Saving   The   Planet  — Spring is here!

This was taken in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Happy Spring (Now in Full Swing)– On Wildflowers

    Springtime A LOT of flowers come up, some with funny names, like Dutchman’s breeches (look like upside down white pants), Bloodroot (because of the orangey-red sap that comes out when you cut into its root), and violets — well, they are purple (duh). But violets can also be white or yellow, so that’s a bit weird, right?

 

 

    One flower, bellwort, has a yellow bloom that hangs down like a bell. The “wort” part of it (also in names like spiderwort and ragwort) comes from Old English word “wyrt”, meaning branch or root (according to the Master Gardners of Northern Virginia).

 

 

    Larkspur is another purple wildflower, but it’s a much deeper purple than on the ground violets. It’s part of a “spike of flowers”, with a tail or “spur” behind the head of the flower. These flowers I’ve mentioned are at my nearby park but can also be found in the woods in the Eastern (and southeast) U. S. in late March and at least part of April.

 

 

    But climate change is affecting when these flowers bloom, which can make it tricky for bees and birds to know when to count on these plants to be around (with the birds more interested in plants that produce berries).

 

 

   But a recent Associated Press article mentioned scientists who said our recent March weather was its “hottest” in 132 years! That’s impressive, but in the wrong way. Carbon (and even methane) emissions from people are being blamed on this greenhouse-warming effect.

 

 

   What can you do now? According to the E.P.A., about 30 percent of carbon emissions come from transportation. Yes, that includes your family/personal car! Put less carbon in the air by driving less, buying a hybrid car, using public transportation, carpooling with a friend/family/coworkers. Turn off the lights when you exit a family room, and turn the thermostat DOWN a few degrees in winter, and UP a few degrees in the summer, to put less stress on the electric and put less carbon in the air.

 

   There are other tips (which also talk about being out in nature more, using less technology in these books): (CTA)

 

Green Mama, The guilt-free guide to Helping You and Your

Kids Save the Planet,  by Tracey Bianchi  and link:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/green-mama-tracey-bianchi/1100268879?ean=9780310320364

or: Nature vs. Technology — Who’s Winning? by (me) D. J.

Mathews. Get a discount at: https://booklocker.com/books/13621.html 

 

    Spring’s also a good time to put out a little bird bath or bowl of water for birds to drink or splash in (changed regularly, at a height cats can’t reach). Our cute bird friends can eat an awful lot of insects and fruit, the latter passing through their system (the seeds) to help spread more plants along their migratory journeys. And their songs are a wonderful part of springtime.

 

   But climate change is affecting the life cycles of birds and frogs. Eventually, it will affect us humans as well.

 

Learn more about your carbon footprint at:

If you are a company, see:

 

https://greenly.earth/en-us/demo2

If you are an individual/family, see:

 

https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/