by Expand Your Consciousness
Michelle Toole 
While we want to engage with our readers about issues affecting the environment, we worry that a never-ending stream of dire news makes it seem like meaningful change is impossible. So, we decided to highlight some good news in this brief compilation of progress in reestablishing majestic cranes in Britain, an update on efforts to … Read more
Forests are in the fight of the century. Covering almost 30% of the earth, forests provide a home to 80% of life on land, including plants, animals, and insects.1 Millions of acres of trees are lost to drought, heat stress, insect attacks, fires, and rising sea levels. Often several of these factors work together to … Read more
An innovative company looks to end plastic pollution by using a waste product that was, until now, burned in landfills by the millions of pounds every year. What are we talking about? Avocado pits, the seeds at the heart of avocados used to make the guacamole that so many of us love. In recent years, … Read more
Being forced to stay inside so much these days reminded me of a wonderful essay I read a few years ago by Jill Neimark about her journey back to life after being left incapacitated by a devastating environmental illness.1 How did she do it? She lived outdoors by camping in state forest in the Georgia … Read more
If you’ve always done your best to dodge invitations to go in on a share (aka, subscription) to a CSA farm (community-supported agriculture), this might be the year you change your mind. For many people, the lure of fresh fruits and veggies delivered weekly by a local farmer to a central neighborhood pick-up point just … Read more
My friend kept trying different exercise programs, but nothing seemed to stick. Some soul searching reminded her that her happiest exercise days were 20 years before when she did extensive bicycle touring. Rather than thinking it would be impossible to regain the fitness that came with that pastime, she decided to immerse herself in bicycle … Read more
Dr. David Tilman at the University of Minnesota has been at this for a while. He traced urbanization and income growth around the world between 1961 and 2009 and linked it with increased consumption of refined sugars and refined fats brought about people adopting more meat intensive western-style diets. In 2014 he published research in … Read more
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, farmers whose crops rely on the pollination services of beekeepers are worried. The coronavirus pandemic has taken hold at a time of the year when an army of agricultural trucks begins the annual circuit carrying thousands of beehives to destinations that include almond farms in California, apple orchards … Read more
“Don’t forget to look up!” That was the tip I heard from an older gentleman some years ago while I was taking an early morning walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Relishing every free minute while on business in Australia, I was almost mesmerized by countless beautiful features in the park. I hadn’t … Read more
Stress. Anxiety. Even before coronavirus, stress was a prominent fixture in our society. A Gallup “World Emotions Report” was based on interviews in 2019 with over 150,000 adults in more than 140 countries to gain a snapshot of how people around the world assessed their positive and negative daily experiences.1 The report found stress levels … Read more