Human Impact
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How Farming Fuels Forest Loss: The Agriculture-Deforestation Link
Forests are home to amazing animals, provide us with fresh air, and are vital to keeping our planet healthy. So why are humans cutting them down at such an alarming rate? The main reason is agriculture—growing food and raising animals. Uncover the truth about deforestation and its biggest cause: agriculture. Learn how it affects our planet and what we can do to prevent it. What is Deforestation? Deforestation means clearing forests to use the land for something else. People cut down trees to make space for farms, ranches, and plantations. Sometimes, forests are also cleared to build roads or cities, but agriculture is the biggest culprit. How Agriculture Leads to…
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From Sewer Sludge to Forever Chemicals: A Sticky Health Mystery
Sewer sludge, a leftover material from cleaning wastewater, might expose farmers and people living nearby to toxic chemicals known as “forever chemicals,” according to a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Where is Sewer Sludge Used? Farmers sometimes fertilize their fields with sewer sludge. This sludge can hold high levels of harmful chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). By using this sludge year after year, farmers risk being exposed to unsafe amounts of PFAS. The EPA also warns that PFAS can end up in food products like milk or eggs. The EPA says farmers use biosolids on less than 1% of U.S. farmland, but the National Biosolids…
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Toxic PFAS May Be in Your Tap Water
Nearly half of the nation’s tap water is thought to contain one or more kinds of chemicals called PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances. This finding comes from a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Believe it or not, there are over 12,000 different types of toxic PFAS, but we can’t detect all of them with the tests we have now. In this study, the USGS looked for 32 specific types of PFAS. What exactly are PFAS? Toxic PFAS chemicals are used in a lot of everyday products, like nonstick cookware, food packaging, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foams, and even cosmetics. There are over 14,000 of…
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Can We Save the Vaquita, the World’s Most Endangered Marine Mammal?
The vaquita is a very shy porpoise and the most endangered marine mammal in the world. There are only about 9 or 10 vaquitas left, and they will go extinct unless we completely stop using gillnets in their habitat. In 2023, the International Whaling Commission sent out its first-ever “extinction alert” to warn people that the vaquita was in serious danger of disappearing forever. Vaquitas live in a very small area—the northern part of the Gulf of California in Mexico. This region has lots of fish and shrimp, so fishing is a big source of income for people who live there. However, fishermen use gillnets, which means they get trapped…
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Plastic Pollution is Ick!
Plastic pollution is a big problem for our planet. From tiny plastic bits to large, large pieces floating in the ocean, plastic waste is everywhere—and it’s causing a lot of harm to our health, wildlife, and ecosystems. The vast majority of plastic is made from fossil fuels—crude oil, coal, and natural gas. What is Plastic Pollution? Plastic pollution happens when people don’t throw away plastic items like bottles, bags, wrappers, and straws properly, and these items end up in the environment. Unlike organic materials, plastic doesn’t break down naturally. Instead, it breaks into smaller pieces, called microplastics, which remain in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years. How…
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Palm Oil: The Hidden Problems Behind It
I always dreamed of seeing orangutans in the wild. I knew that they are probably the most intelligent of all the great apes because of their ability to innovate and problem-solve. However, problems with palm oil production greatly threaten their habitat. In 2007, I finally scraped together the money to travel to Borneo. Little did I know, at 53 years old, I would find my passion. My Journey Begins When I landed in Jakarta, beginning my journey to Borneo, a suffocating haze greeted me. My eyes burned, my throat grew raspy, and smoke clung to my clothing and hair. I quickly learned the cause: illegal fires, set intentionally to clear…
