Preventing COVID-19: The Science and Scientists Behind Protective Equipment | Orbitals 308

11/17/20 • 11 min

As of November 16, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 1.3 million deaths globally, more than 246,000 of which have been in the United States. Although this country has done very little to control the spread of this virus, there are people out there working tirelessly to get us back on track by developing and improving materials that protect us from the novel coronavirus.

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What If Half of Earth's Soil Disappeared? | Orbitals 307

The only thing that's standing between life and lifelessness is about six feet of loose soil material covering the Earth.

In this episode of Orbitals, soil biogeochemist and political ecologist Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe breaks down why soil is a key controller of our climate and essential for our existence.

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The Pesticide That Launched the EPA | Orbitals 309

In the first half of the 20th century, there were very few environmental laws in the United States.

Then, in 1962, environmentalist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, opening the eyes of many Americans to the environmental destruction and detrimental impacts on human health caused by unchecked toxic chemical use and industrial waste. One of those chemicals was the highly effective synthetic insecticide DDT.

8 years later, the Environmental Protection Agency was created.