To be real or not to be real? That is the age-old Christmas tree question. Well, okay, “age-old” might be a bit extreme, considering that the modern take on artificial Christmas trees didn’t hit the stage until the 1930s, when the clever folks at the Addis Brush Company used toilet brush bristles to create the … Read more
Itching for more knowledge on the world that surrounds us? You’ve come to the right place for science and tips on all things straight-up environment, from climate to water to wetlands. Go ahead, get smarter. climate science + tips hot snow science Ode to snow: we love it, we love it, we need more of … Read more
Pharma-farming: Can Real Medicine Come From Plants? — by Jessica B. Turner, PhD candidate, West Virginia University Real medicine only works when it’s made with complicated, manmade ingredients, right? Nope! For a closer look at our diverse options for healing, let’s head outside and explore Mama Nature’s surprisingly impressive pharmaceutical supplier: the mighty plant kingdom. … Read more
What’s cool depends on who you’re asking. James Dean was definitely cool, Mike Posner not so much, and tree hugging—well, again, it depends who you are asking. In this episode on Worldview, Jerome McDonnell and I explored the topic of how trees cool our homes, our cities, and our planet. We invited Robert Fahey PhD, … Read more
How will climate change impact trees? Scientists are exploring the possibility as we speak. (D. Simmons) Trees help make us cool in the face of global warming*. But, sturdy and steadfast as they may be, some species are showing vulnerability in our increasingly warming world. “The effects of climate change on trees will be complex,” … Read more
Global Warming Newsflash: Trees Make Us Cool (Like, Literally) Trees do so much to deserve our affection (hello The Giving Tree), and yet pretty much no one thinks it’s cool to come right out and hug the branchy things. In certain circles, it’s an insult to call someone a treehugger, while in many others, the … Read more
For Richer or Borer: Does Loving Ash Trees Mean Cutting Them Down? Miss seeing a few of your favorite trees around town? You can shake your fist at a tiny, most unwelcome guest: the emerald ash borer. This invasive wood boring beetle has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the U.S., and is … Read more
Information provided by CZS/Brookfield Zoo, an EcoMyths Alliance Partner. If you’re an animal at CZS/Brookfield Zoo, trees might be what you eat for dinner. More specifically, “browse” is the name for the trimmings taken from about 800,000 to one million trees—and that’s just a small percentage of the approximately 9,000 miles of trees ComEd prunes … Read more
