Welcome

Schools versus Environment in Oregon.

Microscopic plastic beads from skin care products showing up in the Great Lakes and elsewhere.

The Wall Street Journal has a nice interactive feature called Waste Lands: America's forgotten nuclear legacy that includes maps and details on the history and current status of Manhattan Project sites.

From The Guardian, a very cool article on Steward Brand, founder of The Whole Earth Catalog (and much more).

I continue my effort to downsize; please help me Get Rid of Stuff!.

Quote

Almanac

Wild Ginger is a spring wildflower with heart-shaped leaves that persist well into late summer and early fall, and sometimes last until replaced by new foliage in the spring. Wild Ginger often occurs in large, dense ground-hugging colonies consisting of hundreds of plants.


Photo: Mike Habeck.

This is not the same species whose roots are sold as a seasoning in grocery stores, but the taste and aroma of wild ginger roots are similar and apparently it is sometimes used as a substitute. This is not a good idea. Wild Ginger contains aristolochic acids, which appear to cause serious health effects.