Soap Opera! Are Antibacterial Cleaners Worth the Drama? A new scandal in hygiene has erupted. “95 percent of people wash their hands improperly: Are you one of them?” questioned a recent CBS news headline. Or, as the USA Today more delicately put it: “The art of hand washing has yet to be mastered.” So, how … Read more
Let’s talk salamanders. Why should we get excited about these small secretive creatures? The blue-spotted salamander averages between 3.5-5.5 inches long. (Michigan DNR) Although they are very good at hiding under rocks and logs, they should not by any means be overlooked. There are just under 600 species of salamanders in the world. While most … Read more
—by Bill Zeigler, senior vice president of collections and animal care for the Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo and member of the Board of Directors for the Turtle Survival Alliance You may never have seen a Blanding’s turtle because they are endangered in Illinois and threatened nationwide. That is why the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages … Read more
Living in a house that faces south and has tons of windows enables my house to get warmed by the sun on a typical sunny day. Does that mean I am harnessing solar power? If I wanted to install solar panels, would it save me energy and money? On Worldview, host Jerome McDonnell and I … Read more
This past April, when torrential rains caused some of the worst flooding in Illinois history, many people were asking “why?” Roads were flooded, homes were deluged, and favorite family destinations were too flooded to operate—such as the perpetually-open Brookfield Zoo, which closed down for only the third time in 100 years. Many people in the … Read more
Marsha, Marsha, Marsha! Does Living Near a Wetland Equal Basement Floodzone? Here’s the story, of a roomy basement…that was overflowing thanks to recent storms…Some people blamed wetlands for this hardship, but they were not at fault… For many, the lure of suburban living is more than just the promise of big houses and bigger yards—it’s … Read more
Growing up in Northbrook during the 1960s, I often took for granted the simple pleasures that many of us enjoyed during our childhood, such as running through the sprinklers and splashing around in our neighbor’s built-in pool, which was always filled to the brim. My parents were very mindful of the environment, but water conservation … Read more
Nature Unplugged: Can Today’s Kids Get Enough Time Outside? These days most adult-types under the age of, well, 100 find themselves more frequently communing with computers than with Mama Earth. But unlike the many of us who grew up running around outside all day, today’s kids are less connected to the environment than ever. Yes, … Read more
Students at Round School Elementary — an Eco-School in Virginia — enjoy some valuable time outside. (Photo via NWF/Eco-Schools USA) It’s hard to believe but true: The average American kid spends an average of 7 1/2 hours per day using entertainment media on an computer, cell phone, TV, or other electronic device, according to a … Read more
—by Bob Fuller, M.S., Facilitator of 49th Ward Green Corps As a child, whenever I stayed with my grandparents in rural Maine we would collect our garbage—seltzer bottles, coffee grounds, and mounds of Grammy’s cigarette butts being the primary ingredients—and every couple of days, Grampy would have me ride along to drop off our collection … Read more
