Trees That Bleed Nickel!
No, it’s not science fiction. There are actually plants that .mine’ metals! One example is Phyllanthus Balgooyi. Indigenous to the jungles of the Philippines, this tree ‘bleeds’ a fluorescent green sap – sap that is extremely high in nickel. Named after Professor Alan Baker, the botanist who first discovered the tree, Phyllanthus Balgooyi is a […]
Coping With COVID and Life’s Many Stressors…
I recall seeing a short film called “A Year to Remember”. I’d now like to see a movie called “A Year to Forget”! The reality is that, for many – perhaps most, of us, 2020 was an exhausting year. Mental and physical health concerns, concerns for elderly relatives and friends, job insecurity and/or dislocation, social […]
The Long and the Short of Terms of Service Agreements or…
‘I ain’t got time for that stuff!’ When was the last time you read the ‘Terms of Service’ for anything you signed up for? Did you read Facebook’s? How about LinkedIn? Uber? Your local ‘click and collect’ grocery store? Let’s face it, we’re unlikely to read them unless we have one or two needs: We […]
Is ‘Big Brother’ watching you?
Surveillance seems to be everywhere… in our streets, our shops and malls and even in our home. But just how prevalent is it and are Google, Amazon and Apple really recording every thing you say? Stopped at traffic lights? Look around. Paying for fuel? Smile… you’re on candid camera. In your dentist’s waiting room? Yep, […]
Republicans vs Democrats: Who’s Ahead in the Sex Surveys?
With the US presidential elections just a week away, the whole world is watching on as the most powerful country on earth struggles to redefine itself. For many, in fact, it has gotten so that watching the news in the United States is almost as worrisome as watching the news in a developing country. If […]
Australians are red hot over climate change!
Four years ago I stood as an independent candidate for the Australian federal parliament. I didn’t win but I made a real dent in the expectations of the sitting member. My single biggest issue was the urgent need for climate change mitigation. The sitting member was – and still appears to be – a climate […]
Will I or won’t I? Yes or No?
Scientists still haven’t figured out free will, but they’re sure having fun trying… In 1983, American physiologist Benjamin Libet conducted an experiment that became a landmark in the field of cognitive sciences. It got psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers either very excited or very concerned. The study itself was simple. Participants were connected to an apparatus that measured […]
It’s official… Microplastics Are Now a Part of Your Diet!
OK – so we’ve all seen the horror images of whale, fish and bird stomachs blocked with plastic. Now it’s your turn. You’re ingesting microplastics but they are not lodging in your stomach… they’re in your organs! “IN A FEW SHORT DECADES, WE’VE GONE FROM SEEING PLASTIC AS A WONDERFUL BENEFIT TO CONSIDERING IT A […]
How everyone, everywhere, can compost – yes, even you!
By Ashley Baxter and Hey Monty! No matter where you live, everyone can and should be composting. Of course, not all of us can be running a large-scale, 50-tonne windrow operation out of our backyard or tiny apartment balcony. But there are alternatives for practically every lifestyle. Here are three different ways to compost your […]
10 Home Safety Tips While on Holidays
We’ve all heard – or even experienced – the horror of families returning from a vacation to find their homes have been burgled, flooded by a burst pipe, or even burned down. Incidences like these often result in expenses that run into many thousands of Euros. But there are ways to avoid such personal calamities. […]