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Showing posts from February 14, 2024

STUCK ON A PARTICULAR SIDE OF THE BED

Why We're Stuck on a Particular Side of the Bed Some habits are harder to break than others; in this case, resistance is futile. In sustainability circles, the concept of habits comes up a lot. Usually, it is in the context of changing the unsustainable ones, like breaking up with single-use water bottles or ditching coffee pods for more eco-friendly options. Understanding one's habits in general can be an important part of becoming more sustainable. So, let's look at one of life's more enduring habits: what side of the bed you sleep on. While this may not have a sustainability side, so to speak, the psychology of habits is fascinating and can play a big role in one's personal carbon footprint. In terms of bed sides, no matter how hard you might try to change it up, maybe even switching sides every other night, you eventually pick a side—and stick with it. And why not? You've got everything just right on your side of the bed. The night lamp, for instance, has be

NEVER KILL BIRDS NEAR POWER LINE

The Main Thing Killing Birds Near Power Lines Isn't Electrocution Illegal shooting, not electrocution, is now the leading cause of death for birds found along power lines. In an oft-cited study published in 2019, a team of researchers reported net population losses of some three billion birds across North America since 1970. Calling it a “staggering decline of bird populations,” the researchers cited “habitat loss, climate change, unregulated harvest, and other forms of human-caused mortality” as the causes of this biodiversity crisis. Those other forms of “human-caused mortality” are grim and frustratingly senseless. Up to three billion birds a year die from outdoor cats, and another one billion from colliding with glass. (Despite the narrative of fossil-fuel-aligned pundits, wind turbines account for deaths in the hundreds of thousands each year—which is still way too many, but it is not the leading cause of death, by far.) Another one of those anthropogenic causes is power lines

TINY FUNGI & SLIME MOLDS

Dazzling Macro Photographs Reveal the Magic of Tiny Fungi and Slime Molds Special photography techniques capture the magic and beauty of these tiny organisms Fungi are widely misunderstood and often under-appreciated, yet they are a crucial component of the planet's ecosystems. Though they may sometimes look bizarre and otherworldly to us, they are nevertheless unparalleled experts at breaking down organic matter and according to some experts, their latent superpowers may potentially even save the world. Aiming to raise awareness and appreciation of the smallest of fungi, and also mysterious slime molds (also called a variety of monikers like Myxogastria and Myxomycetes), American photographer Alison Pollack uses special techniques to capture the magic and beauty of these tiny organisms. As Pollack explains: "These may look big in the photo, but they are really tiny, barely visible to the naked eye, each less than one millimeter tall. To photograph such tiny fungi with high ma