http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu Wed, 22 May 2013 16:33:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/02/27/putting-wind-in-trades-sails/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/02/27/putting-wind-in-trades-sails/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:34:49 +0000 CERC Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=22340 International maritime trade represents a unique example of global cooperation. With the help of a growing number of renewable energy technologies, the global community can work towards progress in this limited area and use it as a model for addressing emissions in other areas of the global economy.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/02/27/putting-wind-in-trades-sails/feed/ 1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/27/ecological-succession-forest-fires-to-the-ocean-floor/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/27/ecological-succession-forest-fires-to-the-ocean-floor/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:15:16 +0000 CERC Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=22091 A new study reveals that new microbes supplant the active hydrothermal vent’s microbes after the site ceases to produce thermal energy. Though more research is necessary to fully understand the regeneration process in the dormant hydrothermal vents, the study provides an additional platform for ecologists to explore how ecosystems recover from natural unbalances and how species adapt to severe changes in temperature, acidity, and chemical composition.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/27/ecological-succession-forest-fires-to-the-ocean-floor/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/11/07/two-wren-brains-are-better-than-one/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/11/07/two-wren-brains-are-better-than-one/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:34:08 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=19790 When researchers observed activity in the brains of plain-tailed wrens while singing, they discovered something striking: In both sexes, the neurons reacted more strongly to the duet song than individual contributions — they are seemingly wired to enhance cooperation.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/11/07/two-wren-brains-are-better-than-one/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/27/white-nose-syndrome-is-driving-conservation-batty/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/27/white-nose-syndrome-is-driving-conservation-batty/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:36:51 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=19556 Scientists report in a recently published article in Nature that the fungus Geomyces destructans found on bats afflicted with White Nose Syndrome is the primary cause of the disease. However, amidst all the muck of doom and gloom, researchers report in the July issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases that affected bats can be nursed back to health with constant medical attention, food, warmth, and water. With no signs of the infection slowing and more than one million bats succumbing to white nose syndrome in the past five years, the conservation community should be on high alert. ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/27/white-nose-syndrome-is-driving-conservation-batty/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/21/executive-courses-in-sustainable-coastal-economies-urban-resilience-and-diversity-and-conservation/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/21/executive-courses-in-sustainable-coastal-economies-urban-resilience-and-diversity-and-conservation/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:17:18 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=19308 The Center for Environmental Research and Conservation at Columbia University provides professionals with the knowledge and tools to be effective environmental leaders and decision makers in the 21st century. It is an evening program in which environmental issues are discussed, debated and examined, where participants develop an in-depth understanding of conservation science and practice through case studies and a focus on Environmental Policy, Management and Finance.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/21/executive-courses-in-sustainable-coastal-economies-urban-resilience-and-diversity-and-conservation/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/12/ecological-and-urban-resilience/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/12/ecological-and-urban-resilience/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:49:49 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=18875 Resilience science has been evolving over the past decade, expanding beyond ecology to reflect systems of thinking in fields such as economics and political science. And, as more and more people move into densely populated cities, using massive amounts of water, energy, and other resources, the need to combine these disciplines to consider the resilience of urban ecosystems and cities is of paramount importance.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/12/ecological-and-urban-resilience/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/07/critter-corner-news-roundup-on-biodiversity-%e2%80%93-week-of-103/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/07/critter-corner-news-roundup-on-biodiversity-%e2%80%93-week-of-103/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:37:47 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=18692 Read more about how humans are just modified fish, the discovery of a rare seahorse, the relationship between climate change, elk, and aspen, and the the structure of ambrosia beetle colonies in this week’s edition of The Critter Corner.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/10/07/critter-corner-news-roundup-on-biodiversity-%e2%80%93-week-of-103/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/29/critter-corner-news-roundup-on-biodiversity-%e2%80%93-week-of-926/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/29/critter-corner-news-roundup-on-biodiversity-%e2%80%93-week-of-926/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:55:39 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=18363 Read more about flies that are sexually aroused by food, tool use among fish, controversial bacteria that may use arsenic in place of phosphorus as the backbone of its DNA, and the nanostructures of ancient bugs in this week’s edition of The Critter Corner.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/29/critter-corner-news-roundup-on-biodiversity-%e2%80%93-week-of-926/feed/ 1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/26/evolution-supports-a-rainbow-of-diversity/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/26/evolution-supports-a-rainbow-of-diversity/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:46:03 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=18228 Same-sex-relationships among animals seem to be in opposition to our understanding of Darwinian evolution—an organism who fails to secure a counterpart to mate with will not pass on its genes to the next generation. One could then infer that such costly behaviors would slowly be removed from the population through natural selection. However, same-sex bonds are far too common in the natural world to support such reasoning. ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/26/evolution-supports-a-rainbow-of-diversity/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/23/your-nose-knows-evolution/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/23/your-nose-knows-evolution/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:58:12 +0000 Brian Kateman http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=18126 Olfaction is one of the least understood senses but has played a vital role in the evolution of vertebrates. Basic survival behaviors such as foraging, communicating, recalling memory, and reproduction are often dependent on a protruding-facial structure that we too often ignore.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/09/23/your-nose-knows-evolution/feed/ 0