Leaves

Blog

Blog

Looking for silver linings: Wildlife and blue skies in cities

Marc Lefkowitz  |  04/30/20 @ 11:00am  |  Posted in Clean air, Plants & animals

I’ve been looking for silver linings since we’ve all been forced into quarantine for more than a month. One has been the remarkably fast turnaround of air quality as car and airplane use has dipped to all-time lows.

<br />Blue skies rule over a park in Beachwood in April, 2020<br />A nesting peregrine falcon hunts for prey above Terminal Tower on Public Square<br />A coyote roams a park in Chicago

Climate Action on EarthDay 50: Look back and ahead

Marc Lefkowitz  |  04/22/20 @ 9:00am  |  Posted in Climate, Transform

On May 4, 1970, college students at Kent State University were protesting the Vietnam War—which they viewed as unjust because many of the participants were people of color and from low-income families—when the governor called in the Ohio National Guard. The troops opened fire on the protesters, ending four young lives.

Cleveland then<br />An aerial view of Cleveland where the Cuyahoga River flows into Lake Erie. The image is from before the Clean Water Act, when pollution was routinely dumped into the river.Cleveland now<br />The Clean Water and Clean Air acts helped Cleveland clean the environment and still maintain industry.Generation Earth Day<br />Earth Day One celebrated in 1970 at Kent State University. Students like Bill Doty built an eco sphere as a symbol of harmony between human and nature.Taking action for climate<br />Clevelanders for Public Transit protest the lack of state funding for public transit in Public Square. Akshai Singh (pictured with microphone) says the current generation is picking up the baton on climate action.Earth Day One<br />Twenty million Americans gathered across the country on April 22, 1970 to protest that lack of environmental protection. It led to the adoption of landmark environmental laws and the establishment of the EPA under President Nixon.

Would you ProtectCLE?

Marc Lefkowitz  |  04/17/20 @ 1:00pm  |  Posted in Climate, Land, Water, Plants & animals, Natural Cleveland

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History wants you to participate with us in ProtectCLE, protecting Cleveland’s Living Environment. The first project under ProjectCLE is Life in One Cubic Foot. This project is ideal for families studying science at home this spring and summer. The goal is to get outside, enjoy nature and don your citizen science hat. By focusing on...

<br />The Life in a Cubic Foot project is a global search for biodiversity. Image: David Liittscwager for National Geographic.<br />ProtectCLE is a Cleveland Museum of Natural History-led effort to document and appreciate the natural world.<br />iNaturalist is a smartphone app used by a global community of nature enthusiasts<br />Using iNaturalist to document local biodiversity is a snap<br />Build a biocube. Make it fancy or simple, your choice.

McSweeney's tackles climate change, what we'll be like in 2040

Marc Lefkowitz  |  01/16/20 @ 3:00pm  |  Posted in Climate

Ten short stories that appear in McSweeney’s #58 “Cli-Fi” issue explore the physical and emotional landscapes of a not-too-distant 2040 A.D. A sub-genre of science fiction focused on how to live with climate change, the stories are grounded with climate science supplied by Natural Resources Defense Council, which serve as a jumping off point for stories that search for answers to...

<br />

The Big List: Climate Action

Marc Lefkowitz  |  01/14/20 @ 2:00pm  |  Posted in Climate

Reaction to our post, Things to Try To Be More Sustainable in 2020, which was about individual actions, inspired this follow up about collective action. I wrote a caveat that acknowledged individual action for the environment won’t solve the biggest issue facing humanity, i.e. climate change. I appreciate the push-pull of debating whether individual actions have merit beyond making us...

<br /><br /><br />

Filter by RSS

Social media feed

Find local food

Find local food >

Explore local food resources and a map of farmers markets in Northeast Ohio

Ten water saving tips

Ten water saving tips >

We're at the shore of Lake Erie, but we still have good reasons to conserve

The best bike trails

The best bike trails >

Find out where are the most interesting bike rides in Northeast Ohio