EcoUniv Weekend Reads: April 2021

EcoUniv Weekend Reads #60

4 Apr 2021

Alternative Living: Bhutan’s adoption of Gross National Happiness is fervently celebrated by environmentalists. But does anyone bother to read a critical point of view? Here’s one such article.

http://www.gsdmagazine.org/the-false-promises-of-bhutans-gross-national-happiness/

Pollution: A primer on the important greenhouse gases and their sources (slide show)

https://www.allianz.com/en/press/extra/knowledge/environment/140912-fifteen-sources-of-greenhouse-gases.html

Animal Behavior: Do animals have minds? A review of the related research in an essay from The Economist.

https://www.economist.com/news/essays/21676961-inner-lives-animals-are-hard-study-there-evidence-they-may-be-lot-richer-science-once-thought

EcoUniv Weekend Reads #61

11 Apr 2021

Sapiens: Among all the members of the family Hominidae, why are we the only ones that still exist?

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150929-why-are-we-the-only-human-species-still-alive?ocid=fbert

Economics: Alternative economics demands that rich countries “de-develop”. Either growth must come to zero or climate change will do it for us.

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150929-why-are-we-the-only-human-species-still-alive?ocid=fbert

Agriculture: How Sikkim became an all-organic state.

https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/9sNTIExpMCPEEu8T2BycjM/Sikkim-against-the-machine.html

EcoUniv Weekend Reads #62

18 Apr 2021

Water: A study flags that what we call ‘freshwater’ is also turning salty, primarily due to introduction of man-made salts into the landscape for various reasons.

Article: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/fresh-water-is-turning-saltier-flags-study-76529

Paper: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10533-021-00784-w.pdf

Environmental Law: Most of the nature-modifying industrial activities happen because capital is available for them. New Zealand now creates a law for financial firms to report the climate impacts of their businesses and explain how they will manage risks.

https://news.trust.org/item/20210412215324-ltw9o/

Environmental Education: In the “Understanding the Learner” series, this week we focus on thirteen-year olds (eighth grade).

http://ecouniv.in/ecouniv-environmental-education-framework-understanding-the-learner-threteen-year-old-eighth-grade/

EcoUniv Weekend Reads #63

25 Apr 2021

Pollution: Aquaculture is the fastest growing segment of the global food industry. But fish farming and fishing are sounding the death knell for aquatic ecosystems, including the oceans.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/08/fish-farming-is-feeding-the-globe-whats-the-cost-for-locals

Ornithology: In birds with flashy, eye-catching colours who are trying to impress females, evolution has provided a “show off” mechanism (elaborate microstructures which amplify color) along with the default, “honest” mechanism (carotenoid pigments).

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/21/science/birds-tanagers-mating-color.html

Research Article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-88106-w

Environmental Education: In the “Understanding the Learner” series, this week we focus on fourteen-year olds (ninth grade).

http://ecouniv.in/ecouniv-environmental-education-framework-understanding-the-learner-fourteen-year-old-nineth-grade/