Scientists have estimated that bowhead whales — the longest-living whale species — can live more than 200 years.
It was once thought that the bowhead’s cousin, the right whale, had an average lifespan of about 70 to 80 years, but new research has revised that estimate to more than 130 years — nearly twice as long!
“From the standpoint of physiological scaling, these superannuated ages should not be unexpected. Whales are the largest living animals, and body size is highly correlated with longevity,” the authors of the study wrote.
The researchers worked with Indigenous subsistence hunters from Utqiaġvik, Alaska. They used chemical analysis of bowhead whales that had been killed to demonstrate that they are able to live more than two centuries, a press release from University of Alaska Fairbanks said.
The chemical evidence was corroborated by harpoon tips from the 19th century being recovered from bowheads killed during modern hunts.
Right whales are more closely related to bowheads than any other species and appear to have similar lifespans. Like their cousins, right whales filter their food through baleen plates and make seasonal migrations to birthing grounds.
The names given to right whales were sadly from whalers considering them to be the “right” whales for hunting because their thick blubber caused them to float after they had been killed.
“Industrial whaling, which for most species ended only 60 years ago, would have required any individuals now aged over 100 years to have survived at least 40 years of intense whaling, and any individual over 150 would have had to survive 90 years of that same intense hunt,” the authors wrote in the study. “Given that many whale species were reduced to less than 10% of their original population size, and the population minima for most species were reached in the mid-20th century, that degree of whaling would have rendered superannuated individuals extremely rare or completely absent from the age structures of most populations. Consequently, extremely old whales may not be part of the demographic makeup of current whale populations, even if they historically existed.”
The researchers looked at four decades of data that had been collected through photo identification programs tracking critically endangered North Atlantic right whales — who live along North America’s Atlantic coast — and Southern right whales, found south of the equator, the press release said.
The research team constructed survivorship curves — graphs showing how many of a population survives to each age — using the data, which are similar to those insurance companies use in the calculation of human life expectancies.
Their analysis showed that Southern right whales can live longer than 130 years — with some possibly living to 150 years — rather than the 70 to 80 years that had been previously thought.
In contrast, the team found that the average North Atlantic right whale lifespan is only 22 years, with few individuals living past 50.
Associate professor Greg Breed with University of Alaska Fairbanks explained that the stark contrast between the lifespans of bowhead and right whales is mostly due to human impacts.
“North Atlantic whales have unusually short lifespans compared to other whales, but this isn’t because of intrinsic differences in biology, and they should live much longer,” Breed, who is lead author of the study, said in the press release. “They’re frequently tangled in fishing gear or struck by ships, and they suffer from starvation, potentially linked to environmental changes we don’t fully understand.”
A North Atlantic right whale swims off with a small amount of fishing rope after a disentanglement effort. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NOAA research permit #15488
Breed has been studying marine mammals for years, including seals. Certain seal species have lifespans of up to 50 years. Narwhals can live a century or more.
Breed noted that there have been significant underestimations of whale lifespans in the past due to lack of whale aging data.
“We didn’t know how to age baleen whales until 1955, which was the very end of industrial whaling,” Breed explained. “By the time we figured it out, there weren’t many old whales left to study. So we just assumed they didn’t live that long.”
The new research could provide valuable information for future conservation efforts.
“To attain healthy populations that include old animals, recovery might take hundreds of years,” Breed said. “For animals that live to be 100 or 150 and only give birth to a surviving calf every 10 years or so, slow recovery is to be expected.”
The study highlights the essential nature of cultural knowledge in whale communities.
“There’s a growing recognition that recovery isn’t just about biomass or the number of individuals. It’s about the knowledge these animals pass along to the next generation,” Breed said. “That knowledge isn’t just genetic — it’s cultural and behavioral. Older individuals teach survival skills. Younger animals learn by observing and copying the strategies of the older ones.”
Breed and his colleagues plan to expand their research to additional whale populations and explore the possibility of other whale species currently believed to have lifespans of roughly 80 years living much longer. The researchers hope to discover more about whaling’s impact on the number of long-lived individuals in current populations and predict when they will recover to pre-whaling population numbers.
The study, “Extreme longevity may be the rule not the exception in Balaenid whales,” was published in the journal Science Advances.
The post Right Whales Can Live 130 Years or Longer, Research Finds appeared first on EcoWatch.
https://www.ecowatch.com/right-whales-lifespan-130-years.html
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1. Say ‘No’ to To-Go Waste
Even if you’re constantly on the run, it’s possible to reduce the amount of waste you generate by packing your own reusable mug, water bottle, food containers, and cutlery. The majority of restaurant to-go containers are still made from plastics that don’t recycle easily, so they’re used once and then thrown away. Each plastic cup, fork, straw, and clamshell box costs money, and you can be sure this cost is passed onto consumers — not to mention the environmental costs of all that plastic waste.
2. Water Well
Water is a precious resource, which is often a fact overlooked in developed countries where we can just turn on the tap and get clean, safe water. However, according to a 2025 WHO/UNICEF report, 2.1 billion people globally still lack access to safely managed drinking water, and the global potable water supply is under pressure from climate change and population growth. You can decrease your water consumption by following a few simple steps.
Flush and run sparingly: The average toilet uses between 1.6 and 5.5 gallons of water per flush. If you are already “letting it mellow,” save even more water by turning on the tap only when absolutely necessary. There’s no need for the water to run when brushing your teeth, washing your hands, or doing the dishes, for example.
Make sure it’s really dirty before washing: Clothing, dishes, and your body should undergo the wash and rinse cycle only when necessary. Use the same water glass all day, and wear those jeans more than once.
3. Hang It Out to Dry
Clothes dryers are among the most energy-intensive household appliances. Most of us are not willing to give up cold milk and crisp veggies from the fridge, but we can easily use the dryer less often, which can add up to significant savings of energy and money.
As an added bonus, letting your clothes air dry extends their usable lives (it is much less taxing on the stitching and fabric), it gives you a good excuse to get outside in nice weather, and line-dried laundry smells better too! If you live in a place where drying clothes outside right now would mean wearing duds that are cold and wet, consider using indoor drying racks to accomplish the same energy-free job.
4. Lights, Camera, Out!
Many electronic devices — such as phone and camera chargers, televisions, and computers — continue to draw energy even when in the “off” position. To avoid phantom power use, unplug such devices or plug everything into a power strip you can turn off when not in use. Encourage these same practices at your workplace. And no matter where you are, always turn off unnecessary lights.
5. Be a Wise Post-Consumer
In the digital age, many of us still rely on a steady stream of paper in our offices, kitchens, and bathrooms. Here are some easy suggestions for keeping more trees outside.
Print sparingly: When you do need to hold a document in your hand, be sure it has been printed and/or copied on both sides, and of course, be sure to recycle when done.
Buy the highest level of post-consumer, recycled paper: From toilet paper to notebooks, there is rarely a reason to use virgin paper. Look for the percentage on the packaging (such as products made with 100% recycled or 50% post-consumer materials), and also look for paper that is processed chlorine-free (PCF).
Class it up with cloth: Reusable napkins are not just for fancy dinner parties. They can be washed and reused indefinitely. The same goes for old T-shirts or towels, which can be repurposed as rags and used instead of disposable paper towels.
6. Resist the Urge to Splurge
A lack of excess cash can serve as a great excuse to reduce your consumption. Here are a few suggestions to help you consume less.
Take a consumption vacation: Consider taking the day or week off from making any new purchases, with the exception of necessities such as health products and food. By doing this, you’re not only saving money, but you’re also reducing the waste created throughout the life cycle of each new product, the packaging used, and the fuel consumed and produced in transporting products from the original resources to the manufacturer to your local store.
Buy nice, don’t buy twice: For necessities, make sure that you buy the highest quality, most energy-efficient, environmentally friendly model available within your budget. From appliances (Energy Star) to food (Local Harvest), there are low-impact alternatives for almost everything on the market.
7. Bid Your Car Adieu
We are a society that loves our cars, but there are many alternatives to a day spent solo in your gas-guzzling ride. Backing out of your car rut can also provide new opportunities to socialize and get some exercise.
Get on the bus: Many cities and towns have excellent public transportation systems that include buses, subways, and trains. You’ll be surprised at the new friends you make or the added reading time you find when not behind the wheel.
Carpool with friends or co-workers: Rideshare services now make it easier than ever to find a match. Uber’s UberX Share allows passengers traveling in the same direction to share a ride and reduce costs while cutting emissions. Lyft and Waze discontinued their shared rides programs in 2023.
Get on a bike or walk: While riding your bike or walking might take a little longer to reach your destination, the fresh air, reduced carbon emissions, and the exercise more than make up for the extra minutes.
Phone it in: Explore telecommuting or teleconferencing options with your employer to significantly reduce your daily commute. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical employer can save an average of $11,000 per half-time remote worker per year, while employees save between $2,000 and $6,500 annually from reduced commuting and related costs. Telecommuting just a few days a week will save you and your employer money.
8. Ban Planned Obsolescence
The more we view potential waste as building blocks for new products, the lower our overall impact will be. Granted, some products (“gum” comes to mind) are decidedly single-use items, but with a little creativity, many others can easily be creatively repurposed.
Originally published on April 6, 2009, article was most recently updated in January 2026.
The post 8 Ways to Reduce Your Impact Today appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/8-ways-to-reduce-your-impact-today/
Green Living
Sustainability In Your Ear: Peter Fusaro’s Wall Street Green Summit Explores Financing The Renewables Transition
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Global investment in the energy transition reached $2.2 trillion in 2025, up 5% from the previous year despite political headwinds intensified. Peter Fusaro has watched this market evolve from a niche curiosity into a systemic financial concern. As founder of the Wall Street Green Summit, he’s spent a quarter century connecting capital to climate solutions. This year’s summit, the 25th in its history, will take place on March 10 and 11 in New York. This critical conversation arrives at an historic inflection point: insurance companies are withdrawing from climate-vulnerable states, AI data centers are straining electrical grids, and the economics of clean energy have fundamentally shifted.
The energy transition’s bottleneck isn’t capital, it’s infrastructure. The U.S. went from 110 investor-owned utilities in 1992 to just 40 today, and consolidation meant underinvestment in transmission and distribution. Data centers consumed 2% of U.S. energy demand in 2020; Peter sees that climbing to 10-12% by 2030. Blackouts and brownouts are inevitable, he says. Yet his message is pragmatic optimism: ignore Washington and watch the capital markets and blue states where climate policy is embedded in law. Many companies are “green hushing,” quietly pursuing sustainability without public positioning. The energy industry thinks in 40-year cycles, making the current political moment a blip. “I’ve spent 56 years now in sustainability, before it had a name,” he says. “What I’ve learned is change takes decades.”
Peter argues that Wall Street has genuinely internalized climate as systemic risk—not because of ideology, but because of opportunity. “Wall Street likes exchanges, likes to trade, likes volatility, and certainly likes uncertainty,” he explains. “What people don’t understand about Wall Street, it’s about the edge. What’s the arbitrage opportunity?” The reinsurance industry has stepped forward aggressively, funding carbon credits and sustainability projects. Peter’s recent Earth911 article, “Climate Risk Has Become a Defining Economic Issue,” explores these themes in depth.
However, he sees natural gas and renewables dominating the next 15 years, while geothermal is enjoying a genuine renaissance. His optimism rests on a demographic bet: “I have a tremendous valuation on young people. I’m 75. They’re inheriting this world, and they get the sustainability message globally.” The summit attendees includes no government officials and no academics, just people in the trenches building and financing solutions.
You can learn more at TheWallStreetGreenSummit.com. Earth911 is a media sponsor for the event.
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Sustainability is a series of experiments. No one is perfect and too many people don’t try to help the Earth because they think they won’t make a difference. Author Alice Waters reminds us that every tree is beautiful and we can be, too, if we forget perfection and focus on living well: “In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is still perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.”
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.
This poster was originally published on November 29, 2019.
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