Earth Gauge: Groundhog Facts

On February 2, Punxsutawney Phil – the famous weather-predicting groundhog – will emerge from his burrow at Gobblers Knob in Pennsylvania to make his prediction about our winter weather. Scientists know that groundhogs in Pennsylvania hibernate for about 100 days, from November to February.  But what if Phil lived in South Carolina…or Maine? Believe it or not, groundhogs living in different parts of the country hibernate for different periods of time. South Carolina’s groundhogs hibernate for 67 days, while Maine’s groundhogs hibernate for 175 days. Scientists aren’t sure yet whether these differences happen because of environmental factors – like varied weather conditions – or if hibernation patterns are genetically-determined.

 

Think that’s interesting? Here are a few more fun groundhog facts:

• Groundhogs are one of the few “true hibernators.” True hibernators can reduce their body temperatures to nearly freezing and lower thier heart rates from as many as 350 beats per minute to just four beats per minute while they sleep away the winter.
• Groundhogs – also known as woodchucks – don’t move or “chuck” wood as efficiently as beavers. But…how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? One wildlife biologist estimated that if the typical groundhog’s burrow was filled with wood instead of dirt, the animal would have “chucked” about 700 pounds!

Earth Gauge: Save Your Fuel

Don’t let a drop in the outdoor temperatures mean a drop in your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. According to the National Center for Appropriate Technology, as the temperatures cool off outside, your car may use more fuel than it does during the summer months. Cold temperatures can reduce tire pressure and force engines to work harder, but there are a few simple things you can do to help your car stay efficient all winter long.

Viewer tip: Check tire pressure regularly during cold weather and keep your tires properly inflated. Having just one tire under-inflated by six pounds per square inch (psi) can increase fuel consumption by three percent and reduce the tire’s life. Check your owner’s manual for information on correct inflation pressure.    In very cold climates, you may want to install an electric block heater on your car. It is less expensive to warm engines with electricity for a controlled period of time than it is to use liquid fuel. Three hours on an electric block heater is generally sufficient to warm an engine.   This information is provided by ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Learn more: www.attra.ncat.org.

Earth Gauge: Famous Thanksgiving Weather

 From the folks at Earth Gauge- As record has it, the English settlers and Wampanoag Indians had nice weather during the first Thanksgiving harvest celebration in 1621, a three-day event that took place in Massachusetts. However, not all Thanksgiving holidays have been as pleasant in New England or other regions of the United States since then. We’ve looked at more than 100 years of Thanksgiving weather, from damaging winds in New England to blizzards in Denver.

Earth Gauge: Desert Trout

We don’t often associate the desert with trout habitat, but the gila (HEEL-a) trout, or “trout of the desert,” is a unique species that lives in the arid climate of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Unfortunately, the gila trout has suffered severe population declines over the past 100 years and currently occupy only a fraction of their historic range. Threat such as loss of water flow, habitat degradation and water diversion have put these fish on the endangered species list.

Viewer Tip: Conserving water at home can go a long way in helping to maintain water flow in streams and rivers where gila trout live. Trout Unlimited offers these tips:

Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk – you’ll save 80 gallons of water each time you clean-up.

Instead of washing your car at home, try a commercial car wash that recycles water.

Aerate your lawn (punch holes about six-inches apart) to help water filter more effectively to the roots, rather than run off the lawn surface. Fall is a good time to aerate.

This information is provided by Trout Unlimited. Learn more at www.tu.org.

Earth Gauge: Indoor Air

From the folks at Earth Gauge

On warm days, outdoor air pollution concentrations often rise to levels that can impact our health. But did you know that air pollution inside can be worse than air pollution outside? The air we breathe inside a sealed building can be 25 to 100 percent more polluted than the air outside. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that negative impacts on the health of workers due to poor indoor air quality cost the U.S. economy between 17 and 43 billion dollars each year!

Viewer Tip: Protect indoor air quality in your home and work space by adding a few plants. While indoor plants can’t solve air quality problems completely, they do filter air by absorbing air pollutants and radiation from computers; they also replenish oxygen. Studies have shown that indoor plants help to reduce cold-related illnesses by up to 30 percent and also help to reduce stress levels.

Good plant choices: Plant biologists at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia found that placing six small, potted peace lily and dracaena “Janet Craig” plants in an office reduced overall air toxin levels by 75 percent!

Earth Gauge: Wandering Wasps

Have you noticed that encounters with aggressive yellow jackets increase at this time of year? Yellow jackets are a type of paper wasp found across the country. Depending on the species, they either nest above or below ground in colonies with workers and one queen that lays eggs. During the spring and early summer, workers build-up the colony with chambers for eggs and a protective, outer shell. When the colony reaches full size, the queen lays eggs that will develop into male and female yellow jackets that leave the nest to start new colonies the following year. Workers become more aggressive at this time – typically mid- to late-summer – to protect new larvae as they grow.

Viewer Tip:  Encounters with yellow jackets tend to increase at this time of year because they are foraging for food outside the colony to feed new larvae. Yellow jackets typically reserve aggression for protecting the colony, so passing by or walking over a colony could result in an attack. If you have yellow jackets on your property, it’s best to avoid the area where the colony is located. If the colony can’t be avoided, you may need to remove or destroy it. Seek help from a professional who is experienced in pest removal – spraying water, burying or otherwise bothering a colony is likely to result in many stings.

From the folks at Earth Gauge

Earth Gauge: Sunlight and Sleep

Did you know that most humans would operate on a 25-hour cycle without exposure to sunlight? Instead, we operate on a 24-hour cycle, following the 24-hour cycle of the sun.  Humans are ”diurnal” animals, sleeping during the night and being active during the day, as opposed to ”nocturnal” animals which are active at night.  When sunlight reaches our eyes, it alerts our “biological clock,” a region of the brain that sends signals to other areas of the brain, that it’s time to wake-up.  Body temperature rises, urine production and blood pressure increase, and hormone secretions change to get us ready to start the day.

Viewer Tip: Exposure to sunlight plays a powerful role in human sleep cycles. Sleep experts recommend waking up to sunlight or bright light when possible to help your body reset its biological clock each day.  Getting outdoors for an hour of sunlight in the morning can also help your body regulate its sleep cycle, and seeking sunlight in the morning can help jet-lagged travelers adjust their sleep schedules.

Earth Gauge

Earth Gauge: Garden Guzzlers

Nationwide, Americans use more than seven billion gallons of water per day to water lawns and gardens.  That’s enough water to fill more than 10,700 Olympic-sized swimming pools!  Look for drought-tolerant plants to help reduce your outdoor water use.

Water Guzzlers: Plants with dark, glossy, large leaves tend to require more water because more leaf surface area results in greater heat absorption and water loss.  Tropical plants with soft, fleshy trunks also require lots of water because they usually have high water content – the banana tree is 90 percent water!

Water Savers: Look for native plants with small light-colored or silvery leaves and a hairy texture.  These plants generally hold on to water and reflect light.  Good choices include rosemary, lambs ear and lavender.  Also try to choose perennial plants (plants that live for several seasons) rather than annuals.  Perennials generally grow longer and deeper root systems that can better withstand drought conditions.

View the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Recommended Native Plants Lists by state.

Earth Gauge: Busting AC Myths

Earth Gauge: Busting AC Myths

Is your air conditioner working overtime?  Bust these AC myths to stay cool while saving energy and money this summer 

Myth: It takes more energy to cool down a warm home than to maintain a consistently cool home.

Fact: Running the AC on full blast does use more energy initially, but leaving your unit on all day to maintain a cooler temperature uses more energy in the long-run.  Turn the AC down or off when you’re not at home

Myth: Setting the AC at a lower temperature will cool your home faster.

Fact: Setting a colder-than-desired temperature will not cool any faster, but it will cause your unit to run longer than necessary. Set the thermostat to your desired temperature and no lower.

Myth: A bigger window AC unit will cool more effectively.

Fact: When it comes to room units, bigger isn’t necessarily better. Before choosing a room air conditioner, break out the measuring tape. A 400 square foot room requires a 10,000 BTU (British thermal unit) model; a 150 square foot room only needs a 5,000 BTU model. Smaller models are less expensive and use less energy.  Energy Star can help you find the right size

Earth Gauge: Cool Critters

Earth Gauge: Cool Critters

Have you ever wondered how animals stay cool when the weather heats up?  Check out these creative ways to beat the heat:

• Pelicans, cormorants and other birds create “internal fans” by rapidly fluttering their throat pouches.
• Pigs wallow in mud to cool off – evaporative cooling occurs as the mud dries; mud also protects pigs’ skin from the sun.
• Sea lions float in the water like rafts, holding their flippers up.  Blood vessels that are just underneath the skin dilate to release heat.
• Burrowing owls escape the hot sun by seeking shelter in underground burrows that they build or borrow from other animals, such as armadillos, tortoises or prairie dogs.

 Viewer Tip: Many animals sleep or rest in the shade during the hottest part of the day and increase their activity during the evening, night and early morning hours.  You can beat the heat by following their lead – minimize time spent outdoors during the hottest part of the day and save intensive outdoor sports and gardening activities for the evening or early morning hours.  When you do spend time outside, seek shade and apply sunscreen regularly.