Untitled Document While sitting on my grandparents’ porch last Sunday, I noticed numerous ball-shaped objects in their oak trees. Looking closer, I found that almost every limb of the 10-year-old trees contained gouty oak gall. A plant gall is an abnormal swelling that develops within tissues that have been colonized by a parasitic organism. The […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inArts & Culture
Capital offenses
Untitled Document If you’re the kind of person who solves crossword puzzles with an ink pen, responds with the right questions faster than the contestants on Jeopardy!, and can reach a higher score using a Scrabble board than a bowling ball, today’s column is probably not for you. You, I’m sure, aced AP English, made […]
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Reuse peanuts
Untitled Document Where can one find nonpolluting alternatives to foam “packaging peanuts” used for shipping fragile merchandise? Those little white polystyrene-foam packaging peanuts are nearly ubiquitous in our pack-and-ship culture, but they are no good for the environment, let alone human health. The basic building block of polystyrene is the nonrecyclable chemical compound styrene. Long-term […]
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Missed connection
Untitled Document What happens to my old cell phone after I upgrade? Do the stores really recycle them or give them to the poor, or are they just ending up in landfills? Where can I take mine to ensure that it is dealt with properly? As cell phones proliferate, they are giving computers and monitors […]
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An eye for iris
Untitled Document Few plants come in a wider range of colors than the iris. More than 300 species have been identified worldwide, and many of them are long-lived perennials that flourish in central-Illinois gardens. In the past 50 years, thousands of cultivars, in various colors, sizes (ranging from the 6-inch dwarf crested iris to the […]
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Tropical punch
Untitled Document Change the look of your traditional flower garden this year by incorporating some plants that will add a tropical feel. Using tropical plants in the landscape is nothing new — it’s a revival of Victorian-era gardening practices — and it’s easy to create a car-stopping display with just a few tropical plants. Tropical […]
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Oily science
Untitled Document Did ExxonMobil really pay scientists and economists to write articles trying to debunk global warming? A February 2007 report in the British newspaper The Guardian fell like a ton of bricks on efforts by ExxonMobil, the world’s largest and most profitable oil company, to repair its damaged environmental reputation. According to the report, the […]
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“Why not me?”
Untitled Document Michelle Higginbotham is allergic to children — not literally, but almost. “I don’t like babies, and you can quote me on that,” Michelle says. “You know when somebody brings a baby into the room and everybody’s like, Ooh, so cute! Let me hold him!? I’m, like, Eh, don’t get that thing too close […]
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Tomato-planting time
Untitled Document One of my favorite summer treats is a ripe, juicy, fresh-picked tomato from my garden. I think that we can all agree that the quality of produce picked from the garden surpasses anything available at the supermarket. Growing at least one tomato plant is a must for most home gardeners. Here are a […]
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The rap on rBGH
Untitled Document Why are some groups pressing to ban rBGH, the hormone given to cows that makes them produce more milk? Cows naturally produce bovine somatotropin in their pituitary glands, and traces are secreted by the animals when they are milked. More popularly known as BGH, or bovine growth hormone, BST interacts with other hormones […]
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Blow to go
Untitled Document Picture this: You’ve got floor seats for a sold-out concert, a date with the object of your obsession, a full set of fresh threads, and your hair looking like it just can’t help being perfect. You’re cruising toward St. Louis when suddenly you hear beeps that don’t harmonize with the tasteful tunes on […]
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Growing herbs in containers
Untitled Document Growing plants can be great fun — especially if the plants are easy to care for. The plants that grow in my yard must do so with minimal care, and that’s why my favorite group of plants is culinary herbs. Not only do these plants add a variety of color to the landscape […]
