A&S in the News – July 29-August 4

Everglades Restoration Effects, Greenhouse Gases Under Study
Fondriest.com – Aug. 1

The Everglades is a special ecosystem, comprising the largest subtropical wetland system in North America. But beyond its size, it is also home to an astounding array of plant and animal life, including the American alligator, American crocodile and 73 threatened or endangered species, according to the Everglades Foundation. What does the future hold for the crucial region as an ambitious Everglades restoration plan gets underway? It’s hard to say, but investigators at the University of Alabama are at work trying to learn more about the Everglades and its changes over time.

Why some voters simply won’t cast a ballot for a woman (radio interview)
SCPR.org – Aug. 4

Few times in the history of the United States, if ever, have we seen a presidential election with two more polarizing candidates. (Julie Zauzmer, religion reporter for the Washington Post; she tweets @JulieZauzmer; Nichole Bauer, assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama.)

Is Shanghai’s Appetite for Sand Killing China’s Biggest Lake?
Pulitzer Center – Aug. 4

Times are good for Fey Wei Dong. A genial, middle-aged businessman based in Hangzhou, Fey says he is raking in the equivalent of $225,000 a year from trading in the humblest of commodities: sand. I met Fey recently in a fishing village on Poyang Lake, China’s biggest freshwater lake and an essential haven for millions of migratory birds and several endangered species … “I couldn’t believe it when we did the calculations,” says David Shankman, a University of Alabama geographer and one of the study’s authors.

Also making headlines…

  • UA Dancers Rehearse for Edinburgh Fringe Festival (gallery) – July 31