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What is nature?
By Roberta Attanasio Try to find an answer to the question “what is nature?” and you will be surprised. There is not a clear definition of “nature,” although there are a variety of opinions on what it is. Even in biology or ecology textbooks, you won’t track down an agreed-upon view of the word “nature”—despite the fact that its use is widespread. The Cambridge Dictionary defines nature as “all the animals, plants, rocks, etc. in the world and all the features, forces, and processes that happen or exist independently of people, such as the weather, the sea, mountains, the production of young animals or plants, and growth.” You may have noticed that the Cambridge Dictionary definition includes “happen or exist independently of people.” But is this true? Is it true that nature includes all that…
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Children exposed to air pollution are more likely to develop disease later in life
By Roberta Attanasio We have known for quite some time that the first years of life represent a unique “window of vulnerability”—exposures to environmental chemicals at this time influence cellular programming in ways that shape health and disease in later years. For example, recent research shows that there is a significant association between multiple prenatal and early life exposures to indoor pollutants and the degree of allergic sensitivity in 2-year old children. In other words, babies exposed to air pollution during prenatal life and for the first several moths after birth, up to 2 years of age, are at higher risk of developing allergic sensitivity. Now, results from a study published…
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Is women’s menstrual cycle linked to that of the Moon? A new study may provide answers
By Roberta Attanasio In the rush of modern life, we often fail to notice the link between our biological rhythms and those of the natural world. In many animal species, the reproductive cycle is synchronized with different Moon phases—most likely because reproductive success is facilitated when different individuals within a species behave in the same way at the same time. The moon phases act like a guide to synchronize courtship, mating, and other reproductive behaviors. But what about women? To some people, a connection between the menstrual cycle and the Moon cycle is apparent because their length is very similar—about 29 days. Others argue that there is no connection, as the…
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Wildfires and fireworks may pollute the air inside your home
By Roberta Attanasio 4o years ago an article published in The New York Times highlighted the threat of indoor air pollution: “The air you breathe in your home or office may be hazardous to your health – more dangerous, in fact, than the outdoor air in the most polluted of cities. This is especially so during the cold months, when windows and doors are kept tightly shut and homes, schools and office buildings are made as airtight as possible to conserve energy.” While at the time awareness of the problem was still limited, we now know—on the basis of scientific evidence— that the air within homes and other buildings can be…
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Did you hear about Science Moms?
By Roberta Attanasio All around the world, mothers are concerned about their kids’ future. What world will they live in? A world where humanity is still waging war on nature, or one at peace? Science Moms want to talk about our world and what we can do to make it a better place—they are climate scientists concerned about their kids’ future and believe that, with moms everywhere, it’s possible to build a cleaner, safer future for all kids. This is how Science Moms define themselves: “We are a group of climate scientists and mothers who care deeply about the planet that our children will inherit. Together, we aim to demystify climate…
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It’s time to stop our war on nature
By Roberta Attanasio A newly released report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides a scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity, and pollution emergencies—and invites the world to make peace with nature. The report. “Making peace with nature: a scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies” (February 18, 2021), is based on evidence from global environmental assessments. It points out that humanity’s environmental challenges have continued to grow in number and severity for the past 50 years, and now represent a planetary emergency. “Humanity is waging war on nature. This is senseless and suicidal. The consequences of our recklessness are already apparent in human suffering,…
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A Brighter World in 2021: It Begins Within
A guest post by Eve Willson Though still in the midst of challenges and uncertainties that include the devastating consequences of a global pandemic and looming climate crisis, we are living in an auspicious time as we move into the year 2021. We can see glimmers of hope for a brighter tomorrow unfolding. Old ways of thinking and doing that no longer serve us slowly give way to a new freshness and beauty. It is a time of great potential and unfolding possibilities. Now more than ever we can hear the clarion call for a more compassionate, just and harmonious world. We are all connected, and we can each contribute…
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To help the environment, turn your camera off during virtual meetings
By Roberta Attanasio All the activities we carry out online come with an environmental cost—no, it’s not only the relatively small amounts of carbon dioxide emitted because of the energy it takes to run our own multiple devices and power wireless networks. Rather, it’s the large amounts of CO2 emitted by the energy intensive high-end servers and data centers that usually sit in places we almost never see. Think of large facilities consisting of agglomerates of technical equipment, power subsystems, uninterruptible power supplies, ventilation and cooling systems, and so on. Now, results from a new study (The overlooked environmental footprint of increasing Internet use), show the environmental impact caused…
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Measles outbreak in Samoa: potential effects on COVID-19
By Roberta Attanasio Measles—one of the world’s most contagious diseases—induces immune amnesia, an anomaly of the immune system that results in increased susceptibility to infections by other pathogens. Not surprisingly, there are concerns globally about populations that have recently experienced measles outbreaks. These populations could be at elevated risk of developing more severe COVID-19 illness, resulting in increased mortality. The emergence of the current COVID-19 pandemic in the first months of 2020 occurred closely after a global resurgence of measles. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by November 2019, measles case numbers had tripled compared with the same period in the previous year. Measles spreads easily when an infected…
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The unborn baby: Healthy pregnant mothers exposed to air pollution from road traffic inhale toxic particles that may end up in the placenta
By Roberta Attanasio According to a recently published study, carbon and metal particles from road traffic, once inhaled, reach one of the many places where we would rather not find them—the unborn baby’s life support system, best known as placenta. Lead author Jonathan Grigg said: “Our study for the first time shows that inhaled carbon particulate matter in air pollution, travels in the blood stream, and is taken up by important cells in the placenta.” For the study, researchers analyzed placentas from 15 healthy non-smoking women, donated after the birth of their children. All women delivered healthy babies. However, they lived in an environment that exposed them to high levels…
