Yes, we have bananas. And an amazing banana bread recipe

The scientific name for the genus of the bananas and plantains is Musa, which in many Romantic Languages such as Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian means “muse”.  Isn’t it poetic? While there’s no evidence for a historical connection between the scientific nomenclature for bananas and these fruits’ inspirational nature, I would like to use the coincidence to share this amazing bread recipe with you. It’s...

Baby steps towards a smaller footprint

So, you’ve decided you want to lead a greener life? That’s great! As someone who also cares about the planet and the living conditions we are creating for our future generations (of humans and other sentient beings) I sincerely thank you. This posting should help you to better understand how our everyday choices and habits affect what we generally call “ecological and carbon footprints”. The...

Green exercising: good for you, good for the planet

We’ve all heard it before…  “Exercising is good for you!” Physical activity greatly reduces the risk of dying from coronary heart disease, and also reduces the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension and colon cancer. It enhances mental health, fosters healthy muscles and bones, and helps maintain health and independence in older adults. Most of us are also know that regular physical activity can improve...

Save the world – pee in the shower

I love that TV show Monk, about an obsessive San Francisco detective who gets all freaked out at the slightest breach of hygiene.  I wonder how he would feel about this new environmental movement? You see, down there in South America a revolution has started.  Its a streaming revolution, led by an army of urinators, taking aim at a single target: conservation. The new campaign in Brazil was designed to teach...

A whole latte water

As a surgeon must see the human body in a totally different light than the rest of us, so earth scientists tend to see the planet.  It’s difficult to convey to people the profound interconnectedness of our earth system and the magnitude of its complexity.  Yet, we typically feel a need to do so, much more I imagine than a chemist or physicist feels the need to convey his understanding to those around...

Fear and logic in Las Vegas – a perspective on the unsustainable

I went on a trip to Las Vegas this weekend.  Vegas is a favorite pastime for many Southern California citizens, and not being a native myself, I’ve decided to try to blend in with the locals, so to speak.  But the fact is that the careless pleasures of Sin City don’t leave a very good aftertaste on the discriminating palate of an earth scientist. The desert jewel is not only an environmental disaster, it also...