Call it the wonder plant – a flower that can either absorb toxic metals and radiation out of the soil or prevent most of them from entering its system and be safe to consume, depending on the variety. It’s also beautiful, native to the Americas, and begins to bloom in July. It’s the sunflower, and its ability to heal the environment has inspired one U.Va. undergraduate … [Read more...] about Sunflowers: Nature’s Radiation Cleanup Crew and Soil Restorers
agriculture
Great Britain and Ireland Show Their Colors
An astronaut on the International Space Station took this photograph during a rare clear day over Ireland and Great Britain. The wide view captures the contrasting colors of various land cover types present across the two islands. Coastal mountains and rough terrain flank the western edge of Ireland, making the peninsulas there appear browner than the more vegetated (green) … [Read more...] about Great Britain and Ireland Show Their Colors