Eco Nana

Eco Nana

Earth Advocacy for Future Generations

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  • About Eco Nana
  • Blog Post Library
  • Activities for Kids
  • Videos
  • Contact

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Activities for Kids

  • On the Brink: Endangered Species Puzzle Hunt
  • The Great Recycling Adventure Quiz
  • Coloring page of a mother and baby Asian elephant in a forest.
    Asian Elephant Coloring Page
  • Photosynthesis coloring page with sunlight hitting a sunflower, taking in carbon dioxide and water, releasing oxygen.
    Photosynthesis coloring page
  • Coloring page - dolphin under water with coral and seaweed
    Ocean Coloring Page
Climate, Featured Posts

What Happens When Earthquakes Hit a Thawing Arctic?

What a rockslide on a tiny Arctic island can teach us about a warming world Way up in the Arctic, about halfway between Iceland and Norway’s Svalbard islands, there’s a…

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September 8, 2026
Climate, Featured Posts, Human Impact

Butterflies Are on the Move — and That’s a Warning Sign

Butterflies are turning up in places they’ve never lived before. And they’re vanishing from places they’ve called home for generations. Climate change seems to be a big reason why. In…

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September 20, 2026
Deforestation, Endangered Species, Featured Posts, Human Impact

Roadless Rule: Forests On The Chopping Block

On August 18, 2026, the Trump administration made a big announcement. It wants to get rid of a rule called the Roadless Rule. This rule has protected about 45 million…

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August 21, 2026
Climate, Featured Posts

Can Hungary’s Famous Paprika Survive a Hotter Climate?

Paprika may be sitting quietly in your spice cabinet, but in Hungary, it’s a big deal. The bright red spice is an essential part of Hungarian cooking and culture. It…

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October 6, 2026
  • A little girl with a pink and yellow shirt and a flower wreath in her black hair drinking out of a plastic water bottle.
    Human Impact,  Pollution

    When Plastic Breaks Down, Kids Pay the Price

    Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic—no bigger than 5 millimeters, about the size of a pencil eraser. They’re everywhere. Each year, people release an estimated 10 to 40 million metric tons into the environment, and if we don’t change our habits, that amount could double by 2040. Most microplastics come from bigger plastic items that slowly break apart, but some are actually made on purpose and added to everyday products like paint, cleaning supplies, toothpaste, plastic-wrapped food, and even baby bottles and shampoo. Plastic may be convenient, but it’s more than just trash on beaches and roads. It can sneak into bodies — especially young ones — in surprising ways.…

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    Water coming out of kitchen tap.

    Toxic PFAS May Be in Your Tap Water

    September 10, 2026
    Dense trees and ferns with a waterfall in the background.

    Roadless Rule: Forests On The Chopping Block

    August 21, 2026

    Green California Has a Dirty Methane Secret

    May 18, 2026
  • Photo of a wild cat inside a cage at a zoo
    Endangered Species

    Zoo Pros and Cons: The Captivity Debate

    By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer On July 26, 2025, People reported that the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium welcomed a baby Asian elephant, with another one on the way. In this feel-good story, the president and CEO of the zoo* called it an “exciting milestone” and said it showed their promise to help protect these species. But not everyone agrees. Some experts in elephant behavior and rescue say keeping elephants in zoos doesn’t really help save them. Courtney Fern of Nonhuman Rights Project said there’s no benefit to conservation (protecting nature) when “holding elephants captive.” Mickey Pardo, a scientist who studies elephant behavior, asked, why keep elephants in zoos if it…

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    Orangutan swinging through trees

    Swinging Toward Extinction: The Fight to Save Borneo’s Orangutans

    May 12, 2025

    Endangered Species: Why They Matter and How Can We Help Save Them

    November 8, 2024
    A photo of a baby Asian elephant walking on sand with forest in the background.

    The Shocking New Threat to Asian Elephants: Skin Poaching

    July 19, 2025
  • Climate

    Parenting Climate Disasters, Trauma, and Recovery

    Guest Post by Natasha Stavros, Ph.D. Climate disasters, like wildfires, are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. For parents, this isn’t just about rebuilding homes or replacing toys and other belongings. It’s also about caring for children while managing trauma. Research shows that people who have experienced a climate disaster often suffer Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at levels similar to those returning from a war zone. What does this mean for parents? My Story: Parenting Through Wildfire Trauma The first time that I evacuated my home because of a wildfire was in 2003. Since then, I’ve evacuated two other times, and twice I’ve watched my communities burn.…

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    A photo of rows of green and red lettuce with beautiful green hills in the background. Agriculture is a big contributor to nitrous oxide, or N2O.

    N2O – The Greenhouse Gas No One Talks About (But Should)

    January 29, 2026
    Thermometer stuck in grass registering about 103 degrees F and abut 40 degrees C.

    La Niña Years—Our “Cool” Years—Are Now Warmer Than El Niño Years

    July 9, 2025
    A photo of black and white dairy cows in a building being fed by a robot.

    The Heat You Can’t See: Greenhouse Gases Explained

    June 13, 2025
  • Photo of a blue whale just under the surface of the ocean. They are long and sleek with mottled blue-gray skin, reaching up to 110 feet long and weighing over 200 tons. They have a small dorsal fin, large fluke (tail), and a broad, flat head with two blowholes.
    Climate

    Blue Whales Are Going Quiet — and That’s a Big Warning

    Under the ocean’s surface, there’s an underwater symphony. Blue whales and other marine mammals fill the water with songs and calls, almost like an underwater orchestra. To eavesdrop on this symphony, scientists use special tools called hydrophones — microphones designed to work underwater. In this case, researchers used a hydrophone anchored 3,000 feet below the surface. What Did the Scientists Find? Over six years, researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium noticed something troubling along the California Coast. Blue whales and fin whales began singing less often when the ocean got unusually warm. Scientists say the silence is a serious warning. Meanwhile, some whales that eat lots of different things (like…

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    This is a map that shows the location of the Southern Indian ocean. It lies between Australia and Antarctica.

    Big Changes Are Happening in a Very Salty Part of the Ocean

    February 17, 2026

    Fact-Checking Series No. 1: Uncovering the Truth About Climate

    November 4, 2024
    Red melting thermometer against the hot sun.

    The Hidden Threat to Our Power Supply: Extreme Heat

    August 9, 2026
  • Giant crater in the middle of grassy tundra filled with water. People are standing on the outside looking in.
    Climate

    Melting Permafrost in Siberia is Creating Explosive Craters

    Imagine this: you’re walking across the frozen tundra in Siberia and—whoa—there’s a giant hole in the ground, big enough to swallow a house. No, it’s not a scene from a sci-fi movie. These craters are real, and scientists have been finding more of them over the past decade. The big question: what’s going on? What’s Hiding Under the Ice? Siberia is covered in permafrost, soil that usually stays frozen solid all year long. But, as the planet heats up, permafrost is thawing faster than ever. That’s already causing big problems you can see—like sinkholes opening up, telephone poles leaning, roads and runways cracking, and forests where trees just topple over.…

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    A photo of black and white dairy cows in a building being fed by a robot.

    The Heat You Can’t See: Greenhouse Gases Explained

    June 13, 2025
    A photo of a thermometer registering over 100 degrees against a blue sky and a bright sun..

    Planet on the Edge: The Alarming Forecast from 2025–2029

    June 12, 2025
    Scared female passenger on an airplane

    Brace Yourself: Why Turbulence Is Getting Worse

    March 10, 2025
  • A photo of eco-friendly products - cups, jars, soap, and utensils. They are all made of wood, paper, or glass.
    Solutions

    Eco-Smart Products That Make a Difference

    Taking care of the planet really matters to me, so I’ve been trying to make small changes in my life over time. I first drove hybrid cars, like the Honda Insight and later the Prius Prime, which worked great for everyday driving. A few years ago, I made the jump to a fully electric car—and honestly, I love it! At home, I’ve been swapping out old products for eco-friendly ones, step by step. I bought my current home about three years ago, and though it’s been a financial stretch, my boyfriend and I invested in solar panels, a heat pump system (for heating, cooling, and hot water), and an induction…

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    Two rows of grapes growing at a winery.

    Growing Smarter: How Crops Can Thrive in a Hotter World

    June 16, 2025
    Hemp

    What Is Hemp? History, Benefits, and Surprising Uses

    December 11, 2025
    List of tips to prevent food waste. Use himidity drawers, keep certain products separate, store leafy greens properly, handle root vegetables correctly, know which produce to refrigerate

    “Food Waste Fix: Smart Hacks to Save Food & Save the Planet!” 🍎♻️

    March 9, 2025
  • Photo of very long canoe painted maroon, blue, and yellow covered with a canopy of solar panels.
    Renewable Energy,  Solutions

    Turning Sunlight into a Lifeline: Clean Energy in the Amazon

    Part One I’ve been lucky enough to travel to the Peruvian Amazon. Many families there live without electricity, refrigerators, and wash their clothes in nearby rivers. Something as simple as flipping on a light switch or keeping food is a daily struggle. For many Indigenous communities in the Amazon, this is just everyday life. But even with all these challenges, something amazing is starting to shine through — a spark of hope powered by the sun and built on deep respect for the land. The Big Problem: Power and Pollution in the Amazon The Amazon isn’t just a forest — it’s is one of the most amazing places on Earth.…

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    Portable solar panels on a balcony

    The Simplest Way to Add Solar to Your Home

    May 8, 2026
    Solar panels on a roof with the sun shining overhead

    Renewable energy is an important solution to climate change

    October 30, 2024
    Photo of an electric river ferry on the Moscow River.

    Smooth Sailing into the Future with Electric Ferries

    May 18, 2025
  • Young shark as bycatch in industrial fishing
    Climate

    The Hidden Climate Impact of Bottom Trawling

    As a scuba diver, I’ve seen the wonders of the undersea world—brilliant coral reefs, swaying seagrass meadows, and the incredible creatures that call these places home. That’s why what happens with bottom trawling feels so devastating. Picture this: a huge fishing boat drags a massive, weighted net across the seafloor. It tears through everything in its path, scooping up fish. At the same time, it crushes coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and habitats that have taken centuries to grow. Behind it, clouds of dark mud swirl like an underwater storm. Even stingrays and baby sharks get trapped, with no chance of escape. This method, called bottom trawling, is one of the…

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    Visualization of ocean currents (looks like colorful swirls) in the North Atlantic. The colors show sea surface temperature (orange and yellow are warmer, green and blue are colder).

    The AMOC Slowdown: A Warning Sign From the Atlantic

    June 15, 2026
    A photo of black and white dairy cows in a building being fed by a robot.

    The Heat You Can’t See: Greenhouse Gases Explained

    June 13, 2025
    An illustration of the Urban Heat Island effect. It shows tall buildings and homes with wavy red lines coming up from them, representing heat. If also shows a very hot sun.

    Is Global Warming Just an Urban Heat Island Effect? Scientists Say No

    May 25, 2026
  • Image of a burning home during Palisades fire in LA County.
    Fact-check

    No, LA Didn’t Run Out of Water During the Fires

    Fact-check It’s been almost eight months since wildfires tore through Los Angeles County, but the wild rumors just won’t quit. Some people say “LA ran out of water.” Others claim “California didn’t take care of its forests.” Then there are the over-the-top ones—like fires being part of a plot by “global elites” to clear land, or a tiny fish called a smelt being the cause. And my favorite? That Governor “Newscum” (yep, that’s the nickname floating around online) refused to sign a “magic” water plan that supposedly would have sent endless gallons south every day. Sounds like a comic book, right? But here’s the real question: why do these conspiracy…

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    A picture of a row of cows eating in a factory farm.

    The Biggest Climate Culprit Isn’t What Vegans Think

    September 8, 2026
    A photo of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant with two reactor domes and the ocean in the background.

    Nuclear Power: Clean Energy Hero or Environmental Headache?

    November 2, 2025
    An illustration of an electric car that is hooked up to a charger at a charging station.

    The Truth About Lithium Mining: How EV Batteries Compare to Fossil Fuels

    July 27, 2026
  • AI image of a concrete house with white squiggles all over it representing electricity.
    Solutions

    Building Power! Concrete That Makes Its Own Energy

    A team of researchers at Southwest University in China created a special kind of smart concrete that can make and store electricity. They mixed regular cement with a material called PVA hydrogel, making a new type of concrete that stays strong like regular concrete. Bonus: your walls could power themselves while building a greener future! How Smart Concrete Works Inside the concrete, tiny particles and water let electric charges move around. When one side gets hot and the other stays cooler, this ‘thermo-ionic effect’ makes the charges flow and generate electricity. It’s kind of like when a small thermometer creates electricity if it’s hot on one end and cold on…

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    Photo of an electric river ferry on the Moscow River.

    Smooth Sailing into the Future with Electric Ferries

    May 18, 2025
    Photo of an emerald ring.

    Your Guide to Affordable, Sustainable, and Ethical Engagement Rings

    June 3, 2025
    A photo of a desalination plant showing blue water tanks and pipes in an open concrete structure.

    Desalination: Why Turning Ocean Water Into Drinking Water Isn’t as Easy as It Sounds

    July 5, 2026
  • A picture of a satellite vs a surface temperature station asking "which is better"?
    Fact-check,  Understanding Science

    How Reliable Are Satellite Temperature Measurements?

    Some people who reject climate science claim satellites are the “real truth-tellers” when it comes to Earth’s temperature. But here’s the kicker: satellites don’t actually measure temperature at the surface where we live—they measure microwave radiation coming from oxygen molecules way up in the atmosphere. That data has to be modeled and pieced together like a giant puzzle. Ground thermometers, on the other hand, give us direct, accurate readings right where it matters most. That’s why scientists worldwide rely on them to track how fast our planet is heating up. Here’s why ground-based measurements are the gold standard: Satellites don’t measure temperature directly Satellites don’t measure temperature directly, or even…

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    Scientific Consensus: It’s Not a Vote, It’s the Evidence!

    April 1, 2025
    Electric car plugged in at a charging station.

    Fueling the Future: Why EVs Are Better for the Environment

    March 2, 2025
    Green Hydrogen renewable energy production pipeline. It shows a large, silver pipe with two sections painted green and the words, "H2 green hydrogen".

    Is Green Hydrogen Really the Future of Clean Energy?

    August 15, 2025
  • An image of hurricane Erin. It looks like a large, white, organized, swirling cloud system with a distinctive "eye" at its center. The "eye" is a calm, clear area surrounded by the storm's most powerful winds. The extremely large cloud formation of has large, spiral bands.
    Climate

    Hurricane Erin: A Supercharged Storm Fueled by Climate Change

    In August, Hurricane Erin tore across the Atlantic Ocean with winds blasting over 160 miles per hour on August 16. Erin didn’t make landfall, but its effects—big waves, riptides, and rough weather—slammed coastal communities. This created dangerous conditions stretching over 1,000 miles of the East Coast. And here’s the kicker: climate change is making those effects worse. Supercharged: Hurricane Erin’s Shocking Rapid Intensification Erin exploded from a Category 1 storm to a monster Category 5 in less than a day—one of the fastest growth spurts ever recorded. Scientists say this kind of rapid jump is happening more often as our planet heats up. Jim Kossin, a former hurricane expert at…

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    Portable solar panels on a balcony

    The Simplest Way to Add Solar to Your Home

    May 8, 2026
    Image of an Earth on fire.

    Hotter Earth, Sicker World: The Surge of Insect-Related Diseases

    May 15, 2025
    Young shark as bycatch in industrial fishing

    The Hidden Climate Impact of Bottom Trawling

    September 3, 2025
  • Earth split in two: one half with forests ablaze and the other inundated with murky floodwaters under a gray, overcast sky.
    Climate

    Caught in a Storm of Extreme Events

    In Arizona, the summer heat has turned deadly. Public health officials warn that extreme temperatures in Maricopa County may have already claimed more than 400 lives. Across the ocean, Southern Europe is also in crisis, with heatwaves fueling wildfires—including 152 new blazes in Greece alone. Far to the north, Alaska faced a very different kind of disaster. A lake of rainwater and melting snow burst through a glacial dam near Juneau, unleashing a torrent that pushed the Mendenhall River to its highest level ever recorded. Streets and homes in the city were swallowed by the flood. Recent heavy rains caused sudden flash floods in Pakistan, killing 337 people. Since late…

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    Photo of Greenland's Petermann Glacier, as seen by NASA.

    Frozen in Time: Glaciers on the Brink

    April 28, 2025
    An image of hurricane Erin. It looks like a large, white, organized, swirling cloud system with a distinctive "eye" at its center. The "eye" is a calm, clear area surrounded by the storm's most powerful winds. The extremely large cloud formation of has large, spiral bands.

    Hurricane Erin: A Supercharged Storm Fueled by Climate Change

    August 24, 2025
    Image of Earth surrounded by fire caused by Earth's energy imbalance.

    Earth’s Energy Imbalance: Why Our Planet Is Heating Up

    April 4, 2026
  • Green Hydrogen renewable energy production pipeline. It shows a large, silver pipe with two sections painted green and the words, "H2 green hydrogen".
    Fact-check,  Understanding Science

    Is Green Hydrogen Really the Future of Clean Energy?

    You’ve probably seen headlines saying that green hydrogen is the next energy savior. Some even say it could help us fight climate change and keep our lights on. But before we celebrate, let’s put it under a microscope. Hydrogen Really Isn’t a Fuel Source A lot of articles call hydrogen an “energy source.” But that’s not exactly true. Hydrogen doesn’t just appear out of thin air — we have to make it using other energy sources. Think of it more like a battery that stores energy made from something else, like wind or solar power. To create hydrogen, we usually use a process called electrolysis — splitting water into hydrogen…

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    A view from shore of large wind turbines in the ocean.

    The Truth Behind the Offshore Wind: Who’s Really Opposed?

    August 6, 2025
    Detective in green overcoat wearing a hat and looking through a magnifying glass.

    How to Spot Fake Graphs

    April 6, 2025
    Electric car plugged in at a charging station.

    Fueling the Future: Why EVs Are Better for the Environment

    March 2, 2025
  • Deep flood water in residential area, Del Plains, Illinois 2024
    Climate

    Floods: The New Normal?

    August 13, 2025 Floods aren’t just breaking records—they’re breaking lives. Picture this: streets turned into raging rivers, rooftops barely peeking above swirling brown water, and rescue boats zigzagging through what used to be quiet neighborhoods. Right now, parts of the Midwest are drowning. Not long ago, New York City’s subways became underground lakes. Last month, Beijing was hammered with a year’s worth of rain in just days, killing 38 people. In Texas, massive floods claimed 119 lives. And now, Tennessee is under siege from rising water—where one family’s life ended in an instant when flood-loosened trees came crashing down on their car. Torrential rains swamped homes and roads across Mexico…

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    A photo of two firefighters on a hill fighting a wall of huge flames.

    California Wildfire Severity Is Skyrocketing — And Scientists Know Why

    July 1, 2026
    An artist's rendering of the NISAR satellite over Earth. It looks like a cylinder with two solar panels and a huge antenna on a mast.

    Eyes in the Sky: How Satellites Track Earth’s Changing Climate

    January 7, 2026
    Photo of a beautiful orange butterfly with black spots on its winger. The edges of its wings and its body are also black.

    Butterflies Are on the Move — and That’s a Warning Sign

    September 20, 2026
  • A view from shore of large wind turbines in the ocean.
    Fact-check,  Renewable Energy,  Solutions

    The Truth Behind the Offshore Wind: Who’s Really Opposed?

    Part One When I retired from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in early 2024 and moved to California’s Central Coast in 2022, I had big plans for my next chapter—spending more time with my grandkids, and finally taking those classes I’d been dreaming about: geology, astronomy, maybe even jewelry making and flower arranging. But those plans took a turn when I started reading wild claims about offshore wind: that it kills whales, is worse for the environment than fossil fuels, and would ruin our coastline. After years of working in science communications and battling climate misinformation, I knew better than to take those claims at face value. So I did what…

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    An image of a scientist looking through a microscope opposed to magic (a hat with a magic want and yellow stars).

    Truth or Trickery? How to Tell Science from Propaganda

    April 18, 2026
    A picture of a row of cows eating in a factory farm.

    The Biggest Climate Culprit Isn’t What Vegans Think

    September 8, 2026
    Image of a burning home during Palisades fire in LA County.

    No, LA Didn’t Run Out of Water During the Fires

    August 29, 2025
  • Image of a plastic cup filled with liquid and an orange silicone cup with a lid and straw. They are sitting on a beach towel near the ocean.
    Human Impact

    Silicone vs. Plastic: Which Is Really Better?

    Many people think silicone is a good alternative to plastic. I thought so too! I read environmental websites that call silicone, “a healthier choice than plastic” or “beneficial because of its exceptional temperature resistance”. But is it really better than plastic? Silicon is found naturally in the Earth, but it’s hard to get. That’s why silicone products are usually made from something easier to find—silica, which is found in beach sand and quartz. But turning silica into silicon isn’t the end of the process. To make silicone (the stuff used in kitchen tools, baby products, and more), silicon has to be mixed with chemicals made from fossil fuels. So even…

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    Poisoned great horned ow;

    “Silent Screams: How Rat Poison Is Devastating Owls

    April 27, 2025

    The Shocking Truth About Factory Farming and the Environment

    March 28, 2025
    An AI-generated salmon filled with medication.

    Pills in the Gills: Why Fish Are Acting So Weird

    April 17, 2025
  • A deserted NASA control room, lights flickering, dust motes in the air, under a stormy night sky.
    About,  Understanding Science

    Shutting Down Our Eyes on the Earth—and Beyond

    The current Administration wants to make big changes to NASA—shutting down our eyes on the Earth and beyond. They also want to stop the Agency from working on future science projects, especially those studying Earth and climate. Instead, their plan focuses on a smaller, “leaner” space agency that would send the first American astronaut to Mars. But scientists say this will end NASA’s longtime leadership in space science—and hurt our ability to understand the fast changes happening on Earth. In May, the Trump administration shared a plan to cut NASA’s science budget nearly in half—from about $8 billion to $3.9 billion. While the final bill kept much of NASA’s overall…

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    UCLA entrance sign

    Eco Nana Begins: One Small Step for a Grandma…

    October 1, 2024
    Manhattan buildings and traffic.

    The Next Chapter of My Journey

    October 15, 2024
    Image of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory against the rocky hills of Simi Valley, California

    Chapter 4 Secrets in the Hills: My Journey into the Santa Susana Field Laboratory

    March 29, 2025
  • An image of a vibrio vulnificus bacteria. They look like tiny cucumbers with tails.
    Climate

    Beneath the Surface: Hidden Risks of a Warmer World

    We’re used to hearing about floods and wildfires, but there’s a great deal of climate change happening beneath the surface. You’ve likely heard about ocean acidification and coral bleaching, but there’s so much more we just can’t see. On a small research boat in Chesapeake Bay, a scientist collected water to study tiny living things called microbes. All around, people were enjoying the beach, unaware that dangerous bacteria called Vibrio were hiding in the water. Vibrio live naturally in oceans and rivers. Some types are harmless and even help the environment by recycling nutrients. But others can make people very sick—with symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhea, or in rare cases,…

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    Giant crater in the middle of grassy tundra filled with water. People are standing on the outside looking in.

    Melting Permafrost in Siberia is Creating Explosive Craters

    September 22, 2025

    Fact-Checking Series No. 1: Uncovering the Truth About Climate

    November 4, 2024
    AI image of unhappy Earth suffering from drought

    The Year Nature Couldn’t Keep Up

    May 1, 2025
  • A picture of a bright red car powered by aluminum and caffeine.
    Renewable Energy,  Solutions

    Brewing Clean Energy with Caffeine, Cans, and Seawater

    Scientists at MIT have recently come up with a cool way to brew clean energy fuel using ingredients like seawater, caffeine, and even aluminum from empty soda cans. This fuel doesn’t release carbon dioxide, which makes it much better for our planet. Here’s How It Works: Aluminum is a super reactive metal. When it touches water, it creates hydrogen gas. Hydrogen can be used as fuel to power things like cars, generators, or even rockets—without causing pollution. But normally, aluminum has a layer of protection on it that stops this reaction. The MIT team found a way to make aluminum react with water by mixing it with something called a…

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    An image of a modular battery storage facility in California. It looks like a series of lined-up white, rectangular containers.

    The Rapidly Evolving World of Grid Battery Storage

    July 16, 2026
    Photo of an electric river ferry on the Moscow River.

    Smooth Sailing into the Future with Electric Ferries

    May 18, 2025
    Sun over Mt. Fuji, Japan. The sky is blue, and just above the mountains is a band of orange and yellow.

    Solar Breakthrough: More Energy from the Same Sunlight

    April 2, 2026
  • Coloring page of a mother and baby Asian elephant in a forest.
    Kid Activities

    Asian Elephant Coloring Page

    read more

    You May Also Like

    Amur leopard maze: help the baby leopard find its way through the maze to his mom!

    Critically Endangered Amur Leopard Maze (early elementary)

    February 19, 2025

    I Love Earth Coloring Pages

    October 13, 2024
    Coloring page - dolphin under water with coral and seaweed

    Ocean Coloring Page

    June 1, 2025
  • A photo of a baby Asian elephant walking on sand with forest in the background.
    Deforestation,  Endangered Species

    The Shocking New Threat to Asian Elephants: Skin Poaching

    Let’s face it—when money’s involved, humans often show little or no respect for animals. That’s why poachers are now killing Asian elephants not just for their tusks, but for their skin. It’s a horrifying story—one that brought me to tears while researching and writing—but understanding what’s happening is the first step toward protecting these gentle, endangered giants. Poachers are targeting elephants in places like Myanmar—a known hotspot for the illegal wildlife trade. Instead of focusing only on tusked males, they now kill any elephant they can find—males, females, even babies. Why? Because elephant skin is being sold for jewelry, beads, and traditional medicine. Poachers Are Wiping Out Myanmar’s Elephants Myanmar’s…

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    Amur leopard resting on a rock with trees in the background.

    World’s Rarest Big Cat: Critically Endangered Amur Leopard

    February 16, 2025
    Dense trees and ferns with a waterfall in the background.

    Roadless Rule: Forests On The Chopping Block

    August 21, 2026
    Picture of healthy forest in the background and tractor cutting down trees in the foreground.

    How Farming Fuels Forest Loss: The Agriculture-Deforestation Link

    January 21, 2025
  • Air freshener shaped like a cupcake hanging from the rearview mirror of a car.
    Uncategorized

    The Truth About Air Fresheners–They’re Toxic!

    Guest Post by Helen Lovell-Wayne, MS, Edited by Susan Callery This article was written to help people understand what’s really in the air fresheners they use. If enough people speak up and make safer choices, companies may start making healthier, more eco-friendly products. You’ve probably seen or used air fresheners like Tropical Rain Forest, Hawaiian Breeze, or Apple Cinnamon. They come as sprays, plug-ins, gels, or even little trees hanging from car mirrors. Many people use them to make their homes or cars smell nice—but these products can be harmful. Tropical Rain Forest, Summer Sky, Hawaiian Breeze, and Apple Cinnamon are just some of the air freshener fragrances the public…

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  • Looking up at tall trees in a forest
    Climate

    Vanishing Insects and the Silence of the Forests

    Special thanks to Jay Thompson for his contribution to this blog! Vanishing insects are the silent alarm of climate change—one we can’t afford to ignore. Some of my most cherished memories come from forests, such as the rainforests of Borneo, or in Tasmania where I was greeted by a curious pademelon at the entrance of my log cabin. In the Amazon rainforest I watched wild macaw parrots gather at clay licks — a vibrantly colorful and magical sight I wish everyone could experience. In nearly any forest on Earth, the productions of nature saturate our senses: the smell of moist ground and humid air, the sounds of birdsong, of tree…

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    Every year, Earth’s temperature changes a little. Sometimes it gets hotter, and sometimes cooler. Scientists track this closely to understand how our climate is changing. But it’s not just about climate change. Natural patterns in the ocean also affect short-term global temperatures. Two of the biggest ones are called El Niño and La Niña. These are part of a system called the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, or ENSO for short. What Is El Niño? El Niño, Spanish for “little boy” happens every two to seven years when trade winds weaken. Warm water builds up in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, close to South America. This pushes more heat into the…

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    The 7 Types of Plastic—and How to Deal with Them

    Do you ever wonder what the numbers inside the triangle on the bottom of plastic containers mean? Those numbers show that not all plastics are the same. In fact, there are 7 types of plastic, and each one is used for different things—and recycled (or not) in different ways. Understanding what these numbers mean can help you make smarter choices and keep more plastic out of the ocean and landfills. When you toss plastic into the recycling bin, you probably think it’s being turned into something new—like another bottle or a piece of clothing. But in reality, that’s not usually what happens. Most plastic doesn’t get recycled. The arrow symbol…

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    The Truth About Fake Grass: It’s Not So Green After All

    When I worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, I thought a lot about water—how precious it is here on Earth. Living in drier area, I wanted to save water at home. My front lawn took a lot of it, so I replaced the grass with fake grass, or “artificial turf”. Doing your homework is really important. I tested different types to see which stayed cooler in the sun. I picked one that didn’t get too hot and said it was recyclable. It seemed like a smart, eco-friendly choice. Win-win, right? I didn’t know then what I know now: that fake grass can contain toxic chemicals. That…

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    Solutions

    The World’s Biggest Sand Battery Is Now Working in Finland!

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