globalbriefs
News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.
Patient Pets Hospital Allows Cats and Dogs
Pet dogs and cats are visiting with their seriously ill owners, reducing stress and improving morale, at the Juravinski Hos- pital, in Hamilton, Ontario. The Zachary’s Paws for Heal- ing program, the first of its kind in Canada, was founded by Zachary Noble and his aunt, Donna Jenkins. Before each visit, the animals are thoroughly cleaned so as not to introduce harmful germs, and brought in on covered, wheeled carts away from all other patients during their one-hour weekly visits. The all-volunteer program plans to offer foster care to pet owners that enter the hospital for treatment.
Learn more at
ZacharysPawsForHealing.com.
Greening Planet Satellites Reveal Unexpected Plant Growth
The study Greening of the Earth and its Drivers, published by an international team in the journal Nature Climate Change, shows significant green- ing of a quarter to one-half of the Earth’s vegetated lands based on satellite data from the past 33 years. This represents an increase in leaves on plants and trees that produce sugars using sunlight energy to mix atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2
) with water and nutrients from the soil.
These sugars are the source of food, fiber and fuel for life on Earth. More sugars are produced when there is more of this greenhouse gas in the air in a process called CO2
fertilization. About 85 percent of the Earth’s land is free of ice and
covered by vegetation, currently encompassing 32 percent of the planet’s total surface area. Lead author Dr. Zaichun Zhu, a researcher from Peking University, in China, states, “The green- ing over the past 33 years reported in this study is equivalent to adding a green continent about two times the size of mainland USA, and has the ability to fundamentally change the cycling of water and carbon in the climate system.” The effect may serve as a carbon sink to help counter climate change.
Source: Boston University
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