Years ago, I used to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation on television. While watching the show one day, it occurred to me that there was a "Star Trek Effect" happening in almost every episode. No matter how dire the situation, science ALWAYS had an answer to the problem, and ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in February, about Children and Families, Clean Technologies, Coal & Oil, Consumerism, Electric vehicles, Energy Saving, Health, Philosophy & Religion, Population, Transport, Travel
Globally, we are facing many difficult situations: economic crisis, instability in the Middle East, and environmental problems. All of these issues will impact our lives in some way and the overall implications are significant. In the United States, recent events have caused many to re-think their consumption of resources. Due ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in January, about Clean Technologies, Climate Change, Emissions, Environment & Wildlife, Population, Transport (2 comments)
On Friday, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) organized a parade of hybrid cars to converge on Washington DC to protest the $34 billion proposed bailout policies for automakers. Executives from Chrysler, Ford and General Motors car companies are asking Congress for the loan package to help their companies stay ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in December 2008, about Clean Technologies, Climate Change, Economics, Emissions, Energy Saving, Events, Politics & Government, Pollution, Transport
In the United Kingdom near West Midlands, a house is being powered by a unique energy source: a hydrogen powered fuel cell. Hydrogen is currently being explored as a green alternative to current energy sources. It seems promising because it's readily abundant in nature, and gives off virtually no ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in November 2008, about Architecture, Clean Technologies, Design, Green energy
Due to the efforts of conservation groups, the Pemba flying fox, a type of giant fruit bat with a wingspan of over 5 ½ feet long, has been saved from the brink of extinction. The story of the bats remarkable comeback is, according to conservationists, a true success story. As recently ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in November 2008, about Environment & Wildlife
The United States Postal Service (The USPS) is a large agency with an even larger task to complete. Every day, 6 days a week, it processes 700 million pieces of mail, which breaks down to 8,000 pieces a second. Not only is the Postal Service concerned about efficiently processing ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in November 2008, about Clean Technologies, Energy Saving (1 comment)
The Grand Canyon is one of America's most precious national icons. It's immense in size: it is over 277 miles long, 18 feet wide, and 5000 feet deep. Few, if any of the 5 million visitors would guess that the ecosystem of the Canyon and the surrounding National ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in October 2008, about Economics, Environment & Wildlife, Environmental Disasters, Industry & Business, Politics & Government
People have been using wind power for thousands of years. In America, early settlers used windmills around the North Eastern part of the country to grind grain. In the West, ranchers used wind to pump water and generate electricity. In the 1980's, the first wind farms were built in ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in October 2008, about Clean Technologies, Energy Saving, Green energy (1 comment)
The Great Dismal Swamp is a wetland area on the Coastal plain of southeastern Virginia which extends into northeastern North Carolina. My family is lucky enough to live next to this unique wilderness area, which is one of the last large and wild areas remaining in the Eastern United States ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in September 2008, about Environment & Wildlife, Environmental Disasters, Logging
Hurricane Katrina was formed during the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season and caused devastation along the Gulf Coast region where it made landfall. At least 1,836 people lost their lives during the storm, which also caused over $81.2 billion US dollars in damage. After the hurricane, many theorized that ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in August 2008, about Climate Change, Environmental Disasters, Weather (2 comments)
President Bush is considering leaving a blue legacy for future generations, which might make him a major figure in conservation history. Using the broad powers given to him under the Antiquities Act of 1906, President George W. Bush could protect vast stretches of US territorial waters from fishing, oil exploration ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in June 2008, about Environment & Wildlife, Politics & Government, Weather
Several communities across the United State are using a novel, yet effective approach to monitoring the safety of their water supplies. Communities in New York, Washington, and California are using bluegill fish to detect potential toxins and contaminants in the water. Bluegills, also called Sunfish, are a common fish found ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in May 2008, about Health, Water
Mount Trashmore is a popular local park in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which stretches for 165 acres. The park attracts over one million visitors per year and features playgrounds, amusement rides, walking trails, two lakes for fishing, picnic areas, and a skateboard park. None of this, except for perhaps the park ... keep reading
Written by Michelle Schaefer in May 2008, about Environment & Wildlife
