Earthly

Recipe for disaster. What makes a hurricane?

According to recent reports, South Carolina is home to seven of the top twenty most hurricane-vulnerable counties. In order of vulnerability, they include Charleston, Horry, Beaufort, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, with Charleston and Horry counties ranking third and fourth nationally, respectively. There are many factors that go into hurricane frequency and strength. They include ocean temperature, atmospheric temperature, air moisture, and wind speed and direction. Other factors are the El Nino Southern Oscillation, known as ENSO, and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, known as AMO. Today on Earthly, Jonathan interviews Prakash Khedun. Khedun is a Clemson University climate resilience specialist. He is going to prime us for hurricane season by helping us better understand some of the weather elements that influence the frequency and power of these storms. Show Notes ENSO Resources [https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/enso/] AMO Explaination [https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/amo_faq.php] SC Water Resources Center [https://www.clemson.edu/public/water/scwater/] For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/. [https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/] Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.

Bears invade the burbs

There's an old campfire song where a bear goes over the mountain to see what he could see. Well, lately, there are a lot of media reports about a lot of bears going over a lot of mountains, and what they're seeing is tract houses, hot tubs and minivans. Today on Earthly, I talk with Clemson associate professor Shari Rodriguez about why these bears are moving into the suburbs. Here's a hint: It's not to join the homeowners association. Rodriguez researches the human dimensions of wildlife conservation and management, and that includes human wildlife interactions and conflicts. She's also going to help us think through the human attitudes towards our encounters with animals that can kill us. And we're going to spend some time trying to understand the trend of humans risking life and limb to get close to dangerous animals in national parks. What seems like pure lunacy might be something more.  Show Notes South Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan [https://www.dnr.sc.gov/swap/index.html] All About E.O. Wilson [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._O._Wil] SCDNR Bear website [https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/species/bear.html] Bear sightings rise in Greenville [https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/greenville/2024/06/03/bear-encounters-rise-greenville-upstate-sc/73919915007/] For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/. [https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/] Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.

Ever and ever, forever and ever chemicals

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced new drinking water limits on a category of chemicals called polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. These chemicals are found in thousands of products that we use every day, such as plastics, Teflon, water proofing, fire retardant and others. But they are also known as “forever chemicals” because they accumulate rather than breakdown in the environment and human body, and can cause health problems such as cancer, liver damage, low birth weight and birth defects. A recent report by USA Today showed that 608 water systems across the country have detected PFAS, including some in South Carolina. Another report in the Charleston Post & Courier said freshwater fishermen are being warned to reduce their fish consumption because of PFAS. In this episode of Earthly, Jonathan talks with Clemson environmental engineering associate professor Ezra Cates about PFAS and their impacts. Cates will also tell us about some innovative techniques and technologies his lab is developing to treat drinking water tainted with PFAS. Show Notes The Cates Lab [https://cecas.clemson.edu/~ecates/] Hundreds of water systems exceed PFAS limits [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2024/04/12/pfas-forever-chemicals-new-epa-limits-drinking-water-map/73287209007/] New advances at Clemson University could help degrade chemicals in water [https://news.clemson.edu/new-advances-at-clemson-university-could-help-degrade-toxic-chemicals-in-water/] Clemson researchers: forever chemicals could be making you fat [https://news.clemson.edu/what-could-be-making-you-fat-research-says-add-forever-chemicals-to-the-list/] For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/. [https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/] Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.

Highlights and lowlights from latest U.S. Census of Agriculture

Since the days of George Washington, the United States has been surveying farmers about their farm operations to monitor the health of the nation’s agricultural industry and the security of the food supply. The effort started in 1791, when Washington wrote to farmers requesting information on land values, crop acreages, crop yields, livestock values and taxes. Washington’s survey extended 250 miles north and south, and 100 miles east and west of his home in Mount Vernon, which today would encompass Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. In 1839, the census became official when congress appropriated $1,000 for, "carrying out agricultural investigations and procuring agricultural statistics." Now the USDA’s Census of Agriculture spans the entire nation and is released every five years. Today on Earthly, Jonathan talks to agricultural economist Nathan Smith about the 2022 census, which was released in February. Smith is going to help us understand what the census says about the health of the nation’s agricultural industry and how South Carolina is faring. Census of Agriculture [https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/] Clemson Extension Agribusiness Team [https://www.clemson.edu/extension/agribusiness/index.html] New and Beginning Farmers Program [https://www.clemson.edu/extension/newfarmer/index.html] For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/. [https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/] Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.

Plant Breeding Just Might Save the World

The world's population has quadrupled in the last century and is expected to surpass 8 billion by 2050. This means that in the next 25 years or so, the world will need to produce about 60% more food to feed its estimated population. Furthermore, we’ll need to produce that food sustainably in unseasonable temperatures, drought and flood conditions, all while fighting disease and pests, and on less land. Jonathan talks to Clemson plant geneticist Rick Boyles on this episode of Earthly. Boyles is one of many researchers worldwide tackling the challenge of feeding a growing global population through plant breeding. Boyles is going to give some background in plant breeding, talk about advances modern technology have brought to the plant breeding process, and hopefully leave us with room for optimism. Show Notes Clemson receives FFAR grant to promote sorghum health benefits [https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-receives-ffar-grant-to-promote-sorghum-health-benefits/] Clemson reseacher developing new line of wheat to withstand Southeast growing conditions [https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-researcher-developing-new-line-of-wheat-to-withstand-southeast-growing-conditions/] Clemson rejoins forces with collaborative group to kick-start small grains program [https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-rejoins-forces-with-collaborative-group-to-kick-start-small-grains-program/] Clemson researcher studying sorghum's resistance to fall armyworm [https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-fall-armyworm-research/] For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/. [https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/] Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.