This is the time of year when people display big pictures of cartoonish fanged bats in their windows and hang rubber bats from the ceilings at Halloween parties. But behind the scenes, real live bats are busy year round pollinating plants, eating insects and spreading seeds to grow new trees and plants. Bat Week, an international celebration that runs October 24 to 31, recognizes the contributions of these fascinating critters and raises awareness about the need for bat conservation.

This is the time of year when people display big pictures of cartoonish fanged bats in their windows and hang rubber bats from the ceilings at Halloween parties. But behind the scenes, real live bats are busy year round pollinating plants, eating insects and spreading seeds to grow new trees and plants. Bat Week, an international celebration that runs October 24 to 31, recognizes the contributions of these fascinating critters and raises awareness about the need for bat conservation.

Bat facts

Why should humans celebrate bats? Because we need them. With more than 1,400 species, bats make up almost 20% of the world’s total mammal species. Except for extreme polar regions and deserts, bats are everywhere, often working behind the scenes. One bat can eat up to its body weight in insects in a single night. That’s a lot of mosquito bites the bat community is sparing you from.  All this insect eating also helps prevent forests and food crops from being decimated by bugs.

Related: Save bats from becoming extinct

Bats range in size from the tiny bumblebee bat that weighs in at less than a penny, to giant fruit bats, also known as flying foxes. These megabats live in South and Southeast Asia, Australia, East Africa and some islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They have wingspans of up to six feet! Bats are the only legit flying mammal — although some others glide.

What kind of bats live near you? Check out the Bat Week database where you can pull up a list of your bat neighbors by country or U.S. state. Each species gets a profile and a close-up of its funny little face.

Of course, around Halloween, people’s thoughts turn to vampire bats. But, of the many bat species, only three drink blood: the common, white-winged and hairy-legged vampire bats. These bats mostly drink the blood of livestock and birds, but also bite snakes, sea lions, porcupines and armadillos. And, if you sleep outside in vampire bat territory, they might take a bite out of you. In this unlikely event, they’ll only drink about a tablespoon of your blood. But make sure to get a rabies shot.

Bat Week events

Okay, we’ve ruled out camping with vampire bats as a Bat Week activity. That said, there are tons of batty events going on across the country this week. They range from in-person talks on night time pollinators at a nature center in Arkansas to a virtual lunch and learn about bats in Southern Appalachia. Arizona Game and Fish is offering a webinar for educators called The Unlovable Bats.

Bats are one of the animals that are sometimes called “the unlovables” because many people dislike them. This webinar will clear up bat misunderstandings and offer classroom activities to build bat appreciation among youth. In Staunton, Virginia, conservation-minded folks will gather for a Flappy Hour where you can “meet a bat, play some fun bat trivia and win cool prizes.” See the full Bat Week event list here.

Be a bat hero!

We need bats, but they need us, too. Especially in this time of burgeoning human population and worldwide habitat encroachment. Bat Week is the perfect time to help out a winged friend. You may not be able to afford your own summer home, but you can build or buy one for a bat. Attach these little wooden boxes up high in a tree or to the side of a house or shed. They play a vital role in bat survival as a place to give birth and raise baby bats.

There are lots of ways to raise awareness of bats. You could host a Bat Week party with bat-themed decorations, games and food or even start planning for a full-on bat festival in your community next year. If you’re artistic, you could paint a bat mural. You can get a template for a mural here.

More scientific-minded bat enthusiasts can join a tracking effort. Project Noah, which bills itself as “a global community of nature enthusiasts photographing and learning about wildlife,” lets you contribute to the North American Bat Tracker. You send pictures of bats and the habitat you see them using, along with location, time, weather conditions and what bats are doing. Whether they’re hunting in the meadow or just hanging on a window screen, Project Noah wants to know what the bats in your area are up to.

The Bat Week website offers lots of classroom activities for teachers. Here you’ll find out how to build a bat cave, make a big-eared bat finger puppet or make bat stencils. You can listen to the song “Bats on the Brink” or choose recipes from a cookbook featuring bat-dependent ingredients.

Bats get social

Want to keep learning about bats year-round? Follow top bat social media accounts to stay up-to-date with all things batty. Some of the top names in bat matters include BatWeek, Bat Conservation International, Lubee Bat Conservancy, the National Park Service and Parks Canada.

Via Bat Week

Images via Unsplash

Rumors are swirling that the next Nissan Z is going to be an EV, but that hasn’t happened quite yet. The all-new 2023 Nissan Z is adopting turbochargers, though, which can make the most out of a smaller engine to create more speed with lower emissions. Nissan is leaning into the sporty tradition of the Z line, while still eyeing a more sustainable future. Here’s how they’re doing it.

Rumors are swirling that the next Nissan Z is going to be an EV, but that hasn’t happened quite yet. The all-new 2023 Nissan Z is adopting turbochargers, though, which can make the most out of a smaller engine to create more speed with lower emissions. Nissan is leaning into the sporty tradition of the Z line, while still eyeing a more sustainable future. Here’s how they’re doing it.

The new Z’s V6 twin-turbo engine gets you 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. That’s an increase of 68 horsepower and a 30% increase in torque, which is expected to give the car a nice boost in performance, while improving acceleration about 15% for zero to 60 mph times. This is expected to please driving enthusiasts, but what isn’t always apparent in these power boosts is how much more efficient cars are getting at the same time, to wring every drop of power out of the world’s remaining gasoline.

Related: Nissan unveils a solar-powered, zero-emissions ice cream van

That boost in performance is thanks to the small-diameter turbochargers that were added to the car, as well as a turbo speed sensor to ensure the capabilities of the turbos are fully utilized. The twin turbos balance out power and response time. The use of an electronic variable valve timing (e-VVT) intake valve system also supports optimum response and efficiency of the engine. It does so by adjusting the intake valve timing in real time for not only better performance but also better fuel efficiency.

You can get the new Z in a 6-speed manual stick shift or a super smooth 9-speed automatic. If you haven’t tried a car with paddle shifters, this would be a fun opportunity. High-performance brakes, tires and top-of-the-line interior finishes complete the new Z. The interior design team consulted professional race car drivers, including Nissan Super GT500 driver Tsugio Matsuda, to give the Z an ideal sports car cabin. So this is a daily driver, but with a serious nod to sports racing history. The future? That’s up to Nissan, but we expect recent experiments into EVs for Nissan’s larger Ariya SUV project should ease the carmaker into an all-electric future.

The Z drives in Normal, Enhanced and Sport modes so you can pick your fuel efficiency and driving performance balance. The car comes in Sport and Performance models with lots of extra options and technology.

+ Nissan USA

Images via Nissan USA

Humanscale takes office furniture to a new environmental level with a variety of options that are certified climate, energy and water positive by The International Living Future Institute, in alignment with its stringent Living Product Challenge.

Humanscale takes office furniture to a new environmental level with a variety of options that are certified climate, energy and water positive by The International Living Future Institute, in alignment with its stringent Living Product Challenge.

“We are proud to be the first company ever to offer any product — let alone 26 — that is certified net-positive. We work hard to ensure that our environmental philosophy extends to every part of our business — whether it’s in our product materials, factories, or communities. Humanscale’s 360 approach to sustainability reflects our mission to minimize our impact on the planet and give back in measurable ways to ultimately leave the world better off,” says Jane Abernethy, Chief Sustainability Officer at Humanscale.

Related: Metal furniture by Division Twelve is now carbon neutral

It’s a notable accomplishment since Humanscale is the only manufacturer to achieve this comprehensive certification. Meeting these sustainability requirements means using ethically-sourced materials in the products. It also means ensuring the conservation of water and the use of renewable resources throughout the manufacturing process. In fact, there is a long checklist of certification requirements. 

As a starting point, around 85% of materials used in Humanscale products are recycled and/or recyclable. This isn’t a new policy for the company, which has been designing and manufacturing with recycled materials for the past two decades. For example, in 2018 the company became the first furniture manufacturer to incorporate reclaimed fishing nets into its products. There’s a line of office chairs dedicated to the goal of recycling ocean plastic.

Throughout the manufacturing process, teams use recycled aluminum whenever possible, which is preferred over plastic or synthetic options. Along the way, it’s also been working to eliminate any ingredients on the red list. At the other end of the production line, the company also uses packaging that consistently contains around 40% recycled content. Additionally, transparency is important to the company. The company reports, “Almost a third of Declare labels in the entire furniture industry were published by Humanscale, even though we make up less than 4% of the industry by sales volume.”

Outside of the day-to-day product decisions, the company sponsors the World Wildlife Fund. In fact, it’s a passion project for Humanscale founder and CEO Robert King, who has served on WWF’s National Council since 1999.

+Humanscale

Images via Humanscale 

Researchers at Yale University have found that common weed is a super plant that could help develop strong drought-resistant crops. “Portulaca oleracea,” also known as purslane was found to have a unique photosynthesis mechanism that makes it more resilient to drought. 

The researchers have published the findings in the journal “Science Advances.” The study details the unique characteristics of the weed and why it can be used for future genetic engineering of other crops.

Related:

Researchers at Yale University have found that common weed is a super plant that could help develop strong drought-resistant crops. “Portulaca oleracea,” also known as purslane was found to have a unique photosynthesis mechanism that makes it more resilient to drought. 

The researchers have published the findings in the journal “Science Advances.” The study details the unique characteristics of the weed and why it can be used for future genetic engineering of other crops.

Related: The potential of microalgae biomass as a renewable resource

“This is a very rare combination of traits and has created a kind of ‘super plant’ — one that could be potentially useful in endeavors such as crop engineering,” said Erika Edwards, Yale University professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and coauthor of the paper.

Photosynthesis is at the heart of the way in which plants survive droughts and diseases. Different plants have developed ways to enhance their photosynthesis. For instance, corn and sugarcane use C4 photosynthesis, which allows plants to remain productive even at high temperatures. On the other hand, succulent plants, such as cacti, use a type of photosynthesis known as CAM. It allows the plants to thrive in deserts and other dry regions. 

C4 and CAM are advanced systems of photosynthesis that have been achieved by plants through years of evolution and adaptation. Although they have different functions, they use the same biochemical pathways to act as “add-ons” to conventional photosynthesis.

Initially, it was thought that C4 and CAM photosynthesis operated independently. The researchers behind the study reported they have found C4 and CAM to work seamlessly well in the same cells of purslane. This revelation now opens the way for new genetic engineering. 

“In terms of engineering a CAM cycle into a C4 crop, such as maize, there is still a lot of work to do before that could become a reality,” said Edwards. “But what we’ve shown is that the two pathways can be efficiently integrated and share products. C4 and CAM are more compatible than we had thought, which leads us to suspect that there are many more C4+CAM species out there, waiting to be discovered.”

Such a discovery could help save the world at a time when climate change has increased food insecurity. Scientists are trying to find ways to enhance the resilience of key crops.

Via SciTech Daily

Lead image via Pexels

Five apartment buildings front the water in the Czech Republic where a marina brownfield used to stand. The designers, QARTA Architektura, say these sustainable buildings are created to evoke the atmosphere of a local “Liben-style Amsterdam.” The location of the site is unique as it’s a narrow peninsula flanked by green banks leading up to the waterfront.

Five apartment buildings front the water in the Czech Republic where a marina brownfield used to stand. The designers, QARTA Architektura, say these sustainable buildings are created to evoke the atmosphere of a local “Liben-style Amsterdam.” The location of the site is unique as it’s a narrow peninsula flanked by green banks leading up to the waterfront.

So what are brownfield areas? Well, they are coastal regions that are redeveloped from polluted or previously inhabited industrial operations. Instead of displacing coastal environments and biodiversity, these areas are cleaned up and rehabilitated for more sustainable use without damaging green areas.

Related: Sluishuis is a striking 442-apartment building on the water

Therefore, the transformation of this marina brownfield has turned the spot into a new contemporary residential area with green space. The apartments also face a river flowing through Prague. To help shield the apartments from the nearby tram and street noises, the designers utilized both the green space and administration buildings as a buffer. The development was located here to connect it to bike paths, parks and the river.

By being so close to the water, residents can paddleboard, fish or sail here. In addition, the river is relatively calm and becomes a location for ice skating in the winter. The surrounding neighborhood has full public facility infrastructure already in place, including a theater and art studios and several parks.

The design for the Liben Docks reflects the regeneration of this former dock area. Unlike previous housing that QARTA focused on green living, this complex is designed to focus more on an urban lifestyle. Meanwhile, the buildings follow the island’s shape in two rows to naturally form a street between them. The design mimics one commonly seen in the Netherlands, with the street formed by spaces in front of apartment building entrances and front gardens that have abundant green plantings.

The Liben Docks are four stories with a glass-walled penthouse on the top floor of each building. There is a total of 150 apartments divided by 12 separate entrances for a more pleasant lifestyle experience. Each floor has a maximum of three apartments.

Parking is located underground, which required underground waterproofing. The designers say this was a challenge, but placing the buildings on the water surface required a complex technical solution anyway. The Liben Docks has a number of flood prevention systems built into the design. The lower apartments are protected by retaining walls with a mobile flood prevention system. Each house also has mooring rings for stabilizing boats in the marina.

Further, balconies and terraces complement the front gardens, linking the indoors to the outdoors and encouraging time outside. Flowing waves inspired the balcony design and reflected the water theme here. Recycled metal panels and textured plaster also reflect the marina history of this location.

Pearl varnishes in brass and silver with gray plaster finish the marina-inspired look of the buildings. Metal panels made of self-supporting double shells are designed with “bubble perforation” to refer to the water’s surface. These apartments bring healthy life back into the area and honor the environment.

+ QARTA Architektura

Images via BoysPlayNice

A beautiful new portable lamp design from Yoshiki Matsuyama has been designed for Ambientec to evoke the soft and majestic body lines of a whale. Ambientec presents Cachalot, a new portable lamp that evokes the softness and warm light of the ocean.

A beautiful new portable lamp design from Yoshiki Matsuyama has been designed for Ambientec to evoke the soft and majestic body lines of a whale. Ambientec presents Cachalot, a new portable lamp that evokes the softness and warm light of the ocean.

The designer says that Cachalot is an evocative and symbolic object, avoiding any cartoonish or overly-literal reference to the cetacean figure, while perfectly grasping its essential and familiar form. And it’s true. This lamp is the perfect impression of the body of a whale surfacing through sunlit water. It is designed to inspire the owner to develop an affectionate relationship with the object, which you can take anywhere.

Related: An intricate lamp that is made out of banana paper

“As a child, I was enchanted by the whales and cetaceans in picture books and adventure novels,” says Yoshiki Matsuyama. “Today as a designer I find the shape of these ocean creatures fascinating: powerful and fluid, yet also warm and gentle. It is this majesty imbued with sweetness that I hoped to convey with Cachalot. Its soft light spreads into the night and makes time seem to slow down — just like how a whale moves through the depths of a silent sea, creating an atmosphere of peace and quiet.”

The Cachalot lamp has a soft transparent look and a sculptural form, while also being a prime example of craftsmanship in a high-tech poetic design. Additionally, the base of the lamp is die-cast zinc with copper plating. The lampshade is clear acrylic in clear or dark gray. Tube-shaped LEDs are also used inside in a unique proprietary technology to produce a warm ambient light. Lithium-ion batteries charge the lamp for 12-24 hours of dim or high light.

Ambientec says the Cachalot lamp is a declaration of love for the depths of the sea. It’s the company’s first design inspired by nature. LED technology also makes it sustainable and energy-saving. Ambientec’s founder originally designed the RGBlue brand of underwater photography lights, and so the Cachalot lamp returns the founder of the company to his roots.

The new lamp is being celebrated with a project to raise awareness of documentary work created by marine biologists and underwater photographers to protect the marine environment. In fact, Ambientec is donating 1% of Cachalot’s annual sales to marine environmental protection charities.

+ Ambientec

Images via Ambientec