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...]
New Block Copolymer Solar Cells Shows Promising Results
A small team of researchers at the Rice and Pennsylvania State universities has developed a new solar cell that is based on organic block copolymers. The research and the new solar cell have led to the possibility of an entirely new class of solar panels. The organic block copolymers are compounds that self-arrange into certain layers that are effective at absorbing sunlight, and are significantly better at doing so than other substances that … [Read more...]
Today, June 5, is World Environment Day. Hooray!
It is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. The World Environment Day celebration began in 1972 and has grown to become one of the main vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action. Through World Environment Day, the United Nations Environment Program is able to … [Read more...]
A New – Yet Old – Source of Food
Insects are a virtually "untapped" source of food for people, livestock and pets, according to the United Nations. Two billion people already supplement their diets with creepy-crawlies and insect farming could be one way to address food security, a UN agency has said. Its 200-page report Edible Insects says many of the creatures are high in protein, good fats and minerals. It suggests that large-scale mechanization of "insect farming" would also … [Read more...]
Monsanto Feels the Heat
I have written about the Monsanto corporation on numerous occasions, including A Brief History of Monsanto, and Monsanto v. The State of Illusion. On Friday, it was reported that Monsanto will halt promotion of genetically modified crops in Europe. The decision followed a world-wide protest of Monsanto and GMOs on May 25. The company stopped lobbying for cultivation of the genetically modified crops and will no longer seek approvals for new … [Read more...]
Quote of the Day: 5/28/13 – Gil Scott-Heron
"Everything that's bad for you catches on too quickly in America, because that's the easiest thing to get people to invest in, the pursuits that are easy and destructive, the ones that bring out the least positive aspects of people." - Gil Scott-Heron … [Read more...]
A Brief History of Monsanto
In my last article, Monsanto v. The State of Illusion, I discussed Monsanto and the illusion they have created for themselves that they are an environmentally friendly company full of integrity and respect for the environment. Which then begs the question: Who and what is this Monsanto corporation? Where did they come from? Today, I give you a brief history of Monsanto. Monsanto, based out of Creve Coeur, Missouri, is a multinational agricultural … [Read more...]