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Seasonal Soups that (Momma Said) Can Cure Anything By Julie Peterson* While holidays typically mean extravagant meals and festive ambiance, on other days a simple, healthy, comforting bowl of soup may be just what is needed. The soup might be a special one that was served up and spoon-fed by a parent or grandparent and brings back childhood memories. Or maybe it’s a delicious soup that was brought by a friend to mollify the symptoms of the flu or a cold, or to cheer a friend when they were feeling down. There is no doubt that soup can be a soothing treat, and most people have a favorite go-to soup (and maybe even a favorite bowl and spoon). This season, ladle up some of these international classics and see if they don’t bring some much-needed soothing and a sense of well-being. Immune-Boosting Qualities of Soup Almost every culture swears by a variety of soups to nurse the sick back to health. Most people would likely agree that soup can help relieve cold symptoms by inhaling the steam to relieve congestion. Soup broth also provides fluid, which thins mucus and helps prevent dehydration. There is plenty of research on the health advantages of a multitude of available soup ingredients. It is well known that certain vegetables boost immunity, like leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables that offer loads of vitamin C, beta carotene, and antioxidants. Spices such as garlic, ginger, and turmeric have been considered for ages to have immune-boosting properties that fight infection. The high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in some fish (e.g., mackerel, salmon, tuna) may reduce infection and sickness by enhancing the activity of certain types of white bloods cells of the immune system. Olive oil fights inflammation. The list goes on, but it’s time to put the pot on the stove and get cooking! Chicken Noodle Chicken soup has been a popular home remedy for the common cold since at least the 12th century. Poultry is high in vitamin B-6, which can reduce inflammation and is needed in the creation of new red blood cells, and it’s loaded with zinc, which increases production of white blood cells. The following recipe has a German twist with Würze seasoning and spaetzle dumplings. It is recorded in the tradition of many family recipes—without exact quantities and measurements—because it was handed down from generation to generation and taught in the kitchen. This recipe can be completed easily without exact measurements. Chicken soup has been a popular home remedy for the common cold since at least the 12th century. Mom’s Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe by Tami Hetzel, reprinted with permission Ingredients for Soup: 1 large package frozen chicken breasts Chicken soup base (bouillon cubes or paste) Chopped celery Chopped onion Sliced carrots Chopped fresh parsley 1 can corn, drained 3 bay leaves “Crazy Salt” (saltless seasoning) A few splashes of Würze Seasoning Salt to taste (1 ½ – 2 tsp) Pepper to taste (1/4 – ½ tsp) Garlic powder to taste (1/2 – 1 tsp) Ribbon noodles Dumplings (recipe below) Directions: Place chicken breasts in a large pot; cover with water and add 2 tsp salt. Bring water to a boil, then lower heat and cover. Cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour. When chicken is done, remove from liquid and place in colander to drain—but keep the water. This is the base for the soup. Run a spatula along the edges of pot to loosen any chicken debris. With a small sieve, collect and discard any floating particles in chicken water. Put water back on burner and heat at medium. Add more water for more soup. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken soup base. Add chopped celery, onions, carrots, parsley, bay leaves, and drained corn. Season broth with salt, pepper, garlic powder, crazy salt, and Würze to taste. Let simmer. When chicken has cooled, peel off skin, pull chicken off bone, and shred with fingers. Add shredded chicken to broth; taste and add spices or more chicken base as needed. Let simmer. About 20 minutes before serving, turn heat to medium high; once soup is hot, toss in a couple handfuls of ribbon noodles, cover, and lower heat to medium low. Let noodles cook while preparing dumplings. Ingredients for Dumplings: 2–3 cups flour ½ tsp salt 1 tsp ground nutmeg 4 eggs Directions: Start with 2 cups flour and mix all ingredients together well. Dough should be elastic and stick to spoon. Stir hard and fast until bubbles pop. Add small amounts of flour as needed to get dough to elastic consistency. Drop by spoonfuls into boiling soup and cover. Turn heat to medium. Soup is done when dumplings puff up and float to top. Miso This traditional Japanese soup is made with a dashi stock (typically using dried seaweed, dried fish, and dried mushrooms) and miso (fermented soybean paste). Some drink it as a healthful broth for the abundant vitamins and minerals, and others use it to improve digestion as it is high in probiotics. For flavor and health, miso soup is a staple in Japanese cuisine and is served almost daily for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It may be enjoyed as a plain broth or with other ingredients. Made-from-scratch miso recipes can be found at Just One Cookbook, or one can simply experiment with the broth and add other ingredients such as mushrooms, seafood, root vegetables, tofu, seaweed, leafy greens, or noodles to make a nourishing meal. Ching Bo Leung Ching Bo Leung is an all-purpose tonic soup made with seven dried Chinese herbs. If no Chinese supermarket is available to purchase the individual herbs, herb blends are available in premeasured seasoning packets. The soup is often made with pork or chicken but can also be made without the meat and with the addition of sugar to make it a sweetened broth. The Chinese Soup Lady offers a recipe and recommends that children be given only small servings of Chinese herbs. Borscht Popular in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, borscht is made with powerhouse foods such as beets, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, garlic, and onions. But anyone who is beet wary need not fear borscht because the beets all but disappear into the complex flavors of this multidimensional soup. And once borscht is appreciated for flavor, the nutritional benefits can’t be ignored. According to the American Heart Association, ancient Romans believed that beets had medicinal properties, and modern science has proven them correct. According to the American Heart Association, ancient Romans believed that beets had medicinal properties, and modern science has proven them correct. Research has shown that beets can improve cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, increase blood flow, increase oxygen uptake, and may protect against dementia. Bring on the borscht! Dal Common in India, dal (also spelled, dhal, daal, or dahl) is a vegan and gluten-free dish that is packed with protein, fiber, and beneficial spices such as ginger and turmeric. It is typically made with lentils, but any dried, split pulses (e.g., lentils, peas, and beans) that do not need soaking before cooking can be used. The soup can also be adjusted to fit different flavor preferences from mild to very spicy, and is delicious served with naan bread, basmati rice, or sauteed spinach. Recipes like Red Lentil Dahl and Indian Red Lentil Dal are popular worldwide. Explore the idea of ramping up the spices or trying other split pulses such as chickpeas, kidney beans, or black-eyed peas in dal recipes. Peanut With ingredients like sweet potatoes or yams, chickpeas, and fresh spinach, African Peanut Soup delivers a good dose of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The recipe can be varied to include corn, eggplant, okra, chicken, or tofu, and it can be served over brown rice, millet, or quinoa. Vegetable A centuries-old European folktale called Stone Soup is about a traveler who tells villagers he can make soup with a stone. He starts the soup with a stone and a pot of water, which inspires others to throw in a few vegetables and meat. Soon, a feast was created. The moral of the story is that there is value in sharing. It’s a great story to tell over a dinner with friends where everyone brings an ingredient they have on hand to add into the soup pot. It’s also a great way to get kids interested in cooking. Let the kids shop for the veggies they would like to contribute to the meal and act out the story from Stone Soup while making the meal. One small potato could be the “stone” in the soup. The moral of the story [Stone Soup] is that there is value in sharing. Here is a recipe from the author’s kitchen for a vegetable soup that is flexible enough to incorporate what is on hand, in season, or brought by guests. It can be as spicy as one likes, low in sodium, gluten-free, vegan, and contains a lot of fiber and protein. Vegetable Soup Recipe by Julie Peterson Soup Base: 1 64 oz bottle Campbell’s Spicy Hot V8 vegetable juice (low sodium if possible) 1 29 oz can crushed tomatoes 5 cloves garlic, pressed 1 Tbsp liquid aminos 1 Tbsp basil or Italian blend 1 Tbsp turmeric powder Add additional seasoning (black pepper, salt, hot pepper sauce, paprika, etc.) to taste. Ingredients: 1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped 10 red potatoes, diced with peel 10 large carrots, chopped (orange, yellow, or purple) 5 stalks of celery including leaves, chopped 3 yellow onions, diced 1 16 oz can of black beans, drained 1 16 oz can of white beans (butter, great northern, or navy), drained Possible additions: Chopped or diced spinach, turnip, rutabaga, sweet potato, zucchini, green beans, peas, corn, green chiles, etc. Directions: In a large kettle, begin to heat soup base on medium heat. Begin chopping washed vegetables. As each ingredient is ready, toss into kettle. When all ingredients are in kettle, stir and add water, more V8, or vegetable broth to cover vegetables. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until carrots are as soft as desired. Serve. Soup can be thick or thin, spooned or sipped, creamy or chunky, spicy or sweet, and can include a wide range of ingredients. Soup might be an appetizer or an entire meal at any time of the day. There are holidays for soup and there are soups for holidays, with myriad international possibilities for any day of the year. One thing is for sure: soup is conventional and exceptional at the same time. *Julie Peterson is a freelance journalist based in the Midwest region of the US who has written hundreds of articles on natural approaches to health, environmental issues, and sustainable living.

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION US Climate Attitudes Shift Slightly The Earth & I Editorial Team Japanese Scientists Make Shocking Discovery The Earth & I Editorial Team COP 28’s UAE Consensus Draws Mixed Reviews The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION NOAA Global Snow and Sea Ice Report Indicates Decadal Trends: Slightly More Snow Cover, Slightly Less Sea Ice The Earth & I Editorial Team Two Decades of UN Data: Increases in Food Production, Hunger, and Obesity The Earth & I Editorial Team UN 15-Country Report Finds Only 61% of Internally Displaced Persons Have Adequate Shelter The Earth & I Editorial Team The Hottest 12-month Period Above Baseline The Earth & I Editorial Team Gap Between the Present and 2030 Climate Goals Calls for Accelerated Change The Earth & I Editorial Team 2023 Report Finds Stagnation in Corporate Directors’ Engagement with ESG The Earth & I Editorial Team ECOSYSTEMS The Race to Grow New Biocrusts Mark Smith Innovations in Chemical Catalysis Will Revolutionize the Future Prof. MacMillan FOOD Zuppa! Sopa! Soupe! Julie Peterson Himalayan Sea Buckthorn Joins the Fight Against COVID-19 Dr. Mahesh Kumar Gaur HUMAN HEALTH Whole Foods, Herbs and Healing David Christopher Microplastics in Babies—Scary Science Meets Eerie Silence Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe CLIMATE CHANGE School ‘Bike Buses’ Travel New Roads Gordon Cairns Negative Emission Technologies Tackle U.S. Decarbonization Dr. Eric Larson NATURAL DISASTERS Europe’s Abandoned Mountain Farms Kate Pugnoli ENERGY A ‘Current’ Case for Nuclear Energy Christopher Olson Reducing Friction in Machines Means Less Drag on the Environment Rick Laezman WATER QUALITY The Blissful Benefits of Hot Springs Rainer Fuchs Danish NGO Launches Zero-Input ‘Ocean Regeneration’ Farms Yasmin Prabhudas WASTE MANAGEMENT Combustible Wood and Coal Leave Mountains of Troublesome Waste Robin Whitlock ECONOMICS & POLICY Feeding the World While Healing the Planet—the Genius of Permaculture Marion W. Miller EDUCATION Promoting Grassroots Eco-Awareness Robert R. Selle

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION Thirsty? Maybe Avoid Drinking Sugary Colas … The Earth & I Editorial Team Babies, Cooking, and Indoor Air Pollution The Earth & I Editorial Team Rome to Host SDG Awards Gala The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION The Cost of Cool—India’s AC Demand Heats Up The Earth & I Editorial Team COVID-19 Boosted Antimicrobial Resistance The Earth & I Editorial Team Crypto Currencies: Energy Hogs? The Earth & I Editorial Team Not Ready for ESG Disclosures: 39% of US Firms The Earth & I Editorial Team Half of Earth’s Largest Lakes Are Losing Water The Earth & I Editorial Team List of Top Greenhouse Gas Emitters Released The Earth & I Editorial Team ECOSYSTEMS Our Sacred Bond with Nature, Part 2: The Animal/Human Connection Dr. Lisa Miller ‘Trophy Lawns’: Putting ‘Pretty’ Before Planet Mal Cole FOOD Top Fermented and Pickled Summer Foods to Make at Home Julie Peterson Forty Percent of Food Harvests Are Lost Danielle Nierenberg, Founder of Food Tank HUMAN HEALTH Getting Started with Meditation: Can Being in the Moment Help with Healing the Earth? Gregory Henschel Seeking Alternative Treatments After the COVID-19 Lockdowns Yuka Sakai and Sang Hyun Lee CLIMATE CHANGE Decarbonizing the Building Sector Dhanada K Mishra The Environmental Problem That Threatens to Bury Central Asia Yasmin Prabhudas NATURAL DISASTERS ‘Giant’ Tsunami Science Gordon Cairns ENERGY Electric Bikes: Revolutionizing Personal Transportation David Dodge Ambient Energy—Untapped Power for the Future Rick Laezman WATER QUALITY Artificial Islands: Economic Promise Versus Environmental Peril Nnamdi Anyadike Chlorine: Making Water Safe, Inside and Outside the Body Robin Whitlock WASTE MANAGEMENT Rare Earth Elements: Critical Developments in Harvesting from Waste Mark Smith ECONOMICS & POLICY Securing A Beautiful Future for Food Chef Dan Barber EDUCATION The Anacostia River Comeback Marion Warin Miller

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION Colombians Dive Deeper to End Plastic Pollution The Earth & I Editorial Team Nigeria VP Upgrades Africa’s Great Green Wall Project to “Emergency” Status The Earth & I Editorial Team How Plant Roots Know to Grow—During Heat, Drought The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION Does Artificial Intelligence Have Energy and Water Costs? Early Studies Say ‘Not Zero’ The Earth & I Editorial Team The US Averages Eighteen ‘Billion Dollar’ Natural Disasters Per Year The Earth & I Editorial Team Urban Air Quality—Who’s Up and Who’s Down? The Earth & I Editorial Team May 2023: Earth’s Third-Warmest May on Record The Earth & I Editorial Team World Seafood Consumption at Record Level The Earth & I Editorial Team Seven ‘Green’ Business Trends to Watch in 2023 The Earth & I Editorial Team ECOSYSTEMS The ‘Cover Cropping’ Renaissance Ray Weil, PhD Managed Grazing—A Greener Path to Sustainable Agriculture Ecosystems Prof. Richard Teague FOOD Keeping Mother Cows with Calves for Better Milk Mark Smith Going Global with Gazpacho Julie Peterson HUMAN HEALTH Sweet, Salty, Ultra-Processed Food Products on the Move Yasmin Prabhudas The Growing Global Nutrition Deficit The Earth & I Editorial Team CLIMATE CHANGE Dealing with Climate Anxiety Natasha Spencer-Joliffe Taking a Closer Look at Carbon Credits Dhanada K Mishra NATURAL DISASTERS How to Protect Against Smoky Air Alina Bradford ENERGY Deep Energy Retrofit—Total Residential Makeover Raises Energy Efficiency David Dodge Breakthroughs Fuel Growth in Hydrogen Technology Rick Laezman WATER QUALITY ‘The Fourth Phase of Water’—How Pure Water Is More Than H2O Gerald H. Pollack Animal Farms, Waste, and Water: Turning the Tide on Agricultural Water Pollution Gordon Cairns WASTE MANAGEMENT Keeping Plastics Out of Landfills and Public Spaces Robin Whitlock ECONOMICS & POLICY The True Cost of Food Marion W. Miller EDUCATION Sanctuary Farm Heals Animals, Changes People's Hearts The Earth & I Editorial Team

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION Searching for Ways to Save Giant Sequoias from Wildfires The Earth & I Editorial Team Japan Releases Treated Fukushima Daichi Wastewater into Pacific Ocean The Earth & I Editorial Team Scientists: Microbial Biodiversity Ten Times Higher Than Previous Estimates The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION Africa Food Report: Fertilizer Prices Up 78% Since 2021 The Earth & I Editorial Team Pew Research: Young Adults Most Enthusiastic About Renewable Energy The Earth & I Editorial Team US Congressional Report Analyzes Two Decades of Wildfire Data The Earth & I Editorial Team “Landscape Fire” Air Pollution Hits African Nations Hardest The Earth & I Editorial Team FAO Food Price Index Reveals Declines in Food Prices The Earth & I Editorial Team The Patient is Showing Improvement, But… The Earth & I Editorial Team ECOSYSTEMS Gifted with Unitive Awareness—Why Gen Z May Have the Mindset to Save the Planet Dr. Lisa Miller How Catalysis is Poised to Rock Our World Prof. David MacMillan FOOD Power to the Pumpkin: Nourish Body and Soul with the ‘People's Squash’ Julie Peterson How Safe Is Adding Nanoparticles to Foods and Packaging? Mark Smith HUMAN HEALTH The Healing Powers of Sunlight—Stronger Bones, Brighter Moods, Better Health Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe ‘An Herbalist in Every Home’—Pioneering a Path for Better Health David Christopher CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Ambition Summit 2023: SDG Programs are Lagging The Earth & I Editorial Team Long-lasting Infrastructures Combat Climate Change Dhanada K Mishra NATURAL DISASTERS Lahaina's Coral Reef Restoration—Dealing with Unknowns Gordon Cairns ENERGY AI and Robotics Power the Renewable Energy Transition Rick Laezman A ‘Green Grid’—Key for the World’s Energy Transition Angelica Sirotin WATER QUALITY Big Goals, Big Heart: “DigDeep” Wants Every American Home to Have Clean Water Yasmin Prabhudas Exclusion Zone (EZ) Water: Potential for Filtration and Electric Power Gerald H. Pollack WASTE MANAGEMENT Trashed Seas—The Race to Prevent and Remove Marine Litter Cassie Journigan ECONOMICS & POLICY A Tale of Two Companies Embracing ESG Practices Marion W. Miller EDUCATION Why Baltimore Has One of the US’s Most Diverse Urban Tree Canopies Ted Martello

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION Cleaning Up Plastic Pollution The Earth & I Editorial Team Carrots or Kale? Study Shows Fetuses Responding to Tastes The Earth & I Editorial Team ‘Mindfulness Meditation’ Shown to Ease Anxiety Disorders The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION ESG Investing: A Tale of Two Sets of Statistics? The Earth & I Editorial Team Washington DC-area Microgrid Powers Electric Transit Buses The Earth & I Editorial Team Four Eco-Friendly Proposals to Tackle Food Insecurity The Earth & I Editorial Team Zambians Forage for a Wide Variety of Foods The Earth & I Editorial Team UNICEF Reports on “Worst in a Decade" Nigerian Flooding The Earth & I Editorial Team COVID-19 Increased Gardening in the US—Will the Trend Last? The Earth & I Editorial Team CLIMATE CHANGE Archibiotics: Visionary Architecture and Design for a Better Planet The Earth & I Editorial Team COP27: Climate Change Leaders Establish Loss-and-Damage Fund for Stricken Nations Jaqueline Sordi NATURAL DISASTERS Red Clouds, Rainbows, and Rafts Yasmin Prabhudas ENERGY Living Off the Grid: Meet the ‘Hydrogen Houses’ Rick Laezman Canadian Hutterite Farmers Secure Their Colony's Future with Solar David Dodge WATER QUALITY Going Beyond ‘Yellow’ Snow: Contaminants in White Flakes Come from Many Directions Kate Pugnoli Cleaning the Chesapeake’s Waters with Oyster Restoration The Earth & I Editorial Team WASTE MANAGEMENT How ‘It’ Was Treated in 2022: Global Sanitation Efforts Culminate in World Toilet Summit Robin Whitlock ECONOMICS & POLICY The ‘Greening’ of Capitalism Dhanada K. Mishra EDUCATION Nature-based Education Boosts Wellbeing and Pro-Environmental Behavior Deborah Talbot

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION It’s Official: Arctic Heat Record of 100°F Broken Last Year The Earth & I Editorial Team Coastal Species Thrive on Pacific Garbage Patch The Earth & I Editorial Team “Let’s Restore Our Relationship with Nature” Urges UN Awarded Veterinarian The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION COP26 Financing Pledges Made as World Watches The Earth & I Editorial Team Burning Coal Releases the Most CO2 per Unit of Energy of All Fossil Fuels The Earth & I Editorial Team Pathogen Pollution Plagues About 1/3 of Rivers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia The Earth & I Editorial Team The Right to a Healthy Environment Helps to Secure Other Rights The Earth & I Editorial Team There Are 400 Million Tons of Krill in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean The Earth & I Editorial Team UNICEF: Drones Offer Humanitarian Assistance The Earth & I Editorial Team Nuclear Power Already Generates 10% Alina Bradford CLIMATE CHANGE Broken Financial Promises Threaten Developing Nations’ Climate Efforts Chelsea Noack COP26: Key Outcomes from the UN Climate Talks Jaqueline Sordi NATURAL DISASTERS Drones Are Ready to Take on Bigger Roles in Natural Disasters Jean Thilmany ENERGY Global Leaders Pledge to Stop Burning Coal Rick Laezman UK and France Promise Nuclear Energy Resurgence Nnamdi Anyadike WATER QUALITY Worsening Global Water Security Calls for Solutions from Humans and Nature Tasfia Tasnim and Sakib Rahman Siddique Shuvo Smaller Urban Rivers Dump Millions of Tons of Plastic into the Oceans Cassie Journigan WASTE MANAGEMENT Forever Chemicals Build Up in People and the Environment Mark Smith ECONOMICS & POLICY UN Human Rights Council Declares Right to Healthy Environment Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe EDUCATION Kupu Raises Hawaii’s Future Environmental Leaders Yasmin Prabhudas

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION Will King Charles III Be an Environmentalist Monarch? The Earth & I Editorial Team Study Cites Beneficial Coffee Components The Earth & I Editorial Team Global Electricity Use Soared Last Year The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION War’s Devastation, by the Numbers The Earth & I Editorial Team Billions of People Still Suffer from Lack of Household Water, Sanitation The Earth & I Editorial Team Transporting Food Boosts CO2 Emissions The Earth & I Editorial Team North Korea’s Deforestation Woes The Earth & I Editorial Team Typhoon Merbok Propelled by Warm Seas The Earth & I Editorial Team US Life Expectancy Dropped in 2021 The Earth & I Editorial Team ECOSYSTEMS Leave It to Beavers—How These Legendary Dam Builders Bolster Ecosystems Mal Cole Bluefin Tuna at Risk Gordon Cairns FOOD The Mighty Mushroom Julie Peterson Black Sapote—A Chocolatey Tropical Treat Alina Bradford HUMAN HEALTH People Have the Capacity to Love and Heal the Earth Chris Laszlo Maybe It’s Time to Walk Out on Obesity Paramita Mandal, Rojina Yasmin, and Suvanjana Ghosh CLIMATE CHANGE Why Silvopasturing Is a Win-Win for Brazil and the Climate Richard Kemeny Rising Sea Levels Spur Mitigation Robin Whitlock NATURAL DISASTERS Indigenous Resilience During COVID-19 Daniel Kobei ENERGY Hope Persists for EV Growth Despite Obstacles Nnamdi Anyadike Reimagining Energy—Could New Kinds of Renewables Help Solve Climate Change? Rick Laezman WATER QUALITY Troubled Waters Mark Smith Clean, Sparkling, Safe Water for All Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe WASTE MANAGEMENT Everything Old is New Again: Thrifting Makes Recycling Easier Kate Pugnoli ECONOMICS & POLICY Going Green Is Good Business Deborah Talbot EDUCATION Raising Environmental Scholars of the Sea Yasmin Prabhudas

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to Climate Researchers The Earth & I Editorial Team Rising Ocean Temperatures Have Killed 14% of Global Coral Reefs, NOAA Reports The Earth & I Editorial Team British Royal Foundation Awards First £1Miillion “Earthshot Prize” The Earth & I Editorial Team After Latest Major Oil Spills, Report Says Only 40% Can Be Cleaned Manually The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION Manatees Can Hold Their Breath Underwater For 20 Minutes The Earth & I Editorial Team 46% of US Rivers and Streams Have Excess Nutrients The Earth & I Editorial Team 80% Of All Food Produced Goes to Cities The Earth & I Editorial Team 50%–65% of Methane Emissions Come from Human Activities The Earth & I Editorial Team Fish Feed Takes Up 60% Of Fish Farming Costs The Earth & I Editorial Team There Are Over 38,000 Electric Vehicle Chargers in The US Alone The Earth & I Editorial Team 318 Gigatons of Ice Melts Annually from Greenland and Antarctica Ice Sheets The Earth & I Editorial Team By 2050, 45% Of Electricity Will Likely Come from Solar Energy The Earth & I Editorial Team Middle Eastern Countries Use 70% Of the World's Desalinated Water The Earth & I Editorial Team ECOSYSTEMS More Than a Career: A Life Dedicated to Saving Manatees Becky Hoag Invasive Wild Donkeys Are More Helpful Than Previously Thought Alina Bradford FOOD Vertical Farming Grows Up in Europe Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe Using Probiotics in Aquaculture: Farming Fish for a Sustainable Future Indrajit Kar and Srinibas Das HUMAN HEALTH Study Shows Plant-Based and Seafood Diets May Improve COVID-19 Outcomes Julie Peterson Nature Walks Improve Mental Health Outcomes Yasuhiro Kotera CLIMATE CHANGE IPCC: Profound Changes are Underway in Earth’s Oceans and Ice Jaqueline Sordi Cutting Methane Emissions Buys Time for a Better Climate Future Chelsea Noack NATURAL DISASTERS Damming Floods and Mitigating Droughts: Seeking Sustainable Solutions for Sinai Radwan Al-Weshah ENERGY Next-Generation Concentrated Solar Power Energizes Renewable Possibilities Nnamdi Anyadike Easy Affordable Charging Is Key for An Electric Vehicle Rollout Rick Laezman WATER QUALITY Farm Runoff: A Threat to Freshwater Sources and You Cassie Journigan New Desalination Technology Joins the Global Fight for Clean Water Helen Gavaghan WASTE MANAGEMENT Single-Use Nightmare: How COVID-19 Protective Materials are Trashing the Environment Mark Smith ECONOMICS & POLICY Finnish City’s Environmental Success Wasn’t Built in a Day Robin Whitlock EDUCATION Rwandan Woman Inspires Children to Protect the Future of Endangered Gorillas Yasmin Prabhudas SPECIAL SECTION Conference Introduces Applications of New 3D Wave Theory that Claim to Overcome COVID-19 The Earth & I Editorial Team

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION Cheetahs Return to India After 70 Years The Earth & I Editorial Team Caribbean Shores Smothered by Summer Seaweed The Earth & I Editorial Team Baptismal Rite Breaks New Ground The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION How Hot Was June? Depends on Who You Ask The Earth & I Editorial Team Nuclear War Impacts Updated The Earth & I Editorial Team UNEP Celebrates 50 Years of Milestones The Earth & I Editorial Team Composting Percentages Are Small in the US The Earth & I Editorial Team European Air Quality Update The Earth & I Editorial Team Urban Noise Can Be Deadly The Earth & I Editorial Team ECOSYSTEMS Seagrass: The Global Seafood Supermarket Jean Thilmany Reviving Forests—A Call for Careful Planning Dr. Mahesh K. Gaur, Dr. Victor R. Squires FOOD Nature’s Tonic in a Cup Dr. Tanmoy Rana From Waxy Preservatives to E. Coli—Why It’s Vital to Wash Those Veggies and Fruits at Home Alina Bradford HUMAN HEALTH The ‘Junk Food’ Dilemma: How to Steer Kids from Highly Processed to Highly Nutritious Foods Julie Peterson Microplastics Now Found in Human Blood Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe CLIMATE CHANGE Can Conservation and Assisted Migration Save Biodiversity? Mal Cole Tracking Earth’s Climate from Space Rick Laezman NATURAL DISASTERS Are Climate-related Disasters Really on the Rise? What Does the Data Say? Mark Smith ENERGY Promises and Pitfalls: The Future of Nuclear Energy Nnamdi Anyadike The Search for Renewable Energy Storage Mark Newton WATER QUALITY When the Water Dries Up Kate Pugnoli Switzerland’s Mountain Waters at Risk Angelica Sirotin WASTE MANAGEMENT How to Sequester Carbon by Turning It into Plastic Robin Whitlock ECONOMICS & POLICY Plenty of Fish in the Sea, Not Enough Fish on the Plate Jonathan L. Wharton, Ph.D. EDUCATION Zoos and Aquariums: Educating the Next Generation of Environmentalists Yasmin Prabhudas

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION Extreme Heat Causes Hottest July on Record The Earth & I Editorial Team Sobering New WMO Report: The 50-Year Toll of Global Water Disasters The Earth & I Editorial Team Vietnamese Community Takes Plastic Matters into Its Own Hands The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION Latest Information on Renewable Energy in Europe The Earth & I Editorial Team How Far Can Reforestation Go? The Earth & I Editorial Team Wild American Ginseng Facts The Earth & I Editorial Team Heat Waves Bring Troubling Summer Data The Earth & I Editorial Team The Big Picture on Solar Panel Waste The Earth & I Editorial Team Global Green Jobs for Youth Outlook The Earth & I Editorial Team Surprising Soil Statistics The Earth & I Editorial Team How Widespread is Water Insecurity for Indigenous Peoples in Latin America? The Earth & I Editorial Team Health Impacts from Particle Pollution The Earth & I Editorial Team ECOSYSTEMS Tree Communities Harness the Power of Interdependence Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe Full Reforestation After War: How South Korea Did It Jong-Choon Woo FOOD The Super G’s: Garlic, Ginseng, Ginger Robin Whitlock Healthy Food (and a Healthy Planet) Relies on Healthy Soil Rattan Lal HUMAN HEALTH Can Death Be Cheated by Merging Humanity with Machines? Serge Kernbach Air Pollution Particles: More Deadly the Smaller They Get Ki-Hyun Kim CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change Threatens New Communities with Extreme Heat Chelsea Noack New Global Climate Deal: 3 Key Topics Climate Negotiators Must Resolve by COP26 Jaqueline Sordi NATURAL DISASTERS Targeted Cattle Grazing Earns its Role in Wildfire Containment The Earth & I Editorial Team ENERGY Green Hydrogen Promises to Slash Industrial Emissions Nicholas Newman Sumba Island’s Challenge to Merge Clean Energy with Development Arpan Rachman WATER QUALITY Canada’s First Nations Finally Secure Clean Water Becky Hoag What Science Says about the Most Popular Drinking Waters Stuart Nathan WASTE MANAGEMENT Germany Faces a Tidal Wave of Solar Energy Waste Nnamdi Anyadike ECONOMICS & POLICY Are People Ready to Change Their Lifestyles to Save the Planet? Dhanada K. Mishra

CONTENTS NEWS SECTION Global Wheat Supplies Take a Pounding The Earth & I Editorial Team Save Soil Campaign Hits the Road The Earth & I Editorial Team Garden Ministry Climbs to the Next Level: How to Grow Green Service Projects The Earth & I Editorial Team DATA SECTION India’s Massive Environmental Technologies Sector The Earth & I Editorial Team Australia Punishes Wildlife Crime The Earth & I Editorial Team US Fish Population Stocks Held Steady in 2021 The Earth & I Editorial Team Brazil Reduces Impacts on Coral through Licensing Review The Earth & I Editorial Team Largest US Summer Energy Increase to Come from Renewables The Earth & I Editorial Team Super Seaweed The Earth & I Editorial Team ECOSYSTEMS Moving On: The Trend Toward De-Urbanization Mark Smith FOOD ECHO: Fighting Hunger with Faith and Sustainable Agriculture Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe SAAFON: Fostering Indigenous Food Crops and Culture on the African American Farm Alice Kachere HUMAN HEALTH Longevity and the Rules of Enjoyment Julie Peterson The Fife Diet at 15: How a Local Food Movement Inspired Healthy and Sustainable Lifestyles Gordon Cairns CLIMATE CHANGE Clean Cookstoves: On a Mission to Save Families and the Environment Angelica Sirotin Capturing Carbon in the Race Against Climate Change Rick Laezman NATURAL DISASTERS Living With Vog: Volcano Breath Comes to New Zealand Jean Thilmany ENERGY Wind Power Faces Winds of Change Nnamdi Anyadike WATER QUALITY Washing Away the Drugs in Our Global Waters: A Multi-Pronged Approach Cassie Journigan Reflections on the Water We Use and Ways We Can Conserve It Patty Smith ECONOMICS & POLICY The Tiny House Green Dream Robin Whitlock SPECIAL SECTION Spiritual Awareness: A Road Map for Science Lisa Miller Asking the Experts: Insights from Cutting-edge Environmental Science Conferences The Earth & I Editorial Team “Net Zero” Strategy: Tapping Hydrogen for Sustainable Electric Power and Transportation David Blekhman Higher Still, an Environmental Awakening at the Grassroots Level Bruce Johnson, PhD “One Bin”: Incentivizing Sustainable Plastic Systems The Earth & I Editorial Team