Category: Science
In Alabama’s Paint Rock Valley, Researchers Count Every Tree Thicker Than a Pencil
In an effort to better understand the biodiversity of north Alabama, scientists are conducting a “tree census,” with the goal of studying roughly 100,000 trees for 50 years. Read more.
Protecting Margaritaville: Jimmy Buffett, Bama and the Fight to Save the Manatee
MOBILE — The second line started at four, but it was five o’clock somewhere.
Hundreds of people gathered here on a September Sunday — their Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops brightening the city streets — to participate in a walking parade in remembrance of Jimmy Buffett, who spent much of his childhood in this Gulf Coast city. Buffett, a poet of paradise, died Sept. 1 at age 76.
Though he may be more commonly associated with Florida, the late musician and environmental philanthropist was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and was raised in Mobile. In addition to his musical legacy, Buffett was a champion for environmental causes, co-founding the Save the Manatee Club with then Florida Gov. Bob Graham. Read more.
Alabama’s John Christy May Be the Country’s Best Known and Most Criticized Climate Change Skeptic
Alabama State Climatologist John Christy is considered an outsider, if not a pariah, among most climate researchers. His critics say his work has been plagued by errors and many of his conclusions dismissed. Yet he defends his research and continues to have an outsized influence on the climate change debate well beyond Alabama’s borders. Read more.
The Connection Is Growing Between Climate Change and Big Storms
The connection between climate change, hurricanes and tornadoes is not so clear. But data is beginning to show some relationship. Read more.
Meet the Alabama Scientists Connecting Soaring Global Temperatures to Carbon Dioxide
Two Alabama researchers study ice cores and fossil records from Antarctica, helping connect an alarming increase in the earth’s temperature to rising levels of carbon dioxide. Read more.
Proposal Would Create 36-Mile Trail Loop Around Birmingham
The loop would connect Ruffner Mountain, Railroad Park and Red Mountain Park. Read more.
COVID Cases Increasing in Summer Spike
COVID-19 is trending upward in Alabama and across the country, following a pattern of summer spikes set since the virus first arrived in the U.S. in 2020. Read more.
North Birmingham’s Bluestone Coke Plant Issued Warning for Clean Water Act Violations
The industrial plant has 60 days to clean up contaminated water in Five Mile Creek before it faces a federal lawsuit, local environmental groups warn. Read more.
Alabama’s Health Care System for Women Ranks Near the Bottom of This New Scorecard
The Commonwealth Fund’s new report includes 12 new measures that evaluate and rank states on reproductive services and women’s health care. Read more.
Alabama’s Hemlocks Face Threat From a Deadly Insect
In the Bankhead National Forest, Eastern Hemlock trees foster unique habitat for a wide range of species. But a deadly insect is moving closer and closer. Read more.
