Welcome to Natural Wonders, where we celebrate the weirdness and beauty of nature! I apologize for being a week late with this issue - family health issues that are, thankfully, all better now. During this holiday season, which is both joyful and hectic, be sure to take some time for yourself by getting outside to enjoy the
What a fabulous question you've unearthed here - and answered so well. This in particular made me blink:
>>"at least 50% of the oxygen we breathe (some say up to 80%) actually comes from the ocean!"
SAY WHAT? I had no idea about this thing. And I've been half-pondering doing a season of my newsletter about the air/atmosphere, and this is making me want to do it ten times more than before. YOU TROUBLEMAKER, YOU.
And referencing Barbara's good point in her comment: yes, it's about tree-planting AND protecting the carbon-rich old woodland that currently exists. Lots of reputable bodies saying this (eg. https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-many-new-trees-would-we-need-offset-our-carbon-emissions) That's the great challenge here, to do both alongside each other, really really well.
(And I'd love it if it happened because somehow the profit motive got detached from environmental concerns, where ecology-preserving stuff doesn't happen because it won't turn enough of a direct profit. That's far too narrow a way of thinking for the challenges facing the world right now. There's got to be a better, bigger way of reframing it all for capitalists.)
I have always understood we relied on trees (and plants?) for our oxygen but was never exactly sure how this came about and now I do, thank you. Which raises my next issue. Construction is constant everywhere these days and very much so in my immediate area currently and I see acres of trees turned into nothing. So, at what point are we going to be gasping for air because the world feels we need to keep building and building and building and clearing more land for more building? Seldom do we see trees replanted to replace even part of what was bulldozed and burned.
Another fantastic article (I've just stumbled across your page in the last 24 hours and am enjoying reading your past editions). Just an observation I've made in our garden RE plants photosynthesing at night... I've noticed that in the days around a full moon that large leaved vegetables such as squash and cucumber tend to increase their productivity, sometimes as much as 4 or 5 times more cucumbers per day can be harvested around the full moon when compared with the new moon. My theory is that rather it being some cosmic energy that there is enough moonlight for the plants to photosynthesise 24 hours a day at that time. Any thoughts on this?
This is so interesting! Thanks for sharing. I am now a bit embarrassed I never thought of the question, especially since I work with MODIS data... ugh.
What a fabulous question you've unearthed here - and answered so well. This in particular made me blink:
>>"at least 50% of the oxygen we breathe (some say up to 80%) actually comes from the ocean!"
SAY WHAT? I had no idea about this thing. And I've been half-pondering doing a season of my newsletter about the air/atmosphere, and this is making me want to do it ten times more than before. YOU TROUBLEMAKER, YOU.
And referencing Barbara's good point in her comment: yes, it's about tree-planting AND protecting the carbon-rich old woodland that currently exists. Lots of reputable bodies saying this (eg. https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-many-new-trees-would-we-need-offset-our-carbon-emissions) That's the great challenge here, to do both alongside each other, really really well.
(And I'd love it if it happened because somehow the profit motive got detached from environmental concerns, where ecology-preserving stuff doesn't happen because it won't turn enough of a direct profit. That's far too narrow a way of thinking for the challenges facing the world right now. There's got to be a better, bigger way of reframing it all for capitalists.)
Love this! I had no idea. Really enjoying your newsletter and how much I learn from it.
I have always understood we relied on trees (and plants?) for our oxygen but was never exactly sure how this came about and now I do, thank you. Which raises my next issue. Construction is constant everywhere these days and very much so in my immediate area currently and I see acres of trees turned into nothing. So, at what point are we going to be gasping for air because the world feels we need to keep building and building and building and clearing more land for more building? Seldom do we see trees replanted to replace even part of what was bulldozed and burned.
Another fantastic article (I've just stumbled across your page in the last 24 hours and am enjoying reading your past editions). Just an observation I've made in our garden RE plants photosynthesing at night... I've noticed that in the days around a full moon that large leaved vegetables such as squash and cucumber tend to increase their productivity, sometimes as much as 4 or 5 times more cucumbers per day can be harvested around the full moon when compared with the new moon. My theory is that rather it being some cosmic energy that there is enough moonlight for the plants to photosynthesise 24 hours a day at that time. Any thoughts on this?
This is so interesting! Thanks for sharing. I am now a bit embarrassed I never thought of the question, especially since I work with MODIS data... ugh.
Wow, that is fascinating and something I'd never thought to wonder about. Thanks for linking to my articles too.
Lovely post that is chock full of insight and information
I love this!!