Issue Nº 503

Thursday

In today’s issue, we’ll take a look at:

• How to grow your own fruit and veg

• The Ozone’s amazing recovery

• A natural fix for stress and sleepiness

• The Japanese bullet trains inspired by nature

True or False?

Permafrost contains half as much carbon as the entire atmosphere.

Scroll to the bottom for the answer.

Grow Your Own Edible Garden

Growing fruit, vegetables, and herbs in your own garden is an incredibly rewarding hobby. As well as experiencing the pleasure of eating something you planted and plucked yourself, it’ll help you save money, and is far more sustainable than buying food that’s been transported from elsewhere - often halfway around the world. 

Here’s a quick and easy guide to getting started, so you can enjoy the fruits of your own labor wherever you live:

1. Choose the Perfect Spot

All you need to grow your own food is sunlight and water, so whether you have miles of backyard, or can just about clear some space by your window, gardening is for everyone.

2. Chase the Sun

Pay attention to how many hours of sunlight your chosen patch gets, and how the sun moves across the area. Different plants require different levels of sun, so figuring this out first will help you figure out what species will thrive. 

3. Pick Your Plants

Now, the really fun part - choosing what plants to grow! As well as sunlight, factors you’ll want to consider include your location and your personal taste. If you have a big yard to play with, anything is possible, but if your space is more limited your best options include herbs, peppers, kale, and greens.

4. Select High-Quality Soil 

Buy some decent organic soil - in most cases, it’ll be vastly superior to what’s already in your garden. This topsoil will provide the essential nutrients your plants need to flourish.

5. Help Your Plants Grow

Don’t water your plants too often - give them more water less frequently, unless you live in a hot climate and can see the soil is drying out. You’ll also need to give them some fertilizer once a week to help replenish their nutrients.

6. Pluck When They’re Ready

If all goes well, you’ll soon have some delicious fruits and vegetables to eat fresh or turn into a delicious celebratory meal. All that hard work has paid off!

The Ozone Layer is Fully Recovering

The earth’s protective ozone layer blocks out most UV light, and a hole in the ozone means we’re overexposed to this light, causing higher rates of skin cancer and eye damage. Armed with this evidence, in 1987 the world’s governments outlawed substances known as CFCs - used in aerosols like hairspray - that were causing this rip in the ozone.

And, because the world took action so quickly and decisively, the ozone is on track to fully recover within the next four decades. This was recently confirmed by an announcement by the UN, who said it will be fully healed over the Arctic by 2045, and over the rest of the world by 2040.

Feeling Stressed & Sleepless? This Might Be Why (And How to Fix It!)

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Optimize Your Wellness

Incredible Nature-Inspired Innovations

If you were the CEO of a company, and you were looking to hire an engineer, would you choose someone with a handful of years of experience - or billions? That would be nature, which has an amazing resume - it can purify soil, store carbon, regenerate itself, and support all kinds of life. 

Looking to nature is the idea behind the philosophy known as biomimicry, and as we fight the climate crisis, it’s more important than ever. One example of biomimicry in action comes from Japan, where high-speed bullet trains went so fast they released an almighty roar that hurt the ears of anyone in the neighborhood. Engineers found a solution in owls - the birds’ saw-toothed feathers break up sound, so by copying them to adapt the train’s design, they could stop the ear-splitting noise.

But there was another problem: when the trains hurtled out of a tunnel, all of the built up sound was released at once, creating a sonic boom. Luckily, nature was ready with another solution. When Kingfishers plunge into the water, they don’t make a splash, so by designing the front of the train to mirror the shape of the birds’ smooth beaks, engineers prevented this deafening sound.

There’s a thousand more examples of how we can look to nature to make our infrastructure more sustainable and intelligent. So, rather than living in conflict with nature or trying to control it, we can work on the same team.

Reflections:

• 🌎 True or False: False, permafrost contains twice as much carbon as the entire atmosphere.

• 🌅 Sunset Of The Day: The sun can provide the most beautiful photography. That's why we're eager to see your favorite sunrise or sunset photos. Reply to this email with your best sun-based pictures for a chance to be featured in next Wednesday's newsletter!