Mild Drought Conditions Declared in Berkshire County

Nick DeGray | WWLP

"The Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has declared a Level 1 Mild Drought for Berkshire County and Cape Cod on Wednesday. [...] 'With much of the state experiencing sporadic rainfall and higher temperatures, it’s important that we all work together to conserve water,' said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. 'We’re continuing to monitor conditions and any potential strains on our water systems. We ask that residents and businesses be mindful of water usage during the growing and recreational season.'" READ MORE

What the Supreme Court's clean water ruling means for Massachusetts

Nik DeCosta-Klipa | WBUR

"Massachusetts lawmakers may need to take action if they want to blunt the effects of a Supreme Court’s decision [...] rolling back the EPA’s power to regulate wetlands. WBUR’s Paula Moura reports that experts say the ruling leaves nearly half of all U.S. wetlands unprotected from being filled in for development and agriculture. [...] In a 5-4 majority decision, Justice Samuel Alito ruled that the 51-year-old Clean Water Act only applies to oceans, lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands with a 'continuous surface connection to those bodies.' That leaves wetlands that are adjacent — but not directly connected above ground — to those water bodies newly unprotected by the CWA. [...] Brad Campbell, the president of the Boston-based Conservation Law Foundation, told Moura they’re still assessing the impact of the decision in Massachusetts. Campbell noted that the state has its own wetland protections 'that may fill part of the gap that’s now been created.' Emily Norton, the head of the Charles River Watershed Association, said many communities also have local bylaws that go further. But both said action from the State House may be needed to fill other newly created gaps. Why does it matter? 'Wetlands are essential to protecting not only clean water but habitat,' Campbell said. 'They provide flood protection, storm protection, and they really undergird the [tourism and recreation] economy that the health and prosperity of millions of families and businesses depend on.'" READ MORE

Bullfrogs Establishing Territories

Mary Holland | Naturally Curious

"The low humming sound of hundreds of male Bullfrogs 'jug-o-rumming' on their breeding grounds fills the air this time of year. So energized are these frogs that singing occurs during the day time as well as at night. While attracting a mate is one reason for this serenade, establishing a territory is the initial objective. According to Tom Tyning (Stokes Guide To Amphibians and Reptiles) a male Bullfrog’s territory is a circular area that may be anywhere from six to twenty feet in diameter. Males who are singing have established territories and tend to be the largest and oldest individuals. Should another male challenge a resident Bullfrog,  there can be physical altercations in the form of wrestling matches in which males hold each other and attempt to gouge each other with their thumbs." READ MORE

A rapid shift to electric cars would save 89,000 lives — if it's powered by renewables

Max Graham | Grist

"Moving away from gasoline-powered cars won’t just help with climate change. It also could have major health benefits, according to a new report by the American Lung Association. The United States could save 89,000 lives and nearly $1 trillion in health costs by mid-century if drivers stop buying conventional combustion-engine cars and if the country cleans up its power grid by 2035, the organization found. [...] The gasses and particles spewed from tailpipes are linked to a range of illnesses, including asthma, lung cancer, and heart disease. The potential health benefits of electric vehicles stem from the fact that they don’t produce the same toxic byproducts, like smog-forming oxides of nitrogen, as combustion engines. Although there have been relatively few real-world studies on EVs and air pollution, the American Lung Association’s report aligns with research showing that cars without combustion engines pollute less and lead to fewer respiratory illnesses than their gas-powered counterparts." READ MORE

The planet has 8 measures of stability — and we're pushing past most of them

Carla Delagado | Popular Science

"In 2010, the international non-governmental organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported that humanity is using Earth’s land and resources at the rate of 1.5 planets annually. It predicted that humanity will be consuming the equivalent of 2 planets a year by 2030, should this troubling trend continue. The problem is humans are still consuming natural resources unsustainably, but there’s only one Earth. According to new research, we might be pushing past its limits already. In a recent Nature study, more than 40 international scientists assessed the planet’s capacity to provide a safe future. They studied eight Earth system boundaries (ESB): climate, air pollution, agricultural nitrogen and phosphorus surpluses, groundwater supply, surface water, natural ecosystem area, and the functional integrity of human-modified ecosystems. This set of domains was chosen because they encompass the major components of the planet and the processes that support life, which include human well-being on Earth. The authors quantified “safe and just” ESBs the planet needs to remain stable while protecting people from significant harm. They found that the Earth crossed seven of the eight safe and just ESBs, with air pollution being the only planetary limit that hasn’t been breached yet. [...] In terms of air pollution, the boundary of 15 micrograms per cubic meter for mean annual exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) was set to avoid significant harm, like heart problems, respiratory illnesses, and premature death. Currently, 85 percent of the global population is exposed to PM 2.5 concentrations that exceed this limit, with vulnerable groups facing disproportionate impacts." READ MORE

Watershed Science and Engineering in the Berkshires: A 5-Day Summer Professional Development Program for Grade 6-12 Educators

Join BEAT along with Wade Institute for Science Education, Berkshire Community College (BCC), and the City of Pittsfield’s Engineering Division this summer for a 5-day professional development program focusing on watersheds and how engineering supports natural systems and habitats in Berkshire County. During this course, educators will explore methods and resources to bring this locally relevant science to their students and help them recognize the range of career opportunities that engineering can offer. From July 10 through July 14, from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, participants will engage in engineering design challenges with BCC faculty that take an interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to understanding how engineering and creativity combine to generate designed solutions that support the local ecosystem. BEAT will lead field explorations of local forests, rivers, and streams to understand first-hand how important watersheds are and to investigate methods in use to protect them. We’ll also participate in water quality monitoring, gaining an understanding of how it provides important information to the state as they manage the watershed – and experience ways to scale this testing to be used in your classroom as you engage your students with citizen science projects. With the City of Pittsfield Engineering Division, participants will identify how engineering and infrastructure work to manage watersheds — with a focus on drinking water quality and stormwater runoff. Learn how water quality, engineering mitigation, and remediation measures are used to address stream erosion and stormwater treatment. Participants will leave this course with connections to local facilities and educators and with classroom resources to engage your students in inquiry investigations and engineering design projects with real-world local applications. CLICK HERE to learn more about this exciting opportunity, and reserve your spot!

Keystone Project to host a Women on the Land Training

UMass Amherst – Extension

"The Keystone Project is an intensive, 3-day retreat-style training program focusing on forest and wildlife conservation. The Keystone curriculum includes indoor and outdoor sessions on forest ecology and management, wildlife management, forest health, land conservation, and landowner outreach. For more than 30 years, Keystone has educated forest owners and local leaders who have a significant impact on their communities. Keystone Cooperators can own forestland, be involved in the care and stewardship of a property or be an active community leader. In return, participants agree to return to their community as an advocate for forest conservation. Learn more about Keystone. This fall, the Keystone Project is partnering with the Women on the Land (WOTL) network to host an all-women Keystone training. Learn more about WOTL. The WOTL Keystone training will take place on Thursday evening, October 26, through Sunday afternoon, October 29 at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA. Room and board is provided. The Keystone Project is a competitive program. Applications will be reviewed for applicant experience, connectedness within the community, special skills, and diversity. The application deadline is Friday, September 22, 2023." APPLY HERE

Why birds and their songs are good for our mental health

Richard Sima | The Washington Post

"...Two studies published last year in Scientific Reports said that seeing or hearing birds could be good for our mental well-being. [...] Research has consistently shown that more contact and interaction with nature are associated with better body and brain health. Birds appear to be a specific source of these healing benefits. They are almost everywhere and provide a way to connect us to nature. And even if they are hidden in trees or in the underbrush, we can still revel in their songs. [...] In one study, researchers asked about 1,300 participants to collect information about their environment and well-being three times a day using a smartphone app called Urban Mind. The participants were not explicitly told that the researchers were looking at birds — the app was also collecting data about other vitals such as sleep quality, subjective assessment of air quality, and location details. But the 26,856 assessments offered a rich data set of what is associated with mental well-being in real time in the real world. By analyzing the data, the researchers found a significant positive association between seeing or hearing birds and improved mental well-being, even when accounting for other possible explanations such as education, occupation, or the presence of greenery and water, which have themselves been associated with positive mental health. The benefits persisted well beyond the bird encounter. If a participant reported seeing or hearing birds at one point, their mental well-being was higher, on average, hours later even if they did not encounter birds at the next check-in." READ MORE

The landmark trial that could determine who pays to rid America's drinking water of PFAS

Zoya Teirstein, Grist | Fast Company

"David Peters’s nightmare began on a Monday in the spring of 2016, just before the end of the work day. Peters was the assistant public works director for the city of Stuart, a community of 18,000 on southeast Florida’s tranquil Treasure Coast. One of his many duties was to help oversee the municipal drinking water supply, a responsibility he took seriously. [...] The state had identified a class of chemicals linked to cancer, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or 'forever chemicals,' in Stuart’s drinking water supply. The chemicals were at dangerously high levels. [...] In 2012, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had added, for the first time, two types of PFAS—pronounced PEA’-fass—to its list of 'unregulated contaminants' that public water systems must test for. Stuart had run tests in 2014 and 2015 and found both chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, in its water supply. But the city and the state environmental agency hadn’t thought much of it, since the contamination, at a combined 200 parts per trillion, or ppt, was not thought to be at a level that was harmful to human health. But in May 2016, [...] the U.S. EPA issued a new policy: Levels of the two PFAS in drinking water, the agency said in a national health advisory, should not exceed 70 ppt. [...] PFAS do not naturally break down in the environment over time. Their resistance to decay is what makes them useful. It’s also what makes them dangerous. [...] Earlier this year, the EPA proposed a set of new guidelines for six PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS. Unlike its 2016 health advisory standards, these limits—four parts per trillion, down from 70 ppt—are enforceable, meaning that water-supply managers must adhere to them or face fines. It’s the first time the agency has taken such a step, a move that underscores just how poisonous the EPA believes PFAS to be, even in minuscule amounts. The decision to regulate PFAS represents a huge win for public health. That win will come at a cost." READ MORE