Published

8 months ago

May 24, 2025

Alice Rush

Pollinators are essential for the reproduction of most plant species, including many major food crops, as well as for the maintenance of healthy ecosystems.

A new research review by scientists at Lund University in Sweden has found that — in 90 percent of cases studied — nocturnal pollinators like moths are just as important as bees and other daytime pollinators.

“The daily transition between day and night, known as the diel cycle, is characterised by significant shifts in environmental conditions and biological activity, both of which can affect crucial ecosystem functions like pollination,” the authors of the findings wrote. “Our synthesis revealed an overall lack of difference in pollination between day and night; many plant species (90% of studied spp.) exhibit similar pollination success across the diel cycle.”

For more than six decades, scientists have been trying to determine whether the pollination of plants happens mostly during daylight hours or at night, without any clear conclusion being reached, a press release from Lund University said.

The research into diel pollination differences examined different pollination outcomes between night, day, open, and closed pollination treatments (A), progressed over time (B), occurred across a range of daylengths (C), temperature conditions, and elevations (D). The time series (B) shows the cumulative (line) and annual (bars) number of publications. Each study’s daylength (C, hours) was computed using each study’s location and median date. Daily temperature range and elevation (D) were extracted based on study location (see Methods). Ecology Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1111/ele.70036

Most people are aware of the importance of bees, butterflies and birds for plant reproduction and agriculture, but less attention has been given to pollinators who are active at night, like bats, nocturnal butterflies and moths. And these equally important pollinators don’t just get less recognition — they are also less protected than their daytime counterparts.

The interest of Liam Kendall and Charlie Nicholson, researchers from Lund University, in nocturnal pollinators was piqued when they ran across studies exploring individual plant species that are pollinated in the daytime versus at night. They suspected that previous research might have overlooked nocturnal pollinators.

Kendall and Nicholson put together data from 135 studies around the world and found that, of the 139 species of plants examined, 90 percent had similar reproductive success whether they were pollinated at night or during the day.

“We were definitely surprised by the number of plant species where it didn’t matter. We found this really fascinating because it’s easy to assume that a specific plant needs a specific pollinator. The analysis actually showed almost the opposite — there’s much more flexibility. A different pollinator than expected can contribute enough for a plant species to reproduce,” Kendall said.

The results of the first-of-its-kind global meta-analysis bring up questions of human biases in science. Kendall hypothesized that many researchers have likely had a fixed idea of how pollination for certain plants should occur. Kendall also speculated that most people being active during daylight hours could lead to them overlooking what happens while they’re sleeping.

“We have this idea that all the magic happens during the day, because that’s when we’re active, and that’s when we see bees and butterflies fluttering around flowers,” Kendall said.

Kendall believes daytime pollinators being seen as beautiful is a factor as well.

“Bees are such a big part of our cultural identity. We learn that they’re important. And they’re fluffy and cute to look at. While moths — I mean, they have their prettier cousins, the butterflies, which we love, but moths are gray and dusty, and they eat your clothes. How could they possibly do anything positive?” Kendall added.

Given human activity’s pressure on biodiversity, the researchers said their study calls attention to the importance of considering daytime and nocturnal pollinators in conservation and agriculture.

For example, Kendall said the life cycle of a moth is entirely different from that of a bee, so their ecological needs are different.

“The analysis shows that we need to change the way we think about how environments can support pollinators and biodiversity,” Kendall said.

And if pollination at night is really important, it becomes critical to avoid light pollution — excessive or badly placed lighting that disturbs the natural environment.

“Actions are often taken to protect daytime pollinators, such as spraying pesticides at night. There’s an oversight there — sure, you’re protecting the daytime insects, but you’re also, theoretically, harming the nocturnal pollinators. This means we could be doing much more, but we haven’t thought enough about it so far, and more research is needed,” Kendall said.

The study, “Pollination Across the Diel Cycle: A Global Meta-Analysis,” was published in the journal Ecology Letters.

The post Pollination ‘Magic’ Happens at Night Too, First-of-Its-Kind Study Finds appeared first on EcoWatch.

https://www.ecowatch.com/pollination-nocturnal-success.html

Green Living

Earth911 Inspiration: Nothing In Vain

Published

19 hours ago

January 23, 2026

Alice Rush

Aristotle, who saw purpose and design in everything, wrote in several different works that “Nature does nothing in vain.” We reply that regardless of purpose, nature does everything with grace; we are fortunate to witness the miraculous results of 13.4 billion years of experimentation.

Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.

The post Earth911 Inspiration: Nothing In Vain appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-nothing-in-vain/

Green Living

Can You Recycle Computers?

Published

3 days ago

January 21, 2026

Alice Rush

Last Updated on January 21, 2026

Picture this: Your laptop of three years decides it’s going to conk out. What’s the most sustainable solution? Seeing if you can get it repaired, of course.

Fighting planned obsolescence is a full time job, and it occurs with way more than just electronics.

But lets say you can’t repair your laptop for some unforeseeable reason…what then? You recycle it of course.

Computers don’t belong in landfills, nor do most conventional curbside recycling programs accept them. So how do you recycle computers? Here’s everything you need to know about computer recycling (and why we need to dispose of them properly).

why should you recycle computers?

First, lets tackle the reason we should bother to recycle computers. Computers are made up of several components – and when we dump them out, they become notorious for leaking toxins and carcinogens into the environment. This poses a risk for humans, wildlife, and soil quality alike.

However, if we recycle computers, all those components get a second shot at life. There are several valuable materials in our old computers that can be used to make new electronics, thus reducing waste and pollution.

According to the EPA, recycling 1 million laptops saves enough energy to power ~3,500 U.S. homes for a year.

And if that’s not reason enough – improperly disposed computers can put your personal or business files at risk of being recovered. And that can escalate to data breaches or reputation damage (yikes).

how do I get rid of my old computer?

To get rid of your old computer, you must first back up your data, sign out of all accounts, wipe & destroy the hard drive, then recycle the computer through local e-waste centers or retailers with take-back programs (Best Buy, Staples, etc.).

To wipe a hard drive, be sure to back up any important data first. Use built-in tools like ‘reset this PC’ or check with your computer’s manufacturer to see specific instructions. For example, here’s how to wipe a Dell hard drive and erase a Mac hard drive.

For absolutely no chance of your data being recovered, it’s always best to remove and destroy the hard drive, if possible. Here’s a guide to destroying a hard drive safely.

Once the hard drive is no longer an issue, you can recycle computers through a number of drop-off or mail-in options.

drop off:

Local e-waste recycling events (make sure to ask if your specific computer will be accepted in advance). Check your local .gov to see when your next one will be!

Best Buy accepts various desktops, laptops, and tablets, including some accessories. There’s a limit of 3 items per household per day. They charge a small fee for recycling monitors.

Staples accepts computers & Macs. They charge a fee for monitors. When you recycle, you get rewards with their store!

Use ERI’s recycle search and find recycling locations near you. Just type in “computer recycling” and your zip code to learn what your options are.

mail-in:

Several manufacturers will accept mail-in recycling for their computer models. Dell and HP have trade-in programs for computers that meet certain standards, as well as recycling options for lesser functioning computers of any brand. Apple also accepts trade-in and recycling for several devices, including computers.

Green Citizen offers free mail-in recycling for laptops, desktops, and tablets, but there may be fees for data destruction.

Most of these places will also accept computer accessories, like keyboards, mice, etc. But be sure to double check!

should you remove the hard drive from a computer before recycling?

Yes, always remove the hard drive before recycling. It’s best to wipe it, then remove it and destroy it. Because even a wiped hard drive can still be recovered, to an extent.

Even if you empty the recycling bin on your computer it doesn’t guarantee that the content is gone because the computer marks that data space to be overwritten with new data. So if the data hasn’t been overwritten, data recovery software can pick it up.

does best buy erase hard drives when recycling?

Best Buy offers tips and advice on wiping hard drives and data for Windows computers prior to drop off, but won’t actually do it for you. It’s best to go prepared by wiping/destroying your hard drive first.

So, what did you think of this guide to recycling computers? Let me know in the comments!

The post Can You Recycle Computers? appeared first on Going Zero Waste.

Can You Recycle Computers?

Green Living

Best of Sustainability In Your Ear: Carbonfuture is Building the Trust Infrastructure for Carbon Removal

Published

3 days ago

January 21, 2026

Alice Rush

Read a transcript of this episode. Subscribe to receive transcripts: Learn more.

The carbon removal industry stands at a crucial crossroads. While cutting emissions remains essential, avoiding catastrophic warming now requires pulling billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere permanently. But as this nascent field grapples with questions of legitimacy, scalability, and accountability, a critical challenge remains: How do we build the infrastructure needed to track, verify, and certify that carbon has actually been removed and stays removed? Meet Hannes Junginger-Gestrich, CEO of Carbonfuture, a company helping define the monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) infrastructure that could transform carbon removal from scattered efforts into a functioning ecosystem. Launched five years ago, Carbonfuture has emerged as what CDR.fyi describes as “the largest facilitator of durable carbon removal” by volume. The company’s digital platform integrates data across the carbon removal life cycle, connecting diverse approaches like biochar, enhanced rock weathering, and direct air capture with buyers seeking to meet climate commitments. “We are probably more the crowd, the ground keepers in a stadium that makes sure that everything is provided properly,” Hannes explains, using a sports analogy to describe their role: “We are the ground keepers in a stadium [who ensure] the players have a playing field that’s in shape and no one gets hurt, and the audience can come and they pay their tickets and have a good experience.”

Hannes Junginger-Gestrich, CEO of Carbonfuture, is our guest on Sustainability In Your Ear.

The MRV infrastructure becomes crucial as corporate demand for verified carbon removal grows and trust becomes currency. One of the most interesting aspects of the conversation centers on balancing data confidentiality with transparency needs, particularly when collecting data along industrial value chains from agricultural residue producers to biochar processors to end users. Perhaps most telling is Junginger-Gestrich’s unwavering commitment to scientific rigor over short-term economic gains: “We never had to trade off between rigor and allowing a not so good project on our platform for economic reasons. We always lean to the scientific and rigorous side.” This philosophy has guided Carbonfuture’s work with leading buyers like Microsoft, helping develop increasingly sophisticated approaches to carbon removal verification. While Junginger-Gestrich expresses concern about delayed emission reductions globally, he remains optimistic about carbon removal scaling: “I think we will be on the path to the gigatons by 2040 for sure.” His vision emphasizes ecosystem thinking over vertical integration, aiming to drive down costs while creating network effects that could accelerate the entire field. As governments worldwide grapple with climate policy, the monitoring, reporting, and verification systems companies like Carbonfuture are developing now may well determine the success of our collective effort to reverse climate change. You can learn more about Carbonfuture at carbonfuture.earth.