Gleanings of the Week Ending September 26, 2015

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

An Up-Close View of Bristol Bay’s Astonishing Sockeye Salmon Runs – Learn about sockeye salmon in southwest Alaska from the Yale e360 video contest first runner up video.

Oregon's "Lost Lake" Drains Down a Perplexing Hole – Surreal photographs….the lake accumulates in the winter and drains away each spring!

Great Grasses for Native Gardens – These grasses are for the Baltimore, Maryland area…but there are probably similar lists for other places. Native Gardens are not just for flowers! I think I’ll look further at the Red October big bluestem!

Training more effective teachers through alternative pathways – Wow! What does this mean for education departments in colleges?

Spinning Synthetic Spider Silk – Evidently the first application will be in apparel….in 2016. Potentially this ‘spider silk’ fiber may with proteins produced by yeast and then spun maybe the synthetic fiber of the future – as we shift away from petroleum based synthetics.

The Chemistry of Deodorants vs. Antiperspirants – The ingredients of deodorants and antiperspirants are sometimes in the news linked to health issues. This post is a nice summary of the current research.

Meet the Foxes of Silicon Valley – We have foxes in our suburban area on the east coast (Maryland). Good to know that the area around San Francisco has them too.

Reducing Food Waste and Setting the Table for All – Chart 2 was the part of this post that interested me the most. What do you think about this list of what stores could do to reduce food waste? I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I can do to reduce food waste at home. My store already does most of the things on this list.

Camera Drone Captures Gorgeous Aerial Shots of Iceland's Diverse Terrain – Beautiful place.

Hackberry: The Best Tree You’ve Never Heard About – Maybe this will be the next tree I plant at the edge of our forest….although now that I know there is a black walnut tree nearby I need to reconsider how well other trees will grow.

Abstract and Impressionistic Images from Camper Nature Photography

Last August I did some nature photograph activities with summer campers (posted about it here). Now I am looking back at some of the images that did not quite work as traditional nature photographs and getting ideas for some experiments of my own.

Sometimes the camper moved while taking a picture. It takes on an abstract look – sometimes you get a gist of the scene (maybe makes it impressionistic instead of abstract).

Other times there is a soft focus that clearly leans toward impressionistic.

Some cameras have special settings that can be used in unintended ways. It is worth some experimenting.

And then there are reflections – where the water is not still or there is too much under the water.

The summer campers were very creative – sometimes on purpose and sometimes completely by accident. They’ve given me some ideas for experiments with my own camera!

Sustainability - Electronics

Electronics are so integrated with modern life - but are they sustainable? Cell phones, cameras, computers, tablets, eReaders, Game consoles, printers, televisions, DVDs, GPS devices….the list is long.

The life cycle of these devices can be relatively short. For a cell phone it is a few years at best if the latest functionality is desired. Sometimes the products are not very durable either: my sister cracked the display screen on her camera, my laptop has a piece of trim that is loose (I taped it down). We might continue to use the devices for a little longer but not indefinitely. They are inexpensive enough to replace and upgrade to current hardware/software at the same time.

I am more conscious of delaying that new purchase for as long as I can…and know where I will take the old device for recycling. Electronics are made of valuable (and sometimes toxic) components so should always be recycled rather than trashed….after wiping the memory/storage for security reasons.

In Maryland - Best Buy is the most convenient place for recycling electronics for me.

So back to the beginning question: Are electronic sustainable? I’m deciding that I will answer ‘yes’ as long as I can recycle the old products.