Cary Ecopicks

In the U.S. alone, some 15 million tons of salt is applied to roadways each year. While its use has real benefits, in terms of safety and navigation, there have been cumulative costs to the environment.

Tiny blue-green algae brought Toledo, Ohio’s municipal water system to a halt this summer. Toxic blooms left residents scrambling for bottled water to meet their drinking, cooking, and washing needs.

Technology has transformed our ability to understand rivers. Take the Cary Institute's longstanding scientific program on the Hudson River. 

What do earthquakes, heart attacks, seizures, and the collapse of stock markets and fisheries have in common? They're all examples of what scientists call "tipping points" or "regime shifts."

Most of us are familiar with the stereotype of the peace-loving, tree-hugging hippy with a penchant for marijuana. So just how green is grass grown in sunny California? The answer might surprise you.

Trees increase property values in neighborhoods where they are planted. Through the evaporation of soil water, trees cool the urban environment, reducing the need for air conditioning.

Around half of liquid soaps now contain the chemical triclosan, as do toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, and other personal care products.

For more than a decade, pollinator populations have been declining. Causes are varied, from loss of habitat and pesticide exposure to the spread of parasitic mites

Fuel economy in cars is going up. The 2025 CAFÉ standard for cars is over 54 miles per gallon. Hybrids and plug-in vehicles reduce the amount of energy we use to drive, and we all should want to lower our energy consumption and our carbon footprint. But does buying a high-mileage car really help?

Though not in the news as much as it once was, acid rain remains a problem. Power plants, factories, and vehicles give off sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions, which react in the atmosphere to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These acids are then deposited back onto the landscape in rain, snow, fog, or particles.

A few months ago, Superstorm Sandy tore through the New York Metropolitan region, causing significant damage to homes, businesses, and municipal infrastructure. Hard hit areas, like the Jersey Shore and Staten Island, are still recovering.

California had the chance to be the first state in the union to require the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered food. Dubbed the 'Right to Know Act,' Proposition 37 would have required producers to clearly label raw or processed foods that contained modified ingredients.

Many people have adopted a philosophy of buying local food because they are concerned about the carbon footprint of transporting food long distances. People are rebelling against tomatoes from South America and garlic from China, because they can reduce greenhouse emissions by buying locally. Some people even start their own gardens for this reason.

It's commonly believed that Lyme disease risk is tied to the presence of deer ticks and white-tailed deer. But this simply isn't correct.

The next time you see a opossum playing dead on the road, try your best to avoid hitting it. Because it turns out that opossums are allies in the fight against Lyme disease.

When you buy fertilizer, you'll notice three numbers on the label, for instance, 12, 6, 6. These indicate the percentage of three key nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For green grass, nitrogen is the most important ingredient.

In rural areas, unpaved roads hold a certain charm. They restrict the volume and speed of traffic and, compared to their paved counterparts, are less expensive to build. But are they a greener alternative?

Research has found that when humans modify the environment, fragmenting habitat and reducing species diversity, we are more likely to contract diseases normally confined to wildlife.