Recently, geologist Harry S. Pettingill has found that deepwater oil and gas fields may be more environmentally friendly than first thought.1 In this day and age of trying to find an energy source that makes the smallest environmental impact, we may have overlooked a solution right below our feet…or actually, deep beneath the ocean.

Stress levels have been rising for people all over the globe these last few weeks. News about the rapidly-spreading coronavirus, shelter-in-place orders, social restrictions, economic tailspins, and more have brought down society's morale significantly. People are searching for comfort in the midst of the chaos.

As America reacts to the coronavirus pandemic, some societal enterprises have been categorized as “essential” while others have been categorized as “non-essential.”¹ Surprisingly, in many places—such as Texas—landscaping services (called “lawn-care services”), including cutting grass and weed-whacking, are now defined as “essential” activities.¹

New testing kits provide a rapid and fairly accurate method of assessing coronavirus infection. In one new study using these kits, the results are revealing some new underlying trends in the COVID-19 pandemic.^1,2 In some ways, these results are encouraging and in other ways they give cause for concern.

When in houses humans stay, wild critters come out to play! It seems that coronavirus has beckoned wild critters to come boldly into human habitations that appear deserted due to mandated shelter-in-place shutdowns.