May 2018

What you should know—and can do—about summertime air pollution. Spring is here, and mild temperatures and frequent rain showers keep the air along the Wasatch Front relatively clean for a couple of months before summer sets in. We may even forget about …

Part 2: The Food. Last month, we told the stories of the talented artists, crafters and dancers of Salt Lake City’s 33rd Annual Living Traditions Festival (happening this month May 18-20 at Library Square). This month, we take a spoon to the vanilla-lo …

How did Utahns of bygone days handle the summer heat? Northern Utah is experiencing hotter temperatures on average almost every year. The temperature in our region is increasing at twice the rate of global warming overall. We need to find ways to adjus …

Changes in the gardening industry might be good for pollinators. A momentous thing happened this year, the first signs of a victory for the environment likely not seen since the EPA banned use of DDT in 1972. Neonicotinoids, one of the most widely util …

Transform your yard into a haven for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds with these Wasatch Front-friendly pollinator plants. Most gardens support pollinators by providing some nectar and shelter.  You can make your garden more beneficial insect-friendl …

A conversation with Kevin Kling. Kevin Kling grew up in rural Minnesota with “a lot of elbow room.” He was surrounded by wide open wild spaces and stories, so very many stories. In college, he and his friends had a saying that goes, “Your night before …

Using levity to uplift in unfunny times “The world is in serious condition largely due to our conditioning to be serious. Seriously.” —Swami Beyondananda If serious times have got you down, maybe levity can lift you up. Here are four ways that what Swa …

In April the U.S. Forest Service approved controversial plans for new development at Alta Ski Area. The most obtrusive change would be a tram from Germania Pass to the top of Mount Baldy. The ski area claims the tram is needed to transport ski patrolle …

A study of carbon dioxide emissions in Salt Lake City found that new suburban development emits significantly more greenhouse gas than similar population growth within an urbanized area. The study on long-term urban carbon dioxide observations used a n …

A monthly compendium of random wisdom for the natural world and beyond. May 1  Sunrise: 6:26a.m. Sunset: 8:24p.m. Average high and low temperature 67, 44. May 2  Vow to spend 24 hours not complaining, grousing or otherwise being grumpy. You are in trai …

The wakeup call. Osho Zen Tarot:  The Rebel, Ordinariness, The Fool Medicine Cards: Blank Shield, Snake Mayan Oracle: Harmonic Resonance, Shadow Ancient Egyptian Tarot: 9 of Disks, 7 of Swords, The Hierophant, 4 of Swords Aleister Crowley Deck: Luxury, …

Gratitude for your mentors. In the past few months, I’ve been exploring metta (kindness) meditation in CATALYST. The first installment covered practicing kindness for an easy being: someone, human or animal, with whom you have an easy, uncomplicated re …

Evaporative coolers, done right, are the way to go. Undeniably, spring has arrived. It’s time to get your swamp cooler up and running for the season. If you don’t have a swamp cooler yet, and are still cooling your house with barbaric and energy-suckin …

Science shows that fungi can boost the immune system of a hive. Fungi are the original source of our antibiotics, and are providing some of our most reliable current anti-viral research. Certain mushrooms are proving to be effective in combating a vari …

Environmental news from around the state and the West. “I don’t want to be a god, even if I can. I want to be a servant of god, if by god we mean nature, life, the world. I want to be small in the world, belong to it, help it along, protect myself from …

How to talk TED. I speak many languages that are all English. I can talk sports, science, tech, downstate Missourian and TED. I can help you with the last one. Time may be running out on your life and the TED trend so you might just want to jump in rig …

The American Lung Association says the Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem metropolitan area is among the most polluted in the United States. A report on State of the Air 2018 says that out of more than 200 cities, Wasatch Front cities ranked #8 for 24-hour part …

Utah’s population keeps growing, and traffic keeps getting more congested. Nobody wants to sit in a traffic jam, but counterintuitively, making driving easier causes a phenomenon called “induced traffic” that ultimately makes traffic worse. The nearby …

During the 2018 General Session, the Utah Legislature staged a surprise land grab of Salt Lake City’s North West Quadrant, 28,000 acres of largely undeveloped land in Great Salt Lake marshes near the airport. Without holding public hearings or even war …

Salt Lake City is in for some hot weather. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association say that by 2020 human-caused global warming will be the main driver of heat waves in the western U.S. (as opposed to natural climate variation) …