If there were a contest to name the most-hated chemical, Roundup, Monsanto’s brand name for the chemical Glyphosate, would have a very good chance of winning. It has been identified not only as a plant poison, but also a destroyer of monarch butterflies, an impoverisher of developing-world farmers, and a probable carcinogen. These are serious issues. But they are also complex, and I will argue, they are not settled (except for being a plant poison).… Read the rest “The Trouble With Roundup”
plants
Circadian Rhythm I – the plant world
What do you think of when you hear the term “circadian rhythm”? For most of us, it’s “jet lag”, because that’s the way we’ve likely encountered it. But “circadian”, which refers to anything biological that goes through a cycle in about 24 hours, applies to many aspects of the lives of plants, animals, and even bacteria.
A flower led the way
Daily variations in the behaviors of plants and animals have been known about since antiquity.… Read the rest “Circadian Rhythm I – the plant world”
Saving Vision and Lives, One Sweet Potato at a Time
Carrots and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are loaded with one of our most important micronutrients, one that is deficient in the diets of over 100 million people in the world: Vitamin A. About thirty years ago it became evident that vitamin A deficiency is incredibly harmful to children under the age of six, and can lead to susceptibility to infection, blindness, and death. In some parts of Africa, vitamin A deficiency has been overcome by growing orange sweet potatoes brought from America.… Read the rest “Saving Vision and Lives, One Sweet Potato at a Time”