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Achoo! 5 essential reads for pollen season

As spring expands across North America, trees, shrubs and flowers are releasing <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/pollen">pollen</a>. This fine, powdery substance is produced by the male structures of cone-bearing and flowering plants. When it’s carried to the plants’ female structures by wind, water or pollinators, fertilization happens. As pollen travels, it also triggers allergies in <a href="https://www.aafa.org/allergy-facts/">some 25 million Americans</a>. Pollen exposure can cause sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, runny nose and postnasal drip – unwelcome signs of spring for sufferers. This roundup of articles from our archives describes recent findings on protecting pollinators and coping with pollen season. <h2>1. Hey pollinators, over here</h2> Since pollen grains carry the cells that fertilize plants, it’s critical for them to get where they need to go. Often wind or gravity is all it takes, but for many plants, a pollinator has to carry the pollen grains. Some plants offer nectar or edible pollen to attract insects, bats or other animals, which carry pollen from plant to plant as they forage. Many flowers also <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-flowers-smell-151672">lure pollinators with scent</a>. “Similar to the perfumes at a department store counter, flower scents are made up from a large and diverse number of chemicals which evaporate easily and float through the air,” writes Mississippi State University horticulturalist <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dJ8gD7MAAAAJ&hl=en">Richard L. Harkess</a>. “To differentiate itself from other flowers, each species’ flowers put out a unique scent to attract specific pollinators. … Once pollinated, the flower stops producing a floral scent and nectar and redirects its energy to the fertilized embryo that will become the seed.” <h2>2. Bees at the buffet</h2> It’s well known that many species of insects have <a href="https://theconversation.com/insect-apocalypse-not-so-fast-at-least-in-north-america-141107">declined in recent years</a>. One big focus is <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/honey-bees/honeybees">honeybees</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-honey-bees-wild-bees-are-also-key-pollinators-and-some-species-are-disappearing-89214">other species of bees</a>, which pollinate many important crops. In a 2021 study, University of Florida agricultural extension specialist <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=I8IjAnIAAAAJ&hl=en">Hamutahl Cohen</a> found that when bees visited fields where sunflowers, grown as crops, were blooming over many acres, they <a href="https://theconversation.com/planting-mixes-of-flowers-around-farm-fields-helps-keep-bees-healthy-170527">picked up parasites at a high rate</a>. In contrast, bees that foraged in hedgerows around crop fields and could choose from diverse types of flowers to feed on spread out farther and had lower rates of infection. “The more bees in sunflower fields, the more parasites,” Cohen observed. “Sunflower blooms were aggregating bees, which in turn was amplifying disease risk.” However, “in the presence of many flower types, bees disperse and spread across resources, reducing each individual bee’s likelihood of encountering an infected individual.” <h2>3. Warmer weather means more pollen</h2> As climate change raises average temperatures across the U.S., growing seasons are starting earlier and ending later in the year. That’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/pollen-season-is-getting-longer-and-more-intense-with-climate-change-heres-what-allergy-sufferers-can-expect-in-the-future-179158">bad news for allergy sufferers</a>. “The higher temperature will extend the growing season, giving plants more time to emit pollen and reproduce,” write University of Michigan atmospheric scientists <a href="https://clasp.engin.umich.edu/people/zhang-yingxiao/">Yingxiao Zhang</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3dWPwz8AAAAJ&hl=en">Allison L. Steiner</a>. And by increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere, climate change will make it possible for plants to grow larger and generate more pollen. “Southeastern regions, including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, can expect large grass and weed pollen increases in the future. The Pacific Northwest is likely to see peak pollen season a month earlier because of the early pollen season of alder,” Zhang and Steiner report. <h2>4. Providing better forecasts</h2> With all that pollen out there, how can allergy sufferers know when counts are high? Today the U.S. has only a rudimentary network of 90 pollen observation stations across the country, staffed by volunteers and run only during pollen season, so often there isn’t good information available when people need it. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=sUwveOEAAAAJ&hl=en">Fiona Lo</a>, an environmental health scientist at the University of Washington, is working with colleagues to develop a model that can predict airborne pollen releases. “Our forecast can predict for specific pollen types because our model includes information about how each plant type interacts differently with the environment,” Lo reports. So far, the model only predicts levels of four types of common pollen in areas where there are observation stations. Ultimately, though, Lo and her collaborators “want to provide a forecast every day during pollen season to give allergy sufferers the information they need to manage their symptoms. Allergies are often undertreated, and knowledge about self-care is limited, so a reliable pollen forecast that is easy to access – for example, via an app on your phone – along with education on allergy management, could really help allergy sufferers.” <h2>5. Support pollinators in your garden</h2> Pollen season is also gardening season, since it’s when plants are blooming. West Virginia University mycologist <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian-Lovett">Brian Lovett</a>offers advice for gardeners who want to <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-help-insects-make-them-welcome-in-your-garden-heres-how-153609">attract beneficial insects to their yards</a> for pollination and other purposes. One step is to replace grass with native wildflowers, which will provide pollen and nectar for insects like ants, bees and butterflies. “Just as you may have a favorite local restaurant, insects that live around you have a taste for the flowers that are native to their areas,” Lovett notes. Replacing white lightbulbs with yellow or warm-hued LED bulbs, and providing water in dishes or other containers, are also insect-friendly steps. Local university extension offices and gardening stores can offer other suggestions. “In my view, humans all too often see ourselves as separate from nature, which leads us to relegate biodiversity to designated parks,” Lovett observes. “In fact, however, we are an important part of the natural world, and we need insects just as much as they need us.” Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/achoo-5-essential-reads-for-pollen-season-181672" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Home & Garden

9 surprising ways to cut down indoor air pollution

Many people assume pollution is just an outdoor problem but your home can also be polluted with mould and dust mites, making it an unhealthy environment. As Susan Olesik, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Ohio State University says: “As a society, we make sure that our houses are well-insulated, but we don’t think enough about exposure to all the things we place in our homes.” The air quality in and around buildings has a big effect on our health, and while you can feel the symptoms – shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea – right away, other health effects can come on years after exposure, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Clear out old cigarette and e-cigarette smoke Pulmonologist Dr Sumita Khatri notes that one of the most common indoor air pollutants is cigarette smoke, though newer e-cigarettes are another source. The vapour emitted when someone smokes e-cigarettes releases chemicals linked to lung disease. This rule also applies to the previous occupants of your home who may have smoked. “We have all heard of second-hand smoke but this is called third-hand smoke,” says Dr Khatri. “If you have a room that has been exposed to residual smoke, make sure to change the fabric or carpet, which can be a risk to children or people with chronic heart and lung problems,” she adds. Don’t overwater indoor plants Overwatering your plants can contribute to the growth of mould, and any water that leaks on to the floor invites mould growth as well, says Olesik. Put pebbles on top of the soil to discourage mould spores from getting into and polluting the air, walls and floor. Clean under your fridge The tray under your fridge is a veritable mould magnet. Adding salt reduces the growth of mould and bacteria. Clean under the refrigerator occasionally to get rid of dust and mould, and make sure your cleaning products are environmentally friendly, advises Dr Khatri. “Cleaning products can also be harmful, so consider green and natural cleaning products which release less harmful chemicals and fumes,” she says. Freshen air naturally Air fresheners and scented candles contain trace amounts of hazardous chemicals, though in amounts lower than most guidelines, so it’s OK to use them on occasion, says Oleski. But she warns against overdoing either approach to fresher air. “It’s better to open the window if the weather allows.” If not, turn on the AC. Air conditioners remove mould-friendly moisture and filter allergens entering the house. Just make sure to clean or change the filters often or you’ll just make things worse. Give stuffed toys the deep freeze That teddy bear could be riddled with dust mites! Regularly slip stuffed toys into a freezer bag and let them chill for three to five hours. The cold will kill any dust mites that could contribute to indoor air pollution, according to a 2017 report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Declutter Regularly throw out or give away coats and other clothing you haven’t worn in ages. Put sports equipment in the garage where it belongs. When you’ve finished, you should be able to see all your closet floors and back walls. “Minimising clutter is a great way to improve air quality because it allows you to see dust and other contaminants that might be invisible,” says Dr Khatri. Now give everything a good vacuum and you’ll have significantly reduced the amount of dust in your house and cut down on your indoor air pollution. Leave shoes at the door Mud isn’t the only thing you track into your home, notes Oleski. Parking your shoes by the door keeps your floors clean and reduces indoor air pollution, especially pesticides tracked in from outdoors. “You know those signs that say ‘keep dogs off lawn?’” They should also apply to people,” she says. Keep your pets clean Just like you take off your shoes, always make sure to wipe off your pet’s paws when they come in from being outdoors. Towelling off their coat can also help prevent the spread of pollen indoors. And bathe them frequently to help dissolve the natural, allergy-causing substances in their sweat and skin that spread to their fur. Photo: Getty Images

Home & Garden

5 fascinating pollination facts

1. Pollination is an essential part of the fertilisation process The movement of pollen from one flower to another flower of the same species is an essential step in the fertilisation of plants and the development of the fruit and seeds needed for reproduction. 2. 75% of flowering plants depend on pollinators for fertilisation An overwhelming proportion of at least 75% of flowering plants depend on pollinators for fertilisation. It’s a good reason to encourage the birds and the bees into your garden to help it flourish. 3. Bees pollinate but so do other animals and insects Birds, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps and small mammals are all common pollinators. Other animals, as well as the wind, can carry pollen from flower to flower as well. 4. Pollination leads to the creation of everyday essentials like coffee and tequila About a thousand plants we rely on worldwide for the production of goods require pollinators. These include those grown for food, beverages, spices and medicines. Think coffee, chocolate and tequila! 5. Protect pollinators by planting native flowering plants You can protect pollinators by planting native flowering plants, reducing your use of pesticides and telling others of the danger these animals and insects are in through chemical misuse, loss of habitat and diseases. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.handyman.net.au/5-fascinating-pollination-facts">Handyman Australia</a>.

Home & Garden

The truth about Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan's inspiring 30-year love story

They fittingly met on the ‘80s hit show Family Ties, but it wasn’t love at first sight for Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan. In fact, both were seeing other people at the time and it would be several years before the pair coupled up to become one of Hollywood’s most enduring relationships. Although their characters Alex P. Keaton and Ellen Reed were loved up on Family Ties, in real life Pollan was in a serious long-term relationship with Kevin Bacon and Fox was dating Facts of Life actress Nancy McKeon. "I always thought [Tracy] was cool," Fox told People years later, "but it was like a couple of married people who worked together and liked each other." <img width="402" height="512" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/clv.h-cdn.co/assets/17/39/768x980/gallery-1506544204-gettyimages-140631084.jpg?resize=480:*" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> It wasn’t until 1987 when the Pollen and Fox worked together in a movie called Bright Lights, Big City that a romance began to blossom. Pollan told Winfrey in 2002: "From the beginning, I loved his sense of humour and that brain of his. He's so smart." Fox <a href="https://people.com/archive/cover-story-getting-back-to-his-future-vol-32-no-23/" target="_blank">told People in 1989</a> of hearing that Pollen and Bacon had split: "It sounds really horrible, but it was one of those things. Someone goes, 'Did you hear that so-and-so aren't together anymore?' and you go, 'Hmm, that's too bad. Where's the phone?'" Seven months after they started dating, he proposed on December 26, 1987. "I wasn't really worried that she would say no," he recalled. "The toughest part was trying to figure out when to get married, and then to figure out how nobody else could know about it." <img width="400" height="518" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/clv.h-cdn.co/assets/17/39/768x995/gallery-1506542281-gettyimages-529485432.jpg?resize=480:*" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> The couple tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony at Vermont's West Mountain Inn on July 16, 1988. Fox, who is Episcopalian, and Pollan, who is Jewish, had an interfaith ceremony with both a minister and rabbi. "Michael seemed a little nervous," Rev. Joan O'Gorman later told People. "In fact, they seemed just like any other young and loving couple who were excited to be getting married." Their first child, a son they named Sam Michael, was born on May 30, 1989. Fox and Pollan loved being parents, and would go on to have twin girls, Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances, in 1995, and one more daughter, Esmé, in 2001. "I kind of shut the door and said to everyone we love who wanted to see the baby, 'Just give us a little bit of time to get used to it ourselves,'" Fox said after the birth of Sam. "What's interesting is that the parental instinct just kicks in. The next thing you know, you've got a sore hip because you're holding him all the time." <img width="394" height="402" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/clv.h-cdn.co/assets/17/39/980x1001/gallery-1506543551-gettyimages-1319529.jpg?resize=480:*" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> The couple grew even closer when faced with one of life’s biggest challenges – Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 29 in 1991 (though it wasn’t until 1998 that he shared the news publicly). "A lot of my adjustment has been dictated by Michael's point of view," Pollan said in <a href="http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/oprah-interviews-michael-j-fox-and-tracy-pollan" target="_blank">a 2002 interview with Oprah Winfrey</a>. "He's so relaxed and so accepting of where he is, and that makes it easier for me, the kids, and everyone around him." But when the couple first received the news, it completely shocked and devastated them. Fox fell into a depression and started drinking heavily, before eventually getting a handle on his new reality. "I used to drink to party," the actor recalled on The Howard Stern Show in 2013, "but...now I was drinking alone and to just not be [present]. Every day." "So once I did that," he continued, "then there was about a year of, like, a knife fight in a closet, where I just didn't have my tools to deal with it. Then after that, I went into therapy and it all started to get really clear to me." He said he realised he just had to take life "one day at a time” and "then everything started to really turn the other way. My marriage got great, and my career..." Stern interjected here to suggest Fox's marriage "got great" after he realszed that Pollan wasn't going anywhere after his diagnosis. "Exactly," Fox agreed. Fox later told Winfrey: "There were a lot of questions I was afraid to ask Tracy. "Like, 'Does it scare you that I'm sick? Do you not love me because I'm sick?' I didn't ask her those questions. But nothing Tracy was doing was showing me that she didn't want to be with me." When Fox publicly revealed that he had Parkinson's disease in 1998, he began in earnest his life’s mission of raising awareness and money for Parkinson’s through the Michael J. Fox Foundation. As of April 2017 the foundation has funded more than $700 million in research. "The reason I wasn't telling was that I wondered if people would still laugh if they knew I was sick," Fox told Winfrey. "Can you laugh at a sick person [on TV] and not feel like an a--hole? I finally thought, let me not worry about that. What other people think is none of my business. I just have to have faith in the audience. If it's funny, they'll laugh." <img width="444" height="329" src="https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2018612/rs_1024x759-180712134829-1024-mjfox-tracy-nba-game.jpg?fit=inside|900:auto&output-quality=90" alt="Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan, 2011" border="0" class="image--full" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> And every day the couple deal with Fox's condition, but always as a team. "Tracy wasn't sentimental or romantic about it at all," he <a href="https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/style-trends/info-2017/michael-j-fox-aarp-magazine.html" target="_blank">told AARP magazine</a> in 2017 about how his wife reacted to his Parkinson's diagnosis. "No terror. No big windy... So, no exhibition of grief and fear. Tracy was just like, 'You've got a stone in your shoe. We'll do what we can until you can get it out. In the meantime, if you limp with the stone, that's all right. You can hold my hand, and we'll get over that.'" Pollan added that, of course, there were tough days, but they both knew they were in this together. "Through it all we've loved each other," Fox said. "And that love never died," Pollan added. "We had a solid foundation to begin with." When Winfrey asked if Fox felt Parkinson's had been a blessing for their marriage, giving them no choice but to become stronger, Fox replied: "I've often referred to Parkinson's as the gift that keeps on taking. It's a gift in that it really gave me a whole different appreciation for life. I discovered that I wasn't me minus Parkinson's. I was me plus it. I have been enriched by what it has opened up for me. It hasn't allowed me to take anything for granted." Before the diagnosis, "I had been constantly taking care of this and making sure that was okay, and now Tracy and I are just in it." <img width="446" height="297" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/clv.h-cdn.co/assets/17/39/980x654/gallery-1506544626-gettyimages-693930746.jpg?resize=480:*" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> When asked about their then-27-year marriage in 2015, Pollen said: "It's like dog years!" She told People that "giving each other the benefit of the doubt" has been key to keeping their marriage strong. "There are so many times when you have arguments, when you have things come up, and it really doesn't have anything to do with what he did, or said – it's how I am projecting that onto myself," Pollan continued. "A lot of times he'll just say to me, 'You know who I am, would I ever say anything to try to hurt your feelings? Just give me the benefit of the doubt.'" "I'm irritating but lovable, I have that effect on everybody," Fox said during the Daily Shot interview. "[I] won the lottery in the wife department," he later added.

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Achoo! 5 essential reads for pollen season

9 surprising ways to cut down indoor air pollution

5 fascinating pollination facts

The truth about Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan's inspiring 30-year love story