environment

Apr 2016 18

Land of the Flowers: An Earth Day Mystery Short Story

2016 Articles, Going Green, Mysteryrat's Maze, Terrific Tales

by Mary Anna Evans

Garrett Levy already knew more than he wanted to know about composting toilets. Environmental engineering had sounded like a glamorous career when he signed up for it, but the reality had been…well, he should have known that cleaning up a planet wouldn’t be a walk in the park. Garrett had spent his years in graduate school learning how to treat various forms of toxic sludge, which meant that he’d spent an entire semester researching the intimate workings of composting toilets.

Apr 2016 16

Murder is Academic By Lesley A. Diehl: Review/Giveaway

2016 Articles, Cynthia Chow, Going Green, Mysteryrat's Maze

by Cynthia Chow

If psychology professor Dr. Laura Murphy hadn’t allowed herself to be goaded into practicing for Onondaga Fall’s canoe regatta, she never would have discovered the body of her Upstate College’s president. Even though Laura had recently had a less-than-harmonious discussion with President Thomas Talbot regarding her office research space, there’s no dearth of suspects within the New York academic institution.

Apr 2016 16

DIY Solar Powered Projects at Home

2016 Articles, Going Green

by Maria Rosemary

The last decade has brought a number of advances in clean, renewable energy, and its use is steadily increasing in the United States. Hydroelectric and biomass sources are among the most productive, but solar energy is also a clean energy source with tremendous potential. It’s cheap, it’s clean, and it’s available virtually anywhere-including around your home. If you’re not inclined to jump into the deep end with a full photovoltaic solar power system, there are still a number of projects you can tackle at home to harness the power of the sun.

Apr 2015 21

Downstream By Betty Jean Craige: Review/Guest Post/Giveaway

2015 Articles, Going Green, Mysteryrat's Maze, Sandra Murphy

by Sandra Murphy
& Betty Jean Craige

At the age of twenty I could not have imagined that in retirement I would write about a five-legged frog, a dog with un-descended testicles whose mother birthed him at the age of sixteen, two lovely post-menopausal ladies who got pregnant in their fifties, and twenty-four healthy centenarian gentlemen with swelling breasts. But neither could I have imagined back then that we'd be polluting our rivers, lakes, and streams with estrogen, anti-depressants, and tranquilizers. Who takes estrogen?

Apr 2015 18

Bittersweet By Susan Wittig Albert: Review/Interview/Giveaway

2015 Articles, Going Green, Mysteryrat's Maze, Sandra Murphy

by Sandra Murphy

It’s Thanksgiving in Pecan Springs, Texas where China Bayles runs the local herb shop. It's full of all the fresh plants, wreaths, soaps, lotions and books you could imagine. Her business partner, Ruby, will mind the shop as well as her own (New Age) while China visits her mom, Leatha, and stepdad Sam. Stepdaughter Caitie is riding with China, hubby McQuaid is bringing stepson Brian. It sounds like a blended family but with them, it’s seamless.

Apr 2015 18

Three Ecological Mysteries to Celebrate Earth Day

2015 Articles, Going Green, Mysteryrat's Maze, Sharon Tucker

by Sharon Tucker

Earth day (April 22) always makes me long to be a flower child again. I want to wear Birkenstocks, put on a patchwork granny dress and to have flowers in my hair---all of which I did daily a number of years ago---except maybe the flowers. I want to spend the day outdoors in a sylvan setting, far away from the city where cars vibrate with rap music, and I want to be in a place where the internet is just a line of code on the breeze.

Mar 2013 23

KRC North Riverside Park & Incubator House Grand Opening Ceremony

2013 Articles, Cheryl Senn, Going Green

by Cheryl Senn

More than 60 people attended the Kings River Conservancy's (KRC) North Riverside Park and Incubator House grand opening on March 16. Speakers and guests in attendance included John Thompson, Resources Manager with the County of Fresno, David Orth, General Manager with the Kings River Conservation District, Louie Long, Environmental Resources Manager with the Kings River Conservation District, Deborah Lapp, vice-president of the Board of Directors with the KRC, and California State Assemblyman Henry T. Perea.

Jan 2013 12

Working To Improve the Future Of Fishing On the Kings River

2013 Articles, Cheryl Senn, Going Green

by Cheryl Senn

Cleaning up along the Kings River and boosting the river's rainbow trout population are projects which are being worked on collaboratively by the Kings River Conservancy (KRC) and the Kings River Fisheries Management Program (KRFMP), along with help from local volunteer groups like the Fresno Fly Fishers for Conservation (FFFC) and the Tenaya Middle School Wildlife Club.

Apr 2012 14

Fate of Jesse Morrow Mountain Still Undecided

2012 Articles, Diana Bulls, Going Green, Reedley News

by Diana Bulls

The fate of Jesse Morrow Mountain still waits to be seen. Will Cemex, a huge multi-national company, prevail and reduce Jesse Morrow to gravel, or will the so-called “Gateway to the Sierras” remain in its current pristine condition?

Feb 2012 25

Rangers and Lawyers, and Terror, Oh My: Eco Mysteries and Thrillers

2012 Articles, Deborah Harter Williams, Going Green, Mysteryrat's Maze

by Deborah Harter Williams

Leading the pack in environmental sleuthing are the Park Rangers. It’s a very popular conceit for setting up an ecological drama and they come in all locations and styles. The settings themselves are enough to make an environmental point even if the plots and motives are more personal. Some of the descriptions are breathtaking and make the books worth a read just for that.