The promise of biofuels – fuel made from plant material – has taken a nosedive as scientists predict its generation could cause far more greenhouse gas emissions than it would make up for in preventing the use of fossil fuels.  But a Michigan State chemist has asserted in a paper in Environmental Science & Technology online that if sustainable management…

ESA sent a letter today to president-elect Barack Obama recommending top priorities where ecological science should inform policy decisions in the new administration. Obama has already pledged his commitment to curbing climate change during his term. ESA applauded that commitment and outlined four other priorities for the next administration: ▪ Protecting water quality and quantity, especially in conjunction with worldwide…

Here’s a story of species introduction, invasion and trophic cascades to boggle the mind of even the most seasoned community ecologist. Macquarie Island is a 60-mile square piece of paradise in the southwest Pacific Ocean, south of Australia and New Zealand where one can find four species of seals and five of penguins. In the early 19th century, feral cats…

Eminent biologists E.O. Wilson and Thomas Lovejoy have written a letter to Carol Browner, incoming Special Assistant to the President for Energy & Climate Change, that calls on the new administration to not only act immediately to set standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also to address the amelioration of climate change’s impacts on the natural world. Based on…

From the first college introductory biology class, budding biologists are taught the fundamentals of evolution by natural selection. The field of study is soundly rooted in the concept…so soundly, in fact, that scientists often take for granted its validity, snubbing their noses at and refusing to engage in any debate on the topic. But the issue has come to the…

One of last week’s Nature editorials extols the 109th annual Christmas bird count, a tradition started by the National Audubon Society as an alternative to the former competitive sport of shooting birds to mark the holidays.  The survey, which takes place during a three-week interval that overlaps Christmas and New Year’s Day each year, involves birders of all ages and…

The concept of biological control is no new idea in ecology – people have been transporting living things to control other living things since the late 18th century. The most famous examples seem to be the big failures, where biocontrols become invasive themselves – such as mongooses introduced to Hawaii to control rats but that instead decimated populations of native…

Good science writers – as with all reporters – should verify the validity of their stories before publishing, making sure to cite the peer-reviewed research detailing a new discovery. But as in the case of the purported cane toad-eating frog, an exciting enough fact with weak empirical support can sometimes take off like….well, an invasive species. In 2005 and 2006,…

With all the potential sources of alternative energy now being bandied about, how’s a green-minded citizen to really know which technologies to throw their support into? Energy sources from wind and solar to biofuels to “clean” fossil fuel technologies receive major attention in the news. Yet these views are often  propelled by the interests of industry stakeholders, and we also…

President-elect Barack Obama selected advisors and cabinet members this week who will shape the next administration’s policies on ecological issues. Announcing the appointees in his weekly radio address, Obama said, “The truth is that promoting science isn’t just about providing resources – it’s about protecting free and open inquiry.” Here’s a partial list of appointees. White House science advisor: Harvard…

The USDA announced today that it will establish an Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets.  According to their press release, the office will help develop new guidelines and methods to assess ecosystem service benefits and create markets for ecosystem services.  The authorization for this office was approved in this summer’s Farm Bill, which Agriculture Secretary Ed Shafer spoke out against….

Today the Bush administration confirmed legislation changes that will eliminate the need for federal agencies to consult with scientists on projects that might cause harm to endangered species. Under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S.  Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service provided advice on whether government projects would pose a threat to endangered species. Today’s rule…