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Koko the gorilla became famous for learning American Sign Language. She passed away in 2018, but first she left humans a message about protecting the Earth. A transcript: "I am gorilla...I am flowers, animals...I am nature. Man, Koko love. Earth, Koko love. But Man stupid...Stupid! Koko sorry...Koko cry. Time hurry! Fix Earth! Help Earth! Hurry! Protect Earth...Nature...Nature see you. Thank you." - Koko, the gorilla. (1971-2018) (video, via Mama Donna @Soil2Solutions ) Disclaimer: Information provided for educational purposes within guidelines of fair use.

The ocean low oxygen zones are more extensive than the coastal very low oxygen zones. Both types of problem spots around the world can be seen on a map on a U.N. webpage: Global Ocean Oxygen Network , ( en.unesco.org/go2ne ) The website also has a list of 10 main ocean oxygen concerns. Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use.

The Arctic Circle and northern parts of Canada, Alaska, and the European continent have a topsoil layer that generally never thaws except for a few months of the year in summertime, hence the name permafrost. It is melting more than typical in the warmer temperatures that have occurred with climate change. ( 1 ) The increase of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases collecting in the atmosphere traps more warmth from sunshine and increases temperatures more around the North and South Poles than around the Equator. When permafrost melts the stored carbon decomposes and releases stored carbon dioxide and methane into the air. This adds to the greenhouse gases in the air and warms the average temperature even more, accelerating the melting and decomposing even more. Drier and hotter conditions also increase risk of wildfires which release carbon dioxide and other volatile chemicals from burnt vegetation and peat. ( 1 ) Tundra is a another name for the interesting ground cover of northern climates and during the summer tundra is springy to walk on, like a floating peat bog. Peat moss, or sphagnum, is why tundra is springy to walk on - like being in a giant bounce house in the great outdoors. There are few tall plants or trees in the far north. Shrubs like blueberry bushes might be found though. The peat moss is considered a 'carbon sink' it stores carbon dioxide from the air and helps slow down global warming trends while it is growing. ( 2 ) If wildfires burn the peat moss though, the stored carbon dioxide will be suddenly released. The released carbon dioxide would then suddenly be adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and add to the increase in average global temperature. Peat refers to the type of soil which the peat moss grows. Peat moss and peat bogs are found in forest areas also, farther south from the tree-less tundra. Peat soil can be several feet deep and the soil itself is rich in carbon dioxide and can smolder for months deep enough underground that rain or other types of firefighting methods don't extinguish the fire. Peat fires can even continue smoldering through winter months. Peat fires create small amounts of visible flame and excessive amounts of smoke compared to other types of forest fires. The smoke can cause health risks from the ash and other pollutants that are released in addition to the carbon dioxide. ( 3 ) Preventing fires in tundra or forests farther south where peat also grows (called boreal forests) can help reduce the risk of increasing greenhouse gases by protecting the carbon sink effect of peat and peat moss and by decreasing the release of the stored carbon. Managing fire risk also helps prevent further drying effects on the environment which can also increase risk of wildfires in surrounding areas. ( 1 ) Alaska has more wilderness and fewer populated areas than areas farther south so fire prevention teams would have more acreage to protect with less equipment available. Increasing resources to help Alaska, Canada, and Siberia prevent forest fires would be good for the planet in addition to protecting the Amazon rainforest which produces about twenty percent of the oxygen in our atmosphere. ( 4 ) References Carly Phillips, How Alaska's Recent Heat Wave May Worsen Climate Warming , July 11, 2019, uscusa.org, https://blog.ucsusa.org/carly-phillips/how-alaskas-recent-heat-wave-may-worsen-climate-warming Lehigh University, Peat expansion in the Arctic tundra could play a role in cooling a warming planet. Aug. 29, 2018, phys.org, https://phys.org/news/2018-08-peat-expansion-arctic-tundra-role.html XiaoZhi LimThese Fires are Huge, Hidden and Harmful. What Can We Do?, June 28, 2016, ensia.com, https://ensia.com/features/underground-fires-huge-harmful-hidden/ Facts and Information on the Rainforest , rain-tree.com , http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

The low oxygen or oxygen free areas in the ocean have been increasing in size and new ones are being discovered. The rate of increase in the size and number of these oxygen deprived areas of the ocean is unprecedented per specialists. (1) In the ancient history of the planet's oceans were all low oxygen. Sulfur-loving bacteria do not produce oxygen and they were the most common species 2.52 billion years ago. (2) They have been found to be increasing in the low oxygen zones of the Baltic Sea. While sulfur-loving bacteria were common in the ancient ocean water, photosynthesis was still newly evolved, and there was very little oxygen in the air. (2) Algae and other microbes or larger seaweeds and sea grass that use photosynthesis to create energy from sunshine, use carbon dioxide in the chemical reaction and release oxygen just like plants on the land do. Planting more trees on land and mangroves and sea grass along coastal regions can help remove carbon dioxide from the air and increase oxygen in the ocean or air supply. Over the history of the planet there have been five times when many species became extinct. During three of the times of extinction an increase in sulfur using bacteria in marine waters and the resulting low oxygen level in the water was involved in the loss of species. (3) "Biodiversity loss among marine taxa, for at least 3 of these mass extinction events (Late Devonian, end-Permian and end-Triassic), has been connected with widespread oxygen-depleted and sulfide-bearing marine water." (3) We are seeing a sixth major extinction event. Large numbers of plants, animals, insects and other species are endangered or already extinct. Loss of oxygen in the oceans is due in part to excess agricultural chemicals reaching the ocean. The excess can cause an over growth of algae which then eventually run out of the seasonal increase in agricultural chemicals and die off and then decomposition bacteria which use oxygen grow in excess numbers. Over fishing is also involved. Depleting one type of fish species can upset the balance across the food chain and lead to overgrowth of some types which then overuse nutrients leading to species die-off of other species dependent on the nutrients. The early posts on this site are a series with inventions that already exist which might help ocean health and brainstorming ideas of mine. I am not a marine expert but am trained as a nutritionist and I care about survival of biodiversity and the planet. Human existence is also dependent on oxygen in the air and we, at a planet wide level, get about a third of our protein rich food from marine species. The series of posts are combined in this document: Oxygenating the Ocean, with fewer pictures than are included among the individual blog posts. References: Fiona Harvey, Oceans losing oxygen at unprecedented rate, experts warn. The Guardian, Dec. 7, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/07/oceans-losing-oxygen-at-unprecedented-rate-experts-warn?CMP=share_btn_tw Stephanie Pappas, 2.5-Billion Year Old Fossils Predate Earth's Oxygen. livescience.com, Dec. 1, 2016, https://www.livescience.com/57051-ancient-life-fossils-predate-earth-oxygen.html Schobben M, Stebbins A, Ghaderi A, Strauss H, Korn D, Korte C. Eutrophication, microbial-sulfate reduction and mass extinctions. Commun Integr Biol. 2015;9(1):e1115162. Published 2015 Dec 4. doi:10.1080/19420889.2015.1115162 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4802792/

Algae and phytoplankton make oxygen and use carbon dioxide with chlorophyll like other land plants. This also means they help us survive by providing oxygen and using up the carbon dioxide that we exhale - animals and plants live in harmony. This also means they have been helping reduce the amount of greenhouse gases which add to climate change. Another type of bacteria common in ocean water doesn't use carbon dioxide or create oxygen. They can create energy with sunlight but not in the same way as plants do with chlorophyll, they make it with rhodopsin, a light absorbing pigment that is also found in the human eye. Rhodopsin can convert a signal perceived as light in the eye into a nerve signal which will then be interpreted by other areas of the brain as to shape or color or movement of the light signal. The ocean has been absorbing a large amount of the carbon dioxide that human civilization creates in various ways. The increase in carbon dioxide in the ocean increases the acidity of the water which is already harming some species. As the temperature and acidity of the ocean waters increase it is possible that the rhodopsin containing bacteria may become more prevalent and chlorophyll containing microbes may become less so which could add to the risk of climate change as less carbon dioxide would be used and less oxygen would be created. The air we breathe is in a constant cycle flowing upward with the evaporation of water from the ocean and other bodies of water, and then falling downward as rain or snow. We need our air, our atmoshere, to contain enough oxygen for our survival and for all the other animals that breathe oxygen. A marine microbe could play increasingly important role in regulating climate: A light-snatching bacteria may get its place in the sun and alter how oceans absorb carbon dioxide -- *less carbon dioxide could be used by chlorophyll containing marine microbes if the population of microbes shifted towards the rhodopsin containing bacteria. (sciencedaily.com) Marine Bacterial and Archaeal Ion-Pumping Rhodopsins: Genetic Diversity, Physiology, and Ecology, ( mmbr.asm.org). Disclaimer: Information provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use.

Small vertical wind turbines have been used to generate power from the wind created by highway traffic. The turbines are located near the roadway in rows on divided highways, or in clusters between opposing lanes - see image: (twitter.com/MikeHudema) or singly: Generation of electricity on highways by VAWT (vertical axis wind turbine) (youtu.be/du0lYubtlfQ). Enough energy to run many homes can be produced - steadily, dependent on traffic more than the weather. Small wind turbines have also been attached to light poles and are being used increasingly in green energy design. They can be attached near or on buildings as they are small in diameter. See: Small Vertical Axis Wind Turbines for Energy Efficiency of Buildings, by Marco Casini, Journal of Clean Energy Technologies, Vol. 4, No. 1, January 2016, (jocet.org/vol4/pdf). Disclaimer: Information provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use.

The plastic pollution in the oceans is harming larger species which eat colorful pieces but can't digest it. The plastic collects in the animals digestive system and they eventually starve. More recently it was discovered that some microbes may also be absorbing plastic and are being harmed. The risk to ocean and human life is in the loss of oxygen that the microbes would otherwise be adding to the atmosphere. The photosynthetic bacteria would also be part of the food supply for other marine life. Read more: Plastic Pollution Harms Bacteria that Produce 10 Percent of Oxygen we Breathe, (The Independent). Ocean microbes make as much as half of the oxygen in our atmosphere. Trees in the Amazon rain-forest and elsewhere also are important oxygen producers. Disclaimer: Information provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use.

Breathing in a steady calm rate can help our brain waves and mood also become more steady and calm. Health benefits may help the cardiovascular system and reduce oxidative stress. ( forbes.com/breathing ) Hypnosis, some types of meditation and yoga, and certain very low frequencies played in rhythm similar to the heart beat also may help calm the brain waves and possibly help us reach a different type of consciousness. (FOIA/CIA- Analysis and Assessment of Gateway Process , cia.gov/pdf ) Somewhat similar rhythmic sounds are available on music and/or guided meditation CDs by the BrainSync company or others, an example can be heard online: Remove Mental Blockages & Subconscious Negativity ☯ Dissolve Negative Patterns - Binaural Beats ( youtu.be ). Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.

Vertically spinning wind mills have been created that may be more cost effective than the three blade style windmills. The vertical wind turbines can capture the wind from various directions and that maximizes the potential of the wind power. When grouped together the vertical wind turbines can reuse the turbulence created by the other turbines. Imagine a giant room full of oscillating house-fans, the breeze created by some of the fans would be blowing on some of the others at various times. The breeze would ripple outward from each fan in airwaves of wind pulsing with the spin of the fan-blades. The streaming airflow within the area of the fans might be ricocheted back and forth between many of the fans, like a pool ball or pin ball that keeps bouncing off the walls or pinball paddles. The other advantage besides maximizing capture and reuse of the of the wind and turbine airflow is the size of the vertical wind turbines - they are smaller in size than the three blade windmills, and each take up a smaller square footage of space and more of them can be placed closer together. ( image of the spacing and size ) The vertical wind turbines may also be safer for wild bird populations. For video and more information see: Small Turbines can Outperform Conventional Wind Farms, Stanford Prof Says, With No Bird Kill . ( forbes.com ). Dabiri Lab of Stanford University (John Dabiri, Ph.D. and team) has an experimental vertical turbine windfarm project in Igiugig Alaska. ( dabirilab.com ) Disclaimer: Information provided for educational purposes within guidelines of fair use.

Ripples of electrical brain activity have been measured that correlate to areas of the brain involved in memories and learned information or experiences. This is interesting in that it supports the theory that memories and learning involve many brain cells rather than some simpler one memory stored in one brain cell. It is also interesting in that it demonstrates that electrical fields are present and can move with an expanding wave or ripple effect. See: Our brains may ripple before remembering , (neurosciencenews.com) Disclaimer: Information provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use.

The magnetic field around microtubules can be more easily visualized in the study of cell division or embryology. The replication of DNA and pairing of new genes during cell division has a series of steps that are controlled by a group of microtubules and pair of centrosomes that together form a spindle shape (football shape). The phases of cell division are seen in this brief video about centrosomes . The detailed structure of a centrosome and the polarized ends of the microtubules can be seen in Figure 1 , of: Microtubule assembly crucial to bovine embryonic development in assisted reproductive technologies. Or in the image of a single spindle formation during meiosis/cell division. (https://www.123rf.com/photo_76019788_meiosis-computer-artwork-of-the-first-meiotic-division.html) A collection of graphics about the role of motor protein function in mitosis is available and the polarity of the microtubules within the spindle formation is included. Magnetic fields have polarity - a positive side and a negative side. Placing two positive sides together would have a repelling effect, the magnets would move farther apart due to the magnetic energy, while placing one negative side near a positive side of another polarized magnet would have an attracting effect, the magnets would take more force to separate. Electrical fields created by the spindle of polarized microtubules can be seen in images included in: Electro-Acoustic Behavior of the Mitotic Spindle: A Semi-Classical Coarse-Grained Model. ( plos.org ). Prenatal development of the infant's cells, or cell division during normal growth or wound healing may be effected by exposure to electrical fields. Influence of high magnetic fields on meiosis, ( Springer ). Ionic plasma electrical fields have been used experimentally with some success for improved wound healing in diabetics. Activation of Nrf2 pathways and rebalancing oxidative stress chemicals seems to be involved in the beneficial effects. The treatment also helps stabilize the cellular matrix/ the glycocalyx layer of the healing wound. Redox for Repair: Cold Physical Plasmas and Nrf2 Signaling Promoting Wound Healing https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/7/10/146/htm Cancer cells have different electrical field energy levels than in healthy tissue and the difference has been used in treatments based on the specific tumor. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3503562/) Excessive exposure to electrical fields might have a negative effect. Turning off WiFi devices when not in use can help reduce exposure. Having a wired internet connection that is turned off when not in use would decrease exposure. Disclaimer: information provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use.

Theoretically our bodies have quantum energy fields that permit rapid movement of subatomic particles and possibly other very small atoms or molecules - at a lower total energy cost, so to speak. Fewer calories of glucose or other biological energy sources would be needed than might be expected for transport within or between cells. Study of this intersecting area of physics and microbiology is still in early stages. One theory about quantum energy fields within biological systems involves cellular structures such as microtubules and nerve axons. They are straight cylinders formed of protein or a combination of proteins and fats which add stability to cell structure and provide tunnel like access from one area of a cell to another. Axons are the branching parts of brain and nerve cells that form connections between pairs or groups of cells. These straight cylinder like structures may also be acting somewhat like antennae (think cellphone towers receiving and transmitting energy in the form of Radiofrequency waves), to orient or stabilize quantum energy fields within the cells or in clusters of cells. Quantum energy fields are described in fairly simple terms by a NOVA story on pbs_org: The Good Vibrations of Quantum Field Theories, ( pbs.org ). The quantum physics of the microtubule theory is complicated, see: Quantum Antenna Hypothesis , by M. Pitkanen, April 26, 2018 ( tgdtheory.fi/public_html/pdfpool/tubuc.pdf ) Quantum mechanical aspects of cell microtubules: science fiction or realistic possibility? by Nick E Mavromatos, CERN - Theory Division, Journal of Physics: Conference Series 306, 2011, ( iopscience.iop.org/pdf ) Or for an overview description of the discovery of electrical vibrations in microtubules see this article about a research paper: Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' inside brain neurons supports controversial theory of consciousness, 2014, ( ScienceDaily ). Or a video lecture on the topic is available: Quantum Consciousness _ And its Nature In Microtubules . Dr. Stuart Hameroff, ( youtube ). A simpler article discusses the possibility of quantum physics playing a role within the brain describing research that does not include the microtubule theory. See: A New Spin on the Quantum Brain , by Jennifer Ouellette, 2016, ( quantamagazine.org ) Video of microtubules within the body: Some types of straight cylinder proteins can be seen in a live action video, Strolling through the skin , which shows living tissue in normal motion. The fibrous collagen network that supports our skin and other ligaments, blood vessels and organs can be seen, ( youtube ) . Microtubules within axons or in more close up views showing kinesin protein movement along the outside of a microtubule can be seen in a few videos within this group of links: ( Kinesin protein ). A variety of other links about quantum effects in biology are available in this group of links: ( quantum tunneling ). Use of ionic plasma energy fields for wound healing: The electrical/energy nature of our bodies has been found to be involved in wound healing. Ionic plasma fields (electrical fields, not blood plasma) are being experimentally tested to help wound healing in diabetics. Activation of Nrf2 pathways and rebalancing levels of oxidative stress chemicals seems to be involved in the mechanism of the electrically active ionic plasma treatment. The treatment also helps stabilize the cellular matrix of the healing wound. The cellular matrix is the intracellular fluid and includes the glycocalyx layer that coats the inner and outer membranes of cells and organs. It is made up of a gelatinous mixture of fluid and fibrous protein cylinders, some of which could be seen in the Strolling through the skin video, ( youtube ) . For more about ionic plasma in wound healing see: Redox for Repair: Cold Physical Plasmas and Nrf2 Signaling Promoting Wound Healing, ( mdpi.com/2076-3921/7/10/146/htm ) Brain waves, sleep and relaxation: Better understanding of the energy patterns in our bodies may also help us improve our health in a more general way - with mood and sleep. Sleep and more relaxed states of wakefulness have slower, cooler energy wave patterns while more active thinking has faster hotter energy waves. (See: On the Temperature and Energy of the Brain Waves Is there Any Connection with Early Universe?, by Miroslaw Kozlowski and Janina Marciak-Kozlowska, NeuroQuantology 2012; 3: 443-452 ( pdf ) ) Learning and regularly practicing some sort of meditative activity can help train the brain patterns towards slower wave energy, even if the meditative activity is simply zoning out while washing dishes or going for a walk instead of doing dishes with a grumpy resentful attitude or listening to a stimulating podcast on the walk. (See: Brain Waves and Meditation, ( ScienceDaily )) Physically cooling the forehead/top of the head has been found to help people with insomnia fall asleep more easily. Insomnia is associated with the brain remaining more stimulated into of drifting into the cooler more relaxed lower activity brain waves. (See a previous post: Sleep and Health /reference, Sleep, Neurobiology, Medicine and Society ,  coursera.org ) Life in the oceans and our cells have many similarities: This area of study, quantum energy fields in living organisms, is important within all types of biology. Basic cellular processes have many similarities from microbes to plants and animals and humans. Marine algae were the life form used to study quantum fields in the second link mentioned earlier: Quantum mechanical aspects of cell microtubules: science fiction or realistic possibility? by Nick E Mavromatos, CERN - Theory Division, Journal of Physics: Conference Series 306, 2011, ( iopscience.iop.org/pdf ). From a health perspective it is also important to increase our understanding of how non natural electrical fields or nanoparticles in air or water pollution might be negatively effecting health of living species. (Nanoparticles were discussed in two previous posts, Air or Water Filters for Nanoparticles , and in the second part of Inventions Occur in Stages .) What makes marine algae healthy or less healthy may help us understand our own health better or help us to better protect the health of the ocean. Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. It is not intended to provide individual health care guidance. Please see a health care professional for individualized health care needs.