In this week's issue of our environment newsletter, we look at ways to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated by summer parties, tally up small cars that have left the Canadian market and find out why scientists are building saunas for frogs.Scientists are building saunas for frogsThere are a few different strategies to reduce the plastic and paper waste that piles up after summer parties, but the ideal is to stick with reusables, sustainability researchers say.
Regarding the first part of Sargent's question, Jiaying Zhao suggests that anyone wanting to organize a more environmentally friendly summer gathering could consider offering a prize for reducing waste. If offering a reward for good behaviour isn't possible, renting what you need for the party is one other option.
Paper plates are also a greener option than plastic plates because paper can generally be composted, said Li, the co-founder of the Food Systems Lab at Simon Fraser University. We're still interested in hearing more of your experiences with bike sharing services in your city, your thoughts about what you're reading in this issue, and topics you'd like us to explore.A little while ago, we asked readers whether they had trouble buying a smaller vehicle amid a market full of SUVs and trucks, and some shared their experiences. It turns out that they aren't restricted to certain communities or dealers.
But new research says the amphibians love it, and that these DIY dry saunas — made with spray-painted bricks housed in plastic greenhouses — could give them an edge in fighting a deadly fungus. Waddle compared chytrid's effects to an athlete who drinks too much water, disrupting the body's sodium and potassium levels, eventually leading to cardiac arrest.
But he also found that when "frogs had access to these shelters, their body temperatures were higher and over time they had lower infections." On top of that, frogs that cleared their infections using this high heat were more resistant to re-infection.