Does singing to plants make them grow? It could be a causality thing, like the old chicken-and-egg question. Do people sing to plants because gardening makes them happy? Or are enthusiastic people drawn to the act of tending gardens?

About 4% of what you exhale is carbon dioxide. That doesn’t sound like much, but it is a concentration about 100 times greater than the air you inhaled. So if you sang long enough to a plant in an enclosed space, theoretically, you could contribute to a slight increase in plant energy production. I learned that from “There Are (No) Stupid Questions … in Science,” by Leah Elson.

I don’t think singing lessons are part of the extensive curriculum for utility arborists. It takes many hours to learn to proficiently remove or trim vegetation around an energized primary wire. You can read all about their endeavors in Claire Swedberg’s “Keeping Lines Safe From Trees,” page 12.

It’s a given that safety is a paramount concern in the electrical contracting world. As you may know, most of our articles explore the ways we can ensure workers make it home every night. Turns out, safety is only one of many things a lineworker is thinking about on an average day. Read “A Day in the Life of a Lineworker” on page 2. In it, Susan Bloom interviews three linemen about how they got where they are.

Susan also wrote our project profile on page 6 of this issue about the Big Tree Substation in Orchard Park, N.Y. O’Connell Electric increased capacity of the existing substation while it was energized. You know who is going to appreciate the Big Tree Substation? Buffalo Bills fans, who will enjoy radiant heating when the new Highmark Stadium opens for the 2026 seasons. Members of the Bills Mafia are a hardy bunch, but I bet even they need a little protection from the elements.

I hope you like this issue of LINE CONTRACTOR. I’m really proud that we have been producing this magazine for four years.