Happy Friday {{first name | my friend}},

Anyone else watching the Winter Olympics this week? I grew up playing ice hockey, so my favorite sports to watch are figure skating, hockey, and speed skating! Click here to see the medal count for each country so far.🏅

ECL TRIVIA: What do ecologists call a species that has an outsized impact on its ecosystem relative to its abundance? (Answer below)

🔥 BURNING INTERVENTION: In the world’s most populated city, more than half of residents burn their trash, and just 0.1% say they recycle. Open waste burning of plastics, foams, and synthetic materials is a cultural norm, but creates super toxic black carbon and urban smog. This organization offers an intervention. Read an overview of why solutions are needed ASAP.

🦠 MADE BY MICROBES: A new technology brand called Vivomer is emerging to replace plastic production with purely biomass produced material. It’s scalable, composts at home in just months, and features the world’s first compostable “pipette dropper.” See how effectively it breaks down HERE.

🌊 OCEAN CLEAN UP: Did you know just 1% of the world’s rivers cause most of the global ocean’s plastic pollution? The Ocean Cleanup non-profit removed over 27k tons of plastic from oceans and rivers in 2025, and they’re not stopping! WATCH this 3-min video about their solution-based tech here.

🧠 CIRCADIAN DECLINE: How does our daily rhythm of natural light, movement, and sleep timing impact cognitive decline? New research says one of the earliest “tells” for dementia development may be related to 24-hour patterns that look fragmented or unnaturally broken-up. Click HERE to see the research on how disrupted day/night rhythms can show up years before a diagnosis.

🌾 RICE BRAN REVOLUTION: University of Arkansas researchers say a natural compound in rice bran, delivered via nanotechnology, could slow cellular aging and benefit inflammatory health. "Incorporating food-based strategies to slow the aging process could enable healthier aging and new preventive measures to reduce disease by consuming nutritive factors rather than pharmaceuticals,” the lead study author says.

🏋🏻‍♀️ WEIGHTS FOR LIFE: Did you know nearly 80% of heart disease and strokes can be prevented? A cardiologist in Colorado says “exercise is the best medicine for your health span,” and THESE are the COMMON MYTHS and real benefits outlined that strength training provides – a key activity to include “at least two days per week.”

Most of us learned the habit of brushing twice a day. The question is whether your toothbrush is optimized for oral health impact with the time you’re already putting in.

I’ve been using BON CHARGE’s Red Light Toothbrush, and it’s become one of those small upgrades that changes your whole routine, without actually doing anything differently. It combines sonic vibration with red + near-infrared light aimed at the gumline, so brushing becomes an overall mouth spa.

My gums feel calmer after brushing, and the whole experience feels more like I’m supporting the tissue instead of just scrubbing away food particles and plaque.

A few things I like:

If you want to see the exact one I’m using, CLICK HERE to check out the Red Light Toothbrush.

Use code ECL20 and take a big 20% off.

A keystone species. When it disappears, the ecosystem can shift dramatically because many other species depend on its role.