In fields around the world, often dotted along the edge of forests there is a large, brilliantly blue flower: the borage flower. This spectacular plant has amazed people from around the world for centuries. Its color and many uses make it an ideal crop. Today, let’s take a dive in to understand: what is a borage flower?
<h2>Taxonomy</h2>
First, let’s understand the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-classify-life-taxonomy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">biological classification</a> of borage flowers. Like many diverse groups of flora and fauna, “borage” can refer to a variety of different levels of taxonomy. Sometimes, “<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/borago-officinalis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">borage</a>” can refer to the family Boraginaceae. This family contains about 2,000 different species. 

More commonly, “borage” refers to the genus Borago. It contains 5 species, each of which is native to the Mediterranean. The most common of these species, Borago officinalis, is cultivated worldwide and is often referred to as the “star flower.” The family Borago has earned the nickname "forget-me-nots."

<img class="size-large wp-image-1881435" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/borage-3560211_1280-1024x734.jpg" alt="borage star flower" width="1024" height="734" />
<h2></h2>
<h2>Biology</h2>
While many species within Boraginaceae have similar characteristics, we’ll focus on the biology of B. officinalis. Borage flowers grow well in <a href="https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">USDA Hardiness zones</a> 3-10. This means it can withstand mean annual extreme low temperatures of -35 to +35° Fahrenheit. In the US, borage flowers will typically grow well in most areas except the south and southwest. 

The plant itself is very distinct due to its color and size. Borage flowers typically grow 2.5-3 feet tall and bloom brilliant blue flowers. These flowers resemble a star shape, hence the nickname “star flower.” Due to mutations, the flower now exists in other colors, including pink and white. Still, the blue color is dominant to these mutations, however.
<h2><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1881437" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/nature-3175122_1920-1024x574.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="574" /></h2>
<h2></h2>
<h2>Uses</h2>
Since its discovery some millennia ago around the Mediterranean, borage has been utilized for many different applications. Various peoples discovered its edible, potable, medicinal, and other qualities that are still enjoyed today.
<h3>Food</h3>
Generally speaking, the entirely of the borage plant is edible, outside of its roots. The leaves are often said to have a taste that is similar to cucumbers. For this reason, the leaves are used <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/8-edible-flowers-that-taste-great-in-salads/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in salads</a> and as a garnish for a variety of dishes. 

The Mediterranean is the most common place to find borage used in food products. In Germany, borage is present in soups and dishes such as <a href="https://www.lecker.de/gruene-sosse-rezept-fuer-den-frankfurter-klassiker-77070.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grüne Soße</a>. This traditional sauce originates in Frankfurt and is often paired with boiled potatoes and eggs. In Italy, the plant appears in the traditional filling for ravioli, while in Poland and Russia it is used to <a href="https://www.ruskiwaydeli.com.au/hengstenberg-knax-polish-style-gherkins-choice-gra" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">flavor pickled dishes</a>.

Borage is often included in herb gardens because of the flavor it adds to many dishes.
<h3>Drink</h3>
The distinct flavor of borage makes it a staple for several different alcoholic drink recipes, like the <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/pimms-cup-cocktail-recipe-1947977" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pimms Cup cocktail</a>. In original recipes from the 19th century, borage is the main ingredient. However, lemon, lime, and cucumber are now more common to find in cocktail recipes. Borage is a botanical present in a variety of spirits, most notably gin, owing to its distinct flavor. 
<h3>Medicinal</h3>
Borage flowers have <a href="https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/b/borage66.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a long history</a> of reported medicinal uses. The literature on borage and its uses stretches at least back to 1710. William Salmon writes <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2hmTVsfWB0C&amp;pg=PA146&amp;lpg=PA146&amp;dq=effectually+purifies+the+blood,+and+is+of+excellent+use+in+all+putrid,+malign,+spotted+and+pestilential+fevers,+to+defend+the+heart+from+their+poison+and+malignity,+and+to+expell+the+same,+as+also+the+poison+of+other+creatures&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=y2r9hTEUrT&amp;sig=ACfU3U1EX1TaHq1HBGCEG-jTxvJ9u2e5BQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwig1Law1enpAhVZbs0KHSwqA_gQ6AEwAHoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=effectually%20purifies%20the%20blood%2C%20and%20is%20of%20excellent%20use%20in%20all%20putrid%2C%20malign%2C%20spotted%20and%20pestilential%20fevers%2C%20to%20defend%20the%20heart%20from%20their%20poison%20and%20malignity%2C%20and%20to%20expell%20the%20same%2C%20as%20also%20the%20poison%20of%20other%20creatures&amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in his book</a>, The Earthwise Herbal, about the many uses of the star plant. Borage “effectually purifies the blood, and is of excellent use in all putrid, malign, spotted and pestilential fevers." He continues, "to defend the heart from their poison and malignity, and to expell [sic] the same, as also the poison of other creatures.”

In the same book, another author, Maude Grieve, also writes about borage. “By virtue of its saline constituents, it promotes the activity of the kidneys.” During this time frame, it was commonly believed that borage (possibly owing to its color and size) could cure ailments of many kinds. Various texts mention the herb on and off. They often use it as a means to cure “melancholy,” “sterility,” and “grief.”

In modern medicine, borage <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17168669/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shows</a> high levels of gamma-linolenic acid. This compound is a notable anti-inflammatory molecule. There is also literature suggesting that the star flower could be somewhat effective in alleviating <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3851449/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">asthma</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18078406/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dermatitis</a>.
<h3>Companion Planting</h3>
Today, borage exists as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/growing-an-herb-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">companion plant</a>. Companion planting is the process of planting multiple crops next to each other in the same field. This tactic has many uses. For borage, the main purpose is <a href="https://www.latimes.com/home/la-xpm-2013-mar-26-la-lh-borage-seeds-how-to-grow-20130323-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">typically pollination</a>. The vibrant borage flowers are extremely attractive to pollinators like bees and wasps. As such, the insects will usually pollinate other flowers in the area like squash, strawberries, or tomatoes. 

Have you ever come across borage, as an herb, or borage flowers? What's your favorite way to use borage? Let us know in the comments.

Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

What Is a Borage Flower?

In fields around the world, often dotted along the edge...

Indoors,Chicken,Farm,,Chicken,Feeding

What we eat, and the ways we farm our food, are complicated. With more humans on Earth than ever before, factory farming has risen as a way to feed people everywhere. So what is factory farming? Is it good or bad?&nbsp;

Let’s start with a concrete definition. Factory farming is defined as a system of rearing livestock using intensive methods, by which poultry, pigs, or cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions.&nbsp;

There is plenty to say about the complexities of food and farming. There is incredible pressure on farmers as they do their work. The planet has a growing population that needs to be fed. Asking whether a global industry is “good” or “bad” is never a completely straight forward question. However, if you value the health of the planet, the civil rights of human beings, and you are against cruelty towards animals, there are really no ifs, ands, or buts about it -- factory farming is bad.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1876630" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/silo-1476422_1280-1024x623.jpg" alt="farming industry" width="1024" height="623">

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<h2>Agriculture and Society&nbsp;</h2>
By studying ancient cultures, scientists understand that around 12,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers started to transition to agriculture in order to provide for themselves and their families. With family units becoming more stationary, more complex societies began to form. What started with cultivating wild plants like <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/07/15/485722228/where-did-agriculture-begin-oh-boy-its-complicated" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">peas and lentils</a> would eventually lead to skyscrapers and iPhones.&nbsp;

The earliest farmers we know of resided in the fertile crescent -- modern-day Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Turkey, and Iran. This was not just one single group of people, though. Isolated groups of <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/07/15/485722228/where-did-agriculture-begin-oh-boy-its-complicated" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">genetically diverse communities</a> remained insular for the first few thousand years. Instead of a melting pot, these settlements remained separate while trading tools, ideas, and communications with one another. 

Over the course of tens of thousands of years, humanity went from domesticating goats to consuming over 550 million Big Mac burgers every year (<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/big-mac-hits-the-big-4-0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in the United States alone</a>). But at what cost?

&nbsp;
<h2>Cruelty Towards Animals&nbsp;</h2>
According to ASCPA, <a href="https://www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/farm-animal-welfare" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">94% of Americans</a> agree that animals deserve to live abuse and cruelty-free. It is well documented that factory farms contain animals to cages, crates, and crowded pens. A term that pops up again and again while investigating these practices is “<a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/livestock/afo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CAFOs.</a>” This stands for concentrated animal feeding operations. 

A CAFO can house thousands or <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/michigan/why-are-cafos-bad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">millions of animals. </a>These facilities are seemingly efficient means for packing animals together in the smallest space possible. This is done in order to garner the highest profit. Not surprisingly, these operations have extremely negative impacts on animal welfare.&nbsp;

For example, while the U.S. slaughters over 9 billion chickens every year and another 30 million are used for egg production, chickens are <a href="https://www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/farm-animal-welfare/animals-factory-farms#Chickens" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">excluded from all federal animal protection laws. </a>Female chickens are debeaked. After <a href="https://www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factory-farming/chickens/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mutilation</a>, they are confined to small cages. They are stuffed together so tightly that their movements are extremely constricted. They are unable to live the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chicken-psychology-birds-smart-complex/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">active and social lives</a> that chickens exhibit naturally. When animals are stressed by over-crowded conditions, disease spreads easily.

The more you learn about the conditions of chickens, pigs, cows, and aquatic life in factory farming conditions, the worse it gets. It is difficult to comprehend the level of cruelty humans can exert towards other species. And if you’ve ever driven across the middle states of the U.S, you probably smelled these farms well before you saw them.&nbsp;

&nbsp;
<h2>Dead Zones and Other Environmental Factors&nbsp;</h2>
Cruelty towards animals expands when you look at factory farms’ impact on the globe. The environmental effects of factory farms are nothing short of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/04/factory-farming-destructive-wasteful-cruel-says-philip-lymbery-farmageddon-author" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">catastrophic.</a> Major concerns include the spread of <a href="https://www.cornucopia.org/2014/04/scientists-frustrated-factory-farms-scientific-evidence-non-sustainability-mounts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">infectious diseases, water pollution, and air pollution.</a>

Phillip Lymbery, the author of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/feb/02/farmageddon-philip-lymber-review-farming" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Farmageddon</a>, explains that the focus needs to be “moving the issue out of being a technical niche to get people to understand industrial farming as a big, global problem.” Lymbery stresses the fact that while factory farming might seem more efficient and cost-effective at first, the invisible costs of these operations far outweigh the benefits.&nbsp;

One of the previously invisible costs that we are suddenly learning a lot more about are “<a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/deadzone.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dead zones.</a>” A dead zone is an area in the sea where farm pollutants create algal blooms that “kill off or disperse all <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/01/meat-industry-dead-zone-gulf-of-mexico-environment-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">marine life.</a>” One of the largest dead zones is in the Gulf of Mexico. Toxins from the global meatpacking industry are largely to blame.

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<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1876631" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/27232.jpg" alt="deadzone " width="990" height="743">

&nbsp;
<h2>Opinion vs. Science&nbsp;</h2>
Factory farming has been talked about as necessary for producing food on a global scale. It lowers costs for farmers. It reduces the prices of meat and dairy for consumers. These statements reveal a narrow economic viewpoint. This perspective assumes that we live on a planet of unlimited resources. If we do not invest in a livable planet, none of that matters.

Scientists and activists have been ringing the alarm bell for years on the dangers of this way of looking at industry and society. With growing awareness of climate change and sustainability practices, people are finally starting to listen. Consumers are not powerless. 

Here is some food for thought: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/if-everyone-ate-beans-instead-of-beef/535536/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">one third</a> of Earth’s land is used for meat and dairy production. However, a recent study shows that if Americans switch their diets from beef to beans, the United States would achieve <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/if-everyone-ate-beans-instead-of-beef/535536/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">46 to 75 percent of the reductions</a> needed to meet their 2020 greenhouse gas emission goals. This is an exciting prospect. It is possible for us to make different choices, better choices for the health of our planet.&nbsp;

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<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1876632" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/goat-4362129_1280-1024x654.jpg" alt="goat" width="1024" height="654">

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With these factors in mind, do you think factory farming is good or bad? What are your experiences with meat production and consumption?&nbsp;

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What Is Factory Farming? Is It Good Or Bad?

What we eat, and the ways we farm our food,...

Subsistence farming, or subsistence agriculture, is when a farmer grows food for themselves and their family on a small plot of land. Unlike other types of farming, subsistence farming is focused more on survival. There is very little or no emphasis on trading and selling goods or operating as a business. 

A simple example of subsistence farming is a family growing grain and using that grain to make enough bread for themselves, but not to sell. 

For many people living in wealthy countries, this is a romantic idea - having land and using it to sustain you and your family. It calls back to what people might assume was a simpler time. As charming as the idea is in developed countries, the reality is that at this point in time, <a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/types-of-agriculture-industrialized-and-subsistence-agriculture.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">industrial farming is necessary </a>to feed our expanding human population. As you might have guessed, the methods used for subsistence farming and industrial farming vary greatly. So how is subsistence farming different from the industrial practices? 

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1876120" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/buffalo-1807517_1280-1024x643.jpg" alt="farmers and livestock " width="1024" height="643" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Subsistence Farming Is Ancient </h2>
The methods of subsistence farming are an integral part of the development of human society. Stretching back up to <a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/subsistence-farming-definition-examples.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">12,000 years ago</a>, it is a primary aspect of most cultures’ earliest means of survival. Following the ice age, as Homo sapiens began to domesticate plants, they began to settle in one place instead of only hunting and gathering. 

Because of this change, groups of people then began to develop complex civilizations - all because of what we now call “subsistence farming.” Anthropologists refer to this transition as the <a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/subsistence-farming-definition-examples.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">“neolithic revolution.”</a> In the Americas, subsistence farmers were prolific - domesticating a vast array of delicious foods that we consume enthusiastically today, including corn, beans, tomatoes, squash, and potatoes. Pretty cool, eh?

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<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1876121" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/gardening-2518377_1280-1024x682.jpg" alt="gardener gloves" width="1024" height="682" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Subsistence Farming Often Relies on More Natural Techniques </h2>
Farmers, from thousands of years ago and all the way up to today, use natural techniques when farming. Industrial farms today use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Subsistence farmers often use manure and compost, products of their own land and animals. Whatever food or crops are not consumed circle back into the process to feed livestock. This creates an efficient system, a closed circuit where little to nothing goes to waste. 

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1876122" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/corn-1841271_1280-1024x682.jpg" alt="corn plants" width="1024" height="682" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Diversified Methods </h2>
If you’ve taken a road trip across North America recently, you’ve seen the rolling hills of corn and soy stretching out for miles in every direction. There are endless neat rows and identical plants. These monocultures are driven by a removed society of endless consumption and insatiable demand. However, if you have a small plot of land to support you and your family through the seasons, diversity of crops and livestock is absolutely essential. You won’t last long on corn and soy alone. This type of diversified technique is called <a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/types-of-agriculture-industrialized-and-subsistence-agriculture.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">polyculture</a> and subsistence farmers rely on it. 

To start with, polycultures are a more environmentally-friendly approach. Certain plants add nutrients to the soil, while others use it up. "Companion planting" techniques benefit the whole farm. Using a variety of plants can ensure that the soil stays rich and healthy throughout the years. Often, when using polyculture techniques, crop yields increase too. 

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<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1876119" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/hahn-3741129_1280-1024x682.jpg" alt="rooster" width="1024" height="682" />

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<h2>Where do People Practice Subsistence Farming Today? </h2>
Subsistence farming is the <a href="http://africadevelopmentpromise.org/what-is-subsistence-farming/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">most widely used agricultural method in Sub-Saharan Africa</a>, where the majority of the rural poor depend on their land for survival. With the land as their livelihood, people are able to fray the costs of transportation, rent, and food, as well as the cost of urban living. In Tanzania, for example, agriculture cumulates to <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5251e.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">28% of the country’s GDP</a>. 73% of the population lives in rural areas - 19 million people live on small land holdings and practice subsistence farming. 

Subsistence farming can look as diverse as the planet we live on though, since it happens almost everywhere. Central and Western Asia, India, South-west Africa, Eurasia, the Philippines, Latin America - the list goes on and on. The techniques are as variable and fluid as the environments where people call home. <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5251e.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A study from 2015</a> found that 25% of the world’s population survive on these techniques. 

Living conditions can vary greatly too. People may or may not have access to clean water, electricity, and adequate health care. Sanitary conditions are often a huge factor and this leads to one of the <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5251e.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">leading causes of death </a>for children in low-income countries.

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<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1876123" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/teddy-bear-1807560_1280-1024x622.jpg" alt="mother and child" width="1024" height="622" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Climate Challenges </h2>
Subsistence farming is an earth-friendly, ancient approach to feeding a family out of choice and/or necessity. Here’s the catch: subsistence farming is <a href="http://africadevelopmentpromise.org/what-is-subsistence-farming/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">extremely susceptible to climate change</a>. As temperatures warm, droughts increase, and floods occur with more regularity. A farm can lose an entire season’s crop and leave a family in dire straits. 

Subsistence farming means families have very little, if any, room for failure. On a planet that is warming at alarming rates, subsistence farms are precarious.

What Is Subsistence Farming?

Subsistence farming, or subsistence agriculture, is when a farmer grows...

A relative of the catfish, the swai fish has become one of the most common whitefish in the United States. Even if you have never heard of swai fish, you have probably eaten it. At around two dollars per pound, this fish is one of the cheapest edible fish (compared with $10-20 per pound for many other common species of edible fish).

Swai fish is <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2009/01/what-the-heck-is-swai/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">native to the Mekong river in Southeast Asia</a>. However, most swai fish comes from Vietnam, where they are farmed in the Mekong Delta. These fish farms are poorly regulated, leading to various issues. The mass production of these fish not only has environmental consequences, but may be detrimental to your health.

This fish goes by many different names. It was originally marketed as “Asian catfish.” The swai fish (Pangasius hypophthalmus) is a close relative of the American catfish (in the family Ictaluridae). However, it is in a different family than American catfish. In 2003, the US FDA passed a law that “catfish” only refers to members of the family Ictaluridae. This has led to a wide variety of names for swai, and some confusion as to what exactly swai is.

&nbsp;

[caption id="attachment_1874564" align="alignnone" width="624"]<img class="wp-image-1874564 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Mekong_delta.jpg" alt="An aerial photo of the Mekong delta." width="624" height="624" /> The Mekong Delta in Vietnam.[/caption]

&nbsp;
<h2>A Fish With Many Names</h2>
The reclassification of “Asian catfish” has made identifying swai more complex. Stores sell <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/10/22/5-things-you-didnt-know-swai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> swai under many different names</a>, including iridescent shark, basa, tra, and sutchi. These names are misleading since swai is not a shark or a true basa fish. Many of these names are also used for other related species of fish.

Swai also goes by the far more generic name of “fish.” Many restaurants that serve dishes simply described as “fish” such as fish sandwiches or fish tacos may be serving swai. Swai is a white fish, like cod and halibut, but costs a fraction of the price. For this reason, swai is one of the most common food fish in the United States. In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713516300172" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">one study</a>, 67% of dishes containing unspecified fish contained swai.

The many different names for this fish, as well as the overlap with other species, makes it difficult to know exactly what you are getting, even when they are marketed honestly. However, honest marketing isn’t always a certainty either.

&nbsp;
<h2>These Are Not The Fish You Are Looking For</h2>
Adding to the confusion caused by Swai’s many names are intentionally mislabeled fish. Because swai is so cheap, passing it off as another fish is very profitable. The many steps from fish farms in Vietnam to your table make it difficult to know with certainty that your fish is what it is sold as.

A Virginia company marketed $15.5 million of swai as sole, grouper, and flounder. Though <a href="https://draxe.com/swai-fish/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the owner received a 5-year jail sentence</a>, other companies may also be misleading customers.

&nbsp;
<h2>Is Swai Safe to Eat?</h2>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1874565" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/catfish-1798834.jpg" alt="A catfish filet" width="1920" height="931" />

People have many concerns about the safety of eating swai fish. The industrial farming of this fish and the lack of regulation in this industry has serious consequences. Raising fish in dense pools causes many sanitation and health issues. In addition, the industrial processes involved expose the fish to toxins. Though some argue <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-fish-food-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">farmed fish prevent overfishing</a>, most of their diet comes from small wild fish. In addition, fish farming in the Mekong delta disrupts the local ecosystem. The added food, waste, and chemicals are detrimental to the delta's natural ecology.

&nbsp;
<h3>Food Poisoning</h3>
The most direct threat from poor-quality food is food poisoning. This term refers to a wide <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/most-common-types-of-food-poisoning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">variety of infections that can be transmitted by food</a>. The severity of food poisoning varies, but it is never a good time.

Farmed swai has a greater risk of causing food poisoning due to their dense farming conditions. Just like in all species, living in close quarters increases the risk of infectious disease. In one study, researchers found Vibrio bacteria contaminating <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25907121" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">70-80% of tested swai imports</a>. This form of food poisoning causes severe gastrointestinal distress.

&nbsp;
<h3>Antibiotics</h3>
Pharmaceuticals and disinfectants are used to combat the risks associated with farming fish. Because of the infections that these farms are prone to, large doses of de-wormers, antibiotics and other drugs are fed to the fish. Though this decreases the amount of bacteria, it also exposes the consumer to these drugs. Many of these compounds are not approved for use in humans.

Far more dangerously, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antimicrobial-resistance-policies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">uncontrolled use of antibiotics</a> poses an existential threat to humanity. Bacteria evolve very quickly and are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antimicrobial-resistance-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">becoming immune to our antibiotics</a>. The more antibiotics that are used, the more quickly these pathogens become resistant. Letting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-polluted-antibiotics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">antibiotics leach into rivers</a> just multiplies this problem.

Antibiotics changed the face of medicine and made many previously terminal illnesses easily treatable. Since this time, the world population has more than tripled and cities have become far denser. A large, antibiotic-resistant epidemic in our globalized world would be deadly on an unimaginable scale.

&nbsp;

To sum things up, swai fish is an extremely affordable edible fish. It has become increasingly common in the United States. However, the farming of these fish in Vietnam involves some questionable practices. The exposure of these fish to pharmaceuticals and bacteria may make their low price a bad deal in the long-run.

&nbsp;

What Is a Swai Fish?

A relative of the catfish, the swai fish has become...

The pineapple is a tropical fruit that travels far in our modern age. Whether you live in the fjords of Iceland or the open prairies of Nebraska, chances are there are little pineapple cubes in your fruit cup, frozen bags of it in the freezer section of the grocery store, and maybe (if you’re lucky) heavy, delectably juicy, refreshing fruits on sale at a local market. 

It’s a strange looking fruit when you think about it -- its rough, textured rind and spiky leaves. If the pineapple wasn’t so commonplace in popular culture and advertising, it might seem as though this unique fruit hailed from an alien planet. 

The same forces that make it possible to get pineapple in the far-flung corners of the globe are also part of a process that leads many people, particularly those living in urban areas, to feel separated and ill-informed about how their food grows and where it comes from. Have you recently cut into the tender yellow flesh of pineapple and wondered where it came from? As you slice the rind away, are you struck by a curious whim as to how do pineapples grow? We’ve got some answers for you!

&nbsp;
<h2>Pineapple Botany </h2>
Pineapple, or Ananas comosus, is <a href="https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pineapple.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a tropical, edible fruit.</a> It is an herbaceous perennial. The plant grows stocky and close to the ground. Its leaves are thick, waxy and tough. A pineapple plant can produce up to 200 flowers (and sometimes more) in its effort to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100617043835/http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/pineapple-growing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">create one fruit</a>. When the plant flowers, its flowers join together to create a multiple fruit. A multiple fruit, or collective fruits, is defined as a fruiting body formed by a cluster of flowers. Each flower produces a fruit, and then the fruits combine into a single mass. 

While many people seem to think that pineapple grows on trees, that’s not the case. Imagine a tough, spikey shrub with a treasure growing at its center - you’re probably not far off from how the pineapple looks when it is ripe for the picking.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1873871" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/pineapple-571792_1280-1024x575.jpg" alt="Pineapple" width="1024" height="575" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Pineapple Pollination </h2>
In cultivation, pineapple plants form from the offset of the fruit. An offset is nearly-complete daughter plant that has been asexually produced by the mother plant. The plant will flower in five to ten months and the fruiting over the following six months. Pollination is done by hand since the development of seeds reduces fruit quality. 

However, in the wild, pineapples are pollinated by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3359915/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hummingbirds and bats.</a>

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1873874" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/pineapple-plant-1047353_1280-1024x682.jpg" alt="pineapple" width="1024" height="682" />

&nbsp;
<h2>History of the Pineapple</h2>
Native to South America, indigenous groups of southern Brazil and Paraguay domesticated the fruit plant and spread it throughout the continent, into the Carribean and Central America. Eventually, the Spanish brought the plant to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160304012552/http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/Ananas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hawaii</a>, the Philippines, Zimbabwe, and Guam. 

Somewhere along the way, the pineapple became part of European iconography. It is a <a href="http://www.southernliving.com/culture/pineapple-hospitality" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">symbol of warmth and hospitality</a>. <a href="https://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOGreenwood/product.aspx?pc=A4667C" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Christopher Cumo</a>, a food historian, explains how Pineapple was similar to sugar in that for a long time, it equated wealth and resources. Eventually, it became accessible to the masses. Cumo says that “Pineapple is <a href="https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/47/10/article-p1390.xml" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the fruit of colonialism</a>” due to the way colonial powers established plantations across the world for the delicious fruit.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1873873" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/pineapple-2220704_1280-1024x682.jpg" alt="Pineapple" width="1024" height="682" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Awareness of Pineapple Production</h2>
Today, the Philippines remain as one of the largest exporters of the fruit. Costa Rica grows three-fourths of all the pineapples exported to Europe and it is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/oct/02/truth-about-pineapple-production" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">not without an environmental and human-rights cost. </a>Immense amounts of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-early-south-american-populations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> pesticides are used</a>, affecting the soil and air quality and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/decreases-biodiversity-habitat-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">biodiversity</a> in the region. There are studies that link these pesticides to carcinogens and possible birth defects as well. Additionally, workers are paid extremely low wages. 

Now that you know a bit more about how pineapples grow and where they come from, do you feel differently about this fruit?

&nbsp;

How Do Pineapples Grow?

The pineapple is a tropical fruit that travels far in...

Urban farming is a growing movement around the world. Grandmothers, children, teachers, and punks alike can be found babying a pepper plant or picking off rosemary leaves for dinner. Plants and food <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-outdoors-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">connect us deeply</a> to our homes and our communities. But when it comes to urban farming, where should you get started?

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1872961 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/greenhouse-1246536_960_720.jpg" alt="urban farming" width="960" height="540" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Volunteer and Learn from People in Your Region </h2>
If you don’t have any previous experience with farming, that’s okay! Everyone has to start somewhere. For many people living in a city landscape, exposure to farming practices and gardening techniques just isn’t a part of their experiences in life. The best place to start is a quick walk around your neighborhood. There are often <a href="http://gardenclub.org/projects/community-gardens.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">community gardens</a> and urban farms already hard at work. Chances are, the people running these spaces could use an extra pair of hands. Don’t waste time, ask how you can help and get your hands dirty. Farming and cultivating practices have been passed down for thousands of years and now you can be part of that lineage. 

Perhaps a walk around your neighborhood doesn’t glean any results. Fear not! Try a quick google search of the city you live in relating to urban farms. You might be surprised at what comes up. There are so many hidden pockets and corners within a city’s limit. You can call organizations to get involved or email them for more information. 

Something to keep in mind is that it is important to understand the landscape where you live. While working on a vineyard in California will most likely be an awesome experience, it might not be the most helpful to <a href="https://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/gardens-10-steps-to-growing-your-own-tomatoes-1-3429023" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">grow tomatoes in Scotland.</a> Wherever you are, seek out experienced locals with knowledge about the climate, the soil, and the native plants. This will save you from making avoidable mistakes and also lessen your environmental impact. 

If you do find yourself far away from home, you can still dive into farming practices and learn how other people in other landscapes are able to cultivate urban farms. This will enrich your understanding of the planet and all the different ways to grow food in a cityscape. Explore online platforms like <a href="https://wwoof.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WWOOF</a> and <a href="https://www.helpx.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HelpX</a> to seek out urban farms, nurseries, or garden projects all over the world.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1872962 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/greenhouse-3247181_960_720.jpg" alt="urban farming" width="960" height="719" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Find an Area to Cultivate</h2>
So you’ve volunteered around town, traveled a bit, or read a bunch of books and are dreaming of how to start your own urban farming adventure. That’s so exciting! But where to plant? 

This will probably be the most important decision you make. Chose wrong and your farm won’t last for long. Do you have access to a massive backyard that gets great sunlight? If so, what are you waiting for? For most of us though, that isn’t an option. Alternatives for city slickers include community gardens,and south-facing porches, balconies, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/how-to-grow-hanging-plants-at-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">windows</a>. Whatever your space, do research on what certain plants need and make decisions based on what type of space you have available. It is also important to research city ordinances and neighborhood committee codes. Some places have strict rules about chickens and other animals in particular. It would be a major bummer to invest in 6 chickens and a coop, only to receive a fine and an eviction notice. 

Alternatively, many city kids and urban dwellers resort to what is known as “guerilla gardening.” While I’m not encouraging illegal activity, I’m not not saying you should let unused space go to waste. If you’re feeling rebellious, you can try planting seeds in a quiet corner of a park, a city boulevard, or an abandoned lot. This type of urban farming has to be fluid and flexible, as these spaces are unpredictable. However, there are examples of neighbors turning <a href="http://urbanhomestead.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an entire boulevard</a> into an edible garden all while operating beneath the radar of city officials. It’s awesome. I’m not saying you should necessarily do this. I’m saying some people already have and it’s an interesting idea…..

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1872963 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/philippe-leone-667206-unsplash-1024x684.jpg" alt="urban gardening" width="1024" height="684" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Create a Budget </h2>
The initial costs of seeds, soil, and building raised beds, irrigation systems, and trellises can rack up really fast. Determine what it is you want to accomplish realistically and then sit down to budget out your costs. This can be really helpful to do in advance of the planting season and can be an important step in clarifying your goals for your urban farm.

Something else to consider is that if the area you plan to cultivate happens to be located near or on the property of a school, church or hospital, often these institutions have grant funding available. This will vary greatly depending on the part of the world where you live. Ask other urban farmers in the area about opportunities in your area and ask church and school administrators if they have these sorts of foundations to work with. People get really excited about farms and gardens and might be willing to help fund the effort.

&nbsp;
<h2>Make a Schedule </h2>
Whether you have visions of leafy bean poles or are trying to start a cut-flower farm, timing is everything and schedules can go a long way. Know when the average last and first frost dates are or when the rainy season will begin. Have a plan for watering. You can plan your growing season so that there’s always something in bloom. This will make the farm or garden more engaging for everyone involved and it will also help to spread out the joy and labor of harvest time.

&nbsp;
<h2>Do the Work </h2>
There are no two ways about it - farming is hard. There are choices you can make to streamline certain aspects of farming, but in the end, it is an intensive labor of love that will require you to show up and work hard. That being said, it just wouldn’t be the same if it was easy, right? Plus, there is undeniable power in getting your hands in the dirt.

&nbsp;
<h2>Be Creative </h2>
Urban farming requires constant creativity and problem-solving. In many cities, cultivating farm and homestead practices in urban spaces is seen as a radical act. By engaging with these practices, you’ll be pushing back against modern norms and expectations. Spaces that weren’t necessarily set aside for farming can still be used for that purpose, and with a little creativity, you can transform an empty lot into a garden of Eden.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1872965 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/farsai-chaikulngamdee-317437-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="strawberries" width="1024" height="683" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Celebrate the Fruits of Your Labor</h2>
Because farming is so much work, be sure to celebrate what it is you are able to accomplish. This can be hard when there’s so much to do (and there’s always more to do on the farm, city or not). Still, what better way to relish in the work than to pause and enjoy that cherry tomato, or bake that <a href="https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lattice-topped-strawberry-rhubarb-pie-4459" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rhubarb pie</a> for your mom. The circle of cultivation can be so beautifully simple - don’t miss it.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1872964 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/joshua-lanzarini-727349-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="bean seeds" width="1024" height="683" />

&nbsp;
<h2>Stay Curious and Keep Learning </h2>
No matter how expert you become in urban farming, gardening, and homesteading, there will always be more to learn - and how exciting is that? Take notes as you go about the process your first year, remember your choices and learn from them. Continue reading and consulting with master gardeners and urban farmers in your area. Listen to podcasts. Seek out the advice of mentors and maybe even start teaching new gardeners and farmers yourself. The plants will always have more to teach us.

&nbsp;

How To Get Started Urban Farming

Urban farming is a growing movement around the world. Grandmothers,...

The lotus flower is one of the most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sacred-plants-mythology-spirituality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sacred and iconic plants</a> in the world. The striking flower is a symbolic staple for some of the most prolific cultures and religions throughout history. It's safe to say that for thousands of years, the lotus has been a plant celebrity.

Hieroglyphics in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eight-egyptian-mummies-discovered/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ancient Egypt</a> often include lotus flowers portrayed side-by-side with important priests and pharaohs. Statues depicting sacred Buddhist figures feature the person sitting on, or underneath a lotus flower. Some of the gods and goddesses of Hinduism are associated with the flowers. The lotus flower is a recurring symbol across time and space. What makes this flower (and lotus seeds) so encapturing? To understand why the plant is so symbolic and timeless, we have to first understand its life history.
<h2>About the Lotus Flower</h2>
The white lotus (also called sacred lotus), Nelumbo nucifera, has a huge natural range. It grows in northern India up to elevations as high as 1,400 meters (4,600 feet), all the way to East Asia throughout much of China and almost all of southeast Asia.

The blue lotus, Nymphaea caerulea, is native to the Nile river and other parts of East Africa. Botanically speaking, these flowers are actually a type of water lily. But, the reasons why it’s sacred are similar to that of the white lotus. It also happens to grow in a very similar fashion to the white lotus.

N. caerulea itself is an aquatic plant. It thrives in muddy, still water and roots itself into the muck below. The long stems rise through the water and the leaves sit directly on or above the water. The huge, showy flowers bloom above the leaves, sometimes 20 centimeters (8 inches) in diameter! The petals have a special waxy coating on them which shed water and dirt. So even after blooming out of otherwise dirty, turbid water, the flower itself is perfectly pristine. One by one new flowers emerge and only last a single day. This is one of the reasons lotus flowers are so admired. Their ability to remain clean while growing out of the mud evokes persistence and spiritual purity.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1870668 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/buddha.jpg" alt="buddha statue lotus flower" width="1000" height="666" />
<h2>Buddhism and the Lotus</h2>
In Buddhism, the sacred lotus is an important symbol of purity, spiritual awakening, and faithfulness. Statues of Buddha often show him sitting atop an open lotus flower, like the one pictured above. In the land of Buddha, there are many different colors of lotus, and <a href="https://buddhists.org/buddhist-symbols/the-meanings-of-the-different-colors-of-the-lotus-flower-in-buddhism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">each one holds a different meaning.</a>
<ul>
 	<li>Blue symbolizes a victory of the spirit over that of wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. In Buddhist artwork, blue lotuses are never fully open as to not observe the center of the flower.</li>
 	<li>White symbolizes Bodhi (being enlightened). It also represents mental purity, spiritual perfection, and peace.</li>
 	<li>Purple is thought to be mystic. The eight petals of this lotus represent the Noble Eightfold Path, one of the most important teachings of Buddha.</li>
 	<li>Red represents the heart and symbolizes love and compassion.</li>
 	<li>Pink is considered to be the “true” lotus and is the main color of the flower according to Buddha.</li>
</ul>
<h3><img class="alignnone wp-image-1870669 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/brahma.jpg" alt="Brahma statue lotus flower" width="1000" height="801" /></h3>
<h2>Hindu Gods, Goddesses, and the White Lotus</h2>
The N. caerulea flower is sacred in Hinduism. It symbolizes beauty, fertility, prosperity, spirituality, and eternity. These are some pretty significant ideals, and all have the white lotus representing them. Many <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/top-hindu-deities-1770309" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hindu deities</a> hold or associate themselves with lotus.

The goddess of prosperity, Laxmi, is most often depicted sitting atop an open lotus flower, with more of the blooms held in two of her four hands. The four-faced god of creation, Brahma, apparently emerged from a lotus himself. In Hinduism, the unflawed flower is divine. It emerges from muddy waters and represents enlightenment in a person with little attachments to the world.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1740768 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Blue-egyptian-lotus-Nymphaea-caerulea.jpg" alt="" width="915" height="768" />
<h2>Ancient Egypt and the Blue Lotus</h2>
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics depict more than one type of N. caerulea, but the blue lotus is definitely the most common and sacred of them all. The blue flower often symbolizes rebirth, due to its nature of submerging underwater and reemerging the next day. When it blooms from the water a second time, it is as clean and pure as it was the day before.

Because of the lotus flower’s ability to enter the water and return the next day, it eventually came to symbolize the sun and the creation of the world. Because the lotus is associated with rebirth, it consequentially also became associated with death. Many ancient Egyptians believed there was a way to turn into a lotus after death, so one could be reborn the next day.

Apart from the symbolic and spiritual nature of these beautiful flowers, they also had a more political significance. Upper and Lower Egypt were long separate. Eventually, the Egyptian lotus flower (abundant in Upper Egypt) and the <a href="https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/papyrus/papyrus-plants.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">papyrus plant</a> (abundant in Lower Egypt) became united in symbols and hieroglyphics. Combining two of the most important plants in Ancient Egypt led to the unity of the two kingdoms.

Why the Lotus Flower Is a Plant Celebrity

The lotus flower is one of the most sacred and...

<h2>Xeriscaping and Xerogardening</h2>
refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that help reduce or even eliminate the need for irrigation. This practice is promoted in areas that do not have easily accessible fresh water supply. As climate patterns shift, more and more regions are using this method. The term “Ëœxeri’ or “Ëœxero’ comes from the Greek “Ëœxeros’ which means “dry”.

Plants that require the appropriate amount of irrigation in reference to the local climate are emphasized, and care is taken to avoid losing water to evaporation and run-off. The specific plants that are used in xeriscaping depend mostly on the climate. Common plants for western xeriscaping are agave, cactus, lavender, juniper, sedum and thyme. Although the Denver Department of Water helped coined the term xeriscaping, it is not a registered trademark of that office. It was officially created by the Front Range Xeriscape Task Force of Denver Department in 1978. In other areas, terms more commonly used are water-conserving landscaping, drought-tolerant landscaping, zeroscaping, and smart scaping.
<h3>-</h3>
There are many advantages to xeriscaping and xerogardening. Reasons include lower water bills, more available water for other needed areas and people, less time and work needed for maintenance, making gardening simple and stress-free, and less need for lawn mowing (saves energy). Proper use of xeriscaping lets plants take full advantage of rainfall. Xeriscape plants will also thrive when water restrictions are implemented.

There are also disadvantages to xeriscaping. More start-up work is needed for planting then simply laying sod and planting most traditional plants. Though less maintenance is needed than with traditional gardens, it can be more costly to maintain. Weeds and trash may be a bigger problem . Some homeowners’ associations may object to non-traditional plants. However, some states such as Florida and Arizona have regulations that prevent homeowners’ associations from prohibiting the property owner from utilizing xeriscaping and xerogardening on his or her land.

Photo Copyright and Credit

What is Xeriscaping?

Xeriscaping and Xerogardening refers to landscaping and gardening in ways...

<h2>Soil salinity</h2>
is the salt content within the soil; the process of increasing the content of salt is known as salination. Salt is a natural element of water and soils. Salination can be a result of natural processes such as the gradual withdrawal of an ocean or mineral weathering. It can be caused by artificial processes such as irrigation as well.

Soils that are affected by salt are a result of excess accumulation of salts, normally most obvious at the surface of the soil. Salts can be transported to the surface of the soil by capillary transport from a salt burdened water table and then build up as a result of evaporation. They can be concentrated in the soils because of human activity as well, for example the use of potassium as a fertilizer, which can create sylvite, a naturally occurring salt. As soil salinity increases, the salt effects can cause degradation of soils and vegetation.

The consequences of salinity are detrimental effects on plant growth and yield, damage to infrastructure, reduction of water quality, sedimentation issues, and soil erosion ultimately, when crops are too strongly affected by the amount of salts.
<h3>-</h3>
Salinity is a significant land degradation issue. Soil salinity can be reduced by leaching soluble salts out of the soil with excess irrigation water. Soil salinity control involves watertable control and flushing combined with tile drainage or another type of subsurface drainage. An inclusive treatment of soil salinity is available from the FAO. High soil salinity levels also can be tolerated if salt-tolerant plants are grown. Sensitive crops already lose their vigor in slightly saline soils, the majority of crops are negatively affected by saline soils, and only salinity resistant crops flourish in severely saline soils.

Image Caption: Salt-affected soils are visible on rangeland in Colorado. Salts dissolved from the soil accumulate at the soil surface. And they are deposited on the ground and at the base of the fence post. Credit: USDA Employee/Wikipedia

What is Soil Salinity?

Soil salinity is the salt content within the soil; the...

<h2>Soil Contamination</h2>
Today’s soil contamination is a direct result of man-made chemicals or other changes in nature’s soil environment. This contamination most commonly occurs from :
<ul>
 	<li>underground storage tanks bursting</li>
 	<li>use of pesticides</li>
 	<li>discarding oil and fuel illegally</li>
 	<li>leakage of dirty surface water</li>
 	<li>draining of wastes from landfalls and knowingly dumping industrial wastes into the soil</li>
</ul>
The most widespread chemicals found are petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, common pesticides, lead and also in additional heavy metals. This development of contamination is compared with the quantity of industrializations and the severity of chemical usage.

The largest concern regarding soil contamination is also the health risks that are caused by this pollution. Health can be compromised by touching the soil as well as from secondary pollution of water supplies. Locating contaminated soil sites and enforcing cleanup procedures can be expensive and involve a slow recovery process. In addition, it requires skilled professionals in geology, hydrology, chemistry and computer modeling. Most of the contaminated land has been identified in North America and Western Europe. A legal foundation has been put in place to recognize and handle this environmental issue in many of their countries.
<h3>-</h3>
Since the 1970′s, the People’s Republic of China has maintained an extremely large growth pattern which has demanded a massive amount of land and increased soil pollution. According to the State Environmental Protection Administration this is dangerous to the surroundings, to food safety and also to the continual production of agriculture. One-tenth of China’s crop land, which exists mostly in economically developed areas, has been contaminated.

The United States may have one of the most massive soil contaminations, but is a leader in outlining and executing standards for cleanup. While other industrialized countries have an abundance of contaminated sites, they do not have the remediation the United States has put into place. Thousands of sites undergo cleanup in the U.S. each year. Cleanup is performed by using microbes, excavation and a more costly extraction or air stripping.

Photo Copyright and Credit

What is Soil Contamination?

Soil Contamination Today’s soil contamination is a direct result of...

Land affected by overgrazing

Overgrazing occurs when plants are unprotected to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without enough recovery periods. It can be a result of either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non-native wild animals.

Overgrazing reduces the usefulness, biodiversity, and productivity of the land and is one cause of desertification and erosion. It's also considered to be a cause of the spread of invasive species of non-native plants and weeds.

It is used as the canonical example of the Tragedy of the commons. Sustainable grassland production is based on the management of :
<ul>
 	<li>grass and grassland</li>
 	<li>land management</li>
 	<li>animal management</li>
 	<li>the marketing of livestock</li>
</ul>
Grazing management, along with sustainable agriculture and agroecology practices, is the basis of grassland-based livestock production since it affects both plant and animal health and productivity.

One indication of overgrazing is that the animals run short of pasture. In some areas of the United States under continuous grazing, overgrazed pastures are predominated by short-grass species and will be less than 2 to 3 inches tall in the grazed areas. In other parts of the world, overgrazed pasture is usually taller than sustainably grazed pasture, with grass heights usually over 1 meter and dominated by unpleasant species. But in all cases, palatable tall grasses such as orchard grass are rare or non-existent.

In such cases of overgrazing, the soil might be visible between the plants, enabling erosion to occur. Although in many situations overgrazed pastures have a greater sward cover than the sustainably grazed pastures.

What is Overgrazing?

Overgrazing occurs when plants are unprotected to intensive grazing for...

A,Spoonful,Of,Edible,Flowers

Imagine, 75% of the calories consumed by humans come from just 12 plant and 5 livestock species. Humans regularly cultivate only 200 species of edible plants and flowers for food, out of the nearly half-million that exist.
With over 400,000 species of flowering plants alone, there must be more diversity that we can bring to our plate. In fact, scientists believe that we could realistically eat about 300,000 of these plant species. In this article, we explore edible flowers.
With so many flowers in the world, their potential for human food is quite vast. Some flowers are surprisingly common in the grocery store, whereas others are regular garden plants. Flowers lend themselves well to <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/8-edible-flowers-that-taste-great-in-salads/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">salads</a>, baking, and adding bright colors to dishes.
<h2><img class="alignnone wp-image-1875884 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/broccoli-1629643_1280.jpg" alt="edible flowers, broccoli, floret" width="1280" height="960" /></h2>
<h2>Broccoli</h2>
This plant must be the most eaten flower in the world. World production of broccoli is around 26 million tons annually. Can you believe that broccoli is a flower? In fact, a head of broccoli contains thousands of individual flower buds. Each tiny green dot is a flower waiting to burst open. However, broccoli is typically harvested before the buds turn into flowers.
Fun fact: brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and broccoli are all the same species of plant, Brassica oleracea. Farmers harvest cauliflower before the vegetable can turn into buds, so it isn't technically an edible flower. Both brussel sprouts and kale are leaves of the plant. Therefore, they are also not flowers.
<h3>How to prepare:</h3>
Broccoli is an incredibly versatile food. It can be steamed, baked, boiled, fried, sautéed, or eaten raw. Cultures across the globe regularly consume this grocery store staple. Next time you eat broccoli, think about the hundreds of little flowers in your mouth!
<h2><img class="alignnone wp-image-1875885 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/flowers-670579_1280.jpg" alt="edible flowers, squash blossom" width="853" height="1280" /></h2>
<h2>Squash Blossom (Flor de Calabaza)</h2>
Squash is an abundant and common summer vegetable (well, technically a fruit). Did you know that the blossom of the plant, rather than the fruit, is a common food item elsewhere in the world?
The large, orange blossoms are some of the most satisfying flowers to eat. They cook well, keep a nice texture, and have a mild, squashy flavor.
Squash plants have separate male and female flowers. Only female flowers turn into squash, so male flowers can be picked freely, as long as a few are left to pollinate the females. Male flowers tend to be further out from the center of the plant, have a skinny base, and are more abundant.
While squash blossoms are delicious, they are hard to find in traditional grocery stores because they have a very short shelf life. If you have a garden, try to learn to tell the difference between male and female so you have a fresh supply!
<h3>How to Prepare:</h3>
Before eating, the inner parts of the flower (stamen or stigma) must be removed, along with the pollen. Use these flowers as quickly as possible because they can go bad quickly. Mexicans use Flor de Calabaza as a common ingredient for soups and quesadillas.
They can also be used as a pizza topping or sautéed with onions and added to a variety of dishes. For a simple preparation, they can be tossed into pasta or a salad for some great color and mild flavor.
<h2><img class="alignnone wp-image-1875886 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bread-2756463_1280.jpg" alt="edible flowers, nasturtium" width="1280" height="853" /></h2>
<h2>Nasturtium</h2>
This landscaping favorite is also an edible flower. It grows easily in most of the continental U.S., <a href="https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">from hardiness zones 4 to 11</a>. The plant flowers for many months of the year, which make it a consistent food producer. This flower has a peppery taste almost reminiscent of wasabi. They grow in all of the sunset colors and have a nice crunch.
<h3>How to prepare:</h3>
Nasturtium flowers are best eaten fresh. Use them to top salads for a contrasting, bright color and zingy flavor. They can also be used to top pastries and cakes to add to their appearance.
<h2><img class="alignnone wp-image-1875882 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/saffron-3291935_1280.jpg" alt="edible flowers, saffron, spice" width="1280" height="840" /></h2>
<h2>Saffron</h2>
Alright, I admit it. By weight, saffron probably isn't one of the most popular edible flowers. Global production of saffron is a mere 300 tons annually. It is the most expensive spice on the planet, in part because of the tremendous labor needed to harvest the plant.
A saffron 'thread' is a stigma of a special kind of crocus flower. Each flower produces a mere 3 threads. It takes 50,000 individual flowers to make one pound of spice. All this labor is done by hand. Iran grows the majority of the world's saffron.
<h3>How to prepare:</h3>
Due to its global scarcity, this special spice is difficult to find and very expensive. Specialty spice shops are the best place to find saffron. It is most commonly used to flavor rice.
The red of the saffron will also turn the rice a pleasant yellow color. To cook saffron rice, steep the saffron threads in a few tablespoons of water. Add this water with the threads to the rice as it cooks. Easy as that!
<h2><img class="alignnone wp-image-1875883 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/artichoke-267974_1280.jpg" alt="edible flowers, artichoke" width="1280" height="720" /></h2>
<h2>Artichokes</h2>
What? Yes, just like broccoli, artichokes are also flowers. How fun! These plants are in the sunflower family. When flowering, the plant looks like a thistle. The edible parts of an artichoke are the numerous petals that surround the center of the flower.
Once the artichoke opens into a flower, the petals become tough and nearly inedible. Artichoke must be one of the most commonly eaten flowers in the world, with a global annual production of 1.45 million tons.
<h3>How to Prepare:</h3>
As a fresh food, artichokes are steamed until the flesh at the base of the petals is soft and tender. These petals are typically dipped in mayonnaise, melted butter, or garlic-flavored olive oil.
Artichoke hearts are also marinated with herbs and spices. These marinated hearts are great in pizza, pasta, or anything Italian. In fact, Italy is the world's largest producer of artichokes.
<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875887 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/food-2522584_640.jpg" alt="edible flowers, lavender" width="640" height="442" />
<h2>English Lavender</h2>
There are many<a href="https://www.gardenmandy.com/types-of-lavender-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> species, varieties, and hybrids of lavender</a>. English lavender, the most fragrant, is considered the best for essential oils and cooking. While this plant is more commonly used as a scent or in herbal infusions, it can also be used to flavor foods.
The flowers are a pleasant purple color, and their small size makes them aesthetically appealing when sprinkled on pastries. Lavender is native to the Mediterranean basin, and all species are moderately to extremely drought-tolerant.
This plant grows well in most the continental US, excluding the colder parts of the Northeast, upper Midwest, and the Rocky Mountains.
<h3>How to prepare:</h3>
Beware: lavender has a strong flavor and can easily overpower a dish. Be conservative when adding lavender to avoid making your food taste like perfume. Keep in mind that dried lavender is about 3 times more potent than fresh lavender. It can be used in place of rosemary in many recipes. It can also be used to flavor bread by adding it in place of thyme.
Grinding the flowers in a coffee grinder, or with a mortar and pestle, will enhance their flavor. As with all flowers, be sure to use food-grade flowers rather than flowers from a nursery or florist. These flowers are more likely to have nasty pesticides and chemical, which you don't want in your food.
This list of edible flowers is obviously incredibly abbreviated. There are so many kinds to try in the world. However, please don't harvest native wildflowers.
These are super important food sources for all sorts of wildlife. When you pick a flower, you functionally kill a plant because it can no longer produce seeds. There are so many edible non-native flowers, garden flowers, and landscaping flowers in your neighborhood. Just start looking!


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Most Popular Edible Flowers (And How to Eat Them)

Imagine, 75% of the calories consumed by humans come from...

Mushrooms are an endlessly fascinating organism on planet earth. Defined as the fruiting body of fungus, it is most often found above ground in soil or upon its food source. To say that people are passionate about this branch of fungi feels like an understatement - folks go wild for certain delicious varieties. For every person that turns their nose up at mushrooms in a meal, there’s someone else, closely guarding the secret location of a morel patch or finding a way to cook them into breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

So why are mushrooms so cool? There are many angles at which to approach this question. To start with, some mushrooms are extremely poisonous and can kill you. It seems to be the case that anything dangerous in the forest takes on a certain mystique. Adding to the mystery of mushrooms is the fact that people have been foraging for them for thousands of years - this adds to certain cultural understandings of mushrooms as precious and revered. Some types of mushrooms contain the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-vote-medicinal-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">psychedelic compound psilocybin</a>, which when ingested, can cause a person to hallucinate. Scientists are even conducting research on the ways in which psilocybin might<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/denver-decriminalizes-magic-mushrooms-here-how-they-may-help-your-health#1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> affect individuals’ mental health</a>. A type of mushroom, mycelium, connects the root systems of trees, allowing them to communicate like <a href="http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141111-plants-have-a-hidden-internet" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a high-speed internet connection</a>. Some types of mushrooms may have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asian-mushrooms-anti-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">anti-cancer properties.</a> The more you learn, the more interesting the kingdom of fungi becomes. 

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875581 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/fungus-1194380_1280.jpg" alt="mushroom farming morels" width="1280" height="853" />

&nbsp;
<h2>So You’re Interested in Mushroom Farming?  </h2>
With such a mysterious organism, is it really possible to start mushroom farming? Yep, it is. Though, it’s not as simple as throwing some dill seeds in a raised bed. It’ll take some planning and close attention. Mushroom farming, or Fungiculture, is a profitable sector of the agricultural business and depending on your goals, it’s something you can do at home or on a farm. A pound of log-grown shiitake mushrooms can sell for <a href="https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/d/958/files/2014/03/Shiitake-BMP-3-11-1osfnxs.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$10 - $18</a>, depending on the demand in your area. While there are a plethora of books to read on the subject and you can spend days watching youtube videos full of helpful tips and tricks, below is an introduction to the process: 
<h2>Outdoor Logs Are a Great Place to Start</h2>
Outdoor logs can be a great way to begin mushroom farming, especially if you’re hoping to grow the shiitake variety. In the United States, this practice is <a href="https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/d/958/files/2014/03/Shiitake-BMP-3-11-1osfnxs.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">still fairly new </a>but particularly successful in the midwest regions. You want to use a log from an oak tree ideally, but sugar maple and beech logs can work as substitutes. Logs should be cut during the dormant season - between December and March. Keep any cut logs in a sheltered area so they don’t dry out. Keep them close to the ground, and use a tarp or snow cover to keep moisture in. 

You’ll want to do research on what type of spawn and strain to use, as this can be a fundamental aspect of whether or not your mushroom farm is a success. There are certain strains that are more<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=LE46+mushroom&amp;tbm=isch&amp;source=univ&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiv_-7Mh8zjAhUbWs0KHaveCGcQsAR6BAgHEAE&amp;biw=1436&amp;bih=717" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> beginner-friendly</a> than others, but your selection should also depend on what you’re excited about growing and where you live. You can order <a href="https://fungi.com/collections/plug-spawn-for-logs-stumps" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spawn plugs</a> from a variety of places online or at a local nursery. 
<h2>Moisture is Everything</h2>
After you’ve found the perfect spawn and strain for your mushroom farm, moisture is probably the most important factor when it comes to actually growing mushrooms. You want the moisture content of your log to be <a href="https://fungially.com/how-to-grow-mushrooms-outside/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">around 45%</a>. If it hasn’t rained in over 2 weeks, you’ll need to water the log(s) yourself. You can soak a log for 2-5 hours to re-hydrate it and keep it thriving for another month. Less water-efficient but also effective is to use a sprinkler on the logs for 4-8 hours, bringing the moisture content back up. 

To inoculate your log, drill 1-inch deep holes in rows 6 inches apart. Use a hammer to push the spawn plug into the hole until the plug is flush with the log’s surface. Once you’ve filled the holes, you can cover the log in a light<a href="https://fungially.com/how-to-grow-mushrooms-outside/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> layer of wax </a>to protect the log from unwanted spores and bacteria and then place the log in a shady area. 

This process takes patience. For example, logs inoculated in April will fruit over a year later, around June. 
<h2>Indoor Trays</h2>
If you’re craving a more regulated and nuanced approach than log-growing is able to provide, you might consider indoor trays as a technique for mushroom farming. With indoor trays, you have greater control over light, temperature, and moisture. Your crop will be better protected from pests and other contaminating elements. This allows for a more consistent production cycle. However, it is also a considerably more amount of work and might deter beginning mushroom farmers. There are plenty of <a href="https://www.namyco.org/growing_mushrooms_at_home.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">accessible resources</a> available to learn more about growing crops indoors. 
<h2>Troubleshooting </h2>
Mushroom farming is an intensive technique - but the bounty can absolutely be worth the trouble! As with any new farming or gardening endeavors, it’s important to have a realistic understanding of the necessary time and resources. Farming mushrooms should be fun, so start small and grow from there. 

Most often, problems arise from either too much moisture or not enough. Soak up as much knowledge as you can from experienced growers online and in your community, and then go for it. There’s really only one way to succeed - and that’s to give it a try. 

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1875582 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/tree-stump-1040639_1280.jpg" alt="mushroom farming tree" width="1280" height="853" />

Have you had success with mushroom farming before? What techniques did you use and what did you learn along the way?

How To Start Mushroom Farming

Mushrooms are an endlessly fascinating organism on planet earth. Defined...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...