I love reading scientific reports, something I’ve done since my first job out of college. I realize they can be a little dry for most people, so I’m sharing a secret. Scientific reports sometimes remind me of listening to comedians winding up a joke with a deadpan anecdote followed by a punchline that touches upon a human concern that makes us laugh as we self-consciously admit … [Read more...]
E.P.A. Files Show Agency’s Approval of Potentially Toxic Fracking Chemicals
“The E.P.A. in 2011 approved the use of these chemicals, used to ease the flow of oil from the ground, despite the agency’s own grave concerns about their toxicity, according to the documents, which were reviewed by The New York Times.” Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) has been leading the charge against fracking for years. In 2019 PSR collaborated with … [Read more...]
Dogs Are Too Good For Us
Dogs are too good for us. Throughout history, people have asked dogs to perform dangerous duties with the goal of risking canine lives in place of human lives. Dogs have answered with courage and loyalty. The photograph above entitled, “Dogs in Humanity’s Service” a World War One Red Cross dog named “Filax” is shown carrying the hat of a wounded soldier to find … [Read more...]
Looking at Old Novelty Photos from the Animal’s Point of View
I used to collect old photographs and postcards from the late 1800s/early 1900s and especially liked silly animal pictures. The photos were usually a bit faded, and I don’t think I ever really looked into the eyes of the various critters who were immortalized in the cute photos. Recently, my feeling about the photos changed completely when I came across an online … [Read more...]
Does Your Dog Wear A Seatbelt? You Might Consider It After Watching These Videos!
I admit to being one of those drivers who never gave a second thought to letting my dog ride unrestrained in the backseat of the car. Over the years I became more aware of hazards like a neighbor’s dog becoming lost after a car crash when a car door sprang open or another friend’s dog sustaining serious bruises when it hit the dashboard in a crash. It turns out, … [Read more...]
Did You Ever Wonder What Sea Turtles Do During Hurricanes?
Realizing they were sitting on a mountain of data, NOAA Fisheries researchers sifted through location and dive records of satellite-tracked sea turtles, as well as weather buoy data along a stretch of the Mid-Atlantic that had been gathered as a hurricane tracked its way through the sea turtles’ seasonal territory. As Leah Crowe, a biologist with the team said, … [Read more...]
Where Should Your Family Consider Living to Lessen the Impact of Climate Change?
Conversations with friends and family about the best places to live to avoid the harsh impacts of climate change are becoming more regular and less abstract in my corner of the world. Even if I may not live to see the worst of what’s likely, it is hard to put aside worries about what kind of world our children and grandchildren will face in 10, 20, or 30 years. Research … [Read more...]
There’s Something About Squirrels…People Either Love Them or Hate Them
I have a thing about old family cookbooks. They are a kind of time capsule about the women in my family. Stuffed with newspaper clippings of recipes, grocery lists, and even an occasional letter stashed for safekeeping, they are a treasury of hints about grandmothers and aunts. It wasn’t until I was going through an old trunk and found my Aunt Francis’ Household … [Read more...]
Here Is An Idea For A Simple Catio From A Screened Porch
Our cats were constantly asking to go outside. We never gave in to their plaintive cries because a) we loved the abundant birdlife in our neighborhood and b) we lived on a busy street. Fortunately, we have a very creative cousin who loves to surprise us with projects around the house. One day, we came home to find he solved the problem of the melancholy kitties. He converted … [Read more...]
Sweet William, Not Just Charming, but Kid-Friendly, Too
This is a wonderful plant to share with small children who delight in seeing flowers that are ‘their size”—at least that is how I saw them as a kid. The New York Botanical Garden highlighted the “kid-friendliness” of Sweet William in a lecture they hosted by Bill Calkins, a manager with the Ball Horticultural Company, he “mentioned that a child was twice as likely … [Read more...]