Nuclear and coal power plants use a tremendous amount of water. These plants use cool water “drawn from rivers, lakes, or seas” to condense steam back into liquid water. That water–heated to a high temperature–then is used in the plants to turn turbines “which convert heat energy into electricity.” Climate change-driven heatwaves, however, raise the temperature of water (just as they raise the temperature of…
See moreWhile just a small percentage of people actually have celiac disease and require gluten-free food, a significantly larger percentage are choosing a gluten-free diet believing it to be healthier (though sometimes with unrealistic expectations). At the same time, many are skeptical believing that gluten-free is unnecessary and that “it’s all in the mind.” Yet, the folks choosing gluten-free are often reporting the same symptoms as…
See more“How do people determine right from wrong?” How do you determine right from wrong? Do you follow a moral code that came from your parents? A religious leader? Something you learned in school? From a book that you read or speech that you heard? Social science research “suggests that people, to a significant degree, derive their sense of right and wrong from social cues.” “People…
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As the number, size, and explosiveness of wildfires increases in the U.S. and other countries, it brings danger not only due to the destructiveness of fire but also due to the widespread exposure to wildfire smoke. “A big wildfire event not only impacts local communities but also people hundreds of miles away.” The smoke contains gases and microscopic particles. These can cause symptoms like “coughing,…
See moreAll we seem to hear these days is bad news–wild fires, heat waves, droughts, politics, greed, corruption, discrimination, low wages, stress, unhappiness … So, make a little bit of an effort today and make someone happy. A recent study looking at the reasons “why so few people actually send thank yous” found “that many people totally miscalibrate the effect of an appreciative email. They underestimate…
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Climate change is happening before our eyes. All over the world–“from Japan to the Middle East, and North America to Europe,” the heat waves, floods, droughts, and wildfires “have clear links to human-caused climate change.” What’s happening globally this year was predicted decades ago. What we are seeing now are extremes–heat and rainfall (too much or too little). This is occurring when Earth has warmed…
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