Home/Articles in: Sustainable living
Articles in: Sustainable living
Conservation, Nature, Sustainable living, Wildlife & Flora, Feb 4th, 2012,
Species: Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) Status: Endangered (EN) Interesting Fact: The giant otter is also known as the ‘river wolf’. The giant otter is one of South America’s top carnivores, and is the largest of the otter species. The giant otter generally lives in family groups of three to ten individuals, composed of a monogamous, breeding pair and their offspring born during previous years. These groups rest, play, travel, fish and sleep together. When cubs are born, they are cared for in a den by both the adult pair, and the older siblings. At two to three weeks of age,…
Tags: ARKive.org, Conservation, endangered species, Giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, weird
Green Cars, Health, Sustainable living, Jan 25th, 2012,
Urban Forestry is a growing trend in cities looking to actively clean their air and water while making streets aesthetically pleasing for pedestrians, bike riders, and drivers as well. While I could list any number of benefits trees in urban areas have been shown to produce, there was one advantage that I didn’t expect to see: safer, more eco friendly carsdriving through cities. Now, you might be wondering how trees help to slow drivers down and create an atmosphere where greener cars and greener driving habits prevail. It’s quite simple; trees help create a natural, visual wall that drivers are…
Tags: Earthgarage.com, green cars, green cities, pedestrians, planting trees, trees in streets
Nature, Pollution, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, Weird & Wonderful, Wildlife & Flora, Jan 23rd, 2012,
Dutch architect Koen Olthuis, from Waterstudio.NL, hit on the idea of how to create more green areas in cities, which could become habitats for wildlife and to have a positive affect on improving air quality in a metropolis. He created a “Tree Sea”, which can be placed in a river, lake or at maritime coasts, informs The Dailymail. The construction resembles the design of a drilling rig. In Olthuis’ opinion, their building could be sponsored by large oil companies, so they can express their concern for the environment. “What is beautiful about this project, is that it doesn’t demand expensive…
Tags: floating tree, Pollution, The Netherlands, Tree Sea
Green Cars, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, Jan 18th, 2012,
One European bicycle culture consulting firm, Copenhagenize Consulting, released there results for a study exploring the world’s most bicycle friendly cities. By no coincidence, this index is named after the world capital for bicycle culture, Copenhagen. The index takes 20 major cities and analyzes them on 13 categories, including; advocacy, bicycle culture, bicycle infrastructure, perception of safety and social acceptance to name a few. Each category was rated on a scale between zero and four points, with twelve bonus points built in for any impressive efforts or features. A total of 64 points are possible. To almost no surprise, Copenhagen and…
Tags: bicycle friendlyiness, copenhagenize index, Earthgarage.com, eco-friendly cars, green cars
Nature, Sustainable living, Weird & Wonderful, Jan 16th, 2012,
Giuliano Mauri started building this cathedral in 2001. It is one of the most natural pieces of architecture in the world. The artist, who passed away in 2009, claimed that the supporting structure will decay with time and the eighty hornbeam saplings he planted, will continue growing, forming a roof over the building “Cattedrale Vegetale” is situated in the North of Italy.
Tags: architecture, Cathedral, Italy, natural, organic, trees
Climate & Change, Sustainable living, Videos & Documentaries, Jan 15th, 2012,
A solar powered tourist boat, energy efficient office buildings, solar and wind power projects; and greener transport plans are just some of the reasons that Hamburg, Germany has won the title for European Green Capital of 2011. But does this industrial European port city have what it takes to live up to the eco-city image it promotes? Hamburg has scooped up the title European green capital for 2011. The northern German port city convinced the jury by presenting itself not as a green oasis but rather as a thriving industrial metropolis which has risen to the challenge of…
Tags: 2011, eco-city, European Green Capital, Germany, Hamburg
Climate & Change, Politics, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, Jan 12th, 2012,
By Andrew Freedman At just five-days-old, the EU’s plan to subject non-European airlines to greenhouse gas emissions fees continues to reverberate worldwide. A day after we noted that Delta Airlines has begun passing on some of the emissions fees to fliers, in the form of a $3 surcharge on tickets to or from Europe, comes a report in the Guardian newspaper that the four top Chinese airlines are refusing to pay. The new rule subjects airlines flying to or from Europe to the EU’s Emissions Trading System, which allows companies that emit carbon dioxide, a gas that contributes to global…
Tags: airlines carbon tax, climatecentral.org, EU carbon tax
green living, Sustainable living, sustainable living, ,
Most of us tend to choose organic, if the price differential isn’t too much ! But recently I’m beginning to wonder, what is more important, sustainability or organic certification ? Leaving aside the debate as to the provenance of some approved organic treatments, copper sulphate for example, is the lack of an ‘organic’ tag putting us off sensible, sustainable practices ? For example, we start all of our plants in a compost blend of wormcast and coir – full of good stuff and it’s nice and light. We first experimented with this compost ( and then became totally hooked) when…
Tags: gardening, natural gardening, organic certification, organic farming, sustainability certification, sustainable living, The Natural Gardener
green living, Sustainable living, Jan 11th, 2012,
Honey from Newcastle, vegetables grown in Nottingham and London cheese are just a few examples of urban produce now being grown and sold in British cities. All across the country, people are increasingly choosing to grow their own food for reasons of economics, health and in order to feel a connection to their food and the land. Sustain, a UK alliance for better food and farming, has launched an online project called City Harvest for ‘demonstrating and promoting the benefits of Urban Agriculture’. Sustain’s scheme Capital Growth, funded by the Mayor of London, includes some 1,500 growing spaces in London…
Tags: agriculture, farm, farming, food, london, sustain, UK, urban
Green Cars, green living, Sustainable living, sustainable living, ,
In America, a street built for pedestrians is still a growing idea. However, in Europe this idea is a normal part of life. Pedestrian streets have been a part of European culture for hundreds, even thousands of years, despite changes in how people transport themselves. Cars, trains and buses have been integrated tactfully in many European cities while still preserving these pedestrian corridors. Also known as a car-free zone, the largest pedestrian street in Europe is located in Copenhagen, called Strøget. According to one Canadian news source, this street boasts a little over one mile of historic buildings with fine shops, eateries and…
Tags: car free streets, car-free zone, EarthGarage, pedestrian streets, pedestrians
Conservation, Nature, Sustainable living, Wildlife & Flora, Jan 8th, 2012,
Species: Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) Status: Critically Endangered (CR) Interesting Fact: The large proboscis-like nose of the saiga antelope is thought to help with body temperature control. The strange looking saiga antelope has an extremely distinctive appearance, with an enlarged nose that hangs down over the mouth. This impressive nose is thought to warm and moisten inhaled air during the winter, and act as a filter against dust during the dry summer. Saiga antelope feed by grazing on various plants, and are usually active during the day. They are nomadic, and undertake long seasonal migrations of up to 1,000 kilometers….
Tags: ARKive.org, endangered species, nature conservation, saiga antelope, Saiga tatarica
Sustainable living, Weird & Wonderful, Dec 21st, 2011,
When I go shopping for groceries in Portugal I have the choice between two major supermarkets plus several bakeries and fruit and veg places. When I hit the big supermarkets I can either buy flimsy biodegradable bags at one or stand in the exclusive eco queue at the other. Since I’m a dedicated eco-fascist I like the eco queue, which doesn’t provide any cheap plastic bags and only sells large reusable ones. As it is the lines are always short and using it makes me feel smug. Maybe people will start to catch on and it will have a longer…
Tags: cubist, estoril sol, Green, Portugal
Conservation, Politics, Pollution, Sustainable living, Dec 16th, 2011,
Several dozen men ran naked around the University of Manila. They wanted to draw attention to the need for greater environmental protection. Bare runs have become a tradition at this Filipino University. Every year a group of students meet to fight in defense of the environment. The tradition started over 40 years ago. Then, the students were running around in protest against President Ferdinand Marcos. This year, runners fought for purification of the local rivers. Although the message was not clear for all, this year’s event has been watched by hundreds. “Whatever their advocacy was, I think it will definitely…
Tags: Manila University, naked men, Philippines, rivers pollution
green living, Sustainable living, sustainable living, ,
Christmas day and its frenzied build up is certainly not kind on Mother Earth and when you think of all the thousands of tons of plastic, wrapping paper and unwanted gifts it could leave you feeling as white as the snow outside, but does this have to be the case? A new website, EthicalCommunity.com has recently launched which aims, amongst other things, to help us reduce our environmental impact. Eco conscious shoppers can browse from over 7,000 products, learn about the story behind each product and buy directly from the eco-sellers that made them. Christmas is the perfect time for…
Tags: EthicalCommunity.com, Green christmas, green your christmas, real christmas trees
Climate & Change, climate change, green living, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Weird & Wonderful, Dec 15th, 2011,
If you’re interested in staving off climate change without trying too hard, painting your roof white seems like a complete no-brainer. It’s far cheaper than trading in your SUV for a Prius, and it turns the laws of physics to best advantage. Dark roofs absorb sunlight that heats up your house, office tower, or apartment building. That means you’re bound to crank up the energy-intensive air conditioner to keep pace in the summer months — and since electricity in the U.S. comes largely from fossil fuels, the net result is more heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions, and more global warming. But…
Tags: climate central, climate change white roofs, global warming, white roofs global warming, white rooftops
green living, Sustainable living, Dec 14th, 2011,
As the sport of surfing grows, so does its environmental impact. Surfing equipment made of non-biodegradable materials such as synthetic resin surfboards, neoprene wetsuits and petroleum-based surf wax are just some of the products used by surfers that can have a negative ecological footprint. Environmentally conscious surfing companies such as Envirosurfer are attempting to address some of the ecological issues with surfing products and offer green alternatives. For example, wooden or epoxy boards, as well as surfboards made with bamboo-based resin, last longer, are less wasteful and less toxic than typical polyurethane boards. Other tips include using thinner and more…
Tags: ECO, environment, sunscreen, surf, surfboards, surfing, wax, wetsuits
Green Cars, green living, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, sustainable living, ,
Last Thanksgiving I received a round-trip off of Craiglist from Portland to Seattle for just $25. Yup, that’s right, I traveled to and from Seattle for $10 less than a one-way ticket would have been through Greyhound. Especially now that the Holiday Season has finally “arrived” and travel plans are being arranged, there is no better time to share your first ride. More and more Craigslist rideshares are safe and easy to come by. And while hitch-hiking has gone to the wayside over the last several decades, a new and evolved form let’s call “neo-hitchhiking” has emerged in ridesharing. Once again Americans that…
Tags: Craigslist, Earthgarage.com, eco-friendly travel, ride sharing, rideshares
green living, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Weird & Wonderful, Dec 7th, 2011,
Check out this Dutch video showing a seduction experiment in which people are influenced to use the stairs instead of the elevator. The results are AMAZING. Or how a little bit of tape can account for gigantic energy savings!
Tags: eco-friendly tips, energy saving, seduction, tape and elevator experiment
Green Cars, green living, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, sustainable living, ,
A green car is any of a number of vehicles available on the market that offer high mileage through either hybrid or electric technology – or a combination of both. If you’re considering buying a new vehicle, there are many different reasons to put a green vehicle at the top of your wish list. • Fuel economy. With a green car, you’ll get better fuel economy. Of course, that means the cost of driving your vehicle is lower than with a regular vehicle, particularly with the cost of gasoline topping $4 a gallon in parts of the country. Better fuel…
Tags: eco-friendly cars, green cars, top 5 tips eco-friendly car
green living, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Nov 30th, 2011,
Bike sharing sure has come a long way since the failed Yellow Bike Project of 1994 in Portland, Oregon. With the launchof New York City’s first system next spring coinciding with similar plans in other cities, it appears that bikes and bike stations may become as widespread and popular as they are in Canada and throughout Europe. The concept of designating a certain number of bikes for unrestricted use has many economical and environmental advantages. It should come as no surprise to hear that that owning a car is expensive. With the national price per gallon at $3.30, we are…
Tags: bicycle reduce emissions, bike sharing, biking, EarthGarage, reduce emissions
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