globalbriefs


Veggie Tales Plants Communicate with Sound


A recent study from the Uni- versity of Western Australia has found that plants regularly react to and emit sounds through a series of clicks produced by their roots, and that such inter-flora communication may be essential to their survival. Evolutionary


biologist Monica Gagliano, who made the discovery, listened to the roots of young corn plants and found that they regularly produced sounds in the range of 220Hz, a frequency audible to the human ear. Plants have been shown to influence each other in many


ways through nanomechanical oscillations on a molecular scale. Gagliano remarks, “Scientists also know that plants use volatile chemicals to communicate with each other.” Another biological research team under the direction of Professor Olaf Kruse, Ph.D., scientific director of the Center for Biotechnology at Germany’s Bielefeld University, has shown that green algae not only engages in photosynthesis, but also has an alternative source of energy: It can draw it from other plants (Nature Communications).


Gagliano comments, “Considering that entire forests are


all interconnected by networks of fungi, maybe plants are using fungi the way we use the Internet.”


Watch the Birdie Selfies Promote Animal Cruelty and Death


Zachary Crockett, of Pricenomics. com, has found that since 2014, 49 people were killed in attempts to take pictures of themselves with wild creatures. Although there are no statistics on how many animals have been harmed due to selfies, wildlife organizations such as Care for the Wild International are appealing to the public to stop using animals as props. Visitors to China’s Yunnan Wild Animal Park lured


captive peacocks from their enclosure and grabbed them by their tails. The birds died as a result. Another group of people at a beach in Argentina was filmed mobbing a baby Francis- cana dolphin, an endangered species, while taking pictures, resulting in its death likely through shock and severe dehy- dration from being removed from the water for too long. Due to the high demand by tourists to take pictures with wild animals, special photographic settings are popping up in Mexico, Europe and Morocco. However, the Association for British Travel Agents stated that no legitimate sanctuary would allow animals to be used as photo props.


10 Twin Cities Edition NaturalTwinCities.com


ecotip


Laundry List Cool Tips to Save Money and Energy


Following eco-friendly laundry tips can save on energy, water usage and utility bills, making it good for both the planet and the bank account. The laundry results, too, may be better for some loads.


RealSimple.com advises that 90 percent of the energy


consumed while running a wash load is used to heat the water, so the average household can eliminate as much as 350 pounds of carbon emissions and save about $40 annually by turning the knob to cold. It also notes that some protein-heavy stains, like perspiration and blood, can become more set into the fabric when washed in hot water, which can also shrink synthetic fibers. For sweat stains, DIYNatural.com suggests combining


two tablespoons of cream of tartar, a few drops of lemon essential oil and water to make a paste. Mix and spread it on the stain, and then rub it in and let dry. Another pre-laundry option is to pour or spray a 3 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide onto the stain and then soak for about 30 minutes.


Mildly soiled laundry doesn’t necessarily need hot


water for adequate cleaning, reports the Mother Nature Network. It advises pre-soaking heavily soiled laundry in cold water for about an hour, adding four tablespoons of baking soda to loosen dirt and grime. “Responding quickly to stains always helps,” says


Steve Boorstein, a Boulder, Colorado, clothing-care expert on his ClothingDoctor.com website. “For washable cloth- ing, flush the stained area with cool water to remove any solid matter. Never rub the stain in order to avoid driving it deeper into the fabric.” Conserve more energy as well as water by always assembling a full load of laundry. Appliance performance can also make an eco-difference. Energy Star estimates that water savings of between 40 and 75 percent can be achieved with front-loading machines instead of top-load- ers. Line drying wins over a clothes dryer in terms of fresh- ness, energy use and kindness to the environment. Start with biodegradable and phosphate-free deter- gents made from plant- and vegetable-based ingredients.


A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.


~Joseph Campbell


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