Afleveringen
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This episode follows up on new developments and concerns regarding the environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio where a train derailment has leaked a lot of chemicals into the Ohio River Basin environment and the Norfolk Southern Railway Company has been caught lying multiple times and served legal notice from the EPA.
Continued lack of transparency and inconsistencies (now also from the EPA) paired with qualitative observations made by the community are raising a lot of red flags on the state of the disaster and the impacts it will have on the community and the area at large.
Link to Legal Notice
Let's talk some more about what has happened since last week, what Norfolk Southern Railway Company and the EPA claim, the chemicals known to be involved, chemicals that are still unidentified in the manifest, why this is bad, why these spills are likely to happen again, and how we as citizens can get involved in the process of recovery, public pressure, and changing this broken system of environmental protection.
Links to Citizen Science Documentation of Testing and Observations:
Air Test Data
Water Test Data
Soil Test Data
Qualitative Observational Data
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Are you ready to fall in love with birds, nature, birding, and the delightful Hannah Kirshenbaum? Get ready! She will sneak up on you and recruit you into the magical world of birding. With an educational background in Environmental Engineering, Hannah's journey is focused on birds, doing it all for the birds.
Follow Hannah and her group, NYC Queer Birders, and visit their Instagram and website.
NYC Queer Birders Instagram
NYC Queer Birders Website
Sign the open letter to the American Ornithological Society. Barriers in ornithology for Black, Indigenous, and people of color, are not limited to membership fees. There are significant isolating and demeaning reminders of oppression, slavery, and genocide that reside within many of the English common names attached to birds in North America. Through the committees on Classification and Nomenclature (NACC and SACC), the AOS can play a crucial role in eliminating such barriers not only for ornithology but for recreational birding as well. Unlike recognized scientific names, the nomenclatural barriers of English common names exist for no reason other than tradition and comfort. They can be replaced without affecting science.
Follow @BirdNamesForBirds. Birds don't need eponymous/honorific common names. Bird names should be about birds.
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff. Don't forget, your support helps in our reforestation project to reforest Appalachia and other national parks that have experienced deforestation as well as other areas around the world! Listening to the show, calling in, and picking up some swag from my SciStore.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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There is an environmental disaster currently unfolding that needs our attention. A train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has leaked a lot of chemicals into the Ohio River Basin environment and the Norfolk Southern Railway Company has been caught lying multiple times and served legal notice from the EPA.
Link to Legal Notice
Let's talk about what happened, what Norfolk Southern Railway Company claims happened, the chemicals known to be involved, why this is bad, why these spills are likely to happen again, and how we as citizens can get involved in the process of recovery, public pressure, and changing this broken system of environmental protection.
Links to Citizen Science Documentation of Testing and Observations:
Air Test Data
Water Test Data
Soil Test Data
Qualitative Observational Data
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I'm so excited someone called in to talk about tornadoes! We are all fans of the epic cinematic experience of Twister, featuring the late, great Bill Paxton and the still great Helen Hunt, so this is an episode we can all let hug us nice and tight. Today's caller asks "are tornadoes always dark or do they get darker from all the stuff?"
We're talking about how tornadoes form, where they form, and why they form. How are tornadoes characterized? If they got Dorothy to fly, do we still not know a lot about how they work?
Tornadoes are classified using the Enhanced Fujita Scale based on the level of damage they do and estimated wind gust speeds. There are also different types of tornadoes. There are supercell tornadoes and non-supercell tornadoes, like landspouts and waterspouts. We even get to chat a little bit about the recent tornado that occurred here in NYC earlier this year.
Grab your popcorn, 'cuz we be talkin' TWISTERS!
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff. Don't forget, your support helps in our reforestation project to reforest Appalachia and other national parks that have experienced deforestation as well as other areas around the world! Listening to the show, calling in, and picking up some swag from my SciStore.
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It can be difficult to donate to organizations or to affiliate with them with your volunteerism when you doubt their credibility. You may have heard about some of the big scandals that have been unearthed, like the American Red Cross relief effort after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. $488 million dollars were raised, and only 6 houses were rebuilt. Yikes.
So what are some organizations that are credible and walking the walk and not just talking the talk? How can you identify them? When is it a good time to get involved with giving to an organization and offering some volunteer support? Why are nonprofit organizations even necessary? This is what we are going to talk about this week.
Large-scale issues require large-scale stakeholders. And there are some really great organizations that are filling a much-needed space in the political accountability and legal arenas at the national level that work to protect us all. What organizations are credible at a scale this large? Look no further than the Environmental Working Group. They are doing the work of informing the public and pressuring regulatory bodies and industries to stop releasing toxins and pollution into our environment.
What about at the local scale? Local nonprofit organizations need your support, too. It can be the most impactful to donate your time, services, or funds to these organizations. And they are out there doing great work every day. The Wild Bird Fund works to rehabilitate injured migratory birds and other animals during migration season from window strikes and other injuries in New York. They are an incredible organization that directly impacts the issue of window strike deaths of important migratory bird species.
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff.
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Another caller asks more about the myths and misleading language surrounding recycling. Can something that fits the legal requirements be labeled as "recyclable" on packaging without being actually recyclable? You bet!
Get caught up on some of the details about the common myths surrounding recycling by checking out the Facts and Myths About Recycling Episode. We are getting into the nitty gritty about how we have been misled to believe that many different types of plastics are recyclable because they say that they are, even when they are not recyclable. Much of this has to do with the Federal Trade Commission's regulations on the term "Recyclable" on their packaging, and how you can use this term in certain scenarios to prevent misleading the public... However, this practice ends up being MISLEADING!
If up to 40% of the U.S. population does not have access to recycling certain materials, these materials can still be labeled as recyclable in the United States, even though they are transported into landfills.
Certain types of plastics, such as #5 plastics, are allowed to be labeled as recyclable because they are shipped out of the country to China for recycling, which no longer accepts plastic recyclables.
China no longer accepts plastic recyclables, but it's not because we aren't cleaning our peanut butter containers. It's because of the byproducts of industrial processes contaminating recyclables. Additionally, it's due to unsorted plastics that are not recyclable being a large component of the shipments because we have been told all plastics are recyclable when most are not!
Read the complete FTC regulations here.
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff. Don't forget, your support helps in our reforestation project to reforest Appalachia and other national parks that have experienced deforestation as well as other areas around the world! Listening to the show, calling in, and picking up some swag from my SciStore.
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This week Weston calls in to ask "Where is a place that you want to go to observe wildlife? What animals and plants do you hope to see when you are there?" Another question where we get to connect on a personal level! What are some of my favorites?
Coral reefs make up just 1% of the ocean floor, yet host about 1/4 of all marine life! They are some of the coolest places in the world, packed full of life and diversity, colors and shapes. Where are the coral reefs found? What are they? What's happening with them? The cousin of corals, jellies are wildly amazing creatures that you can't help but want to take out a camera and snag as many pictures as humanly possible. So we can talk about how amazing they are, too!
Ancient bryophytes are how plants evolved to be able to live on land. From mosses with no roots that exist everywhere in the world to the sprawling fronds of giant ferns to the tallest redwood trees. The journey of plant evolution is truly magnificent as are the ferns of the forests.
And what about wildlife? Have you seen how incredible and almost alien owls can look?
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff. Don't forget, your support helps in our reforestation project to reforest Appalachia and other national parks that have experienced deforestation as well as other areas around the world! Listening to the show, calling in, and picking up some swag from my SciStore.
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This week we are discussing the combative relationship between nature and infrastructure with my friend, Peter Rathsack. With a background in environmental studies and urban planning, Peter has experienced a variety of issues where the forces of nature come into combat with the forces of human infrastructure.
Urban farming has many obstacles to overcome, including pollution from the history of industrial processes that occurred in the United States throughout the Industrial Revolution. Freshwater systems we enjoy and rely upon become prey to invasive species. Large-scale agricultural practices wreak havoc on natural environments and the origins of resources such as drinking water. The increase in storm severity due to climate change is overwhelming drainage and sewer systems leading to pollution.
We are going to talk about it all!
You can connect with Peter via his social media to learn more about the adventures of navigating the mitigation and clean-up of the clash between nature and human infrastructure, and the adventures of being a human. Follow him at @peterrathsack.
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff. Don't forget, your support helps in our reforestation project to reforest Appalachia and other national parks that have experienced deforestation as well as other areas around the world! Listening to the show, calling in, and picking up some swag from my SciStore.
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Today we get to have a personal chat! Our caller today asks "What is your least favorite form of pollution?" Ultimately, all pollution is not cute OR my favorite. But which one keeps me up at night?
I'll discuss my personal experience with air pollution, how my health was affected by it, and my experience navigating American healthcare to improve breathing during a summer of poor air quality. But the pollution that keeps me up at night?
Water pollution is insidious. Contaminants are not always visible to the naked eye. I've researched hexavalent chromium levels in drinking water in New York State and have some not-so-great news to share regarding pollution and contamination you might not even know about that might affect you. But I also have some solutions to share, as well.
Groups like the Environmental Working Group and Green Amendments for the Generations (whose founder you will get to meet very soon in another episode!) are working to keep us informed, provide strong environmental protections, and improve our quality of life and the quality of the environment.
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff. Don't forget, your support helps in our reforestation project to reforest Appalachia and other national parks that have experienced deforestation as well as other areas around the world! Listening to the show, calling in, and picking up some swag from my SciStore.
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Welcome back to Part 2 of Kill Your Lawn with Danny Molinaro. If you didn't get a chance to listen to Part 1 last week, I recommend you go back and get caught up on this really interesting and important discussion about the impact that lawns are having on the natural world in North America. We also tiptoe our way into the aquatic equivalent of the lawn that is executed around the country in coastal landscapes, particularly coastal towns and cities, that is having the same negative impacts, but has established solutions.
Danny talks about plant pallets to improve the quality of your lawn, some of his favorites, and some that he would love to see a lot more of. We also tiptoe in the wetlands and talk about rip rap, lawn equivalent management strategies, and the impact of having removed and degraded coastal environments.
Grab a drink for this riveting discussion about why we need to kill our lawns (and their equivalents) and continue moving in the direction of enhanced and vibrant ecosystems that will support both us, wildlife, and earth systems.
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff. Don't forget, your support helps in our reforestation project to reforest Appalachia and other national parks that have experienced deforestation as well as other areas around the world! Listening to the show, calling in, and picking up some swag from my SciStore.
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There's so much misinformation and disinformation regarding recycling. The negative press deters people away from recycling because of plastic. But plastic is not all recycling! Let's talk about how successful ACTUAL recycling is.
Cardboard and other papers have the highest rate of recycling in the country, but also make up the largest quantity of material going to landfills by weight according to the data collected every year by the EPA. These products in landfills mean more methane emissions and more climate change gases in the atmosphere.
Glass and metal recycling rates are impacted by the lack of access in cities in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods, increasing the number of materials extracted from the earth to produce nonrenewable resources. These materials are infinitely recyclable and we can continue to decrease the need to extract these resources.
The myth that we are the reason for plastic recycling failing because we haven't been good enough at washing out our peanut butter jars is a lie! What's really happening is the plastics making it to China are not sorted because we are lied to about what plastics can be recycled, which is basically none! So they are all mixed in there together. The other materials that make up the "contamination" are materials from industrial processes like smelting iron and textile mills. It's not our fault!
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff.Don't forget, your support helps in our reforestation project to reforest Appalachia and other national parks that have experienced deforestation as well as other areas around the world! Listening to the show, calling in, and picking up some swag from my SciStore.
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It might sound weird that someone working to improve the environment might tell you to kill plants, like your lawn, but I'm here to tell you that's exactly what today's guest says might be the best way to enhance the environment, support wildlife, and improve biodiversity. And he's right! What does that look like and why?
Danny talks about his experience in a variety of landscapes and ecosystems in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. He might be a forest babe, but his love for the meadow and prairie is not overcast in shadow. In this episode, we get to know Danny a little bit more, the work that he does, and why some common practices are actually quite detrimental to the environment. What are the best practices to both support your friendly neighborhood invertebrates AND look wicked awesome? Danny's gots plants to tell you about, and ways to make the magic happen.
A two-part episode for sure. So here's Part 1 - Kill Your Lawn.
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff. Don't forget, your support helps in our reforestation project to reforest Appalachia and other national parks that have experienced deforestation as well as other areas around the world! Listening to the show, calling in, and picking up some swag from my SciStore.
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Today, Roxanne calls in to ask about gay and queer nature, y'all! Guess what, the heterosexist and binary "norms" surrounding gender and sexual identity are harmful to the earth. Roxanne asks about gay and queer behaviors and family structures in the animal kingdom. We're going to explore queerness in the animal kingdom and beyond! Queer trees and mushrooms? Yes, indeed!
Queer ecology understands that society’s norms around gender and sexuality are actually harmful to the earth. Queerness can offer us a different and new paradigm for relationships between humans and our relationship with the natural world as earthlings. The idea of “natural” and "unnatural" comes from the human perspective of nature, and not from nature itself. This has caused tremendous harm to humans and to the earth by othering individuals and groups that lead to violence and destruction.
But in nature, almost everything is queer! Nothing really fits into this little tiny box of whiteness, cisgenderness, and heterosexualness. The world is far more interesting and impressive than that. Same-sex behaviors are common in the animal kingdom and so are intersex animals. In fact, bisexuality is a beneficial animal characteristic when it comes to species' success! The fungal kingdom shatters the notion of a binary with many species numbering sexes in the thousands and tens of thousands. And most plants in the world have both male and female sexual organs. There are many plants that, like many animals, switch between male and female.
Read up on and stay informed on queer ecology at the Institute for Queer Ecology
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff.
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WOW! This is really exciting news! This week we are going to talk about some seriously big wins for coral reefs and the fight against climate change. The United Nations has provided countless services around the world, and it is not letting us down and is still going strong.
Coral reefs are one of the most important animals and ecosystems in the world. Even though their structures make up just 1% of the ocean, they provide habitat to 25% of all life in the oceans. You may have heard that coral reefs have not been doing so hot lately, but there is good news!
Remember the movie Twister? And how they needed to find a way to create a warning system for tornados. Well, there is a big project that has been funded and is underway to develop a global warning system for climate disasters funded by the UN! This will be a game changer in lessening the blows of climate-related disasters significantly.
Follow these links to learn more about coral reefs and the UN's commitment to funding conservation.
You can also learn more about the UN global warning system here.You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff.
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Welcome to a recurring segment on the show, "Here's Some Good News!" I want to push back against the constant barrage of doom and gloom reporting and discussion about the disaster and climate change. It is important to accept and understand that they are very real threats and problems that need to be solved. However, there are so many amazing things happening every single day to improve the world, combat climate change, and save the environment. And this is where we are going to talk about them!
This week we are going to talk about the good news that has happened regarding microplastics. Can you believe that there could be some good news regarding microplastics!? Well, there is! We are also going to talk about the significant progress that has been made in the realm of PFAS, the forever chemicals. There are some serious wins here for us, so we have to celebrate them!
Read up on these big wins:
You can read the research that was conducted here to learn more about the big win regarding microplastics.
Learn more about what's going on with PFAS here!You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff.
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Welcome to episode one of Ryantist the Scientist. Today Gracie calls in to ask, "What are three actionable steps that we can add to our routines to help protect the environment?" Thank you, Gracie, for being a listener and for your support!
The idea of taking action to fix an issue as big as climate change, pollution, plastic pollution, and habitat loss can feel so overwhelming and hard to get started on. But what if I told you that these large-scale actions to improve the environment and the world are made up of millions of individual actions (coordinated and individualized) that people like us take every day? It can feel like our actions don't matter and have no real impact, but every action that isn't taken toward improving our environment is another piece that's missing from the work.
So let's talk about action! What are three actionable and realistic things you can add to your routine to help change the world?
You can visit the Billion Oyster Project to learn more about what they do, send your support, and find ways to get involved.
You can also visit WeAct for Environmental Justice to learn about their policy agendas, their mission, how they have helped to shape policy in New York City and nationally, and to send support and join the organization as a member.
Find your representatives here to learn who they are, how to contact them, and links to the policies they support and will work toward.
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff.
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So you're driving in your car and OUCH! Suddenly, you see that a small yellow and black striped flying insect has stung you. What if I told you it might not even be a bee? What if I told you that most of the time bees don't sting? What if... it was actually a yellow jacket?
What does all this mean!? I have spent a lot of time formally studying bees. Did you know that there are around 20,000 species of bees in the world? And that in North America, there are 4,000? Today I am talking about the evolution of bees from wasps, how the stinger evolved and why, and why did bees go vegetarian? If you've had a close encounter with an insect that has stung you, this will be particularly interesting to listen to. Maybe you can do some detective work and identify your culprit. If you haven't been stung, you are most people!
To learn more about bees and wasps, follow me on Instagram where I post fun facts about bees and share information.
You can support the show by following it on all social media platforms and wherever you stream your podcasts. Another great way to support the show is to leave reviews and rate the show! It helps people discover our little corner of the internet because of algorithms and internet stuff.
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Ryantist the Scientist is a podcast that shares good news regarding the environment and where listeners can call in and ask questions about ecology, wildlife biology, animal behavior, climate change, and any other natural science curiosities.
Biologist, Wildlife Scientist, Ecologist. Ryan, aka Ryantist the Scientist, is on a mission to empower and inspire individuals with knowledge and fervor of the natural world. By encouraging people to pursue their curiosities, he hopes to invigorate people’s feeling of connection to our natural world and to embolden everyone to work towards protecting it.
Instagram: @ryantistthescientist
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Hello and welcome everyone! Ryantist the Scientist is a podcast where listeners can call in and ask questions about the environment, ecology, wildlife biology, animal behavior, climate change, and any other environmental curiosities that Ryantist the Scientist will answer! A biologist, wildlife scientist, and ecologist, Ryantist the Scientist is on a mission to empower and inspire individuals with knowledge and fervor about the natural world. By encouraging people to chase after their curiosities, he hopes to invigorate people’s feeling of connection to our natural world and embolden everyone to work towards protecting it.
Call in with your questions, your name, and any social handles at (347) 470-4144. Your messages will be featured on the show and your questions will be answered!
Follow and subscribe to Ryantist the Scientist:
https://www.youtube.com/@ryantist
@ryantistthescientist
