covid-19 is just one example of a zoonosis, a disease that was transmitted from animals to humans. other examples of zoonoses include hiv, ebola, sars, and rabies.

according to the center for disease control 3 out of 4 emerging infectious diseases in humans have animal origins. additionally, a recent report released by the united nations environment programme states that zoonoses are becoming increasingly common.

this is mainly because zoonoses “spillover” into human populations due to increased human-wildlife contact.

human-wildlife contact is increasing for a few reasons, according to dr. kurt sladky, a professor of zoological medicine at the university of wisconsin-madison and expert in ecosystem health. 

first, urbanization has caused human populations to spread into what was once wild, pristine habitat. this means that humans are coming into contact with wild animal populations that we have never encountered before.

human consumption of wild animals for protein is another way in which zoonotic diseases can spread.

according to sladky, bushmeat consumption is a key pathway in which zoonotic diseases spread to humans. because of humans’ “voracious appetite” for hunting and eating wildlife, exposure to wild animals has been increasing.

of course, some human populations, especially in the developing world, rely on consumption of bushmeat as their main source of protein. this makes these populations more vulnerable to contracting zoonotic diseases, sladky said.

deforestation is another way humans come into contact with wildlife harboring zoonotic diseases. the ebola virus is a prime example of the ways in which deforestation allows zoonoses to escape their natural habitats and spread to human populations.

the ebola virus existed in african rainforests, and cycled there between human populations, for centuries. however, since deforestation has become more widespread, the ebola virus has expanded outside of these forests, and has caused 25 major outbreaks in countries across africa, killing several thousand individuals. 

unfortunately, experts say unless something is done to mend the damage inflicted on the planet and its natural ecosystems, future pandemics are expected to become more frequent.

“i only see these potential pandemics getting worse and worse because of what we as humans are doing to the environment,” sladky said.

additionally, sladky noted how global travel via airplanes facilitates the global spread of disease. this has been documented during the covid-19 pandemic, as well as other zoonotic disease pandemics and outbreaks. 

the covid-19 pandemic should be a wake-up call to all of us that our actions are not just hurting the environment, but are actually hurting humans as well. 

scientists call this the “one health paradigm,” the idea that animal health, human health, and environmental health are all intrinsically connected.

although each pandemic or disease outbreak has been previously treated as an isolated incident, it is crucial to remember that human actions are driving many of these events. 

in order to prepare ourselves for the future, understanding the connections between humans and our environment is critical in order to prevent future pandemics.

galápagos park guides say that goats were first brought to the islands by fishermen as food reserves in the early 20th century. unexpectedly, goats survived quite well on the islands where they were released. but predators like coyotes and wolves that normally keep goats in check are not found in the galápagos, so the population exploded. 

goats became so numerous on isabela and santiago islands that native species like the giant tortoise began to decline because they were outcompeted by goats for food. in 1997, when the goat population on isabela island had reached 100,000, action was finally taken. 

we all share a soft spot for chèvre and goat yoga. so why did these passive plant-eaters need to be stopped? 

the galápagos islands is not only important for its consistent rank among “must see places before you die” lists, the flora and fauna of the islands is biologically unique. in other words, most of the native species on the islands do not exist anywhere else in the world. in biology, uniqueness is valuable. these islands are as unique as it gets. and once the giant tortoises are wiped out, we cannot bring them back. protection of galápagos giant tortoises and all other unique species on the islands is therefore critical.

to eradicate the goats, park rangers were trained in marksmanship and flown in helicopters low over the islands. goats were shot one by one. eventually, so few goats remained that they became difficult to find in the underbrush. scientists developed a brutally clever strategy to remove those that remained: “judas goats.” 

because goats like to congregate in herds, several females were captured, marked, and sent back into the wild with gps trackers. these marked goats were the judas goats. naturally, these females eventually found and joined existing herds and by doing so, exposed the locations of the remaining goats. 

the ingenious solution of judas goats led to one of the most successful invasive species eradications on the islands to date. what makes invasive species control so fascinating is the fact that with each new invasive species, a completely new management plan is needed. 

the same level of ingenuity in the goat solution is needed to overcome the intricacies of each new invasive situation. it is impossible to predict the downstream result of every action, so creative problem-solving along the way is essential. 

as with goats, black rats were introduced by mariners long ago. black rats prey on the eggs of native birds and reptiles. as explained by park guide anahí concari, “project pinzón” was the park’s response to native species population declines from black rat predation on pinzón island. 

in 2012, helicopters were used to drop rodenticide in a grid pattern across the island. it was quickly discovered that lava lizards, which are native to the galápagos, also were eating the rodenticide. though the lava lizards were unaffected by the poison, they stored it in their livers. 

which only moved the problem up the food chain. the galápagos hawks that ate these lava lizards were affected by the rodenticide and the hawk population declined. the quick thinking solution was to capture as many remaining hawks as possible and hold them in captivity until the rodenticide concentration in lava lizards dropped to safe levels — which took about two years. 

project pinzón ultimately was successful on pinzón island, but the increased mortality of galápagos hawks was an unexpected and unfortunate price to pay. 

the loss of the hawks demonstrates the risks associated with invasive species control in such delicate, interconnected ecosystems. each situation is unique and the stakes are always incredibly high as there’s always the possibility that a seemingly sound idea will unexpectedly do more harm than good.

when a parasitic fly is destroying the populations of 20 species of birds, judas goats and rodenticide will be of no help. unfortunately one such fly is currently terrorizing the galápagos. these flies lay eggs in the nests of birds and their larvae suck the blood from baby birds as soon as they hatch. this gruesome invasive fly has pushed several galápagos finches to the brink of extinction.

according to the charles darwin research station, 20 galápagos bird species are at risk from the fly. because the birds are only preyed on as hatchlings, raising birds in captivity until they are no longer hatchlings protects them from the fly. 

the mangroves that these birds nest in are sometimes as tall as 20 meters (a little over 65 feet), so professional tree climbers were hired to remove eggs from nests before they hatch. the birds are reintroduced when they are too big to be preyed on by flies. 

this strategy has helped, but it is not scalable. there is not enough space or resources to raise enough of each bird species in captivity. other stop-gap methods involving insecticide have been tested but no one strategy has been effective enough. 

park guide concari mentioned a controversial management strategy called biological control that has recently been circulating in the conversation about this parasitic fly. 

invasive species like these goats, rats, and flies, are able to take over in the galápagos because their normal predators did not travel with them, and none of the predators that keep these animals in check in their native habitats exist in the galápagos. 

biological control involves locating a predator or pathogen that checks an invasive in its native habitat and introducing it into the non-native habitat in which it currently lives. in other words, scientists want to introduce another introduced species to deal with a previously introduced species. (got that?) according to information provided by galápagos national park guides, there are already more introduced species on the islands than there are native species. could purposefully introducing more really be worth it?

the strategy of biological control is incredibly risky and still controversial. when the conversation shifts to invasive plants however, biological control does not seem as far fetched. though goats, rats, and flies may seem challenging to eradicate, invasive plants are in fact much more difficult. 

heinke jäger, a senior scientist at the charles darwin research center on santa cruz island with a ph.d. in ecology, explains that eradication of an invasive species is always the ultimate goal, but sometimes complete eradication is unrealistic. 

when the last female goat was removed from the islands, the population could not recover. 

however, plants are much more difficult to eradicate because once a plant is established, its seeds become distributed throughout the soil. jäger says the seeds of the invasive blackberry bush, rubus niveus, can remain dormant in galápagos soil for 10 years, possibly even longer. 

authorities have tried injecting herbicides into their trunks or even just ripping the plants out, yet the blackberry continues to spread. 

just as animals have predators, plants do too. there is a certain fungus called a rust fungus that preys on these blackberry bushes in their native habitat in china. jäger believes releasing this blackberry fungus could finally check the blackberry invasion. 

she noted that although many people often think of the times when biological control has failed, there have been many successful implementations worldwide and even a previous success in the galápagos. 

in 2002, a species of ladybug was introduced in the galápagos to control the exploding population of a sucking insect that was destroying the mangrove forests. biological control could be the key to protecting galápagos from the continuous onslaught of invasives. 

jäger is optimistic. 

“i really, really hope we can get the funding to continue the work on the rust fungus for blackberry, there are examples in the world where this has worked on blackberry,” she said. 

among park guides like concari, and scientists like jäger, there seems to be an air of excited anticipation as biological control agents are researched for both the invasive blackberry and parasitic fly. introducing a new species to deal with a previously introduced one is certainly the most innovative solution around.

luckily, we may have found the hero to this problem — and you would’ve never seen it coming. click on the story below to learn about how the research project of recent college graduate morgan vague may help combat our plastic waste:

washington – a capitol hill hearing called to discuss the use of technology to address climate change quickly veered into a long debate about how much human activity has contributed to the country’s warming temperature.

the house committee on science, space, and technology hearing, held may 16, was led by its chairman rep. lamar smith, r-texas. 

in reference to climate change, rep. smith warned of “legitimate concerns that scientists are biased in favor of reaching predetermined conclusions that inevitability lead to alarmist findings wrongfully reported as facts.”

his skepticism was condemned by committee member rep. suzanne bonamici, d-ore., who said “we should not be using valuable time to discredit scientific facts,” and she encouraged a bipartisan effort to work quickly to address climate change.

“we can no longer sit back and debate the merits of taking action (on climate change),” rep. bonamici said. “the time is now.” 

while other lawmakers, such as rep. dana rohrabacher, r-calif., have expressed doubt as to whether climate change exists, a bipartisan group of members at the hearing concurred that mitigation and adaptation technology is necessary, with rep. eddie bernice johnson, d-texas, the committee’s ranking member, and rep. andy biggs, r-ariz., expressing support. 

“it is crucial that u.s. policy focuses on technology,” declared rep. biggs, who said a policy aimed at hydraulic fracturing to lower carbon emissions already has proven to boost the economy. 

even rep. rohrabacher supported some technology investment, speaking about the need to develop new technology to mitigate the amount of u.s. carbon pollution, such as a new battery to sustain solar and wind power technology.

rep. bill foster, d-ill., echoed the call for new technology, saying, “it is clear that we are underinvesting in technology for climate change, specifically for energy research, development and demonstration.”

but chairman smith cautioned against over-regulation.

“before we impose energy taxes or costly and ineffective government regulations, we should acknowledge the uncertainties that surround climate change research,” said rep. smith. “natural climate variability contributes to this uncertainty,” he said, citing solar cycles, volcanic activity, temperature fluctuations, and long-term oceanic circulation patterns.

he also said that other unknowns, specifically the future of energy production and consumption, create uncertainty when it comes to accurately predicting climate change.

congresswoman bonamici listed examples of how she says climate change has affected residents and the economy in her oregon district. she noted that devastating wildfires last summer resulted in “losses” for the timber industry, as well as high levels of carbon dioxide that has changed atmospheric conditions for fishers, wineries, farmers, and the tourism industry in general.

the full debate can be seen on the committee’s web page.

the culture there is much different than it is here in the united states. the way of thinking when it comes to the environment is integrated completely into society. recycling, for example, is a must. everyone knows to sort their recyclables and people are looked at strangely if they do not. it’s a way of life; here in the united states, not so much. there are many towns and cities in the states that do not have this well-maintained, secure infrastructure. similarly, like with public transportation, there are places in the united states where public transportation is not an option. it may be too expensive or the bus or train system may not even run enough or cover enough distance. i currently live in chicago, illinois, and i know that there are neighborhoods on the south side where, unfortunately, public transportation does not reach. in the grand scheme of things, mass transit can help in mitigating carbon emissions. how can this happen or even be considered when people cannot access these opportunities? this is a environmental issue, of course, but also a social issue.

it’s important to understand what environmentally conscious countries, like sweden, are pushing forward, socially and politically. that way, other countries can one day emulate these initiatives and eventually help save the planet. since the 1970’s, sweden has made progressive measures to ensure that the environment has been protected. even within the economy and industry, there has always been a common understanding that the environment is a crucial part of life. people there understand that the environment is necessary for life–it produces everything we have. additionally, many people believe in the intrinsic value of nature, spending much of their time outdoors. it just makes me wonder: what does that mean for countries like the united states, where we have time and time again put the environment second–or sometimes last? where do our priorities lie?

yavuz ozeren, a research scientist at ncche, said, “the models that we have are broadly grouped into 1d, 2d and 3d models, from simple to more complicated. the 1d model investigates the parameters in one dimension and go up to 3d. they become more expensive as they go up and are used in various ways to simulate the flow of water,” yavuz said. 

the center does flood simulations through a web-based system that agencies use before and after natural disasters. the most recent simulation was used in puerto rico, after hurricane maria. 

the simulations, which are all automated, simulate the dams. the agencies log in, find a dam, input a scenario, and analyze the data. the results are measured in water depth, arrival time, and other statistics that help prepare for specific natural disasters.

yavuz described two major projects he is currently working on. “when a dam fails, there are a lot of contaminants, muds and materials from mining,” he said, “these all begin to flow downstream differently from how water normally flows.”

“we test the pond and the mixture,” he said, “there is a gate that we use to pull the water quickly through. the materials flow down onto the gate, then we collect the data and analyze it. it is very simple to control how much water and mixture we have.”

the second major experiment involves erosion and water issues in the mississippi delta. yavuz said, “related to water issues in mississippi and arkansas, farming in the lower mississippi delta flood plain relies on groundwater resources for irrigation.” the farmers in the delta put in wells and pump water out, but over the last year or so, groundwater levels have been sinking. soil conservation services use reservoirs and build levees filled with water to store during winter months and to use during the summer. 

the ncche is looking for ways to protect and extend the lives of these levees. “we have been testing how much erosion will cause certain conditions by bringing in materials from the delta, so that we can estimate the guidelines and how long the levees will last,” ozeren said.

these experiments show that although the ncche is primarily a research institution, they are dedicated to helping people. the center is 100 percent self-sustaining and does not receive any funds from the university. they conduct all individual projects at the national sedimentation laboratory, located off campus. in their experiments and field work, all models rely on real-world data from controlled experiments in the field.

to learn more about the ncche and their experiments, visit ncche.olemiss.edu. 

months later, i found myself sitting in front of my students. you see, i teach 4th and 5th grade science, and i often wonder like many people what type of world will the kids sitting before me face. looking at the education system as it stands today wondering if it’s possible to spawn a whole new generation of kids that are interested in science let alone environmental science. then i found myself wondering about the presidents commitment to this new green economy of his, and my thoughts turned back to the students before me, and wondered how are we to prepare them for this new economy – or new workforce the president hopes to instill in order to revive our economy. and like any good teacher knows, and maybe even some of you, the most important lessons we learned in life, we learned in primary school. as an educator – especially one who has been in schools that were disadvantaged, schools that could barely afford hot lunches and books, i am left to wonder how these children are to compete in a world that has not afford them the opportunity to learn what photovoltaic technology is, let alone how it is fixed, upgraded, and/or maintained. another aspect of this is, that if we are finding it difficult in our own country to fulfill the educational requirements, than other countries in lesser developed areas of the world will also look for approaches to addressing the issues of education and policy for

one of the reasons, i was drawn to planet forward was its campaign to educate the public on the issues of environmental, from carbon production, to electric cars, or even power related subjects. i have recently been involved with a project that is directly related to the goals of education of the public. not just sending out pamphlets, or the run of the mill course on environmental science, or sustainability, but to truly development education programs that help young children, on up to young adults entering into college and discovering the various field within environmental science, engineering, mechanics, and even policy.

i am working with the national council on science and the environment this month at their national conference to set recommendations for the obama administration regarding the development of nontraditional educational systems within developing countries to create a new, sustainable economy. some of the goals intending to be address during the session are:

session goals:
• develop a game plan to provide identified countries access to free and credible knowledge base and up-to-date, peer-reviewed information.
• develop workshops to promote the idea of hands on, solution-based education, which includes analysis, synthesis, and communication skills.
• develop a nontraditional graduate curriculum in ecological economics.
• identify key professionals, scientists, and practitioners within the field to participate in this endeavor.
• identify potential funding sources for the metauniversity initiative.
• identify potential funding sources for a spanish version of the encyclopedia earth.
• identify further key players in higher education institutions and ministries of education within identified countries.
• reassess the structure of the metauniversity initiative to incorporate the ideas and needs of the stakeholders.

intended results:
• transform the higher educational system, using developing countries as a catalyst for change.
• ensure the change to a sustainable and socially desirable economy.
• promote the use of the encyclopedia of earth and credible online educational tools.
• create global access to expertise within the field.
• develop a framework for solutions-based workshops.

the conference is next week january 20-22, if you are interested in learning about more related issues delving into this topic of green economics and policy, than it’s the place to be. the session on non-traditional education systems is only one of thirty-seven sections taking place at the conference. if you are interested please see the website for more information. follow the link-
http://ncseonline.org/conference/greeneconomy/