By Martin Sharkey, University of Galway House fires are many people’s worst nightmare. But chemicals created decades ago to protect people’s homes from out of control flames opened our front doors to a new menace: toxic chemicals. Ones that we are consistently exposed to in…
(ProPubluca) As far as state and federal officials are concerned, the drinking water in Smithwick, Texas, is perfectly safe. Over the past two decades, the utility that provides water to much of the community has had little trouble complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act, which…
By John Anderer People often say we only get one chance to make a good first impression. Now, researchers from the University of Cambridge are suggesting that saying may ring especially true when it comes to parents and their children. Their study finds that kids…
By Dr. Faith Coleman According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half a million children in the United States have elevated blood lead levels (BLLs). Are you shocked? I was. Much earlier in my career, I took over the…
By Anna Landry Seeing colorful flowers blossom in the spring and summer is one of the many joys that come with warmer weather. From roses to sunflowers, there are all kinds of beautiful blooms to admire. But for gardeners, the sight is even sweeter when…
By Stephanie Vallette Interested in starting a vegetable garden? There are many easy-to-grow options that are perfect for beginners. It’s not only a fun and tasty hobby, but studies often point to the amazing benefits you get from spending time outside and connecting with nature….
By Neenah Payne Four guys in my community garden in Brooklyn, NY are outstanding carpenters. However, it had never occurred to me that I, as a woman, could learn to be a carpenter since I had never seen a woman carpenter. When I was in…
By Melissa Kraus With all of the rapid-fire innovation in healthy cooking methods, tips, and products today, keeping up with the trends is hard enough when trying to be maintain healthy habits. There are ways to follow clean eating down to what type of cooking…
By Study Finds Studies often point to the amazing benefits from spending time outside and connecting with nature. Here’s one more fantastic reason to put the smartphone down and enjoy the great outdoors. A new study reports that gardening could help reduce the risk of…
By Chris Melore Eight in 10 people have cut down on their general spending within the last six months (81%). A poll of 2,000 U.S. adults reports that three in four have been affected by inflation, with those feeling the financial strain reducing their spending on…
By Daisy Luther Everyone knows the story of Cinderella and the ball. Everything about it was magical. She had a fancy dress, a fairy godmother gave her a makeover, and she was whisked away in a luxurious mode of transportation to attend the elegant event…
By Chris Melore A common, bacteria-fighting ingredient in soaps, toothpastes, and cleaning products may be the reason for the recent increase in antibiotic-resistant germs. Researchers from the University of Toronto discovered that triclosan is the predominant antibiotic sitting in Canada’s sewage sludge. With so much…
By Study Finds The pain could finally be taken out of those tricky furniture shipments that arrive flat and require you to decipher poorly-written assembly instructions. That’s because scientists are developing innovative chairs and tables that assemble themselves after being removed from their packaging. This…
By Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui, University of Sheffield For those of us without access to outside green space, houseplants are a stylish and affordable way of getting a nature fix. Alongside looking nice, indoor plants actually have several other perks – the biggest benefit of which…
By John Anderer If you’ve been feeling down lately, or particularly stressed out, researchers from the University of Florida suggest getting more hands-on with nature. Their study finds gardening helped lower stress, anxiety, and depression among a group of healthy women attending twice-weekly gardening classes….
By Amy Allen We’ve talked a bit in the past about how nutrient deficiencies can devastate your garden. And that’s absolutely true. But, we only talked about the heavy hitters then. Secondary nutrients – if your plants don’t have enough of them – can wreck…
By Jeremiah Johnson Are there medicines in your backyard? Absolutely, but to determine what they are, you first must understand the practice of herbalism. Herbalism is the forerunner to modern pharmaceutical medicine. One of the main principles of it that should be taken to heart…
By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira COLUMBIA, Mo. — As people get older, it might get harder to do everyday activities such as cooking or driving. If a person is unable to take care of themselves, they may need to move into a nursing home or assisted-living facility…
By Sara Tipton Herbs are great to have on hand, but not just for culinary purposes, although they can make food taste wonderful. Herbs are also important natural remedies and can be used as medicine, especially during a crisis. Planting an herb garden so you…
By Joanna Miller We’ve all been watching prices climb at the grocery stores, and it’s only getting worse. There are issues at every level of food production and distribution. Certain kinds of mandates have made it more difficult for truckers to do their job. Meat…
