Murphy's Field Notes

Murphy's Field Notes

@benjamin--murphy.bsky.social

Environmental Journalist | Conservation Photographer 🌿 MS candidate in New Media Journalism @fullsail 📩 Available for assignments bio.site/murphysfieldnotes

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Murphy's Field Notes
@benjamin--murphy.bsky.social

Mercury occurs naturally in the environment. It is hazardous in high doses. Like just about everything else it can be consumed in moderation.

UN Environment Programme@unep.org

While mercury occurs naturally in the environment, it becomes dangerous at high levels. It travels through air and water, builds up in fish, and can harm human health and ecosystems. Here's everything you need to know about mercury and how risks can be reduced for people and planet: bit.ly/4wyub4p

Murphy's Field Notes
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#Owl banding takes place in #SaintIgnace Michigan annually since 2014. The #MackinacCountyRaptorWatch is responsible for the banding. The band in both the spring and the fall. Each owl receives a #legband that is serialized and tracked by the #USGS. murphysfieldnotes.com/owl-banding-...

murphysfieldnotes.comOwl Banding in St. Ignace Tracks Tiny Migrants Through the NightEach fall night, lead bander John McKay and assistant Levi Sheridan catch tiny northern saw-whet owls in mist nets, fit them with serialized leg bands and check their feathers under a black light. …
Murphy's Field Notes
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The #UnitedNations have determined that the #UnitedStates has significantly increased the #climatepollution over the last year. With the rollback from the #Trump administration, power plants that burn #coal and emissions standards for #automobiles are a factor. www.npr.org/2026/10/21/n...

npr.orgUnited Nations report highlights significant increase in U.S. climate pollutionThe U.S. is the only major economy where planet-warming pollution dramatically increased last year. The United Nations warns the planet is on track for catastrophic warming.
Murphy's Field Notes
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A Northern Saw-whet Owl pauses in the branches moments after being banded and released 🦉 In Saint Ignace, researchers weigh, measure, and health-check each bird, using UV light to estimate age. #northernsawwhetowl #owlbanding #conservationphotography #environmentaljournalism #owlmigration

Murphy's Field Notes
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Alan Dumville joins me today discussing #MWR in #Kodiak Alaska. This #podcast discusses life, the Coast Guard and programs available to those stationed in #Alaska. murphysfieldnotes.com/2026/10/20/c...

murphysfieldnotes.comCoast Guard Chief Carries 20 Years of Service from the Sea to Kodiak’s Morale ProgramsChief Petty Officer Alan Dumville has served in the Coast Guard for 20 years, from boot camp in Cape May, New Jersey, to humanitarian missions at sea. Now a morale, welfare and recreation chief in …
Murphy's Field Notes
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World Leaders met in #Armenia this week for a #biodiversity conference. This conference was put together to discuss the efforts that are falling being in halting biodiversity loss. #climateaction #climatechange #UNEP www.reuters.com/business/env...

reuters.comWorld faces nature reality check at UN biodiversity conferenceWorld leaders, diplomats and nature experts gather in Armenia this week to assess lagging efforts to halt biodiversity loss, with ​countries off track on most global targets and divisions over funding...
Murphy's Field Notes
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While #Trump has signed another act to allow #hunters to bait #bears with #donuts covered in bacon grease. This can be very dangerous to bears and humans. There are people that say this is a great idea and support the act and others that very much oppose it. alaskabeacon.com/2026/10/16/t...

alaskabeacon.comTrump administration moves to reopen Alaska national preserves to bear baiting by sport hunters | Alaska BeaconBear baiting by sport hunters, allowed in certain areas by the state, was banned in national park units by past administrations.
Murphy's Field Notes
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According to the #unitednations the overuse of #pesticides and #cattle grazing could drastically impact #climatechange. It is time to take #climateaction to slow and turn this around. news.un.org/en/story/202...

news.un.orgGuterres urges faster action and financing to stop biodiversity lossThe United Nations Secretary-General appealed on Friday for governments, businesses and communities to accelerate efforts to protect biodiversity for future generations and all life on Earth.
Murphy's Field Notes
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Firefighters are working to contain two #wildfires in #Michigan Upper Peninsula. Currently several homeowners have reached the set phase of the ready, set, go program for evacuation due to fire. #climatechange #containment #upperpeninsula #marquette www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news...

cbsnews.comWildfire forces evacuations near Marquette as 2 fires burn in Michigan's Upper PeninsulaThe Michigan Department of Natural Resources says dozens of firefighters are working to contain two wildfires burning in the state's Upper Peninsula.
Murphy's Field Notes
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#Nepall urges villagers to #evacuate after #flooding left 5 missing. The #climate is rapidly changing and it shows in the amount of #naturaldisasters www.reuters.com/business/env...

reuters.comNepal urges villagers to evacuate after flood triggered by landslide, 5 missingNepali authorities urged villagers on Sunday to move to safer places after ​a flood in a river in the central part of the ‌country swept away several houses and infrastructure, but there were no repor...
Murphy's Field Notes
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7.7 magnitude #earthquake rocks #Panama there is currently no reported deaths. This is one of many #naturaldisastors that are currently encroaching on many countries in the world. www.reuters.com/business/env...

reuters.comStrong Panama quake shakes nation, but avoids major destructionA magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southern Panama on Friday, damaging buildings and sending ​thousands into the streets, but the country appeared to escape widespread destruction or deaths.
Murphy's Field Notes
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#Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a category 2 hurricane and struck #florida panhandle and along the #gulfcoast. The hurricanes has since downgraded to post tropical cyclone. This has left 4 dead and more than 679,000 people without power. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

theguardian.comFour dead as Isaias weakens to post-tropical cyclone after striking Florida panhandleSome of deaths came from falling trees as nearly a million people are without power and rain and flooding remain a concern
Murphy's Field Notes
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#Chinstrap penguins have seen a sharp decline in the #population on Zavodovski Island due to the #warming waters. The #krill that prefer cooler waters have moved southward most likely into the Weddell Sea. #climatecrisis #climatechange www.independent.co.uk/climate-chan...

independent.co.ukWorld’s largest penguin colony loses two-thirds of its populationNumber of breeding chinstrap penguins on Zavodovski Island fall from over a million to 400,000
Murphy's Field Notes
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In the early 1900s the #trumpeterswan was nearly #extinct. In the 1980s #bird sanctuaries along with the University of #Michigan used eggs from Alaska to reintroduce these swans back to Michigan. In 2023 these swans were removed from the #endangered species list and are still federally protected.

Murphy's Field Notes
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Soaring #gas prices, lead some #michigan residents to use food banks and cut out other things that are needed. #conflict in #Iran could likely lead to increased volatility. murphysfieldnotes.com/2026/10/04/s...

murphysfieldnotes.comSoaring Gas Prices in Saint Ignace have Stabilized SomeFuel costs have been spiking all summer long in Saint Ignace and around the state. With averages nearing $4.90 in recent weeks. MLIVE shows that some stations in Michigan have come down nearly 24 c…
Murphy's Field Notes
@benjamin--murphy.bsky.social

#LosAngeles hit record temperatures this week as a #heatwave hits #SOCAL this is part of #ElNino #climatechange #pacific #CaliforniaHot Downtown LA hits record 102 degrees as heat wave arrives in SoCal abc7.com/post/downtow...

abc7.comDowntown LA hits record 102 degrees as heat wave arrives in SoCalA prolonged and potentially dangerous heat wave took hold across Southern California on Friday, sending temperatures into triple digits in parts of L.A. County.
Murphy's Field Notes
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#NewYork along with 20 other states join forces to sue the #EPA over the removal of the carbon rule repeal. #climateprotection #Climatewarriors #climagechage #environmentalprotection www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...

reuters.comNew York, 20 states sue EPA to block power plant carbon rule repealNew York's attorney general on Thursday led a coalition of 25 states and cities ​in a lawsuit against the Trump administration's ‌Environmental Protection Agency to block its repeal of greenhouse gas ...
Murphy's Field Notes
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The newest #copernicus report has been published about the rising #ocean temperatures. this report covers decades of information. #climate #climatechange #cnn @cnn.com Check out this article: www.cnn.com/2026/09/30/c...

cnn.comScientists deliver ‘starkest warning yet’ of profound changes sweeping the planet’s oceans | CNNThe world’s oceans are warming at an alarming pace as humans burn fossil fuels, with far-reaching consequences, according to a report by more than 100 scientists.
Murphy's Field Notes
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The #world leaders have approved action to tackle rising sea leaves. #climatechange #environmentalnews #tuvalu LIVE: World leaders approve new declaration to tackle rising sea levels news.un.org/en/story/202...

news.un.orgLIVE: World leaders approve new declaration to tackle rising sea levelsSea level rise is among the most visible consequences of global warming, but for some countries, it is an imminent existential threat. World leaders approved a new declaration on Thursday while debati...
Murphy's Field Notes
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These #women are battling #wildfires in #Borneo #firefighters #volunteer #volunteers #indonesia The women volunteers of Borneo battling the worst wildfires in 11 years www.reuters.com/investigates... via @SpecialReports

reuters.comIndonesian women volunteers on Borneo battle worst fires in 11 yearsThe Power of Mama, an all-women volunteer firefighting group in Indonesia's Borneo, battle some of the country's worst wildfires in more than a decade to protect their communities and environment.
Murphy's Field Notes
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In the midst of a rapidly inflating #economy gas and grocery prices are two that are taking a heavy hit. #saintignace #michigan Soaring #Gas and #Grocery Prices Make Saint Ignace More Difficult to Live murphysfieldnotes.com/2026/09/22/s...

murphysfieldnotes.comSoaring Gas and Grocery Prices Make Saint Ignace More Difficult to LiveSaint Ignace is a small town on the end of the Upper Peninsula. This town is alive with tourists and travelers in the summertime. In the winter it comes to a screeching halt. In this town rising fu…
Murphy's Field Notes
@benjamin--murphy.bsky.social

New species of wild cat identified in #bolivia first time in 100 years. #newspecies #wildcat #environment #research #excitingnews New wild cat species is identified for first time in 100 years, researchers say www.nbcnews.com/science/envi...

nbcnews.comNew wild cat species is identified for first time in 100 years, researchers sayA type of tiger cat, the animal is slender, spotted and smaller than a house cat. It lives in the Bolivian cloud forest.
Murphy's Field Notes
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The USDA has now said that anything the promotes green initiative or is directed at reducing greenhouse gasses cannot use checkoff funds for #promotion #dairyfarmers #greenhouse #wisconsin #USDA #marketing www.wpr.org/news/usda-re...

wpr.orgUSDA restricts spending on dairy marketing after lawsuit from Wisconsin producersThe U.S. Department of Agriculture says industry-funded research and promotion programs cannot fund initiatives focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving environmental sustainability.
Murphy's Field Notes
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Climate week kicks off today. This year they are focussing on #energy impact, and action. The #climate action being driven by this non profit has been taking place for decades. They coordinate with the #UN General Assembly. #climatechange #environment www.climateweeknyc.org

climateweeknyc.orgClimate Week NYC 2026 | September 20–27, New York CityThe world's leading and most dynamic climate platform returns September 20–27. Climate Week NYC unites leaders to build a cleaner, safer future.
Murphy's Field Notes
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Several #environmental and #health groups are suing the Trump administration over the rescinding of protections put in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Environment, health groups sue over Trump move to wipe out climate rules for power plants www.ktsm.com/president/en...

ktsm.comEnvironment, health groups sue over Trump move to wipe out climate rules for power plantsEnvironmental and public health-focused organizations are suing the Trump administration over its move to wipe out most climate regulations on coal and gas power plants. The Natural Resources …
Murphy's Field Notes
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It says it will help unleash American energy. #epa #pollution #trump #g20 EPA eliminates rule that limits planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants lufkindailynews.com/ap_video/epa...

lufkindailynews.comEPA eliminates rule that limits planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plantsThe Environmental Protection Agency is repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas, an action the agency said would save industr...
Murphy's Field Notes
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The larger storms that carry increased risk of #flooding are posing higher amounts of #pollution in San Diego River watershed. This is largely from failing infrastructure and urbanization. #science #monitoring #california www.sdsu.edu/news/2026/09...

sdsu.eduResearch finds larger storms drive higher pollution loads in San Diego River watershed | News | SDSUThe newly published work builds on years of SDSU research in the local community and shows the value of long-term environmental monitoring.
Murphy's Field Notes
@benjamin--murphy.bsky.social

This just continues to show evidence of the warming that is taking place. #climatechange #warming #ice #melting #nbc #news #nbcnews

NBC News@nbcnews.com

About 12.5 trillion tons of ice from glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica have melted since 1979, which is enough frozen water to stack ice five feet deep across the continental U.S., according to a major scientific report.

nbcnews.toSatellites show Earth lost more than 12 trillion tons of ice from Greenland, Antarctica in 47 yearsThe numbers behind the melting ice are both mind-bogglingly huge and deceptively small.
Murphy's Field Notes
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Repealing more restrictions for greenhouse gas emissions that were preventing additional pollution from factories. #news #headlinenews #EPA #trump #pollution #greenhousegasses www.opb.org/article/2026...

opb.orgTrump's EPA repeals pollution limits on fossil fuel power plantsThe Trump administration is eliminating limits on climate-warming pollution from the nation's fossil fuel power plants. Environmental groups say this will impact the climate and public health.
Murphy's Field Notes
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The environment and the Great Lakes face concerns amongst the aging pipeline, invasive species, declining ice coverage, and rapid climate change. #journalism #climatechange Environmental Concerns for the Waters that flow Beneath the Mackinac Bridge. murphysfieldnotes.com/2026/09/13/e...

murphysfieldnotes.comEnvironmental Concerns for the Waters that flow Beneath the Mackinac Bridge.While the Mackinac Bridge is five miles long and it spans the water between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The waters beneath the bridge are highly contested. Forbes discusses how the pe…
Murphy's Field Notes
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Patagonia amongst the companies and environmental groups to engage in lawsuits over the reduction of Utah's National Monuments. #journalism #breakingnews #news #nationalmonuments #utah #patagonia #lawsuit #envrionmental

No Justice, No Peace@alabamasarah.bsky.social

www.sltrib.com/news/environ...

sltrib.comTrump’s move to slash Utah national monuments sparks lawsuits from Patagonia and environmental groupsEnvironmental groups, tribes and the outdoor company Patagonia filed lawsuits on Wednesday challenging President Donald Trump’s shrinking of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments...
Murphy's Field Notes
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Michigan examines permits for Enbridge amongst rulings. The pipeline is currently shutdown from an accident in late August. #journalism #breakingnews #news #pipeline #michigan #wisconsin #tunnel #enbridge www.wlns.com/news/michiga...

wlns.comWhitmer says state is rethinking Line 5 permits, presses Enbridge to shut down pipelineMichigan environmental regulators are reconsidering permits they issued in July for Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 tunnel, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration said Wednesday, citing a state Supreme Co…
Murphy's Field Notes
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New Jersey pauses pipeline amidst environmental review. #journalism #breakingnews #news #pipeline #court #newjersey Third Circuit pauses interstate gas pipeline over shoddy environmental review www.courthousenews.com/third-circui...

courthousenews.comThird Circuit pauses interstate gas pipeline over shoddy environmental reviewNew Jersey regulators fast-tracked the pipeline project without sufficient proof of compliance, a federal appeals panel found.