Christopher X J. Jensen
Professor, Pratt Institute

“Earth Hour” seeks to re-focus our attention on all the earth provides

Posted 11 Feb 2013 / 0

World Wildlife Fund Earth Hour Will an hour of darkness give us the time to contemplate both the importance of ecosystem services and how our voracious energy consumption threatens those services? It is certainly worth a try.

A Minor Post, Activism, Anthropogenic Change, Climate Change, Cooperation, Environmental Justice, Public Policy, Sustainable Energy

Production on marginal lands can meet only 25% of our biofuel mandates

Posted 17 Jan 2013 / 0

Nature “Bioenergy: Biofuel production on the margins” & “Sustainable bioenergy production from marginal lands in the US Midwest” This is fascinating, and provides further evidence that even the smartest biofuel production methods are not going to be enough to mitigate our energy demands. In order to really get off of fossil fuels, we need to find Read More

A Minor Post, Articles, Climate Change, Grasslands, Public Policy, Quantitative Analysis, Sustainability, Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Energy

Fracking study retracted after the discovery of a massive conflict of interest

Posted 07 Dec 2012 / 0

All Things Considered “Positive Fracking Study Was Funded By Gas Company” 1.5 million dollars is a lot to receive from a corporation with interest in your research! Scientists can be bought, and transparency is the only thing that prevents profit-driven scientific fraud.

A Minor Post, Anthropogenic Change, Ethics, Pollution, Radio & Podcasts, Resource Consumption, Scientific Fraud, Sustainable Energy, Water Supply

Want to know where the Presidential candidates stand on science? There’s a site for that!

Posted 25 Oct 2012 / 0

Science Debate dot org “The Top American Science Questions: 2012“

A Minor Post, Astronomy, Biodiversity Loss, Climate Change, Economic sustainability, Economics, Ecosystem Services, Food, Grants & Funding, Health & Medicine, Marine Ecosystems, Political Science, Public Policy, Resource Consumption, Science (General), Space Travel, Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Energy, Web

Barry Commoner, pioneering scientist and environmentalist, is dead at 95

Posted 03 Oct 2012 / 0

Barry Commoner was an exceptional scientist and human being. Below are some nice tributes to him: The New York Times “Scientist, Candidate and Planet Earth’s Lifeguard” The New York Times “Barry Commoner’s Uncommon Life” The Los Angeles Times “Barry Commoner dies at 95; pillar of environmental movement” The Boston Globe “Barry Commoner, 95; founder of Read More

A Minor Post, Anthropogenic Change, Articles, Biodiversity Loss, Biography, Climate Change, Ecosystem Services, Environmental Justice, Obituary, Pollution, Public Policy, Sustainability, Sustainable Energy

Climate and Clean Air Coalition unites air pollution concerns

Posted 19 Sep 2012 / 0

Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants This is another example of how considering air pollution from the perspective of both climate change and human health might begin to inspire global action.

A Minor Post, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Health & Medicine, Pollution, Public Policy, Sustainability, Sustainable Energy, Web

There is no doubt that there are conservation trade-offs associated with the proliferation of wind power

Posted 21 Jun 2012 / 0

Nature News “The trouble with turbines: An ill wind” What is particularly scary about this story is the targeted effect that wind turbines can have on particular species who gravitate to the very wind corridors that are ideal for efficient power generation.

A Minor Post, Articles, Biodiversity Loss, Birds, Sustainable Energy

The Australian Government blocks coal mine to protect the Great Barrier Reef

Posted 18 Jun 2012 / 0

Science “Fears of Damage to Great Barrier Reef Delay Mine“

A Minor Post, Articles, Biodiversity Loss, Habitat Destruction, Sustainable Energy

UCS “Cooler Smarter” footprint calculator promotes lower carbon behaviors

Posted 15 May 2012 / 0

Union of Concerned Scientists Cooler Smarter This is a much more simple footprint calculator than the ones I use in my classes, but it might be useful for people who want a quick snapshot of the carbon impacts of their behavioral choices.

A Minor Post, Activism, Ecological Footprinting, Sustainable Energy, Web

National Geographic “Can China go green?”

Posted 06 Jun 2011 / 0

Bill McKibben has a feature article in this month’s National Geographic entitled “Can China go green?“.The article discusses how the rapid growth of the Chinese economy presents both great environmental risks and great environmental opportunities. Although McKibben is a well-known environmental activist, he writes an informative, fair assessment of the ‘Chinese problem’. China is, arguably, Read More

Articles, Economics, Environmental Justice, Political Science, Population Pressure, Public Policy, Resource Consumption, Sustainability, Sustainable Energy