-
What we choose to eat matters. How we choose to eat also matters
By Roberta Attanasio What we choose to eat matters—not only for our health, but also for our planet. The good news is that most foods known to maintain or improve our wellbeing have low environmental impacts. Even more good news—something that for years has been simmering under the surface is now bubbling in open view. It’s the collective awareness of how our food choices and the way we eat influence both society and environment. While there are people that exploit our planet in order to produce food, there are others who connect to our natural world through it. There are people that waste food, and people that find ways to…
-
Who is Baba Yaga?
By Roberta Attanasio Somewhere in eastern Europe, where the winters are cold and long, there is a very dark, foreboding forest. If you’re brave or foolish enough to wander through the towering trees, you might encounter Baba Yaga. She is a mythical creature, a wild old woman omnipresent in Slavic folklore, a nature-deity, a quintessential fairytale pagan hero who plays roles of earth mother and death guardian. She’s therefore ambiguous, and can be at the same time awful and full of awe. She is also a transcultural figure, appreciated all around the world—there are restaurants named Baba Yaga across continents, from Houston, Texas, to Tel Aviv, Israel; from Cleveland, Ohio,…
-
Results from a global survey highlight widespread eco-anxiety in young people
By Roberta Attanasio The notion of “eco-anxiety” has been creeping into worldwide culture for the past few decades. Now, it’s in the mainstream vocabulary. It’s defined as worry or concern about climate change and its effects. Children and young adults are especially vulnerable to eco-anxiety, as shown by a recent study based on a survey of people aged 16 to 25. The study, published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health (December 2021), found that nearly 60% of survey participants were very or extremely worried about climate change. A similar number said governments were not protecting them, the planet, or future generations. More than 50% reported each of the following…
-
A new way of thinking about ice packs for sore muscles
By Roberta Attanasio We all know ice packs—many of us reach for them soon after an injury to reduce pain or inflammation. Think of strained muscles, sprained ankles, and so on. But is this the right approach to accelerate healing? A 2019 article from The Washington Post states: “Today, ice packs have become as ubiquitous as aspirin—they’re a fixture in every athletic training facility and sold in drugstores throughout the country. Cold baths and ice tubs have also become one of sport’s most popular recovery aids. Nearly every high school, college and pro trainer’s room has at least one ice tub, and over the last 10 or 15 years they’ve…
-
The fertile top layers of soils keep disappearing, a new study shows
By Roberta Attanasio Plants grow in and out of soils—and sustain almost all living beings on our planet, either directly or indirectly. But soils are rapidly disappearing from farms all around the world, threatening our ability to grow food. The treasure beneath our feet is continuously subjected to erosion and degradation, mostly resulting from intensive farming practices. Relentless tilling, for example, allows weeds control by turning the soil over, but leaves it bare and vulnerable to wind and rain—causing the loss of the fertile top layer. Even the famed black Iowa soil is disappearing. “In Iowa they call it ‘black gold’—a fertile blanket covering the landlocked Midwestern state. Thousands…
-
An entrepreneur takes the power of healthy soils from local farms—and delivers it to people’s doorsteps
By Roberta Attanasio All around the world, champions of regenerative farming are spearheading new projects in their communities—bringing the marvels and potential of healthy soils to everyone’s everyday life. We need them! Few of us realize that—because of industrial farming practices—most of our soils are sapped, devoid of life and nutrients. Healthy soils, instead, are a bubbling universe of microbes and other organisms that work all together—creating a beautiful and efficient web of lively interactions. They all provide nutrients for exuberant plant growth, and therefore for our own growth and health. But how can we fully enjoy the products and benefits of regenerative farming and healthy soils during the still…
You May Also Like
The fertile top layers of soils keep disappearing, a new study shows
-
How protecting our oceans can help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges
By Roberta Attanasio Stories of the past tell us that our oceans are deep, mysterious and indestructible—but oceans are quickly changing, bowing to biological degradation and much more. Oceans are damaged every day by oil and gas drilling, pollution, and industrial impacts. Human activities are changing the ocean’s chemistry, destroying habitats, and killing marine life. The Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals since 1995, and a report released in 2019 on the state of global biodiversity found that over one-third of marine mammals and nearly one-third of sharks and shark relatives are threatened with extinction. Overfishing is one of the primary threats to ocean biodiversity—it endangers not…
-
Edith Meusnier — an environmental artist inspired by forests
By Roberta Attanasio Textile art is all around us, from the clothes we wear to the rugs in our homes. Made of interlacing fibers of any material, woven or knitted, textiles belong to the mundane as well as to the world of artistic expression. In her classic book on the art and history of weaving, Anni Albers writes “Along with cave paintings, threads were among the earliest transmitters of meaning.” Contemporary artists keep this ancient art form alive, mixing it with unique and innovative elements. “The zeal for textiles today is part of a larger global nostalgia for handmade things—alongside ceramics, glassware and mezcal—as an antidote to mass production, with…
-
Spending time in nature may improve emotional wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic
By Roberta Attanasio The toll that the COVID-19 pandemic is taking on mental health, for both children and adults, is unequivocal. An article published in The New York Times in February 2021 highlights a dire situation: “Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States more than a year ago, the number of people in need of mental health services has surged. But many say that they are languishing on waiting lists, making call after call only to be turned away, with affordable options tough to find. Providers, who have long been in short supply, are stretched thin.” According to an article published at about the same time in…
-
A new report shows the worldwide magnitude of food waste
By Roberta Attanasio The foreword of a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report starts with a poignant observation: “If food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste also burdens waste management systems, exacerbates food insecurity, making it a major contributor to the three planetary crises of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.” The report (UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021) was produced by the UNEP in collaboration with the partner organization WRAP, a global NGO based in the UK. It was released on March 4, 2021, and shows that substantial amounts of food…
You May Also Like
To help the environment, turn your camera off during virtual meetings
