Tag Archives: nature

The Perfect Horse – Elizabeth Letts

by Myrna Posted on September 5, 2016

READ GREEN WITH E-BOOKS

The Perfect Horse

The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis

Elizabeth Letts

Genre: Nature

Price: $14.99

Publish Date: August 23, 2016

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Seller: Penguin Random House LLC


NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the remarkable story of the heroic rescue of priceless horses in the closing days of World War II   In the chaotic last days of the war a small troop of battle-weary American soldiers captures a German spy and makes an astonishing find—his briefcase is empty but for photos of beautiful white horses that have been stolen and kept on a secret farm behind enemy lines. Hitler has stockpiled the world’s finest purebreds in order to breed the perfect military machine—an equine master race. But with the starving Russian army closing in, the animals are in imminent danger of being slaughtered for food.   With only hours to spare, one of the Army’s last great cavalrymen, American colonel Hank Reed, makes a bold decision—with General George Patton’s blessing—to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed’s small but determined force of soldiers, aided by several turncoat Germans, steals across enemy lines in a last-ditch effort to save the horses.   Pulling together this multistranded story, Elizabeth Letts introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters: Alois Podhajsky, director of the famed Spanish Riding School of Vienna, a former Olympic medalist who is forced to flee the bomb-ravaged Austrian capital with his entire stable in tow; Gustav Rau, Hitler’s imperious chief of horse breeding, a proponent of eugenics who dreams of genetically engineering the perfect warhorse for Germany; and Tom Stewart, a senator’s son who makes a daring moonlight ride on a white stallion to secure the farm’s surrender.   A compelling account for animal lovers and World War II buffs alike, The Perfect Horse tells for the first time the full story of these events. Elizabeth Letts’s exhilarating tale of behind-enemy-lines adventure, courage, and sacrifice brings to life one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valor. Praise for The Perfect Horse   “Letts, a lifelong equestrienne, eloquently brings together the many facets of this unlikely, poignant story underscoring the love and respect of man for horses. . . . The author’s elegant narrative conveys how the love for these amazing creatures transcends national animosities.” — Kirkus Reviews From the Hardcover edition.

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The Perfect Horse – Elizabeth Letts

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Survival Tips For Green Parents Dealing With Information Overload

by RalfFitzgerald Posted on September 4, 2016

BPA in bottles!

GMOS in baby food!

Toxic chemicals in toys!

Disposable diapers are the devil!

Raising a healthy kid in today’s polluted world is anything but easy.

Every parent wants the best for their child, and if you happen to be an eco-conscious parent, the stakes are even higher. You have both your children and the planet that they’ll someday inherit to worry about.

The struggle to protect our children while also being a good child of Mother Nature is front and center in a new book aimed at helping green-minded navigate the often shifting landscape of healthy parenting.

Called Spit That Out! The OverlyInformedParents Guide to Raising Healthy Kids In The Age OfEnvironmentalGuilt, the bookis part parenting handbook, part autobiography, and overflowing with humorous stories that all parents will relate to.

With chapters like “The Precarious World Of Poo Maintenance” and “Can I Afford To Be This Conscious?” author Paige Wolf seeks to cut through the avalanche of conflicting information, providing parents with humorous anecdotes full of useful tips for staying sane and healthy in an increasingly toxic world.

Chock full of staggering statistics (more than 50 of the one million annual child deaths from acute respiratory infections are attributable to indoor air pollution); hilarious realizations (“Goldfish feel to me like a gateway drug to toddler junk food”); and advice from green living experts (never buy plastic toys with the numbers 3, 6 and 7 on them, they’re likely to leak dangerous chemicals and can’t be recycled), Spit That Out!is aninformative read whether you’re a parent yet or not.

Care2 recently caught up withWolf, an eco-chic green living expert, blogger and advocate, to learn more about what she hopes parents will gain from reading her book.

Care2: What inspired you to write this book?

Wolf: “When I was pregnant with my first child I was overwhelmed by all the conflicting information and constant barrage of things to worry about! What was in the food, the cleaning products, the shampoo, the toys? Could we pull off cloth diapers and breastfeeding? Talking with other new parents I realized I was not the only one up Googling these things every night. Many of us feel paralyzed by all of the eco-anxiety and green guilt and I wanted to find straight answers and real ways to make green and healthy living more manageable, practical and affordable. The book is part commiseration/part solution!”

Care2:What’s the biggest life change (eco-wise) you made when you become a parent?

Wolf:I was making small changes for years leading up to becoming a parent. It started with just basic recycling and then composting, eating a more natural and organic diet and swapping out personal care products. I dont know that there was a specific switch that happened in correlation with becoming a parent it has been more like making more small changes and upgrades everyday.

“For instance, I remember thinking I had gotten rid of all the nonstick pans years ago and it suddenly occurred to me that my George Foreman grill was coated in Teflon. Opening a cabinet and saying, Why are we still buying conventional raisins? Its a constant learning experience and balancing act trying to create a more sustainable and health-conscious home while also making peace with the fact that my kids are going to find a way to eat Munchkin Donut holes at least three times a week.”

Care2:What’s one thing “green” parents stress about that you wish they wouldn’t?

Wolf: “There isnt really one thing its just the greater idea of doing everything perfectly. We all have our parenting differences. Some of us feel guilty for not breastfeeding long enough or at all, others for not cloth diapering and many for not feeding our kids organic all the time. Its important that we dont ignore the significance of these things and at least TRY to make an effort, but we also have to realize that we cant live in a bubble. We have to do the best we can with the opportunities available to us. Fortunately, though, many of these opportunities are becoming more accessible and affordable.”

Care2:What’s THE most important piece of advice you’d give to environmentally-minded parents in today’s world?

Wolf: “Perfect is unattainable but better is always possible.”

Connect with Spit That Out! author Paige Wolf on Facebook, Twitteror Instagram.

Spit That Out! The OverlyInformedParents Guide to Raising Healthy Kids In The Age OfEnvironmentalGuilt is available wherever books are sold.

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Survival Tips For Green Parents Dealing With Information Overload

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Welcome to the Dark Side

by ConcettMonti Posted on August 19, 2016

Mother Jones

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Scientists report that they might have discovered a fifth basic force of nature:

Researchers at UC Irvine say they’ve found evidence for a fifth force — one carried by a particle that they’re calling “boson X.”…Tait said that their discovery might be a doorway to eventually creating a model that more accurately describes the universe….“This could actually be the dark force,” Tait said.

Boson X? Please. This is obviously the long-sought midichloriton. Get it together, scientists.

POSTSCRIPT: Why yes, I am having a little trouble finding things to blog about this morning. Why do you ask?

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Welcome to the Dark Side

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Are the US Dietary Guidelines on Milk Racist?

by RollandCockerill Posted on August 3, 2016

Mother Jones

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The federal government’s dietary guidelines urge adults to consume at least three cups of milk a day to guard against osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become brittle and weak. People who are lactose intolerant—a group that includes 75 percent of African Americans—”can choose low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products,” the guidelines say. But a new study has called into question this one-size-fits-all approach. It suggests that most African American adults might not need milk at all.

Read: The Scary New Science That Shows Milk Is Bad for You

Scientists have known for some time that people who live in Africa have some of the world’s lowest rates of osteoporosis. Researchers long assumed that the difference was due to Africans’ lower life expectancy (since the condition usually shows up later in life), more active lifestyles, and a lack of doctors to diagnose and treat the condition. Yet a study published in June in BoneKEy, an offshoot of the journal Nature, offers a compelling alternative explanation: Many Africans are genetically adapted to low-calcium diets.

Study author Constance Hilliard, an evolutionary historian at the University of North Texas, examined osteoporosis rates in Nigeria and Cameroon, two African countries that fall within an area known as the tsetse belt. Dairy farming is impossible in this equatorial region because of the presence of the tsetse fly, a tropical pest that transmits parasites that kill cattle. Despite a nearly complete lack of dairy consumption in the two countries, their osteoporosis rates are among the lowest in the world—just two to three cases out of every 100,000 people.

In an effort to figure out why, Hilliard looked at Kenya, a country outside the tsetse belt where milk consumption is common yet life expectancies and socioeconomic conditions remain essentially the same. Kenya’s rate of osteoporosis is dramatically higher—245 cases out of 100,000 people. That’s also much closer to levels in the United States, where the rate is 595 per 100,000 people.

So what’s going on here? One possibility is that milk consumption actually increases the risk for osteoporosis. As I mentioned in a magazine piece last year, a 2014 Swedish study found women who drank more than two and a half glasses of milk a day had a higher fracture risk than their counterparts who drank less than one glass a day. Though other studies have come to the opposite conclusion, researchers have found, on balance, that calcium intake does not significantly reduce the risk of hip fracture in women or men.

Hilliard finds a more compelling explanation in genetics. The tsetse belt is largely inhabited by the Niger-Kordofanian ethnicity (also the predominant ethnicity among African Americans), which is known to be lactose intolerant. Niger-Kordofanians make up for the lack of milk in their diets by better absorbing calcium. In the United States, studies have shown that black children and adults excrete less calcium than whites on essentially the same diets, thereby retaining more calcium in their bones. “This is why certain populations can maintain strong bones and are at low risk of osteoporosis even though they consume 200 mg of calcium day”—a fifth of what the federal government recommends, Hilliard says. It could also be why the rate of osteoporosis and related fractures in African American women is half that of Caucasian women.

“This is a very interesting paper,” says Connie Weaver, the director of the Women’s Global Health Institute at Purdue University and an expert on osteoporosis. “We know that genetics determine 60 to 80 percent of bone mass and lifestyle choices the rest. This paper offers one genetic difference that is likely more controlling of bone mass than diet or other lifestyle choices.”

Still, Weaver doesn’t think African Americans should consume less dairy. Though they may have less of a genetic disposition for osteoporosis, she argues that “there still would be a range of risk within that genotype that would be improved by adequate dairy or the nutrients provided by dairy.”

Hilliard makes no dietary recommendations—after all, she is a historian, not a nutritionist. Still, she points out that African Americans may be uniquely susceptible to some of milk’s side effects. Multiple studies have correlated high levels of dairy consumption to prostate cancer; African Americans are 2.4 times as likely to die from the disease as the population at large. Though other genetic and socioeconomic factors may explain their higher risk, some studies have pointed to dairy. The California Collaborative Prostate Cancer Study, published in 2012, found that calcium consumption was closely related to an increased risk of prostate cancer, particularly in black men who carry a genotype common in populations of African origin.

Yet the federal government’s dietary recommendations don’t account for such distinctions. And that omission, she says, amounts to something like discrimination. “What has happened is the medical community has universalized the particular biology of Caucasians,” Hilliard says. “And the medical community has yet to frame its questions in ways that investigate whether foods that have been culturally labeled as ‘good for you’ have deleterious consequences for minorities.”

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Are the US Dietary Guidelines on Milk Racist?

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Virginia’s Supreme Court Just Struck Down a Plan to Restore Voting Rights to 200,000 Felons

by BryanElkin95320 Posted on July 22, 2016

Mother Jones

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Virginia’s Supreme Court on Friday blocked Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s attempt to restore voting rights to more than 200,000 felons. The 4-3 ruling, which could have a significant impact on the potential swing state in November, comes three months after the Democratic governor issued an executive order to enfranchise felons who had completed their sentences and parole or probation as of April 22.

In May, Virginia Republicans sued the governor over the use of taxpayer money to make such an order, suggesting that the order would aid Democratic turnout in the general election. State Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Normen, Jr. said in a statement at the time that McAuliffe had “overstepped the bounds of his authority and the constitutional limits on executive powers.” McAuliffe struck back, stating that the lawsuit would “preserve a policy of disenfranchisement that has been used intentionally to suppress the voices of qualified voices.”

The Virginia Supreme Court found that McAuliffe overstepped his clemency authority in granting 206,000 felons the right to vote through executive order and that it violated the state constitution.

“Never before have any of the prior 71 Virginia governors issued a clemency order of any kind—including pardons, reprieves, commutations, and restoration orders—to a class of unnamed felons without regard for the nature of the crimes or any other individual circumstances relevant to the request,” wrote Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons in the majority opinion.

“To be sure, no governor of this commonwealth, until now, has even suggested that such a power exists,” the justice wrote.

The court’s decision made Virginia “an outlier in the struggle for civil and human rights,” McAuliffe said in a statement Friday. He criticized Republicans’ lawsuit.

“I cannot accept that this overtly political action could succeed in suppressing the voices of many thousands of men and women who had rejoiced with their families earlier this year when their rights were restored,” he said, adding that he would “expeditiously sign” orders to restore voting rights to 13,000 felons. It was immediately unclear if the court’s order would affect McAullife’s plans to grant rights for those people.

You can read the judges’ opinions below:

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Virginia’s Supreme Court Just Struck Down a Plan to Restore Voting Rights to 200,000 Felons

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Playing Pokémon Go? The internet has some advice for you.

by Jim Bow Posted on July 15, 2016

snorlax attention

Playing Pokémon Go? The internet has some advice for you.

By on Jul 15, 2016Share

Soon after Pokemon Go hit the App Store, reports started rolling in of the dumb lengths people have gone to in order to capture the little guys — like playing at the Holocaust Museum, Ground Zero, a funeral, or — more commonly — the middle of the street. Concerned about potential accidents caused by zombie-like trainers with their heads in their screens, the National Safety Council urged people to exercise caution playing the game. “No race to ‘capture’ a cartoon monster is worth a life,” wrote the Council. Clearly, they’ve never seen a Charizard.

Naturally, both players and haters alike took to Twitter to remind people to look up from their screens every once in awhile — and, for once, we recommend listening to them. And if you need a reminder, well, there’s an app for that, too.

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Playing Pokémon Go? The internet has some advice for you.

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Baffling Ways Plants Are Kind of Like Humans

by KyleKeegan0 Posted on July 12, 2016

We all know that plants are alive, but we definitely don’t think of them as being alive the same way as people or animals are alive. After all, a plant definitelydoesn’t have a face, a brain, a heart, blood or any other mammal-like characteristics. Heck, plantscan’t even move!

Most of us never seek to understand just how complex of an organism a simple houseplant, a delicate flower or a huge tree really is. We may appreciate them for being a beautiful (and necessary) part of nature or for being a super nutritious food source, but anything past that is left mostly out of our understanding and awareness unless of course you’re a botanistor a super experienced gardener.

Want to enhance your appreciation for plant life? If you do, have a quick read through afew of these interesting plant abilities that other living things havetoo.

Plants can make calculated decisions based on risk.

Plants can’t move around like animals can, so that means they have to be able to carefully sense changes in their environment in order to make adjustments necessary for their survival. In arecent study, scientists examinedhow the garden pea plant would respond to different environments by plantingits roots between two different pots.

One pot hada constant nutrient leveland the other pot with a varying nutrient level. Although both pots had the same average nutrientlevel, the scientists found that after a 12-week growth period, some of the pea plants involved in the experiment decided to “gamble” by growing more of their roots in the varying pot while other risk-averse plants decided to stay with their steady pot.

Plants can store memories.

Ever wonder how plants are so good at syncing up with the seasons? Being able to detect the changing amount ofdaylight is one thing, but scientists now know that plants also figure out how to bloomand flower in response to seasonal changes by”remembering” previously experienced environmental conditions so that they can predict and prepare for change.

Prion proteins are what scientists think may be responsible for plant memory. A protein known asluminidependensthat helps plants shift their growth according to temperature and light might act likea prion, which at this point offers the best understandingof protein-based molecular memory.

Plants communicate with neighboring plantsand other organisms.

Plants can talk to each other, to insects and even to other mammals when they’re under threat or wounded. Threatened or wounded plants are known to release proteins that signal nearby plants to strengthen their defenses.

Some plants, such as the wild tobacco plant,will also release signalsto call for help from “good” predatorsto come destroy the “bad” pests. So, for example, if the wild tobacco plant detects signs of thehornworm caterpillar by sensing andidentifying its saliva on its leaves or stems, it will release a protein signal that appeals to the caterpillar’s enemies (other predatory insects) to come on over and get rid of them.

Plantscan see, smell, taste, feel and maybe even hear.

Plants actually have their own complex versions of seeing, smelling, tasting and feeling what’s presently in their surroundings to help them survive. According to scientist Daniel Chamovitz in an interview with Scientific American, plants can “smell” pheromones emitted by other plantsand then sync up to them by blooming or ripening along with them.

You probably already know that plants can actually bend toward the light too, suggesting that they can “see” where they can get the most light from. They can “taste” through their roots in a way that supportsroot-to-root communication with nearby relative plants, they can “feel” the temperature or weather conditions change using mechanoreceptors in their cell membranes. Some not-so-scientific experiments suggest they can even “hear” music in ways that might influence their growth.

So next time you take a stroll outside somewhere among the trees or next time you glance over at your favorite houseplant, consider how beautifully complex and astounding plants really are. They don’t exactly resemble humans, mammals or other mobile organisms, but they certainly do have their very own unique ways of sensing the world around them that we can sort of relate to on a very broad, survival-focused level.

Related:
Veggies Grown on Mars May Actually Be Healthier for Us
This Eco-Friendly Smartphone Charger Generates Electricity from Plants
Fiber Could Be the Secret to Living Longer, New Study Suggests

Photo Credits: Unsplash, Pixabay user Pexels, Pixabay user markusspiske

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Baffling Ways Plants Are Kind of Like Humans

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9 Easy Garden Plants for Hardworking People

by RemonaNecaise Posted on June 30, 2016

It’s a common dilemma you love the looks of a flourishing garden, but don’t have a lot of time or energy to put into keeping it up. You’re too busy with the demands of job, caretaking, and just plain living. The good news is that gardening can be a lot simpler than you think. It’s mainly a question of choosing the right type of plants. Here are 9 shrubs, flowers, and vegetables that will require minimal care.

Green Plants

Image credit: katerha via Flickr

Shrubs

Busy peopletend to be impatient people, so you may wonder why we mention shrubs. Truth be told, you can find some very fast-growing varieties. Buy small potted shrubs from your local nursery or online to transplant at home. Then the bulk of your work is already done. These plants need little watering once they’re established in their new location, and they deliver so much! In addition to good looks, they double as a green privacy fence. A hedge will also shelter your house from the elements, reducing your need for heating and cooling.

Vines

Vines are another choice which will provide you with both privacyandbeauty. Species such as ivy or clematis grow rapidly and need very little upkeep. They do need something to climb on, but that can actually be one of their virtues, especially if you’re looking to disguise an unattractive chain link fence or brick wall.

Succulents

Succulents are beloved of busy indoor gardeners, due to their appealing appearance, low maintenance, and limited need for water. Now try them outside as well. If you live inHardiness Zone8 or warmer, you can overwinter succulents in your garden. Otherwise, plant them in containers which you can easily bring into the house before the first frost comes along.

Flowers

Image credit: botheredbybees via Flickr

Bulbs

Plant bulbs in the fall and fugeddabout ‘em. Then get ready to enjoy the sweet surprise of blooms early next spring. Daffodils, tulips, iris, or my personal fave, delightfully scented hyacinth (pictured above), are generous plants which take very little care, yet put on a great colorful show. One note: Bulbs used to be replantable but newer varieties should be treated as annuals. Even if they do sprout for another year, they are likely to produce frail and scraggly results.

Perennials(Day Lilies)

If you’re looking for a hardy perennial, the day lily is for you. Unlike true lilies, day lilies grow from roots rather than bulbs. Available in a wide range of charming colors as well as the traditional orange — they thrive almost anywhere in the US (Zones 3-11). Wet soil, dry soil, even the salty soil in your beach house garden not much fazes the vibrant day lily. Another plus: Many varieties are a favorite perch forhummingbirdsand butterflies.

Annuals (Marigolds)

Growing marigolds is child’s play literally. These bright and cheerful quick-growing annuals are a perfect choice for your kids’ early experiments in gardening. Marigolds offer bright yellow, copper, and russet blossoms, and can reach a height of anywhere from 6 inches to an impressive 5 feet tall in a single season.

Edibles

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Herbs

Whether you have substantial yard space or 2 or 3 little pots perched on your balcony rail, herbs are simple to grow, yet very rewarding. Snip a few leaves to add zest to that super speedy 15-minute dinner recipe. You’ll save time (and money) on shopping for seasonings, and your homegrown herbs are guaranteedorganic.

Garlic

Garlic is a snap to grow. You don’t even need to shop for seeds. Just break off a few healthy, good-sized cloves and pop them in the ground. Cut the scapes (garlic shoots) in the spring to steam as a delicately flavored vegetable, and leave the garlic bulbs to pick in July and August.

Related: How to Grow and Harvest Garlic

Zucchini

Zucchini has a well-deserved rep as the easiest vegetable ever. In fact, your main problem will be figuring out what to do with your bumper harvest. Maybe send out invites for a zucchini-picking block party?

By Laura Firszt,Networx.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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9 Easy Garden Plants for Hardworking People

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How Much Do You Actually Have to Water Your Plants?

by ArlenEusebio23 Posted on June 29, 2016

Efficient watering practices can save you a lot of time and money, as well as preserving our planets resources. A bit of planning and a good understanding of your soil will help your plants thrive on less water.

What kind of soil do you have?

The main components of soil are sand, clay and organic matter. A good balance will give you a crumbly, easy-to-dig soil that takes up water easily.

Dig a few small holes around your yard to see your soils structure. A soil with too much sand is grainy and drains very quickly. Sandy soils benefit from adding lots of organic matter to hold in the water.

Clay soils can feel like concrete when theyre dry and will absorb water very slowly. Once clay soil is wet, it can become dense and oversaturated with very little oxygen or space for plant roots. Adding gypsum (calcium sulphate), sand or organic matter will help break up clay soils.

For containers, its best to use commercial potting mixes based on peat moss or coconut fiber. Both of these are organic materials that hold water well and are still light enough for pots and hanging baskets. Soil straight from your garden is usually too heavy.

How to Judge When Your Plants Need Water

1. Container Plants

Lift up your containers or hanging baskets when possible to gauge their water content. If theyre too large to lift, use your finger or a soil probe to check how far down the pot has dried out. Its time to water when the container is dry about half way down.

Add water until it comes out the bottom of the pot. Check back in 5 to 10 minutes to see if the water absorbed. If the container still feels dry, keep adding water in small doses until the soil is saturated.

2. Outdoor Areas

The roots of perennial plants, shrubs and trees generally grow in the top 12 inches (30 centimeters) of soil. The roots of lawns and annual plants, including most vegetables, are typically in the top 6 inches (15 centimeters) of soil.

These are the depths youll need to water to for each type of plant. The actual amount of water you need to apply will vary depending on your soil structure.

When you water an area for the first time, use your finger or a shovel to check the soil every few minutes and see how far down the water has penetrated. Take note of how long it took to reach the needed depth.

Continue to monitor your soil and keep track of how long it takes to dry out again. Drought-tolerant plants will be able to handle drying out to the bottom of their root zone. Whereas, plants with higher water needs should only dry out to around half the depth of their root zone.

This will give you a basic idea of how long you should water each area of your garden and how often.

The last step is to make sure your watering system is as efficient as possible. Try the following tips to get started.

How to Reduce the Amount You Water

Water at cooler times of day. You can lose a lot of water to evaporation when its hot. Morning is often the best time to water because its the coolest time of day. You can also set your automatic irrigation system to run during the night.

Dont panic. Its normal for some of your plants to wilt in the mid-afternoon sun to conserve water. Wait until the sun goes down to check whether or not the wilt is permanent. If your plants dont perk up again by morning, its time to water.

Choose drought-tolerant plants when possible. Many varieties of ornamental annual and perennial plants do well with limited water. You can also get lawn seed mixes designed for dryer conditions.

Group plants by water needs. This can make watering much easier. For instance, you can group drought-tolerant plants together in a difficult-to-access corner of your yard, or plant your most water-demanding veggies at the front of your beds near a hose.

Have a flexible watering schedule. Take advantage of cooler weather periods to reduce how often you water. Also keep in mind that young seedlings or new plantings will have smaller root systems than when mature. These will need shallower, more frequent irrigation until they get established.

Water slowly. Too much water at one time will simply run out of a container or off the soil surface in garden beds. When watering by hand, go over a container or outdoor area a few times rather than trying to do it all at once. Or look for an automatic irrigation system that can deliver smaller amounts of water over longer periods of time.

Make use of technology. Many automatic irrigation systems can make watering more efficient, such as drip irrigation, soaker hoses or overhead sprinklers. Automatic timers are also very useful. You can get simple timers that are battery powered or more complicated systems that are wired into your house.

Track your water. A general recommendation is to apply 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) of water to your garden per week. This is easiest to track with automatic irrigation systems that deliver set amounts of water. You can also check hand watering by attaching a flow meter to the hose spigot. About 60 gallons (227 liters) will provide 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of water over 100 square feet (9 square meters).

Keep your ground covered. A layer of mulch, ground cloth or rocks will help stop evaporation from the soil and keep it moist. Planting a living ground cover is another great option.

Focus on the roots. Water should be applied as close to the root zone as possible. Water left on the leaves is often lost through evaporation. It can also cause sun damage on a hot day or promote leaf diseases. Try to get underneath the plants when youre hand watering, or choose drip irrigation systems instead of overhead sprayers.

Related:
12 Ways to Get Rid of Aggressive Weeds Without Resorting to Roundup
5 Surprising Animals You Didnt Realize Were Pollinators
How to Use Food Scraps to Control Pests and Help Your Garden Thrive

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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How Much Do You Actually Have to Water Your Plants?

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11 Foods We Would Lose Without Pollinators

by ChelseyMohr Posted on June 20, 2016

We all know honey comes from bees. Have you ever connected other foodsyou eat with the fact that they only exist because they’re pollinated by bees and other creatures?

It’s an important connection to make, considering just how threatened bees, butterflies, birds, beetles and otherimportant pollinators are. The threats come from pollution, climate change, habitat destruction and use of toxic pesticides and herbicides. But maybe the biggest threat is ignorance of how essential these creatures are to the web of life as well as our own food chain.

The Whites House has acknowledged the importance of pollinators not only to America’s food securitybut to the U.S. economy. “Honeybees enable the production of at least 90 commercially grown crops in North America,” says the White House. Globally, 87 of 115 leading food crops depend on animal pollinators and contribute 35 percent of global food production. What that means is, pollinators contribute more than $24 billion to the U.S. economy. Not only do pollinators help keep us fed; they also help sustain our prosperity.

Here’s just one example of the impact pollinators have on what we eat and how well we do. Almonds are almost exclusively pollinated by honey bees. California’s almond industry, just the almonds, require pollination help from about 1.4 million beehives (not 1.4 million individual bees, the thousands of bees that live in each hive). But as bee colonies are collapsing, they’re taking their toll on the almonds and other plants they pollinate. Beekeepers in the U.S. have collectively lost an estimated 10 million beehives at an approximate current value of $200 each, driving up food prices but, more importantly, potentially putting more than a third of our food system in danger.

National Pollinator Week was unanimously designated by the U.S. to raise awareness about the urgent need to raise awareness about declining populations of pollinators. The original event was held in June 2007. It has now grown into an international celebration managed by the Pollinator Partnership and supported by both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior. This year, it will be celebrated June 20-June 27, 2016.

In honor of the 2016 Pollinator Week, here are 11 foods we would lose if pollinators weren’t around to do their job. Note that the list includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

Apples (and all kinds of other tree fruits, including peaches, apricots, plums, lemons, limes and cherries)

Strawberries (as well as elderberries, blackberries, raspberries and cranberries)

Onions

Avocados

Green Beans (and many otherbeans, including adzuki, kidney and lima beans)

Coffee

Sunflower Oil (and other oils, including palm, safflower and sesame)

Tomatoes (plus cucumbers)

Grapes

Cauliflower (plus cabbage, broccoli, turnips and Brussels sprouts)

Beets

Want to do something to protect pollinators and the foods you love? Sign this petition to protect pollinators from toxic pesticides.

Related:

Cause of Colony Collapse Disorder: YouThis Young Entrepreneur Wants YOU to Help Save the Bees
10 Health Benefits of Honey

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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11 Foods We Would Lose Without Pollinators

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