Wilderness Blog

RSS Feed

Latest Posts tagged with "research"

Our forests as fuel? The devil is in the details

Biomass project in Lambert Creek, Oregon. Courtesy BLM.

Some folks argue that burning trees as an energy source — either for heat or electricity — is a “carbon neutral” resource — one that takes away as much carbon as it releases. It seems logical — new trees grow in the place of those that were cut down, and the new ones can absorb whatever carbon was released when the original tree was cut and later burned. However, as with many things, the devil is in the details. Read more

Microbiologist Tom DeLuca studies 'the tiny' to find big answers on climate change

DeLuca leading group to field project. Courtesy Tom DeLuca.

Listen to ecologist Dr. Tom DeLuca talk about his research trips to the remote area of northern Sweden and you’ll be treated to an ecological mystery story. Birch forests once filled an open valley in the mountains between Sweden and Norway just north of the Arctic Circle, but sometime around 1000 years ago the trees disappeared. All that remains today is an open vista and the collapse of an ecosystem, says Dr. Tom DeLuca Senior Forest Ecologist with The Wilderness Society. Read more

Surprises Abound in Desolation Canyon Rafting Trip

Researchers stop along Desolation Canyon, which is at risk to natural gas drilling, Utah. Photo by Alex Daue.

High on the Colorado Plateau, the Green River meanders through the spectacular Flaming Gorge and Utah’s Dinosaur National Monument before descending into the magnificent, red-rock Desolation Canyon. Read more