As Carbon Dioxide Levels Rise, Rice Becomes Less Nutritious

HEALTH One of the world’s most important food crops may be declining in quality due to greenhouse gas emissions. (Scientific American) Where is rice a staple food? Use our resources to find out. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit, including today’s MapMaker Interactive map of rice-producing nations. Discussion Ideas The nutritional value of rice may fall as … Continue reading As Carbon Dioxide Levels Rise, Rice Becomes Less Nutritious

What Are the World’s Most Nutritious Foods?

HEALTH Scientists studied more than 1,000 raw foods, assigning each a nutritional fitness score. The higher the score, the more likely each food would meet your daily nutritional needs when eaten in combination with other foods. A great BBC graphic! (BBC) Nutrition? What is nutrition? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas The great BBC graphic … Continue reading What Are the World’s Most Nutritious Foods?

Brownfield Blooms

ENVIRONMENT Industrial wastelands sound like grim places but many of them are refuges for fascinating plants. (Guardian) Exotic flowers thrive in nutrient-poor soils, but what are nutrients? Use our resources to find out. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. Discussion Ideas The super-short Guardian article offers some encouraging news about the ecology of brownfields. What are brownfields? … Continue reading Brownfield Blooms

Watch the Sahara Fertilize the Amazon

SCIENCE On one side of the Atlantic is one of the driest splotches of land on Earth. On the other side is one of the wettest and most fertile. Despite the miles of open ocean separating the Sahara and Amazon, the two locales do share a commonality—nutrient-rich dust. (UPI) Take a look at a satellite photo of the so-called Sahara dust layer. Teachers, scroll down … Continue reading Watch the Sahara Fertilize the Amazon