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Published on Leave a comment on Hospital Foods Can Be Very Unhealthy
Vanilla pudding

Well, well, well...it was a rocky holiday season. Lots of people got Covid, including myself. It hit everyone I know harder than expected, with symptoms much worse than with a flu virus.

Anyway, while visiting someone in a hospital I happened to be there when dinner was served. I was absolutely shocked that much of the hospital meal contained ultra-processed foods with absolutely garbage ingredients.  Artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup (e.g., ginger ale), etc.

This is what sick people are given? Food ingredients linked to gut inflammation and a number of health problems? Perhaps they're making sure they get lots of repeat business.

Vanilla pudding ingredients: Water, nonfat milk, sugar, modified corn starch, palm oil, salt, sodium stearoyl lactylate, disodium phosphate, natural and artificial flavors, yellow 5, yellow 6. (This was dessert.)

The Lemon Tea ingredients: Water, citric acid, instant tea powder, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, caramel color, acesulfame-K, sucralose, natural flavors.

Published on Leave a comment on This Year Will Be The Hottest On Record

It shouldn't be a surprise that 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record. In fact, the years 2015 to 2024 will be the warmest ten years on record globally. North America had its warmest October on record

The World Meteorological Association also pointed that "the loss of ice from glaciers, sea-level rise, and ocean heating are accelerating". Of course, it's climate change from our addiction to oil, gas, and plastics (which are made from petrochemicals).

Yet, governments are in denial or not willing to take the necessary steps to reduce our reliance on petrochemicals. We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not just talk about or ignore the problem. It appears the mantra of many governments is: Burn Baby, Burn!

From World Meteorological Association: 2024 is on track to be hottest year on record as warming temporarily hits 1.5°C

 The year 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record after an extended streak of exceptionally high monthly global mean temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

...continue reading "This Year Will Be The Hottest On Record"

Published on Leave a comment on Northern Lights

Many people in densely populated towns very close to New York City were surprised that they could see the aurora borealis last night. It's usually hard to even see stars because of the light pollution.

Not the spectacular views seen in northern states, but still beautiful.

 

Published on Leave a comment on Summer 2024 Was the Hottest On Record

Summer 2024 was the hottest summer on record, and this is following last summer (June through August) - which was the hottest summer globally up to that point. As you can see, the bar keeps rising.

Looking back years from now, we may view the summer of 2024 as "cool" compared to what's ahead....  Climate change, of course. The world is in uncharted territory now.

From Yale E360 (Yale School of the Environment): This Summer Was the Hottest on Record

The summer of 2024 set new records, European scientists have found. The world has never seen temperatures reach so high between June and August. ...continue reading "Summer 2024 Was the Hottest On Record"

Published on Leave a comment on Dogs Can Detect The Smell of Chronic Wasting Disease

Dogs and their ability to detect diseases through their smelling abilities could be important in efforts to control the spread of the prion disease called chronic wasting disease (CWD). Different diseases, including CWD, have characteristic odors or scents.

CWD is an always fatal neurologic prion disease (similar to mad cow disease)  that is slowly spreading through deer,moose, and elk populations throughout the US and Canada. A recent study found that dogs trained to detect the odor of CWD were able to detect CWD in deer feces with over 80% accuracy.

Currently there is no way to detect the disease in animals before symptoms set in. The fear is that while the disease is now limited to deer, moose, and elk, it could make a cross-species jump to humans. (More information)

From CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy): Study: Dogs can detect chronic wasting disease in white-tail deer

Chronic wasting disease, a fatal prion disease found in cervids, can be detected by dogs trained to identify the scent, according to a new study published today in PLoS One. The dogs were able to identify infected deer through feces samples. ...continue reading "Dogs Can Detect The Smell of Chronic Wasting Disease"

Published on Leave a comment on Research Says Critical Ocean Currents Could Collapse In Our Lifetime

There has been a lot of discussion recently over whether or when the Atlantic Ocean current called Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current (AMOC) could collapse soon. The Gulf Stream is part of this current. This critically important current acts like a conveyor belt that brings warm water through the Atlantic Ocean up to the north Atlantic (Europe) and colder, saltier water down to the Southern Hemisphere.

A new study predicts a collapse of the current happening soon - at some point between 2037 and 2064, but most likely before 2050. The current has been slowing down in recent years due to climate change, warming oceans, and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets.

The AMOC collapse would have devastating effects not just in Europe (it brings warm temperatures to Europe), but to the world. The AMOC keeps the Northern Hemisphere warm, the Southern Hemisphere from overheating, and distributes nutrients throughout the marine ecosystem.

One result: Arctic ice and cold would creep south in Europe and North America.

Excerpts from CNN: A critical system of Atlantic Ocean currents could collapse as early as the 2030s, new research suggests

A vital system of Atlantic Ocean currents that influences weather across the world could collapse as soon as the late 2030s, scientists have suggested in a new study — a planetary-scale disaster that would transform weather and climate. ...continue reading "Research Says Critical Ocean Currents Could Collapse In Our Lifetime"