In May 2016, a wildfire broke out in the forests surrounding Fort McMurray, in the province of Alberta, Canada. The unseasonably hot weather and low humidity turned the wildfire into a raging inferno, and 88,000 people were forced to evacuate the town in a matter of hours, miraculously...
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic chemicals characterized by a chain of carbon atoms that are bonded to fluorine atoms through a process called fluorination.1 PFAS are a class of thousands of chemicals known or suspected to be endocrine-disrupting chemicals. According to the Endocrine Society and the International...
*as gleaned from several urban nature walks taken during the summer of 2023 in and around Paris. This is presented here only as a general introduction to the subject.
WHO: Know which plant species it is you see.
Which characteristics are you relying on to identify the...
During the 2024 FAWCO Interim Meeting in Porto, Portugal, I enjoyed a tour of the Douro Valley. I learned that Portugal is the fourth largest grape-producing country in the world and the ninth largest wine producer. I was dazzled by the natural beauty and wine culture in the valley.
One of the best parts of being a FAWCO rep at the UN Climate talks are the people I get to meet. I have had the honor to meet and collaborate with people from all walks of life, experts on many facets of...
The holiday season is behind us and all my decorations have been packed away for another year. 2024 is a fact, and 12 months of possibilities stretch before us. I always found the idea of a brand-new year heartening, but lately there seem to be so many HUGE problems in the world that...