Nature
This Mysterious Fish Could Rescue East Coast Rivers
Just as rural Pennsylvania’s Amish farmland turns to coalfields, there's a wide stretch of the Swatara Creek—the Swatty, to locals—that's popular with anglers and kayakers. Although quiet now, a century ago it was home to one of the largest commercial fisheries in the east. Swatara is derived from a Susquehannock word that means "where we feed on eels." The creek used to teem with them—hundreds of thousands of American eels, making their way up the Swatty and other tributaries of the Susquehanna River.
By lupu alexandra3 years ago in Earth
New Independent Study Confirms PFAS in Thinx, Other Products
You might know me as the person who reported in January 2020 that I mailed my Thinx leakproof, organic menstrual underwear to Professor Graham Peaslee, a nuclear physicist at Notre Dame University. He found toxic chemicals, including PFAS, in it. At the time, I was working on a response to a reader who wanted to know what the best ways were to minimize the environmental impact of their period, and I had been contacting companies like Thinx to find out which products were the least toxic for the environment and for human health. Peaslee and his team found that the inside of the crotch in my organic Thinx organic brief had 3,264 parts per million (ppm) of flourine, and their organic Shorty for teens had 2,053 ppm. That’s high enough to suggest they were intentionally manufactured with PFAS. All PFAS have fluorine. Since the world hasn’t found a way to test which of 9,000 PFAS are in products, the best current test methods look for fluorine.
By lupu alexandra3 years ago in Earth
Low-Carbon Diets Are Good for the Planet, and Your Health
For most of human history, sticking to a diet was pretty simple—you ate whatever you could get your hands on. But in this era of dietary excess, things have gotten extremely complicated. Conscious consumers need to consider the health implications of the foods they eat as well as the types of chemicals used in their production, the exploitation of farm labor, whether food animals are treated humanely, and just how much damage their afternoon snack is doing to the climate. Untangling the web of food choices is daunting, but a new study makes things a little bit easier. A paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that low-carbon diets that are good for the climate are, as a general rule, much better for human health as well.
By lupu alexandra3 years ago in Earth
Carry the Zero
EVERY DAY, the planet's natural systems move vast amounts of carbon dioxide. CO2 flows from the atmosphere into the biosphere through plants and into soil through decomposition. It flows into the ocean and moves into rocks, where most of Earth's carbon is stored. Burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, and plowing up soils have disturbed these flows, and this has sent Earth's climate careening out of balance.
By lupu alexandra3 years ago in Earth
An Earth Loving God: 5 Reasons to be an Eco-Friendly Christian and How to Become One
Denying global climate change. The flat Earth movement. Anti-evolutionists. There are several scientific debates that have not shed a positive light on some very conservative folk out there. I suppose that shouldn’t be that big a deal. We’re all allowed to think what we want so long as we’re not hurting anyone, right?
By Selys Rivera3 years ago in Earth
Can the Save Our Sequoias Act Match Up to Its Name?
As the Washburn Fire last month threatened to scorch the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park, discussions about how to protect the iconic trees heated up. While most people agree that the trees are treasured monuments that need to be preserved, there is considerable disagreement about how best to do that. Conservation groups are now pushing back against proposed federal legislation that, they say, would do more harm than good.
By lupu alexandra3 years ago in Earth
The Time to Ensure a Livable Planet Is Now
After years of dedicated campaigning on many fronts, we find ourselves on the precipice of seeing Congress pass the largest investment in climate action, clean energy, and environmental justice in history. Recently, the Sierra Club held a field call with staff and volunteer leaders on which serious concerns were raised regarding the oil and gas leasing provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 as proposed. I feel those concerns in my bones. My father worked in fossil fuels, I have spent my career working with communities subjected to multi-generational impacts by the cruelty and killing wrought by the fossil fuel industry. I want every local leader, every volunteer, and every supporter to know that the leadership of the Sierra Club hears and shares these extremely valid concerns about the provisions in this bill that would force continued leasing for oil and gas extraction. We are also immensely grateful to our community who called or met with your members of Congress, wrote a letter to the editor, attended a protest, donated, or talked to your friends and family to build momentum for the positive things in the IRA. We wouldn't have made it to this point if it wasn't for the hard work and dedication of our grassroots leaders, chapters, and organizers who built an intersectional movement that helped redefine what is possible.
By lupu alexandra3 years ago in Earth
How to Know That My Sapphire is Genuine?
Sapphire, the hardest colored gemstone (along with rubies), is the most sought-after gemstone in the world. Known for its particular shades of blue, sapphires come in varied hues, from the blues of the night sky to the bright yellows of the sun to the lush green of the grass, there is a color for everyone!
By Kelly Johns3 years ago in Earth
How To Start Your Own Mushroom Farming Business
I have been doing a lot of research in regards to the business side of mushroom farming and I thought the information I’m about to share with my readers today should be publicized as it can help future mushroom farmers fulfill the market’s supply & demand of mushrooms anywhere in the world. First of all, let’s talk about the cost of materials that you will need in order to start a mushroom farming business. So, the items you will need can be bought from one or more sources but for simplicity’s sake, I will use amazon as an example. You will have to first get a pressure cooker which is going to cost about $100 or more minimum. Then you will need to get some glass jars preferably a 12 pack of 24oz jars (~$33), High temp Silicone (~$13), 100 Canning Lids/100 Rings (~$35), 50lbs of Whole grain/Rye grain (~$70, good for use on 33 24oz jars), 4 shelf storage shelves (~$119)
By Hobbies • Skills • Talents • Passion • Profession3 years ago in Earth
