April 19, 2011
Today’s "Cool photo of the Week" is from the very first Earth Day, April 22, 1970. Forty years ago we didn’t have the kind of environmental protection laws that we have today. One of my favorite writers, Rachel Carson, had just published a book called SILENT SPRING. In it she warned that an artificial pesticide called DDT, which was in wide use at the time, could cause human sickness and major ecological damage. Imagine a time when major bodies of water were too polluted to support aquatic life, and Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River was so polluted with oil and toxic chemicals that it burst into flames by spontaneous combustion! That was the scene when Earth Day was first established 41 years ago by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson.
College students, in particular, rose to the call, and turned out in the millions to demonstrate in support of new environmental protections on that first Earth Day. In New York City, a Pace University student named Peter Hallerman grabbed an old gas mask (his mother had been a nurse in World War II), and took it with him to the demonstration. A photographer snapped this picture, and it has become a world famous symbol of Earth Day through the years.
When I began writing books, Rachel Carson was the writer who most influenced me. I remember reading her wonderful book THE SEA AROUND US and thinking that I would love to write books about nature and science with the same sense of awe and admiration that she showed in her writings. Rachel Carson inspired me to write when I began and still inspires me to this day. What better time to celebrate her books than now on Earth Day!
Photo: ucsb.edu
What are you doing this Earth Week to contribute to the global effort to pledge a Billion Acts of Green? Click on “Comments,” at the bottom of this story, and tell me what you are doing. We will publish all your comments in one big article at the end of Earth Week, to honor each writer’s promise to protect our planet, and inspire other readers to do the same.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
April 18, 2011
This story is part of our ongoing Earth Week coverage.
Today is Monday, and making a habit of "Meatless Mondays" is one thing that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint (which means to use fewer resources, create less waste, and generate fewer greenhouse gases). Do you remember our recent, very popular blog entry about Burping Cows? (how could you forget that picture?!).
Raising livestock to produce meat and dairy products creates 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions - more than planes, trains and automobiles combined. So some families have started practicing "Meatless Mondays." They commit to one day each week when they will not eat meat…..which helps to reduce their carbon footprint.
One of the hardest things about getting started on Meatless Mondays is that many people don’t have interesting, satisfying vegetarian recipes on hand….and you can only serve fish sticks so many Mondays in a row before your family gives up!
So, I am going to share a delicious, easy, meatless recipe. And, there are seven more equally tasty recipes available for you right here on SeymourSimon.com, in the Educators & Families section. Click on Teacher Guides, Extra Resources to find a whole page of Meatless Monday recipes that you can download and make for your family. Saving the Earth and tasting good, too - that’s hard to beat!
ONE POT CANNELLINI FLORENTINE
(Serves: 6)
Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) Light Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package baby spinach (fresh or frozen)
24 oz. vegetable broth
½ c. sun dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
1 tsp. dried basil
crushed red pepper flakes
shredded Parmesan cheese
Can of Crispy French-fried onions
Directions:
1. In large stockpot over high heat, cook garlic and onion in olive oil, sauté until brown.
2. Mix in spinach, sauté 2 minutes.
3. Add beans, broth and spices, simmer 30 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste.
4. While pot is simmering, make enough rice for your family.
5. Serve over rice, top with cheese and fried onions.
That’s it. Quick, easy, and delicious, too. Happy eating, Earthlings!
What are you doing this Earth Week to contribute to the global effort to pledge a Billion Acts of Green? Click on “Comments,” at the bottom of this story, and tell us what you are doing. We will publish all your comments in one big article at the end of Earth Week, to honor each writer’s promise to protect our planet, and inspire other readers to do the same.
Posted by: Liz Nealon
April 17, 2011
The theme for Earth Day 2011 is "A Billion Acts of Green." People from all over our planet are making promises to change their habits or try new activities that will help to "green" our planet by limiting the amount of energy they use, decreasing the amount of waste they produce, and protecting and creating habitats for other living creatures.
I would like the readers of my Seymour Science blog to tell me what they are doing to reduce their impact on Earth’s resources. A big group of you contributed to Friday’s story, telling us what you are doing to reduce your carbon footprints. Your commitment to our planet Earth and your promises are inspiring!
Now, I’d like to hear from the rest of you. Click on "Comments," at the bottom of this story, and tell me what you are going to do, not only in honor of Earth Day, but ongoing. We will publish all your comments in one big article at the end of Earth Week, to recognize your efforts and inspire other readers to do the same.
Do you need some help to get you started? Some ideas about what you can do to help our environment? Some of my earlier articles, like this story on Global Warming, or another one called "Earth by the Numbers" both have lots of simple ideas for things you can do to make your environment a greener place.
As I write this on Sunday morning, more than 96 MILLION PEOPLE have clicked on the Earth Day website to enter their promises as part of the "Billion Acts of Green." One of the great things about being green is that kids can really make a difference, just as much as adults can. Let’s talk about what we are going to do, and share our own green actions with each other. After all, we only have one planet home.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
April 16, 2011
Today’s story is part of our ongoing EARTH WEEK coverage.
One of the things people wonder about after the very harsh winter we had this year is how we can have global warming when it seems to be snowier and colder than ever.That’s because there is a difference between the daily weather vs. the climate where you live. You get your daily weather forecast on TV or on the Internet. It tells you the expected high and low temperatures of the day and whether it’s going to rain or snow. Weather is a combination of all these things and more.
So how is weather different from climate? Climate is what the weather is most often like over long periods of times. The Northeastern United States and the upper Midwest will be cold and probably snowy in the winter because that’s been the climate pattern for many years. Weather can tell you if you need to wear boots that day because of the snow prediction. Climate tells you when and where it’s best to take a swimming vacation on a beach. Climate tells you what clothes to keep in your closet because you might need them during the year, but weather tells you what clothes to wear that day.
Most scientists are convinced that there is global warming and that they have the facts to back that up. The year 2010 ranked as the warmest year on record, together with 2005 and 1998, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The WMO started keeping instrumental climate records in 1850, and eight of the hottest 10 years since then occurred in the year 2000 and beyond. Scientists expect a 3.5° F increase in average global temperatures by the year 2100, resulting in the warmest temperatures in the past million years.
The last two decades of the twentieth century were the hottest decades in more than 400 years and may have been the hottest decades for several thousand years.
Records show that over the last century, Earth’s average climate had warmed in all seasons and in most regions. A single season or even a year in one region of the world is not a trend in global climate. Global warming refers to a long-term average over our entire planet.
The fact is that after 1961, many glaciers over the world have lost hundreds of cubic miles of ice. Most scientists believe that rising temperatures are the most important factor behind the retreat of glaciers. In Greenland, a NASA satellite shows that the ice sheet is shrinking and disappearing. Glaciers are moving into the ocean faster each year and more and more glaciers are being affected. In 1910, Glacier National Park in Montana was covered by 150 glaciers-today there are fewer than 30.
There’s no doubt about it, the earth is warming up.
Winter Wetlands Photo: Seymour Simon
Map Image courtesy geni.org
Upsala glacier photo: Gary Braasch
Posted by: Seymour Simon
April 15, 2011
I had a great "double Skype" session today with third and fourth graders in two schools in Durham and Middlefield, Connecticut. They have been studying my books and skyping with each other, and today all three of us did a Skype session together.
The students were very well-prepared with questions about my books. They particularly love the very close up photographs in books like ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES, and wondered: how does the cameraperson get so close to a dangerous animal without getting hurt?This is a very good question, and one that I am asked quite often. For a shot like this one, of a rattlesnake’s mouth and fangs, the photographer uses a bit of trickery called a "telephoto lens." That lens takes a picture that seems as though you are very, very close, when in fact, you are safely far away. Nobody is going to get THAT close to a poisonous snake!
The round area with a dark slit (at the bottom of the rattlesnake’s mouth) is a duct for releasing the venom. You can learn more about that and see a diagram at this link.
Thanks to Mrs. Kohs and everyone who helped to organize today’s Skype session. I really enjoyed talking with you all!
Photograph by Anup Shah/Dembinsky Photo Associates
Posted by: Seymour Simon
April 15, 2011
Earth Day is one week from today, Friday, April 22. The theme this year is "A Billion Acts of Green" - designed to prove that if we all take action in our daily lives, real change can occur.
Starting this Sunday, we are going to have an entire week of coverage of Earth Week. We will tell you about what we are doing here at Seymour Science to contribute our own "acts of green".....and we are going to ask you to tell us what you are doing in your own homes, schools and communities.
Churchville Sixth Graders - maybe you could write and tell us about how you used the carbon footprint calculator, and what some of your "Earth Pledges" were?
Earth, Our Planet in Space, is our home. Please join us this year in showing how much we care about it.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
April 13, 2011
What animal can . . .
- run so fast, its feet don’t always touch the ground?
- weigh more than 2,000 pounds?
- sense people’s emotions by their smell?
- . . . and wear shoes?
A horse, of course! Horses are some of the most fascinating - and historically important - creatures on Earth. Are you, or your class, interested in horses? We received this letter last week from a teacher:
"Your books are awesome and so engaging for elementary school, middle, and high school students. I am a 4th grade English Language Arts Teacher and I plan to get your book, HORSES, to use as part of a unit. Does your book discuss the impact of horses on Native Americans for hunting buffalo?"
Our answer was "yes," Seymour Simon’s book HORSES includes the role of horses in American history, including their role in making Native Americans "the mounted buffalo hunters and warriors of the Great Plains."
Then we realized that we had never uploaded the free Teacher Guide which you can download from Seymour’s website and use with HORSES. We have added it now now, and it is quite extensive, with Questions for Before and After Reading, Activities, Additional Resources, and a Student Activity page.
If you haven’t yet tried one of Seymour Simon’s Teacher Guides (which are suited for either classroom or home use), try this one today!
All photographs from Seymour Simon’s HORSES (HarperCollins, 2006)
Posted by: Liz Nealon
April 13, 2011
Did you know that Seymour Simon launched this website exactly one year ago? And, to make our birthday even better, we won a big award!
SeymourSimon.com has been selected as an Official Honoree for the Personal Blog/Website category in The 15th Annual Webby Awards! Only seven websites were selected in our category, and we are the only one designed for both kids and adults to use and enjoy. The Webbys are like the Academy Awards of the Internet - they recognize the best websites from all over the world.
The truth is, a website is only as good as its readers. When you send us your ideas, upload photos and videos, and comment on the blog, you help us to understand what you enjoy, and what you want to see more of.
So thank you, to all our loyal SeymourSimon.com readers. We share this honor with all of you!
Posted by: Liz Nealon
April 12, 2011
Today’s "Cool Photo of the Week" features 15-year-old Regina Mayer, who lives in Germany and wanted a horse in the worst way. Unfortunately, her parents didn’t agree.
So, Regina did the next best thing. When this cow, named Luna, was born on her family’s farm, Regina decided to train her. She put a halter on the calf and started taking her for long walks in the woods. Then, she tried walking her with a saddle on, and finally, she sat in the saddle. Now, she not only rides Luna, but she has taught the cow how to jump!
Photo: Kerstin Joensson / AP
Posted by: Seymour Simon
April 11, 2011
The Live Science blog has done a wonderful article, a list of the 500 Cutest Animals. The author, Tom Chao, wrote: "When it comes to looks, the animal kingdom has some cuties (and some not-so cuties). So the TechMediaNetwork editorial team decided to take on the challenge of ranking them, after extensive debate, in reverse order of cuteness."
We think that Seymour Science readers will love this post. It is full of great photographs, like this one of a Red Panda, also known as a "firefox."
Knowing our readers, I have a feeling you all will want to debate this, as well. Which ones do you think are the cutest?
Photo: Julie Larsen Maher/Wildlife Conservation Society
Posted by: Seymour Simon
