Mental Floss

ENVIRONMENT

A pair of Highland cows.

Cows dot fields and pastures across many countries. Chew the cud over these 10 facts about bovines.

Snøhetta

When it opens in 2021, Svart will be the world's first 'energy-positive' hotel.

iStock

It turns poop into compost.

iStock

It's now found in 11 states.

iStock

Burial and cremation aren't the only two options these days.

iStock

You may think twice about using black plastic food containers.

Mario Tama, Getty Images

You don't want to come into contact with even the slightest wisp of it.

iStock

The single-use wipes contribute to "fatbergs"—giant, sewer-clogging clumps of waste.

iStock

Cuban treefrogs are a major pest in south and central Florida. Now they're in New Orleans, too.

iStock

The winged mammals play a vital—albeit little-appreciated—role in agave production.

iStock

It's not because people are sticking them in their ears. (Don't do that.) It's for another reason entirely.

iStock

Eco-friendly equipment saves Sacramento Eco Fitness hundreds of dollars on electricity each month.

Bolt Threads

Meet Mylo: a new material made from fungi filaments.

Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Caruso Affiliated

On April 22, 1970, Denis Hayes stood on a stage in Central Park, stunned by the number of people who'd come to honor the planet.

iStock

Since 1970, April 22 has been a day to reflect on our impact on the environment, on broad and individual scales.

iStock

The enzyme has the potential to be improved even further.

iStock

The village of Kåfjord is still feeling the effects of World War II.

iStock

Warm temperatures mean that national parks are seeing plants emerge from winter earlier.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Region, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0

This flower thrives in the hottest place on earth.

Yui Mok, AFP/Getty Images

The Queen wants to create a network of protected forests spanning the globe.