In the post-World War II period, the Arctic has seen extensive exploration for shipping, hydrocarbons, mineral extraction, and security purposes. Meanwhile, indigenous communities inhabiting the U.S., Canadian, Scandinavian, and Russian Arctic regions face threats from this increased economic activity and geostrategic competition.
Although less than 10% of the world’s shipping traverses the Arctic, it has grown substantially since the middle of the 20th century. This increased activity pressures the region’s coastal ecosystems and indigenous communities.
The Walkman, Madonna, and the mullet – the 80s brought to life its fair share of innovation. However, there is an often-overlooked contribution of this decade even more revolutionary than Pac-Man. The idea, which came on the scene in a journal article published in 1981 by two German scientists, Adolf Goetzberger and Armin Zastrow, is called agrivoltaics. “In this paper,” they wrote, “we propose a configuration of a…photovoltaic power plant, which allows for additional agricultural use of the land involved.” In other words, placing solar panels above crops – in the footprint of a solar cell, growing strawberries, squash, and more. The idea may not have seemed ground-breaking when the two scientists quietly conducted their research in West Germany, but fast forward 40 years, and their concept is integral to solving the crisis of food security and the energy transition.
Imagine plants growing faster just by listening to music. A new experimental study shows that when we play songs for our crops, they listen—and grow. Devotional music encourages Mung beans to thrive. Through this genre of music, Mung bean growth accelerates… or something along these lines.
Climate change is relentlessly advancing. Climate models generate alarming projections for the near and distant future. But how do climate disasters, scarcity, and insecurity affect the foundations of our social relationships? Will there be more cooperation or conflict in the light of climate change? This piece traces the development of the field of climate conflict research to date and outlines the essential questions and answers in this important yet relatively understudied area of study.
America’s Great Lakes region is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. What can recent science tell us about the future?
