Think Green Live Clean

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Chemistry is fun. You know, some days you invent a bacteria that melds concrete, or figure out how to turn Four Loko into eco-fuel. The latest green concoction by the planet-saving artists formerly known as nerds is a powder – made of banana peels – that cleans toxins out of water! Read more…

Photo by Nicholas Hordov

Everyone loves a comeback. Redemption from past sins, reincarnation as a morally purified being- who wouldn’t want that as the end to their story? The latest sinner-turned-saint making green news is Four Loko: the notorious caffeinated alcoholic beverage was party to innumerable bad decisions and cases of alcohol poisoning, and was finally banned late last year by the FDA. But now, it’s being turned into eco-friendly fuel. Read more…

Maria Sotero

I usually write about environmental innovations and social/conservation ideas on this site. But this week, I thought I would reflect on a more personal development. When I started writing for TGLC last summer, I was studying for the GRE. This fall, I applied to Columbia University’s 12 month Master’s in Environmental Science and Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs. And the day before Thanksgiving, I came home to an acceptance letter. My wildest dream came true, and I think I know why. Read more…

Photo by Mathias Pastwa

Ah, bacteria. There was once a time when you only had one rap, and it was a bad one (this was after we ignored your existence for millenia, despite your role in our evolution). But things have changed. Thanks in part to some awesomely innovative people, you are now recognized as being capable of some awesomely innovative feats. Read more…

Photo by Steven Depolo

In an effort to lighten up rush hour, remind people their cities could be a little friendlier, and make a statement about preserving the Earth, sit back and relax in a small park. That is, a metered parking space that has been transformed into an ephemeral green oasis. Just don’t forget to pay the meter.

This is what urban designers, bike advocates, shop owners, and artists have been doing all over the country. Take any parking space, feed the meter. Cover the asphalt with sod or Astroturf. Border your park with as many potted trees, plants, and flowers as you can find. Leave room for beach chairs or park benches. And wait. Read more…

jeff_golden

So we have come again to the holiday that brings out the black and orange in us greenies. In the interest of scaring ourselves, let us examine just how monster-ous the candy, costumes, and accompaniment are (or are not?) for the environment. Read more…

jenny downing

That’s right, ladies. Despite all the support your bra has given you, it could perhaps do even greater things for the Earth. Resource-wise, that is. Read more…

chelsearoberson

There’s a very dense, academic climate blog called Climate Progress that I try to follow. (It’s the opposite of this site, however; written by the type of guy who probably has a lot more than 3 bullet points per slide on his slideshow presentations) Usually, I skim posts that are pages long and try to ingest all the numbers. But this recent post about a new video making the rounds online caught my interest- and with a look, I found a lot to be disgusted and shocked by. Read more…

The Amazon, from my plane window

For several months last year, I lived in Peru. Seeing Machu Picchu was my lifelong dream. But the part of the trip that affected me most was my time in Iquitos, the world’s largest city that cannot be reached by road. Jungle-locked, overlooking the Amazon River, and overrun by motorcycles, it is a wonder. From a dugout canoe hundreds of miles from anywhere, I saw pink river dolphins jump and play. That’s what I remember most. Read more…

Sasha Aickin

In a slightly more visionary departure from my previous post about hand soap, I’d like to wax poetic about my college-days crush:  bus rapid transit (or BRT). During my Urban Planning undergrad days, BRT first caught my eye during lecture. And it whispered in my ear, “I’m different from all the others…I’m the kind of bus you could really love.” Read more…