Saturday, May 19, 2012
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<em>The New York Times</em> on TreeHugger Founder's Tiny Apartment and Its "Convertible Tricks"
LifeEdited/CC BY 2.0Since 2010, TreeHugger founder Graham Hill has been rethinking how much we really need to live, and trimming down all his needs into one tiny, hyper-functional, changeable space. He calls it LifeEdited.The goal? Live with less stuff but more flexibility, comfort, and happiness in his 420-square-foot Sullivan Street apartment on New York's SoHo. And the day of completion is upon us: Graham moved in last weekend,
Meat Considered Macho? Study Discusses Meat's Marketing Magic
gabriel amadeus /CC BY 2.0It’s a stereotype that holds true across so many cultures--rough and tumble cowboys need their Ribeyes and men love to grill out and throw a huge steak on the grill. We subscribe to these stereotypes everyday as a result of effective marketing. A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that male consumers avoid vegetarian options because they’re not quite macho enough.Science
Friday, May 18, 2012
Statistical Analysis Shows 2 Degree Temperature Rise Zones in North America
© Image by Noel Cressie and Emily Kang, courtesy of Ohio State UniversityClimate scientists have made it easy for skeptics to poke holes in theories about global warming. Every model includes slightly different assumptions, conditions, calculations, or other parameters -- leading to differing results. Skeptics point at the differences to justify their conclusion that nothing is known with certainty.A new advanced statistical
TreeHugger Heads to Maker Faire Bay Area 2012
© Jaymi HeimbuchThis is the 6th annual Maker Faire Bay Area, an event put on by MAKE Magazine that brings together DIYers, hackers, builders, crafters and in general do-ers to share their projects and products. You can find everything from robots walking the streets to bicycles disguised as cupcakes to cheesemaking workshops and everything in between.And for the fourth year in a row, we're heading out to join the fun and bring you
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Eco Wine Review: Wrath 2010 Ex Vite Pinot Noir
© Wrath WinesWrath's 2010 Ex Vite Pinot Noir is complete, with lots of black cherry and red raspberry. A bit fuller than your typical Pinot, this wine is as drinkable as it is food friendly. It's also vegan. It retails for $38 and can be purchased at Wrath's website.If it were a sunny 75 degrees here in San Francisco, this is the wine I'd have right next to the BBQ. Its earthy undertones are perfect for almost anything you'd throw
Electricity Transmission Line for 7 GW of Offshore Wind Power Off Mid-Atlantic States Given Go Ahead
It may not be the most stylish step forward but it's an important one: The Department of Interior has announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has made a "finding of no competitive interest" regarding a proposed undersea electric transmission line in the Mid-Atlantic states.Which means that a crucial part of distributing all the power generated from offshore wind farms in the US (when any actually get built, but that's
ForceFlex™ Safety Eyewear for eye protection during lawn maintenance
Your eyes arearguablythe most important part of your body to protect while performing lawn care routines. Flying dust and debris can irritate the eyes and flying objects can cause more serious injury like blindness. ForceFlex Safety Eyewear by 3M's TEKK Protection brand are geared towards homeowners who are into DIY projects but don'tnecessarilyuse adequate safety gear.
One common misconception is that sunglasses can provide the same protection as safety glasses. In fact, sunglasses can make
One common misconception is that sunglasses can provide the same protection as safety glasses. In fact, sunglasses can make
Memorial Day Decorations
With Memorial Day (U.S.) approaching, some readers may be curious as to the meaning behind this holiday. Specifically, how does Memorial Day differ from Veterans Day? Or perhaps you'll be using Memorial Day Decorations for the first time this year and need some pointers.
For instance, how is decorating cemetery monuments for Memorial Day different from doing so for Veterans Day? The former comes on the threshold of summer (the last Monday in May), so there are better options for Memorial
For instance, how is decorating cemetery monuments for Memorial Day different from doing so for Veterans Day? The former comes on the threshold of summer (the last Monday in May), so there are better options for Memorial
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
96 Sq. Foot Finnish Micro-Cabin Built Small To Forego Permits
© Robin FalckThe image of a secluded cabin in the woods recalls the simple, idealistic idyll of Henry David Thoreau's Walden, free of the impositions of society. This beautiful micro-cabin, built beside a lake in Finland, was constructed to go under the radar of Finnish building regulations, which require one to get a permit for anything that is larger than 96 to 128 square feet, depending on the district.© Robin
New Shwopping Campaign at Marks & Spencer to Recycle Clothes and Save Landfills
su-may/CC BY 2.0Shwopping: it's a new word for a not-so-new- concept. It's a combination of shopping and swapping and in England you can do it at any of the 340 Marks Spencer stores. By donating an old piece of clothing, whether it's from MS or not, you are helping to support OXFAM and cut down on the waste that goes to landfill sites.To draw attention to this altruistic scheme, they have covered the walls of an old warehouse in
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Elegant Bike Light That's Hard to Steal
© Blink/SteadyAfter industrial design consultant Benjamin Cohen had his eighth or ninth bike light stolen, he was ready to ride without lights - though that's against the law. Instead he teamed up with engineer and machinist Stuart Heys and electrical engineer Mark Sibenac to create a simple, elegant aluminum back light called the Blink/Steady.A big success on Kickstarter, the Blink/Steady is now being manufactured in New York,
Grass Stitcher Lawn Repair System
The makers of the Grass Stitcher have added a complete lawn restoration program to their line-up of Grass Stitcher items. The Grass Stitcher Lawn Repair System comes with the Grass Stitcher, either 10 inch wide or 20 inch, and enough premium grass seed and starter fertilizer to repair 1000 square feet of bare or thin turf.
The Seed-N-Bag system is a simple and effective way of metering out the right amount of seed and fertilizer with a few shakes of the bag. It's also a great way to store
The Seed-N-Bag system is a simple and effective way of metering out the right amount of seed and fertilizer with a few shakes of the bag. It's also a great way to store
Eco-Art Installations Sprout in a Taiwanese Village
© Jane Ingram Allen. 'The Food Bowl' by Prashant Jogdand.Unsuspecting visitors to Cheng Long, a small fishing village in southwest Taiwan, might feel the need to blink and rub their eyes. Is there really a giant bowl and chopsticks sinking into the wetlands? What are those brightly colored things growing all over that abandoned house?They're not apparitions, but art installations -- made of recycled and natural materials and
Monday, May 14, 2012
'Bio Computer' Blends Tech and Organic to Grow Wheatgrass
© Mike SchroppSelf-described geek, Mike Schropp, built his own ‘bio computer’ in his basement to grow his own wheatgrass.© Mike SchroppMike used various donated computers that he was able to disassemble to cobble together a working computer for his project. He had been looking for a project that allowed him to join his passion for technology with something organic, while allowing him to create a computer that his 5-year-old
Stars of the Yard For May, 2012
As a baseball fan, I sometimes have mixed feelings about a game that my team is winning by a lopsided margin. One side of me revels in the joys of the moment, but the other side of me wishes that we could somehow "save some of those runs" for the next game, when every run might well turn out to be precious.
I have similar feelings about May in the landscape. May is a "blowout" month for floral display in my yard. And while I'm enjoying every moment of it, I can't help but wish that I could
I have similar feelings about May in the landscape. May is a "blowout" month for floral display in my yard. And while I'm enjoying every moment of it, I can't help but wish that I could
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Crowd-Sourced Map of NYC's Bike Share Stations Unveiled
NYC Bike Share/Screen captureIt seems that for every thing New York City gets right with its bike-share system, it insists on getting something else dead wrong. I cheered when I heard news that the bike share would boast 10,00 bikes, and then I almost threw up in my mouth when I saw what they'd look like. I was reassured to hear that they'd come with handy baskets for stowing your stuff; I was distressed to discover out that they'd
Hanging Plant Balcony Works Like a Drawbridge
© Barreau CharbonnetWe've covered a lot of ways apartment dwellers can bring some greenery into their homes, many of them remarkably clever. Here's one more that fits that description: "Volet Végétal," French for "plant shutter," is a folding balcony for a garden, built right into the window.© Barreau CharbonnetVolet végétal is the work of design firm Barreau Charbonnet, a submission for the upcoming exterior design expo
Landscaping Front Yard X12
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Landscaping Front Yard X13
Click here landscapingfrontyard.com Landscaping Front Yard X2 Collection of photos, ideas, and simple step-by-step details is designed to help home owners make some progress with their plan to do front yard
Landscaping Front Yard X14
Click here landscapingfrontyard.com Landscaping Front Yard Who ever thought landscaping front yard is only for professional designers? With just a click on our website: landscapingfrontyard.com you can have amazing front yard landscaping ideas just like a
Friday, May 11, 2012
BMW and Daimler to Work Together on Urban Electric Car R&D Project
© Mute conceptA Small German Electric Car
BMW, Daimler, the German Federal Ministry for Education, the Technische Universitaet Muenchen and others are joining force and cooperating on a research project called Visio.M. Their goal is to "explore how the price and safety of small, efficient electric vehicles can be brought to a level enabling them to achieve a significant share of the mass market."The starting point will be the MUTE
BMW, Daimler, the German Federal Ministry for Education, the Technische Universitaet Muenchen and others are joining force and cooperating on a research project called Visio.M. Their goal is to "explore how the price and safety of small, efficient electric vehicles can be brought to a level enabling them to achieve a significant share of the mass market."The starting point will be the MUTE
NASA Discovers Yet Another Terrifying Global Warming Feedback Loop
NASA/Public DomainAs if the melting methane-packed permafrost and shrinking Arctic ice sheets weren't enough, NASA scientists have gone and uncovered a brand new feedback loop that could hasten climate catastrophe. Climate feedback loops, to the uninitiated, are phenomena that worsen the warming effect when triggered—which further worsens said phenomena, and around we go.The permafrost is probably the gnarliest: there's a truly
Letting the Cat Out of the Bag About Allium
Some plants are so gorgeous and so unusual-looking that it's hard to describe them adequately in just a few words. It's really best to see them for yourself (at least in pictures); only then will you understand what all the hoopla surrounding them is about. Schubert's flowering onion is one such plant, so I won't even attempt to describe it here in a blog post. Instead, I hope you'll click through to my article on Schubert's flowering onion, where I discuss it in detail and provide a
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Modern Day Noah's Ark Only Takes Cute Species Onboard
Conservation Shouldn't Be Like a Club that Only Lets Pretty People In
Our human biases make us prefer certain animals over others, which is fine for pets, but not a good idea when it comes to conservation and the protection of endangered species. The authors of a recent study titled The new Noah's Ark: beautiful and useful species only had this to say on this topic: "Most of the world's species at risk of extinction are neither
Our human biases make us prefer certain animals over others, which is fine for pets, but not a good idea when it comes to conservation and the protection of endangered species. The authors of a recent study titled The new Noah's Ark: beautiful and useful species only had this to say on this topic: "Most of the world's species at risk of extinction are neither
Tea Party Organizers, Think Tanks Coordinate Plan to Attack Wind Power Nationwide
That there is, in fact, an ongoing, coordinated nationwide effort to attack clean energy shouldn't really surprise anyone. The corporate funded anti-regulation activist network that has dominated conservative politics for the last couple of years has reliably been hostile to renewable power. But still, there's something discouraging about seeing the hard proof—and the far reach of their tactics is alarming as well.The Guardian
Getting to know your soil.
I'm a big fan of getting to know the soil that a lawn is growing in. Certainly have it tested so you can determine the pH and nutrient content, but you should also dig it up, get your hands dirty and analyze the soil profile.
Touch your soil. Squeeze it. Smell it. Is it crumbly, does it stick together to form a ball? Is it sandy or more like clay, what color is it? Are there worms present, grubs? Find these things out so you know more about your soil and what it may need or what type of
Touch your soil. Squeeze it. Smell it. Is it crumbly, does it stick together to form a ball? Is it sandy or more like clay, what color is it? Are there worms present, grubs? Find these things out so you know more about your soil and what it may need or what type of
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
1,000 Rallies in 100 Countries 'Connect the Dots' on Extreme Weather & Climate Change
© Demonstrating the impact of rising sea levels in Brazil. Image via 350.orgWorldwide demonstrations link warming extreme weatherWhen I showed up at Battery Park just after 11:00 am last Saturday, the crew was already assembled. Volunteers, organizers and activists with 350.org were gathered around a giant parachute with lettering that read 'NYC Underwater'. Weathering the misty rain, they sang a refrain from "New York, New York"
Microsoft Imposes a Carbon Price on Itself
SeattleClouds via Flickr/CC BY 2.0Microsoft just announced that it will effectively be carbon neutral by the next fiscal year. But the way it plans to do so is much more interesting than your typical "buy a bunch of offsets" emissions-reduction scheme—instead, the company is creating a "carbon price and charge back model" that will levy fees on each of its various internal business groups for the emissions they generate. In other
Grass Pollen Allergy: A Reason for Mowing Lawns?
I make no bones about it: I'm not crazy about mowing lawns. My attitude comes from a lifetime of wearing this green albatross around my neck. You see, whether as a child or as an adult, and no matter where I've lived, I've been expected to mow the lawn.
While the landscaper in me appreciates the reason for mowing lawns, I'm not speaking specifically as a landscaper in today's blog post: Instead, I'm speaking as just a regular human being (hard to believe, I know). As such, it's so easy to
While the landscaper in me appreciates the reason for mowing lawns, I'm not speaking specifically as a landscaper in today's blog post: Instead, I'm speaking as just a regular human being (hard to believe, I know). As such, it's so easy to
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Federal Food Aid Recipients Double Their Money at Local Farmers' Markets
© Fair Food NetworkAn oft-heard complaint about "green" eating: high quality natural foods cost too much, remaining out of reach for people of limited means. On the other hand, concerns about nutritional value in the diets of the less fortunate have led to proposed bans on using food stamps for sugary soda drinks or junk food.Double Up Food Bucks for Healthy, Local Food for All
The Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program, entering its
The Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program, entering its
Anti-Climate Group Compares 62% of Americans to Serial Killers, Loses $1 Million in Sponsors
Heartland Institute/Promo imageLast week, the Heartland Institute—the nation's leading climate change-doubting think tank—launched an ad campaign so epically and offensively dumb that other notorious global warming skeptics wanted nothing to do with it. To promote a conference it was holding in Chicago, Heartland bought a handful of billboards throughout the city. They featured portraits of figures like Ted Kaczynski, aka the
What do you do with your lawn clippings?
Clippings can either be removed while mowing, dispersed out the side of the mower, or mulched back into the lawn with special mulching blades.
My preferred method is mulching the clippings. Contrary to popular belief, returning the clippings to the lawn does not promote thatch build up. The clippings are 90% water so there is very little organic matter left behind. Mulched clippings account for up to 1lb of nitrogen returned to the soil over the course of a season, reducing the amount of
My preferred method is mulching the clippings. Contrary to popular belief, returning the clippings to the lawn does not promote thatch build up. The clippings are 90% water so there is very little organic matter left behind. Mulched clippings account for up to 1lb of nitrogen returned to the soil over the course of a season, reducing the amount of
Monday, May 7, 2012
Antarctic Octopus Genes Contain Clues About Ancient Catastrophic Ice Sheet Collapse
Public Domain/Public DomainIf the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed, it could raise seas by 16 feet (5 meters), which would be disastrous. Thankfully, we're not at that point yet, but if the Earth's climate keeps warming and nothing is done to stop it, we could eventually have to face such a catastrophe. It's not as far-fetched as some would have us believe, as new reserach into octupus genetics (of all places) is providing new
Another Unsightly Billboard
If you live in or were visiting the Chicago area on Friday, you might have seen the Heartland Institute's billboards featuring mug shots of convicted Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, mass murderer Charles Manson, or former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro saying, "I believe in Global Warming. Do you?"
The syllogism is obvious: if psychotic madmen accept climate change science, therefore accepting climate change science makes you a psychotic madman.
Heartland denied its intent
The syllogism is obvious: if psychotic madmen accept climate change science, therefore accepting climate change science makes you a psychotic madman.
Heartland denied its intent
7 Unique Green Mother's Day Gifts
Whether you're looking for a traditional gift, or something more special, you'll find ideas here to please both Mom and Mother Earth.Also see these 14 unique and green Father's Day gift ideas. By Gloria Dawson
Put 'Sky Pencil' in the Winners' Column!
There are certain plants that only a gardener could love -- and only a subset of gardeners, at that. You know the kind I mean: mousy plants that elite gardeners fuss over, but which do not excite the general public.
Then there are plants that stand up to be counted, exercising a fascination over gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Some turn heads due to their colorful flowers; others garner attention through their striking forms.
Sky Pencil holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil') resides in the
Then there are plants that stand up to be counted, exercising a fascination over gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Some turn heads due to their colorful flowers; others garner attention through their striking forms.
Sky Pencil holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil') resides in the
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Number One CO2 Emitter in the Northeast: Brayton Point Power Station
© Mona MiriIn Somerset Massachusetts sits the Brayton Point Power Plant, a coal fired plant which the EPA listed in January 2012 the worst power plant station in the Northeast.Since it's purchase by Dominion, that owned and was responsible for the Salem Power plant, one of the oldest and most hazardous power plant in the Northeast, the Brayton plant has been outfitted with more than one billion dollars of renovations and new
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Boulder Ideas.Bucks County PA Area Landscaping: orserlandscaping.com
215-249-1236 Landscaping Hardscaping: Ponds: Waterfalls: Retaining Walls: Design: Installation: Maintenance: Lawns: Snow Removal: Leaf Clean Up: Full Service
Boulder Ideas.Yardley/Newtown Area Landscaping: orserlandscaping.com
215-249-1236 Landscaping Hardscaping: Ponds: Waterfalls: Retaining Walls: Design: Installation: Maintenance: Lawns: Snow Removal: Leaf Clean Up: Full Service
Best Landscaping Ideas
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EnergySaver Mobile App Analyzes Energy and Water Use, Helps You Save Money
© EnergySaverSome of us in the green community want to use less energy and water just because we feel it's the best thing to do for the planet, and some of us want to use less because it also leads to saving money.No matter what your motivation, it's pretty clear that the desire is there, but sometimes the tools to do so aren't very obvious. However, a new mobile app will help you not only track your energy and water use, but will
Make a Date with Mom at Connecticut's Saybrook Point Inn & Spa
© Saybrook Point Inn SpaThat's exactly what I did when the 85-room hotel reached out to me, tantalizing me with all the things this Connecticut born and raised, green girl loves: sweeping views of the Long Island Sound, organic spa services, and an on-site restaurant featuring local fare.I went open, but always skeptical of any given hotel's sustainability cred. With so many "green hotels" featuring not much more than the option
Deer Stay Away From Zebra -- Grass, That Is
One's perspective sure can change when growing plants becomes an obsession. Take the desire to see wildlife in the yard, for example. If my plants weren't so important to me, I'd enjoy seeing rabbits in the yard. As for deer, I think I'd do everything possible to attract them, gorgeous and graceful beasts that they are.
But alas, I'm a gardener. And guess what? Beautiful animals that eat my precious plants become...far less beautiful. I'll enjoy them when I come across them in the woods, but
But alas, I'm a gardener. And guess what? Beautiful animals that eat my precious plants become...far less beautiful. I'll enjoy them when I come across them in the woods, but
Friday, May 4, 2012
Pinning the Cloud: Pinterest, Cloud Computing and the Environment
Pinterest/Screen capturePinterest, the online picture pinboard for organizing and sharing all of your favorite things on the web, is currently the fastest growing social media platform out there. It went from launch to 17 million unique visitors in an amazing nine months -- almost half the time it took Facebook to do the same thing. That rapid growth meant a huge increase in the amount of pictures and videos being "pinned" by users
"Charles Manson Still Believes in Global Warming. Do You?" Dumbest Anti-Climate Campaign. Ever.
Heartland Institute/Promo image"Charles Manson Still Believes in Global Warming. Do You?"That's the essence of a thoughtful and nuanced new billboard campaign put together by the Heartland Institute, the nation's top climate change-doubting think tank. The billboards feature portraits of figures like Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, Charles Manson, and Fidel Castro, alongside giant lettering that reads "I Still Believe in Global
Be on the lookout for poison ivy
After a run in with poison ivy a couple of years ago, I'm more cautious than ever about this nasty plant. I used to think I was immune to the stuff until my luck ran out and it quickly spread throughout my arms and legs causing about three weeks worth of discomfort.I started treatment with Benadryl and Ivy Dry, and ultimately progressed to prednisone and Ivarest.
Now that I've got a bout of poison ivy under my belt, I am constantly on the lookout for it and subsequently see it everywhere. Be
Now that I've got a bout of poison ivy under my belt, I am constantly on the lookout for it and subsequently see it everywhere. Be
Is Your Mother or Wife Named After a Flower?
You may think the question I posed in the title of this blog post rather odd. After all, what business is it of mine if your mother or wife is named after a flower, right? But please bear with me. If you're a regular reader of my Landscaping blog, you know there's a method to my madness.
In fact, if you can answer the question in the affirmative, then you'll thank me for having asked it. Why? Because I'm about to give you a good idea for a Mother's Day present. And if you've been giving
In fact, if you can answer the question in the affirmative, then you'll thank me for having asked it. Why? Because I'm about to give you a good idea for a Mother's Day present. And if you've been giving
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Big Surprise: Most People Don't Buy Green Products If They Cost More
x ray delta one/CC BY 2.0This is one of those glass-is-half-full stories; when I first saw the results of an Ipsos study on green shopping, I thought they were pretty depressing. But in fact, they are pretty encouraging: 25% of respondents report that they always proactively take steps to green their home or lifestyle, such as recycling, driving energy efficient vehicles, weatherizing their home, using eco-friendly products. An
Toyota Prius Sales Up Over 100% Year-on-Year in April
Photo: Michael Graham RichardSecond Best Month Ever for Prius
While March 2012 was the best month ever for sales of the Toyota Prius hybrid brand, last month came close with 25,168 units sold. That's an increase of 126.9% one a year-on-year basis, and the best month of April yet for the Prius.Plug-In Prius Also Doing Well
PluginCars reports:Without much fanfare, Toyota started selling the plug-in version of the Prius a couple of
While March 2012 was the best month ever for sales of the Toyota Prius hybrid brand, last month came close with 25,168 units sold. That's an increase of 126.9% one a year-on-year basis, and the best month of April yet for the Prius.Plug-In Prius Also Doing Well
PluginCars reports:Without much fanfare, Toyota started selling the plug-in version of the Prius a couple of
Lily of the Valley: Romantic or Invasive?
Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is a common floral element at weddings, due to its sweet fragrance and the purity suggested by the snow-white color of its flowers. I suppose the bell shape of its blooms doesn't hurt in this regard, either (as in "wedding bells"). So the question is, what about lily of the valley does not say "romance"?
Well, there are many people for whom romance is the furthest thing from their minds when they hear mention of lily of the valley. Why? Because many
Well, there are many people for whom romance is the furthest thing from their minds when they hear mention of lily of the valley. Why? Because many
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
MIT Creates Miracle Glass That's Glare-Free, Self-Cleaning, Water Repellent
© Hyungryul Choi and Kyoo-Chul ParkGlass. It's great stuff, right? Except that the reflection and glare coming off of it is often problematic, and it gets grimy easily, and can be hard to see through when water drops stick to it or streak across it. It can be such a disappointing material. But researchers at MIT have come up with a novel solution for these problems, and thus can solve a lot of problems created by these downsides
New Study Unlocks Secrets of Gorilla Behavior
© Thomas Breuer/WCSConservationists with the Wildlife Conservation Society have found that larger male gorillas living in the rainforests of Congo seem to be more successful than smaller ones at attracting mates and even raising young. The study, conducted over a 12-year period, is providing new insight into the pressures that influence gorilla behavior.Researchers looked at three key physical characteristics: overall body length,
Clover as a lawn alternative
Clover is often thought of as a nuisance weed but it can be a great lawn alternative or even included amongst a grass lawn. Clover was used as a part of lawn seed blends up until the introduction and widespread use of broad leaf herbicides after WWII. Although clover is actually a desirable plant to have intermingled with lawn grasses, it got lumped in with dandelions and other weeds because it simply could not survive the herbicides. Before long clover was as hated as the others and the
Pictures of Purple Flowers
Most floral colors do have some sort of fan base. There are gardeners, for example, who love yellows, reds and oranges for their ability to light up an otherwise drab area of the landscape with vibrant color. For others, looking for more subdued colors, soft pink or lavender flowers may be favorites.
But purple flowers (along with blue flowers) seem to be in a league of their own when it comes to eliciting oohs and ahs from people, whether they be casual gardeners or die-hard plant fanatics.
But purple flowers (along with blue flowers) seem to be in a league of their own when it comes to eliciting oohs and ahs from people, whether they be casual gardeners or die-hard plant fanatics.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid to Be Made in U.S.
Fourth Generation Prius
After more than a decade, the Toyota Prius is still the king of hybrids, at least when it comes to units sold. But despite selling very well in the U.S., it hasn't yet been produced there. That could change for the 2016 model, which would be the fourth generation, though. Toyota has said that it would like to start making the Prius in the U.S. in 2015, but before it can do that the company has to figure out
After more than a decade, the Toyota Prius is still the king of hybrids, at least when it comes to units sold. But despite selling very well in the U.S., it hasn't yet been produced there. That could change for the 2016 model, which would be the fourth generation, though. Toyota has said that it would like to start making the Prius in the U.S. in 2015, but before it can do that the company has to figure out
Taxing Topic: Energy Tax Reform
Every so often, usually at this time of year after citizens have finished sweating over their tax returns, there's a call for junking the tax code and making it simple enough to fit a tax return onto a postcard--which assumes the Postal Service can survive its current existential crisis and continue delivering postcards. Earlier in the Republican presidential race, Rick Perry took to whipping postcards out of his suit pocket to make the point. In the energy world,
Book Review! Tag, Toss & Run
Tag, Toss Run - 40 Classic Lawn Games by Paul Tukey and Victoria Rowell is a fun book featuring 40 classic lawn games from the past, with the intent of keeping them around in the age of video games. The book even coincides with the 40th anniversary of the first video game. Tag, Toss Run is almost a dare to the video game generation to get off their butts and have some outdoor fun.
On the surface, I love the games in this book. They range from basic children's games to games requiring
On the surface, I love the games in this book. They range from basic children's games to games requiring
Uses for Weeds in Everyday Life
The information on the following uses for weeds in everyday life comes courtesy of Peter Del Tredici, in the book, Wild Urban Plants Of The Northeast. Did you know...?
The burs (picture) of common burdock (Arctium minus), a biennial native to Eurasia, were the inspiration for Velcro. Don't know what common burdock looks like? Many of you have most likely encountered the burs, anyhow. Objects a bit bigger than a typical marble (or "aggie"), the burs are brown when dry and covered with spikes.
The burs (picture) of common burdock (Arctium minus), a biennial native to Eurasia, were the inspiration for Velcro. Don't know what common burdock looks like? Many of you have most likely encountered the burs, anyhow. Objects a bit bigger than a typical marble (or "aggie"), the burs are brown when dry and covered with spikes.
Monday, April 30, 2012
What Exactly is Mad Cow Disease and Are You at Risk of Getting It?
misteraitch/CC BY-NC 2.0Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, often called mad cow disease, made the news most recently when the USDA confirmed its fourth case in a dairy cow in central California. According to the USDA statement " t was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health. Additionally, milk does not transmit BSE."A Closer Look at Mad Cow
Yosemite Time-Lapse Video of Landscapes and Stars Is Unbelivable
Shawn Reeder/Video screen captureYou can't go through life not having watched this video created by Shawn Reeder. That's all there is to it. It's spectacular.And if you don't feel some level of humble appreciation for the grandeur of nature after watching it, you might want to check that your heart is still beating.I mean really. Look at this still:Shawn Reeder/Video screen captureAs Brent Rose says, "Go full screen HD or go
Sunday, April 29, 2012
3M Rolls out TEKK Protection™ safety line featuring WorkTunes™ radio equipped earmuffs
I recently reviewed WorkTunes earmuffs for 3M, a part of their new TEKK Protection line of safety equipement aimed at the DIY crowd. An easy review since I have used the product in the past although it did not have the TEKK Protection brand, it was a 3M product and virtuallyindistinguishablefrom the current model. I tend to like radio equipped ear protection but as a supervisor it's important for me not to encourage their use among employees. I'm a strict believer in the need for all of your
Saturday, April 28, 2012
7000 ideas for landscaping Review + Bonus
7000 ideas for landscaping is a very recommended product. Click HERE for Discounted Price for 7000 ideas for landscaping:
Help End Energy Poverty, Take the Power the World Pledge
© Power the WorldAddressing energy poverty—that is, the fact that roughly 1.3 billion people around the world doesn't have access to electricity, and more don't have a reliable supply of it—is a key part of both reducing the number of people living in poverty and reducing environmental degradation.While it'll be a key part of the Rio+20 conference happening in June, and is indeed the focus of the UN's Sustainable Energy For
Gorgeous (and Free) Wallpapers Put Conservation Center Stage On Your Cell Phone
Ocean Conservancy/viaI just stumbled across a great gift from the Ocean Conservancy to anyone with a smart phone or Facebook profile. The organization is providing free wallpapers of some spectacular images of marine life. They look beautiful.Ocean Conservancy/viaOcean Conservancy/viaThere's also images you can use as your Facebook Timeline cover image. Nothing like adding a little of the natural world to our techy tools. Thanks
The Week in Cleantech: X-Ray Power for Gadgets, A Bullish Cleantech Market, Energy Apps and More
jbcurio/CC BY 2.0Top stories on our radar this week in the world of clean tech.
SparkFun Electronics Travels to the USA Science and Engineering Festival to Host Electronics Workshops for Kids
"We believe in revitalizing the imagination of today's youth through tinkering and playing with electronics," explained Lindsay Levkoff, director of education at SparkFun. "To promote constructivism and exploration in the STEAM (Science,
SparkFun Electronics Travels to the USA Science and Engineering Festival to Host Electronics Workshops for Kids
"We believe in revitalizing the imagination of today's youth through tinkering and playing with electronics," explained Lindsay Levkoff, director of education at SparkFun. "To promote constructivism and exploration in the STEAM (Science,
Are You Hip to the Rose Family?
Of rose hips, Marie Iannotti says, "Many people don't realize how closely related roses and apples are until they see what look like crab apple clusters hanging from their rose bushes." It's true: Many members of the rose family are not readily identified as such by the non-botanist. In his poem, The Rose Family, Robert Frost had a little fun with this fact :
The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But now the theory goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I
The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But now the theory goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I
Friday, April 27, 2012
Environmental Collective Declares War on Trees
© ShanonymousIt's an issue we have covered for years: the question of whether trees should be cut down to keep solar panels in sunlight. Now we learn from a submission received over the transom that there is a new environmental movement to stop shade, and ensure that every photon of precious sunlight reaches those solar panels on the roof.The artists of this little bit of agitprop remix are "a bit tired of all the earnest Earth
Speed Kills; Toronto's Top Doctor Wants Speed Limits Reduced to Protect Pedestrians
Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0The Toronto Board of Health recently issued a terrific report, Road to Health: Improving Walking and Cycling in Toronto that lists all the reasons one might want to promote walking and cycling, including better health, reduced obesity, lower rates of diabetes and more. Except this is Toronto, where everything is looked through the lens of the War on the Car, raging between the Mayor and his suburban driving
Microsoft Designing Landfill-Fueled, Off-Grid Data Center
© MicrosoftMicrosoft has launched a new research project that it's calling its Data Plant program where the tech giant will design and prototype a data center fueled by biogas, located right at the source. The data center will be powered by fuel cells that run on biogas captured directly from an on-site landfill or wastewater treatment plant, both rich sources of methane, instead of using biogas from the grid.Locating the data
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Texas College Converts its Football Field into a Working Farm
Handpicked Nation/Video screen captureThis may come as a shock to fans of Friday Night Lights, but Texas isn't all about football. At least, Paul Quinn College in Dallas isn't. The school took its football field and converted it into a working farm.The WE Over Me Farm, which covers 57,000 square feet, was a response to the lack of healthy food options in the economically depressed area. Highland Hills, the neighborhood where Paul
Fragile Earth App Shows Dramatic Before & After Photos of Human Influence on the Planet
© Fragile EarthIf a photo is worth a thousand words, then before and after photos are beyond words. Our impact on planet earth is no secret. We've changed it in ways that make it unrecognizable in many ways. A new app for iPhones and iPads called Fragile Earth shows the dramatic before and after images of those very changes.Divided into six sections -- including Natural Phenomena, Warming World, Water’s Power, Deserts and
GE's Hybrid Train Batteries Will Back Up Solar and Wind Power
© Arista PowerGE's transportation department began a huge RD effort in 2009 to develop nickel-salt batteries for a host of applications, with a plan to first put them in hybrid locomotives, but it looks like renewable energy power storage came calling first. GE is partnering with Arista Power to use its Durathon batteries to help integrate wind and solar power into the grid with smart grid technology.Wind farms in Hawaii, Texas
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
4 Ways Get Clean Energy Off the Subsidies Treadmill
One constantly hears that in the world of energy, government shouldn't pick winners. Get the feds out of the way and let the market work its will.
People in the know understand, of course, that the emperor is prancing about in his altogether. Government has been picking winners since the republic's early days. There is no such thing as a Randian free market in energy and there never has been. The oil depletion allowance, for example, is the gift that keeps on giving
People in the know understand, of course, that the emperor is prancing about in his altogether. Government has been picking winners since the republic's early days. There is no such thing as a Randian free market in energy and there never has been. The oil depletion allowance, for example, is the gift that keeps on giving
U.S. DriversTo Save $68 Billion by 2030 Under Obama's 54.5 MPG Standard
Flickr/CC BY 3.0Do it For the Earth, Or At Least for the Money...
Cleaning up our air, water, ground. Stabilizing our climate. Making life better for people all around the world. Saving endangered animal species. All these things should be enough in themselves to convince most of us to do the right thing for the environment. But to many people, unless there's cold hard cash on the line, motivation doesn't come. That's too bad,
Cleaning up our air, water, ground. Stabilizing our climate. Making life better for people all around the world. Saving endangered animal species. All these things should be enough in themselves to convince most of us to do the right thing for the environment. But to many people, unless there's cold hard cash on the line, motivation doesn't come. That's too bad,
Using sod to resurface your lawn
It's a great time of the year for lawn projects, especially lawn renovations. Using sod instead of seed is costlier and more labor intensive, but the benefits are dramatic. Nothing beats having an instant lawn as opposed to waiting weeks for seed to sprout and fill in.
Renovating a lawn is not as easy as buying some sod and throwing it on the ground. The soil should be tested for nutrient requirements and composition. The surface must be prepared properly to provide a smooth surface and
Renovating a lawn is not as easy as buying some sod and throwing it on the ground. The soil should be tested for nutrient requirements and composition. The surface must be prepared properly to provide a smooth surface and
Examples of Small Mailbox Gardens
As Jamie McIntosh, About.com Guide to Flowers, notes, the mailbox area is a "highly visible part of your property." As such, it deserves a planting to spruce it up. I have seen properties otherwise nicely-landscaped where the owners have ignored the mailbox area, instead leaving the mailbox all by its little old lonesome, a foreign object sticking out like a sore thumb.
Unless you sport an unusual mailbox that really makes a statement all by itself, I believe design-conscious homeowners
Unless you sport an unusual mailbox that really makes a statement all by itself, I believe design-conscious homeowners
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Can Social Media Really Help Make a Difference for the Environment?
Mat McDermott/CC BY-NC-ND 3.0Social media is applauded as a means of engaging crowds, creating change and encouraging action. To see where the perception of social media’s power originated, we need only to look at the pivotal role it played in political events such as the Arab Spring and Green Revolution in Iran. Not to mention those here at home – think: #occupy.Social media certainly helps spread the word, but does it mean
Ferrari Thrill Goes Mass Transit -- First Private European Rail Company Tickets on Sale Now
Treno Italo/CC BY 2.0Catching sight of a streak of red flashing across the countryside always raises excitement amongst fans of Italian design. Aerodynamic design...sleekly styled...yes, a Ferrari has been spotted. The brief spike of adrenaline fades, though; even if that high speed thrill were within fiscal reach, the environmental cost can hardly be justified.No more. The "Ferrari thrill" has gone mass transit. When the European
Incredible OLED Lighting Installations by Philips Shows Off First "Functional Lighting"
© PhilipsOLED technology has taken center stage at Philips as the future of lighting our indoor space. For the first time, Philips has created an OLED panel that is bright enough for functional lighting, and the company has unveiled its new chandeliers at the Light + Building 2012 fair.According to OLED Info, "This is the first OLED to hit the "functional lighting" barrier as Philips calls it with its high brightness - 115 lm."
Monday, April 23, 2012
Next Gen TVs Could Be As Thin As Paper With New Breakthrough in Printed Electronics
© Georgia TechYou may think your latest television is thin, you may even think that the super-thin screens of OLED TVs are impressive. But is it paper thin? The future of printable electronics promises to push the limits to how thin devices can be, and how few materials may be needed to manufacture them -- and Georgia Institute of Technology has hit a milemarker in that race.The challenge to manufacturers currently working on
Answers to 3 Common Beginner Gardening Questions
The Daily Green's senior editor Dan Shapley asked Roger Doiron, a 2009 Heart of Green Award winner, and founder of Kitchen Gardeners International 13 questions about gardening for beginners and gardening for politicians. Doiron and Kitchen Gardeners International were a big part of the movement that convinced Michelle Obama to plant that organic garden at the White House. It was Kitchen Gardeners International that launched the
15 Incredible Vertical Gardens
Siam Paragon Vertical Garden
siam paragon, malls, bangkog, vertical gardens, living walls, plants
living wall vertical garden in siam paragon mall in bangkok
With the dream of bringing lush greenery to urban spaces, and reimagining the concept of the "built environment," architects have been establishing vertical gardens (aka living walls) all over the world. The plants in vertical gardens help absorb toxins in the air, regulate moisture, reduce reflection of light and heat, and they may even
siam paragon, malls, bangkog, vertical gardens, living walls, plants
living wall vertical garden in siam paragon mall in bangkok
With the dream of bringing lush greenery to urban spaces, and reimagining the concept of the "built environment," architects have been establishing vertical gardens (aka living walls) all over the world. The plants in vertical gardens help absorb toxins in the air, regulate moisture, reduce reflection of light and heat, and they may even
10 Common Lawn Care Mistakes
Sometimes it's more effective to remind people what they should do by pointing out first what they shouldn't do. I've compiled a list of what I consider the ten most common lawn care mistakes. Most lawn care mistakes are a result of over-doing things rather than negligence or ignorance.
Proper mowing, feeding, watering and maintenance of a lawn is best achieved through a knowledgeable approach to lawn care. Working with nature to grow the best lawn possible is easier, safer, less expensive,
Proper mowing, feeding, watering and maintenance of a lawn is best achieved through a knowledgeable approach to lawn care. Working with nature to grow the best lawn possible is easier, safer, less expensive,
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Algae-Powered Lamps, Solar Emergency Suitcases, Energy Maps of New York and More from EarthTechling
© Sandia National LaboratoriesSandia's Low-Cost Air Monitors Sniff Out Emissions"The U.S. Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories has developed a new atmospheric sampling device that is said to be smaller, lighter, less expensive and yet more accurate for taking the air samples that are used to calculate computerized climate models."Algae-Powered Street Lamps Suck Up C02"The lamps are really more like massive tanks
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Backyard and Pictures of Landscapinng Ideas Review
tinyurl.com Backyard and Pictures of Ladscaping Ideas is a very recommended product. Click Left for Discounted Price to get instant access. Ideas4Landscaping is an extensive assortment of 7250 landscaping designs, concepts and styles resulting in 300 webpages of garden landscaping manuals. I have just acquired the complete which is my honest review of the product. I'll be addressing what I like and dislike. What's Ideas4Landscaping? The item offers step-by-step designs and photographs that
Ideas 4 Landscaping
Ideas4Landscaping is a comprehensive collection of 7250 landscaping designs, ideas and themes and about 300 pages of gardening landscape guides. I've just bought the entire package and this is my honest review of the product. I will be covering what I like and dislike. What Is Ideas4Landscaping? The product offers step by step blueprints and pictures of over 7250 different landscaping designs. The creator, Helen Whitfield offers a simple, efficient and user-friendly online gallery for
Gorgeous Kinetic Light Uses OLED Technology
© ART+COMART+COM and Selux worked together to create Manta Rhei, a lighting design that can be choreographed to move in various, beautiful ways. The design is based on OLED technology, a lighting technology that allows for very thin, very light-weigh panels to be used in lighting design -- and ultimately these will be very energy efficient.© ART+COMCurrently, OLED technology is used on smaller scales with cell phone display
Transformer Table Squares the Circle, and Vice Versa
FAN Table from Mauricio Affonso on Vimeo.Mauricio Affonso circles the square with the Fan Table, made from 400 slats of wood.The table can be quickly transformed into an array of different shapes and sizes to suit its context or use. The surface can freely expand, contract and revolve in an effortless fan like movement of the hand.© Mauricio AffonsoThe designer is quoted in Inhabitat: “Furniture can be quite limited
An Aerial View of BPA: Where Are We Since the Rejected Ban?
krossbow/CC BY 2.0BPA is the chemical that just won’t melt back into the background--too many people have chosen sides on the issue. It’s a controversial industrial chemical that has been used since the 1960‘s and is found in epoxy resins that act as a protective lining in metal-based cans. It’s also used to make hard plastic known as polycarbonate.The FDA is unwilling to go for what Marian Nestle calls the
Friday, April 20, 2012
Midway's Green Sea Turtles Dine on Jellyfish For Lunch (Photos)
© Jaymi HeimbuchOn Midway Atoll's Sand Island there is a strip of sand on which you can find as many as 40 Green sea turtles on a sunny day. The area is called Turtle Beach for obvious reasons, and there is a good reason they come up here to rest.© Jaymi HeimbuchMidway Atoll is part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a double World Heritage Site and the largest conservation area established by the US to date.
3 Compost Bins for Small Spaces
© Presto ProductsMany people who are interested in composting do not do it because they think compost bins have to be large, smelly, rodent magnets and eyesores. If aesthetics are a major concern for you, a commercial compost bin may be the answer.Here are three compost bins that are perfect for urbanites and people with limited space to devote to composting.1. Geobin Composting SystemThe Geobin Composting System does not look
Buy-One-Give-One: Not Always As Generous As It Sounds
micah ogle/CC BY 2.0The following guest post was written by Chad Hamre, founder and CEO of Ethical Ocean.There was a time when ‘BOGO’ was all about what you get – a free pair of shoes, cup of coffee, a shirt. These days, the acronym loved by marketers has been transformed to be more about what you give.TOMS Shoes popularized the model in which for every pair of shoes purchased, a second pair is donated to a child in need.
How to take care of your lawn in a drought
Many parts of the country have been experiencing extended periods of drought and water restrictions that have caused us to rethink our use of water for everything from washing our beloved cars to watering our beloved lawns. Faced with shrinking reservoirs and a lack of rainfall, municipalities have enacted water restrictions and all out bans on domestic water usage for non-essential reasons.
Lawns ultimately come under intense scrutiny for their perceived gluttonous need for water but
Lawns ultimately come under intense scrutiny for their perceived gluttonous need for water but
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Breakthrough Rivals Speed of Natural Photosynthesis, Sets Solar Energy World Record
A Humble Perspective/CC BY-SA 2.0Researchers at the Swedish KTH Royal Institute of Technology have created a catalyst that can break water into oxygen and protons (which become hydrogen) at a turnover rate of 300 oxygen molecules per second per catalyst. The rate sets a world record for "turnover frequency," and represents an important breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis.A major branch of research into harvesting light energy
When Neighbors Meet to Compare Energy Bills, Much Bigger Ideas Are Born
Transition Town Totnes/Video screen captureWhen I posted about the award-winning Transition Streets program, I wrote about neighborhood groups which coached each other in energy conservation and lower carbon living. But that initial focus on cutting each others carbon at home seems to have spawned something much bigger and more exciting—a deeper, more collaborative sense of community.From solar power spreading across rooftops on
Ask the Experts: Where's All The Cellulosic Ethanol We've Been Promised?
PoetPics/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Many environmentalists have little love for first generation ethanol and for years we've been promised that the next generation of biofuels, made from waste cellulose, but we have yet to see it replace corn ethanol. Why is cellulosic ethanol moving so slowly?Matt Merritt of POET answers,"Five years ago Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, telling energy entrepreneurs that the
Don't fall for greenwashing
The "green" revolution is a wonderful thing. A bold step forward for the sake of humanity and the future. With so many products going natural, organic, and sustainable though, it can become difficult to decipher what's what. Is that product really green, or is the label referring simply to a color? Be on the lookout for greenwashing.
The word green is turning into an overused buzzword divorced from its new meaning and even farther removed from the original green industry of lawn care, golf
The word green is turning into an overused buzzword divorced from its new meaning and even farther removed from the original green industry of lawn care, golf
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Only 1/4th of Gulf Residents are More Concerned About the Environment After BP Spill
This, evidently, wasn't catastrophic enough.New research from the University of New Hampshire takes a look at the long-term reactions of those impacted by the BP spill—and finds that only a relatively small fraction have grown more concerned about other environmental issues.Lawrence Hamilton, professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, told Science Daily that "About one-fourth of our respondents said that as a
Urban Multifamily Passivhaus in Malmö is Cool and Modern
© Kjellgren Kaminsky ArchitectureThere is a lot of discussion going on in North America right now about whether the Passive House standard is too tough and inflexible for the climate. There is no question that it is tough, and can be expensive. But it is cold and snowy in Sweden, and they seem to manage quite nicely.For example, Joakim Fredrik of Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture have sent us their latest, Salongen 35 in Malmö,
Weekday Vegetarian: Spicy Three-Bean Chili
Photo: Kelly Rossiter/CC BY 2.0This recipe for spicty three-bean chili got mixed reviews at the dinner table last night. I liked it very much, my daughter found it a bit too spicy for her taste, and my husband didn't like it at all. My husband tolerates legumes more than enjoys them, so I guess the combination of three beans together was just too much for him. Despite the Goldilocks nature of the responses, I liked the spiciness of
Flowering Quince Bushes: They're "the Other Quince"
What comes to mind immediately when you hear the word "quince?" Do you think of a landscaping plant? Or do you think, "Ah, quince jelly for my English muffin -- what a treat!"? I prefer guava jelly, myself, but you get the point.
The plant that produces the fruit used to make the quince jellies, jams, etc. that you can buy at the supermarket is Cydonia oblonga. Vanessa Richins Myers, About.com Guide to Trees and Shrubs, identifies it as a member of the Rose family, which also include apples
The plant that produces the fruit used to make the quince jellies, jams, etc. that you can buy at the supermarket is Cydonia oblonga. Vanessa Richins Myers, About.com Guide to Trees and Shrubs, identifies it as a member of the Rose family, which also include apples
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Lost in London is a Magazine about the Beauty of London and Its Trees
Lost in London/Promo imageLost In London magazine is a lovely little booklet/magazine that comes out seasonally. Subtitled Living Simply in the City, it is filled with beautiful photos and artwork and inspiring stories of London life and wildlife.The spring edition, which is just out now, has a tree theme. With the use of photos, artist's drawings, interviews, and sculpture, the essence of trees is examined.© Lost in LondonThere
Christie's "Bid to Save the Earth" Supports Water Preservation with Live, Online Auction
© Patrick McMullan. Christie's green auction Bid to Save the Earth, presented by JW Marriott.This week, Christie's hosted their third annual green auction A Bid To Save the Earth to raise funds for top environmental non-profits Oceana, Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), Conservation International, and the Central Park Conservancy. The auction boasts both a live, carbon-neutral event that brought in roughly $600,000 and an
Coming to Grips with Plastic Pollution, One Bird at a Time
© Jaymi HeimbuchSure, we've seen the photos. We've seen the sad images of albatross skeletons filled to bursting with plastic debris, the decaying outline of a chick or adult with the rainbow center. I've seen a lot of these photos, but when I visited Midway I wanted to see it for myself.While there is an understanding we gain from a photograph, it is difficult to get the full emotional impact of an event or sight. That is the
Enduring Lessons from the Titanic
After 100 years, what is it about the Titanic that continues its hold on our culture?
There is the human element - the quaintness of the bygone Edwardian culture, our revulsion at the rigid class separation of those days, the terror that passengers, rich and poor, must have felt as the unforgiving elements destroyed the "unsinkable" ship, the tragedy of 1,500 lives lost in the dark deep.
There is also our fascination with the arrogance of smart people who convinced
There is the human element - the quaintness of the bygone Edwardian culture, our revulsion at the rigid class separation of those days, the terror that passengers, rich and poor, must have felt as the unforgiving elements destroyed the "unsinkable" ship, the tragedy of 1,500 lives lost in the dark deep.
There is also our fascination with the arrogance of smart people who convinced
Monday, April 16, 2012
How Collaborative Consumption Could Help Shrink Government
One of the saddest things about the recent Agenda 21 conspiracy silliness has been the repeated accusation that environmentalism is somehow about abolishing private property or adopting communism.It's true that many of us believe that owning less stuff can bring you more freedom, but that's really a message about building a smarter economy, not imposing more authoritarian rules.In fact, sharing more may be key to achieving one of
How Do You Fit 1 Million More People in NYC?
divya_/CC BY 2.0On Wednesday night, I attended a discussion at the Museum of the City of New York titled "How Should New York Grow?" Based on the conservative estimate that by 2035, the city will be home to 9.2 million people (one million more than today), how can we possibly adapt our infrastructure and prepare for the long term?The panelists were Department of City Planning commissioner Anna Hayes Levin and Holliday Professor and
Graham Hill's Full-Size, Foldable Thin Bike
Fair Companies/Video screen captureWarren posted about TreeHugger founder Graham Hill's foldable, full-size Thin Bike before. It was all part of Graham's Life Edited project exploring how less stuff leads to more freedom.Now Fair Companies—the folks who have brought us video on everything from Ewok Villages in Oregon to electric bike RVs—have released a new video in which Graham explains the thinking behind the Thin Bike.Fair
Top Plants in My Landscape for April
I still have some holdovers from my March Landscaping Report performing quite well in my April landscape. Most notably, while I had some daffodils bloom early enough this year to make it into my March report, they've really come into their own in April. Another holdover worth mentioning is Lenten rose, although that plant "cheats" by sporting long-lasting sepals as its primary source of color, rather than flowers, per se.
But enough about my holdovers. It's a brand-new month with a brand-new
But enough about my holdovers. It's a brand-new month with a brand-new
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Green Rural Design Aims to Slow Urban Slum Growth
msafari2425/CC BY 2.0. Street scene in Addis Ababa.Life in a well-planned city can be about as green as it gets, but rapid urbanization in the developing world is taxing the ability of cities to provide adequate housing, sanitation, and other infrastructure for the people streaming into their ever-growing boundaries.In Istanbul, where I live, the population has roughly doubled since 1990, with nearly 1,000 people, most from rural
Saturday, April 14, 2012
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7250 Landscaping Ideas
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Farms Use 60 Times More Land Than Cities: It's Time to Develop Terraculture
TEDx/Video screen captureWhen I posted on Jonathan Foley's 5 point plan for feeding the world, I focused on his suggestion that we need a LEED-type certification system for sustainable farming.But there's much more to Foley's work than certification systems. He has been extremely influential in drawing attention to agriculture's astounding impact on our climate, our water and our land surfaces. In this TEDx talk, he demonstrates
Maps Show a Decade of Renewable Energy Growth, 2001-2011
EIA/Public DomainThe maps above, compiled with data from the US Energy Information Administration, document the growth of renewable energy over the last 10 years (without counting hydroelectric power). Yes, the darkening blue is thanks to widespread adoption of solar, wind, and, to a lesser extent, geothermal and biomass.Those blue spots reveal some encouraging progress, especially when paired with news that coal-fired generation
Guess What? More Bike Lanes = More Cyclists (and the Weather Doesn't Matter)
© April StreeterYou've got to hand it to Rutgers researcher John Pucher - he studies what seems like common sense in transportation, and then makes it sound good.Studying bike lanes in 90 or the 100 largest American cities, Pucher and collaborater Ralph Buehl used Pearson’s correlation, bivariate quartile analysis, and two different types of regressions to measure the relationship between more and longer bike lanes and quantity
Does Spring Bring Out Your Inner Wood Nymph?
There's something about the landscape in spring that takes me back, mentally, to ancient Greece, when nymphs still traipsed through magical forests. I guess it's the freshness in the vegetation, which has such a powerful impact on my senses that I want to imagine there's something more there than meets the eye, something "divine." Maybe the moderate temperatures have a bit to do with it, too, putting me in such an exuberant mood that I can better relate to the Greeks' predilection for
Friday, April 13, 2012
Israel Hopes To Attract Flocks Of Bird Watching Tourists By Building New Ornithological Centers
toyournas flickr page/viaHula Valley Nature Reserve's CranesThe Israeli government last week approved an investment of $10 million (NIS 37 million) to construct new birdwatching centers in the Negev and Galilee. Four new centers will be built in Sde Boker, Ein Gedi, Lotan and Hatzeva. Also three existing centers will be upgraded. The proposal was formulated by Tel Aviv University and the Society for the Protection of Nature’s in
Tiny Island Nation Embraces Composting Toilets, Fights Major Water Shortages
RERUAustralia/Video screen captureFrom its ambitious goal to produce 100% clean energy by 2020 to calling out the World's biggest polluters for their role in creating climate change, the tiny island nation of Tuvalu has already shown impressive environmental leadership—and for good reason.With a population of just 10,500 and a land mass of 26 square kilometers, most of which is barely a meter above the ocean, Tuvalu faces a very
Are You Growing a Lily or a Daylily?
As Marie Iannotti notes in this article on distinguishing between "lilies" and "daylilies", the common names of the plants we use in our landscaping can be maddening at times. But before we get to that, let me mention why it even matters that you know the difference between a lily and a daylily.
You see, this isn't a word game. It's not the equivalent of trying to distinguish between "summer" and "summertime," where it really doesn't matter which term you use. No, there can be very real
You see, this isn't a word game. It's not the equivalent of trying to distinguish between "summer" and "summertime," where it really doesn't matter which term you use. No, there can be very real
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Lenders Say Fracking Presents a Mortgage Risk
Wyoming: Upper Green River Valley/CC BY 1.0When Rolling Stone wrote about the big fracking bubble, they drew comparisons to the false accounting practices that drove the recent financial crisis. But the links to financial trouble may be as real as they are metaphorical, as the State Employees Credit Union, one of North Carolina's major mortgage lenders, has just announced that fracking can represent a very real mortgage risk:The
Even Nail Polishes Labeled "Natural" May Not Be
Many popular nail polishes contain the so-called "toxic trio" of chemicals: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene and formaldehyde.
While consumers seeking to avoid these chemicals may know that nail polishes often don't list them as ingredients, a startling study from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control finds that even many brands that claim to be "three free" contain harmful substances.
"When nail care products
While consumers seeking to avoid these chemicals may know that nail polishes often don't list them as ingredients, a startling study from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control finds that even many brands that claim to be "three free" contain harmful substances.
"When nail care products
'Miss Ruby' Buddleia: No Song, Just Great Color
'Miss Ruby' is one of the relatively new butterfly bushes on the market. The shrub is named for its floral color, which is a rich, deep pink. The individual blooms nestle into the flower spike like so many tiny rubies.
Frankly, I'm surprised the namers of 'Miss Ruby' butterfly bush didn't call it 'Ruby Tuesday,' instead (although there is already a Helenium plant named 'Ruby Tuesday'). That way, whenever I thought about the plant, the Rolling Stones song by the same name would have been
Frankly, I'm surprised the namers of 'Miss Ruby' butterfly bush didn't call it 'Ruby Tuesday,' instead (although there is already a Helenium plant named 'Ruby Tuesday'). That way, whenever I thought about the plant, the Rolling Stones song by the same name would have been
Zoo-Bound Bear Escapes Back Into the Wild
Karl Stiler/CC BY 2.0Since Shaguyik was found wandering alone as a young cub in the forests of Alaska, the 2-year-old Kodiak bear's life has been anything but ordinary. For a little over a year, the presumed orphan has been living on the ground of the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center outside Anchorage, growing accustomed to the regular meals and general safety that captivity entails -- but her keepers' best intentions were no
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Bus Blocks Driver From Fleeing After Hit-and-Run With Cyclist (Video)
It's a sad reality that many hit-and-runs involving cyclists result in serious injury or death while the drivers escape from justice -- but thanks to some luck and two quick-thinking good Samaritans, neither is the case following a dramatic accident last week in Pennsylvania.Experienced bicyclist Frank Pavlick was recently traveling in the slow-lane over Fahy Bridge in Bethlehem, PA, in accordance with road regulations, when he was
15 Earth Day Tips that Really Make a Difference
Give Up Paper Towels
reusable towel, tips, nrdc, simple steps, new years resolutions
woman washing window with a cloth towel
Cost: $6.95
No matter how you look at it, paper towels create waste. During your next trip to the grocery store, buy some reusable microfiber towels, which grip dirt and dust like a magnet, even when they get wet. When you are finished with them, toss the towels in the wash and reuse them again and again. They are even great for countertops and mirrors. When you
reusable towel, tips, nrdc, simple steps, new years resolutions
woman washing window with a cloth towel
Cost: $6.95
No matter how you look at it, paper towels create waste. During your next trip to the grocery store, buy some reusable microfiber towels, which grip dirt and dust like a magnet, even when they get wet. When you are finished with them, toss the towels in the wash and reuse them again and again. They are even great for countertops and mirrors. When you
Ruined Rec Center Gym Floor Gets Upcycled into Furniture with a Story
© Wool HatWhen the flooring of the gym at the Northglenn Recreation Center in Colorado was damaged beyond repair, it's likely many wrote it off, assuming it would end up in a dump. But a furniture company in nearby Fort Collins saw value where others saw none, and salvaged the old maple, transforming it into tables, desks and chairs that will have a fresh lifetime of use.Wool Hat, run by Matthew and Danelle Britt, is dedicated to
Time to start thinking about the sprinkler system
Last season I didn't fire up the system until late May but this spring is off to a brutally dry start. Ponds are low, the ground is dry, and an early growth spurt seems to have ground to a halt without any rain to keep things going.
An annual spring chore in northern parts of the continent is starting up the irrigation system. This task is much easier than winterizing the system since an air compressor is not needed, just a working knowledge of the sprinkler system.
Many people have their
An annual spring chore in northern parts of the continent is starting up the irrigation system. This task is much easier than winterizing the system since an air compressor is not needed, just a working knowledge of the sprinkler system.
Many people have their
Double Your Pleasure With 'Sugar Tip' Rose of Sharon
Do you strive for a continual sequence of bloom in your landscaping? If so, rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) can be a key element in your landscaping plan. These shrubs bloom during the second half of the summer (after many shrubs have finished flowering for the year), making them a valuable commodity in our quest for floral continuity.
'Sugar Tip' rose of sharon bears a double flower, but that's not the only reason why you can "double your pleasure" with this shrub. For, in addition to
'Sugar Tip' rose of sharon bears a double flower, but that's not the only reason why you can "double your pleasure" with this shrub. For, in addition to
2010 Pro-Solar Billboard Goes Viral Two Years Later
Facebook/viaI was amused when I first saw the above photo of a pro-solar billboard ad in upstate New York cycle through my Facebook feed a few days ago. The slogan was evidently the brainchild of a group called Vote Solar, which was hoping to encourage New York state politicians to support clean energy legislation—back in 2010.The premise reminded me of that gag that went viral during the height of the BP spill, when Reddit
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monsanto Threatens to Sue Vermont Over GMO Labeling Law
Just Label It/Screen captureNearly 20 states are considering a labeling requirement for genetically engineered foods, something an estimated 90 percent of American people want but aren't getting from their federal government. (Quite the opposite: Rather than listen to public calls to require labeling of GMO foods, the FDA is silencing them.)And now, it turns out, state government officials may even be dragging their feet on
Lucirmás Turns Single Wine Bottles into 3-Piece Table Sets
© VictorMaxPhotoFuture anthropologists might conclude that we were a culture of boozers, given the abundance of wine bottles we've produced. Fortunately, they might also conclude that these wine-swilling people were a resourceful lot, given the creative reuse of said bottles. We've seen wine bottles transformed into lamps and planters, ceilings and walls, earthships and entire houses -- not to mention a whole host of glassware,
How to Landscape a Side Yard
Side yards get no respect. They're often treated as if they were good for nothing but passageways between the front yard and the backyard. But why should just the front and back portions of your landscape receive all the glory? Land is land, and to achieve unity in a landscape design, all portions of the yard should receive attention.
Or maybe you do care about your side yard and would love to landscape it properly, but you have "landscaper's block" (writers get it, so why not landscapers?).
Or maybe you do care about your side yard and would love to landscape it properly, but you have "landscaper's block" (writers get it, so why not landscapers?).
Monday, April 9, 2012
Mitt Romney: Climate Flip-flopper and Fracking Defender
Gage Skidmore via Flickr/CC BY 2.0Mitt Romney, flanked by security guards in Pennsylvania yesterday, let his tongue loose yesterday on fracking. For a man who once stood in front of a coal plant and told a crowd that it was poisoning their community and who helped design a cap and trade system, Romney sure has changed his tune when it comes to fossil fuels. Time will tell if this endears him to suburban and rural voters whom he
Surprisingly Thoughtful Zucchini Blogs From Space
© NASA"I sprouted, thrust into this world without anyone consulting me," writes a young zucchini named Rose, apparently unaware that she in fact knows no earthy home. "I am not one of the beautiful; I am not one that by any other name instills flutters in the human heart. I am the kind that makes little boys gag at the dinner table thus being sent to bed without their dessert."Clearly, NASA's most self-aware vegetable astronaut
Dice Games in the Atmosphere
If you're playing craps in a Vegas casino, rolling 11 is an 18 to 1 shot. No one would bat an eye if you rolled 11 once ... or twice. Roll 11 several times in a row, however, and eyebrows would go up. The pit boss would likely take a hard look at the dice. If you're caught with a pair of loaded dice, you'd be looking at hard time in the state pen.
Why would a cheater try to slip a pair of loaded dice onto the table? To boost the odds the dice roll will make bets pay
Why would a cheater try to slip a pair of loaded dice onto the table? To boost the odds the dice roll will make bets pay
Arbor Day Facts
Arbor Day 2012 lands on April 27. The fact is, we always celebrate Arbor Day on the last Friday of April. As the "tree holiday," skeptics scoff at the idea of celebrating Arbor Day (trees don't really need a day off from work, right?). But if you enjoy trees at all, it's not a bad day to meditate on their significance.
That's why I'm asking you to celebrate Arbor Day 2012 with me by answering the question, "What are the best trees you can plant in a yard?" I'm sure many of you have favorites
That's why I'm asking you to celebrate Arbor Day 2012 with me by answering the question, "What are the best trees you can plant in a yard?" I'm sure many of you have favorites
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Medellin to Build Massive 46-Miles Urban Park Surrounding the City
Jose Duque/CC BY 2.0The second largest city of Colombia is clearly one of the most exciting places in South America regarding public space design.Since its ascension to the mayor's office in 2004, Compromiso Ciudadano (an independent civic movement formed by academics, NGO professionals, businessmen and community organizations) carried away a bold urban planning scheme oriented to green and improve the city to encourage community
Types of Flowering Trees
One way I gauge spring's approach in my yard is by observing my magnolia trees. I love it when the buds on my early-blooming magnolias are just starting to crack open, revealing a hint of long-awaited color. The forsythias aren't far behind: from bark to bud, they give off a yellowish glow in anticipation of flowering (when they're not ready to commit to spring just yet but are not very shy about their intentions, either).
Once such early bloomers have "broken the ice," we know it's only a
Once such early bloomers have "broken the ice," we know it's only a
Landscape Ideas (Pool Landscaping Ideas)
Download Landscape Ideas here tinyurl.com Have you considered different landscaping ideas for front yard and backyard projects? Are you wanting to move forward but have not found pictures for your landscaping ideas for front yard and backyard? The motivation for healthier, peaceful and relaxed living is producing in a expanding awareness of the value of landscaping to a residence. Your strategies for home modernizing therefore, must not be restricted within the walls of your residence, but
Landscaping Ideas For Ranch Style Homes
Get Landscaping Ideas For Ranch Style Homes here tinyurl.com Have you considered different landscaping ideas for front yard and backyard projects? Are you wanting to move forward but have not found pictures for your landscaping ideas for front yard and backyard? The motivation for healthier, peaceful and relaxed living is producing in a expanding awareness of the value of landscaping to a residence. Your strategies for home modernizing therefore, must not be restricted within the walls of your
How To Landscape Your Garden And Make the Neighbours Jealous!
derwoodhomes.co.uk Garden landscapng and garden makeovers can turn your garden into a pleasureable outside experience of relaxation and socialising. Planning and obtaining Garden landscaping ideas and advise is a great way to get started. Derwood homes offers just that.. garden landscaping advice to suit your needs and budget.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Spring is the time to get your soil tested
It's the same thing every year. Spring arrives and everyone's raring to get going on their lawn, but do you know what's in your soil? Do you know the pH of your soil? Have you had your soil tested in the last three years?
Soil is the key ingredient in a healthy lawn. Knowing what makes up your soil will help guide you in your fertility program or let you know if you need to add lime. If you refuse to become acquainted with your soil, there's not much hope for your grass. Soil is that
Soil is the key ingredient in a healthy lawn. Knowing what makes up your soil will help guide you in your fertility program or let you know if you need to add lime. If you refuse to become acquainted with your soil, there's not much hope for your grass. Soil is that
Information About Poison Ivy
There's lots of information out there amidst the general public about poison ivy. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation, too. Then there's the kind of poison-ivy information that is not especially well known, but which blows your mind when you hear it! Here is an example of each:
The general public is aware that a tripartite leaflet is an identifying feature of poison ivy, due to the leaves of three, let it be rhyme. That's good solid information -- as far as it goes. Problem is,
The general public is aware that a tripartite leaflet is an identifying feature of poison ivy, due to the leaves of three, let it be rhyme. That's good solid information -- as far as it goes. Problem is,
Some Coral May Be Better Suited for a Warmer, More Acidic Ocean
USFWS Pacific/CC BY 2.0Aside from acting as center of biodiversity in the oceans, coral reefs play important roles in costal ecosystems and protect shorelines during storms and rough seas. Unfortunately, with ocean temperatures forecast to increase between one and three degrees Celsius by the end of the century, the outlook for these vital habitats is not good. The problem, scientists have long known, is that as water temperatures
Is It a Boxwood or a Holly?
Certain plants that are totally different from one another do, nonetheless, look alike. Or at least they bear a very similar appearance. If you know what to look for in the way of distinguishing marks -- and get up really close to them, for a proper inspection -- then sure, you can tell them apart. But it takes some effort.
Do such challenges in plant identification excite you? Yes? Then you've come to the right place here at About.com's Landscaping site. Excitement over such endeavors is
Do such challenges in plant identification excite you? Yes? Then you've come to the right place here at About.com's Landscaping site. Excitement over such endeavors is
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Facebook and Opower Launch Social Energy App
social.opower.com/Screen captureFacebook is the ultimate tool for sharing our lives. We share photos of our kids, where and what we're eating, and now we can share our energy use. We reported last fall on Facebook's plans to partner with Opower and the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) to launch a "social energy" app that will let users share and compare their home energy consumption with their friends. Today, that app went
Plain Vanilla Fail: A Matter Of Climate Change, Population Growth, & Clear-Cutting?
foam/CC BY 2.0Vanilla plant, with unripe pods.Pun-filled coverage of a world wide vanilla bean shortage is luscious desert for local, regional, and national news outlets. Here's a typical piece: Vanilla Shortage: Rocky Road For Ice Cream Prices. Just why vanilla bean production is failing, and where it is failing, sufficient to drastically increase prices all over the world, get no mention. Heaven forbid, something not-cute be
Look for Good Housekeeping's 'Green Central Station'
To bring further awareness to consumers on environmental issues and the impact of our world, Good Housekeeping will debut “Green Central Station” an interactive exhibit, during Earth Month on Monday, April 23rd, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Located at Grand Central Terminal, in Vanderbilt Hall, the display will bring to life the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, the Green Good Housekeeping Seal, and the following sponsors who produce
Located at Grand Central Terminal, in Vanderbilt Hall, the display will bring to life the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, the Green Good Housekeeping Seal, and the following sponsors who produce
What Are Your Views on Earth Day?
Earth Day 2012 is right around the corner. Events will be taking place April 22, 2012. While the World Earth Day events constitute a sort of holy day for environmentalism, even die-hard greensters admit that the real focus should be on showing your "Earth Day spirit" 365 days per year.
As harmless as "Earth Day" might sound (what sane person doesn't love the earth, right?), the festival generates considerable debate. Indeed, this is as it should be. The first Earth Day, in 1970, was
As harmless as "Earth Day" might sound (what sane person doesn't love the earth, right?), the festival generates considerable debate. Indeed, this is as it should be. The first Earth Day, in 1970, was
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
If the Supreme Court Throws Out Health Care Law, Might Environmental Protections be Next?
Max Fischer via Flickr/CC BY 2.0If the Supreme Court were to strike down the recently-passed healthcare law as unconstitutional—which would be a bold and largely unprecedented act—some scholars and experts worry that longstanding environmental protections and labor laws might be next.So reporteth Politico: Simon Lazarus of the National Senior Citizens Law Center, has made some of the most attention-grabbing predictions, arguing
Nearly 90% of Chinese 18-25 Year-Olds Want Brands to Cut Carbon Emissions
Tom Thai/CC BY 2.0I'm not going to belabor this one too much, but Green Biz has the results of an interesting survey of 18-25 year olds and how business efforts to lower carbon emissions may influence brand loyalty.88% of this demographic in China said they want firms to cut carbon emissions, with 83% saying they'd be more loyal to companies who actually do so. In second place was South Africa (86% want corporate emissions cuts);
Does your lawn need lime this spring?
Does your soil need lime? That is the question. The best way to find out is by having your soil tested. To get your soil tested, contact your local cooperative extension office.
The results will mainly indicate fertilizer requirements and soil pH. If the soil pH is out of balance nutrient intake is impaired and it will result a general decline of the plant. If the pH is low (acidic) lime may be needed. Acidic soil is also known as "sour" soil and lime is added to "sweeten" it. If your soil pH
The results will mainly indicate fertilizer requirements and soil pH. If the soil pH is out of balance nutrient intake is impaired and it will result a general decline of the plant. If the pH is low (acidic) lime may be needed. Acidic soil is also known as "sour" soil and lime is added to "sweeten" it. If your soil pH
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Scotland Now Gets 1/3 of Its Power from Renewable Sources
Vincent van Zeijst, Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0Good news out of Scotland today: The nation is now 35% powered by renewable energy. Impressive, sure. But it also means that Scotland has hit an important milestone en route to its goal of getting 100% of its power from renewable sources by 2020.Here's the BBC: The Department of Energy and Climate Change statistics said the amount generated in Scotland rose by 45% last year to 13,750
Google Introduces GMail Tap, Another Example Of How We Can Learn From The Past To Improve The Future
.. / .-- .- ... / ...- . .-. -.-- / . -..- -.-. .. - . -.. / - --- / .-.. . .- .-. -. / .- -... --- ..- - / --. -- .- .. .-.. / - .- .--. --..-- / - .... . / -. . .-- / .--. .-. --- --. .-. .- -- / ..-. --- .-. / .- -. -.. .-. --- .. -.. / .--. .... --- -. . ... / - .... .- - / .-.. . - ... / -.-- --- ..- / ..- ... . / --- -. .-.. -.-- / - .-- --- / ..-. .. -. --. . .-. ... / - --- / . -. - . .-. / -- ---
Students Clean Up Lake, Discover Sunken Treasure
bgreenlee/CC BY 2.0Each week, students from St. Paul's Elementary School in Oakland, California, volunteer their time pick up trash around their community. But on a recent outing to clean a polluted lake downtown, one group sixth-graders found something more than just sense of civic pride.While scouring the banks and trolling the depths of Oakland's Lake Merritt for plastic bottles, cigarette butts, and assorted garbage last week,
Monday, April 2, 2012
Planning A Single-Issue Vote For This Fall May Be The Best Thing You Can Do For Earth Day
US Senate/Public DomainAbove, directly cited from the US Senate website, are names of all 47 US Senators who recently voted against and 51 other Senators who voted for "A bill to eliminate unnecessary tax subsidies and promote renewable energy and energy conservation" (S.2204).Do something now to ready yourself for the coming Earth Day. Go to that official US Senate web page link above. Make a bookmark and note any of those
Snails that Produce Electricity Could Lead to an Army of Insect Cyborgs
© Clarkson UniversityWhen it comes to animals, electricity is more often associated with the Energy Bunny than with the snail- but that may be about to change. Researchers at Clarkson University have successfully implanted a biofuel cell in a living snail. The cell produces electrical energy using the snail's natural glucose as fuel.According to Clarkson, the snail will be able to operate normally in a natural environment, while
SUV-Driving Congressmen Blame Obama for High Cost of Filling Up at the Pump
Andrij Bulba via Flickr/CC BY 2.0Republican congressmen are outraged—outraged!—that they are paying so much money for gas, and that Obama won't immediately turn the nation into a self-serving petro-state to bring costs down.To demonstrate their anger at the president's unwillingness to wave his magic scepter over the oil futures market to instantly lower gas prices, Republicans are aiming a variety of publicity stunts and angry
Selecting Rock Garden Plants
Some readers have sent in their own rock garden ideas, one even writing at more length about a rock garden perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Feel free to add your own thoughts to these resources.
What makes a good rock garden plant? Well, the answer to that query depends on how the question is framed. There are certain plants that we could call "classic" choices for rock gardens. But everybody's situation is different, and a plant that is a great choice for one person might not be so
What makes a good rock garden plant? Well, the answer to that query depends on how the question is framed. There are certain plants that we could call "classic" choices for rock gardens. But everybody's situation is different, and a plant that is a great choice for one person might not be so
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Google's Super-Efficient Belgium Data Center Operates at 95 Degrees
ketmonkey/CC BY-ND 2.0Google's St. Ghislain, Belgium data center has made news before for running without the use of any chillers, the biggest energy-hogs in a data center. The data center uses fresh air cooling for its server areas and, up until recently, was allowing them to run at temperatures up to 80 degrees, sending traffic to other facilities to be processed when it got too hot, but now the tech giant is pushing the
Living Planter Chandelier Combines Lighting with Cacti
© Omer Arbel Combining lighting and plants isn't as strange as it might first seem, especially if they are hung from the ceiling. Canadian designer Omer Arbel's "38 series" planter chandelier is another striking iteration of this eccentric marriage, using mouth-blown glass and a variety of plants.© Omer Arbel Designboom notes that the chandelier is seen and acts as a hub of activity, and uses a "mechanical conveyor system" in its
Serving Dandelion Wine to April Fools
Do you have a bad neighbor who criticizes your landscaping? Are you never quite quick enough to think of something witty to say in response to the charge of bad landscaping, while remaining civil? Maybe it's time you were supplied with a little ammunition with which to defend yourself....
This being April Fool's Day, though, you should be aware that I offer these comeback lines with tongue thoroughly tucked in cheek. Are the jokes in this article meant to be delivered by or to April fools?
This being April Fool's Day, though, you should be aware that I offer these comeback lines with tongue thoroughly tucked in cheek. Are the jokes in this article meant to be delivered by or to April fools?
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Ideas for Landscaping - Review of "Ideas 4 Landscaping"
tinyurl.com Click link on left to order "Ideas 4 Landscaping" Best Selling Ideas 4 Landscaping Software| Ideas 4 Landscaping Software Review|Ideas 4 Landscaping Software Reviews|How does Ideas 4 Landscaping Work|Ideas 4 Landscaping|Ideas 4 Landscaping Program|Honest Ideas 4 Landscaping Review Does Ideas 4 Landscaping Software Really Work? Before you buy Ideas 4 Landscaping Software or download Ideas 4 Landscaping Software read our review , How does Ideas 4 Landscaping Work? Ideas 4 Landscaping
Landscaping Ideas - More than 7000 Ideas
for access to landscaping ideas. Get the ideal landscape for your home including fencing and plants, grades and slopes, gazebos and pools and more. Landscaping Ideas channel:
Lawn safety is serious
Every year I have the grim task of searching through my lawn care news feed and discovering the latest batch of lawn mower injuries. More often than not the injured are children and an alarming amount are accidents that occur in the presence of an adult - in scenarios where the adult is unaware of the presence of the child or worse yet, giving the child an introduction to mowing the lawn. The heartbreaking aspect is not only the horrific damage theses types of injuries inflict (they are called
'David' Phlox Leaves Powdery Mildew Disease in the Dust
Powdery mildew disease is one of those plant diseases that we tend to tolerate, because it's usually not lethal to plants: It just spoils their looks for a while. If you grow a traditional type of Phlox paniculata, perhaps you've been tolerating powdery mildew disease for years. At the same time, putting up with that unsightly powdery film on your plants may be a prime reason why you don't get more joy out of your Phlox paniculata. The solution? Short of trying to cure powdery mildew disease,
Friday, March 30, 2012
Hi Kids! Biotech Industry Gets Into the Education With "Biotechnology Basics Activity Book"
Council for Biotechnology Information/Screen captureKids seem to be a popular target for big industry influence: the coal industry tried to distribute in schools, using the network and resources of Scholastic, an educational curriculum on the advantages of coal; the ethanol and egg industries have adopted similar tactics; and the oil industry is corrupting science education entirely. Now it's the biotech industry.Ronnie Cummins of
EPA Will Target CO2 Emissions of Existing Coal Plants—When It's Not Election Season
Earlier this week, the EPA announced that it would implement rules restricting the amount of greenhouse gas emissions a new power plant could emit. They effectively prevent new coal-fired power plants without expansive scrubbing or sequestration technology from ever being built.But the rules don't effect already existing power plants, which are the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. These ancient
Shell Oil President: "There Is No Immediate Fix For the Price of Oil Today"
CBS This Morning/Screen captureCharlie Rose had Shell Oil President Marvin Odum on his CBS show this morning, and he said a lot of pro-oil, pro-industry things (and refuses to call a subsidy a subsidy). But in the middle of the interview, buried in the middle of an answer, he also makes a statement that puts him on Obama's side in the gas price war that Republicans have waged against the president.Watch him here, where at minute
Nobody Doesn't Like Nora Leigh
I know, I know: I'm betraying the TV-mania of my childhood with that title. Some of you may recognize it as an allusion to an old Sara Lee ad, which said, "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee."
'Nora Leigh' is a variegated phlox. Even the flowers are two-toned: deep pink in the center, lighter pink on the margin. What's not to like, right?
Garden phlox is one of those staples of the summer landscape with which you really should become familiar (if you're not
'Nora Leigh' is a variegated phlox. Even the flowers are two-toned: deep pink in the center, lighter pink on the margin. What's not to like, right?
Garden phlox is one of those staples of the summer landscape with which you really should become familiar (if you're not
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Recycled Wind Turbine Blades Make This Dutch Playground Fun
© 2012Architecten Windmills have been around since the times of the ancient Greeks; but nowadays, the country that's probably most associated with them is the Netherlands (apparently, windmills helped drain its low-lying lands). Rotterdam-based architectural firm 2012Architecten took this playful association further in doing this neat renovation of a derelict playground, using recycled wind turbine parts.© 2012Architecten©
Green Growth Sprouting Up All Around Greece
© Andrew Clements/Oikosteges. The green roof on the Treasury building in Athens helps the government save money on heating and cooling costs.The Greek economy may be ailing, but not every kind of growth is stagnant in the Mediterranean country: Green roofs are popping up all over, beautifying buildings and helping both government offices and private citizens save much-needed cash.Though not all of its decisions have been so
Bottle Belts Hold Wine, Beer and Other Things on Your Bike
© Erin BerzelIt takes clever design to make biking as convenient as driving. If you're going to to pedal to your friend's dinner party, you don't want to do it with a bottle of wine in one hand. That's where bottle belts come in: the simple, classy way to add some cargo space to your bike.Perfect for holding wine and beer bottles, plus whatever else you can think of, bottle belts are from Walnut Studiolo, run by Geoffrey and
Volcano Ruby Garden Phlox: Gem of the Perennial Patch
Traditional types of garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) are highly susceptible to powdery mildew disease. But plant developers have addressed the issue with success over the years. The result is the group of new garden phlox cultivars that are relatively resistant to powdery mildew.
I grow several different breeds of garden phlox, including some of the new cultivars. One is Phlox paniculata 'David'. Another is Volcano Ruby Garden Phlox.
These newer, mildew-resistant garden phloxes maintain
I grow several different breeds of garden phlox, including some of the new cultivars. One is Phlox paniculata 'David'. Another is Volcano Ruby Garden Phlox.
These newer, mildew-resistant garden phloxes maintain
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
New UN Report Warns That Some Climate Effects Are Already 'Baked In'
350.org/Screen captureLow Regrets. That's a seemingly benign phrase that appears in a new almost 600 page study on climate change impacts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "Low regrets" is used to describe the urgent policy choices that governments should be making now to avoid the worst possible consequences for people and ecosystems from our changing climate.Such policies are needed now because we've gone so
No love for the dandelion?
There is no more despised plant in the world of lawn care than the dandelion. Not even crabgrass can raise the ire of a homeowner like a dandelion can. They seem to appear overnite and reproduce even quicker with their floaty little seeds blowing easily from one lawn to the next. Just ask the Canadians who are without their beloved weed-n-feed how much they like like dandelions and, well... it ain't pretty. I've blogged about the weed-n-feed bans and they don't go over well, especially with
When Traveling and Landscaping Merge
Is your new plant selection influenced by what you see when you travel? Mine is. Of course, you might expect as much from someone who writes about plants. But I'm sure many of you operate under a similar influence.
A travel destination I regularly mine for plant ideas is coastal Maine. Not all of these ideas pan out, mind you. The conditions in my landscape back home differ markedly from those along Maine's coast, even though the two are not separated by a heck of a lot of territory. One
A travel destination I regularly mine for plant ideas is coastal Maine. Not all of these ideas pan out, mind you. The conditions in my landscape back home differ markedly from those along Maine's coast, even though the two are not separated by a heck of a lot of territory. One
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