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Toxins enter the body through what we eat, drink, breathe in, and process in any way. Once inside, toxins overtax our immune system and detoxification system and leave us more vulnerable to illness — not ideal during cold and flu season, and especially not this year during a pandemic — and make us age a little faster, too.
<p>Fortunately, there are a lot of simple things you can do from the comfort of your own home to keep toxins out of your body, flush them out of your system faster, and boost your immunity all at the same time, says Dr. Bill Rawls, Medical Director of Vital Plan. He shares his top 10 strategies below.</p>
<p><em><a href="https://vitalplan.com/about" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Rawls</a> is a licensed medical doctor in North Carolina and a leading expert in integrative health. He has extensive training in alternative therapies, and is the Medical Director of Vital Plan, a holistic health and herbal supplement company in Raleigh, NC.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://vitalplan.com/blog/10-natural-ways-to-detox-boost-your-immunity-at-home" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vital Plan</a>. </em></p>
1. Source Your Food Wisely
<p>Try to stay away from packaged and processed foods that contain ingredients you can't pronounce, and instead reach for fresh food from natural sources. Aim to make vegetables more than 50% of your daily diet — their fiber is a great natural binder, and they're full of beneficial <a href="https://vitalplan.com/blog/the-case-of-the-missing-phytochemicals-and-how-to-get-them-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="">phytochemicals</a> — and minimize your red meat consumption.</p><p>Also, whenever practical, choose <a href="https://vitalplan.com/blog/how-to-eat-organic-without-spending-a-fortune" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">organic</a> over conventional products. That said, we know organic prices and accessibility can be an issue, so for help making strategic decisions, refer to the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG) "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" lists:</p><h3>The Dirty Dozen:</h3><ol><li>Strawberries</li><li>Spinach</li><li>Kale</li><li>Nectarines</li><li>Apples</li><li>Grapes</li><li>Peaches</li><li>Cherries</li><li>Pears</li><li>Tomatoes</li><li>Celery</li><li>Potatoes</li><li>Raisins*</li></ol><p><em>(*While raisins aren't technically a fresh food, the EWG found that they are "one of the dirtiest produce commodities on the market — and even some organic raisins are contaminated.")</em></p><h3>The Clean Fifteen</h3><ol><li>Avocado</li><li>Sweet corn</li><li>Pineapple</li><li>Onion</li><li>Papaya</li><li>Frozen sweet peas</li><li>Eggplant</li><li>Asparagus</li><li>Cauliflower</li><li>Cantaloupe</li><li>Broccoli</li><li>Mushrooms</li><li>Cabbage</li><li>Honeydew</li><li>Kiwi</li></ol>2. Consider Detoxifying and Immune-Boosting Herbs
<p>There are a number of herbs and natural ingredients that can help support detoxification and immune health. Here are the ones at the top of Dr. Rawls' list:</p><p><span></span><strong>Chlorella:</strong> This nutrient-rich freshwater algae binds to toxins so they can be eliminated from your body more efficiently. Chlorella works particularly well for withdrawing heavy metals. Pure chlorella can be purchased in the form of bulk powder, tablets, or capsules.</p><p><strong><a href="https://vitalplan.com/ingredients/milk-thistle" target="_blank">Milk Thistle</a>:</strong> It's been used for thousands of years to support a healthy liver, the primary organ responsible for detoxification.</p><p><strong>Dandelion:</strong> Known to help support liver function, research suggests <a href="https://vitalplan.com/ingredients/dandelion-extract" target="_blank">dandelion</a> helps promote the body's natural detoxification and elimination processes.</p><p><strong>Bitters:</strong> <a href="https://vitalplan.com/blog/the-impressive-health-benefits-of-bitter-foods" target="_blank">Bitter</a> flavors are important to digestion — they stimulate the release of the saliva, enzymes, and bile that help break down your food. Include bitter herbs and foods in each meal, or take a botanical extract that blends bitter herbs like dandelion root, burdock root, orange peel, and gentian root</p><p><strong>Reishi mushroom:</strong> An extensively studied adaptogenic mushroom, <a href="https://vitalplan.com/ingredients/reishi" target="_blank">reishi</a> has exceptional immunomodulating and antiviral properties. It helps normalize <a href="https://vitalplan.com/blog/are-you-inflammaging-how-to-stop-the-inflammation-that-speeds-up-aging" target="_blank">inflammatory</a> cytokines and promotes healthy immune response against threatening <a href="https://vitalplan.com/blog/the-immortal-life-of-your-microbiome" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">microbes</a>.</p><p><strong>Rhodiola:</strong> Another adaptogen, <a href="https://vitalplan.com/ingredients/rhodiola" target="_blank">rhodiola</a> improves stress tolerance by reducing fatigue, supporting energy levels, and improving tissue oxygenation.</p><p><span></span><strong><a href="https://vitalplan.com/ingredients/turmeric" target="_blank">Turmeric</a>:</strong> This popular spice is well loved for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.</p><p><strong>Shilajit:</strong> An herbo-mineral adaptogen, <a href="https://vitalplan.com/ingredients/shilajit" target="_blank">shilajit</a> has a long history of use in traditional Indian medicine for longevity and strength. It's also an immunomodulator with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties.</p><p><strong>Gotu Kola:</strong> Best known for improving memory and mood, <a href="https://vitalplan.com/ingredients/gotu-kola" target="_blank">gotu kola</a> is also great for promoting a normal response to inflammation, balancing stress hormones, and supporting circulation.</p>Shop Vital Plan Pure Chlorella
<a href="https://vitalplan.sjv.io/rA4MB" ><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ1NDQ2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MTAwNTEwMX0.yI_i-pZySmK6Dq6VlwfJuBa60zHTY1va2FwBu1p2zak/img.jpg?width=1200&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=1200" id="949ac" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e235a717283ef3ed8db9d8ce65a9bbbb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="1200" /></a><p><em><em>Vital Plan is a certified B Corporation — one of only eight supplement companies recognized for achieving the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. If you make a purchase using the link above, EcoWatch may earn a commission.</em></em></p>3. Filter Your Water
<p>Much of America's tap water has been shown to contain pollutants, so filtering what comes out of your kitchen sink is smart. To be sure you're using a filter that does the trick, keep these guidelines in mind:</p><ul><li>Look for a filter certified by NSF International or the Water Quality Association.</li><li>Choose one that removes the contaminants in your water (check your local drinking water quality report to see what's present).</li><li>Change your water filters on time.</li></ul>4. Choose Safe and Effective Cleaning Supplies
<p>When buying household cleaning products, don't bring home chemicals that could harm your health more than some of the microbes you're trying to get rid of. Fortunately, there are a number of products on the market that work safely; here are some ways to shop wisely:</p><ul><li>Look for the Green Seal, Ecologo, or Safer Choice (EPA) seals.</li><li>Opt for fragrance-free options.</li><li>Avoid triclosan and quaternary ammonium compounds or "quats." (One tactic is to choose products that don't advertise as "antibacterial.")</li><li>Consult the EWG's list of <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2020/03/16-effective-and-safe-products-guard-against-coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safe and effective products</a> for guarding against coronavirus.</li></ul>5. Opt for Non-Toxic Beauty and Personal Care Products
<p>There are a lot of claims made on beauty and self-care products these days, but words alone, like "natural," "organic," "non-toxic," "clean," "green," and "eco-friendly," don't mean a thing — they aren't backed by any sort of regulatory or certification processes. Instead, to find non-toxic products you trust, you have to do a little research.</p><p>Start by checking reputable ratings databases like <a href="https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Skin Deep</a> (EWG) and <a href="https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Think Dirty</a>. Another good bet: Look for reliable third-party certifications on products labels, including:</p><ul><li>USDA Organic</li><li>EWG Verified</li><li>Made Safe</li><li>NSF/ANSI 305</li><li>Natural Products Association Certified</li><li>Whole Foods Market Premium Body Care</li></ul>6. Get Outside
<p>One more reason to <a href="https://vitalplan.com/blog/how-to-feel-great-and-boost-longevity-in-just-17-minutes-a-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="">get outdoors</a> beyond combatting cabin fever: The air in natural environments is generally much cleaner than indoor air. For one, outdoor air contains ⅔ less carbon dioxide, high levels of which negatively affect our productivity, <a href="https://vitalplan.com/blog/natural-sleep-aids" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="">sleep</a>, and more.</p><p>Forest air in particular contains phytoncides, organic compounds emitted by trees and plants that have been shown to boost our immune system function, plus plants in general help neutralize toxic substances in the air. Forests, open spaces, and open water are also rich in negative ions, which reduce inflammation.</p><p>So take your pick of natural environs, and get out there as often as possible — while still maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others, of course.</p>7. Bring Nature Indoors
<p>Plants are natural air purifiers, so bringing some plants indoors can help clear the air in your home. Here's a list of the top 10 air-purifying plants to consider:</p><ul><li>Areca palm</li><li>Lady palm</li><li>Bamboo palm</li><li>Rubber plant</li><li>Dracaena</li><li>English ivy</li><li>Dwarf date palm</li><li>Ficus</li><li>Boston fern</li><li>Peace lily</li></ul>8. Drive Less, Move More
<p>Staying off the roads decreases air pollution, and the fact that many of us are driving less these days is noticeably improving air quality. If your commute is on hold, try to translate some of your usual travel time into getting more physical activity, or sneak in more movement between other normal routines.</p><p>Exercise improves circulation, oxygenates your tissues, and enhances the work of the lymphatic system through muscle contractions — all of which make it easier to move toxins out of your body.</p>9. Practice Forgiveness
<p>Through the practice of gratitude, we stay centered and in the present moment. This allows us to move through situations from our heart. Take time to forgive someone or yourself for things in the past. When we forgive, we expand and open up to endless possibilities.</p>10. Quit a Bad Habit
<p>Are you a smoker? Pack rat? Chronically sleep-deprived? In a bad relationship? Toxins come into our lives in many forms. Consider if you're participating in any unhealthy patterns or holding onto anything that no longer serves you, and then find a way to limit those things in your life.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Major carbon sinks, such as the Taiga in Russia, could start absorbing less carbon within a few decades. LightFieldStudios / Getty Images
Up until now, humans have had an invaluable ally in the climate crisis battle: Earth's plants.
<p>These steadfast photosynthesizers have absorbed about a third of human-released greenhouse gas emissions, but that could change. A study published in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/7/3/eaay1052" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Science Advances</a> on Wednesday warned that if emissions continue at current rates, then we are decades away from a tipping point where plants would become less effective at absorbing carbon.</p><p>"To date the world's ecosystems have been taking up some of the CO2 that goes into the atmosphere from <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a>, and that's been buying us some time," Louis Schipper, study coauthor and University of Waikato professor, told the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/earth-may-reach-temperature-tipping-point-within-decades/H57FIR3XNV2RK4JIFI2HWX6ULY/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New Zealand Herald</a>. "The data that we've got from this paper suggests that the amount that ecosystems are going to do that service for us is going to decrease. That buying of time is going to go away, and quite quickly."</p><p>Plants have been referred to as Earth's lungs for their ability to take in carbon dioxide and combine it with sunlight and water to make food for themselves and oxygen for us, <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/123931638/earths-lungs-could-start-deteriorating-in-as-little-as-two-decades" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stuff explained</a>. So far, as carbon dioxide levels have increased, so has plants' ability to absorb it. But scientists wondered if plants would continue their absorption rates as the planet warms.</p><p>"The Earth has a steadily growing fever, and much like the human body, we know every biological process has a range of temperatures at which it performs optimally, and ones above which function deteriorates," Katharyn Duffy, lead study author and Northern Arizona University (NAU) postdoctoral researcher, said in an <a href="http://news.nau.edu/duffy-tipping-point/#.YABdBuhKhPa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NAU press release</a>. "So, we wanted to ask, how much can plants withstand?"</p>
<p>To answer that question, Duffy teamed up with researchers at New Zealand's University of Waikato and the Woodwell Climate Research Center. The researchers examined data from measurement towers in every major biome. These towers, collectively known as FLUXNET, measure the carbon exchange of ecosystems, <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264787-tropical-rainforests-may-begin-pumping-out-carbon-dioxide-by-2050/" target="_blank">New Scientist reported</a>.</p><p>The researchers then analyzed that data using the MacroMolecular Rate Theory recently developed by Waikato professor Vic Arcus. This theory, based on thermodynamics, allowed researchers to determine how temperature change would impact photosynthesis in every major biome.</p><p>What the researchers found was alarming. After temperatures pass 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit, plants in most ecosystems photosynthesize less. For ones known as C4 plants (such as maize and sugarcane), the tipping point is higher, at 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit, NAU explained. In both cases, the process of respiration, by which plants release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, was not suppressed when the temperature threshold was reached. This means that many biomes could shift from being carbon sinks to carbon emitters.</p><p>Currently, less than 10 percent of Earth's biomes regularly experience temperatures past the photosynthesis tipping point, but if emissions continue at current rates, as many as half of them could hit that threshold by mid-century. This includes important carbon sinks like the<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/amazon-rainforest" target="_self"> Amazon rainforest</a> and the Taiga in Russia and Canada.</p>
<p>"All the plants on Earth are picking up about 30 percent of all the carbon that we emit and so if that no longer happens, that can create kind of a runaway climate change rate," Duffy explained to New Scientist. "It's this feedback loop where the plants are taking up less carbon, there's more carbon in the atmosphere, there's more warming, and so on, and so forth."</p><p>The results had a profound personal effect on some of the researchers.</p><p>Schipper told the New Zealand Herald that he remembered the moment when he saw Duffy's data and understood the implications.</p><p>"I just stared at the graph for, I don't know, 10 minutes, and just expletives run through your head," Schipper told the New Zealand Herald. "You hope that you're right, because you want to get your science right, but in some ways you hope that you're wrong."</p><p>For Arcus, the results were a call to action. He sold his car and bought an electric bike instead.</p><p>"We need to curb global warming to remain at or below the levels established in the Paris Climate Accord," Arcus told the New Zealand Herald.</p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
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For many people, the holidays are rich with time-honored traditions like decorating the Christmas tree, lighting the menorah, caroling, cookie baking, and sipping from the unity cup. But there's another unofficial, official holiday tradition that spans all ages and beliefs and gives people across the world hope for a better tomorrow: the New Year's resolution.
<p>It's believed that ancient Babylonians were the <a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions-and-celebrations/#:~:text=4%2C000%20years%20ago%20in%20Babylon%20(around%202000%20B.C.)&text=Most%20historians%20believe%20Babylonians%20were,accordance%20with%20an%20agricultural%20year." target="_blank">first people to make New Year's resolutions</a> some 4,000 years ago. Over time, the popular practice shifted in scope from making promises to the gods about repaying debt to making promises to ourselves about self-improvement. Anyone who has ever made a New Year's resolution probably included something like get more sleep or be less stressed. And though it might not immediately come to mind when you brainstorm strategies for reaching your New Year's goals, it turns out that chamomile tea could be the answer for many of them. </p><p>If you've ever asked yourself why everyone is drinking chamomile tea, we've got the answer here. Read on to learn some of the reasons why this herbal beverage is all the rage.</p>
<p><em>Josh Hall has been a professional writer and storyteller for more than 15 years. His work on natural health and cannabis has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em></p>
Benefits of Chamomile Tea
<p><strong>Sleep More Soundly</strong></p><p>Pick your grandmother's brain about the best way to fall asleep, and she might tell you to down a nice glass of warm milk. But if you consult with science, research shows that chamomile might be a better option. That's because it contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">promote sleepiness and reduce insomnia and other sleep problems</a>.</p><p>Two research studies even confirmed the power of chamomile throughout the day and before bed. In one of those studies, postpartum women who drank chamomile for two weeks <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26483209" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced better sleep quality than the control group who didn't</a>. Another research effort measured how fast people could fall asleep. Those results illustrated that participants who consumed 270 milligrams of chamomile extract twice daily for 28 days <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198755/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fell asleep 15 minutes faster than the control</a>. The chamomile group also had considerably fewer sleep disruptions. </p><p><strong>May Be Able to Keep Your Gut Healthy</strong></p><p>Though the following studies used rats as the subjects, research shows that chamomile can potentially play a beneficial role in digestive health. According to that research, the anti-inflammatory properties in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24463157" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">chamomile extract may be able to protect against diarrhea</a>. Additionally, chamomile may be an effective way to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4177631/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stop the growth of bacteria in our stomachs that contribute to ulcers</a>.</p><p><strong>Reduces Stress and Anxiety</strong></p><p>Few things are more relaxing than curling up with a good cup of tea, so it's logical that chamomile tea can serve a stress reducer. While it lacks the potency of a pharmaceutical drug, long-term use of chamomile has been shown to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27912875" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">"significantly" reduce general anxiety disorders</a>. In general, chamomile can act almost like a sedative, and many people enjoy the tea because it puts them in a calm and relaxed state almost immediately. </p><p><strong>Boosts Immune Health</strong></p><p>Vitamin C and zinc are common over-the-counter supplements that people often turn to when they're hoping to avoid becoming sick. While scientists admit that more research must take place to prove chamomile's impact on preventing ailments like the common cold, the existing studies do show promise in this area. </p><p>One study had 14 participants drink five cups of the tea every day for two consecutive weeks. Throughout the study, researchers collected daily urine samples and tested the contents before and after the consumption of the tea. Drinking chamomile resulted in a significant increase in the levels of hippurate and glycine, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">both of which are known to increase antibacterial activity</a>. Inhaling steam from a pot of freshly brewed chamomile tea may also ease the symptoms of nasal congestion.</p><p><strong>Minimizes Menstrual Cramps</strong></p><p>This one may come as a surprise, particularly to readers who have tried every possible over-the-counter treatment to reduce period pain. Several research studies have proven that chamomile tea may be able to minimize the pain and cramps that occur during menstruation. Women in that same study also dealt with lower levels of anxiety that they typically felt because of menstrual cramps.</p><p><strong>Help Diabetes and Lower Blood Sugar</strong></p><p>For people with diabetes, regulating blood sugar levels can be a matter of life or death. And while chamomile will never replace prescription-strength drugs, it's believed that it can prevent an increase in blood sugar. A 2008 study on rats showed that chamomile could have a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf8014365" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">moderate impact on the long-term risk of diabetes</a>.</p><p><strong>Might Improve Your Skin</strong></p><p>Ever wondered why there's been an influx of chamomile-infused cosmetic products? The reason why so many manufacturers now include chamomile in their lotions, soaps, and creams is because it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5074766/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acts as an anti-inflammatory on our skin</a>. That means it may be able to soothe the puffiness that plagues us as we age. Those same anti-inflammatory properties can be vital in restoring skin health after we've received a sunburn. </p><p>Before discarding your used chamomile tea bags, try chilling them and placing them over your eyes. Not only will this help with the puffiness, but it can drastically light the skin color around the eye.</p><p><strong>Help With Heart Health</strong></p><p>Some of the most beneficial antioxidants we put into our bodies are what are known as flavones, and chamomile tea is chock full of them. Flavones have the potential to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which, when elevated, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814348/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">can lead to heart disease</a>.</p>Why Everyone Is Drinking Chamomile Tea
<p>Now that you know so much about the wonders of chamomile, it shouldn't come as a surprise why the tea is so popular with people of all ages. In addition to tasting great, chamomile offers up benefits that boost the health of body parts both inside and out. As you ponder your own New Year's resolutions, think about how healthy and natural vitamins, supplements, plants, and oils can help guide you on your own personal path to improvement. Happy New Year!</p>From Your Site Articles
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The red handfish, a relative of the extinct smooth handfish. Thor Carter / CSIRO Marine Research / CC BY 3.0
By John R. Platt
A few months ago a group of scientists warned about the rise of "extinction denial," an effort much like climate denial to mischaracterize the extinction crisis and suggest that human activity isn't really having a damaging effect on ecosystems and the whole planet.
<p>That damaging effect is, in reality, impossible to deny.</p><p>This past year scientists and conservation organizations declared that a long list of species may have gone extinct, including dozens of frogs, orchids and fish. Most of these species haven't been seen in decades, despite frequent and regular expeditions to find out if they still exist. The causes of these extinctions range from diseases to invasive species to habitat loss, but most boil down to human behavior.</p><p>Of course, proving a negative is always hard, and scientists are <a href="https://therevelator.org/extinction-time/" target="_blank">often cautious about declaring species truly lost</a>. Do it too soon, they warn, and the last conservation efforts necessary to save a species could evaporate, a problem known as the Romeo and Juliet Effect. Because of that, and because many of these species live in hard-to-survey regions, many of the announcements this past year declared species <em>possibly</em> or <em>probably</em> lost, a sign that hope springs eternal.</p>
<p>And there's reason for that hope: When we devote energy and resources to saving species, it often works. A study published in 2019 found that conservation efforts have <a href="https://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news/new-study-conservation-action-has-reduced-bird-extinction-rates-40" target="_blank">reduced bird extinction rates by 40%</a>. Another recent paper found that conservation actions have <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.12762" target="_blank">prevented dozens of bird and mammal extinctions</a> over just the past few decades. The new paper warns that many of the species remain critically endangered, or could still go extinct, but we can at least stop the bleeding.</p><p>And sometimes we can do better than that. This year the IUCN — the organization that tracks the extinction risk of species around the world — <a href="https://www.iucn.org/news/species/202012/european-bison-recovering-31-species-declared-extinct-iucn-red-list" target="_blank">announced</a> several conservation victories, including the previously critically endangered Oaxaca treefrog (<em>Sarcohyla celata</em>), which is now considered "near threatened" due to protective actions taken by the people who live near it.</p><p>"We can turn things around. We don't just have to sit there and cry," says conservation scientist Stuart Pimm, founder of the organization Saving Nature.</p><p>But at the same time, we need to recognize what we've lost, or potentially lost. We can mourn them and vow to prevent as many others as possible from joining their ranks.</p><p>With that in mind, here are the species that scientists and the conservation community declared lost in 2020, culled from media reports, scientific papers, the IUCN Red List and my own reporting.</p>
<p><strong></strong><a href="https://therevelator.org/orchids-extinct-bangladesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>32 orchid species in Bangladesh</strong></a> — One of the first papers of 2020 to report any extinctions announced the probable loss of 17% of Bangladesh's 187 known orchid species. Some of these still exist in other countries, but even regional extinctions (or extirpations, as they're called) tell us that we've taken a toll on our ecological habitats. A similar paper published just days later suggested that <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/inferring-the-extinction-of-species-known-only-from-a-single-specimen/446C333A40039167E16065F2A12E8B37" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nine more orchid species from Madagascar</a> may have also gone extinct.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTAxMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2ODgxNzQyMn0.tJZLpHZcVYq6Z9KtR08RWSxtsr-gkFp-vnF4qg5k0z4/img.jpg?width=980" id="2862b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef8218d21aad0543b43a1bea3a5d0536" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1024" data-height="576" />
19th-century drawings of orchid species recently declared extinct in Bangladesh.
<p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/123423283/123424374" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smooth handfish (<em>Sympterichthys unipennis</em>)</a></strong><strong> </strong>— One of the few extinctions of 2020 that received much <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/smooth-handfish-extinction-marks-a-sad-milestone/" target="_blank">media attention</a>, and it's easy to see why. Handfish are an unusual group of species whose front fins look somewhat like human appendages, which they use to walk around the ocean floor. The smooth species, which hasn't been seen since 1802, lived off the coast of Tasmania and was probably common when it was first collected by naturalists. Bottom fishing, pollution, habitat destruction, bycatch and other threats are all listed as among the probable reasons for its extinction. Even though the local fishery collapsed more than 50 years ago, the remaining handfish species are still critically endangered, so this extinction should serve as an important wake-up call to save them.</p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plant-species-extinct-america/" target="_blank"><strong>65 North American plants</strong></a> — This past year researchers set out to determine how many plants in the continental United States had been lost. They catalogued 65, including five small trees, eight shrubs, 37 perennial herbs and 15 annual herbs. Some of these had been reported before, but for most this is the first time they've been declared extinct. The list includes <a href="https://therevelator.org/extinction-hotspot-appalachia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Marshallia grandiflora</em></a>, a large flowing plant from the American Southeast that was declared its own species this past year. Too bad it was last seen in 1919 (and has been confused with other species for even longer).</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTAyMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MzMzNDgzMX0.pD6u8m-1Oix9-ZrfxzUXRz8xGCqFlk58X9BpY9fYfjM/img.jpg?width=980" id="89637" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4f72d3ab355d44905ae9a6384538bf47" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1024" data-height="576" />
The original Marshallia grandiflora holotype. Smithsonian NMNH / Creative Commons
<p><strong></strong><strong>22 frog species</strong> — The IUCN this year declared nearly two dozen long-unseen Central and South American frog species as "critically endangered (possibly extinct)" — victims of the amphibian-killing <a href="https://therevelator.org/extinct-frogs-golden-goose/" target="_blank">chytrid fungus</a>. They include the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/56423/109538689" target="_blank">Aragua robber frog (<em>Pristimantis anotis</em>)</a>, which hasn't been observed in 46 years, and the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/54542/109529302" target="_blank">Piñango stubfoot toad (<em>Atelopus pinangoi</em>)</a>, which mostly disappeared in the 1980s. A single juvenile toad observed in 2008 leads scientists to say this species "is either possibly extinct or if there is still an extant population, that it is very small (<50 mature individuals)."</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/54498/54340769" target="_blank">Chiriqui harlequin frog (<em>Atelopus chiriquiensis</em>)</a> and <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/55201/54344718" target="_blank">splendid poison frog (<em>Oophaga speciosa</em>)</a> </strong>— Last seen in 1996 and 1992, these frogs from Costa Rica and Panama fell victim to the chytrid fungus and were declared extinct in December.</p><p><strong><a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-09-mite-extinctions-natural.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">15% of mite species</a> </strong>— This requires a lot more research, but a paper published this past August announced "evidence of widespread mite extinctions" since the year 2000 following similar disappearances of plants and vertebrates. Mites may not look or sound important, but they play key roles in their native ecosystems. If 15% of the world's 1.25 million mite species have been lost, we're talking more than 8,300 extinctions — a number the researchers predict will continue to rise.</p><p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ibi.12839" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Simeulue Hill mynas</strong></a> — An alarming paper called this an "extinction-in-process" of a previously undescribed bird that probably went extinct in the wild in the past two to three years due to overcollection for the songbird trade. A few may still exist in captivity — for now.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>17 freshwater fish from Lake Lanao, Mindanao, the Philippines </strong>— A combination of predatory invasive species, overharvesting and destructing fishing methods (such as dynamite fishing) wiped these lost species out. The IUCN this year listed 15 of the species as "extinct" following extensive searches and surveys; the remaining two as "critically endangered (possibly extinct)." The predators, by the way, are still doing just fine. Here are the 15 extinct species:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18888/90996412" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes disa</em></a> — last seen in 1964.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15634/90997535" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes truncatulus</em></a> – last seen in 1973.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/4135/90997158" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes pachycheilus</em></a> – last seen in 1964.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15633/90997194" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes palaemophagus</em></a> – last seen in 1975.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18882/90996027" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes amarus</em></a> – Last seen in 1982.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18904/90997073" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes manalak</em></a> – Once a commercially valuable fish, last seen in 1977.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18886/90996370#assessment-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes clemensi</em></a> – last seen in 1975.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18889/90996574" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes flavifuscus</em></a> – last seen in 1964.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18891/90996925" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes katolo</em></a> – last seen in 1977.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/20687/90997252" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes palata</em></a> – last seen in 1964.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18884/90996105" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes baoulan</em></a> — last seen in 1991.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18890/90996625" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes herrei</em></a> — last seen in 1974, when just 40 pounds' worth of fish were caught.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18892/90996974" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes lanaoensis</em></a> — last seen in 1964.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12751/90997332" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes resimus</em></a> — last seen in 1964.</li><li><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18901/90997500" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Barbodes tras</em></a> — last seen in 1976.</li></ul><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTA2Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDg3Njg3M30.XLY38NFYhCjUPIJsZtRbrDzsKU8K__LTtlzc_9KvuXo/img.jpg?width=980" id="3c40e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="802d2acf447e6d0a50e10dfec771c393" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="989" data-height="882" />
Some of the extinct species from Lake Lanao. Photo © Armi G. Torres courtesy IUCN.
<p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/17365/22123157" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bonin pipistrelle (<em>Pipistrellus sturdeei</em>)</a></strong><strong> </strong>— Scientists only recorded this Japanese bat one time, back in the 19th century. The IUCN listed it as "data deficient" from 2006 to 2020, a period during which its taxonomy was under debate, but a paper published in March <a href="https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4755.1.8" target="_blank">settled that issue</a>, and the latest Red List update placed the species in the the extinct category. The Japanese government itself has listed the bat as extinct since 2014.<strong></strong></p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44792108/44798207" target="_blank"><em>Pseudoyersinia brevipennis</em></a> </strong>— This praying mantis from France hasn't been seen since 1860. Its declared extinction comes after some extended (and still unresolved) debate over its validity as a unique species.</p><p><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/123986030/123986038" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Agave lurida</strong></em></a> — Last seen in Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2001, this succulent was finally declared extinct in the wild this year after numerous expeditions searching for remaining plants. As the IUCN Red List notes, "There are only a few specimens left in <em>ex-situ</em> collections, which is a concern for the extinction of the species in the near future."</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136808736/137376234" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Falso Maguey Grande (<em>Furcraea macdougallii</em>)</a> </strong>— Another Oaxacan succulent that's extinct in the wild but still exists in cultivated form (you can buy these cacti online today for as little as $15). Last seen growing naturally in 1973, the plant's main habitat was degraded in 1953 to make way for agave plantations for mezcal production. Wildfires may have also played a role, but the species' limited distribution also made it easier to kill it off: "The restricted range of the species also made it very vulnerable to small local disturbances, and hence the last few individuals were easily destroyed," according to the IUCN.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/140416589/140416594" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Eriocaulon inundatum</em></a> </strong>— Last scientifically collected in Senegal in 1943, this pipewort's only know habitat has since been destroyed by salt mining.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/113204000/113309830" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Persoonia laxa</em></a> </strong>— This shrub from New South Wales, Australia, was collected just two times — in 1907 and 1908 — in habitats that have since become "highly urbanized." The NSW government still lists it as "<a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/profile.aspx?id=20230" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">presumed extinct</a>," but the IUCN placed it fully in the "extinct" category in 2020.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/147088627/149821996" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nazareno (<em>Monteverdia lineata</em>)</a> </strong>— Scientific papers declared this Cuban flowing plant species extinct in 2010 and 2015, although it wasn't catalogued in the IUCN Red List until this year. It grew in a habitat now severely degraded by agriculture and livestock farming.<strong></strong></p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/113168368/185558142" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wynberg conebush<em> (Leucadendron grandiflorum)</em></a> </strong>— This South African plant hasn't been seen in more than 200 years and was long considered the <a href="https://wynbergresidents.wordpress.com/2016/12/01/remembering-a-lost-wynberg-flower/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">earliest documented extinction from that country</a>, although it only made it to the IUCN Red List recently. Its sole habitat "was the location of the earliest colonial farms," including vineyards.</p><p><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/113166006/185559739" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Wolseley conebush (<em>Leucadendron spirale</em>)</strong></a> — Another South African plant, this one last seen in 1933 and since extensively sought after, including high <a href="https://www.proteaatlas.org.za/ldspir.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rewards</a> for its rediscovery. The IUCN says the cause of its extinction is unknown "but is likely the result of habitat loss to crop cultivation, alien plant invasion and afforestation." Oh yeah, and it probably didn't help that in 1809 a scientist wrote that the species possessed "<a href="https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/southern-africa/view/observation/545420/the-ugly-duckling-conebush-wolseley-conebush" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">little beauty</a>" and discouraged it from further collection.</p><p><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/169838762/169838772" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Schizothorax saltans</strong></em></a> — This fish from Kazakhstan was last seen in 1953, around the time the rivers feeding its lake habitats were drained for irrigation. The IUCN did not assess the species before this past year.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/190888/1960457" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Alphonsea hortensis</em></a> </strong>— Declared "extinct in the wild" this year after no observations since 1969, the last specimens of this Sri Lankan tree species now grow at Peradeniya Royal Botanic Garden.</p><p><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15006/22009211" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Lord Howe long-eared bat (<em>Nyctophilus howensis</em>)</strong></a> — This island species is known from a single skull discovered in 1972. Conservationists held out hope that it still existed following several possible sightings, but those hopes have now been dashed.</p><p><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/126612397/126613386" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Deppea splendens</strong></em></a> — This IUCN declared this beautiful plant species "extinct in the wild" this year. All living specimens exist only because botanist Dennis Breedlove, who discovered the species in 1973, collected seeds before the plant's sole habitat in Mexico was <a href="https://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=2209" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plowed over</a> to make way for farmland. Now known as a "holy grail" for some gardeners, cultivated plants descended from Breedlove's seeds can be purchased online for as little as $16.95.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/54549/54358350" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pass stubfoot toad (<em>Atelopus senex</em>)</a> </strong>— Another Costa Rican chytrid victim, last seen in 1986.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/56782/54369332#threats" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Craugastor myllomyllon</em></a> </strong>— A Guatemalan frog that never had a common name and hasn't been seen since 1978 (although it wasn't declared a species until 2000). Unlike the other frogs on this year's list, this one disappeared before the chytrid fungus arrived; it was likely wiped out when agriculture destroyed its only habitat.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44791445/170111359" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spined dwarf mantis (<em>Ameles fasciipennis</em>)</a> </strong>— This Italian praying mantis was only scientifically collected once, in or around 1871, and never seen again. The IUCN says the genus's taxonomy is "rather confusing and further analysis need to be done to confirm the validity of this species." Here's what we do know, though: There are none to be found today, despite extensive surveys.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/140414966/140414986" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Scleria chevalieri</em></a> </strong>— This Senagalese plant, last seen in 1929, once grew in swamps that have since been drained to irrigate local gardens.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/33562/83804687" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hawai'i yellowwood (<em>Ochrosia kilaueaensis</em>)</a> </strong>— This tree hasn't been seen since 1927. Its rainforest habitat has been severely degraded by invasive plants and goats, as well as fires. It's currently listed as <a href="https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/5248" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">endangered</a> under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, but the IUCN declared it extinct this past year.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/38690/87708976#threats" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Roystonea stellate</em></a> </strong>— Scientists only collected this Cuban palm tree a single time, back in 1939. Several searches have failed to uncover evidence of its continued existence, probably due to conversion of its only habitats to coffee plantations.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/59376/54381158" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jalpa false brook salamander (<em>Pseudoeurycea exspectata</em>)</a> </strong>— Small farms, cattle grazing and logging appear to have wiped out this once-common Guatemalan amphibian, last seen in 1976. At least 16 surveys since 1985 did not find any evidence of the species' continued existence.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/126612753/126613426#assessment-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Faramea chiapensis</em></a> </strong>— Only collected once in 1953, this Mexican plant lost its cloud-forest habitat to colonialism and deforestation.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/31679/149812995" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Euchorium cubense</em></a> </strong>— Last seen in 1924, this Cuban flowing plant — the only member of its genus — has long been assumed lost. The IUCN characterized it as extinct in 2020 along with <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/35254/149816104#assessment-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Banara wilsonii</em></a>, another Cuban plant last seen in 1938 before its habitat was cleared for a sugarcane plantation.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/110097724/110113066#text-fields" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Aloe silicicola</em></a> </strong>— Last seen in 1920, this plant from the mountains of Madagascar enters the IUCN Red List as "extinct in the wild" due to a vague reference that it still exists in a botanical garden. Its previous habitat has been the site of frequent fires.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/157719927/89815479" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Chitala lopis</em></a> </strong>— A large fish from the island of Java, this species hasn't been seen since 1851 (although many online sources use this taxonomic name for other "featherback" fish species that still exist). It was probably wiped out by a wide range of habitat-degrading factors, including pollution, unsustainable fishing and near-complete deforestation around nearby rivers.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/140416686/140416698" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Eriocaulon jordanii</em></a> </strong>— This grass species formerly occurred in two known sites in coastal Sierra Leone, where its previous habitats were converted to rice fields in the 1950s.</p><p><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/152357598/154696297" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Amomum sumatranum</strong></em></a> — A relative of cardamom, this plant from Sumatra was only scientifically collected once, back in 1921, and the forest where that sample originated has now been completely developed. The IUCN says one remaining cultivated population exists, so they've declared it "extinct in the wild."</p><p><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/115696622/115696628" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Lost shark (<em>Carcharhinus obsoletus</em>)</strong></a> — This species makes its second annual appearance on this list. Scientists <a href="https://therevelator.org/lost-shark/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">described this species in 2019</a> after examining decades-old specimens, noting that it hadn't been observed since the 1930s. This year the IUCN added the species to the Red List and declared it "critically endangered (possibly extinct)."</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTEwMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjE3MTkyMn0.Tm2BAY1LuWPDBgvHrdArhWA0Ah_XF7MMZfKUxEgvDxE/img.jpg?width=980" id="2d633" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="01f5eea468a9a3ea17dd3b3ef92aeb96" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1920" data-height="1080" />
"Lost shark." Photo: PLOS One
<p><strong><em><a href="https://bioone.org/journals/the-bryologist/volume-123/issue-4/0007-2745-123.4.657/----Custom-HTML----iCora/10.1639/0007-2745-123.4.657.short?tab=ArticleLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cora timucua</a></em></strong><strong> </strong>— This lichen from Florida was just identified from historical collections through DNA barcoding. Unfortunately no new samples have been collected since the turn of the 19th century. The scientists who named the species this past December call it "potentially extinct" but suggest it be listed as critically endangered in case it still hangs on in remote parts of the highly developed state. They caution, however, that it hasn't turned up in any recent surveys.</p><p><strong><a href="https://allafrica.com/stories/202004190028.html?fbclid=IwAR33mKWioEaLjHXIBdJqOyB40tp90UA-DEi69IecBTMQ8SQUyt1fEOCGf4g" target="_blank">Dama gazelle (<em>Nanger dama</em>) in Tunisia</a> </strong>— This critically endangered species still hangs on in a few other countries, and in captivity, but the death of the last individual in Tunisia marked one more country in which the gazelle has now been extirpated and serves as a stark reminder to keep the rest from fading away.</p><p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/john/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">John R. Platt</a> is the editor of The Revelator. An award-winning environmental journalist, his work has appeared in Scientific American, Audubon, Motherboard, and numerous other magazines and publications. His "Extinction Countdown" column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and the National Association of Science Writers. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/species-extinct-2020" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Cycling and using public transport are two ways to lower one's carbon footprint. Jordan Siemens / Getty Images
There's no doubt that tackling the climate crisis will require drastic action on a global scale. But there are also some personal changes you can make to curb your carbon footprint in the new year.
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fp.dw.com%2Fp%2F3mnzj%3Fmaca%3Den-Facebook-sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a></p>
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<em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/environment-6-eco-friendly-pledges-for-2021/g-55960935?maca=en-VAM_volltext_ecowatch-28485-html-copypaste" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2649747379#/" target="_self"></a>
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Go Car Free
<p>Instead of taking the car, consider using public transport or cycling — even just one day a week. Emissions from the transport sector make up a fifth of CO2 emissions, with the largest contributors being road vehicles like cars and buses. According to the Center for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS), going car-free can save an average of 2.04 tons of CO2 equivalent per person annually.</p>Fly Less
<p>When traveling long distances, take a train rather than a plane. Aviation contributes up to 2.5% of the world's global carbon emissions. And taking one fewer long-haul return flight per year can save 1.68 tons of CO2 equivalent per person per year, according to CREDS. If you can't avoid flying, you could also offset your emissions by donating to sustainable projects.</p>Eat Less Meat
<p>One way to lower your footprint is by eating less red meat in favor of plant-based alternatives, or swapping it for pork or poultry. Food production is responsible for about a quarter of global emissions — and the meat and dairy sectors are major contributors. A 2018 study found that producing a kilo of beef emits 60kg of greenhouse gases, compared to 6kg for poultry, or just 1kg for peas.</p>Cut Down on Waste
<p>About one-third of food produced globally is lost or wasted, contributing up to 10% of carbon emissions, according to the UN. When it ends up in landfills and rots, it produces the potent greenhouse gas methane. Households are responsible for a large portion of this waste. So you can curb your footprint in 2021 by planning meals, buying only what you need, and by freezing and reusing leftovers.</p>Start a Garden
<p>Why not introduce some new plants to your balcony or garden? Another way to reduce the amount of methane ending up in the atmosphere is by composting food waste in a bin and using it to nourish your plants. You don't need much space to grow veggies, and doing so can cut the footprint of your food. Adding insect-friendly plants to the mix will also attract pollinators like butterflies or bees.</p>Avoid Fast Fashion
<p>Making a pledge to buying fewer clothes in 2021 is another way to limit your carbon footprint. If you do need a new item, look for options that are second hand, or consider swapping or renting. According to the UN, the fashion industry produces about 10% of global carbon emissions. A main culprit is "fast fashion" — cheap clothes that are rapidly bought and thrown out as trends change.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Matt Porteous / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Essential oils have many health benefits, but anxiety management is where they really shine.
<p>Like a bullet straight to the heart of your biochemistry, their phytochemicals can swiftly enter the bloodstream and relieve anxiety fast.</p><p>Here are the four best essential oils for anxiety:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Lavender</li><li>Bergamot</li><li>Rose</li><li>Chamomile</li></ul><p>What makes these essential oils so effective at calming the nervous system?</p><p>Keep reading to find out.</p>
What Are Essential Oils?
<p>Essential oils are extracted from the roots, stems, flowers, leaves, and bark of certain plants.</p><p>Their therapeutic compounds can promote relaxation, improve mood, reduce anxiety, and ameliorate depression.</p>How Essential Oils May Help Anxiety
<p>Most compounds have to be digested or injected in order to enter the bloodstream.</p><p>However, the phytochemicals in essential oils, like linalool and linalyl acetate, are small enough to pass through the skin and nasal cavities.</p><p>From there, they can readily travel across the blood-brain barrier to potentially relieve anxiety.</p><p>People with anxiety often have concurrent digestive issues that inhibit nutrient absorption, making essential oils an especially valuable treatment.</p>How to Use Essential Oils for Anxiety
<p>Essential oils can be ingested, applied topically, or inhaled.</p><p>Aromatherapy massage, however, can provide particularly fast-acting relief.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18753801" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2008 study</a> found that aromatherapy hand massages with a blend of bergamot, lavender, and frankincense can effectively reduce anxiety, pain, and depression in hospice patients better than regular massage alone. The essential oil blend contained a 1.5 percent dilution of essential oils, using sweet almond oil as a carrier oil. </p><p>Carrier oils like almond, coconut, and <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/health/how-is-hemp-oil-made/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hemp seed oil</a> can spread the essential oil across a wider surface area and extend its aromatic effects.</p><p>However, oral lavender oil can be effective as well.</p><p>A 2009 study published in the journal <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19382124" target="_blank"><em>Human Psychopharmacology</em></a> found that oral lavender oil capsules can reduce anxiety in participants watching stressful film clips.</p>4 Best Essential Oils for Anxiety
<p>Essential oils can reduce stress hormone production and boost calming neurotransmitters.</p><p>Here's a closer look at the four best essential oils for anxiety:</p><p><strong>1. Lavender</strong></p><p>Lavender is the queen of anti-anxiety oils, and there's a mountain of evidence to prove it.</p><p>Over the years, lavender essential oil has been studied as a treatment for wounds, burns, and seizures, but recent research suggests that it may also have potent anti-anxiety, mood stabilizing, and sedative effects.</p><p>It can also be consumed as a lavender tea.</p><p>Here's what the research as to say about lavender essential oil for anxiety:</p><ul><li>According to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612440/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2013 meta-analysis</a>, lavender may promote the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and reduce glutamate, which tends to be overactive in anxious individuals. </li><li>A 2012 study published in the journal <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22402245/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Phytomedicine</em></a> found that lavender may reduce anxiety by acting on acetylcholine: the primary neurotransmitter involved with higher thinking. </li><li>Inhaled <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12112282/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lavender may target the limbic system</a> by targeting the hippocampus and amygdala: the emotional center of the brain.</li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17291597" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Animal studies</a> show that inhaled lavender can reduce cortisol: the main hormone linked to chronic stress and anxiety. </li><li>In a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24456909" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2014 human study</a>, researchers determined that oral lavender oil can outperform the prescription anxiolytic paroxetine in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).</li></ul><p>Although the FDA <em>does not</em> officially recognize lavender oil as a treatment for anxiety disorders, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5437114/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">European Medicines Agency</a> (EMA) does.</p><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26247152" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Recent research</a> shows that lavender oil may also reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and slow heart rate.</p><p><strong>2. Bergamot</strong></p><p>Bergamot is another widely-researched essential oil that may reduce anxiety, pain, stress, and inflammation.</p><p>According to a 2011 rodent study published in the journal <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21105176" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Phytotherapy Research</em></a>, "Both BEO [bergamot essential oil] and diazepam [prescription medication] exhibited anxiolytic-like behaviors and attenuated HPA axis activity by reducing the corticosterone response to stress.</p><p>In other words, bergamot treated stress and anxiety by calming the stress response.</p><p>Human studies are also promising.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5434918/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2017 pilot study</a> found that bergamot oil aromatherapy can enhance positive feelings in the waiting room of a mental health treatment center.</p><p><strong>3. Rose</strong></p><p>Studies show that rose essential oil may balance hormones, reduce stress, and treat anxiety.</p><p>Here's what the research has to say about the health benefits of rose essential oil:</p><ul><li>In a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17693981" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2007 Japanese study</a>, rose oil aromatherapy effectively reduced cortisol levels in both female and male volunteers. Plus, it decreased testosterone in women but had no effect on testosterone in men.</li><li>According to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5111093/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2016 clinical trial</a>, patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment may experience reduced anxiety with rose oil aromatherapy. </li><li>On a similar note, a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5511972/#B23" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2014 study</a> indicates that inhaling rose oil may increase feelings of comfort by inhibiting neurotransmitter activity in the prefrontal cortex. </li><li>According to another <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270653/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2014 study</a>, rose oil foot baths can be significantly more effective at reducing anxiety than regular foot baths.</li></ul><p>Rose essential oil also contains eugenol: one of the strongest antioxidants in the world.</p><p><strong>4. Chamomile</strong></p><p>Chamomile tea is widely used as a natural sleep aid, and that's because the plant contains several therapeutic phytochemicals, including the soothing compound chamazulene.</p><p>These properties also make chamomile well-suited for reducing stress and anxiety.</p><p>Both chamomile aromatherapy and oral chamomile appear to be equally effective.</p><p>In one <a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/040310.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2009 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study</a>, researchers at Pennsylvania State University tested the effects of oral chamomile capsules on 57 patients with mild generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).</p><p>Compared to the placebo, participants experienced a statistically significant reduction in anxiety symptoms.</p><p>According to the study's authors, "These results suggest that chamomile may have modest benefits for some people with mild to moderate GAD."</p><p>At the same time, a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6428160/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2013 aromatherapy study</a> found a significant difference in the anxiety scores between the chamomile group and the control group.</p><p>To top it all off, chamomile contains several terpenes and flavonoids that may treat gastrointestinal inflammation and reduce pain.</p>What to Know Before Using Essential Oils for Anxiety
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6428160/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Other anti-anxiety oils</a> to check out include, sage, frankincense, geranium, and orange oil.</p><p>It's also a good notion to never ingest essential oils without first making sure they're food-grade. Many oils are manufactured with synthetic perfumes that can upset and irritate the stomach.</p><p>If you have a history of serious medical conditions or are currently taking prescription drugs, make sure to consult a specialist before adding essential oils to your regular health practice.</p><p>All in all, many people have found aromatherapy and other essential oil applications to be very beneficial in the reduction of anxiety — and you might too.</p><p><em>Justin Fowler-Lindner, a former EMT turned freelance writer, spends his days popping supplements and soaking up the sun in tropical destinations around the world.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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From reducing stress levels to improving your focus, houseplants have many benefits. But did you know that some species of air-filtering plants can even prevent you from getting liver damage, kidney disease, and cancer?
<p>Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are used to make most home products—furniture, paint, carpets, and even the construction materials used to make the home itself. Over time, VOCs like formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, and toluene are off-gassed into the air and can cause serious health issues.</p><p>Typical electrostatic air filters can't remove VOCs, but luckily, there's an aesthetically pleasing, natural, <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19930073077" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NASA-proven</a> way to return your air to a better state: stocking your home with air-purifying plants. Read on to learn more about the 20 best air-purifying plants you can put in your home, as well as <a href="https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/B%201318_5.PDF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">care instructions</a> for each species according to the experts at the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.</p>
<p class=""><em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/about-ecowatch-2641507575.html?rebelltitem=47#rebelltitem47" target="_self">Melissa Smith</a> is an avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker, and all-around outdoor enthusiast. She graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in journalism and sustainable studies. Before joining EcoWatch, Melissa worked as the managing editor of Scuba Diving magazine and the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a non-profit that's featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral.</em></p>
1. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkxMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzgxMDEyNH0.WRQgHRgQrnGi7o4EmnEGCFaVhq4lFgFTBZcl27hiTvY/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C238%2C0%2C238&height=700" id="58d09" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3d2a98671bb0e47730a15485ffb1b46c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1245" data-height="700" />pink peace lily free image | Peakpxwww.peakpx.com<h3>Best For Air Purification</h3> <p>We're going with NASA on this one. According to the air-purifying plants study, the peace lily is unmatched in its ability to filter a range of chemicals from your air. Pair that with its low maintenance and unique look, and there's no doubt it tops our list of best air-filtering plants.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Medium light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Keep soil moist<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
2. Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkxMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjAwMjc3MX0.7W7b-3oKcjlVwedH-ypdOKAXRT4BGHm1b4x3WLoN0qk/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C31%2C0%2C31&height=700" id="b5b36" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2c72efbd1aace5c7cb92d375519fb4f4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1245" data-height="700" />File:Epipremnum aureum 31082012.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best For Quick Growth</h3> <p>Devil's ivy, money plant, hunter's robe—the golden pothos plant goes by many aliases. But no matter what you call it, there's no denying this species' ability to purify carbon monoxide, benzene, and formaldehyde from your air. It's also one of the quickest-growing (and easiest to maintain) houseplants, so it's great for beginner <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/home-garden-2646349726.html" target="_self">home gardeners</a>.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Low light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
3. Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkxMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDI5MTc3Mn0.N497LzizmkYdwaJ8btvWq6k7gjzpbemyiqlN_bWH6kY/img.jpg?width=2000&coordinates=0%2C630%2C0%2C630&height=1500" id="5528e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5feb2d2d115bd90936c99ff3c93fe36b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="2000" data-height="1500" />File:Snake Plant I.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best For Frequent Travelers</h3> <p>Ask any botanist which household plant requires the least maintenance, and the snake plant will surely be mentioned. This trendy plant makes for an excellent gift for avid travelers who are away from their homes for weeks at a time, or anyone else interested in low-maintenance, air-purifying plants.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Low light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering, but soil can also become moderately dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Low, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Mildly toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
4. Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea erumpens)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkyMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjMwNzk3MH0.uXDDaxj34Hjdla9zUtFvAJ1_e98Ul2I1lcm1pvR611c/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C191%2C0%2C191&height=700" id="17646" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ff5e4230d29e9f2c7855e17093eac5c5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1245" data-height="700" />green palm tree near buildingPhoto by katie manning on Unsplash<h3>Best Floor Plant</h3><p>No relation to actual bamboo, this palm makes an excellent floor piece in any home. The eye-catching fronds create an interesting and natural centerpiece, all while silently filtering the benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from your air.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Low light to medium light<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Nontoxic</p>5. Scarlet Star Bromeliad (Guzmania lingulata)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkyMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDUzNzgzN30.RjPp5tl-REXlAM500qUKfS1kBQgLf0bnIeOTc12-n1g/img.jpg?width=980" id="11e79" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b0f7361dd4e10e650e0c43eb721d188a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1023" data-height="682" />File:Scarlet Star (Guzmania lingulata) (2857478111).jpg - Wikimedia ...commons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best For Your Bathroom</h3> <p>In a recent study, chemists at the <a href="https://www.oswego.edu/news/story/oswego-professor-students-explore-green-solution-air-quality" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">State University of New York Oswego</a> found bromeliads, like the Scarlet Star, to remove 80% of VOCs from the air in only 12 hours. These flowering plants love humid environments, so consider placing them in the bathroom where they can soak up the steam from your showers.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: High, 50% or higher humidity<br>Need to Know: Nontoxic</p>
6. English Ivy (Hedera helix)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwMDYwNX0.27MgmQTLv3W1frSydyg1xF3_yZeOXzjAheBZpHr32iY/img.jpg?width=980" id="bdefa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bb70cb5cb24eb4d7767001d783e301ec" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="4000" data-height="3000" />File:Hedera helix (English ivy) (Middletown, Ohio, USA) 1 ...commons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best Trailing Plant</h3> <p>The leaves of English Ivy come in many different styles, but all are mesmerizing when trailing down bookcases or out of hanging planters. Pot your ivy in soil or water and give it nutrients, and it becomes a low-maintenance, air-filtering piece of natural art.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Medium light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Cool to average, 50 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Mildly toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
7. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzY2NTQyNn0.vz8XK9MOHEPcFwY-sSEPbVyIN2X68ga5VrZLxM5VmRE/img.jpg?width=980" id="a87d3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="79b2ff1c84519493a0b0edeb54e74b1f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="3872" data-height="2592" />File:Spider plant stolon2.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best Hanging Plant<br></h3> <p>The spider plant has become one of the most popular houseplants of modern times, and for good reason. In addition to being nontoxic, low-maintenance, and easy on the eyes, it works well as a carbon monoxide and VOC eliminator.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Medium light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Keep soil moist<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Nontoxic</p>
8. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkyNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTA1MjAwMn0.v1HDYq9zkeMOQ97vJxsKNlX7Oi1XOqSOkmgaz_RGqU0/img.jpg?width=980" id="30b6f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e488b996bdc24b05f752325534dd1bcf" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="720" />Boston Fern House Plant - Free photo on Pixabaypixabay.com<h3>Best For Home Propagating</h3><p>While the Boston Fern will do just fine in average humidity, a savvy plant owner will consider moving it into the bathroom with the Scarlet Star for some serious growth. When it outgrows its current pot, you can easily separate the roots into two separate plants. Keep this propagation cycle going to turn your home into a mini Jurassic world.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Medium light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average to high, 25% to 50% or higher humidity<br>Need to Know: Nontoxic</p>
9. Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkyOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTAxODEwOH0.1SA-szRQIMaehBrPbSZ2XalafpJGLl61wadpRmYLEwE/img.jpg?width=980" id="a370f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="175aab7297abf09a3a0bc7a1c89be1e6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="3499" data-height="5249" />Aloe vera plant on pot near wallPhoto by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash<h3>Best Dual-Purpose Plant</h3> <p>Aloe vera plants are not only useful after you forget to re-apply your <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/reef-friendly-sunscreens-2634686426.html" target="_self">reef-safe sunscreen</a>. They're also great to keep in your home for their air-filtering properties. Make sure they get plenty of sun (or install <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/grow-lights-indoor-gardening-2543133701.html" target="_self">indoor grow lights</a> if natural light isn't an option), and they'll earn their keep by removing formaldehyde from your air.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: At least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day<br>Water: Soil can become moderately dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Warm, 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Low, 5% to 24% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>10. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjQ2MTQxNn0.i9-U_AkpOb_2FyWcqlfxlZ-vkGc2PITSR8gtG53F3oI/img.jpg?width=980" id="e2149" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b17edd15ae10ea11fdd38e5f23fac7d3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="3920" data-height="2204" />File:Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema nitidum 'Silver Queen').jpg ...commons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best For Child-Free, Pet-Free Homes</h3> <p>One of the most <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/best-indoor-office-plants-2578031669.html" target="_self">popular indoor plants</a> in the world, the Chinese Evergreen thrives in low-medium light, making it ideal for brightening up darker corners of your home. For centuries, this plant has been bred throughout Asia as a "lucky plant," and in NASA's clean air study, scientists proved its ability to bring the fortune of good health.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Low light to medium light<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
11. Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkzMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTI2ODI0OH0.ZnCFmlQ6DzINPA9Pev-5ECovw3Pe_Jnac0pydNjmt98/img.jpg?width=980" id="af52f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7c8bf844850bc13bdb7bfa52257573f0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1961" data-height="3920" />File:Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana').jpg - Wikimedia ...commons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best For Serial Plant-Killers</h3> <p>Corn plants' thick canes make them visually appealing, but they're also one of the most effective air-purifying plants, removing VOCs like formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, and carbon dioxide. Plus, their care is near foolproof, so they're a great choice for those of us who don't exactly have a green thumb.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Medium light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to pets if ingested</p>
12. Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkzMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODA4MzcwM30.Iomvc030Xe4gOhJkxPCl49oEwuVloi4U3ZDvIaYmoOM/img.jpg?width=980" id="d8f2d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef958aa84de8932c402e61f76c2e8be7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1944" data-height="2592" />File:Dracaena Deremensis Janet Craig Flowering.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best For Large Spaces</h3> <p>Improving your air quality is near effortless with the Janet Craig plant. This large, easy-to-grow floor plant can survive in anything from low light to bright, indirect light and doesn't need much water. It fills a room beautifully, purifying the air at the same time.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Low light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
13. Broadleaf Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTYxNDMyOH0.M3gqWSIU-YsIlxUS-zvmzCFU-EVj1H3MarDLsCIcDk0/img.jpg?width=980" id="2984e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c0774c6bcfa7e8720432a97b36c5c16d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="2204" data-height="3920" />File:Broadleaf Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa).jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best For Filtering Cleaning Fumes</h3> <p>Haven't yet swapped harsh household disinfectants for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/eco-cleaning-products-2649054624.html" target="_self">eco-friendly cleaning products</a>? The ornate broadleaf lady palm can help remove toxic ammonia that may be trapped in the air in your home or apartment.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Medium light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Nontoxic</p>
14. Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDk0NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1OTAzNTU5OX0.eLxjKkhi283jwDe__DCB-VVyioOaImAfw0j4vN7bDh4/img.jpg?width=980" id="b84d1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f8551cf048ff743de4cafd9ef8bd5f40" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="2112" data-height="2816" />File:Starr 080608-7577 Ficus benjamina.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best Indoor Tree</h3><p>Weeping figs, also called ficus trees, are easy to care for and have superior formaldehyde-filtering abilities. However, if you have a sensitive immune system, this may not be the plant for you—weeping figs are one of the most common sources of household allergens, behind dust and pet dander.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Bright, indirect sunlight to direct sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
15. Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDk0Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzAyNjEyOH0.njxbVkZ7uulzlrhuFHKNUTop2tJ99HkHUbwkOads_P8/img.jpg?width=980" id="b0877" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0baca420bcd8b91bceb0831176213629" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1536" data-height="2048" />File:Ficus elastica Variegata.jpeg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best For Tall Growth</h3><p>If you're looking for an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/house-plant-rabbit-gene-2623931641.html" target="_self">air-purifying plant</a> that grows tall quickly, consider a rubber plant. When given the proper care, this species—which was named for its latex-loaded sap—can grow up to two feet per growing season, topping out at about 10 feet tall.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Medium light to direct sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average to warm, 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
16. Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkzNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTE2ODkwNH0.A1USOmpfrlCZQEoNKQr_qI7lCokV7TK5zPCrrpRjiHk/img.jpg?width=980" id="862d5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ed0d8bdee48922f72c0b82159174cae9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="3920" data-height="2204" />File:Areca palm 1.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best For Pet Owners</h3> <p>Areca palms not only filter indoor toxins from the air, but they also act as a natural humidifier, adding moisture to the air around them. If you have playful pets, they may be attracted to the palm's dangling fronds, but rest assured they're nontoxic and won't harm your animals if bitten or swatted at. </p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Medium light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Keep soil moist<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Nontoxic</p>
17. Flamingo Lily (Anthurium scherzerianum)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDkzOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODk4MDQ3M30.LqdhkGq6NbQXHusGlVdeDPgldx9SXE3LKNOTfkt3Rww/img.jpg?width=980" id="8e774" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="396bc1fa1428dff59bceea1e4910a0dd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="2560" data-height="1920" />File:AnthuriumAndraenum.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Best Color</h3> <p>A pop of bright color can liven up any room, and in that regard, the flamingo lily has you covered. This <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plants-that-promote-wellness-2580130461.html" target="_self">plant promotes wellness</a> by removing formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, and ammonium while adding a vibrant touch to your house or apartment.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Medium light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Keep soil moist<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average to high, 25% to 50% or higher humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested or touched</p>
18. Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDk0MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MDI5NDc1MX0.FgUS7qeu5JibJl3yPojlzxNfNv2-Aidl78VGNTlCI8U/img.jpg?width=980" id="fdc56" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c6c05fc04b1447e4ec5734adda8f714b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="2500" data-height="2425" />File:Chrysanthemum morifolium 08NOV.jpg - Wikipediaen.m.wikipedia.org<h3>Best Air-Purifying Flower</h3> <p>Prefer the look of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/delicate-flowers-injury-recovery-2645667102.html" target="_self">blooming flowers</a> to leafy green plants? Chrysanthemums are an excellent pick. Simply pot these flowers, set them on a sunny windowsill, and enjoy a home with fewer traces of formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: At least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day<br>Water: Keep soil moist<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
19. Warneckii (Dracaena deremensis)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDk0My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2Mzc1NjMzNX0.0HDDiHQfIHmij3DDD9_2SWVJ2nf_4JRKkR-C4WT3rIM/img.jpg?width=980" id="b3384" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6b94ff8ede669185a32de542c381e99a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="3504" data-height="2336" />File:Dracaena deremensis Warneckii 1zz.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Most Versatile</h3> <p>The Warneckii is yet another species in the <em>Dracaena</em> genus that performed well in NASA's clean air study. The best part about this plant? You can pot a small clipping or larger stalks to fill any space in your home or apartment—no matter how big or small.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Low light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
20. Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk3MDk0NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzkzMjk2MH0.5R1uAklEC_yTirRxWuK91bOHad53i6LcINLLLIP2czE/img.jpg?width=980" id="71c8b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="38b0907d49f6b3f7afba003def0db9d0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="2112" data-height="2816" />File:Starr 080117-2117 Dracaena marginata.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org<h3>Trendiest</h3> <p>It's safe to say dragon trees are having a moment. These trendy air-purifying plants have become a popular fixture of modern decor, but their <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/health-benefits-of-having-plants-at-home-2608386260.html" target="_self">benefits go far beyond aesthetics</a>—they also filter trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon dioxide from the air around you.</p><h4>How To Keep It Alive</h4><p>Light: Low light to bright, indirect sunlight<br>Water: Soil's surface should dry before re-watering<br>Temperature: Average, 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit<br>Humidity: Average, 25% to 49% humidity<br>Need to Know: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested</p>
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The Andean mountains of the Zongo Valley in Bolivia where the RAP expedition took place are steep and rugged, with numerous waterfalls and cascades. Trond Larsen / Conservation International
In the Bolivian Andes, scientists found 20 new species and rediscovered plants and animals not seen for decades.
<p>The findings were made on a 14-day scientific expedition in March 2017 led by non-profit environmental group <a href="https://www.conservation.org/" target="_blank">Conservation International (CI)</a> high into the cloud forests of the Andean mountains. As part of CI's Rapid Assessment Program, which assembles "ecological SWAT teams" to quickly and efficiently assess the health of ecosystems around the world, the team identified a total of 1,204 species in the Zongo Valley, 20 of which were completely new to science, <a href="https://www.conservation.org/blog/trove-of-new-species-discovered-in-hidden-bolivian-valley" target="_blank">Conservation News</a> reported.</p><p>Near the capital city of La Paz, Zongo Valley is known as the heart of a rich, biodiverse region, a <a href="https://www.conservation.org/press-releases/2020/12/14/new-rare-and-rediscovered-species-found-in-the-pristine-andes-of-bolivia#:~:text=La%20Paz%2C%20Bolivia%20%2D%20(December,orchid%20and%20four%20butterfly%20species." target="_blank">CI press release</a> stated. The cloud forests are well-preserved atop high, steep, rugged mountains more than 10,000 feet above sea level, perhaps explaining how so many species have remained undetected and unfound until now. Biologists and expedition team members hiked for more than two weeks through the valley to access the ecosystem, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/expedition-20-new-species-animals-in-bolivian-andes-2020-12" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Business Insider</a> reported.</p><p>Among the newly discovered species are the extremely venomous <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#68870035" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mountain fer-de-lance</a> viper, the red, yellow and green <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#12683785" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bolivian flag snake</a> and the tiny <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#93095728" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lilliputian frog</a>, according to the CI release. In addition, the valley flourishes with stunning plant and butterfly species, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/13/americas/new-species-bolivian-andes-spc-intl-scn/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. One such new orchid species, the Adder's mouth orchid, has parts that cleverly mimic insects, tricking them into transferring pollen for the flowers, CNN noted.</p><p>Although new to science, one species of <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#79934669" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bamboo</a> is well-known to local Indigenous communities, who use it to make musical instruments called sikus or zampoñas, the CI release said.</p>
<p>"[In Zongo] the noises you hear are from nature — all sorts of insects, frogs and birds calling, wonderful rushing sounds and cascades of waterfalls. Everything is covered in thick layers of moss, orchids and ferns," CI's expedition leader Trond Larsen told CNN.</p><p>In addition to identifying new species, researchers rediscovered four species thought to be extinct. The CI release mentioned how the <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#22445087" target="_blank">satyr butterfly</a> was last seen 98 years ago, but researchers caught a specimen in a trap containing its food source: rotten fruit. This species is believed to only live in the Zongo Valley. Another, the <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#52842114" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">devil-eyed frog</a>, was last seen 20 years ago before a hydroelectric dam was built in its habitat, CNN reported.</p><p>"The remarkable discovery of new species and rediscovery of species once thought extinct illustrates just how important it is to continue to sustainably develop La Paz in a way that protects and conserves the nature that surrounds it," Larsen told Conservation News. "This area has become a safe haven for amphibians, butterflies and plants that haven't been found anywhere else on earth. We owe it to future generations to keep it that way."</p><p>Despite the pristine habitat that many of the animals were found in, some are having to adapt to the climate crisis by moving to higher ground in search of cooler conditions, CNN reported. To get higher, animals often have to traverse forests to reach more habitable areas.</p>
<p>"Unless you keep those corridors of forest intact then those animals and plants have no way to move and no way to adjust to those changing conditions," Larsen explained to CNN. "That's why protecting places like the Zongo is so essential in the face of climate change."</p><p>The findings will inform sustainable development plans for rural areas of La Paz, 78 percent of which falls within the Zongo, the CI release said. The city will use the information to ensure that natural ecosystems are conserved while <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bolivia-drought-melt-glaciers-2112257923.html" target="_self">water resources are tapped to provide drinking water</a> and electrical power to the residents of La Paz and El Alto, the release continued.</p><p>"Anytime humans depend on an ecosystem for valuable resources and livelihoods — in this case, water and agriculture — there is a risk that it will be overexploited," Eduardo Forno, executive director of CI-Bolivia told Conservation News. "Currently, some of the biggest threats facing the Zongo Valley are the fires that are set to clear land for small-scale farming, which provides food and income for the rural communities in the area. This has the potential to destroy wildlife habitats and disrupt water sources."</p><p>In the CI release, Forno emphasized how the new discoveries helped make a case for a conservation area near La Paz to conserve the valuable nature and water of Zongo Valley.</p><p>"We are working with the municipality of La Paz and rural communities to use the results from our rapid assessment to strike a balance between protection and production in the Zongo Valley," he told Conservation News. "The plan is to help show the government and local communities the importance of the biodiversity in their own backyard — not only for their livelihoods, but for the entire planet."</p>
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The construction site of the Tesla Gigafactory in Brandenburg, Grünheide, Germany on Nov. 28, 2020. Patrick Pleul / picture alliance via Getty Images
Human made stuff now outweighs life on Earth.
That's the finding of a new study published in Nature Wednesday that sought to bring home the full weight of what human activity has done to the planet.
<p>"The study provides a symbolic and mass-based quantitative characterization of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/anthropocene" target="_self">Anthropocene</a> – the geological age of 'the era of humanity,'" study authors Emily Elhacham and Ron Milo <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/09/world/human-made-mass-exceeds-biomass-report-2020/index.html" target="_blank">told CNN in an email</a>. "Given the empirical evidence on the accumulated mass of human artifacts, we can no longer deny our central role in the natural world."</p><p>To generate their results, the study authors, based out of Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science, split human-made stuff into six categories. They were</p><ol><li>Concrete</li><li>Bricks</li><li>Asphalt</li><li>Metal and other materials, like <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic</a></li><li>Wood used for building and paper</li><li>Glass</li></ol>
<p>They then compared the weight of all this to Earth's biomass, or the combined weight of all of its living things, including humans and the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/animals" target="_self">animals</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plants" target="_self">plants</a> we raise for food. Earth's biomass has a weight of 1.1 teratons.</p><p>Their conclusion? 2020 is the "crossover point" when human-generated material outweighs nature.</p><p>This isn't the only surprising finding in the paper. The weight of human impact has been rapidly increasing, doubling roughly every 20 years in recent history. To put it in individual terms, the weight of each person is produced in the generation of stuff every week.</p>
<p>The heaviest human-made items are buildings and infrastructure, which are typically made from brick, asphalt or concrete, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/09/human-made-materials-now-outweigh-earths-entire-biomass-study" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. Plastic alone outweighs all land-based and marine animals.</p><p>And the discrepancy might be even more dramatic than the paper suggests. It did not calculate the weight of waste, and, if it had, human generated material might have outweighed biomass by 2013, according to CNN.</p><p>How did this happen? In 1900, human-produced stuff only accounted for around three percent of Earth's biomass, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/09/human-made-materials-outweighs-all-living-things-earth-study/6507646002/" target="_blank">USA TODAY reported</a>. Its rapid growth can be explained by two factors. First, humans have produced more stuff than we have reproduced people. Second, humans have also decreased the earth's biomass as we produced more things.</p>
<p>"Since the first agricultural revolution, humanity has roughly halved the mass of plants," the authors wrote in the study, according to The Guardian. "While modern <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/agriculture" target="_self">agriculture</a> utilises an increasing land area for growing crops, the total mass of domesticated crops is vastly outweighed by the loss of plant mass resulting from <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" target="_self">deforestation</a>, forest management and other land-use changes. These trends in global biomass have affected the carbon cycle and human health."</p><p>The researchers hope their findings will spur people into action to lessen humanity's impact on the earth.</p><p>"[W]e hope that once we all have these somewhat shocking figures before our eyes, we can, as a species, take responsibility," Milo told USA TODAY.</p>
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Top 10 Terpenes Found in Cannabis Plants
Learn about the most common types of terpenes, the unique properties of each, and which legal cannabis products contain these plant compounds.
07 December 2020
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Brian Jones / Unsplash
While most people associate the cannabis industry with marijuana, there's much more to the plant than meets the eye. Popular cannabinoids like CBD and THC garner a lot of the spotlight when it comes to cannabis, but terpenes are another natural component of the Cannabis sativa plant that have unique medicinal properties relevant to health.
<p>
Cannabis terpenes are non-psychoactive compounds that are found not only in the cannabis plant's variety of strains, but in many different types of plants across nature. Below, you can learn all about terpenes, which ones are the most common, and their biological relevance for health. We'll even share some hemp-derived CBD products known to include a variety of terpenes.
</p><h2>What are terpenes?</h2><p>
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7181184/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Over 500 plant bioactives</a> have been discovered in cannabis. Terpenes are a major part of that discovery. You may not have known it at the time, but you've almost certainly encountered terpenes at some point in your life. Terpenes are naturally occurring phytochemical compounds found within the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7120914/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">essential oils of cannabis and other plants</a> we consume like tea, thyme, sage, rosemary, mint, citrus fruits, and even carrots, to name a few.
</p><p>
Terpenes are aromatics that help to determine the smell that each plant will give off. This serves as both a defense mechanism from hungry plant-eating animals and an enticement for pollinating insects. In some cases, terpenes can even provide the plant with protection from germs caused by bacteria or fungus. In other words, terpenes are intrinsic phytochemicals that are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4362742/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">critical for plant survival</a>.
</p><p>
Because terpenes provide the fragrant scents we've come to know and love from some of our favorite plants, manufacturers have utilized these compounds as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165946/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fragrance and flavor components</a> in the production of an assortment of household, beauty, food, and biotech products. For example, think of cleaning supplies and perfumes that invoke the smell of pine trees, lavender, lemon, and orange. Terpenes.
</p><p>
Different terpenes also influence the plant's appearance, along with what we taste and how we feel when we consume it. Each strain of cannabis will have more than one compound present, and the combination of those varying parts makes up the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168945219301190?via%3Dihub#bib0140" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plant's terpene profile</a>. To date, a whopping <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168945219301190?via%3Dihub#bib0010" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">150 different terpenes and 100 different cannabinoids</a> have been identified in the cannabis plant. This has relevance not only for medical cannabis (marijuana), but also for another variety of Cannabis sativa: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4740396/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">industrial hemp and its related products</a> (e.g., CBD oils).
</p><p>
Learning how terpenes work makes it easier to predict the potential physiological effects of a specific cannabis strain or hemp-derived CBD product. While terpenes have been used in Eastern medicine for millennia, the West just started taking notice in the last few decades. Because of this recency, the bulk of published research on terpenes has been conducted in animal and cell models, with just a handful of human studies completed.
</p><h2>Cannabinoids vs terpenes</h2><p>
In the same way that THC and CBD share a similar chemical structure, one could say the same for certain subsets of terpenes. With over <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5599884/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">80,000 terpenes identified</a>, it's a big family. But at their most basic form, terpenes are composed of a five-carbon organic building block, an "isoprene", and depending on the terpene, there will be varying amounts of isoprene units. These isoprene blocks are absent in cannabinoids.<br/>
</p><p>
Despite chemical structure differences, both cannabinoids and terpenes originate in the same resin glands, known as trichomes, of the cannabis plant. Research indicates that when working in tandem,<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6749504/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> cannabinoids and terpenes produce enhanced biological activity</a>, more than either could produce solo. This synergistic relationship is known as the "<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165946/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">entourage effect</a>," and it is directly pertinent to cannabis products since their terpene content can influence how cannabinoids impact the body.
</p><h2>Common terpenes</h2><p>
There are thousands of terpenes found in plants across the globe, with scientists labeling <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4740396/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more than 100 different types within cannabis</a> alone. Despite those numbers, there are a handful that are more common than others. Let's take a closer look at some of the more prevalent terpenes, what you might smell and taste with each, and their medicinal properties.
</p><h3>Limonene</h3><p>
As its name suggests, this terpene found in cannabis touts a big, bold aroma consistent with citrus fruits like lemon and orange. But it is also thought to pack a punch to our systems, in a good way. Among the most significant biological activities uncovered in animal and cell studies, limonene has a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7409346/#B186-cancers-12-01985" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">variety of anticancer properties</a> and is being investigated in clinical trials as a possible <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25388013/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chemopreventive agent</a> in women with breast cancer. In addition to this promising research, limonene has <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30287506/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory</a> characteristics too.
</p><h3>Myrcene</h3><p>
With a natural musk that conjures up images of earthiness, this terpene is commonly found in cannabis, lemongrass, hops, basil, and mango. Animal research on myrcene shows potential for sleep support via <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12587690/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sedative and relaxant properties</a> demonstrated in mice. Preliminary studies also show myrcene's <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5402865/#b74-tr-33-097" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-inflammatory and anticancer</a> traits.
</p><h3>Pinene</h3><p>
For you forest bathing aficionados, another terpene with a name indicative of its origin, pinene is derived from pine needles (and found in cannabis) and features an earthy taste and scent. More importantly, there is research from animal and cell studies that reveals <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5402865/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pinene's anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anticancer, and neuroprotective</a> traits. Future research in humans will be important to understand pinene's potential impact on cancer and neurodegenerative processes.
</p><p>
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<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bff71cddee066180d992d89d28bb8fbf"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v3EaUSwiD1Y?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">What Are Terpenes? | Cannabis for Beginners</small>
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</p><h3>Linalool</h3><p>
Found in frankincense and cannabis, linalool dates back to antiquity. This terpene is also the compound responsible for giving lavender its sweet and rich scent, but you can find linalool in other plants like coriander and tomatoes as well. Frequently used in aromatherapy settings because of its purported calming effects, one <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26831333/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome</a> demonstrated that inhaled linalool reduced blood pressure and pulse rate, while increasing antioxidant activity. Linalool also acts as a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5402865/#b74-tr-33-097" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">potent anti-inflammatory agent</a>, capable of inhibiting production of inflammatory cytokines. Other linalool properties discussed in early research include <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927776518305253" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anticancer, anti-hyperlipidemic, antimicrobial, analgesic, and neuroprotective</a>.
</p><h3>Beta-Caryophyllene</h3><p>
If you've ever used black pepper, you're familiar with the spicy and robust scent of beta-caryophyllene. This terpene is also found in cannabis, cloves, hops, and rosemary. This terpene has <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24930711/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects</a> seen in mouse studies, and its <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30281175/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">neuroprotective potential</a> is a current area of research interest. Other experimental studies reveal an array of additional pharmacological activities for beta-caryophyllene, including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26965491/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory</a>, to name a few, along with an <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31408659/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-arthritic effect </a>seen in rat studies.
</p><h3>Eucalyptol</h3><p>
Eucalyptus-based soaps, beauty bars, and cleaning supplies are popular in households across America, and a terpene called eucalyptol is responsible for these products' appealing minty scent. Eucalyptol is known for its<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27771935/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties</a>, which researchers believe have promising therapeutic potential. Further, experimental studies reveal its <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7409346/#B186-cancers-12-01985" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anticancer properties</a>. Eucalyptol is not only found in eucalyptus, but also cannabis, rosemary, sage, sweet basil, bay leaves, tea tree, and cardamom.
</p><h3>Bisabolol</h3><p>
Another of the most calming scents around (and one used in a variety of personal care products and teas), chamomile, features a terpene called bisabolol. Not only is this light and sweet floral aroma appealing to the senses, but this terpene also found in cannabis has a variety of potential benefits ranging from <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31408659/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-inflammatory properties</a> to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7409346/#B186-cancers-12-01985" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-cancer effects</a>, seen in cell studies. Furthermore, bisabolol's antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic abilities were recently shown to have<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29725846/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> clinical efficacy in patients following oral surgery</a>, with a bisabolol mouthwash achieving an improvement in "oral hygiene and wound healing, as well as in the reduction of postoperative pain."
</p><h3>Ocimene</h3><p>
Cannabis strains with an abundance of ocimene are likely to be sweeter and richer than some others. It's also possible for citrusy hints and earthy undertones to come through with this terpene, which is also found in hops, kumquats, mangoes, basil, bergamot, lavender, orchids, and pepper. More studies are needed to understand ocimene's medicinal properties, but this terpene may<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24012643/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> potentially contribute to antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities</a>.
</p><h3>Nerolidol</h3><p>
This terpene can be found in cannabis, ginger, jasmine, lavender, tea tree, orchid, and lemongrass, and has a distinct woodsy and occasional citrus scent. Because of its<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27136520/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> antimicrobial, anti-parasitic, and antioxidant benefits</a>, researchers believe that nerolidol could be a promising candidate for use in agriculture and medicine. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7409346/#B186-cancers-12-01985" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">variety of anticancer effects</a> for nerolidol have also been observed at the cellular level.
</p><h3>Caryophyllene Oxide</h3><p>
This terpene is actually the oxidized form of beta-caryophyllene, so it makes sense that it would share in its strong scent. In addition to cannabis, you're likely to find caryophyllene oxide and its spicy aroma in black pepper, oregano, cloves, lemon balm, basil, and rosemary. Interesting trivia: drug-sniffing dogs are trained to detect this terpene for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/caryophyllene-oxide" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cannabis identification purposes</a>. Experimental research shows that caryophyllene oxide has <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5083753/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pain-relieving</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7409346/#B186-cancers-12-01985" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anticancer properties</a>.
</p><h3>Humulene</h3><p>
Though it grabs headlines for the boldness it brings to beers described as "hoppy" in flavor, you can also find humulene in cannabis, sage, and ginseng. This terpene with a woodsy or piney aroma has shown<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5083753/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a>to possess <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2785529/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-inflammatory</a> properties. Additionally, several experimental studies support its <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7409346/#B186-cancers-12-01985" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anticancer characteristics</a>, as well as<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30593228/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> antibacterial and antiviral activity</a>.
</p><h2>Do terpenes get you high?</h2><p>
One of the hot button issues surrounding marijuana stems from the fact that it can induce a "high," which has led some people to wonder if high concentrations of terpenes are responsible for that sensation. While there are abundant terpenes in the cannabis plant, these compounds do not get users high. The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5741114/#ref53" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">psychotropic effects from using marijuana</a> are due to THC, a singular cannabinoid that is totally different from terpenes in structure and function. And remember that CBD products, derived from industrial hemp, are required by US law to have less than 0.3% THC (trace levels), so the "high" conversation becomes irrelevant in that context.
</p><h3>Which cannabis products contain the most terpenes?</h3><p>When it comes to marijuana, you'll find an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5436332/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">array of terpenes within each strain</a>. However, in hemp derived CBD oils, edibles, and topicals, terpenes may not be present in every formula. It just depends. That's why we've highlighted some high quality CBD products on the market known to contain a range of cannabinoids and terpenes, so you can tap into that synergy (aka entourage effect).</p><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p>
<p class="">
<em><strong>Josh Hall</strong> has been professional writer and storyteller for more than 15 years. His work on natural health and cannabis has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em>
</p>
Spruce
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CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwNTgxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjcwMjY5Nn0.XrD-lOpKBkVIGVp2OTzj-R0NRCyWL6QtL60pMcCxKD4/img.jpg?width=980" id="ce9ea" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e74d4e18e828e7e5d235417c7199ed75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery 1000mg cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>If you'd like a little more variety when choosing the right CBD oil for you, CBDistillery offers plenty of strength variations, as well as full and broad spectrum products. Both formulas contain various terpenes and cannabinoids, and are available in a 500, 1,000, 2,500, or 5,000 milligram potency. Every CBDistillery product includes a QR code on the packaging, which can be scanned to access the full batch third party test results for your specific item, and see exactly which terpenes it contains.</p>
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FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwNTgxMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTc1NzIwOH0.wmAfiolLFMUPKos8dbcq3oWPYRW2J-pB_9b48ssWD3s/img.jpg?width=980" id="4ab32" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e49fc1fd411ad5b5130405b4dd9b213a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil in berry flavor" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>For anyone who doesn't love the earthy taste of natural CBD oil, then FAB is a great brand to consider. Its full spectrum CBD oils come in four different strengths, and five flavor options (mint, berry, citrus, vanilla, and natural) to match any palate preferences you may have. However, these tasty flavors do not take away from the other beneficial compounds within the product, including the terpene composition, which can be found within the <a href="https://fabcbd.com/lab-reports/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">third party lab test reports</a> for each product.</p>
$39
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Seagrass: Another Vital Carbon-Sequestering Ecosystem Threatened by Climate Change
24 November 2020
Popular
Susanna Pershern / Submerged Resources Center/ National Park Service / public domain
By Melissa Gaskill
Two decades ago scientists and volunteers along the Virginia coast started tossing seagrass seeds into barren seaside lagoons. Disease and an intense hurricane had wiped out the plants in the 1930s, and no nearby meadows could serve as a naturally dispersing source of seeds to bring them back.
<p>The seeding effort eventually delivered more than 70 million seeds — and it paid off, creating some 9,000 acres of the underwater plants.</p>
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</div></blockquote></div><p>Now monitoring of these restored meadows reveals multiple benefits to their restoration, including substantial increases in fish and invertebrate abundance, improved water clarity, and significant trapping of carbon and nitrogen.</p><p>"Planting adult seagrass is very labor intensive, but we started looking at using seeds in the lab and found it was quite easy," said biologist Robert "JJ" Orth, lead author on a new <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/41/eabc6434" target="_blank">paper</a> about the project. "These areas have good water quality, are shallow and are near the ocean so they get bathed in cooler water — perfect conditions. It was a surprise how quickly it happened."</p>
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Restored seagrass beds in Virginia now provide habitat for hundreds of thousands of scallops. Bob Orth, Virginia Institute of Marine Science / CC BY 2.0
<p>The paper is part of a growing trend of evidence suggesting seagrass meadows can be easier to restore than other coastal habitats.</p><p>Successful seagrass-restoration methods include <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304377099000078?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">transplanting shoots</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00314.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mechanized planting</a> and, more recently, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17438-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">biodegradable mats</a>. Removing threats, proximity to donor seagrass beds, planting techniques, project size and site selection all play roles in a restoration effort's success.</p><p>Human assistance isn't always necessary, though. In areas where some beds remain, seagrass can even recover on its own when stressors are reduced or removed. For example, seagrass began to recover when Tampa Bay improved its water quality by reducing nitrogen loads from runoff by roughly 90%.</p><p>But more and more, seagrass meadows struggle to hang on.</p><p>The marine flowering plants have declined globally since the 1930s and currently disappear at a rate equivalent to a football field every 30 minutes, according to the <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/report/out-blue-value-seagrasses-environment-and-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Nations Environment Programme</a>. And research published in 2018 found the rate of decline is <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2018GB005941" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">accelerating</a> in many regions.</p><p>The causes of decline vary and overlap, depending on the region. They include thermal stress from climate change; human activities such as dredging, anchoring and coastal infrastructure; and intentional removal in tourist areas. In addition, increased runoff from land carries sediment that clouds the water, blocking sunlight the plants need for photosynthesis. Runoff can also carry contaminants and nutrients from fertilizer that disrupt habitats and cause algal blooms.</p><p>All that damage comes with a cost.</p>The Value of Seagrass
<p>As with ecosystems like rainforests and <a href="https://therevelator.org/mangroves-climate-change/" target="_blank">mangroves</a>, loss of seagrass increases carbon dioxide emissions. And that spells trouble not just for certain habitats but for the whole planet.</p><p>Although seagrass covers at most 0.2% of the seabed, it <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/seagrass-secret-weapon-fight-against-global-heating" target="_blank">accounts for 10%</a> of the ocean's capacity to store carbon and soils, and these meadows store carbon dioxide an estimated 30 times faster than most terrestrial forests. Slow decomposition rates in seagrass sediments contribute to their <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238506081_Assessing_the_capacity_of_seagrass_meadows_for_carbon_burial_Current_limitations_and_future_strategies" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">high carbon burial rates</a>. In Australia, according to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.15204" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">research</a> by scientists at Edith Cowan University, loss of seagrass meadows since the 1950s has increased carbon dioxide emissions by an amount equivalent to 5 million cars a year. The United Nations Environment Programme reports that a 29% decline in seagrass in Chesapeake Bay between 1991 and 2006 resulted in an estimated loss of up to 1.8 million tons of carbon.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwMzMxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDk0NDAwOX0.ILZN1S7VzsMsdiF6usSunDgL0wYRlgtFEoLb5Hinwq4/img.jpg?width=980" id="3b37c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="06cc09d311c7b9b0d90ae063f04bbb5b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="800" data-height="532" />
Eelgrass in the river delta at Prince William Sound, Alaska. Alaska ShoreZone Program NOAA / NMFS / AKFSC; Courtesy of Mandy Lindeberg / NOAA / NMFS / AKFSC
<p>Seagrasses also protect costal habitats. A healthy meadow slows wave energy, reduces erosion and lowers the risk of flooding. In Morro Bay, California, a 90% decline in the seagrass species known as eelgrass caused extensive erosion, according to a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272771420303528?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">paper</a> from researchers at California Polytechnic State University.</p><p>"Right away, we noticed big patterns in sediment loss or erosion," said lead author Ryan Walter. "Many studies have shown this on individual eelgrass beds, but very few studies looked at it on a systemwide scale."</p><p>In the tropics, seagrass's natural protection can reduce the need for expensive and often-environmentally unfriendly <a href="https://www.nioz.nl/en/news/zeegras-spaart-stranden-en-geld" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">beach nourishments</a> regularly conducted in tourism areas.</p><p>Seagrass ecosystems improve water quality and clarity, filtering particles out of the water column and preventing resuspension of sediment. This role could be even more important in the future. By producing oxygen through photosynthesis, meadows could help offset decreased oxygen levels caused by warmer water temperatures (oxygen is less soluble in warm than in cold water).</p><p>The meadows also provide vital habitat for a wide variety of marine life, including fish, sea turtles, birds, marine mammals such as manatees, invertebrates and algae. They provide nursery habitat for <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/32636/seagrass.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">roughly 20%</a> of the world's largest fisheries — an <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/seagrass-meadows-harbor-wildlife-for-centuries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">estimated 70%</a> of fish habitats in Florida alone.</p><p>Conversely, their disappearance can contribute to die-offs of marine life. The loss of more than 20 square miles of seagrass in Florida's Biscayne Bay may have helped set the stage for a widespread <a href="https://www.wlrn.org/2020-08-14/the-seagrass-died-that-may-have-triggered-a-widespread-fish-kill-in-biscayne-bay" target="_blank">fish kill</a> in summer 2020. Lack of grasses to produce oxygen left the basin more vulnerable when temperatures rose and oxygen levels dropped as a result, says Florida International University professor Piero Gardinali.</p>Damaged Systems, a Changing Climate
<p>Governments and conservationists around the world have already put a lot of effort into coastal restoration efforts. And that's helped some seagrass populations.</p><p>Where stressors remain, though, restoration grows more complicated. <a href="https://www.rug.nl/research/portal/en/publications/the-future-of-seagrass-ecosystem-services-in-a-changing-world(3a8c56db-7bed-4c9e-ac7f-c72453e2a102).html" target="_blank">Research</a> published this September found that only 37% of seagrass restorations have survived. Newly restored meadows remain vulnerable to the original stressors that depleted them, as well as to storms — and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate change</a>.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwMzMyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzY3MTExM30.z7W72RvpB9iQMUIeVr7IA0G8dzqmtz19gLinEoTfBpA/img.jpg?width=980" id="9e386" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9d2aa1b4aba58ffe18d83acaa13f10f2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="800" data-height="600" />
Seagrass in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida. Alicia Wellman / Florida Fish and Wildlife / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
<p>In Chesapeake Bay a cold-water species of seagrass is currently hitting its heat limit, especially in summer, according to Alexander Challen Hyman of University of Florida's School of Natural Resources and Environment. As waters continue to warm due to climate change, the species likely will disappear there.</p><p>Climate-driven sea-level rise complicates the problem as well. Seagrasses thrive at specific depths — too shallow and they dry out or are eaten, too deep and there isn't enough light for photosynthesis.</p>But There’s Good News, Too
<p>Luckily, left to its own devices, a seagrass meadow can flourish for hundreds of years, according to a <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.1861" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">paper</a> published last year by Hyman and other researchers from the University of Florida. The researchers arrived at their conclusion by looking at shells of living mollusks and fossil shells to estimate the ages of meadows in Florida's Big Bend region on the Gulf Coast.</p><p>That area has extensive, relatively pristine seagrass meadows. "Our motivation was to understand the past history of these systems, and shells store a lot of history," said co-author Michal Kowalewski.</p><p>A high degree of similarity between living and dead shells indicates a stable area, while a mismatch suggests an area shifted from seagrass to barren sand. The researchers found that long-term accumulations of shells resembled living ones, suggesting that the seagrass habitats have been stable over time.</p><p>That stability allows biodiversity to thrive, creating conditions where specialist species can survive and flourish, according to Hyman.</p><p>Discovering the long-term stability of seagrass meadows has implications for choosing restoration sites, Kowalewski notes.</p><p>"There must be reasons they thrive in one place, while a mile away they don't and fossil data says they probably never did," he said. "If we remove a seagrass patch, we cannot hope to plant it somewhere else. It's not just the seagrass that is special. The location at which it's found is special, too."</p><p>A better approach is conserving these habitats in the first place, but we're not doing enough of that right now. The UN reports that marine protected areas safeguard just 26% of recorded seagrass meadows, compared with 40% of coral reefs and 43% of mangroves.</p><div id="0e43d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5dd416de57a6668bb7b310f46cb45a94"><blockquote class="instagram-media"
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</div></blockquote></div><p>In the meantime, small actions can make a big difference — such as fertilizer ordinances, for example, Gardinali suggested.</p><p>"Nitrogen and phosphorus are the problem," he said. "It's an easy first step. We can change the way we do small things, one at a time."</p><p>Everything we do at this point will help, not only seagrass but everything that depends on it.</p><p>"These habitats are so vital," Hyman says. "Putting aside erosion control and all these benefits people might not find as important, they harbor juvenile stages of all these marine species we like to eat — blue crabs, for example. From that standpoint alone, seagrass provides countless benefits to the economy."</p><p>Those benefits have mostly gone ignored in favor of more visible, charismatic land-based habitats. That needs to change, the experts say.</p><p>"What the trees in the Amazon rainforest provide for that system is what eelgrass provides in estuarine systems," said Walter. "So many ecosystem services, beyond just being a beautiful grass."</p><p>One that, if we let it, will provide those services for hundreds of years.</p><p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/gaskill/" target="_blank">Melissa Gaskill</a> is a freelance science writer based in Austin whose work has appeared in Scientific American, Mental Floss, Newsweek, Alert Diver and many other publications. She is the co-author of A Worldwide Travel Guide to Sea Turtles and author of Pandas to Penguins: Ethical Encounters with Animals at Risk.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/seagrass-climate-change/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>. </em></p>
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A grim new assessment of the world's flora and fungi has found that two-fifths of its species are at risk of extinction as humans encroach on the natural world, as The Guardian reported. That puts the number of species at risk near 140,000.
<p>The new report, <a href="https://www.kew.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/Kew%20State%20of%20the%20Worlds%20Plants%20and%20Fungi.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">State of the World's Plants and Fungi 2020</a>, and an accompanying <a href="https://youtu.be/fTHKjZyuUos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">short video</a> were published by Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and depict an international effort from hundreds of scientists from 42 countries who analyzed the health of thousands of animal species. The researchers looked at how people are interacting with plants, how plants and fungi are being used, and what opportunities people are missing, as <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/two-fifths-of-world-s-plants-at-risk-of-extinction-report-warns-1.4368362" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Irish Times</a> reported.</p>
<p>The report highlights that plants are crucial to sustaining life as they provide food, medicine, raw materials, fuel and food. And yet, the report notes, "Never before has the biosphere, the thin layer of life we call home, been under such intensive and urgent threat. Deforestation rates have soared as we have cleared land to feed ever-more people, global emissions are disrupting the climate system, new pathogens threaten our crops and our health, illegal trade has eradicated entire plant populations, and non-native species are outcompeting local floras. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity">Biodiversity</a> is being lost – locally, regionally and globally."</p><p>The report notes that scientists are racing against the clock to rescue plant and fungi species and they are also working to figure out how to leverage plants and fungi to combat the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a> and food insecurity, according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54344309" target="_blank">BBC</a>.</p>
<p>When Kew issued its first report in 2016, it found that 20 percent of plant species were at risk. That number has doubled in just four years. However, that does not mean that twice as many plant species are at risk. Instead, the huge jump in percentage is due to advances in assessments that now make a more accurate account for plants that were over- or underrepresented in the 2016 report, according to The Irish Times.</p><p>The fact that 40 percent of plant species are at risk paints "a very worrying picture of risk and urgent need for action," according to Alexandre Antonelli, director of science at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, as The Irish Times reported.</p>
<p>"We are also losing the race against time, species are probably disappearing faster than we can find and name, and many of them could hold important clues for solving many of the pressing challenges of medicine and perhaps even some of the emerging or current pandemics," he added.</p><p>The scientists involved in the research noted that more than 4,000 plant and fungi species were discovered last year. These plants are an untapped resource that holds tremendous promise as food, medicine and biofuels, according to the paper, as The Guardian reported. Some of the new species discovered include members of the onion family, plants similar to spinach, and relatives of the staple crop cassava.</p>
<p>Around the world, billions depend on plants as their primary source of medicine. The report noted that 723 species used as therapeutic treatments are threatened with extinction.</p><p>"We would not be able to survive without plants and fungi. All life depends on them, and it is really time to open the treasure chest," said Antonelli, as The Guardian reported. "Every time we lose a species, we lose an opportunity for humankind."</p>
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