Free Republic

The climate-change killjoys have gone to great lengths in recent years linking practically anything and everything as a contributor to climate change. Gas stoves? Check. Dishwashers? Check. Eating meat? Check. Sporting events? Check. Breathing? Check, too. Given this history, I must say I was not all that surprised when I read a recent article in the Washington Post claiming, “Indoor houseplants come with a cost to the planet.” According to article’s author, “greening indoor spaces can also come at an environmental cost. The trucks that transport plants spew carbon emissions, plastic pots and synthetic fertilizers are made from petroleum and...

The director of research at a Massachusetts biotech firm has been accused searching online for deadly poisons and purchasing 800 castor bean seeds so he could extract the toxin ricin from them, federal prosecutors say. Dr. Ishtiaq Ali Saaem, 37, was charged on Tuesday with obstruction of justice after he allegedly lied to FBI agents when they were investigating why he was trying to acquire the deadly toxin. Authorities say Saaem had ordered 100 packets of castor beans, which each contained eight seeds, online.

Today in chapel, we confessed to plants. Together, we held our grief, joy, regret, hope, guilt and sorrow in prayer; offering them to the beings who sustain us but whose gift we too often fail to honor. What do you confess to the plants in your life?

I live in rural Upstate NY, in a field in the woods on a hill in the Finger Lakes. Mrs. Dayglored and I have a large garden (flowers and ornamentals, not produce) that in most years is gorgeous this time of year with blossoms all over. (Lots of weeds to remove too, of course.) This year, all the #&!@* RAIN that started early and continues through today has wreaked havoc on it! The ground is saturated and there are puddles that never go away. A dozen little evergreens we planted last year are drowning and dying. Many flowers that are...

Common indoor plants may provide a valuable weapon in the fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution. Those plants in your office or home are not only decorative, but NASA scientists are finding them to be surprisingly useful.They have been found to absorb potentially harmful gases and clean the air inside buildings."If they're looking for an air purifying plant all house plants have some qualities. Spider plants, Peace Lillies are two of the plants that remove toxins. They don't only convert the Carbon Dioxide to Oxygen, they do that, but also remove some of the toxins," says Tallahassee Nurseries'...