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Report Highlights Rise in Global Average Temperature and Heat Waves The team at Climate Central published a report based on analysis using their Climate Shift Index (CSI), expressing the likelihood that a temperature on a given day is attributed to “human-caused climate change.” CSI values range from -5 to 5, from five times less likely (negative values) to five times more likely (positive values) relatively. A value of 0 indicates no influence from climate change. The analysis covers the 12-month period of November 2022 to October 2023. The global average temperature during this period was 1.32 °C (2.37 °F) above the pre-industrial baseline of 1850–1900, beating the previous record of 1.29 °C (2.32 °F) from October 2015 to September 2016. There were 108 countries with an annual CSI above 1 (in other words, temperatures being at least 1.5 times more likely due to climate change), including 44 countries in Africa and 32 countries in Asia. This was compared to a baseline of 1991–2020. Out of 700 cities analyzed, 156 had “extreme” heat streaks of five days or more. Out of 920 cities analyzed, the countries with the most “attributable” (in other words, an average CSI of 2 or higher) heat streaks were China (48), the United States (12), then Mexico (11), with the rest of the countries in the single digits, although the number of analyzed cities per country greatly varied from one (such as Yemen) to 314 (China). The top 10 cities with the longest heat streaks comprise the United States (four cities, one with the highest of 22 days), Indonesia (three cities, one with the lowest of 15 days), Mexico (two cities, both with the lowest of 15 days), and China (one city). Among G20 countries, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia had the highest mean CSI (2.4 and 2.3, respectively), while Australia and Canada had the lowest mean CSI (0.2). Sources: https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/3Ol753QygKfVTuCC28qgij/b97aacad87ca66289e06e2176b7af567/-Climate_Central_report-_The_hottest_12-month_stretch_in_recorded_history__Nov_2022_to_Oct_2023_.pdf https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/1Lp10KKgzy8jEp5nbPdovf/68abc3f8c1c7a8bbcfa9655f6db58eb5/methods-doc-v2.pdf

By Marion W. Miller* “Agriculture is the explosive topic of the 21st century.” —Delphine Darmon, Founder and CEO at Demain N’attend Pas (Tomorrow Doesn’t Wait) In the 20th century, industrial farming revolutionized food production by focusing on efficiency and maximizing yields. “Between 1960 and 2015, agricultural production more than tripled, resulting in an abundance of low-cost fare and averting global food shortages,” says the UN Environmental Programme. However, while this modern approach is successfully feeding a part of the world, it has brought unintended environmental consequences, such as disrupting soil microbial ecosystems with synthetic fertilizers and harming beneficial pollinators with pesticides. Monoculture farming has led to decreased fertility of the soil, and over-tilling leaves soil vulnerable to erosion. Permaculture: A Sustainable and Profitable Alternative Many proposed alternatives to industrial agriculture have been tried, but often these do not produce the yields needed to feed the general population. Surprisingly, permaculture, short for “permanent agriculture,” on the other hand, can provide high yields while protecting and regenerating the soil and natural ecosystems. Permaculture is not just a set of agricultural techniques but a philosophy of working with nature. It was developed in the 1970s by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, who saw the land deteriorating around them. They were inspired by the Aboriginal Tasmanian reverence for and understanding of nature. They developed permaculture by cultivating different, interdependent, food-producing plants that mimic the complexity and variety of natural ecosystems. The results are abundant harvests while creating biodiversity to regenerate the soil and build resilience against pests, diseases, and adverse weather events. This approach includes creating “food forests,” i.e., integrating productive trees and shrubs of different heights into farming systems to shelter crops, reduce flooding, and add fruits and nuts to the farm’s yield. Permaculture’s holistic approach encompasses farm design, energy efficiency, the use of renewable resources, the circular use of waste, and water conservation through capturing and storing water within the landscape. Permaculture’s holistic approach encompasses farm design, energy efficiency, the use of renewable resources, the circular use of waste—feeding animals with vegetable waste and enriching the soil with manure—and water conservation through capturing and storing water within the landscape. Its designs are based on sunlight, wind, and water patterns, and the land’s topography. Its principles can be applied in varied settings, from deserts to rainforests and even urban environments (such as community and rooftop gardens). Permaculture philosophy is both revolutionary and pragmatic: It creates abundance while regenerating soil in the process and allowing farmers to assess what does and does not work in time to devise changes accordingly. Case Study 1: La Ferme du Bec Hellouin in Normandy, France An exceptional example of the transformative powers of permaculture is La Ferme du Bec Hellouin (the Bec-Hellouin Farm), founded in 2003 by Charles Hervé-Gruyer and Perrine Bulgheroni. The farm began as a large family kitchen garden to provide fresh food for their family. Hervé-Gruyer was originally a navigator and ecology teacher on his marine boat-school (Fleur de Lampaul); Bulgheroni was an international lawyer and an advocate for the underprivileged. The couple had no experience in farming. Their discovery of permaculture in 2008 marked a shift in their farming approach, turning their humble garden into the pioneering agricultural success that has attracted media attention and meticulous study by scientists, and earned them awards, such as the Right Livelihood Award. The design for their farm blends tradition and innovation, drawing inspiration from 19th-century Parisian market gardeners, Amazonian tribespeople, and other indigenous people Hervé-Gruyer visited in his travels, and Asian Effective Microorganisms (EM) practices. Key features of the Bec-Hellouin farm include: 1. Low-till agriculture practices. This avoids erosion and preserves soil composition and the vital, microbial life within it. It has been proven that on the farm “[t]he concentrations of total OC (organic carbon) and nitrogen (N) in bulk soils were higher under permaculture practices, due to significant inputs of manure and compost, resulting in higher concentrations of the bioavailable nutrients Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium), K (potassium), and P (phosphorus).” 2. Food Forest. Productive trees and shrubs are integrated with crops, providing a diverse habitat for wildlife and benefits such as shade, wind protection, natural composting, and nutrient cycling. According to Hervé-Gruyer (as quoted in https://www.choosenormandy.com): “[S]everal studies … show that we have lots more earthworms, wild bees, birds and more … We’ve counted some forty species of wild bees and some sixty species of birds, including rare and endangered species, that are nesting on our farm.” 3. Diverse Crop Selection. Over 380 varieties of fruits, vegetables, cereals, herbs, and medicinal plants are grown. 4. Water Management. Natural water sources are utilized efficiently, with systems in place for rainwater harvesting, storage, and irrigation. The farm's productivity has stunned researchers. Despite its small scale, it produces a ten times higher yield than mechanized organic farming. The farm operates on the principle of intensive, hand-managed, densely arranged, small-scale agriculture and uses draft animals instead of machinery. Despite its small scale, [the farm] produces a ten times higher yield than mechanized organic farming. The farm covers nearly fifty acres. Their approach allows them to cultivate a substantial variety of produce on only 0.9 acres of land and supply up to 100 vegetable boxes per week to local customers and high-end restaurants. They also graze animals, grow trees on their land, and have ponds that contribute to the beauty and magic of the site. Between 2011 and 2015, INRA (the French National Institute of Agricultural Research) and AgroParisTech conducted a research program to study the farm's methods. The study concluded that small-scale farming, conducted largely by hand, is not only sustainable but also highly productive. As a result, according to the French Ministry of Agriculture, 80% of French organic market-gardening farming projects now follow the Bec-Hellouin model. Hervé-Gruyer and Bulgheroni share their knowledge and experience via the Bec-Hellouin Farm permaculture school. They also teach seminars at the Université Domaine du Possible, a farm school which is dedicated to spreading permaculture to large farms. Hervé-Gruyer, with his daughter Lila, is now producing a series of Permaculture guidebooks called Resiliences. Bulgheroni is planning a large permaculture farm for city-dwellers who want to return to the land and for Romani people. She is also setting up an adopt-a-farm program for corporations. Their book, Living with the Earth, Volume 1: A Manual for Market Gardeners—Permaculture, Ecoculture: Inspired by Nature was just published in Great Britain and the USA. Case Study 2: The Permaculture Literacy Program in the Philippines An example of grassroots organizing to establish a permaculture educational program is Merly Barlaan's building a permaculture training center in Carmen, Bohol, a rural area in the Philippines, where she grew up. After working for fifteen years in the UN office of the non-profit NGO Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI), Barlaan saw the gap between the UN’s idealistic agenda and the lack of progress in local communities. She returned to the Philippines in 2012 to work on the grassroots level in her predominantly agricultural hometown area. Her initial venture into organic farming was met with challenges, such as high costs and low yields, which led her to research better alternatives. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she discovered permaculture and found Raoul Amores, head of the Regenesis Project and an experienced permaculture practitioner, in Bohol. Creating a Permaculture Training Center In 2021, Barlaan donated a hectare (2.4 acres) of land and raised funds from private donors, including support from WFWPI, for the building of a permaculture training center in Carmen. With permaculture teacher Amores and his daughter, Yani Amores-Dutta, she established the Permaculture Literacy Program to educate and certify individuals in permaculture, teaching the skills to implement sustainable and high-yield farming practices and to become permaculture educators themselves. The training center’s inaugural cohort of forty-four young people graduated in December 2022. They have since gone on to share permaculture principles and practices with their families, communities, and local government leaders, which is significant since many young people in the Philippines tend to leave farming. Permaculture Vision Barlaan and her team, including project co-managers Christine Rose Bulayo and Dale Cyril Dejecacion, are in the process of helping transform the entire district of Bohol into a permaculture hub in the Philippines. They envision permaculture not just being a farming practice but a way of life, practiced in every backyard garden and even on balconies. Barlaan and her team are in the process of helping transform the entire district of Bohol into a permaculture hub in the Philippines. Their ambitious goal is to see permaculture principles integrated into the entire Philippine educational system, promoting sustainable living from an early age through high school, college, and even master’s degree programs. (In fact, the University of the Philippines Open University is already offering a continuing education course on Permaculture Systems Design.) Barlaan's approach to teaching permaculture combines traditional Filipino farming knowledge with modern scientific methods. It paves the way for young people to gain the knowledge and inspiration to continue working on their families’ farms, even if only part-time, thus reducing migration away from rural areas and leading to a more ecologically harmonious and prosperous rural development. Hervé-Gruyer, Bulgheroni, and Barlaan are timely role models who show that individual actions at the local level can influence politicians and policies. Permaculture reconciles human needs with the needs of the environment, creating systems that are not only productive but also regenerative. *Marion W. Miller is a French bilingual researcher, writer, and editor now residing in Northern Virginia. She has master’s degrees in Business and Economics and International Economics and Economic Development. She has also ministered for community development and world peace. As a grandmother of eight, she cares deeply about environmental stewardship and preserving natural wonders for future generations. She has traveled to many natural sites in countries around the world and now retreats to the gorgeous Shenandoah Valley National Park area whenever time allows.

How Tribology is Aiding the Fight Against Climate Change By Rick Laezman* As pressure mounts to enlist all resources in the fight against global warming, energy efficiency is taking on an expanding role. One particular field of study is taking the concept of efficiency to another level, literally. Efficiency on an Atomic Level Tribology is the study of kinetic properties, or properties related to motion, that have a direct impact on efficiency. Specifically, it examines three related phenomena: friction, wear, and lubrication. The study of these elements of physical resistance often takes place at an atomic or slightly larger nanoscale. The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) defines the specialty in relatively mundane terms. It describes the practice simply as the “study of surfaces moving relative to one another.” A closer look at the three areas of focus provides more detail. Friction is defined as the resistance to motion between two contacting objects or materials. Wear is the loss of mass or material as the result of friction. Finally, lubrication is the use of solutions or solids to help reduce the incidence of friction and wear. The three areas of study encompass various fields. As a result, tribologists draw their expertise from many different specialties, including mechanical engineering, materials science and engineering, chemistry and chemical engineering, and others. Tribology also has relevance to many different industries and devices because friction and wear occur in so many different processes, and the reduction of both is important to all. Manufacturing, healthcare, sports, and music are a few of the many fields where tribology is applied. For example, tribology can improve the performance of automobile tires. Friction is essential to a secure grip between the tire and the road. This aids acceleration and safety. On the other hand, all consumers want to minimize wear so their tires will last longer. Tribology, Energy Efficiency, and Global Warming Speaking of cars, tribology is proving to be extremely valuable to the broad field of energy efficiency. Because so much energy is lost to friction in mechanical components, reducing this waste is one of the most effective ways to cut down on energy use. Reducing the energy intake and carbon output of vehicles, buildings, appliances, and any energy-consuming process becomes just as important in the fight against global warming as the use of renewable fuels like solar and wind power. “[F]inding ways to minimize friction and wear through new technologies in tribology is critical to a greener and more sustainable world.“ As noted by the STLE, “finding ways to minimize friction and wear through new technologies in tribology is critical to a greener and more sustainable world.“ Advances in tribology that improve energy efficiency are mostly occurring in one of three sectors: energy, transportation, and manufacturing. Not coincidentally, these are also some of the biggest energy consumers. In the field of energy and power, tribology can increase efficiency in many ways. There are numerous opportunities to reduce energy loss throughout the industry, from the initial phase of primary resource production through the generation of electricity, distribution of power, and energy consumption. For example, lubricants can increase the efficiency of steam and gas turbines used to generate electricity. Similarly, materials applied to bearings and gearboxes increase the efficiency of wind turbines. Changes to the materials used in the inner workings of cooling and heating systems, as well as other appliances, can improve the energy efficiency of buildings. In the field of transportation, tribology improves the efficiency of all sorts of moving vehicles. It impacts efficiency through improvements to the inner workings of power trains, including gearboxes, engines, transmissions, driveshafts, axles, bearings, and brakes. It also improves traction and reduces the wear of tires and wheels on cars, trucks, and trains. These improvements can be achieved in many ways. This includes the development of new lubricants and super small, nano composites that reduce friction and wear of gears and bearings. It even extends to innovative engineering of coatings for turbine blades and road surfaces that help reduce friction. Finally, tribology aids the manufacturing and industrial sectors by increasing the efficiency of machinery and equipment. When tribology methods are applied to transportation and energy production, they can reduce temperatures, increase the lifespan of implements and equipment, improve efficiency, and lower energy consumption in the manufacturing and delivery of products and materials. Tribology in the Real World With all these possibilities, tribologists are hard at work exploring new ways to increase efficiency through the reduction of friction and wear and the innovative use of lubricants. Scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals describe various research topics where experts are pursuing advances in the field. Some of these advances are pushing the boundaries of imagination. As science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke described, “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Tribology may not qualify as magic, but it is taking innovation to levels that the human eye cannot see. Some researchers have achieved superlubricity using different materials, both solid and liquid, including graphite flakes, graphene, polymers, and even water. Take, for example, the concept of superlubricity. This occurs when friction has been nearly eliminated. Much of the work in this field has been theoretical. However, the topic has gained increased attention in recent years. Some researchers have achieved superlubricity using different materials, both solid and liquid, including graphite flakes, graphene, polymers, and even water. Achieving superlubricity in a practical application on a wide scale is still a long way away, but researchers are zeroing in. The benefits could be remarkable. Friction is believed to account for about 30% of the world's total energy consumption. If tribologists could develop methods to achieve superlubricity in practical applications like manufacturing or transportation, the savings would be incredible. Earlier this year, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced they invented a “superlubricity coating” that could dramatically reduce friction in common load-bearing systems with moving parts. The coating reduces the friction of steel rubbing on steel at least a hundredfold. The invention could be a significant breakthrough because it would make superlubricity accessible to a wide variety of common applications, including vehicle drivetrains as well as wind and hydroelectric turbines. According to Jun Qu, leader of ORNL’s Surface Engineering and Tribology group, “the main achievement is making superlubricity feasible for the most common applications.” [The] U.S. economy loses more than $1 trillion (about $3,100 per person in the US) to friction and wear every year. According to ORNL, the novel coating could be a boon to the U.S. economy, which it says loses more than $1 trillion (about $3,100 per person in the US) to friction and wear every year. Another sub-specialty—high-temperature tribology—has attracted increased attention in recent years. When solid surfaces interact in moving situations, like machinery or engine parts, they create intense pressure and heat. This can dramatically impact the surfaces, creating wear and impacting the efficiency of the process. Much of the research in this area has focused on the automobile manufacturing industry. Vehicles require lightweight materials that must be formed at high temperatures. Advances in tribology can support the production of lightweight materials, improve the efficiency of the process, and increase the longevity of the implements and machinery that are used. Consuming Energy without Waste In his 1938 book, Nine Chains to the Moon, architect and futurist R. Buckminster Fuller coined the phrase “ephemeralization.” It refers to the ability of technological advancement to do “more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing.” Advances in energy efficiency are a long way off from allowing humanity to do “everything with nothing,” but research and development are certainly finding new ways to do more while consuming and wasting less. If society is to win the war against carbon emissions and global warming, efficiency may prove to be one of its most important resources, and in that regard, tribology will play a part. *Rick Laezman is a freelance writer in Los Angeles, California, US. He has a passion for energy efficiency and innovation. He has covered renewable power and other related subjects for over ten years.

Science and Faith Groups Collaborate to Kick-Start Environmental Services Movement By Robert R. Selle* On a sunny day in November 2023, representatives of ten environmentally conscious organizations settled behind tables beneath a large tent on the grounds of a Maryland church. Their goal was to kick-start what they hope will be the first of many events that promote science and faith collaboration and raise humanity’s consciousness toward the natural environment. Eco Fair 2023 was co-hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Community Church (MACC) Garden Ministry in Davidsonville, Maryland. The ministry takes its cue from Genesis 2:15, which says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (emphasis added). The other co-host of the event was the Hyo Jeong International Foundation for the Unity of the Sciences (HJIFUS), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. HJIFUS, which publishes the bimonthly online environmental magazine The Earth & I, devoted to researching and implementing strategies to mitigate global environmental challenges. Its focus is to spotlight and promote emerging eco-friendly science and technology, as well as to educate the public on how and why to take care of the natural world. Garden Ministry The MACC Garden Ministry was started by Gregg Jones, who is HJIFUS projects coordinator. Jones’ major partner in this ministry is Elmer Dengler, a MACC member who worked as an agroecologist with the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service for 31 years. Dengler worked throughout the US, caring for millions of acres of private land and encouraging farmers to adopt more sustainable practices. He now works nearby in Bowie, Maryland, undertaking projects to restore degraded public land. “Working the land also means giving to others.” MACC devotes a small portion of 55 acres to an organic “hoop” garden with raised beds that produces turnips, onions, sweet potatoes, kale, tomatoes, and other crops. “Working the land,” said Dengler, “also means giving to others.” In this spirit, the ministry has donated 1,200 pounds of its produce to two local food banks. As a part of the Eco Fair, HJIFUS hosted a service project at the MACC garden for fifteen young adults. Members of the Garden Ministry team guided them to harvest sweet potatoes, construct a raised garden bed and fill it with soil, and spread wheelbarrow-loads of wood chips along the pathways and access road. “When we work in the garden with our hands in the outdoors,” Jones commented, “the Spirit of God can come in and penetrate each individual.” Meanwhile, visitors at the tent were able to meet and network with each of the participating exhibitors: The Master Gardeners of Anne Arundel County, an offshoot of the University of Maryland Extension agency. “We are trained to guide the community and educate them with sustainable practices, particularly in our area of Maryland that’s on the water,” said Clare Trainor. GreenVest, a land-based developer of green infrastructure. “We see a lot of value in working with the community and talking with landowners and individuals who might have degraded environmental resources on their properties that GreenVest could evaluate and develop a solution for improving the ecological function of these natural resources,” said ecosystem restoration specialist Jack Turner. Maryland Therapeutic Riding, of Crownsville Maryland, was represented by Jenny Ewald. She talked about the group’s mission to improve the quality of life of people with special needs by connecting humans and horses in a healing natural environment. Crofton Village Garden Club. Jane McClanahan, one of the club members, noted, “We’re here to promote the understanding of our garden club, which is to promote beauty in Crofton [a nearby community] and to make the town more accessible to the beauty there. We plant cherry trees to shade the sidewalk and provide us with beauty that promotes well-being.” Bowie Green Team, and its Pollinator Gardens Project. This is an effort started by Dengler, who also volunteers with the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center’s “Bee Lab.” Choosing plant species that attract honeybees and other pollinating insects, Dengler grows native plants from seed and then installs pollinator gardens around the area. The Great Coffee Project. CEO Neil Kittleson said, “We’re here today to celebrate the sustainability of the Earth. The Great Coffee Project is founded on three principles: (1) sustainability, so none of our coffee has ever been touched by chemicals, (2) ethical sourcing, which means that all of our farmers are paid fairly, and (3) support of community organizations—20% of all online sales go back to the charity of your choice. So, we came out today to meet some people and serve some great coffee!” New Hope Academy, a private pre-K-12 school in Landover Hills, Maryland. English teacher Stephen Gabb explained that New Hope Academy “is in the process of becoming a Green School and possibly putting up some solar panels. We have pioneered a garden project, very similar to the one here [at MACC], with raised beds in which we’ve grown radishes and snap peas. As a school, we want to be involved in the larger community.” The Green School program was founded in 1999 by the Maryland Association for Environment and Outdoor Education. An interfaith group called the American Clergy Leadership Conference. Asked why an interfaith clergy organization would man a table at an environmental gathering, Rev. Susan Fefferman, the group’s Maryland director, said, “Because everybody needs to do their part to save the environment. We’ve been misusing Mother Earth—the creation that God gave us. And as responsible stewards of the Earth, we should support the Eco Fair.” [M]any seminaries [are] inaugurating garden ministries, where they encourage clergy to have big gardens and send the overflow to feed the needy in local neighborhoods. She said she has heard of many seminaries inaugurating garden ministries, where they encourage clergy to have big gardens and send the overflow to feed the needy in local neighborhoods. Moreover, she said, “It’s healthy for young people as they grow up to learn a culture of taking care of the Earth.” Many of her group’s member churches have large vegetable gardens themselves. She cited the example of Bishop Vandy Kennedy of the Walker Mill Baptist Church in Capitol Heights, Maryland, who launched a huge garden project that got his whole congregation involved in gardening to feed disadvantaged community members. “So,” she said, “sustainable gardening is a natural outgrowth of being a child of God and being a good steward of what God has given us.” Gardens and God—Three Pillars for Environmental Service Jones remarked that one of the purposes of Eco Fair 2023 was to begin to uplift the consciousness of the faith community in this area of Maryland and ultimately the entirety of America—concerning the role of all citizens in stewarding the Earth. “As people who have a faith in God,” he said, “we know that only through God can we solve our issues. It’s critical that we bring our faith in God into how we interact with the environment, and thus how we can solve environmental crises.” Environmental service is a vehicle for both honoring God and bringing abundance to fellow human beings. Specifically, he said, HJIFUS is interested in uplifting three principles, or “pillars” as he called them, in all of its activities: interdependence (exemplified in Eco Fair’s bringing together multiple organizations that resonate with similar issues), mutual prosperity (represented in sharing produce from the MACC Garden Ministry with the neighborhood), and universal values (exemplified in the Eco Fair’s emphasis on humanity’s mandate to care for the natural world around them). Only a fundamental and radical spiritual transformation among human beings resulting in “environmental peace, where nature and humans live together in symbiosis and harmony,” can shift the world to a more hopeful trajectory. This latter “pillar,” of universal values, was a major theme of the keynote talk by HJIFUS’s Executive Director Dr. Sun Jin Moon, who spoke to the Eco Fair participants in a MACC church assembly hall. She called everyone’s attention to the multiple environmental crises afflicting the Earth at this time: pollution of the air, water, and soil; loss of biodiversity; depletion of natural resources; degradation of ecosystems; and climate change—with the latter causing superstorms and floods, atmospheric rivers, severe droughts, deadly wildfires, heat waves, and melting of polar ice caps. She noted that governmental policies and regulations are having only a limited, halting effect on these major problems, and efforts to date by governments, businesses, and civil society organizations are just Band-Aids. She said only a fundamental and radical spiritual transformation among human beings, resulting in “environmental peace, where nature and humans live together in symbiosis and harmony, and the internal wounds are healed and restored back to our Creator’s dream of peace,” can shift the world to a more hopeful trajectory. Green at the Grassroots It is very common for grassroots environmental groups to run into barriers that discourage cooperation on projects of mutual interest at the local, county, state, and national levels. Eco Fair 2023 broke down those silos in a small way by bringing various groups together, literally under one tent. Understanding that it’s good to feed the body and delight the spirit, Eco Fair organizers invited everyone to gather in the MACC assembly hall for lunch. After the speakers had addressed the participants, the fair ended with a synchronized dance performance by a faith-based dance teen group from Washington DC. It was evident that participants were delighted in body, mind, and spirit by all that had transpired during the day. *Robert R. Selle is a freelance writer and editor, based in Bowie, Maryland.

How New Nonmetallic Chemical Processes Will Change Industry and Reduce Toxic Waste The following article is the second part of Prof. David MacMillan’s keynote presentation, entitled “New Catalytic Strategies for a Sustainable Future,” at the Twenty-Eighth International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences (ICUS XXVIII) in 2022. Discovery of Organocatalysis When I arrived as an assistant professor at the University of California at Berkeley in the summer of 1998, I really did not know how I would accomplish my goal of developing a general method for organocatalysis [the process of using organic, nonmetal, nontoxic catalysts to facilitate chemical reactions]. But I had faith in the stellar, devoted, and incredibly hardworking group of young graduate students who joined my lab that first year. Fortunately, my confidence in my team was well placed. In the spring of 1999, a first-year graduate student in my group, Kateri Ahrendt, found that a small organic molecule was capable of catalyzing a well-known reaction called the Diels-Alder cycloaddition. Most excitingly, as Kateri wrote in her notebook …  the organocatalyst was able to preferentially form the desired mirror image of the product. In the absence of this catalyst, the reaction generates both mirror images of the product in equal quantities. Although this preliminary result was far from publication-ready—we would ultimately need to modify the structure of the catalyst and optimize reaction conditions in order to achieve really useful levels of selectivity—Kateri’s pivotal experiment on April 3, 1999, represented the first demonstration in my lab of an asymmetric organocatalytic reaction. Following a great deal of experimentation, we ultimately hit upon a highly effective, generalizable organocatalyst scaffold: the imidazolidinones. From a sustainability standpoint, the imidazolidinones are really desirable catalysts since they can be made easily and inexpensively by combining phenylalanine, an amino acid, with acetone, a bulk chemical commonly used as a paint stripper. Imidazolidinones also have the important advantage of being highly tunable; that is, their structures can be easily modified to meet the particular needs of different types of chemical reactions. This tunability would allow us to ultimately realize the grand vision of developing a generic activation mode: a single organocatalyst scaffold that could be applied to hundreds of different chemical reactions. In fact, the emergence of organocatalysis as a major mode of asymmetric catalysis can be traced to this key catalyst design feature. Following our landmark 2000 publication, in which we reported the first asymmetric organocatalytic Diels-Alder cycloaddition, we went on to develop a series of asymmetric organocatalytic reactions using the imidazolidinone scaffold. A second-generation imidazolidinone catalyst, brilliantly engineered by graduate students Joel Austin and Chris Borths, proved even more versatile than our original scaffold, allowing us to quickly develop dozens of powerful new asymmetric organocatalytic reactions. Expansion of Organocatalysis Around this time, other academic researchers began to make important contributions to the growth of this new field, most notably Karl Anker Jørgensen and Yujiro Hayashi (see image below). Meanwhile, Ben List and Carlos Barbas were conducting elegant research in the related area of enamine-based organocatalysis. This was an incredibly exciting time, as our group and others around the world were inspired to invent a wide swath of powerful new reactions that made use of the asymmetric organocatalysis framework. This was an incredibly exciting time, as our group and others around the world were inspired to invent a wide swath of powerful new reactions that made use of the asymmetric organocatalysis framework. Of course, all transformational scientific advances are built upon the foundations of their forebears, and the field of asymmetric organocatalysis is highly indebted to the many outstanding chemists who have made fundamental contributions in adjacent areas of catalysis. Without the discoveries of these pioneers, the field of asymmetric organocatalysis simply could not exist. As the field of asymmetric organocatalysis continued to grow, we also began to branch out in exciting new directions. Of particular interest to our group, from a sustainability standpoint, was the possibility of merging multiple organocatalytic reactions together within a single reaction vessel as a way to quickly—and with minimal waste—build up a high degree of chemical complexity from simple starting materials. This general strategy, which we termed cascade catalysis, would actually emulate the way that Nature makes complex molecules. In Nature, simple building blocks are shunted through a biochemical assembly line wherein each enzyme catalyzes a distinct reaction in a controlled sequence to quickly generate complex end products. Of particular interest to our group, from a sustainability standpoint, was the possibility of merging multiple organocatalytic reactions within a single reaction vessel…This general strategy…we termed cascade catalysis. Our analogous cascade catalysis strategy, which used simple organocatalysts in place of Nature’s enzymes, proved highly effective. In a key demonstration, we accomplished a rapid total synthesis of strychnine, a naturally occurring molecule that is also commonly used as rat poison. This central complexity-building transformation was accomplished in a single reaction vessel, as a very simple starting material was fed through three consecutive organocatalytic cycles, each of which added an element of complexity to the molecule, to generate a highly elaborated end product. This product was easily converted to strychnine, allowing us to achieve a rapid synthesis of this challenging natural product in just twelve steps from commercially available starting materials. Cascade organocatalysis has since been further validated as a sustainable, waste-efficient, and highly economical strategy for building complex molecular architectures. Photocatalysis In 2007, Teresa Beeson, an outstanding third-year graduate student in my lab, developed a novel mode of asymmetric organocatalysis, which we termed SOMO catalysis. This would ultimately launch our research group into some really exciting new directions, culminating in the development of a new type of sustainable catalytic platform that combines organocatalysis with visible-light catalysis. This new area, called photoredox catalysis, was first demonstrated by an excellent postdoctoral researcher in my group, Dave Nicewicz. The ability to merge organocatalysis with visible-light catalysis represented an extremely important advance, and over the past fourteen years, photoredox catalysis has matured into an important field of research in its own right. In fact, today, the field of photoredox catalysis is as influential as the field of organocatalysis, and I feel very fortunate to have been deeply involved in the conceptualization and advancement of both of these crucial areas. Organocatalysis and Society I am proud of the ways in which asymmetric organocatalysis has influenced the field of synthetic organic chemistry over the past twenty years. The impacts of organocatalysis can also be felt beyond the confines of the academic research community. In industrial settings, where environmentally responsible practices are emerging as a major corporate priority, organocatalytic processes are particularly appealing, as they are sustainable and remove the need to employ costly, toxic, and nonrenewable metals. As such, organocatalytic solutions are increasingly applied to modern, large-scale industrial processes. In industrial settings, where environmentally responsible practices are emerging as a major corporate priority, organocatalytic processes are particularly appealing, as they are sustainable and remove the need to employ costly, toxic, and nonrenewable metals. Today, bulk-scale organocatalysis is used in the environmentally friendly synthesis of scented fragrances, particularly those manufactured by the Swiss company Firmenich. Organocatalysis has also found application in the recyclable plastics economy. For example, Prof. Bob Waymouth of Stanford University and Dr. James Hedrick of IBM have developed organocatalytic processes that break down polymers to their component monomeric building blocks. Since these monomers can then be transformed back to polymers, such organocatalytic processes have the potential to render plastics completely recyclable and sustainable. Needless to say, the widespread adoption of such technologies would have an enormous impact on our oceans and other threatened ecosystems. Perhaps not surprisingly, asymmetric organocatalysis has been heavily adopted across the pharmaceutical industry, where the need to access single-mirror-image versions of medicinal molecules is paramount. Merck’s chronic migraine drug, Telcagepant, for example, is manufactured using asymmetric organocatalysis techniques developed in our laboratory. Beyond industrial applications, organocatalysis has influenced our broader society in somewhat surprising ways. It turns out that organocatalysis has played an important role in democratizing the field of chemistry. Organocatalysts are inexpensive, and organocatalytic reactions can be carried out under atmospheric pressure without special equipment. For that reason, organocatalysts are uniquely accessible to scientists and educators around the world. Across the globe, students and researchers have the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge asymmetric organocatalysis technologies and, perhaps more importantly, to make their own innovative contributions to this field of research, regardless of the financial and instrumental resources available to them. The accessibility and ease of use of organocatalysis stands in stark contrast to many other modern synthetic methods, and the implications of this democratizing effect are exciting to consider. I would argue that the next revolutionary advances in organocatalysis will emerge not from the most well-resourced labs but from those researchers who have the best and most creative ideas. The Future of Catalysis I am often asked what the future holds for organocatalysis. I do not have an answer to that question, but I know that we must provide for our expanding global population in environmentally responsible ways. I believe that the solutions to many of our most pressing challenges will depend upon scientists’ ability to develop powerful and sustainable catalyst systems. These solutions will include organocatalysis and biocatalysis, but they will also include emergent sustainable technologies, such as photocatalysis and electrocatalysis. Prof. MacMillan is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University. He shares the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Dr. Benjamin List for the “development of asymmetric organocatalysis.”

By Christopher Olson* More than a century ago, Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla quarreled over the world-changing inventions of direct electric current (DC) and alternating current (AC). From man-made electricity’s mid-1800s beginnings at the Pearl Street Station in New York—and the provision of electricity during the Great Depression by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), rural cooperatives, and individually owned utilities—modern power has revolutionized civilizations around the world. By the 1950s, the United States succeeded in delivering electricity to an overwhelming majority of the population, from metropolitan population centers to rural farms, from individuals to families to businesses and schools, from coast to coast, regardless of geographic limitations. Various electric energy sources generate electricity, which is delivered to consumers over electric distribution networks (called grids). Energy sources encompass renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro power, and others), nuclear power, and the fossil fuels (natural gas, coal, and oil). Each of them has its pros and cons. Chemist Meredith Angwin, a respected author and specialist in grid oversight, suggested in a recent interview that nuclear energy generation is often overlooked in favor of renewables. To better understand the case for nuclear energy generation, an understanding of the grid is needed, and Angwin brought forward the fragility of the grid. “The general rule was that you shouldn’t have any power plant on the grid that [delivered] more than 10% of the amount that is wanted,” she said. This is because when unexpected high electricity demands occur, or power plants shut down or are having problems, the needed extra electricity must be gathered from other nearby power plants to mitigate the unexpected peak demand or shortfall. “As long as renewables are weather-dependent, we don’t control the weather, they can go off, [and] then we are stuck.” There is a constant balance of input and output on the grid, with the input being the electricity generated and the output being that used by consumers (Figure 1). The social, political, and environmental push for increased renewable energy sources to generate electricity is confronted with renewables’ current limitations. Renewable energy sources are weather-dependent. “As long as renewables are weather-dependent, we don’t control the weather, they can go off, [and] then we are stuck,” Angwin stated. “We don’t have 100% renewable energy at night,” and even if there is sunlight somewhere on the Earth at any given time, there is no infrastructure to transport it. “‘It’s always sunny somewhere’ is not viable,” she said. The sensitivity of the grid was evident during the 2021 Valentine’s Day storm in Texas. “The requirements on the grid were higher than the availability of electricity on the grid,” said Angwin. Balancing the grid with its input and output demands has been key to providing electricity to the American public, regardless of the energy sources. California’s Push for Renewable Energy California’s push for renewable energy sources has prompted the creation of California Flex Alerts, where the state and local governments request citizens to turn off unnecessary energy-consuming equipment. “If you have solar for 60% of the grid, you get duck curves,” said Angwin, referring to an industry description of how normal energy grid levels can dip to unstable levels before rising again, forming the outline of a duck. “Duck curves result from an imbalance of the grid due to solar energy sources,” said Angwin. “The sun sets just at the time that many grids have their highest demand: the sunset hour. People are coming home, turning on lights and TV, and cooking dinner. Yet, many businesses are still operating. If plotted on a graph, it somewhat resembles the shape of a duck. … A whole area loses solar power all at once.” “If you have enough solar on the grid to provide 100% of the grid at noon, what are you going to do at 4 p.m. in the afternoon?” “If you have enough solar on the grid to provide 100% of the grid at noon, what are you going to do at 4 p.m. in the afternoon?” According to Angwin, 50% of solar could be provided at 4 p.m. in the afternoon, yet the remaining 50% that is still needed would have to be provided by other power plants. Solar power as a renewable energy source has some predictability. No one has control over the weather, but there is a consistency in predictive accuracy with sunlight, given the geographical location on the Earth, give or take cloud cover. In contrast, wind power has no consistent schedule, although there are locations that are consistently windier than others, providing limited predictive forecasting. For example, high wind conditions exist in offshore Ireland, corridors in California’s Altamont Pass, and states like Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Illinois and Kansas. Nuclear Power Provides Electric Baseload “The reason nuclear energy is so tremendously important is that we could have a very clean grid with nuclear [energy] providing baseload,” said Angwin. Baseloads are what is required every day of the year, 24 hours a day (Figure 2), and nuclear power plants can supply that baseload demand continuously without interruption. Renewables cannot compete with nuclear energy in supplying baseload, as nuclear energy is controlled, unlike the weather. “The reason nuclear energy is so tremendously important is that we could have a very clean grid with nuclear [energy] providing baseload.” In a case such as New York City, baseloads often represent nearly half of the peak daily average consumption of electricity. In “the city that never sleeps,” nighttime events and activities would be difficult to support by solar energy. In the summertime, New York also experiences high air conditioning demand in the months from June through September. New York City (NYCA Zone J) Electricity Demand Nuclear is not perfect as it does produce nuclear waste, which must be disposed of with care due to its radioactive qualities. But it is environmentally preferable to its non-renewable counterparts in energy generation for the quantity of energy being produced. According to the US Office of Nuclear Energy, nuclear energy protects air quality, has a small land footprint, and produces minimal waste. For the quantity of energy being produced, renewables need more research to determine their true footprint in land use and in waste produced. Solar panels and wind turbines have a lifespan and are already turning up in landfills. A newer generation of citizens, who seem to have little to no understanding of the grid, are fervently pushing for 100% renewable energy sources with no alternatives. Until renewables are independent of the weather and fully controllable, nuclear energy generation is the best available energy source to support our early 21st century lifestyles. *Christopher Olson is an environmental engineer, working on his Ph.D. in numerical modeling. Source: Interview with Meredith Angwin, a specialist in grid oversight and governance, instructor at Osher at Dartmouth (formerly ILEAD) and the owner of Carnot Communications. See also "Promises and Pitfalls: The Future of Nuclear Energy, " The Earth & I, August/September 2022, and "UK and France Promise Nuclear Energy Resurgence," The Earth & I, December/January 2021-2022.

By Rainer Fuchs* There may be no better way to unwind from travel or work, or ease a few aches and pains, than to visit one of the world's many beloved hot springs. They dot the planet, offering one of nature's supreme treats, and since science has affirmed their healing applications and entrepreneurs have surrounded some with healthful amenities, why not plan a visit to one this winter? Balneotherapy, or bath therapy, refers to the use of warm or cold bathing to treat an illness or condition; often the bath may be taken in mineral waters or mineral-laden mud or peloids (mature clay). Additionally, such baths can be accompanied by the drinking of mineral water and the inhalation of rejuvenating gases. Benefits from “hot potting,” a term for soaking in natural hot springs, can include improved vascular function from heat therapy (hot water immersion), increased diameter of the artery for reducing vascular dysfunction (based on a review of various studies), and potential use as thermal therapy for those with risk of developing metabolic disease. Hot potting has been used for thousands of years for a variety of ailments. And although some studies do indicate a number of health benefits derived from soaking in hot springs, hot potting has yet to be proven to detoxify the body, prevent certain diseases, or cure health issues. Also, a note of caution: water temperatures of hot springs can range from warm to quite hot; thus one should be mindful of one’s tolerances for prolonged heat exposure. And as with any therapeutic practice, it is not a substitute for consulting a physician about health problems. And although some studies do indicate a number of health benefits derived from soaking in hot springs, hot potting has yet to be proven to detoxify the body, prevent certain diseases, or cure health issues. Some Popular Global Hot Springs There is a myriad of hot springs around the world to enjoy for relaxation and potential health benefits. Blue Lagoon (Iceland) The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal hot spring in Iceland that was created in 1976 using the Svartsengi Power Station’s wastewater that had accumulated over time. This wastewater is brine with a salt concentration that is about two-thirds that of seawater, as it is originally extracted from a geothermal reservoir resulting from a mixture of sea water and groundwater. The water is also home to a diverse microbial ecosystem. The lagoon contains microalgae that can reduce uneven facial skin pigmentation, and there is research suggesting that extracts from the silica mud and algae there have the “capacity to improve skin barrier function and to prevent premature skin aging.” For the curious, the Blue Lagoon also offers its own line of facial skincare products derived from the lagoon’s microalgae and silica. The lagoon contains microalgae that can reduce uneven facial skin pigmentation, and there is research suggesting that extracts from the silica mud and algae there have the “capacity to improve skin barrier function and to prevent premature skin aging.” Hierapolis-Pamukkale (Turkey) Equally remarkable are the remnants of Hierapolis, an ancient, Hellenistic spa town, spanning 1,077 ha (2,661 acres) in Pamukkale, Turkey. This geographical and architectural wonder, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1988, is known for its travertine (terrestrial limestone) terraces with pools and related hot springs that appeared naturally through the evolvement of regional tectonics. The Pamukkale Geothermal Field is home to thermal and cold waters of varying categories. Its thermal waters are divided into calcium-bicarbonate and calcium-sulfate types, while its cold waters are classified as calcium-bicarbonate and magnesium-bicarbonate types. The water itself has outlet temperatures of about 35 °C (95 °F), and it contains various cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, Si4+, K+, and B3+) and anions (HCO3-, SO­42-, Cl-, F­­-, and NO3-) as well as detectable amounts of radon. Potential Health Benefits of Hot Springs Bathing in mineral waters may provide health benefits, particularly to the skin, cardiovascular system, metabolism, and mental health. Persian mineral waters have been shown to help reduce psoriasis while a Nepalese hot spring has led people to report a temporary reduction in musculoskeletal pain due to its relatively high sulfate and chlorine content. Bathing in mineral waters may provide health benefits, particularly to the skin, cardiovascular system, metabolism, and mental health. There is also research suggesting that bathing in water with hydrogen sulfide (despite it being a poisonous gas) can reduce inflammation from mycoplasma (a type of bacteria) and bathing in water with salt-bromide-iodine can have a mild anti-inflammatory effect on the airways. Health Promotion through Hot Springs (Japan) Japan is known for its bathing culture, with a daily bath at home or at public bathhouses (sentō) still being common, along with its numerous hot springs (onsen) and inns (ryokan) with baths across the country. Even monkeys take part in the comfort of hot springs! Japanese researchers have found hot spring bathing habits to be associated with lowering blood pressure, enhancing sleep quality, and elevating mood and feelings of well-being. However, elderly bathers or those with heart issues should be extra careful of changes in their blood pressure and get out of the water if they start to feel dizzy or lightheaded. Japanese researchers have found hot spring bathing habits to be associated with lowering blood pressure, enhancing sleep quality, and elevating mood and feelings of well-being. Examples of hot springs include the Kurokawa Onsen in Kyushu in a forest setting, private and outdoor onsen in Hakone (southwest of Tokyo), and the Toyotomi Onsen in Hokkaido. Notably, the Toyotomi Onsen has been approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as a collaborative-type health promotion facility, which permits Japanese citizens to deduct some of the costs as medical expenses on their income taxes. As of November 2023, there are a total of twenty-two hot spring-related health promotion facilities in Japan [website in Japanese], including the Nagayu Onsen Gozenyu in Oita Prefecture and Gero Onsen Suimeikan in Gifu Prefecture. Although Japanese springs are generally known for their mineral content, the Misasa Onsen is known for its high concentration of radon. There is a study investigating associations between radon hot spring bathing and health conditions for a sample (>5,000) of Misasa residents, concluding that those who bathed in a radon hot spring more than once a week were associated with higher self-rated health and alleviation of hypertension and gastroenteritis. Low doses of radon in balneotherapy for rats using water from Tskaltubo spring was also found to result in decrease of anxiety in rats. However, radon hormesis or radon therapy should be handled with caution, and one should consult their physician of the risks of this type of treatment. Hot Springs in National Parks (US) In the US, hot springs can be found in Yellowstone National Park (in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana) and Hot Springs National Park (in Arkansas). Yellowstone National Park has hot springs that are scalding hot and should not be touched, but the Yellowstone Hot Springs resort offers natural mineral bathing. Ten hot springs from Yellowstone were found to be categorized into four groups: travertine-precipitating, mixed-alkaline-chloride, alkaline-chloride, and acid-chloride-sulfate. Likewise, Hot Springs National Park in central Arkansas does not offer outdoor bathing, but visitors are allowed to touch some outdoor thermal water, drink from thermal spring fountains, and visit two bathhouses to soak in the thermal water. The temperature of water arriving at the surface is roughly 143 °F, which needs to be cooled before the capacity of over 600,000 gallons per day can be distributed for public use. Bathing at Home For those who can't travel to hot springs or to a spa, bathing at home can offer respite after a long day of work or exercise. Recipes for mineral baths at home typically involve some combination of salts, essential oils (for use in aromatherapy), herbs, and other ingredients. However, caution is advised when concocting recipes at home, as some commercial salts were found to be contaminated with microplastics in 2018. In addition, essential oils should be diluted and care should be taken to avoid direct contact with one’s skin. *Rainer Fuchs is a freelance journalist working mainly on topics pertaining to health and issues on environmental sustainability.

Nonprofit Implements Clean Water Solutions for Navajo, Appalachia, and Colonias Communities By Yasmin Prabhudas* An astonishing number of people in the US do not have complete modern plumbing in their homes, according to a 2019 report called Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States. It found that about two million people, including Native Americans, Alaska Natives, people who live in rural or remote areas, and homeless people, lack running water, sinks, tubs, and showers. In response, the nonprofit organization DigDeep is doing all it can to tackle the problem. It has a simple mission: “Working taps and toilets for every person in the United States.” Founding Philosophy Founded in 2011 by George McGraw, DigDeep was originally set up to solve the water crises in South Sudan and Cameroon, but the focus soon shifted. Kimberly Lemme, executive director of DigDeep Labs, who has a wealth of experience in developing water access programs, explains how a donor offered the organization $50 to solve water problems in the Navajo Nation. “That was the trigger to our founder going to visit that location within the US and understanding the context, and from there conversations were had with the board,” she says. In 2014, the board decided to operate exclusively in the US. “We’re not necessarily focusing on communities that have access but need better access, because those numbers are much higher […],” she says. “And while we work in partnership with organizations that are addressing that, we are really laser focused on the communities and populations that don’t have any [plumbing] access.” The 2019 report on water access in the US, compiled by the US Water Alliance and DigDeep, highlights the extent of the problem, including how Native American households are 19 times more likely than white households to lack indoor plumbing. In rural areas, 17% of people have problems obtaining safe drinking water and 12% have issues with their sewage system. In rural areas [in the US], 17% of people have problems obtaining safe drinking water and 12% have issues with their sewage system. Lemme states that six hotspots were identified, “catching a big portion of the populations that are lacking access.” Projects and Processes The organization has three projects targeting those hotspot areas: The Navajo Water Project serves the Navajo Nation of almost 400,000 people in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. An estimated 30% of Navajo families have no running water, and some drive for miles to get water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Providing a water system involves meeting the family in their home to plan the installation; burying a 1,200-gallon water tank to keep it from freezing; plumbing in a sink, water heater, filter, and drain line; connecting solar power and lights; and filling the tanks with clean water. Once the taps have been turned on, the homeowner learns how to make simple repairs. Today, 250 septic tanks have been restored through DigDeep’s sanitation pilot program and 300 Navajo families now have access to a water system. An estimated 1.54 million gallons of water have been delivered. The Appalachia Water Project in rural West Virginia provides water services to those living in terrain blighted by failing old water pipes and contamination from local mines. DigDeep workers build partnerships with the county so that a system can be channeled into more than 400 homes from the main line. Old plumbing is replaced with new sinks and toilets. Since the project began in 2020, seventy-four households are ready to be connected to a sewer across the two counties of Wyoming and McDowell in West Virginia, and ninety families have received access to piped water. The Colonias Water Project operates around the Texas-Mexico border, where more than 500,000 people lack basic utility provision. According to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, colonias refers to scattered homesteads, modular homes, and trailer homes that have little or no modern plumbing. Families have had to buy water in stores or travel a long way to obtain it. As part of the project, DigDeep workers have held public meetings and developed links with the community to find out what is required before clean running water and access to other utilities are provided. DigDeep has offered seventy-two neighborhood lots running water for the first time in Cochran, near El Paso. Lemme explains: “We go and meet with local community leaders. We try to understand the context better from the community lens and from the perspective of those on the ground.” Going Local Wherever possible, DigDeep uses local expertise, including engineering or construction firms and the local government’s preferred local providers. The organization does not have a maintenance arm, but its local DigDeep offices are often the first port of call when something goes wrong. According to Lemme, they are “staffed by folks who have grown up and lived in that region, if not their whole life, then most of their life.” Local providers usually carry out any repairs. DigDeep also works closely with local regulators to make sure the water is as clean as possible and that if an issue arises, it is reported promptly, so it can be addressed systematically. Assessing Environmental Impact At the forefront of DigDeep’s work is making sure projects are climate resilient. Lemme says: “We can drill a bore hole and have a community tap stand, but if that groundwater dries up, it’s not really a good infrastructure investment […]. So [we’re] making sure there is an environmental lens on everything we’re doing.” “We can drill a bore hole and have a community tap stand, but if that groundwater dries up, it’s not really a good infrastructure investment […] . So [we’re] making sure there is an environmental lens on everything we’re doing.” It’s important, she adds, to not exploit an already over-tapped resource and to make sure that the water isn’t wasted whenever there’s a water point where there might be runoff. Using materials that are compatible with the soil and working as locally as possible are other vital steps. But it’s not always easy. Lemme explains: “We do run into challenges now and again, and we have to make sure that we’re documenting those and learning from those. So, as we move forward, we can flow the infrastructure as locally and as sustainably as possible. Sometimes those materials look like whatever is the best quality of the day. And that technology tends to evolve over time, and we try to keep up with that.” Informing its Work In May 2023, the organization launched DigDeep Labs, a repository for research, innovation, and data to inform services and policymaking. It was established to build on existing research reports, such as Draining: The Economic Impact of America’s Hidden Water Crisis, which quantify the problem. “There are lots of gaps in the knowledge, so we’re working with partners around the sector to also do that type of data collection. Then the innovation is really how do we get people to work together more effectively, what are the little things that are flying under the radar that might be helping us to close the water access gap,” says Lemme. Federal Government Responsibility Apart from working in partnership with local government in project areas, DigDeep also contacts aides on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to raise awareness among members of Congress. “The government has a lot of responsibility, not only to keep water flowing in homes that already have it like mine, but also to […] get us to the finish line and make sure that everyone across the country has access,” Lemme concludes. *Yasmin Prabhudas is a freelance journalist working mainly for non-profit organizations, labor unions, the education sector, and government agencies.

How This Hardy ‘Wonder Plant’ May Help with a Host of ‘Thorny’ Problems By Dr. Mahesh Kumar Gaur* Through the ages, certain herbs and plants have maintained a reputation as a treatment or remedy for all kinds of health problems—from ancient ailments to infectious diseases that are new to humans, such as COVID-19. Hiding their potency beneath the ground in roots (ginger, turmeric) or behind thorns (rose hips) only seems to enhance their powers and mystique. Sea buckthorn is one such plant: a hardy, thorny, fruiting shrub that has been used for hundreds of years in numerous cultures as a health-imparting herb. Sea buckthorn’s reputation has not diminished with time; in fact, it is growing, keeping pace with today’s challenges. Long considered to be a unique, "magical" herb suitable for treating ailments known and unknown, it is called “Sanjeevani Booti” or “life-giving herb” in Indian culture. The main parts of the plant, including the roots, thorns, twigs, flowers, and fruit were used traditionally by the people of India’s cold, arid region as medicine and nutritional supplement, as well as for fuel and fencing. Today, sea buckthorn is widely sold as a health supplement. It has been the subject of extensive research and documentation for many years, with a strong focus on its health benefits, medicinal properties, and its phytochemical composition and pharmacological characteristics. Recently, preclinical testing of sea buckthorn has been conducted for efficacy against the COVID-19 virus and as a treatment for high-altitude sickness for Indian soldiers. Recently, preclinical testing of sea buckthorn has been conducted for efficacy against the COVID-19 virus and as a treatment for high-altitude sickness in Indian soldiers serving at India’s northern border. Historical Use and Propagation of Sea Buckthorn Sea buckthorn (Hippophae spp. L.) is a member of the Elaeagnaceae family. It is highly regarded by people in India’s alpine region and is often referred to as the “Wonder Plant,” “Ladakh Gold,” “Leh Berry,” “Golden Bush” or “Gold Mine.” In Eurasia, about 150 varieties of sea buckthorn have been verified based on differences in the plant’s use-value, habitat, and appearance of its berries. A wind-pollinated, thorny, dioecious shrub (the shrubs are either male or female), sea buckthorn has slender leaves ranging from two to six centimeters in length with short petioles (leafstalks) and smooth margins. Silvery scales cover both sides of the leaves. The berries come in vibrant shades of red, orange, or yellow, and remain on the shrub through the winter. The plants are commonly found along rivers, channels, and in the vicinity of agricultural fields. They can also thrive in inhospitable environments, such as sandy, rocky, barren wastelands, and even salt-affected soils. Sea buckthorn enjoys widespread distribution in the Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh (India). It displays exceptional resilience to abiotic stresses like challenging soil conditions, moisture levels, and nutrient availability, as well as extreme winter temperatures of -40℃ (-40 °F). This hardy plant is highly adaptable to drought conditions, as well. The Nutritional Value and Usage of Sea Buckthorn Sea buckthorn’s berries and seeds are used in ayurveda—a classic ancient Indian system of medicine developed in the period 5000–500 BC—and Ladakh's ancient traditional "Amchi" medical system to treat a variety of ailments. The therapeutic efficacy of sea buckthorn was first described in the 8th century in the Tibetan medical classic rGyud-bZhi (Four Textbooks of Tibetan Pharmacopeia), which is the classical medical textbook of Sowa-Rigpa (Amchi/Tibetan medicine). Today, it is considered by Tibetan locals to be a powerful, all-inclusive “wonder oil,”  given its benefits for internal and external use. In the 1980s, the Russian Space Department gave sea buckthorn to astronauts as a nutritional supplement and to combat radiation in space. There’s even been a “cosmic” use for sea buckthorn: In the 1980s, the Russian Space Department gave sea buckthorn to astronauts as a nutritional supplement and to treat excessive radiation exposure in space. More than 200 sea buckthorn-based formulations have historically been used, either alone or in combination with other medicinal plants. The most common formulations of sea buckthorn are used to treat lung and phlegm diseases, blood disorders, menstruation problems, throat infections, liver problems, spleen and stomach disorders, cancer, and diabetes. The multitude of vitamins in these pea-sized, light-orange to dark-orange fruit berries are well known. They are one of the best sources of vitamin C (360-2500mg per 100g), not to mention a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6. In addition, the high-quality, late-maturing berries, juice, and seeds contain a variety of minerals. The berries primarily provide two sources of important products: juice from the fleshy tissue, and a single seed from each berry. The juice is a healthy beverage, high in suspended solids and rich in vitamin C and carotenes. Sea buckthorn fruit berries and seed oil contain over 190 different types of bioactive compounds, respectively, including minerals, vitamins, polysaccharides, unsaturated fatty acids, terpenoids, polyphenolic compounds, nonsteroidal compounds, flavonoids, organic acids, and volatile components. The seed oil contains vitamin K (109.8 to 230 mg/100g), which promotes blood clotting. The oil is extremely unsaturated and is used in cosmetics, phytopharmaceuticals, or UV skin protectant preparations due to its light absorption and emollient qualities. Sea buckthorn contains a variety of secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antiplatelet, anticancer, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and neuroprotective activities. Because it contains such a variety of bioactive compounds, sea buckthorn products should only be taken under the guidance of an expert healthcare provider. Combining sea buckthorn with blood-thinning drugs or supplements, for instance, could raise the risk of bleeding. Possible Efficacy Against COVID-19 Preclinical studies conducted by the Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) and the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in Delhi have revealed that sea buckthorn can effectively safeguard military personnel in the Himalayan border region against health issues associated with high altitudes, such as hypoxia, frostbite, and UV radiation. Experts believe that widespread cultivation of sea buckthorn could also offer solutions to combat the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, based on in vitro results, Chinese researchers have proposed iso-rhamnetin, a flavonoid compound in sea buckthorn, to be a potential therapeutic candidate compound against COVID-19. However, these studies are yet to be proven with adequate scientific data and accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other scientific bodies. Promotion by the Government of India The Indian government’s Defense Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) succeeded in developing technology capable of producing a drink made from the highly acidic berries of sea buckthorn. The process has been enthusiastically adopted by manufacturers, and ready-to-serve beverages are now available in the Indian market under the brand names of “Leh Berry,” “Ladakh Berry,” and “Power Berry.” The tea prepared from its leaves is high in flavonoids, vitamins, and therapeutic properties. As this is an effective plant for boosting the immune system, an array of products such as antioxidant herbal supplements, sea buckthorn oil, soft gel capsules, sea buckthorn beverage, jam, jelly, UV protection oil, bakery items, animal feed, etc. are at various stages of development and commercialization. In 2012, the Indian government initiated a project called the National Mission on Sea Buckthorn, with an allocation of Rs 1,000 crores (about $120,000 USD), as part of its Climate Change Program. Apart from DIHAR, Dr. Virendra Singh, who has done a seminal work on sea buckthorn at CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, and the Indian Institute of Technology, is actively working on the therapeutic aspects of sea buckthorn to develop various medicinal products in collaboration with other research organizations and private sector companies. Challenges to Developing Sea Buckthorn Products Despite the sea buckthorn plant’s many purposes and benefits, it remains a relatively underutilized and overlooked medicinal plant that deserves greater attention and techno-scientific investment to conserve and popularize it in the following ways: Organized and systematized cultivation of sea buckthorn is critical for the conservation of the species, as it is presently restricted solely to the Trans-Himalayan area. Because the plant is a dioecious wind-pollinated shrub, and the female bears fruit after two or three years, the gender of sea buckthorn seedlings cannot be identified until they blossom, which takes three or four years. As a result, a DNA-based marker for early-sex determination is required to advance its propagation. The plant’s sharp thorns make harvesting the fruit difficult. Ease of harvesting is restricted to the accessible periphery of huge clusters of sea buckthorn plants with nearly inaccessible berries at their inner cores. Peripheral harvesting yields only about 25% to 35% of the fruit. In addition, sea buckthorn’s main growing areas are generally cut off from the rest of India for six months per year. Thornless and improved variants need to be bred, screened, and selected. Standardized, systematized propagation methods must be created to speed up mass plant multiplication and improve plant conservation. There is a strong need to develop an appropriate mechanical harvester to save both time and labor. Future Strategies Recently, the sea buckthorn plant’s value as an agricultural product has entirely changed its status. The Indian government’s Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and various R&D organizations have initiated research and development projects due to the plant’s environmental, biotechnological, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and socioeconomic potential. Traditional usage, along with enhanced economic value and recent scientific studies, have provided enormous benefits to modern civilization from what has been a lesser-known Himalayan plant, From the early 1990s, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has helped lead sea buckthorn research in India, initiating various R&D programs while other organizations in India have also worked on projects related to different aspects sea buckthorn. The government of India is researching how to utilize the complete potential of this wild shrub and is encouraging Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and other development agencies/groups to explore the value-addition potential of sea buckthorn for new products. At present, there is a need to provide farmers with better prices and market security and develop and employ fruit harvesting machinery. Natural forests could be converted into productive crop stands by adopting modern forest management techniques to enhance the rate of fruit production and collection and ensure ample supply to sea buckthorn-based industries. Farmers also need high-quality planting material for peripheral plantations, and there is a need to improve agro-techniques for growing sea buckthorn, such as standardization of spacing and pit sizes for better growth performance. Finally, sea buckthorn growers need better agricultural extension and training services, as well as value-addition to their products to increase and meet market demand today and in the future. *Dr. Mahesh K. Gaur is Principal Scientist at the ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, India, and is currently working at its Regional Research Station, Leh (The Union Territory of Ladakh, India). He specializes in aridlands geography and the application of satellite remote sensing, GIS, and digital image processing for natural resources mapping, management and assessment, and also researches drought, desertification, land degradation, indigenous knowledge systems, and the socio-economic milieu of the Deserts of India. He is author/editor of 10 books on Drylands, Desertification, Watershed, Food Security, Remote Sensing, etc. A member of the Association of American Geographers and the Society for Conservation Biology, and several editorial boards of journals, he has been awarded the Citizen Karamveer Award 2011 by iCONGO; and recognitions by the UGC of India and Scientific Assembly of the International Committee on Space Research (COSPAR).

A recent Pew Research Center survey of Americans found that concerns about climate change, though dependent on factors such as age and political affiliation, have declined somewhat in recent years. The percentage of respondents that stated they personally care “a great deal” about climate change dropped by 7%, from 44% in 2018 to 37% in 2023. Those who said they cared "not at all" increased by 5%, from 22% to 27%, and those who cared “some” rose slightly, 33% to 35% over the same time period, according to Pew poll data. Concerns about future climate-related issues remain high in 2023, however. The Pew survey of 8,842 adults, taken between September 25 and October 1, revealed that “63% expect things to get worse in their lifetime.” A substantial percentage (43%) of US adults think climate change is already “causing a great deal or quite a bit of harm to people in the U.S.” while another 28% say it is causing “some harm.” According to National Public Radio and UPI, Pew researcher Alec Tyson said, "The majority of Americans see some fairly severe environmental harms as likely to happen over the next 30 years. For example, 73% say they think a growing number of plant and animal species will go extinct.” Tyson added that “61% say they think heat waves will cause large numbers of people to die in the U.S. every year and 58% think rising sea levels will force large numbers of people in the U.S. to move away from the coast." Younger adults are more likely than their elders to expect adverse impacts locally from climate change. According to Pew, “56% of young adults ages 18 to 29 say their local community will be a worse place to live because of climate change in the next 30 years,” whereas about 30% of young adults “do not think climate change will have much of an effect on conditions in their area." Sources: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/10/25/views-on-future-climate-impacts-environmental-harms/ https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/09/what-the-data-says-about-americans-views-of-climate-change/ https://www.yahoo.com/news/americans-expect-climate-change-effects-215508882.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Cycling In Packs Boost Riders’ Health and Reduces Vehicle Carbon Emissions By Gordon Cairns* Going to school in Scotland may have never been so exciting. During any school morning rush hour, one can hear children laughing, bells ringing, and music booming from a speaker while a vibrantly colored procession of bikes rolls through the main traffic junction in Shawlands in Glasgow. But this isn’t some crack of dawn carnival. It’s simply a group of parents taking their children to school on a “bike bus.” The loud music and bright orange and yellow clothing keep everyone in this moving pack of bicyclists safe on the roads. Parents and other riders revel in the biking experience with their children—and demonstrating how city cycling is a practical, low-carbon way of getting kids to school. Bike buses have come a long way since a group of parents got together to bike with their kids to school in Fietspoolen, Veilig, Belgium, in 1998. Today, the Scottish Shawlands version is just one of at least 453 routes taking thousands of children to school in thirteen countries across the world on at least one morning a week. These numbers have grown exponentially, inspired initially by word of mouth, then more recently through social media clips showing parents leaving their cars at home and taking out their bikes. In Barcelona, Spain, every week a swarm of school children form a bike peloton the width of the city’s broad avenues, with groups peeling off at different junctions to go to their own school. Most bike bus routes are between 1.7 to 3.5km (about 1 to 2.1 miles) in distance with the children typically cycling fifteen to twenty-five minutes to get to their lessons. Environmental Benefits The environmental benefits of a bike bus come from obvious reductions in CO2 emissions. If only one parent switched from driving a combustion-engine vehicle to cycling four miles to school (roundtrip) twice a week (average passenger vehicle emits about 400 grams of CO2 per mile), the annual CO2 emissions would be reduced by an estimated 115.2 kg (253.9 lb) annually (counting 36 weeks of school). Multiplying that figure by thirty, the average number of bicyclers on a bike bus, illustrates how much one bike bus can clean up city air—or a total reduction of 3,456 kg (7,619.1 lb) of CO2. For Barcelona bicibús (Spanish for “bike bus”) volunteer and data collector Jordi Honey-Rosés, the benefits also extend to a social level. When he first witnessed the bike bus in action, he could see the long-term effects it would have in the lives of children and on urban landscapes: “It was simultaneously a practical way to travel to school; it was social, it was fun, and it also made a strong statement about what our city should look like,” said Honey-Rosés, a research professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. “Kids going to school are performing an essential basic function of their day-to-day lives, but our cities haven’t made it easy for them to ride a bike to school.” In a Zoom conversation, Honey-Rosés explains that modern cities simply haven’t been designed with children in mind: “Kids going to school are performing an essential basic function of their day-to-day lives, but our cities haven’t made it easy for them to ride a bike to school.” Incredibly, the large numbers of children biking to school through the bustling Catalan capital force the bicibús organizers to register their ride as a demonstration to have the protection of a local police escort—their blue lights flashing—to keep the children safe. Honey-Rosés thinks it shouldn’t be this way—and bike buses can become the driver of change. “If we are able to build cities that can accommodate children safely, then we will be building better cities for everyone.” “[Bike buses] brought together so many different things we are interested in—mobility, transforming our city, reclaiming our streets.” “When you see children riding down the center of the street, they’re out of scale; they somehow don’t belong and yet they do belong,” he says. “[Bike buses] brought together so many different things we are interested in—mobility, transforming our city, reclaiming our streets.” School Bike Bus in Scotland In Shawlands, Scotland, five families were inspired by the Barcelona bicibús to create their own version two years ago, in 2021, when the COP26 climate change conference took place in the city. In an interview over coffee, one of the founders, Katherine Cory, said she has seen many benefits. “Forty percent of the kids at the school are on the bike bus; that’s a huge number not coming by car. There is also a ripple effect as a lot of parents, like me, who hadn’t been on a bike for years, are now commuting to work on bike bus days and even non-bike bus days,” Cory said before cycling off to pick up her seven-year-old daughter Martha from school. To help make their journey across a busy junction easier, the leader of the Shawlands bike bus has strapped the Ultra-Smart Cycle System onto his bike’s handlebars. This blue gadget was developed by Sm@rt Technology for the Glasgow City Council. It has three buttons that control different sets of traffic lights along a route, holding them at green for forty-five seconds—four times longer than normal—to allow the seventy to eighty bike bus riders to pass through together. Although specifically created for the Shawlands bike bus, this kit could be used by groups across the world. But even with the aid of smart technology, running a bike bus requires a lot of commitment and hard work from parents to make it a success. But even with the aid of such smart technology, running a bike bus requires a lot of commitment and hard work from parents to make it a success. Besides the lead cyclist, there is a sweeper on a cargo bike at the end, ensuring no children are left behind, and a line of adults cycling on the roadside of the bike train, keeping the well-drilled children safe. While Cory loves the energy, connectedness, and sheer joy of the bike bus, she feels an underlying sense of frustration that there is no bike lane in place to protect the riders. “The adults are essentially a human bike lane. We are acting as human infrastructure until we can get an actual infrastructure,” she says. She adds: “We love the community that we have built on a bike bus, but we should not have to be doing this. It is a form of protest. We are plugging away every week showing these families and children want to cycle to school, but it is not safe.” School Bike Bus(es) in the USA Like Cory in Scotland, physical education teacher Sam Balto in Portland, Oregon, happened to see the Barcelona bicibús clip online and created his own bike bus to take students to Alameda Elementary School more than a year ago. Now, on any given school day, there are between 70 to 150 students taking their bikes to school. They start in two cohorts, each 1.5 miles away from the school, that converge to ride the last mile together. Balto shares Cory’s desire for structural change. “Bike buses are a call to action to our city leaders to prioritize our children’s mobility and to improve infrastructure to allow kids and their families to ride bikes to school, to their friends’ houses, to the library, and to businesses all around the city to increase opportunities for their independence,” he says. For instance, “we would love more dedicated bike lanes; diverters on neighborhood greenways, school streets; red light cameras—all sorts of infrastructure improvements, not just for cyclists but for pedestrians as well,” Balto says. Balto’s wish list is not an impossible goal. The cycling utopia of safe streets already exists in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where bikes are central to city planning. In the Danish capital, almost half of the journeys taken to school or work today are by bike, while the Dutch capital shows the power of parents who campaigned to force the city leaders to make the city safe for children to bike. In ten years' time, who knows how far bike buses will go in Barcelona, Shawlands, and Portland? *Gordon Cairns is a freelance journalist and teacher of English and Forest Schools based in Scotland.

Study Suggests Electric Eels Can Alter Genes of Nearby Fish Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan, led by Professor Eiichi Hondo and Assistant Professor Atsuo Iida, have shown that the relatively powerful discharge (up to 860V) of electric eels is enough to alter the genes of nearby zebrafish larvae. This phenomenon occurred through a process known as electroporation or gene transport via electricity. In a study published in PeerJ—Life and Environment, Hondo and Iida hypothesized that since electricity is conducted through water, it is possible that it could affect organisms near the charge. Apparently, their hunch was right. Electroporation is a process in which an electric field creates temporary pores in a cell’s membrane, allowing DNA molecules to enter the cell. Quoted in a news brief by Science Daily, Iida said, “I realized that electric eels in the Amazon River could well act as a power source, organisms living in the surrounding area could act as recipient cells, and environmental DNA fragments released into the water would become foreign genes, causing genetic recombination in the surrounding organisms because of electric discharge." To test their hypothesis, the team exposed larvae in the lab to a DNA solution with a marker that glowed if the zebrafish had taken the DNA. Next, they induced an eel to discharge electricity. They found that about 5% of the fish contained markers indicating gene transfer. “This indicates that the discharge from the electric eel promoted gene transfer to the cells, even though eels have different shapes of pulse and unstable voltage compared to machines usually used in electroporation,” Iida said. Some of the larvae exhibited green fluorescence, whereas the control group without electrical stimulation showed little. This suggested to the team that electric organ discharge (EOD) from the eels could potentially be an electroporator to transfer DNA into eukaryotic cells or those with a clearly defined nucleus. The authors cautioned that their initial exploration does not serve to directly establish its significance within the natural environment, and further research is needed. But Iida thinks their results indicate that “electric eels and other organisms that generate electricity could affect genetic modification in nature." According to the Science Daily brief, Iida is intrigued by electric field research in living organisms. "I believe that attempts to discover new biological phenomena based on such ‘unexpected’ and ‘outside-the-box’ ideas will enlighten the world about the complexities of living organisms and trigger breakthroughs in the future." Sources: https://peerj.com/articles/16596/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231205114816.htm