photo: Fritz Geller-Grimm

In spite of an international moratorium put in place in 1986, the number of whales killed for commercial purposes continues to grow. Given the limited success of current policy in conserving whales, Leah Gerber (2011) and her colleagues propose creating a whale market featuring quotas and shares allocated in sustainable numbers to all member nations to buy and sell. Conservation groups could also participate by buying shares, an approach that the authors say would be more effective in saving whales. They believe that the plan stands a good chance of being acceptable both to anti- and to pro-whaling nations as a framework that would be "economically, ecologically and socially viable for whalers and whales alike."

photo: Jon Sullivan

To date, land-use decisions aimed at reducing climate change effects have focused on greenhouse gases. According to a new study coauthered by Evan DeLucia (2000), however, it is important to incorporate other characteristics of ecosystems that influence climate -- such as how much heat an ecosystem releases through evaporation, and how much it reflects or absorbs solar radiation. Combining all these factors, the authors say, provides a more complete picture of ecosystem services that affect climate, and may help in the design of wise land-use policies.

photo: Richard Ling

Fish banks -- marine reserves where no fishing can ever take place -- can be an effective, economical means of reversing the effects of overfishing. Enric Sala (2005) describes how marine reserves have helped fish populations in various areas around the world recover at remarkable rates and generated economic benefits for fishing and tourism. Given the past difficulties of creating national and international ocean policy, and the low cost of creating marine reserves, local communities should be empowered to develop and manage them, Sala says.

photo credit: Jason Smith

Inspired by an article about the growing popularity of science pubs, Peter Doran (2008) formed the Homewood-Flossmoor Science Pub, which holds talks by scientists from a variety of fields at local bars in the Chicago area. Doran's pub regularly draws a crowd of about 40 science "fans" who gather for the freewheeling exchanges with academic researchers.

Deconstruction of the Elwha dam
(photo: National Park Service)

Previous studies by Martin Doyle (2008), Emily Stanley (2006) and colleagues estimate that in the US there are over 75,000 dams greater than 6 feet high, and 85 percent of them will be near the end of their operational lives by 2020. Increasing awareness of the social and environmental costs of dams has prompted numerous calls for dam removal. Now the pace of removal has quickened, and the largest dam demolition in the US history has started on the Elwha River this year. Scientists expect that it will have dramatic effects on renewing wildlife habitats and the natural landscape.

Photograph courtesy of Ted Schuur

As global temperatures rise, frozen soils are thawing in the Arctic. A new study led by Ted Schuur (2011) estimates that carbon and methane stored in the frozen soils will be released to the atmosphere more quickly than models suggest, which will accelerate climate change. The study stresses the urgent need to reduce man-made greenhouse gas emissions. “If you think about fossil fuel and deforestation, those are things people are doing, so presumably if you had enough will, you could change your laws and adjust your society to slow some of that down,” Schuur says.