Emerston Group

09/10/2022

Now THIS is a type of oil NO ONE wants to see disappear.

Europe’s olive farmers are fearing that record temperatures and a lack of rainfall this summer will slash their harvests. Olive oil prices are likely to rise.

08/26/2022

"Projects You Can Eat."

Marcus Samuelsson’s new restaurant in Chelsea is a full expression of the chef’s worldview, now heavily influenced by the events of the past two years. “During the pandemic, I really thought about going back to nature,” he says.

08/21/2022

Grass lawns didn't exist through most of human history, apart from for the richest of the rich.

Even today, from a global perspective, it's a status symbol of sorts.

It's overtime to say goodbye to lawns, and use that land for flowers, plants, and trees...food for all the creatures of the Earth...including us.

The megadrought affecting the American West has been record-breaking, with no tangible relief in sight. It's forcing cities to crack down on lawn-watering, and paying residents to replace their lawns with drought-resistant plants.

08/13/2022

"Connections Of Connections."

Many people understand that everything is connected.

Few people understand HOW many connections exist.

Climate Change - and other global risks/issues - can't be addressed without taking these connections into account.

Without understanding 'current state', moving to 'current state' is improbable...if not impossible.

Living organisms leave a huge geochemical imprint on the planet, a new taxonomic system reveals. It might help identify other worlds with life.

04/09/2022

How one defines/perceives 'Success' and 'Failure' will often determine their 'Quality of Life'.

And the 'Quality of Lives' of people around them.

03/20/2022

"Exit Pole-ing."

If you're one of those folks claiming the Earth is flat...errr...sorry, I mean, that Climate Change doesn't exist...I'd love to hear your 'alternative explanation' for what's happening at the poles.

Seriously, I really would.

That is, as long as that theory also explains all the other fluctuations we're experiencing.

"Earth's poles are undergoing simultaneous freakish extreme heat with parts of Antarctica more than 70 degrees (40 degrees Celsius) warmer than average and areas of the Arctic more than 50 degrees (30 degrees Celsius) warmer than average."

Parts of Antarctica were more than 70 degrees warmer than average, and areas of the Arctic saw temperatures that were more than 50 degrees warmer than average.

03/19/2022

"Model Behaviour."

Stating that Climate Change predictions made 50, 30, even 20 years ago ended up being incorrect has ZERO-POINT-ZERO-ZERO bearing on predictions made today.

Our science has expanded significantly.

Our technology has improved considerably.

Our communication options have multiplied exponentially.

Models aren't perfect. But they are continually improving. And that matters.

03/08/2022

"Projects Without Borders."

Two of the most common major Project issues?

1. Starting the develop/build too early, before proper planning has completed. "We don't have time to do it right. But we have time to do it wrong...and take twice as long."

2; Thinking the project is over before it's over. Leaving loose threads scattered around, that eventually unravel the entire initiative.

And there's New Zealand...doing it about as right as it can get.

Experts say New Zealand's actions have likely saved thousands of lives by allowing the nation to mostly avoid earlier, more deadly variants and buying time to get people vaccinated.

03/02/2022

"Tomorrow Started Yesterday."™

Sometimes it's easy to miss History when it's also Current Events.

"For the first time, two women were seated on the platform behind the president during a State of the Union address."

Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat behind Biden during his joint address to Congress last year, but that speech was not an official State of the Union address.

03/01/2022

"The Perks of Being a Sunflower."

Sunflowers are in the news.

So here are some pretty cool traits of sunflowers...and good reminders of how much goes on in nature, without any human awareness.

"What we commonly consider a single sunflower is actually a cluster of flowers, referred to as an inflorescence. All wild sunflowers, of which there are about 50 species in North America, have very similar inflorescences. To our eyes, their ligules (the enlarged, fused petals of the outermost whorl of florets in the sunflower inflorescence) are the same uniform, familiar bright yellow.

However, when looked at in the UV spectrum (that is, beyond the type of light that our eyes can see), things are quite different. Sunflowers accumulate UV-absorbing pigments at the base of the ligules. Across the whole inflorescence, this results in a UV bullseye pattern."

Sunflowers have hidden patterns of ultraviolet colours — visible to pollinators, these colours are due to the presence of pigments that also help plants retain moisture.

02/27/2022

"The Eyes Have It."

Are you familiar with a phoropter?

Maybe you are and don't know it by name.

It's the machine used to measure visual refractive errors, and determine the correct prescription for your glasses/contacts.

The optometrist cycles through differently powered lenses, asking you if each is 'better' or 'worse'...eventually getting you to the best prescription possible.

Professionally and personally, I find it's a helpful idea...before speaking and acting (offline AND online), ask yourself if it will make your life 'better' or 'worse'. And try to think about it in terms of other people as well.

If it's better...then great.

If it's worse...then don't.

I'll be the first to admit I don't have a perfect track record...but I'm continually working on improving it.

02/22/2022

"A Sol-Stirring Image."

One of the pillars for improving 'Quality of Lives'?

Humility for Humanity.

The diameter of the sun is about 1.4 MILLION kilometres.

The visible flare is around the same length (i.e. another 1.4 MILLION km from the surface).

The diameter of the earth? Under 13 THOUSAND kms.

We would do well to gain a better sense of the big picture, and how our solar system, our planet, and each of us fits into that big picture.

From both 'space' and 'time' perspectives, we are mere blips.

Humans aren't in charge.

Nature is.

By recognizing, understanding, and incorporating that simple truth, we can improve 'Quality of Lives' for people around the planet.

"The Solar Orbiter spacecraft, operated by NASA and the European Space Agency, captured a giant solar eruption on February 15. This is the largest solar prominence eruption ever observed in a single image together with the full solar disc."

A striking and unprecedented image of a solar eruption has been captured by NASA and the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter spacecraft.