A Little Greener

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "artificial intelligence?" Does chatGPT or Alexa come to mind? Do you imagine robots taking over the world? What might not immediately come to mind are things like biodiversity preservation, green energy optimization, and water conservation, but AI is in fact being used in all these areas and more. Casey and Sara take a look at some of the ways AI is or has the potential to be used in the conservation realm and also explore some of the challenges with AI as a conservation tool. 
Resources for this episode:
A.I.’s ‘Her’ Era Has Arrived - The New York Times
Platforms - Wild Me
TrailGuard AI and Nightjar
Saving our Planet’s Biodiversity with AI | Ganes Kesari | TEDxAsburyPark
ASC Science Sundays - Tanya Berger-Wolf: AI for Wildlife Conservation
How artificial intelligence is helping tackle environmental challenges
Tackling climate change with machine learning | MIT Sloan
Artificial Intelligence to Help Prevent Extinction? | Wildlife.ai: Conservation Charity
tinyML Talks: Efficient AI for Wildlife Conservation
Seven ways utilities are exploring AI for the grid | Latitude Media
Why AI and energy are the new power couple – Analysis - IEA
AI for the grid has potential, DOE says — but comes with pitfalls | Latitude Media
How AI Is Cropping Up In The Agriculture Industry
US farms are making an urgent push into AI. It could help feed the world
Artificial Intelligence Can Prevent Enormous Amounts Of Damage And Water Loss From Building Leaks
AI and Water: Pioneering Solutions for a Thirsty Planet
AI to stop water pollution before it happens
Hundreds of sewage leaks detected thanks to AI
 
 

Jeffrey Rissman is the Senior Director of Industry at Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan energy and environmental policy firm. He is also the author of a new book, Zero-Carbon Industry: Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity. Casey and Sara were thrilled to welcome Jeffrey to the show to discuss his ideas on cleaning up the industrial sector. Jeffrey shares policy ideas, new technologies, and simple changes that can be made to bring global industry to zero carbon within the next 50 years.
To purchase the book and get a 20% off coupon code, visit https://zerocarbonindustry.com/
Resources for this episode:
https://www.jeffreyrissman.com/
We must cut carbon from industry. Here’s how we can do it.

Trees help give us clean air to breathe, keep us cool, and can even benefit our mental health. But not everyone has equal access to trees. In this week's episode, Casey and Sara discuss the benefits (and challenges) of urban trees and take a look at the factors involved in tree disparity across different neighborhoods. 
Resources for this episode:
The Inequitable Distribution of Urban Trees
Tree Equity Score National Explorer
Public Health Benefits of Urban Trees
Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review
Green gentrification in European and North American cities | Nature Communications
Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan: 2016 -2026
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Historic Funding to Expand Access to Trees and Green Spaces in Disadvantaged Urban Communities | USDA.
50 years after being outlawed, redlining still drives neighborhood health inequities.
Urban and Community Forestry Grants - 2023 Grant Awards | US Forest Service

With the total solar eclipse visible over parts of North America in just a few days, Casey and Sara discuss what we know about animal behavior during eclipse events. Listen to find out:
What are Baily's Beads and why does Sara like them so much?
How would Casey's pets respond to a total solar eclipse?
Why should we care about how animals act during an eclipse? 
If you are in the path of the eclipse, whether total or partial, you can join North Carolina State University's Solar Eclipse Safari project or take a look at NASA's Eclipse Soundscapes project.
And if you are viewing the eclipse, remember to do so safely! Never look directly at the sun! Total Solar Eclipse Safety - NASA
Resources for this episode:
Researchers to observe how total solar eclipse affects animal behavior | PBS NewsHour
NASA Eclipse Science
2024 Total Solar Eclipse - NASA
Total Eclipse of the Zoo: Animal Behavior during a Total Solar Eclipse - PMC
Unlocking the mysteries of animal behavior during cosmic events: IU News
Surprising Ways Animals React to Solar Eclipses - National Geographic
How Do Animals Respond to a Total Solar Eclipse? | Scientific American
Animals act weirdly during an eclipse. Help NASA find out why | CNN

Join Casey and Sara for a discussion on the North Atlantic right whale. Learn where you can find these amazing animals, why they're called "right" whales, and what we can do to help save this incredibly endangered species.
Resources for this episode:
Reducing Vessel Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales | NOAA Fisheries
North Atlantic Right Whale | NOAA Fisheries
We know how to save the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Why aren’t we? - Vox
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Female North Atlantic right whales growing smaller, leading to fewer births
Scientists release annual population estimate for critically endangered North Atlantic right whale amid ongoing threats - New England Aquarium
North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2024 | NOAA Fisheries
Maine fishing rope found in dead North Atlantic right whale | National Fisherman

Pulling weeds around the yard isn't most people's idea of a good time. Busting out a spray bottle of herbicide might be the easy way out, but what's the price we pay for that? Casey and Sara discuss the use of herbicides in agriculture and urban areas, including the recent news surrounding the use of dicamba. 
 
Resources for this episode:
Protecting Pollinators from Herbicides: Rethinking Weed Management at Home
Benefits and risks of the use of herbicide-resistant crops - Kathrine Hauge Madsen & Jens Carl Streibig
How to use herbicides to safely control weeds on farms | OSU Extension Service
Different pesticides dominate in different land-use areas
Video: Herbicides: A Double-Edged Sword? What We Know about Herbicide Impacts on Pollinators
History of Weed Control in the United States and Canada
Herbicide Use in the Era of Farm to Fork: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Future Implications - PMC
New Study: Agricultural Pesticides Cause Widespread Harm to Soil Health, Threaten Biodiversity
Glyphosate-based herbicides and cancer risk: a post-IARC decision review of potential mechanisms, policy and avenues of research - PMC
Weed Management in Lawns Guidelines--UC IPMBee Precaution Pesticide Ratings

Last spring, Casey and Sara discussed some of the ways parents might be able to make eco-friendly choices while expecting and raising a baby. Now that Casey is a mom, she's taking a look back at how things went for her and sharing some additional tips and resources based on her experiences.
Resources for this episode:
Climate change is making people think twice about having children
Environmental Impact of Feeding with Infant Formula in Comparison with Breastfeeding - PMC
Disposable Diaper - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
Facts | Breastfeeding | CDC
Study: Plastic Baby Bottles Shed Microplastics When Heated. Should You Worry? : Goats and Soda : NPR
A highway paved with recycled diapers may change the cloth vs. disposables debate - The Washington Post
Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK

In this reunion episode, Casey returns to the podcast, joining Kristen and Sara in a discussion about the impact of various art forms on the environment, as well as the other ways that art and nature intersect. Nature often inspires art (and might be considered art in and of itself), art often depicts nature, and art can also be used to benefit nature and conservation! 
Resources for this episode:
Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments - PMC
Understanding the Hazardous Environmental Impact of Paint
Painting Safety In The Arts
Sustainability of Art Supplies. Art is a powerful means of conveying… | by Libby McClough | Environmental Justice Coalition | Medium
Mindful of Its Impact on the Planet, the Art World Aims for Sustainability
Meet Abhi; The Charcoal Artist raising Climate Change Awareness | by Abhijeet Shrivastava | Medium
Quick Guide: Detox Your Art Studio | Artwork Archive
How to Create an Eco-Friendly Art Studio | Artwork Archive
Resin Art and Sustainability Backlash
How to Make Plant Paints: Zero Waste Art - Greenify Me
KaiNav Conservation Fund
Painted Dog Conservation
Washed Ashore

Kristen and Sara discuss the threats facing coral reefs around the world, what conservationists are doing to help, and how we can all get involved!
Resources for this episode:
Visual Feature | Status of Coral Reefs of the World
What Florida’s coral bleaching means as high ocean temperatures continue - The Washington Post
Warming, acidic oceans may nearly eliminate coral reef habitats by 2100 - AGU Newsroom
Extreme Ocean Temperatures Are Affecting Florida’s Coral Reef | NESDIS
Coral on the Red List of Endangered Species | FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
Natural Threats to Coral Reefs
Crown-of-thorns Starfish - Oceana
Five fascinating facts about crown-of-thorns starfish - Great Barrier Reef Foundation
Coral Diseases – South Florida Aquatic Environments
Threats to Coral Reefs | US EPA
Coral Nurseries | Reef Resilience
Coral bleaching 101 | gbrmpa
The Truth About Corals and Sunscreen | Smithsonian Ocean
The Great Reef Census
Deepest Fish Discovered
Hydropower Map

When we think of coral most of us probably think of giant, colorful reef structures. But there's so much more to coral! We take a deeper look at the tiny animals that make up those reefs--and that can be found beyond those reefs, as well.
Video for Weekly Challenge:
Lens of Time: Corals in Motion
 
Resources for this episode: 
What are corals? | ICRI
NOAA CoRIS - What are Coral Reefs
All About Soft Corals - Ocean Conservancy
Coral tentacle elasticity promotes an out-of-phase motion that improves mass transfer | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Coral Polyp Anatomy - Coral Disease & Health Consortium
Did you know: How do corals form colonies?
Coral Reef Ecosystems in the Deep Sea
Red Sea Expedition: Acrobatic mushroom corals are fun-guys
IUCN: Eastern Water Dragon
National Zoo: Asian Water Dragon