In his column today, Cliff Kuang makes the point that “eco-friendly” consumerism doesn’t reduce your carbon footprint. To do that, he says, you should just not buy extra stuff and focus on changing your overall habits of consumption.He’s right, of course. In terms of environmental impact, buying a bamboo T-shirt might be marginally better than buying a T-shirt made of some other material, but it’s a lot worse than just not buying superfluous T-shirts.But there are still those rare products that have a positive net effect on the planet. I would place energy meters in that camp. Ihabitat has a great post up that profiles a few of the best domestic energy meters out there. They come with a range of features (and prices: $20 to $280) but the common thread is that each gives you real-time information about how much power your house is using in killowatt-hours. That is a first-and essential-step in stanching waste.Many people might just not think about energy consumption much at all because they only get feedback once a month in the form of a bill. With one of these meters you can get direct, immediate proof that turning off a light or unplugging a computer saves money.In my house, for example, the Kill-a-Watt would be particularly useful. I live with five other people. When it comes to the electricity bill, there’s a collective action problem. Because we split the bill evenly, if one person takes drastic steps to reduce his or her energy consumption, the savings are shared among everyone, rather than enjoyed by the more consciencious person. Likewise, if a roommate is in the habit of leaving the lights on all the time, the cost of that waste is split evenly among us all. If we had Kill-a-Watts plugged in in our rooms we could split the bill by use, and structure incentives to minimize waste.Whatever the environmental cost of producing one of these gizmos, I’m pretty confident the net effect would even out in a few years at most and then start to pay off.
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Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
The online community came through in a big way.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Otis knew before they did. Canva Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
This article originally appeared last year.
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14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
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Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
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The Tsimané people of Bolivia have almost no dementia. Scientists say modern life is our problem.
She tipped a dollar on a $5 coffee and the barista called her out in front of the whole café. The internet couldn’t agree on who was wrong.
A bride collapsed during her own rehearsal dinner toast. The detective who burst in explained everything.
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