1/3/25: 🦎 5 species back from extinction, IV therapy, fend off dementia

Happy Friday my friend,

🌑 Ever heard of a “black moon”? Well it happened just the other day. Click here to learn what it is.

ECL TRIVIA: How much food is wasted globally each year? (Answer below)

🌎 Planet Health

🌳 TREES UPON TREES: 10M trees will be planted over the next 4 years in U.S. states where recent hurricanes have impacted the hardest, like North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. The Arbor Day Foundation’s commitment to this inspiring planting program will be the biggest undertaking in 50 years. “You don’t really understand everything the trees provide until they’re gone. It’s not just air quality, it’s reducing stormwater runoff, it’s providing shade that regulates temperature… it’s both an emotional and an environmental recovery, and we’re proud to get to be a part,” says one of the foundation’s planting partners.

🤿 DEEP-SEA HABITAT: It looks like futuristic science-fiction, but this pressurized underwater habitat system is set to launch in 2027 and will enable scientists to “live on the seafloor at depths up to 200 meters for weeks, months, and possibly even years” as they benefit marine science by being able to complete 7+ years of research in just 30 days. “More than 90% of the ocean’s biodiversity lives within 200 meters’ depth and at the shorelines, and we only know about 20% of it,” says one of the leads at ocean-exploration company, Deep.

🦎 SPECIES COMEBACK: Good news for wildlife conservation! In 2024, there were positive signs of recovery for these 5 species on the brink of extinction, including the Sombrero ground lizard, a critically endangered species found on a tiny Caribbean island. With just 100 individuals in 2018 to over 1.6k in 2024, this comeback was likely due to island restoration efforts that included removing invasive mice and encouraging native vegetation. These animals are proof that conservation efforts can make a real difference!

🧑‍⚕️ Human Health

🚭 BELGIUM VAPE BAN: Effective this week, Belgium is the first EU country to “ban the sale of disposable vapes in an effort to stop young people from becoming addicted to nicotine and to protect the environment.” In addition to citing the “hazardous waste chemicals” in cheap disposable e-cigs, the health minister describes them as “an extremely harmful” product that damages society. Click here to read about the ban, updated smoking decline rates, and learn about Milan’s new outdoor smoking guidelines.

☀️ ANTI-DEPRESSANT VITAMIN D: While limited access to natural sunlight during the winter can result in lowered absorption of Vitamin D and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a new study in Nutrients shows participants who received Vitamin D through an IV experienced depressive-symptom relief compared to those who took a placebo. Learn more here about how eating Vitamin D-rich foods, Zinc, and specific carotenoids can impact depression and depressive symptoms.

😴 SLOW WAVE SLEEP: Want to boost your memory and possibly even fend off dementia? New research suggests that deep sleep, or “slow wave sleep,” plays a crucial role in strengthening the connections between brain cells, making it easier to form and store memories. Read more about this sleep study which sheds light on the power of sleep for cognitive health, better memory and overall well-being.

Photo of the week

Creature Feature

🦮 MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN: A rare neurodevelopmental disorder and lack of motivation diagnosed in a 2-year-old boy prompted his parents to pursue this adorable service dog, Yammy, to be his favorite furry companion. "Within two weeks, [my son] was doing 12 new things he had never done," his boy’s mother says, "I really couldn't believe my eyes."

Nutrition 101

🍄 AHCC: Primarily known for immune system support, AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound) is derived from the mycelia of several types of mushrooms, primarily shiitake. Studies have shown it may increase natural killer cells and T-cells, can benefit the liver, and may have other benefits for conditions like cancer, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis C. Learn more about AHCC here.

😊 Conscious Corner

Other earth-conscious stories you may have missed…

🔮 PREDICTIONS FROM 1925: Many came true (more)

📚 TOO MANY BOOKS: You may be practicing tsundoku (more)

🇨🇳 MEGA DAM: The new project in Tibet (more)

🚗 CHEAP EV: Rental company selling on the spot (more)

⛰️ HIDDEN FAULT: Under America’s tallest mountain (more)

💬 Poll

⬅️ Last poll’s results

Are GMOs needed to feed the world?

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Yes, could reduce global hunger (3.8%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Not contributing to the solution (96.2%)

Reader Replies:

Joel: “GMOs would definitely increase food production needed to feed the ever increasing population.”

Anna: “GMO should be taken off the table literally and figuratively. Many studies have shown the benefits of re-wilding and going back to older known methods of organic farming. The solutions should always be organic and original rather than manufactured.”

Trivia Answer:

About one-third of all food produced on the planet goes to waste. Food waste occurs at every stage of the supply chain, from farms to households, representing lost nutrition and wasted resources like water, energy, and land used in food production.

To a healing future,

— Rob

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