Gleanings of the Week Ending November 13, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

The great experiment to put a price on nature – Whether it’s toting up ecosystem services or simply realizing that Mother Earth is our one and only…we should all realize that we need to start taking care of ‘nature’ a lot better than we have in the past.

Microplastics May Be Impacting the Climate, Study Finds – A starting point for combining climate science and microplastic science into a model….still a lot if refinement/additions. We already know that the microplastics in our atmosphere are increasing so whatever impact they have it will likely be increasing during the time the model is being refined.

Ancient Stone Ram Heads Unearthed on Egypt’s ‘Avenue of the Sphinxes’ – New finds…and part of an advertisement for some restored places reopening in early November. Are tourists ready to travel again to places like Egypt?

Spending time in nature promotes early childhood development – A study from metro Vancouver of 27,372 children from birth to age 5… that pushes us to get serious about making sure spaces for children include a lot green space…that includes day care and preschools and K within the age range for this study. And while we are doing that – let’s think about how important green space is to everyone else too.

Meet the muskrat: push-up champion of cattail marshes – This article made me wonder if muskrats eat phragmites – and a plant that is taking over marshes. I found an article that says they do…at least in some situations.

Changing ocean currents are driving extreme winter weather – Looking at the impact of the slowing Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and extreme cold weather (like in Texas last February) using a high-resolution global climate model. They’ve only done the simplest model (turning off the AMOC) so far…but plan to refine it to address the more complex reality.

Finding Fall Colors At Bandelier National Monument – I hope everyone found someplace to enjoy fall colors these past few weeks. My main opportunities were in my own backyard and as I was driving down the highway between Maryland and Texas!

Cheers! Wine’s red grape pulp offers nutritional bounty – Not compost or fodder...getting more than wine from vineyards!

Hit the sleep ‘sweet spot’ to keep brain sharp – Evidently 5.5-7.5 hours of self-reported sleep is about right.

2021 EPSON International Pano Awards Celebrate the Creativity of Panoramic Photography – Enjoy some eye candy as the last of this week’s gleanings!

Road Trip: Maryland to Texas

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I made the drive from where I live in Maryland to Texas in two days (best case about 21 hours of driving)…confirming that I really don’t want to do drive it in 2 days again. There were no accidents either day and I made only quick rest stops that only prolonged the original time my nav system calculated for the day by about 30 minutes each day. I was exhausted (mentally and physically) at the end of each day and beginning to ache every time I got out of the car. I had a painful back my first day in Texas! My solution is to do the trek over 3 days instead of two from now on…and take more time at rest stops to move/stretch. The pandemic strategy of having all the food I need in the car saves time and makes it easier to eat my normal diet…I will probably keep that as part of my road trip strategy.

The first day was from Maryland…through Virginia just west of Shenandoah National Park…and halfway through Tennessee. The first hour was in darkness and through the heaviest construction zone of the entire trek; it’s good to get the challenging part of the drive over with as early as possible! I only saw one sign about masks and very few people were wearing them at the rest stops; I did put a mask on when I was in buildings even though I have gotten the booster vaccine already; the whole purpose of my trip was to visit 90 year old relatives and our family is taking precautions to reduce the risk of them getting a breakthrough infection….and I don’t want to get even a mild case of COVID-19! It was a very cloudy day with a lot of mist and light rain…a few patches of heavier rain. It was weekend and there seemed to be less traffic. The fall foliage was wonderful during the short periods where the weather did not obscure it! There were several rest stops along the way that had roses blooming. I was surprised by the strong exhaust smell as several rest stops; it was a cool day, and perhaps more vehicles were keeping running than usual – or maybe the weather was holding the fumes closer to the ground; I didn’t linger. My car has a range of about 400 miles, so I don’t have to stop for gas very often; usually that is where I anticipate some vehicle smell rather than at the rest stops. The hotel was just west of Nashville. I was glad I had brought my air purifier along since the hotel room smelled of disinfectant when I first went in.

The second day route completed the trek across Tennessee, crossing the Mississippi River on the bridge that was shut down with the discovery of structural issues a few days after I crossed it last spring (evidently repairs were completed), and then across Arkansas. I’m about 200 miles to my destination when I cross into Texas. The weather started out foggy in Tennessee…then sunny in Arkansas and Texas. The temperature started out at 50 and climbed to 80. The drivers seemed to get more aggressive as the day progressed – and the speed limits were higher with more traffic! Fortunately, there were no accidents along the route to slow me down (as there had been in the spring). I learned more about the solar panels around one of the rest stops in Tennessee since there was a person at the desk (they feed the grid and the university that installed them gets the credit!). I appreciated a rest stop in Arkansas that is closed but has port-o-potties; it was perfectly placed for when I needed a stop and, of course, I had hand sanitizer in the car. The trees were still green on the second day….fewer trees along the route. The welcome center in Texarkana had its usual neatly trimmed landscaping. There some roses blooming at my last rest stop.

I acquired a TxTag for the toll roads in Texas and Oklahoma to make it a little less expensive and avoid having to stop for tolls in Oklahoma when I head back on a more northern route though Springfield.

Overall – a good trek. I did it in 2 days and made it to my destination when I wanted…but I don’t want to do it that quickly again!

Gleanings of the Week Ending November 6, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Why do we hate trash birds? – A little about the way we dismiss birds we see frequently (maybe too frequently) and the difference in the birds viewed that way in the US and Australia. The Australian white ibis is nicknamed ‘bin chicken’! Here in the US, some people think of pigeons and Canada geese and mallards as ‘trash birds.’

Flu and heart disease: The surprising connection that should convince you to schedule your shot – Flu vaccines save lives…particularly lives of people with heart disease. An improvement the article suggests: make sure cardiologists stress the need to get the flu vaccine to their patients – not just assuming the primary care doctor will do it.

AAA: Vehicle auto safety systems often fail when driving in heavy rain – I’ve observed this several times but is the first time I’ve seen the recommendation to ‘avoid using cruise control in wet and slippery conditions.’ The cars should probably provide warning messages more overtly to not rely on certain driver aids in bad weather.

By 2500 Earth could be alien to humans – The projections of models used now are out to 2100…that is not far enough into the future. We can’t assume that we’ll succeed in reversing climate change by that time…or maybe we are collectively so pessimistic right now that we think the world will end by 2100.

How to make sustainable choices for a long life and a healthy planet – A summary of some recent studies on health/diet choices and the relationship to climate change. It turns out that it’s pretty easy to eliminate some of the most unhealthy items like soft drinks and foods with lots of sugar. It’s a learning experience to shift to meals to plant based protein…for me – it’s still a work in progress.

The plastic recycling system is broken – here’s how to fix it – I agree that it is broken…but I’m not sure that what is suggested in the article would be enough. We need packaging solutions that are not plastic at all! I have tried to eliminate as much single use plastic as I can since even with perfect recycling, I’m not sure I want things like food to be in plastic packaging (how can we know that the plastic is safe for food). There are so many items that you can’t buy without plastic packaging. The consumer is forced to be part of the problem even if they want to be part of the solution.

How a simple tummy-rub can change babies' lives – Maybe baby massage techniques should be incorporated in all baby care courses, videos, and books!

7 underrated creepy creatures – A little hold-over on the Halloween theme.

From Homes to Cars, It’s Now Time to Electrify Everything – My existing house has a gas hot water heater and furnace; the other appliances are already electric and I drive a plug-in hybrid which means that most of my around town driving is in an EV. But I don’t have solar panels. My plan is to move in the next year or so and quickly arrange for solar panel installation and transition the house to be all-electric. Next step would be the addition of battery storage. I’m also intrigued by the idea of a wind wall (see next item on the gleanings list).

This ingenious wall would harness enough wind power to cover your electric bill – This could be something that would work for more homes and businesses than solar...particularly if they were relatively inexpensive to produce. There is an aesthetic appeal too.

Gleanings of the Week Ending October 30, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Environmentally friendly ways to cool homes – This will be an increasingly ‘hot’ topic for individuals and various levels of business and government. Many electrical utilities are already seeing increased energy consumption during the summer.

What’s Up with White Squirrels and Black Squirrels? – I haven’t seen any white squirrels but we have the occasional black one in our neighborhood (in Maryland).

Medical errors keep killing patients – but there are laws, incentives and mindset changes that could reduce the death toll – Medical mistakes are s leading cause of death, behind heard disease and cancer. This should not be the case. Surely incentives can be used to force changes to the unacceptable status quo.

Deaths linked to ‘hormone disruptor’ chemical costs billions of lost US productivity – A study that included more than 5,000 adults ages 55-64 done by NYU Grossman School of Medicine. The people with the highest concentrations of phthalates in their urine were more likely to die of heart disease than those with lesser exposure. I am no longer storing food in plastic containers unless they phthalate free…the bigger problem is cosmetics/hygiene products. It’s hard to know which ones have it.

Why are you seeing lots of vultures now? – Our area has resident turkey and black vultures…we see a few all year long. In the fall we might see an uptick because of vultures from further north migrating through.

Mushroom consumption may lower risk of depression – Yet another reason to enjoy mushrooms in your diet!

US Moving Towards 30% Electricity from Wind & Solar – By 2026! That is not that far away. I know I’ll probably have solar panels on the roof of my house well before that (and probably some energy storage as well).

Possible Mammoth Butchery Site Found in Arctic Circle – On an island off the northern coast of East Siberia. At the time the animal was killed (26,000 years ago), sea levels were lower, and the island was connected to the mainland.

Nature-based activities can improve mood and reduce anxiety – A metastudy that looked at 50 studies and 14,321 NBI records done by the University of York. Interestingly – they didn’t find that the activities improved physical health!

It’s Time to Ban Gas-Powered Landscaping Equipment – We already have some electric landscaping equipment: blower, trimmer, weed eater. The mower will be next. I am looking forward to it since I notice the exhaust smell and get a scratchy throat every time I mow.

Gleanings of the Week Ending October 23, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Roman noblewoman’s tomb reveals secrets of ancient concrete resilience – This research has application to the future: transitioning to Roman-like concrete could reduce the energy emissions of concrete production and installation by 85%...and improve the longevity of concrete by orders of magnitude.

How to bring more clean energy into our homes – It’s hard to know what to do that will make the most difference in decarbonization. Electrification is good…as long as the energy used to create the electricity is renewable. This article is explaining one attempt to make it simpler…but it doesn’t seem like it goes far enough.

Does the world need more sharks? – Evidently when sharks decline, herbivores increase and seagrass declines….resulting in less carbon sequestration in sea vegetation. So – more sharks would improve our climate change situation!

The incredible opportunity of community schoolyards – Transforming paved public schoolyard by adding trees, gardens and stormwater management systems and opening them to the public after hours….what’s not to like? It is good for children and the community…and reduces the heat island around the school.

Recycled concrete and CO2 from the air are made into a new building material – Potentially another way to reduce the energy and emissions to produce concrete…but there is still a challenge to make it strong enough for all the current places we use concrete - to make calcium carbonate concrete viable in the future.

10 Writing Awards for Cool Green Science – Some of the 10 have probably be in my gleanings before…but they are worth looking at again.

We need to talk about your gas stove, your health and climate change – 35 years ago, I thought gas stoves were wonderful….but I haven’t had one since 1986, and I won’t buy a house in the future with one (or I will replace it immediately). My current house does have a gas hot water heater and furnace…but I plan to jettison those too. And I don’t want a gas fireplace either!

Clean air matters for a healthy brain – I check the Air Quality Index on Weather.com and there are too many days that the PMI2.5 level is ‘yellow’ where I live now in Maryland. I try to not spend a lot of time outdoors on those days.  It’s another something to think about when/if I move out of the area.

The American Bumblebee Has Vanished From Eight States – The 8 states are: Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Oregon. That doesn’t mean other places are much better. They have declined 99% in New York; 50% in the Midwest and Southeast.

Large scale solar parks cool surrounding land – The observation is interesting. I wonder if the solar parks that I’ve seen frequently around airports in the US are large enough to make up for the heat island effect of all the concrete and asphalt surfaces of the airports.

Cancer Diary – Entry 2

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The appointment with my doctor was at 8 AM. I had printed out my list of questions and walked outside to see how cool it felt before I got in my car. There were two surprises near the driveway: a stalk of late season day lily buds that the deer hadn’t eaten and the Virginia Creeper on the oak beginning to turn red. I unplugged my car…and set out.

Since I was the first wave of patients at the medical building, there were still places available close the building in the ‘fuel eff low emit parking’ lane. I was a few minutes early and noted that the landscaping around the building has been transitioned to native plants.

It was so quiet with no one else around that I heard water burbling just before I went into the building and looked over the railing to see a shady rock garden with water coming from one of the larger rocks at one level down from the main entrance. I hadn’t noticed it before.

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It was a pleasant way to start the morning – noticing the beauty in the natural world. Even so – my first blood pressure reading of the appointment was a little high; I was relieved that after my conversation with the doctor (getting all my questions answered and a plan for what I should do prior to my appointment with the surgeon), my blood pressure was well within the normal range. It was an indicator that, for me, being armed with information is an important way to reduce the stress of the situation….also an indicator of the skill of my doctor which is also reassuring.

Later in the day, I called my parents to share the cancer news (made sure one of my sisters was with them when I did) and to delay my road trip to see them until at least after my appointment with the surgeon…and maybe after the surgery itself. It was not an easy conversation but necessary; there is a history of sharing health situations within the family that guided me. A part of every cancer journey is taken alone…and part is shared; for me, the shared times make the part walked alone easier.

Overall – by the end of the second day into my experience, I felt more knowledgeable and optimistic about the eventual outcome. I was also beginning a conscious effort to keep my normal positive mental attitude over what might be an extended period.

Gleanings of the Week Ending October 16, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

How to Easily Catch Spotted Lanternflies Using a Water Bottle – These insects have invaded Maryland, but I haven’t seen them yet. Maybe this is a reason to put an empty plastic water bottle in the car – just in case.

Exposure to deadly urban heat worldwide has tripled in recent decades, says study – On of the topics in the schoolyard field trip for 6th graders was heat islands – it’s a good example of the impact of climate change around the world.

Smoky Clouds That Form Over Wildfires Produce Less Rain – Drought…forests burning…and then less rain. Aargh!

8 Fall Nature Experiences to Enjoy – There are so many things to enjoy in the outdoors during the fall – as the heat of summer fades away.

Exploring The Parks: 10 Historic Sites To Visit This Fall – More ideas for fall activities. I’ve been to all the sites they list that are on the east coast…but not necessarily in the fall.

NASA and USGS Launch Landsat 9 – The first Landsat was launched in July 1972 – the year my husband and I graduated from high school.

A new solid-state battery surprises the researchers who created it – Solid state electrolyte and an all-silicon anode – faster charge rates at room to low temperatures. There is a lot of battery research going on now …coming up with batteries that will help achieve the grid storage and transportation needs of the future.

Young People Are Anxious About Climate Change And Say Governments Are Failing Them – It’s not just young people that have this anxiety. Everyone I know has climate change anxiety….and say governments are failing us all.

Wind energy can deliver vital slash to global warming – It’s a component of the technology we need….it can’t solve everything alone but we have it ready to deploy now – and should just do it as quickly as we can. And it’s cheaper than using fossil fuels!

Yale Climate Change Maps 2020 – Results from a spring 2020 poll about climate change.

Neighborhood Walk

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It’s early fall in our neighborhood. There are a few leaves that are turning and falling. I found a pretty one at the base of our oak at the very beginning of my walk. The tree is struggling with the infection that is impacting (eventually killing) many oaks in our area and has already dropped about half its leaves. It will linger for a few more years. The one across the street has lost almost all its leaves already and I wonder if it will not survive the winter.

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As I walked toward the storm water pond, I noticed another oak that was mostly green…except for one branch of yellow leaves.

The pond was too peaceful and quite – no frogs or red-winged blackbirds making morning songs, no turtles coming out to warm up in the sunshine. There was no algae or floating water plants and I wondered if the treatment used to control that ‘problem’ killed the other life in the pond. They are not mowed as far down the slope as they did at one time, but it seems like it would be better to let the vegetation grow a little further up the slope.

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There were plants going to seed…some with candelabra type branches supporting their fluffy seeds.

There were two types of goldenrod. Do you see the out-of-focus bee at the right side of the second picture? I didn’t notice it until I got home and looked at my images on a big screen….glad I captured the image since it shows the value of these late blooming plants to pollinators.

The willow has a tall branch that is dead – lower ones that are still green with slender branches gracefully sweeping the bank and hanging over the water. There are shelf fungus growing up and down the dead trunk.

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There are a few plants still blooming. One was down in the grass and the picture I took looks like it has an arching fuzzy boa spilling from the flower! In reality the fuzzy boa is an out-of-focus grass seed stalk.

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One of the houses has several Rose of Sharon buses planted on the pond side of their fence. I liked the extra wrinkles of the purple one (not completely unfurled).

The milkweed stand at the back of the pond was a disappointment. It was still there was overgrown with invasive pear seedlings that have grown rapidly over the summer. Maybe they will mow the area later in the fall to try to control that invasion for next season although the pear will come up from roots as well as the milkweed.

Overall – a worthwhile walk on a coolish weekend morning before many other people were out in the neighborhood.

Gleanings of the Week Ending October 9, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Earth is dimming due to climate change – Decades of measurements of earthshine indicate that the Earth is becoming less reflective with warmer oceans (and fewer bright clouds).

Kilauea Resumes Eruptions At Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park – Exciting times on the big island…

In UK, Interest in EVs Spikes Amid Fuel Shortages – There have been stories about Ford and GM strategy recently too….lots of indicators that many people will be buying EVs sooner rather than later if enough are produced.

NASA lander records the largest ‘Marsquakes’ ever detected – The lander has been on the surface since 2018!

Dental care: The best, worst and unproven tools to care for your teeth – Hmm….I wonder how much this research will change what dentists advise?

Baby Poo Has Ten Times More Microplastics Than Adult Feces – A scary result…and no ideas on how to reduce exposure (and we don’t know exactly what harms it might cause)….just more research needed. Very frustrating.

Coastal Northeastern US is a global warming hotspot; 2 degrees Celsius of summer warming has already occurred – From Maine to Delaware…the area is warming faster because of climate change linked alterations in the ocean and atmospheric conditions of the North Atlantic.

2021 Nature Conservancy Photo Contest Winners Highlight Global Wildlife and Nature – Beautiful…and thought provoking. My favorite was the artsy one at the end…a high key image.

Paradigm shift in treatment of type 2 diabetes to focus on weight loss – There are probably other chronic ‘diseases’ that have become more prevalent over the past few decades that could be improved with weight loss….but it is hard to lose weight…and keep it off. It requires permanent lifestyle changes.

A Leisurely Trip to Kansas – Another post that includes pictures of a rough green snake. I’ve been on the lookout for them since my son-in-law sent a photo he took with his phone!

eBotanical Prints – September 2021

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21 botanical print books browsed in September and added to the list. They were published over almost 300 years (1793 to 1981). The most recent volumes are documentation of threatened and endangered species. The earliest (Icones plantarum rariorum - Vol 3, sample image) was a volume from a series I had found before – but somehow missed this volume. There were some beautiful illustrations of plants I’m familiar with: tulip poplar, jack-in-the-pulpit, deciduous magnolia, maples, oaks, holly. There were also two volumes of plant imprints…geological botanical prints. I found several volumes that were fruit focused…more to come of those finds in October. Overall – a lot of variety in the September 2021 volumes.  

The whole list of 2,229 botanical eBooks can be accessed here. The list for the September books is at the end of this post.

Click on any sample images in the mosaic below to get an enlarged version. Enjoy the September eBotanical Prints!

Plantae novae vel minus cognitae ex herbario Horti Thenensis V1 * Wildeman, Emile de * sample image * 1904

Plantae novae vel minus cognitae ex herbario Horti Thenensis V2 * Wildeman, Emile de * sample image * 1908

Les phanérogames des terres magellaniques  * Wildeman, Emile de * sample image * 1905

Threatened and endangered plants of Nevada : an illustrated manual * Mozingo Hugh Nelson * sample image * 1981

Illustrated manual of proposed endangered and threatened species of Utah * Welsh, Stanley; Thorne, K. H. * sample image * 1979

Aquatic plants of Illinois; an illustrated manual including species submersed, floating, and some of shallow water and muddy shores * Winterringer, Glen Spelman; Lopinot, Alvin C. * sample image * 1966

Budding Life: a book of drawings * King, Jessie M. * sample image * 1907

The century supplement to the dictionary of gardening, a practical and scientific encyclopaedia of horticulture for gardeners and botanists * Nicholson, George * sample image * 1901

Pomologie française : recueil des plus beaux fruits cultivés en France V1 * Poiteau, Antoine; Turpin, Pierre Jean Francois * sample image * 1846

Pomologie française : recueil des plus beaux fruits cultivés en France V2 * Poiteau, Antoine; Turpin, Pierre Jean Francois * sample image * 1846

Icones plantarum rariorum - Vol 3 * Jacquin, Nicolao Josepho * sample image * 1793

The family flora and materia medica botanica V1 * Good, Peter Peyto * sample image * 1847

The family flora and materia medica botanica V2 * Good, Peter Peyto * sample image * 1847

Garden trees and shrubs illustrated in colour * Wright, Walter Page * sample image * 1913

Experimental pollination; an outline of the ecology of flowers and insects * Clements, Frederic Edward; Long, Francis Louise * sample image * 1923

Minnesota trees and shrubs : an illustrated manual of the native and cultivated woody plants of the State * Clements, Frederic Edward; Butters, Frederick King; Rosendahl, Carl Otto * sample image * 1912

Botanical and palaeontological report on the Geological State Survey of Arkansas * Lesquereux, Leo * sample image * 1860

The flora of the Dakota group, a posthumous work * Lesquereux, Leo * sample image * 1891

The nurseryman's pocket specimen book : colored from nature : fruits, flowers, ornamental trees, shrubs, roses, &c * Dewey, Dellon Marcus (publisher) * sample image * 1872

A report on the trees and shrubs growing naturally in the forests of Massachusetts V1 * Emerson, George Barrell * sample image * 1846

A report on the trees and shrubs growing naturally in the forests of Massachusetts V2 * Emerson, George Barrell * sample image * 1894

Near the Little Patuxent River

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On a recent morning – I headed out to the stream that flows under Broken Land Parkway from Lake Elkhorn just before it joins the Little Patuxent River for a volunteer gig – guiding a stream survey done by high school students. Near the bridge that crosses the stream on the Patuxent Branch Trail, there was muddy trail (poison ivy on each side…glad I had on long pants and high boots) to allow access down to stream. We set up our gear around three tables. There was not much dry area to set them up but the water was shallow. A partner and I guided 10 students to collect and ID macroinvertebrates from one of the tables while other volunteers did the same at two others. We had about 45 minutes….and then we got another group of 10 to do it again.

I took some pictures before and after the students arrived. The steam has a lot of vegetation on the banks but the stream has been eroded  - with some trees toppling over from being undercut by rapidly moving water. It is in an area where there is a lot of impervious surface. When it rains – the water rushes down to the stream where it carries away anything in the eroded channel; there is no connection to a flood plain that to slow down the water. It doesn’t take long for it to run off further downstream because we are in the Pediment rather than the Coastal Plain (i.e. there is always an incline for the water to follow).

The water quality was ‘very poor’ based on the types of macroinvertebrates that we found…however – we found quite a few of the types we found. The stream is not dead. Life holds on tight in this suburban stream.

Gleanings of the Week Ending October 2, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

The oil-field ‘fugitive’ that can slip into the water supply – The methane leaks into ground water are yet another reason fossil fuel is problematic. The industry evidently can’t or won’t clean up…making moving away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible even more urgent – although climate change should be enough for the world to be doing that already.

Top 25 birds of the week: Brown Birds – Not all birds are colorful! Watching small brown birds can be just as much fun though.

Ancient Human Presence Revealed At White Sands National Park - Researchers Push Back Date Of Human Arrival In North America Thousands Of Years – Fossilized footprints in the gypsum sand playa deposits…dated to the Late Pleistocene.

Mexico’s Ancient Inhabitants Moved Land and Bent Rivers to Build Teotihuacán – Still more being learned from an archaeological site that has been studied for many decades. LiDAR is one of new technologies that is yields a lot of new information.

Poorly circulated room air raises potential exposure to contaminants by up to six times – COVID has prompted more detailed research on this topic…and the discoveries should be used to improve building ventilation systems to help control other air-borne diseases.

Why colorful food is good for you – I like the colors and flavors….it’s an added benefit that they are also healthy choices!

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Will Launch Into Orbit in December – Finally!

River research reveals scale of macroplastic pollution – A plastic bottle takes a long time to break down….450 years and requires UV light. With so many bottles getting into rivers around the world, it is important to understand how they travel…how they begin to breakdown. They are going to be around for a very long time and, right now, more are still entering the rivers.

Research shows more people living in floodplains – From NASA. Tragedies that are getting worse as population increases and climate change causes flood risk changes.

Making Beetles Pee Can Protect Your Garden – Maybe this is also a pathway to an effective way to control insects like aphids without pesticides!

Schoolyard Volunteering

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I volunteered for a pilot program about climate change concepts (carbon capture, water infiltration, urban heat island) for 6th graders held on their own school grounds. It was a positive learning experience for me…and the students as well. Howard County Conservancy held training beforehand so when the first one was held I was relatively well prepared….but the first time through is always tricky. My station was about carbon sequestration; the students measured the circumference of trees on their schoolyard to estimate the weight of carbon in the tree and the weight of CO2 absorbed by the tree. The students became more coordinated with the process as they measured more trees:  using a tape measure - 137 cm up from the ground and then measuring the circumference. Teams of 3 worked well (2 for the tape measure and one recording results). Then in the last part of the session we use a table to determine the carbon in and absorbed by the trees.

The second school was an earlier start…out of the house at 7 AM! It was also a cooler day (in the 60s and lower 70s) so more comfortable wearing a mask. The students are mostly too young to be vaccinated yet. I took a quick picture of my front flower bed and the morning sky before I left the house.

My first assignment was carbon sequestration for 2 student periods and then water infiltration for the next three periods of the day. Many of the trees we measured were about the same size – probably planted when the school was built. We learned that even the grassy areas of school yards don’t have good water infiltration – maybe because the mowers used on them are heavy enough to compact the soil! And even the water retention ponds (which were dry during the session) did not let the water soak in. The mulched areas under the trees were the only areas that showed good infiltration. Most of the rain that falls simply runs off rather than soaking in close to where it falls.

There was some break time between periods, and I observed some sparrows taking dust bathes in a bare spot near the edge of the school ground.

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Overall – the students seemed to enjoy the program and collected data that they will use in their classrooms. I had my best experiences ever with this age group. Middle school is such a mix of student maturities…but the small groups made it relatively easy to engage all of them and keep them focused on collecting information about their school yard in a consistent, organized way. My lesson learned was that signing up for the full 5 periods is a bit overwhelming…probably won’t do that again!

Gleanings of the Week Ending September 25, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Top 25 birds of the week: September 2021 – Such a variety of birds in the world!

The Love Stories of Sleepy Lizards – An Australian lizard…they are monogamous and have a surprising threat display. They have been studied for over 40 years.

Searching for the Fisher Kings – The Calusa of south Florida…a capital on a man-made island made of shell. Surviving the Spanish but not the British.

New Coal Plants Dwindle Amid Wave of Cancelled Projects – Good! We need to be ramping up generation of electricity with renewables….and dramatically reducing the methane released by the oil and gas industry in their extraction processes…and then begin to reduce our need for oil and gas in areas that can be electrified (like transportation and heating/cooling).

Explore Life Under the Microscope with the Winners of the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Contest – Photomicrography frequently creates art from reality that it too small for our eyes to see without the magnification and specialized equipment.

August 2021 global climate summary – From NOAA. Two global maps (temperature and precipitation). Where I live, August was hotter and slightly wetter than the average (averages from 1981-2010 for temperature…from 1979-2020 for precipitation).

People synchronize heart rates while listening to stories – Thinking about the brain as part of physical body….looking at the brain-body connection more broadly.

Study Links Transportation Noise to High Rates of Dementia and Alzheimer's – From Denmark.

Indigenous Resilience Center Launched at the University of Arizona – My daughter did her graduate work at University of Arizona; I’m glad they are launching the center to find and implement culturally appropriate solutions to the challenges of climate change.

The chemistry of dahlia flower colors – Also explains why there are no blue dahlias.

Annual Flu Vaccine

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It’s that time of year again – time to get the annual flu vaccine. This year it was very easy for me; I went to my grocery store pharmacy just as I did last year… right after they opened. There was no line, and their system already had all my information. I filled out a form on a clip board, provided an electronic signature, and got the shot.

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I refrained from buying myself a treat like a piece of cake or a soft drink -went to the nearby thrift store instead. I found 2 pairs of ‘like new’ leggings that are easy additions to my fall wardrobe!

I am still planning another road trip to Texas in October so getting the flu shot in September means it will be fully effective by then. I am hopeful that the high rate of infection and hospitalization along my route will be reduced by then – and that hospitals will not be as overwhelmed as they are right now…just in case some accident occurs along the way.  

On the same day I got the flu shot – we had a very hazy day in Maryland and it was attributed to the California wildfires. Signs of climate change are everywhere. For me – getting the flu shot is an action to avoid a health issue at a time when the pandemic and climate change are straining the resources of our country to deal with those disasters – making it even more challenging to take the strategic actions to reduce and mitigate the climate change going forward.

Gleanings of the Week Ending September 18, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Young female black bears in Asheville, North Carolina, are big, have cubs early – More research needed…it’s still not known what is causing them to be so much bigger and mature early…or if the population is increasing or not. It is clear that there are quite a few bears and lots of opportunity for interactions between people and bears – many not healthy for the bears.

The alarming risks of mixing common drugs – It is a problem that is acute in most elderly patients with good medical care. Their various doctors have gradually built up the medications…and the regime to take them all appropriately becomes daunting. Hopefully it will become best practice to constantly review and minimize drugs that are prescribed.

Work Of First African American Painter With International Reputation Explored – Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937)

Hummingbirds can smell their way out of danger – I was thinking a lot about hummingbirds this past week after my success photographing one at Brookside Gardens.

Praying Mantis – I see these more frequently in the fall…but not every fall. There are so many mantis egg cases, there should be plenty to see; I need to improve my observation skills.

How much energy do we need to achieve a decent life for all? – The most important take away from this study: “energy for eradicating poverty does not pose a threat for mitigating climate change.” That is good news

The lost generation of ancient trees – The ancients are dying….and there are not enough trees old enough to replace them. There are various ways being tried to veteranize younger trees so they can play the role of ancient trees in ecosystems.

Fall Armyworms are Attacking Lawns and Crops on an ‘Unprecedented’ Scale – Hmmm…maybe this is a prompt to reduce or eliminate the grassy portion of the yard.

Mammoth Cave National Park: The World's Longest Cave Is Longer Than Before - 8 more miles mapped bringing the total to 420 miles!

Hand pollination of crops is of major importance – I was surprised that hand pollination is already used for important crops like apple, palm oil and cocoa.

Gleanings of the Week Ending September 11, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Wind Energy Accounted for 42% of New US Power in 2020 – And solar was 38% of the new energy. And 8 east coast states have large offshore wind projects in the works in the years ahead. Hurray! It’s a good trend and it looks like the slope of the trend will keep increasing for wind and solar (decrease and go to 0 for new natural gas).

How people respond to wildfire smoke -  Another reason to slip on a mask.

Devastating Rain in Tennessee – A map of the change in soil moisture between August 20 and August 21. The floods on August 21 in Tennessee (area circled on the map) killed at least 22 people. I was surprised that there was an area of Illinois (to the north and a little west of the flash flood circle) where the soil moisture increased even more; perhaps that area floods frequently and the area is managed with flooding in mind.

New analysis reveals Vesuvius Victims’ diverse diets – From analysis of Herculaneum skeletons. Men got more of their protein from seafood. Women ate more meat grown on land, eggs and dairy products.

Eye provide peek at Alzheimer’s disease risk – Amyloid plaques can form in retinas of the eye. Does their presence there provide a visible biomarker for detecting Alzheimer’s risk?

Top 25 birds of the week: Wild Birds! – Bird photography…..challenging and beautiful subjects for our cameras.

Have you seen a weasel lately? – There is a suspicion that weasels are in the decline…but the data is circumstantial. These are not predators that have been widely studied. The post points to a role for citizen scientists!

Dispatches from a world aflame – Reviews of two books about the recent fires…and the relation to climate change.

Preemption of Green Cities in Red States – At a time when we need to get serious about addressing climate change – a drive by some states to keep local governments from taking any action. There is a cognitive dissonance between historically arguing for local control then usurping that control when the state government does not agree with it. I like local control but acknowledge that higher up the governance hierarchy could make sweeping changes easier. Perhaps some of these state governments will redeem themselves by quickly taking strong action toward climate change reduction and mitigation – soon. The top issue for me when I vote these days has become climate change!

Climate Change Is The Greatest Threat To Public Health, Top Medical Journals Warn – Another reason that actions to address climate change must be at the forefront of our thinking about the future. Medicine cannot make up for the injury we are making to ourselves and every living thing on the planet.

Gleanings of the Week Ending September 4, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Entomologists Eradicated the First Asian Giant ‘Murder’ Hornet Nest of 2021 – Includes a picture of the 9 layers of the nest that was carved into an alder tree’s interior.

Turning thermal energy into electricity – It seems like this type of electricity production would have application beyond the military. Even solar panels produce heat and finding a way to automatically harness that into more electricity would be a good thing.  

Climate Change Producing More “Fire Weather” as Far East as Oklahoma – It’s not just the west coast that has a higher risk for fire as the planet gets hotter.

Aztec Pictograms Are the First Written Records of Earthquakes in the Americas – One of the pictograms matched to a 1507 earthquake that coincided with a solar eclipse!

Food systems: seven priorities to end hunger and protect the planet – A thoughtful commentary re ending hunger and improving diets; de-risking food systems; protecting equality and rights; boosting bioscience; protecting resources; sustaining aquatic foods; and harnessing digital technology.

Eating walnuts daily lowered 'bad' cholesterol and may reduce cardiovascular disease risk – There was a similar article about pecans a few days ago. I’m glad I like both walnuts and pecans! However – ½ cup is a lot to eat in one day. Usually ¼ cup is considered a serving.

Top 25 birds of the week: Woodpeckers! – I always enjoy hearing a woodpecker in the forest…and its a special tree to see them in our yard. The piliated, downy, and red-bellied woodpeckers are native to our area.

How to fight microplastic pollution with magnets – Many people filter their drinking water…but the conversation about filtering microplastics is newer. Hopefully filters that are effective and affordable will become the norm. It will take a long time to reduce the microplastic load already in the Earth’s water. We are just not recognizing the damage they are causing.

Americans Moving to Disaster-Prone Areas, Despite Climate Change – I’ve started to think about this more recently so appreciated seeing this post. Taking climate change into account – why would anyone buy property in areas that will be increasingly flood prone or incredibly hot/dry? A house nestled in a forest may look appealing but there are an increasing number of people that have already experienced the hazards of that beauty.

1,800-Year-Old Flower Bouquets Found in Tunnel Beneath Teotihuacán Pyramid – I visited Teotihuacan in the spring of 1966 when my parents took me to Mexico City. It was one of the highlights of the trip. The new discoveries are interesting….and I am thinking about whether I would like to see it again. Maybe in spring of 2026? The article references a site with some great pictures of Teotihuacan – worth a look.

Gleanings of the Week Ending August 28, 2021

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

The subtle influence of the moon on Earth’s weather – Tides….and a lot of complex interactions associated with them. High tide flooding will increase as the climate changes for example.

So much ice is melting that Earth’s crust is moving – When the weight of ice is removed, the land lifts upward…but new measurements show that it moves horizontally as well.

Top 25 birds of the week: Spiderhunters and Sunbirds! – Lots of colorful feathers in this group!

Pecan-enriched diet shown to reduce cholesterol – 470 calories per day is a lot of pecans more than ½ cup. I like pecans but will generally stick to about ¼ cup at a time…may skew toward eating pecans over other nuts although walnuts are a healthy choice as well.

California Drought Hits World’s Top Almond Producer – And maybe almonds are a nut that will be increasing in price…maybe driving people away from almond milk. I’ve already made my switch to lactose free milk.

Northern paper wasps recognize each others faces – Each face is unique!

Giant clams have a growth spurt – thanks to pollution – Evidently modern clams grow faster than ancient ones because of nitrates in the water. It doesn’t necessarily mean that are healthy…just that they are growing faster.

Photography In The National Parks: Fun Fact Photography, Part 2 – The post not only includes ‘fun facts’ about the National Parks – it also explains how the images were captured!

What happens to your brain when you give up sugar – A well timed article for me --- I am dramatically reducing refined sugars and artificial sweeteners in my diet (i.e., I still eat foods that are sweet like bananas).  I thought the headaches that occurred in the first week of my new diet were the simultaneous reduction in caffeine but maybe they were also caused by the sugar reduction.

Watch a bolt of lightning strike the Washington Monument – The monument is on a hill and the tallest thing around…..a conduit to the ground for lightning.

30 years ago – August 1991

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August 1991 was a stressful month at work for me – several people I depended on took advantage of an early retirement offering from the company and the two projects I was working on were both demanding a lot of time. It might have been one of the highest overtime months of my career after motherhood. Between work and my daughter’s needs, I had very little discretionary time for myself. It was the month I fully appreciated how critical my husband’s support was to enable the peaks of my career.

We had a surprise visit from one of my aunts (with her husband and 2 grandchildren); they only stayed one night but it just added to the overwhelming activity for the month.

We had visited Texas in July and were getting follow up letters in August: my Mother starting her last year of teaching, one sister house hunting and planning to visit in October, another going through similar motherhood experiences with her child the same age as mine, and the sister 8 years younger than me realizing she didn’t know me very well. The documentation I have for the month is largely through those snail mail letters!

My daughter was savoring some activities at home that she had enjoyed for the first time while we were in Texas: dabs of shaving cream to wear around before playing in her pool (a substitute bath) and painting (on paper and herself). She was beginning to use her right hand more although she was not as strongly right-handed as her cousin. She discovered she could make footprints on the deck if she walked with wet feet.

She also remembered music from the Texas visit. Whenever the cassette tape with “Let’s go fly a kite” on it played…she always smiled and clapped when that song played.  

When we went to Wheaton Park we discovered she liked the swings under a large catalpa tree better than the carousel!

It was a time of tension between work and motherhood. The techniques I had for coping were developing - not perfect; over the next few years – I accepted that it was OK to always be developing rather that achieving perfection. But in August 1991, I was pushing for perfection.

I also noted a high ozone day. Looking back, I realize that if there had been action during the 1990s…the climate situation would be better today. I was aware of the greenhouse effect…and that the earth was warming; but in 1991 I thought it was an academic idea, not something that was actionable. Like so many others – I thought it would be very gradual and there would plenty of time for corrective action. So now we are facing an urgent need to pivot --- a challenge to us all. I find myself thinking about what it will be like in 30 years – trying to take actions in my own life to sustain hope for the successful transitions we’ll have to make going forward.