Humans have been composting for thousands of years to improve the health of our soil, food, and planet. Composting is basically nature’s own waste management process, in which nutrients are recycled back into an ecosystem. When organic materials (such as leaves, logs, fruits, and dead animals — basically, anything that was once living) are combined and left to sit for a while, they decompose into rich, fertile soil (aka “compost”). When we want … [Read more...]
Low Methane Producing Cows Could Be Created Through Breeding and Diet Change
When looking into the big, docile eyes of the domestic cow, it is hard to imagine that something sinister lurks beneath the surface. That is, until they burp. Cows are prolific producers of methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at the same volume. In an effort to help curb global warming, a team of researchers at the University of Aberdeen in the UK, is looking to see whether changing the diet or genetic … [Read more...]
Is Milan’s Bosco Verticale the Future of Sustainable Architecture?
The Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) is the world’s tallest example of living architecture, with two towers lifting hundreds of trees above Milan’s streets. One of the architects Stefano Boeri describes the two buildings, due to be opened this year, as a ‘model of vertical densification of nature within the city’. Measuring at 110 and 76 meters high respectively, the two structures will hold 900 trees between them. That is equivalent to 10,000 … [Read more...]
Achieving the ‘Collective Dream’ of Future Sustainable Cities
Social equality will drive forward a sustainable ecological community, writes environmental scientist Paul Francis Bright as he describes his vision of a sustainable world. Sustainable cities of the future- I thought I knew exactly how these urban islands would be. However I am a country boy, so I decided that it might be prudent to do some initial research, just to confirm my theories and to see what city dwelling experts were thinking. To my … [Read more...]
Boosting The Bottom Line With Carbon Management
New operational, financial and regulatory risks, partnered with rising energy costs and increased customer demand, mean that environmental sustainability and carbon management are moving away from the corporate social responsibility (CSR) realm and into the sphere of business and finance. Contrary to traditionally-held beliefs amongst many finance professionals, strategic carbon management can in fact have a substantial positive impact on the … [Read more...]
Get Creatively Green
Going green this summer is a great way of exercising creativity and preserving the environment. Remember, living green provides parents with the opportunity of handing down responsibilities to the coming generation. Children will be more aware earlier in their lives. This ensures the future of the planet is in safe hands. What measures could you introduce to your family to save energy? … [Read more...]
Why Not Use And Enjoy What You’ve Already Got?
Need more stuff? Think again... Put a buying freeze on yourself and learn to appreciate the things you have. Read the books on your shelf, wear the clothes in your closet, pack up and cycle through the toys in your kids’ rooms so they become new to them every few weeks, and just focus on the things you’ve already acquired in life. If you absolutely must get something new, make yourself get rid of two other similar things to make room for the … [Read more...]
US and China Agree To Deal To Cut HFC Greenhouse Gases
The US and China have announced plans to cooperate on phasing out a set of potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons. The agreement was made during a US-China summit held in California this weekend. It is understood that climate change was high on the agenda following the establishment of a working group earlier this year to explore areas for cooperation on climate and energy. “The United States and China agreed to work together and … [Read more...]
Is Power Matrix The Real Deal?
Leading global engineering and technology services company Siemens has developed a new game called Power Matrix, aimed at raising awareness and teaching people about new forms of energy. The free game is not only for experts or gamers but targets anyone who is interested in energy and sustainable resources. Starting with a rural territory where your future city is about to develop, the goal is to provide it with a sustainable power supply through … [Read more...]
A New Age Rising
If you had any doubts that we're living in a new age called the Anthropocene – the term geologists have begun to use to describe our era, as defined by the impact humans are leaving on the planet – then a look at the hundreds of cavernous open-pit mining operations scattered across the Earth's surface ought to be convincing. Below is Berkeley Pit, an open pit copper mine in Butte, Montana. The mine opened in 1955 and was shut down in 1982. Is … [Read more...]