Sustainability – envirobites

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Joining forces: The role of the natural and social sciences in addressing the Global Nitrogen Problem

November 12, 2020November 12, 2020 Jackie Webb 0 Comments agricultural pollution, environmental policy, fertilizer, food security, nitrogen, resources, social-ecological, Sustainability

A wealth of scientific knowledge exists on the role of nitrogen in the natural and agricultural world, with research dating back over a century. Nitrogen sustains life and has enabled modern food production to keep up with the demands of the growing human population. However, we have reached a critical state where the use of synthetic nitrogen needs to be regulated due to the multitude of environmental impacts. The problem is that the effect nitrogen has on the planet is rarely discussed outside of scientific circles. With the recent development of international campaigns to address the global nitrogen problem, it’s time to put nitrogen research into practice with the help of social science.

Environmental Science

Bugmeal: The Future of Aquaculture?

May 6, 2020May 21, 2020 Sarah Shainker 0 Comments aquaculture, BSC4052, Feed Substitution, fisheries, food security, Insect Utilization, Sustainability

With global declines in wild fish stocks, there is an increasing demand for fish grown through aquaculture. Yet current diets for aquaculture fish are mostly made of fish sourced from wild fisheries and from the aquaculture industry itself (Péron et al., 2010), contributing to unsustainable practices in the industry. In an effort to find a more sustainable replacement, researchers at the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences conducted a study looking at the effects of substituting fish protein used in fish diets with protein made from the younger stages of the black soldier fly. The results look promising.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

The Cows and the Bees

February 4, 2020February 5, 2020 Abigail Bezrutczyk 0 Comments agriculture, biodiversity, Conservation, ecosystems, environmental science, pollinators, rangeland, Sustainability

In the age of the sixth extinction, we need to think carefully about how we use our land– especially when different land uses are at odds. As a way to advance conservation, researchers in Israel examined “land sharing” of rangelands: a way of using land to benefit agriculture and biodiversity alike.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Microbes for Disappearing Dunes

November 17, 2019November 16, 2019 Abigail Bezrutczyk 0 Comments Climate Change, Coastal Changes, Conservation, environmental science, erosion, hurricanes, microbes, plant diversity, Restoration, Sustainability

A major challenge our coastal ecosystems face is rapid loss of sand dunes due to coastal erosion. Plants play an important role in sand dune restoration. However, without the right microbes these plants may not be able to establish themselves in the dunes.

Case Studies Environmental Science

It’s Not Always Easy Being Green

October 15, 2019October 17, 2019 Mary Davis 0 Comments eatgreen, food, Sustainability, vegetables

You’ve probably heard “you are what you eat” as it pertains to health, but have you considered the phrase as it pertains to sustainability? Your environmental impact is partly defined by the environmental impact of your eating habits. And those can carry a lot of weight, with global food production being a major source of fuel and water consumption, not to mention greenhouse gas emissions.

Environmental Science

The Future of Seafood: Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture

May 20, 2019September 19, 2022 Lauren Bonatakis 0 Comments aquaculture, Conservation, Ecology, Sustainability

Aquaculture has long been revered as a benefit to the seafood industry by increasing food availability for developing nations and taking pressure off of overexploited wild fish stocks. However, aquaculture has also been cited for its negative environmental impacts. Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is a solution that combines species of different trophic levels to be grown together in the same aquaculture setting, reducing environmental impacts and increasing overall production.

Case Studies Environmental Science

Tiny Doctors: Cleaner Shrimp Heal Wounds and Aid in Sustainable Fish Production

April 8, 2019April 20, 2019 Laine Farber 0 Comments aquaculture, environmental science, fisheries, Sustainability

Throw out the antibiotics and bring in the shrimp! In a recent study, researchers at the Center for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture found cleaner shrimp to be an effective biologic control in preventing parasitic infestations in farm-raised fish.

Environmental Science

Pollution to Solution: Can We Get Rid of Plastics in Our Oceans?

April 3, 2019April 5, 2019 Jessica Espinosa 0 Comments coastal environments, Conservation, environmental policy, international agreements, marine plastic pollution, ocean health, Sustainability

The issue of marine plastic pollution has become a pressing, global concern. A few organizations have been created over the past few decades that have tried to address the threat of marine pollution, but none have been solely dedicated to the issue. This has led to a lack of dedication towards the issue at the international scale, and only recently have increased measures been taken to address marine plastic pollution. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was created by world leaders in 2015, and since then a number of conferences and independent initiatives have taken place across the globe to promote ocean health. Gatherings like the United Nation’s Oceans Conference and statewide bans on plastic bags can provide the groundwork to evolve these agreements and engage governments and communities to work to reduce marine plastic pollution.

Case Studies Climate Environmental Science

What counts as evidence? Local vs. research knowledge in the evidence-based policymaking movement

March 4, 2019September 12, 2022 Lushani Nanayakkara 0 Comments Evidence, Human dimensions, Sustainability

While evidence-based decision- and policy-making have become quite the buzzwords in recent decades, what constitutes ‘evidence’ in evidence-based is less straightforward. In this paper, Persson and colleagues help unpack the term evidence in the context of sustainability studies, discuss how scientific evidence sits at the top of the evidence hierarchy, and why ignoring local knowledge can be detrimental to sound decision- and policy-making. Additionally, they suggest an alternate model for considering both local and research knowledge to obtain a more holistic understanding of the subject matter at hand, which they argue may ultimately lead to more applicable and suitable decision- and policy-making.