this episode:
(From intro) Nuclear fusion breakthrough repeated by lab | Fortune
(From intro) Tour de Turtles
Barbie Sustainability | Mattel
Barbie and the Problem With Plastic - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Plastic Pollution Facts and Issues | The Problems With Plastic
In Our Real World, Barbie’s Plastic Is Not So Fantastic
Most materials are recyclable, so why can’t children’s toys be sustainable? | Yale Environment Review
Life in Plastic, It's Not Fantastic - Earth Day
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Mattel launches sustainable new Barbie Loves the Ocean range
My Kids Want Plastic Toys. I Want to Go Green. Here's the Middle Ground
Hasbro: Environmental Responsibility

Amazing Aardvarks!

Kristen and Sara chat about one of Kristen's favorite animals, the aardvark! Learn about the behavior and adaptations of this unique African mammal, the conservation issues they face, and what on Earth aardvarks have to do with  cucumbers. 
Resources for this episode:
National Geographic: Aardvark
Carnegie Museum of Natural History: A is for Aardvark
ScienceDirect: Aardvark
Cincinnati Zoo: Adventures with Aardvarks
San Diego Zoo: A is for Aardvark