CNY ecoBlog

Andrew C. Revkin, a science journalist for over two decades, has a chapter The Daily Planet: Why the Media Stumble Over the Environment, from “A Field Guide for Science Writers,” that provides insight into the pitfalls of scientific journalism that might be interesting bloggers and blog readers alike. He outlines some of the “fundamental [...]

A U.K. Defra report, Environmental Impacts of Food Production and Consumption (pdf warning), compared organic versus non-organic food “life cycles” and concludes that in some circumstances organic agriculture can be more detrimental to the environment than conventional agriculture.
Buying organic and local foods is not necessarily better for the environment, according to a new life-cycle assessment [...]

Using satellite data, aerial photography and other GIS technologies researchers from the University of Toronto analyzed the phenomena of sprawl at a continental scale. This research was reported earlier this month at Terradaily.com.

Though urban sprawl is widely regarded as an important environmental and social problem, according to the authors, much of the [...]

Speaking of pesticides, here’s some science news from ES&T Online. A paper published in Pharmacogenetics and Genomics (2006, 16, 183–190) finds that the exposure risk from organophosphates to infants and small children may be significantly higher than previously thought. More here.

(At the risk of beating a dead horse…)

This looks like a worthwhile tome if your willing to shell out 80 bucks: The 1800 page Encyclopedia of Appalachia is now available from the University of Tennessee Press. The authors even have a website.

From USA Today:
The authors note that debate continues over exactly where Appalachia is [...]

I came across some research from the University of Kansas on the impact of ponds used in agricultural practice. I loaded the paper to this site as well as an earlier paper I’ve read on our bovine friends. Beyond the concrete results of these papers, they remind us the open integration of geomorphology and landscapes, soils and agriculture.

I’m not sure why this hasn’t gotten more local press – maybe I’ve just overlooked this. Anyway, Local researchers from SUNY-ESF are conducting chemical oceanography research in Antartica. Dr. David Kieber, an ESF professor of chemistry, and a team of graduate researchers have been studying “the biological and chemical transformations of the algal-derived [...]

Here is a recent research paper on Sediment Remediation that may broaden our outlook on future and current remediation projects (such as the Onondoga Lake cleanup) even if its not specific to Central New York per se: Importance of Implementation and Residual Risk Analyses in Sediment Remediation; Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 2006; Vol. 2(1):59-65.

In Gotham’s Shadow: Globalization and Community Change in Central New York by Alexander R. Thomas studies the fortunes of three communities – Utica, Hartwick, and Cooperstown – with extensive historical background, economic, demographic and other analyses and observations. The narrow focus may be frustrating from the standpoint of other Upstate communities, but its clear [...]