returntonow--2020-12-29--Biden Picks “Mr. Monsanto” Tom Vilsack to Head the USDA

Under Obama , Vilsack brought us cloned farm animals , lab-grown meat and more GMOs than any Agriculture Secretary before or after him “ No More Malarkey ” Joe Biden just nominated one of Monsanto ’ s best friends to head the US Department of Agriculture .
During his eight years under Obama , Tom Vilsack earned the nickname “ Mr .
Monsanto ” for approving more new genetically modified organisms than any Agriculture Secretary in history , and for making gobs of money for every approval .
The Organic Consumer ’ s Association has compiled a list of GMOs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Roundup Ready sugar beets .
A judge ruled Monsanto ’ s sugar beets would inevitably contaminate other crops , eventually “ eliminating a consumer ’ s choice to eat non-genetically engineered food.
” • Monsanto ’ s DroughtGard corn .
The GMO seeds actually ended up yielding 11 % LESS corn than conventional corn during the 2012 drought .
• Dicamba-tolerant Xtend soy and cotton .
Several states have banned Monsanto ’ s dicamba herbicide since its approval in 2015 , after it drifted and destroyed millions of acres of conventional soy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , vegetables , trees and native plants .
• Roundup Ready lawn grass .
Vilsack told the Scotts Miracle-Gro it didn ’ t need permits to sell genetically engineered grass commercially .
• Agrisure corn .
Vilsack allowed Syngenta to sell corn seed with genetically engineered traits that were illegal in China to U.S. farmers .
The corn crop was rejected by the markets , costing farmers $ 1.5 billion .
• Ethanol-only corn .
Unsuitable for human or animal consumption , Syngenta ’ s ethanol corn has the potential to destroy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurs .
• 2,4-D-tolerant corn , cotton and soy .
A known endocrine disruptor , Dow ’ s 2,4-D is linked to cancer , thyroid disorders , decreased fertility and birth defects .
Vilsack ’ s approval of the crops increased the use of 2,4-D as much as 600 % .
• Innate potatoes .
The former Monsanto scientist who invented this “ RNA interference ” GMO exposed the dangers of his work four years after Vilsack approved it .
He found an accumulation of toxins in the potatoes , and even scarier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the human bloodstream , where it can influence our own cell function .
• Arctic Apples .
These ever-green apples don ’ t turn brown when they bruise or start to rot , and even retain their bright green pigment when they are juiced .
These GMOs were also created using RNA interference technology .
• Cloned animals .
When Vilsack was asked in 2010 if cloned cows or their offspring had made it into the North American food supply , he claimed he “ didn ’ t know ” .
Needless to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe responded with an embargo , Vilsack left the door open for cloned animal products to be labeled “ USDA Organic.
” “ It is very likely that the offspring of cloned animals are now being used to produce organic milk and other food , ” the Organic Consumer ’ s Association says .
• Synbio dairy substitutes .
Vilsack allowed companies like Perfect Day to begin using genetically-altered yeast cultures to manufacture synthetic dairy substitutes .
Most vegans have no idea their non-dairy cheese is a product genetic engineering .
• Lab-made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meat the green light to engineer cell-cultured meat without requiring USDA inspection or labeling .
A former USDA staffer of his ended up lobbying for the company .
Click here to send your senator a message telling them to “ vote no ” on Mr. Monsanto for Agriculture Secretary .

Under Obama, Vilsack brought us cloned farm animals, lab-grown meat and more GMOs than any Agriculture Secretary before or after him
“No More Malarkey” Joe Biden just nominated one of Monsanto’s best friends to head the US Department of Agriculture.
During his eight years under Obama, Tom Vilsack earned the nickname “Mr. Monsanto” for approving more new genetically modified organisms than any Agriculture Secretary in history, and for making gobs of money for every approval.
The Organic Consumer’s Association has compiled a list of GMOs we have to thank him for:
• Roundup Ready sugar beets. A judge ruled Monsanto’s sugar beets would inevitably contaminate other crops, eventually “eliminating a consumer’s choice to eat non-genetically engineered food.”
• Roundup Ready alfalfa. Monsanto’s first genetically modified perennial went wild, costing alfalfa growers millions.
• Monsanto’s DroughtGard corn. The GMO seeds actually ended up yielding 11% LESS corn than conventional corn during the 2012 drought.
• Dicamba-tolerant Xtend soy and cotton. Several states have banned Monsanto’s dicamba herbicide since its approval in 2015, after it drifted and destroyed millions of acres of conventional soy, as well as nurseries, vineyards, vegetables, trees and native plants.
• Roundup Ready lawn grass. Vilsack told the Scotts Miracle-Gro it didn’t need permits to sell genetically engineered grass commercially.
• Agrisure corn. Vilsack allowed Syngenta to sell corn seed with genetically engineered traits that were illegal in China to U.S. farmers. The corn crop was rejected by the markets, costing farmers $1.5 billion.
• Ethanol-only corn. Unsuitable for human or animal consumption, Syngenta’s ethanol corn has the potential to destroy the genome of edible corn where cross contamination occurs.
• 2,4-D-tolerant corn, cotton and soy. A known endocrine disruptor, Dow’s 2,4-D is linked to cancer, thyroid disorders, decreased fertility and birth defects. Vilsack’s approval of the crops increased the use of 2,4-D as much as 600%.
• Innate potatoes. The former Monsanto scientist who invented this “RNA interference” GMO exposed the dangers of his work four years after Vilsack approved it. He found an accumulation of toxins in the potatoes, and even scarier, he found their double-stranded RNA enters the human bloodstream, where it can influence our own cell function.
• Arctic Apples. These ever-green apples don’t turn brown when they bruise or start to rot, and even retain their bright green pigment when they are juiced. These GMOs were also created using RNA interference technology.
• Cloned animals. When Vilsack was asked in 2010 if cloned cows or their offspring had made it into the North American food supply, he claimed he “didn’t know”. Needless to say, this aroused alarm. While Europe responded with an embargo, Vilsack left the door open for cloned animal products to be labeled “USDA Organic.”
“It is very likely that the offspring of cloned animals are now being used to produce organic milk and other food,” the Organic Consumer’s Association says.
• Synbio dairy substitutes. Vilsack allowed companies like Perfect Day to begin using genetically-altered yeast cultures to manufacture synthetic dairy substitutes. Most vegans have no idea their non-dairy cheese is a product genetic engineering.
• Lab-made meat. Vilsack gave companies like Memphis Meat the green light to engineer cell-cultured meat without requiring USDA inspection or labeling. A former USDA staffer of his ended up lobbying for the company.
Click here to send your senator a message telling them to “vote no” on Mr. Monsanto for Agriculture Secretary.


returntonow--2020-12-31--Red Creeping Thyme: The Beautiful Pink Lawn You Never Have to Mow, Water or Weed

This zero-maintenance lawn also repels mosquitoes and feeds the bees !
Lawns are becoming less and less popular these days .
Besides being high-maintenance , they are terrible for the environment .
The mono-crop grasses require lots of watering , fertilizing and “ herbiciding.
” With mounting water shortages around the world , should we really be dumping clean water on non-edible grass ?
Grass also requires gasoline for the lawnmower and your labor .
And , of course , along with mono-crop farm fields , conventional lawns are starving out pollinators , who used to rely on natural prairie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people are looking for alternatives .
Some are planting edible gardens , some are planting prairie grasses and flowers for pollinators , and some are planting eco-friendly clover lawns , for a look and feel more similar to a regular lawn .
And now we ’ ve found another alternative – creeping red thyme .
Like clover , the fast-growing cover crop can take over your whole lawn like a carpet .
It stays low-to-the-ground , never growing more than 3 or 4 inches tall .
It ’ s soft like clover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lay on without dying .
While the creeping variety is not edible like regular thyme , its pleasant lemony scent attracts humans and pollinators , while repelling mosquitoes .
It ’ s ultra-drought tolerant , and shouldn ’ t need to be watered except in the beginning , unless you ’ re in an extremely dry climate .
Because it ’ s roots go deeper into the soil , it also shouldn ’ t need to be fertilized , which is good news for the rivers , lakes and oceans polluted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover crop creates a thick mat wherever it ’ s planted , so you won ’ t have to do any weeding or apply any herbicide .
Bonus – the long-lasting perennial flowers will paint your lawn a beautiful shade of pinkish lavender for a good chunk of the year .
You can plant it in segments if you want variety .
Or let it take over the whole yard .

This zero-maintenance lawn also repels mosquitoes and feeds the bees!
Lawns are becoming less and less popular these days. Besides being high-maintenance, they are terrible for the environment.
The mono-crop grasses require lots of watering, fertilizing and “herbiciding.” With mounting water shortages around the world, should we really be dumping clean water on non-edible grass?
Grass also requires gasoline for the lawnmower and your labor.
And, of course, along with mono-crop farm fields, conventional lawns are starving out pollinators, who used to rely on natural prairie grasses, flowers and forests.
Naturally, people are looking for alternatives. Some are planting edible gardens, some are planting prairie grasses and flowers for pollinators, and some are planting eco-friendly clover lawns, for a look and feel more similar to a regular lawn.
And now we’ve found another alternative – creeping red thyme. Like clover, the fast-growing cover crop can take over your whole lawn like a carpet.
It stays low-to-the-ground, never growing more than 3 or 4 inches tall. It’s soft like clover, and hardy enough to walk on and lay on without dying.
While the creeping variety is not edible like regular thyme, its pleasant lemony scent attracts humans and pollinators, while repelling mosquitoes.
It’s ultra-drought tolerant, and shouldn’t need to be watered except in the beginning, unless you’re in an extremely dry climate.
Because its roots go deeper into the soil, it also shouldn’t need to be fertilized, which is good news for the rivers, lakes and oceans polluted by fertilizer runoff.
And, the no-maintenance cover crop creates a thick mat wherever it’s planted, so you won’t have to do any weeding or apply any herbicide.
Bonus – the long-lasting perennial flowers will paint your lawn a beautiful shade of pinkish lavender for a good chunk of the year.
You can plant it in segments if you want variety.
Or let it take over the whole yard.


returntonow--2020-03-28--Cruise Ships Dumped Over 3 Million Pounds of Trash in Alaska Last Year

Alaskan cruise ships dumped record-breaking amounts of trash in the state last year Records show cruise ships left behind more @ @ @ @ @ trash in Alaska ’ s capital city in 2019 .
Local government officials have reached @ @ @ @ @ landfill and the cruise ship industry to stop the dumping , but they aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ Because both industries are private , and because there aren ’ t any laws on @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s not much the city can do about it .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ , garbage and hauling of garbage .
So anything that we ’ re able to @ @ @ @ @ with the cruise lines , ” Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt told the local news @ @ @ @ @ – which operates Juneau ’ s landfill – says it accepted 1,534 tons , or @ @ @ @ @ cruise ship garbage in 2019 .

Alaskan cruise ships dumped record-breaking amounts of trash in the state last year
Records show cruise ships left behind more than 3 million pounds of trash in Alaska’s capital city in 2019.
Local government officials have reached out to both the Juneau landfill and the cruise ship industry to stop the dumping, but they aren’t having much luck.
Because both industries are private, and because there aren’t any laws on the books for cruise lines, there’s not much the city can do about it.
“We don’t regulate waste, garbage and hauling of garbage. So anything that we’re able to do will be by negotiation with the cruise lines,” Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt told the local news station.
Waste Management Inc. – which operates Juneau’s landfill – says it accepted 1,534 tons, or 3.3 million pounds, of cruise ship garbage in 2019.


returntonow--2020-03-27--Sunlight and Fresh Air Tripled Chances of Spanish Flu Survival

Patients in “ open-air ” hospitals were 3 times as likely to survive the 1918 Spanish flu .
Coronavirus victims should STAY OUTDOORS , public health expert warns .
Records from the H1N1 “ Spanish flu ” pandemic of 1918-1919 suggest sunshine and fresh air were among the most helpful therapies in stopping the spread of the illness and reducing mortality rates of those who had it .
“ Put simply , medics found that severely ill flu patients nursed outdoors recovered better than those treated indoors , ” writes Dr. Richard Hobday , an infection control and public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most devastating pandemic on record , killing between 50 million and 100 million people , around a quarter of the U.S. population at the time .
“ The conventional view is that little could have been done to prevent the H1N1 virus from spreading or to treat those infected ; however , there is evidence to the contrary , ” Hobday writes in a research paper published in the American Journal of Public Health .
Records from an “ open-air ” hospital in Boston , Massachusetts , suggest that some patients and staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The combination of fresh air and sunlight seems to have prevented deaths among patients ; and infections among medical staff , ” he writes .
The city of Boston was hit particularly hard by the Spanish flu .
The State Guard set up an emergency hospital for the worst cases among sailors arriving in the Boston harbor .
The hospital ’ s medical officer noticed the sickest sailors were in poorly-ventilated spaces .
So he put them in outdoor tents for fresh air .
In good weather they were rolled out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to one report , published in the American Journal of Public Health , the regimen reduced deaths among hospital patients from 40 % to 13 % .
That means patients who were treated outdoors were three times more likely to survive , compared to indoor patients .
At that time , open-air therapy was also widely used on WWI casualties and tuberculosis patients .
Patients were either rolled outside in their beds or nursed in cross-ventilated wards with the windows open day and night .
Open-air therapy remained popular until antibiotics replaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1960s , tests by Ministry of Defense scientists proved that fresh air is a natural disinfectant .
“ Something in it , which they called the Open Air Factor , is far more harmful to airborne viruses and bacteria than indoor air , ” Hobday said .
No one could identify exactly what it was about fresh air that caused germs to die , but they found it was effective both during the day and at night .
The discovery of the Open Air Factor led to the building of cross-ventilated hospital wards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a design long-forgotten in modern hospital buildings .
During the First World War , military surgeons routinely used sunlight to heal infected wounds , Hobday notes .
They knew it was a disinfectant , but didn ’ t know why .
The link between low vitamin D and respiratory infections was not made until the 1920s .
More recent studies have since proven the sun inactivates the influenza virus and kills bacteria that cause lung and other infections in hospitals .
Also , our body ’ s biological rhythms influence how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can alter our inflammatory response to the flu virus .
Sunlight plays an important role in synchronizing these rhythms .
“ If the Covid-19 crisis gets worse , history suggests it might be prudent to have tents and pre-fabricated , open-air hospitals ready to deal with large numbers of seriously ill cases , ” Hobday says .

Patients in “open-air” hospitals were 3 times as likely to survive the 1918 Spanish flu as those treated indoors.
Records from the H1N1 “Spanish flu” pandemic of 1918-1919 suggest sunshine and fresh air were among the most helpful therapies in stopping the spread of the illness and reducing mortality rates of those who had it.
“Put simply, medics found that severely ill flu patients nursed outdoors recovered better than those treated indoors,” writes Dr. Richard Hobday, an infection control and public health researcher.
The Spanish flu is the most devastating pandemic on record, killing between 50 million and 100 million people, around a quarter of the U.S. population at the time.
“The conventional view is that little could have been done to prevent the H1N1 virus from spreading or to treat those infected; however, there is evidence to the contrary,” Hobday writes in a research paper published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Records from an “open-air” hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, suggest that some patients and staff were spared the worst of the outbreak.
“ The combination of fresh air and sunlight seems to have prevented deaths among patients; and infections among medical staff,” he writes.
The city of Boston was hit particularly hard by the Spanish flu. The State Guard set up an emergency hospital for the worst cases among sailors arriving in the Boston harbor.
The hospital’s medical officer noticed the sickest sailors were in poorly-ventilated spaces. So he put them in outdoor tents for fresh air. In good weather they were rolled out into the sun, Hobday says.
According to one report, published in the American Journal of Public Health, the regimen reduced deaths among hospital patients from 40% to 13%.
That means patients who were treated outdoors were three times more likely to survive, compared to indoor patients.
Fresh air
At that time, open-air therapy was also widely used on WWI casualties and tuberculosis patients.
Patients were either rolled outside in their beds or nursed in cross-ventilated wards with the windows open day and night.
Open-air therapy remained popular until antibiotics replaced it in the 1950s.
In the 1960s, tests by Ministry of Defense scientists proved that fresh air is a natural disinfectant.
“Something in it, which they called the Open Air Factor, is far more harmful to airborne viruses and bacteria than indoor air,” Hobday said.
No one could identify exactly what it was about fresh air that caused germs to die, but they found it was effective both during the day and at night.
The discovery of the Open Air Factor led to the building of cross-ventilated hospital wards, with high ceilings and big windows, a design long-forgotten in modern hospital buildings.
Sunshine
During the First World War, military surgeons routinely used sunlight to heal infected wounds, Hobday notes.
They knew it was a disinfectant, but didn’t know why.
The link between low vitamin D and respiratory infections was not made until the 1920s.
More recent studies have since proven the sun inactivates the influenza virus and kills bacteria that cause lung and other infections in hospitals.
Also, our body’s biological rhythms influence how we resist infections. A new study suggests they can alter our inflammatory response to the flu virus. Sunlight plays an important role in synchronizing these rhythms.
“If the Covid-19 crisis gets worse, history suggests it might be prudent to have tents and pre-fabricated, open-air hospitals ready to deal with large numbers of seriously ill cases,” Hobday says.


returntonow--2020-03-30--Tesla’s New Solar Roofs Are More Efficient Than Panels and Way Better Looking

Solar “ shingles ” last 3 times longer than regular roofs and don ’ t cost much more Why buy solar panels when you can have a solar roof ?
Elon Musk ’ s new glass solar “ shingles ” are the most efficient solar “ panels ” on the market .
At $ 2 per watt , Tesla ’ s solar roof provides the lowest cost per watt of any solar panel system in the country , the company ’ s website claims .
You ’ ll pay a bit more for that type of efficiency upfront – with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as solar panels per square foot – but you ’ ll make up for the difference over time with almost twice the efficiency of a typical system .
And when you factor in the fact you won ’ t need another new roof within your lifetime ( they last three times longer than regular shingle roofs – around 75 years ) you ’ re saving even more money in the long run .
Another bonus – unlike ugly solar panels , solar roofs are among the most beautiful roofs in existence .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Musk said in a recent conference call with the press .
“ There are all these roofs out there just gathering sunlight , but not doing anything with it .
In the future it will be odd for roofs to be dormant , or dead , or not gathering energy.
” Telsa ’ s New York factory just produced it ’ s first mass batch of shingles – enough for 1000 houses – a couple of weeks ago , and now the company is hiring roofers to install them , so you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !

Solar “shingles” last 3 times longer than regular roofs and don’t cost much more
Why buy solar panels when you can have a solar roof?
Elon Musk’s new glass solar “shingles” are the most efficient solar “panels” on the market.
At $2 per watt, Tesla’s solar roof provides the lowest cost per watt of any solar panel system in the country, the company’s website claims.
You’ll pay a bit more for that type of efficiency upfront – with solar shingles costing about twice as much as solar panels per square foot – but you’ll make up for the difference over time with almost twice the efficiency of a typical system.
And when you factor in the fact you won’t need another new roof within your lifetime (they last three times longer than regular shingle roofs – around 75 years) you’re saving even more money in the long run.
Another bonus – unlike ugly solar panels, solar roofs are among the most beautiful roofs in existence.
“We can make roofs come alive,” Musk said in a recent conference call with the press. “There are all these roofs out there just gathering sunlight, but not doing anything with it. In the future it will be odd for roofs to be dormant, or dead, or not gathering energy.”
Telsa’s New York factory recently produced it’s first mass batch of shingles – enough for 1000 houses – a couple of weeks ago, and now the company is hiring roofers to install them, so you should be able to order yours soon!


returntonow--2020-04-01--“Cloud Generator” Invention Creates Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

Architects repurpose shipping container into device that could provide clean water for billions who lack it A couple of American architects have repurposed a shipping container into a machine that can extract water out of thin air .
Using a cloud generator to make water and biomass gasifier for electricity , one shipping container can pull enough moisture out of the air to produce 300 gallons of water per day , enough to meet the daily water needs of 100 people .
The innovation won a $ 1.5 million prize in a competition to come up with a device that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water per day , at a cost of less than 2 cents per liter .
Architects David Hertz and Rich Groden ’ s device , known as Skywater , lived up to the challenge .
The machine is made of two basic components : One is a generator that cools warm air , creating a cloud of condensation , similar to the way a natural cloud is formed .
The condensed water is stored inside of a tank , which can be accessed via a tap outside the shipping container .
The second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide electricity for the generator .
Anything from food scraps to coconut shells can be vaporized in a natural process involving heat , steam and oxygen that converts the biomass into hydrogen without combustion .
All that remains of the biomass is charcoal , which then can be used as carbon-rich plant-food for your garden .
“ I think the future of technologies is going to be moving to this restorative , regenerative model that actually helps to repair the damage we ’ ve done , ” said Hertz .
Skywater can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the world – a real-life Rainmaker of sorts .
It can be powered by biomass , solar or battery .
“ One could imagine these shipping containers being positioned in a state of readiness throughout the world to be able to respond to disasters for both energy and water , ” said Hertz .
Hertz and his team plan on using the prize money develop more machines and to work with nonprofits to disperse them around the world .

Device sucks moisture out of the air to create clean water anywhere in the world, even in the desert.
A couple of American architects have repurposed a shipping container into a machine that can extract water out of thin air.
Using a cloud generator to make water and biomass gasifier for electricity, one shipping container can pull enough moisture out of the air to produce 300 gallons of water per day, enough to meet the daily water needs of 100 people.
The innovation won a $1.5 million prize in a competition to come up with a device that could make at least 2,000 liters of water per day, at a cost of less than 2 cents per liter.
Architects David Hertz and Rich Groden’s device, known as Skywater, lived up to the challenge.
The machine is made of two basic components:
One is a generator that cools warm air, creating a cloud of condensation, similar to the way a natural cloud is formed. The condensed water is stored inside of a tank, which can be accessed via a tap outside the shipping container.
The second piece is a low-cost biomass gasifier to provide electricity for the generator. Anything from food scraps to coconut shells can be vaporized in a natural process involving heat, steam and oxygen that converts the biomass into hydrogen without combustion.
All that remains of the biomass is charcoal, which then can be used as carbon-rich plant-food for your garden.
“I think the future of technologies is going to be moving to this restorative, regenerative model that actually helps to repair the damage we’ve done,” said Hertz.
Skywater can be used in any climate, in any part of the world – a real-life Rainmaker of sorts.
It can be powered by biomass, solar or battery.
“One could imagine these shipping containers being positioned in a state of readiness throughout the world to be able to respond to disasters for both energy and water,” said Hertz.
Hertz and his team plan on using the prize money develop more machines and to work with nonprofits to disperse them around the world.


returntonow--2020-03-27--A Lesson From the Spanish Flu: Sunshine and Fresh Air are Our Best Friends Right Now

Patients in “ open-air ” hospitals were 3 times as likely to survive the 1918 Spanish flu as those treated indoors .
Records from the H1N1 “ Spanish flu ” pandemic of 1918-1919 suggest sunshine and fresh air were among the most helpful therapies in stopping the spread of the illness and reducing mortality rates of those who had it .
“ Put simply , medics found that severely ill flu patients nursed outdoors recovered better than those treated indoors , ” writes Dr. Richard Hobday , an infection control and public health researcher .
The Spanish flu is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 50 million and 100 million people , around a quarter of the U.S. population at the time .
“ The conventional view is that little could have been done to prevent the H1N1 virus from spreading or to treat those infected ; however , there is evidence to the contrary , ” Hobday writes in a research paper published in the American Journal of Public Health .
Records from an “ open-air ” hospital in Boston , Massachusetts , suggest that some patients and staff were spared the worst of the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sunlight seems to have prevented deaths among patients ; and infections among medical staff , ” he writes .
The city of Boston was hit particularly hard by the Spanish flu .
The State Guard set up an emergency hospital for the worst cases among sailors arriving in the Boston harbor .
The hospital ’ s medical officer noticed the sickest sailors were in poorly-ventilated spaces .
So he put them in outdoor tents for fresh air .
In good weather they were rolled out into the sun , Hobday says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American Journal of Public Health , the regimen reduced deaths among hospital patients from 40 % to 13 % .
That means patients who were treated outdoors were three times more likely to survive , compared to indoor patients .
At that time , open-air therapy was also widely used on WWI casualties and tuberculosis patients .
Patients were either rolled outside in their beds or nursed in cross-ventilated wards with the windows open day and night .
Open-air therapy remained popular until antibiotics replaced it in the 1950s .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientists proved that fresh air is a natural disinfectant .
“ Something in it , which they called the Open Air Factor , is far more harmful to airborne viruses and bacteria than indoor air , ” Hobday said .
No one could identify exactly what it was about fresh air that caused germs to die , but they found it was effective both during the day and at night .
The discovery of the Open Air Factor led to the building of cross-ventilated hospital wards , with high ceilings and big windows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buildings .
During the First World War , military surgeons routinely used sunlight to heal infected wounds , Hobday notes .
They knew it was a disinfectant , but didn ’ t know why .
The link between low vitamin D and respiratory infections was not made until the 1920s .
More recent studies have since proven the sun inactivates the influenza virus and kills bacteria that cause lung and other infections in hospitals .
Also , our body ’ s biological rhythms influence how we resist infections .
A new study suggests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the flu virus .
Sunlight plays an important role in synchronizing these rhythms .
“ If the Covid-19 crisis gets worse , history suggests it might be prudent to have tents and pre-fabricated , open-air hospitals ready to deal with large numbers of seriously ill cases , ” Hobday says .


returntonow--2020-04-02--Man Sneaks Down Street Disguised as a Bush During Quarantine

Epic comic relief !
Neighbors capture hilarious video of a man sneaking out of his home dressed as a bush @ @ @ @ @ up around the world , with curfews and stay-at-home orders in many places , some @ @ @ @ @ to get around the rules .
One unidentified British man has gone so far as @ @ @ @ @ realistic bush costume .
His neighbors caught him on film creeping , crawling and rolling @ @ @ @ @ behind trash cans , and pausing to take the shape of a bush in open @ @ @ @ @ was not clear whether he was sneaking out to visit a friend , to get @ @ @ @ @ whether he had lost his mind after several weeks of quarantine .
But later he @ @ @ @ @ bag of groceries , a permitted activity .
So he was most likely just trying @ @ @ @ @ much-needed laugh .
His neighbors on the other side of the ocean apparently appreciate the @ @ @ @ @ the videos have been shared millions of times around the world .

Epic comic relief! Neighbors capture hilarious video of a man sneaking out of his home dressed as a bush during quarantine
As lockdowns tighten up around the world, with curfews and stay-at-home orders in many places, some are going to extreme lengths to get around the rules.
One unidentified British man has gone so far as to manufacture himself a very realistic bush costume.
His neighbors caught him on film creeping, crawling and rolling down the street, hiding behind trash cans, and pausing to take the shape of a bush in open lawns:
At first it was not clear whether he was sneaking out to visit a friend, to get some fresh air, or whether he had lost his mind after several weeks of quarantine.
But later he was spotted returning with a bag of groceries, a permitted activity. So he was most likely just trying to give his neighbors a much-needed laugh.
His neighbors on the other side of the ocean apparently appreciate the laugh as well, as the videos have been shared millions of times around the world.