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A colleague sent over this article detailing a mind-blowing nexus of my energy and wildlife work - the discovery of a fairly common salamander species that is literally powered by the sun, at least early on. New research finds that spotted salamander embryos and hatchlings somehow have little bits of algae inside their cells to create energy using photosynthesis. It is the first time this has been observed in any animal with vertebrae.
More importantly, its yet another example of why keeping critters on this planet is so important - we clearly still have a lot to learn from the animal kingdom. Who knows if the humble salamander harbors secrets that will help fix our energy mess...
This post originally appeared on NRDC's Switchboard.
Josh Mogerman is a Senior Media Associate for the Natural Resource Defense Council. NRDC is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the environment, people and animals. NRDC was founded in 1970 and is comprised of more than 300 lawyers, scientists and policy experts, with more than one million members and e-activists.
