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3 days ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
© Dear EarthTalk:What does the U.N. hope to accomplish by declaring 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and what kinds of activities are in the works? R. Holmes, Anchorage, AKThe United Nations has declared 2025 the “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation,” a significant step towards preserving glaciers as vital resources.
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5 days ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
Dear EarthTalk:What’s the connection between microplastics and increased antibiotic resistance? G.R. Symes, Tallahassee, FLMicroplastics are tiny plastic fragments that pollute oceans, rivers and the air. They’re now being linked to a serious public health threat known as antibiotic resistance. Scientists have started to uncover how these microscopic particles can be found everywhere from bottled water to human blood, which might be speeding up the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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1 week ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
© Dear EarthTalk:When will it be possible to drive across the U.S. in an electric vehicle without recharging being a real headache? Which regions of the country have good public EV charging infrastructure in place and which don’t? Paul Kelly, Washington, DCElectric vehicles (EVs) are becoming a popular choice for sustainable transportation. However, gaps in EV charging infrastructure continue to present challenges for long-distance travel.
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1 week ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
© Dear EarthTalk:Why do some wild animals live in cities more than in rural areas? L.K. via emailWhen people think of wildlife, they often picture animals wandering in nature. However, in the past 15 years, scientists have found more animals moving into and thriving in cities—sometimes even more successfully than in their natural habitats. Before learning about why animals are moving to cities, it’s important to understand what urban and rural mean.
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2 weeks ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
© Dear EarthTalk:If we’ve had the Safe Drinking Water Act in effect for 50 years already, why are so many municipalities having problems providing safe drinking water? Mary Ford, New York, NYThe Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), enacted in 1974 under President Gerald Ford, established the first comprehensive framework for regulating and protecting America’s drinking water supply. This law ensured that the water reaching our homes is free from harmful contaminants and safe for consumption.
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3 weeks ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
Dear EarthTalk:Are the Chinese actually way ahead of U.S., European and Japanese automakers regarding EVs? And are we ever going to see Chinese cars on American roads? P.L., via emailChina has quickly become a dominant force in the global electric vehicle (EV) market, surpassing car makers in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Western car companies used to be the leaders in innovation, but Chinese car makers have surged ahead recently, producing affordable, high-tech EVs at record speed.
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3 weeks ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
Dear EarthTalk:Can we do a better job repurposing outdated technology instead of recycling or trashing it? R.T Smith, via e-mailThe annual production of “e-waste”—electronic products that have reached the end of their useful life and tossed—is rising by 2.6 million tons globally, on track to reach 82 million tons by 2030.
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1 month ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
Dear EarthTalk:How is wind power doing in the U.S.? Is Trump going to harm it? P.K. via emailWind energy is the largest single source of renewable energy in the U.S., comprising 10 percent of the nation’s electricity mix. In Iowa and South Dakota, wind provides more than half the electricity. In 2024, U.S. wind electricity generation surpassed coal-fired generation in March and April, as wind power generally produces more electricity in the springtime.
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1 month ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
Dear EarthTalk:Are prairie dogs threatened or endangered these days? Joseph P., via emailPrairie dogs play a key role in grassland ecosystems but encounter many threats. These cute 18” tall tan rodents live in small pockets of habitat across 10 western U.S. states: Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. However, they are now extinct in Arizona. Roughly half of the U.S. population is in South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.
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1 month ago | 
kiowacountypress.net | Roddy Scheer |Doug Moss
Dear EarthTalk:What is the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) and why is it in jeopardy with Trump taking office for a second term? B. Jackson, Washington, DCNZBA is a partnership of banks dedicated to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Alliance was assembled in 2021 by the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) and plays an important role in discouraging the use of fossil fuels, especially throughout the financial sector.
