May 3, 2020
Nature by Priti
Poet Priti encourages environmental awareness through her poem, “Nature.”
Tag: writer
April 30, 2020
The Science Behind Blue Flowers
Blue is all around us, from the oceans to their reflection in the sky, but it’s very rare that you’ll see blue anywhere else in nature – unless you’re flipping through a Dr. Seuss book.
Wildflowers sporting a bluish-hue, which includes purple and violet flowers, only account for about 15 to 20 percent of all flower colors, says a 2018 Breeding Science journal review.
“Many ornamental plants with a high production volume, such as rose and chrysanthemum, lack the key genes for producing the blue delphinidin pigment or do not have an intracellular environment suitable for developing blue color,” the review explains.
While recent advancements in genetic engineering have allowed scientists to synthesize blue roses, chrysanthemums, orchids, and dahlias, the process isn’t as simple as “editing a few genes” (granted, gene editing isn’t such a simple process, either).
April 27, 2020
How COVID-19 is Going to Impact the Education System by Peter
Peter of Joyful Source discusses the long-term impacts the coronavirus pandemic will have on the education system.
April 26, 2020
Litter is Not a Suitable Home for Ants, Study Says
The world is your oyster, not your dumpster – although it’s often mistreated as such.
The non-profit organization Keep America Beautiful reports the United States spends approximately $11.5 billion to clean up litter annually. However, crumbled up plastics and abandoned glass bottles still find their way into the natural world, invading forests, lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Recently, researchers investigated the impact of discarded bottles and containers on ants, questioning whether these discarded byproducts of human activity are a “deadly trap or sweet home.”
April 25, 2020
Elephants Connection to the Land by Global Sanctuary for Elephants
Experts at the Global Sanctuary for Elephants shed light on the beautiful, innate connection elephants have to mother nature.
April 20, 2020
You Are What You Eat… Or Smoke
The cannabis industry has put terpenes on the map due to how they affect the scent, taste, and medicinal properties of the product. However, terpenes aren’t exclusive to cannabis – they’re found in plants, fruits, and spices.
Terpenes can be used to apply flavor or fragrance to products like essential oils or shampoos (just look at the ingredients of your favorite Lush soap). They also play a vital role in how plants interact with the environment, providing plants with an odor-based defense mechanism, says a 2015 3 Biotech article.
Furthermore, many people feel their body odor is affected by using cannabis and consuming certain foods can alter how you smell – including meat and tomatoes.
So, could terpenes be the culprit behind certain human body odors?
April 12, 2020
Weekly Newsletter #68: Happy Easter
Happy Easter, bug buddies – and a happy early Easter, to all of you who celebrate Orthodox Easter, too!
April 10, 2020
The Entourage Effect and Cannabis Terpenes by Ahmed Mir
Nature & Bloom founder Ahmed Mir teaches us about the entourage effect and the role terpenes play in CBD oil.
April 10, 2020
Falling Stars and Front Liners
Rip my heart out and ask me how it’s still beating,
Rip me in half and ask me how I’m still breathing,
You wouldn’t.
April 8, 2020
What if a Natural Disaster Strikes During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The coronavirus pandemic has rattled life as we once knew it, like an earthquake trembling society’s foundation… But if an actual earthquake, a hurricane, a tornado, or a tsunami were to hit right now, what would happen?
Last week, we reached out to various organizations including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, World Health Organization, and American Red Cross to find out what emergency response would look like during a pandemic.