Frankie Wallace is a freelance writer from the northwest who contributes to a wide variety of blogs online. Wallace currently resides in Boise, Idaho and is a recent graduate from the University of Montana.
The history of infectious diseases is as old as human history itself. From the Black Plague that ravaged the Middle Ages to the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic that claimed more lives than the Great War, these microscopic pathogens have proven time and again to be among humanity’s most cunning adversaries.
Geothermal energy taps into and harvests the heat released from below the surface of the earth. It’s a renewable energy that doesn’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Geothermal energy reduces our carbon footprint and doesn’t take up a structural footprint, either. Unlike the endless fields of wind turbines or solar panel arrays, most of the energy generation happens out of sight and underground.
In the early days of the Internet, you probably plugged your phone cord into your modem and waited as the computer-generated a series of static, dial tones, and chirps. The aptly-named dial-up Internet was similar to dialing a phone, and it would tie up the phone line as long as you were using the Internet.
The United States’ fascination with space is nothing new. From the great “space race” against the Soviet Union to the current billionaire space race between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, people have been intrigued, captivated, and curious about what the universe truly holds and what it could mean for our future.
Did you know that there used to be palm trees in the Arctic? It was 56 million years ago, but it was caused by greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere at an alarming rate. It’s hard to imagine palm trees swaying in a place we think of polar bears and glaciers, but due to the greenhouse gas effect, that was a reality.
Urbanization is just one of the many effects of overpopulation here on Earth, along with the rapid dwindling of the natural environment as a whole. The general consensus across the scientific community is that a number of factors have contributed to global overpopulation. More than 7.7 billion people live on Earth as of 2020, largely due to longer life expectancies, improved sanitation, and advancements in medicine over the last few centuries.
A full 20 years into the 21st century, the threat of overpopulation continues to make headlines across the globe. A recent United Nations study determined that the global population, currently sitting at 7.7 billion, will increase to about 9.7 billion by 2050. That equals a 28% population increase, or approximately 82 million additional people every year. Those swelling numbers are predicted to further deplete natural resources and have detrimental effects on our already fragile natural environment.
The idea behind controlling waterways through dams isn’t new. The oldest dam in the world, the Kallanai Dam, began operation on the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu, India in the 2nd century, and it’s still in use today.
Every year, California wildfires force residents to temporarily evacuate their homes and seek refuge in shelters, motels, or with relatives. While the wildfire season is one of the few things that truly unites both Northern and Southern California, it’s also not a new phenomenon: you can track over a century of California wildfires recorded by Cal Fire as part of a California Public Radio Project.
The era of climate change is upon us, and if we stand idle, its far-reaching negative impact will only increase. Increased emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide play a significant role in the onset of climate change. Gases like these trap heat in the atmosphere, not allowing temperatures to fall. This results in global warming, and the subsequent climate change consequences. While this climate disaster has repercussions at many levels, its effect on public health is one of grave concern.