parkgarden2: March 2012

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Ideas for Landscaping - Review of "Ideas 4 Landscaping"

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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

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

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

Wealthy Donors Dump Obama Over Climate Fails, Keystone XL Approval

Pete Souza, WhiteHouse.gov/Public DomainGreen donors claim they're dumping Obama after he announced he'll 'fast track' the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline (its southern half, anyway). They're especially mad that the president hasn't even so much as acknowledged the threat the pipeline project poses to climate change, and that he's eager to approve drilling projects to appeal to moderates but won't even discuss global warming in

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Second Life For Sea Creatures? TheBlu Crowdsources the Ocean

© The BluI never use a screensaver, so I was surprised this past Thursday night to find myself at Mindshare’s Ocean themed evening and mesmerized by TheBlu. What is TheBlu you may ask? At first glance, it looks like a screensaver with pictures of the ocean. But looking closer, TheBlu allows you to dive into and explore underwater habitats and oceans, all from the comfort of your computer. TheBlu is the product of years of

Annual Sales of Electric Bicycles to Surpass 47 Million by 2018

© PikeBikes on Steroids
Electric bikes are too often overlooked when people look for green ways to get around, and that's a real shame, because they are absolutely great. Thanks to their electric motors that assist the rider, they can make bike-commuting more accessible to people living in hilly area, or people with longer commutes, or those with physical problems that make regular bikes too difficult to use.According to a new

String trimmer safety

String trimmers can be extremely dangerous if not taking the appropriate precautions, not only to the operator but to onlookers and surrounding property. The action of the rapidly spinning trimmer head is extremely dangerous if it were to come in contact with people and it can also cause harm by sending rocks and dust flying potentially hurting people and even breaking windows. String trimmer safety is as an important part of a lawn care program as lawn mower safety.

As with lawn mower safety,

Plants for Partial Shade: Clown Flower

Clown flower (Torenia) is a colorful annual that does well in partial shade. If you live where it gets really hot, bump that "partial shade" recommendation up to "shade."

Since these plants will still bloom profusely even without deadheading, clown flower lays claim to a spot in the low-maintenance yard. Other benefits of growing clown flower include the fact that they are:
good hummingbird plants
while aiding your deer control in the garden (since deer tend not to eat them)

Start clown

Monday, March 26, 2012

Startling New Research Suggests Popcorn is a Powerful Super Food

Ayelie/CC BY 2.0Although popcorn has taken a beating for its tendency to end up in compromising positions -- like slathered in “golden flavor” at the movie theater or harboring offensive chemicals courtesy of microwave-popping packaging -- new research is showing that it is a super-nutrient powerhouse.Affordable, easily-attainable popcorn! Take that, you miracle-promising superfoods with your exorbitant price tags and

Sunday, March 25, 2012

New Light Rail Line Approved In Toronto Over Mayor's Objections in the Continuing War On The Car

TTC/Public DomainToronto resident and urban theorist Richard Florida wonders in a tweet: "Has anyone recently quantified the effect of bad/ incompetent leadership on the competitiveness and status of a large global city?" He then finds one, that concludes "good mayoral decisions have a marginally positive effect on econ growth but poor decisions have a significantly negative effect"We have a good test case going on in Toronto

Ideas 4 Landscaping Download

Ideas 4 Landscaping Download 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

Creating Ideas for Front Yard Landscape

Creating Ideas for Front Yard Landscape frontyardlandscapingideasx.com Most people don't realize the importance of creating ideas for front yard landscape. They usually spend less time; energy, money and attention in front yard landscape and never realize that it is the one that draws attention to the house and serves as the reflection of the people who lives there. So one has to be careful in creating ideas for front yard landscape to achieve what you want for your home. To start with, the

Dietary Cadmium From Contaminated Crops Linked to Breast Cancer

dbaron/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Dietary cadmium can occur in low concentrations in nature, but the authors of a new study published in the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, are more concerned about cadmium that’s turning up in our food system because of farmland contaminated with heavy metals.Cadmium is a toxic metal that has been known to do damage to the lungs, bones, and kidneys and is now being linked to an

Beautiful Landscaping Ideas

Need some ideas to bring your garden to life? CLICK HERE:

From Tennessee, a Ray of Clarity Breaks Through Political Smog

Ideologues and agenda-driven special interests have spent the better part of three years accusing the Environmental Protection Agency of stomping across the land in search of jobs to destroy.

One of the objects of such ire has been what aficionados call "Utility MACT:" the rule, finalized late last year, that limits emissions of mercury, acid gases, and other hazardous air pollutants from coal and oil-fired power plants. MACT is an acronym for "maximum achievable

Little Titch Catmint: Cute as Can Be

As you would expect with a cultivar name like 'Little Titch', this type of Nepeta racemosa behaves itself in your landscaping, staying nice and short for you. In both name and behavior, I would contrast it with '6 Hills Giant' catmint, which can be a bit much for an especially tight space.

Take advantage of the compact nature of Little Titch catmint and use it to edge a pathway where a larger plant wouldn't work as well. For example, sometimes you want to be able to step over an edging plant

Startup Simplifies Going Solar With Design-Your-Own Online Tool

© SOLarchitectFor homeowners, thinking about making the switch to solar power can be like heading down the rabbit hole. The number of questions that come up when imagining if solar power is feasible for their building and their location are numerous: How big of a system do they need, how much can they afford, and how much power can they produce? And what kind of financial incentives exist to make it easier?A startup in New Orleans

Dietary Cadmium From Contaminated Crops Linked to Breast Cancer

dbaron/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Dietary cadmium can occur in low concentrations in nature, but the authors of a new study published in the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, are more concerned about cadmium that’s turning up in our food system because of farmland contaminated with heavy metals.Cadmium is a toxic metal that has been known to do damage to the lungs, bones, and kidneys and is now being linked to an

Little Titch Catmint: Cute as Can Be

As you would expect with a cultivar name like 'Little Titch', this type of Nepeta racemosa behaves itself in your landscaping, staying nice and short for you. In both name and behavior, I would contrast it with '6 Hills Giant' catmint, which can be a bit much for an especially tight space.

Take advantage of the compact nature of Little Titch catmint and use it to edge a pathway where a larger plant wouldn't work as well. For example, sometimes you want to be able to step over an edging plant

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Avocado Fried Egg

© Jerry James Stone via iPhoneA simple and quick breakfast idea for your next brunch. This recipe is a Californian twist on the breakfast dish, Egg in the Hole. Instead of using bread, I used a thick slice of avocado. Yum! You are going to need a mimosa or two with this one.1 Haas avocado
4 eggs
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Friday, March 23, 2012

"Eat More Kale" Crusader Fights Back agasint Chick-fil-A's Lawsuit

Bo Muller-Moore James Lantz/Video screen captureIn November, I posted about Bo Muller-Moore, the Vermont t-shirt salesmen who is being sued by fast food giant Chick-fil-A because his slogan, "Eat More Kale," is too close to their copyrighted slogan, "Eat More Chikin." Since then, Muller-Moore has been waging a battle against the suit, and lots of people have joined him. Now, he's looking to bring as much media attention to the

The Hunger Games' Dystopian Future, Brought to You by Global Warming

YouTube/Screen captureThe Hunger Games is everywhere. It's an extraordinarily popular young adult series, and now it is destined to be an extraordinarily popular movie franchise. I haven't yet read the books or seen the film, but Joe Romm has an interesting post that explains the climate change-related backdrop the film is set to.He points to this passage: tells of the history of Panem. He lists the disasters, the droughts, the

Spring Cleaning Starts Now!

Everyone here at About.com Home Garden are officially in spring cleaning mode. With temperatures in the 70's here in New England, I must admit, it's a fine time to start - as long as it's outdoors.

I've got a ton of raking to do as it seems my yard is covered in little twigs and branches. The wind has blown some leaves into corners and behind shrubs and I find myself wishing my kids were a little older so they could enjoy the clean-up with me.

There's a twitter party going on right now over

Stars of the Yard for March

What plants, currently, are shining most brightly in your yard? Are the blossoms of an early bloomer bringing a smile to your face as you rake, trim and otherwise spruce up your yard for spring? One of the plants in my landscaping that I'm most proud of is my winter jasmine. Listed as a zone 6 plant (I'm in zone 5), I provided it with winter protection, and it has rewarded my efforts with a profusion of yellow blooms.

In my own yard, the following blooming plants are the stars of March,

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Study Links Air Pollution to Childhood Behavior Problems

Simone Ramella/CC BY 2.0Everyone knows that tobacco or alcohol use during pregnancy can have a negative impact on a developing child's health -- but it turns out there's another dangerous environmental factor which might not be so easy to avoid. According to a new study from Columbia University, researchers found children born to mothers who were exposed to high levels of exhaust fumes during pregnancy were more likely to exhibit

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

GOP Budget Gives Billions to Big Oil, Slashes Programs for the Poor

Anyone keen on understanding the GOP's key ambitions need look no further than its proposal for the U.S. budget, presented by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI)—it sets aside tens of billions of dollars in handouts to oil companies while slashing Medicare and aid to the poor.You've likely heard about the basics of said budget, which former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich described as 'reeking of Social Darwinism.'

Stars of the Yard for March

What plants, currently, are shining most brightly in your yard? Are the blossoms of an early bloomer bringing a smile to your face as you rake, trim and otherwise spruce up your yard for spring? One of the plants in my landscaping that I'm most proud of is my winter jasmine. Listed as a zone 6 plant (I'm in zone 5), I provided it with winter protection, and it has rewarded my efforts with a profusion of yellow blooms.

In my own yard, the following blooming plants are the stars of March,

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Can Social Media Save Two Rhinos Left For Dead by Poachers?

© Kariega Game ReserveA record 448 endangered rhinos were poached for their horns in South Africa last year, and while 2012 is already on track to exceed that grim toll, conservationists have turned to the internet in hopes of reducing that figure by two.Earlier this month, the quiet tranquillity of South Africa's Kariega Game Reserve was shattered when poachers horrifically attacked three white rhinos under cover of darkness,

Spring Cleaning Starts Now!

Everyone here at About.com Home Garden are officially in spring cleaning mode. With temperatures in the 70's here in New England, I must admit, it's a fine time to start - as long as it's outdoors.

I've got a ton of raking to do as it seems my yard is covered in little twigs and branches. The wind has blown some leaves into corners and behind shrubs and I find myself wishing my kids were a little older so they could enjoy the clean-up with me.

There's a twitter party going on right now over

Monday, March 19, 2012

Verizon to Reduce Carbon Footprint 50% by 2020, CEO Says

cogdogblog via Flickr/CC BY 2.0At the Bloomberg New Energy Finance summit today, the CEO of one of the nation's largest telecom firms announced the company will be cutting its carbon intensity by half over the next decade. Verizon is the second biggest phone service provider in the country, and the largest wireless mobile phone provider, according to Businessweek."We're going to reduce our carbon footprint fifty percent," Lowell

Americans Not of One Mind on Regulations

Americans don't like regulation. By a hefty margin of 12 points, a recent Pew Research Center poll showed, a majority believes that government regulation of business does more harm than good.Except a significant majority of Americans want to strengthen environmental protection regulations or at least keep them as they are. Same for car safety and efficiency regulations. And workplace health and safety regulations. And food production and packaging regulations. And

Will warm weather mean early crabgrass control?

As spring continues to creep forward it may seem like it's time for crabgrass control but don't rush into it without looking for the cues. The weather has been relatively warm where I live and the soil temperatures continue to slowly rise, but don't do anything until the forsythia are flowering. Following a regimen of spring weed control now, can ease the weed pressure for the rest of the season.

The annual appearance of the brilliant yellow flowers of the forsythia bushes is the main

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Garden & Landscape Design Ideas

Download Garden & Landscape Design 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

Ideas 4 Landscaping Scam

Download ever 7000 Landscaping Ideas & Plans here tinyurl.com Ideas 4 Landscaping Scam ? 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

CODA EV Gets EPA Rating (73 MPGe), First Production Unit Rolls Off Assembly Line

© Coda AutomotiveBig Day for CODA!
First it was planned for 2010, then 2011, but delays couldn't stop CODA Automotive from finally starting making the final production model of its CODA Sedan EV. This comes right after the U.S. EPA's release of the CODA's official rating numbers: 73 MPGe combined, 77 MPGe in the city, and 68 MPGe on the highway. Official range is 88 miles, though of course that can vary depending on driving

Birth Control For Insects: Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes in the Florida Keys?

Leszek.Leszczynski/CC BY 1.0Today, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, is holding a meeting about potential trials involving the release of genetically modified male mosquitoes into the delicate ecosystem of the Florida Keys. The stated purpose of the trials is to investigate controlling the spread of dengue fever.The company behind the technology, British firm Oxitec, explains that sterile males would be released to

One Female Left: Wolves May Go Extinct in Michigan National Park

Michigan Tech/John Vucetich/viaSad news out of the Isle Royale National Park, way up in Michigan, where scientists say there's only one female gray wolf left in the nine that still roam a chain of islands in western Lake Superior. It's the lowest population ever recorded there, in 54 years.According to AP:There were 24 wolves — roughly their long-term average number — as recently as 2009."The wolves are at grave risk of

Friday, March 16, 2012

NYC to Build Green Playgrounds for Stormwater Capture

Marianne O'Leary/CC BY 3.0New York City's wastewater treatment plants have major issues dealing with stormwater runoff, but a potential pilot project of 'green' schoolyards could begin to pave the way for future solutions to this dilemma.As part of the city's efforts to reduce the amount of untreated wastewater that flows into NYC's waterways during storms, the metropolis has been busy planting trees, supporting green roofs, and

World on Course to be Powered 85% by Fossil Fuels in 2050

Scott Smithson/CC BY-ND 2.0We've done so little to reform global energy production—or even to plant the seeds needed to do so meaningfully—that the world is still on course to rely 85% on fossil fuels for its energy needs. That's the finding of a new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and it also includes the finding that we'll be generating 50% more greenhouse gas emissions as a

Study: Suspect Chemicals Found in Many Products

A new study by the Silent Spring Institute and published in Environmental Health Perspectives finds that many consumer products have at least one chemical linked to hormone changes (endocrine disruption) or asthma. Few of these chemicals show up on product labels, making it hard for consumers to avoid them if they are concerned about health impacts that haven't prompted U.S. regulators to restrict their use. And even products

Cedar: A Low-Maintenance Material for Decks

Those of you who have been reading my column and/or weekly newsletter for years are well aware of my faults. That's because I don't try to hide them. On the contrary, I've gone out of my way to call attention to them.

For example, I've made no secret of the fact that I'm a cheapskate. This trait gives me an edge when writing on such topics as landscaping on a budget. After all, who are you going to trust more on this topic, a cheapskate or a big spender?

Nor am I shy about admitting that

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Afia's Colorful Ethical Fashion is Vibrant and On-Trend for Summer 2012

© AfiaIn its second season, Afia returns to the sustainable fashion scene with vibrant ethical fashion for Summer 2012. Made with colorful, printed Ghanian textiles hand-sourced by the designer from the markets of Accra, the ready-to-wear collection boasts limited edition styles that are on trend: think crop tops, short shorts, and peplum skirts. Plus, you can shop select pieces from the spring collection now at Afia's online

For Like the Hundredth Time, GOP Tries to Approve Keystone XL

dbking via Flickr/CC BY 2.0The GOP has Keystone fever.Backed by oil industry lobbyists, the might of the US Chamber of Commerce, and the repeated mantras of conservative pundits (jobs, oil from a 'friendly neighbor', jobs, oil from a ...) the GOP has relentlessly tried to approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.First, Republicans passed an amendment in the payroll tax cut bill forcing Obama to decide whether to approve the

Are Today's Young Adults More Committed To Narcissim Than Environmentalism?

YoAmes/CC BY 2.0Stirring the pot.A just-reported review of historic polls corroborates another one of my boomer centric theories: that many if not most young Treehugger readers didn't bother to vote in the last mid-term election. If this were true, I felt, they should shoulder much of the blame for the anti-environmental political narrative led by the US Congress and Republican presidential candidates. I had no hard data to back

Spring is a great 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

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

New York Times Publishes Editorial On Ocean Acidification

buridan/CC BY 2.0Grey LadyA short piece on this morning's New York Times Opinion Page Changing the Chemistry of Earth’s Oceans should have been edifying for any serious conservationist, sea food lover, whale saver, or recreational diver. But it wasn't, closing passively and cynically with this remark: "We have acidified the oceans in a matter of decades, with no signs that we have the political will to slow, much less halt, the

Superfood Hunter Darien Olien Has a Really Fun Job

© ShakeologyDarien Olien is a special kind of ingredient hunter. Since 2006 he’s been traveling the globe -- trekking into remote villages around the world and meeting with local medicine men and shaman in search of super foods.Superfoods is a term used to describe food with high phytonutrient content, and foods which have high concentrations of essential nutrients that we need to promote good health. The ingredients Olien hunts

Building a City Where No One Steals Bikes (Video)

thompiksphotography/CC BY 3.0If you'd like to steal a bike—if you are not bothered by the moral ramifications of doing so—and you live somewhere crowded and urban like New York City, go ahead and do it. Statistically, you are almost certain to get away with it. Why? Nobody cares about other people's bikes, and nobody cares about bike thieves.Here, Filmmaker Casey Neistat embarks on an experiment, stealing his own bike, loudly

Rules to Live by, Then Break: Growing Zones

There's an old adage that cuts across a number of the various arts and crafts: namely, that you have to earn the right to break the rules. How do you earn that right? By first learning, nay, mastering those very rules.

That can be a difficult concept to comprehend in today's world. So many people are in a big hurry now, even when they don't need to be. They want to be masters right away; it would somehow be "unfair" (dare I say "undemocratic?") to expect them to undergo a period of

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Japan's Whalers Catch Just 30% of Target Due to Sea Shepherd Harassment

In a repeat of last year's events, Japan's whaling fleet is heading home, after catching far fewer whales than it had intended. Harassment by Sea Shepherd has again been cited by Japanese authorities as a key factor in the lower catch numbers.At the start of the whale hunt season Japan had hoped to catch 900 whales—supposedly for scientific research, but widely acknowledged outside of Japan, for commercial sale. Instead, they

More Parklets Popping Up Around San Francisco

Payton Chung's flickr page/viaDeepistan National ParkletWhen I last wrote about parklets in July of 2011, there were fourteen parklets in San Francisco. The city now claims 31 parklets and counting, with 39 in various stages of review. There has been a large demand for parklets in San Francisco, as evident by the amount of applications that the City Planning Department’s Pavement to Parks program has received during its three

Bike-Friendly Cities: How the Dutch Do It (Video)

One of the Most Inspiring Bike Videos Ever!
It's not magic. It's not genetics. The Dutch decided to create bike-friendly cities and to push bike-culture into the mainstream. It was no accident, and it can be replicated around the world. That's why it's great to see city official from around the U.S. go to the Netherlands with Bikes Belong to see for themselves and learn best practices.More of these trips should take place and all

Monday, March 12, 2012

The DIY Art Movement Reshaping Russia's Streets

© Alex Petelin. Park(ing) Day 2011 in Moscow.Urban art projects can help change the way we see our cities, but can they actually improve the way cities work? A group of Moscow-based artists/activists think they can.Anton Polsky (a.k.a. Make), the creator of a DIY bicycle map of Moscow, is one of the founders behind Partizaning, a new website and movement focused on "the role of art in reshaping public spaces, cities, and human

Settlement Allows Continued Sale of Brazilian Blowouts

Despite being called out for high formaldehyde content and low safety by the Food and Drug Administration, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), several states, a number of environmental and health organizations and even the cosmetics industry itself, Brazilian Blowouts will stay on the market following the settlement of a class-action lawsuit.
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and may have other harmful

If you must use pesticides, be careful

It won't be long now before spring fever kicks in. The spring maintenance commercials are in high gear selling the solutions to all your lawn care problems, which inevitably means pesticides. Weeds need killing, grubs need to be exterminated, ants, termites, who knows what creatures are out there that need to die.

The best route to pesticide safety is to reduce or eliminate using them. To reduce the amount of pesticides used on a lawn, it is important to understand Integrated Pest Management

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Someday, a Sun Storm Will Deliver More Than a Sky Show

Space weathermen forecast a slam-bang sun storm last week, but the promised thrill show of charged particles firing up temperate zone auroras sort of went pfffft. Not the weathermen's fault, of course. Like their meteorological counterparts called on to forecast atmospheric tempests, they freely admit they don't know everything about space weather. NOAA space weather expert Joe Kunches told NPR that figuring out the magnetic orientation of solar bursts headed our way

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Landscaping Pictures And Ideas - Landscaping Ideas For Small Backyards

Get Landscaping Pictures And Ideas here tinyurl.com Designing a front yard is usually about accessibility and invitation. We spend hardly any time in the front yard as opposed to the backyard, but it is where we enter and exit our homes. For this reason, we may put much thought into driveways and walkways and then design everything else around that. There are so many choices; we couldn't possibly cover them all, so we'll talk about three ideas to help inspire you to start your yard care

Do It Yourself Landscaping Ideas - Landscape Ideas For Backyard

Get More Landscape Ideas For Backyard here tinyurl.com Designing a front yard is usually about accessibility and invitation. We spend hardly any time in the front yard as opposed to the backyard, but it is where we enter and exit our homes. For this reason, we may put much thought into driveways and walkways and then design everything else around that. There are so many choices; we couldn't possibly cover them all, so we'll talk about three ideas to help inspire you to start your yard care

Garden Landscape Ideas & Landscaping Front Yard Guide

Get More Garden Landscape Ideas here tinyurl.com Designing a front yard is usually about accessibility and invitation. We spend hardly any time in the front yard as opposed to the backyard, but it is where we enter and exit our homes. For this reason, we may put much thought into driveways and walkways and then design everything else around that. There are so many choices; we couldn't possibly cover them all, so we'll talk about three ideas to help inspire you to start your yard care project.

Could Treating Superbugs Like Rare Diseases Save Us From Crisis?

michaelll/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0The Infectious Diseases Society of America has presented the FDA with a new idea for bringing superbugs, fueled by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in factory farming and healthcare, back under control. Finding new antibiotics isn’t profitable especially when compared to the latest trendy pharmaceutical drug, so very few pharmaceutical companies are doing any research into developing new antibiotics.

Winter-Kill on the lawn

As the lawn peeks through the receding snow winter-kill may be present in low areas, shady areas or spots that didn't fare as well as others for reasons unexplained.

Excessive snow cover or ice cover is usually the reason for winter kill, identified by a faded, bleached look to the grass. It can also occur on grass that was not snow or ice covered but exposed to the harsh winter wind. The grass can dry out and become dessicated.

Cool season grasses are hardy and resilient though and most

Starbucks Experiments in "Laboratory" Store in Amsterdam

© Rien MeulmanThree years ago at Greenbuild, Starbucks corporate architect Tony Gale described the company's new Global Store Design Strategy, and said "we like to do different things in different regions, to reflect what is going on in the local culture." Since then they have been rolling out prototypes in different "bio-regions"; TreeHugger previously reviewed stores in New York and Toronto. But their new Amsterdam store,

Review: Cordless Weed Eater

Did you know that, technically speaking, the devices many people call "weed eaters" should be referred to as "string trimmers" ("line trimmers," "weed whackers," and "weed wackers" are also commonly used terms)? That's because, like Band-Aid, Weed Eater is actually a brand name but has come to be used (incorrectly, if one wishes to be pedantic about it) in a generic sense. The Weed Eater started a revolution in lawn care with its introduction in 1971.

In my review, I take a look at a

LED Night Lights Recalled

Camsing Global (formerly Corvest Acquisitions) is recalling about 10,000 LED night lights made in China because they may overheat, smolder and melt, posing a burn hazard. They were given away as a free promotional product by various companies that printed their names on the night lights.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall Sept. 2.

The plug-in night lights, about 3 3/4-inches tall and 1 3/4-inches

Friday, March 9, 2012

Killer Whale-Inspired Submarine Is Just for Fun, and That's a Good Thing

© Hammacher SchlemmerScientists have already developed technology to generate wind power by copying whale fins. This latest whale-inspired creation won't do much to advance science or human knowledge, but it could be a whole lot of fun. Hammacher Schlemmer's Killer Whale Submarine looks just like an Orca, with a max speed of 50 mph and the ability to spyhop and porpoise, much like a real whale.© Hammacher SchlemmerThe submarine

Planting Trees in the Mongolian Desert to Fight Dangerous Dust Storms in Seoul

Honza Soukup/CC BY 2.0. The Gobi desert in Mongolia.It's not quite the proverbial butterfly flapping its wings creating a hurricane across the world, but desertification in Mongolia is generating dangerous dust storms thousands of miles away.Former South Korean Ambassador to China Kwon Byong Hyon made the connection more than a decade ago, and has helped spearhead an effort since then to plant trees in Mongolia, hoping to improve

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