By the laws that govern nature, with input so is there output. And, in a world run by a few billion souls consuming everything from food to clothes to computers to gas, it’s mighty obvious we have an enormous garbage problem on our hands. Yet, thanks to new and innovative technologies, referring to waste as garbage is becoming as outdated as the incandescent bulb. Read more…
Trent Hodges
Buenos dias a todos, Trent or Guayo (my nickname in Spanish) reporting here from Santa Catarina Barahona Guatemala. The above photo is the view from my house. It’s currently raining ash from the volcanic eruption this morning and the haze of debris is creating an eerie bluish hue in the sky. It’s a beautiful sight, but it doesn´t compare to the reddish glow of last night´s lava display. This is a daily occurrence here and no cause for alarm in the community. As I write, men are carrying recently chopped firewood to their homes while the women carry maiz and vegetables from the farms surrounding this community. Needless to say, this is an area where the relationship between nature and humanity is amplified. Read more…
Photo Credit: David Gil
According to the latest version of the Environmental Performance Index, Iceland leads the world as the top nation in environmental performance. The index is put together by researchers from both Columbia University and Yale University. A number of factors are examined in determining where countries rank on the index, and a final cumulative score is given to each country ranging from 25-100. Iceland received a 93.5. Among the factors considered for ranking are “environmental health, preservation of habitat and reductions in greenhouse gases, air pollution and waste.” Read more…
Photo Credit: Didier Bier
You think you know what mushrooms are? Sure, they peek through the grass in moist areas, are neatly packaged in plastic crates in grocery stores, and sometimes overcooked on pizza. Not exactly the life-changing ingredient imagined when you think of our current global situation. Nevertheless, if we take the time to look just a little closer, we learn that these tasty mushrooms are simply the fruiting body of mycelium, our true hero in this story, that make up an underground network of fibers with enormous planet-saving potential. Read more…
Photo Credit: Austin Parker
The non-profit group Conservacion Patagonica has been dedicated to conservation in Patagonia since 2000. They have protected over 450,000 acres of land through the implementation of national parks in Argentine Patagonia and have started the process of implementing another national park in Chilean Patagonia. The future Patagonia National Park will be in a place called Valle Chacabuco in southern Chile and will be about 500,000 acres in size when completed. Read more…
Kristen Taylor
“What we’re excited about is not just the offshoot conversations about public space and sustainability and carbon footprints, but it’s also the fact that one of the things we love to do is make jam with people we don’t know.”
Such is the sentiment of David Burns and his fellow artists Austin Young and Matias Viegener. The three Silverlake artists are the cofounders of Fallen Fruit, an LA-based art collective that combines and preserves fruit, art, and sustainability. The group was founded in 2004 with an initial intention to survey fruit growing in public spaces, “or on the perimeter,” as it is commonly referred to by the artists. The idea was to gather information and “fallen fruit” that had met its end on the public sidewalks, alleyways, and streets beyond the walls and yards of private property.
Think, had you ever wondered about the fate of the grapefruit, lemons, or oranges that hang upon the overburdened branches of your neighbor’s tree? More than likely you have contemplated picking the delicacies that dangle beyond the reaches of private space. Read more…
Image Via The New York Times, SERA Architects
Imagine an 18 story (200 foot tall) building covered in vertical vegetation that changes with the seasons… Sound almost like a modern-day fairy tale, right? Well, in Portland, Oregon it’s more like a science that, in 2013, will become reality. The Federal Government is beginning a $133 million renovation on its main federal building that overlooks the downtown plaza. Thanks to Obama’s federal stimulus package last year, which promotes environmentally friendly projects, this federal building will soon be green in more ways than one. Read more…
Photo Credit: Lee Tang Joh
Wine has been a staple of our social lives and culture for many years. Now, the staple wine region of California has set an example for others to follow. Beyond the third party wine audit system recently announced by the Wine Institute of California, this particular initiative pushes California’s wine standards even higher. While the audit system is certainly sustainable, the Napa Green Program is to some, the “best, most well thought-out program” the industry may have seen yet. In fact, it is the industry’s most comprehensive “best practices” in land-use and wine production. Read more…
Keep reading and continue greening!
Loading ...A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.
-Greek Proverb
