Mitochondria, fertility, solar schools

Happy Friday my friend,

What bird did you just hear? Get ready for birding bliss with the Merlin Bird ID app, a genius tool that uses AI magic to identify birds from photos and user-recorded birdsong! 🐦 Riana and I have been captivated by this app all week, creating personalized bird lists for our specific area and season: GET IT HERE (costs nothing).

ECL TRIVIA: Which country was the first to ban single-use plastics? (Answer below)

🌎 Planet Health

☀️ SOLAR SCHOOLS: Education powered by the sun? Yes, please! The UK is investing £180M to install these solar panels on 200 schools and 200 NHS sites. Over 30 years, it's expected to save £400M, while also promoting green jobs and local energy projects. 

🏔 SWISS RIVER INSPIRATION: When you think about Switzerland today, you may imagine pristine alpine peaks and idyllic clear glacial streams. However, in the 1960s, Switzerland had raw sewage in their waters, contributing to a typhoid outbreak in Zermatt that infected hundreds. Raw sewage treatment— plus a focus on removing pharmaceutical pollutants like antibiotics from the water— has inspired the EU and neighboring countries to visit “to learn about and hopefully replicate the country’s success.” Learn more here.

🌳 NO GREAT SURPRISE: A summary of 2k studies reveals humans are a significant driving factor of biodiversity loss among all species on the globe. On average, “the number of species at human-impacted sites was almost 20% lower than at sites unaffected by humans,” this article reports. “This is an excellent piece of research that demonstrates the importance of biological inclusion– from plants and fungi to mammals and fish– in assessing the impact of humans on biodiversity at local, regional and global scales,” says Prof Alexandre Antonelli.

🧑‍⚕️ Human Health

🤰 FERTILITY FINDINGS: A new study in Reproductive Sciences published last week reveals that glyphosate, the world's most common herbicide, may mess with female hormones and damage the ovaries and uterus. This could lead to trouble getting pregnant, and may be linked to PCOS and endometriosis. Glyphosate exposure has also been connected to uterine damage, oxidative stress, genetic changes, and hormone disruption. Protect yourself by choosing organic produce, avoiding herbicides, and sharing this information with your neighbors or gardeners who may be using Roundup. Read the full study here. 

🧫 MITOCHONDRIAL MAGIC: We know mitochondria are the “powerhouse” of plant, animal, and human cells. Now, fresh state-of-the-art cryo-electron tomography shows that “respiratory supercomplexes” are created in mitochondria, “boosting ATP production efficiency and offering new insights into cell biology, evolution, and disease.” Click here to learn more about how these respiratory complexes inside mitochondria have “remained elusive until now.”

🧠 GUT BRAIN CONNECTION: Got memory protection on your mind? A recent review suggests probiotic-rich kefir could be a promising sidekick in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Studies show kefir may improve cognitive function and memory by promoting gut health and reducing inflammation. While experts are excited about the potential, they stress that more human trials are needed before recommending it as a routine treatment. Read more about the details here.

🌎 Subtle Earth Energies

Whether we know it or not, our body, mind, and spirit are yearning to reconnect to the rhythms and subtle energies of nature.

Everything that disconnects us from the cycles we evolved with is disruptive to our overall optimized health, as nature intended.

Especially during the changing of seasons, one way I weave natural healing into my life is through my “PEMF mat”.

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) is a growing in popularity, and studies show PEMF therapy can be effective in reducing pain, and improving function in people with low back issues or pain in the knees/hands from arthritis.

The heated mat has red light therapy built into the device, to combine multiple modalities in one session! It has become my daily routine to use it almost every morning.

Bon Charge's PEMF mats use this science-backed tech to deliver deep relaxation and soothe chronic pain. The mats come in a variety of sizes to fit your needs, and use different wavelengths of light for targeted therapy.

Check it out HERE and use code ECL20 for 20% off, which is only available for our community.

Photo of the week

Trivia Answer:

Bangladesh. In 2002, Bangladesh became the first country in the world to ban thin plastic bags, which were clogging drainage systems and contributing to floods.

🎥 Pond - Nature’s Timing

Upgrade to ECL Membership for new videos each week on DIY & homestead advice, gardening support, holistic health expert interviews, recipes and more.

Become an Earth Conscious Life Member for weekly solution-focused videos, recipes, Deep Dive articles, expert interviews, and other subscriber-only content.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.

...and a healthier planet:

• • Improve health awareness: Deep Dive articles & recipe videos
• • Protect ecosystems: expert video tutorials with leaders around the world
• • Prioritize mental health: custom meditations for relieved stress
• • Camaraderie: likeminded community (app coming soon!)
• • Inspiration: members-only ebooks, personal picks, and DIY ideas
• • Portion goes to support independent films, local food projects, and planting trees