plants

Climate Crisis Could Rob Liquors of Their Flavor

Climate Crisis Could Rob Liquors of Their Flavor

By Stacy Kish Many of the botanicals used in traditional medicines and to flavor spirits, from absinthe to eau de vie, grow in alpine regions near the toes of glacial ice. As the planet warms and glacial ice retreats, this unique environment is changing and altering the diversity of the plant community. An Italian team […]

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    Citizen Scientists Are Filling Research Gaps Created by the Pandemic

    Citizen Scientists Are Filling Research Gaps Created by the Pandemic

    By Theresa Crimmins, Erin Posthumus, and Kathleen Prudic The rapid spread of COVID-19 in 2020 disrupted field research and environmental monitoring efforts worldwide. Travel restrictions and social distancing forced scientists to cancel studies or pause their work for months. These limits measurably reduced the accuracy of weather forecasts and created data gaps on issues ranging […]

    New Clues Help Monarch Butterfly Conservation Efforts

    New Clues Help Monarch Butterfly Conservation Efforts

    By Tara Lohan Fall used to be the time when millions of monarch butterflies in North America would journey upwards of 2,000 miles to warmer winter habitat. But these days the iconic butterfly’s numbers are dwindling. The western migratory population is down 97% since the 1980s — a survey this month found fewer than 2,000 […]

    10 Natural Ways to Detox and Boost Your Immunity at Home

    10 Natural Ways to Detox and Boost Your Immunity at Home

    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 […]

    Plants Are Decades Away From Absorbing Less Carbon, Study Warns

    Plants Are Decades Away From Absorbing Less Carbon, Study Warns

    Up until now, humans have had an invaluable ally in the climate crisis battle: Earth’s plants. These steadfast photosynthesizers have absorbed about a third of human-released greenhouse gas emissions, but that could change. A study published in Science Advances on Wednesday warned that if emissions continue at current rates, then we are decades away from […]

    What’s So Great About Chamomile Tea? Everything.

    What’s So Great About Chamomile Tea? Everything.

    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. […]

    What We’ve Lost: The Species Declared Extinct in 2020

    What We’ve Lost: The Species Declared Extinct in 2020

    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. That damaging effect is, in reality, impossible to […]

    Six Eco-Friendly Pledges for 2021​

    Six Eco-Friendly Pledges for 2021​

    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. Go Car Free Instead of taking the car, consider using public transport or cycling — even just one day a […]

    4 Essential Oils for Anxiety

    4 Essential Oils for Anxiety

    Essential oils have many health benefits, but anxiety management is where they really shine. Like a bullet straight to the heart of your biochemistry, their phytochemicals can swiftly enter the bloodstream and relieve anxiety fast. Here are the four best essential oils for anxiety: Lavender Bergamot Rose Chamomile What makes these essential oils so effective […]