a collaboration for good
It may sound too good to be true that buildings in entire neighborhoods can be heated and cooled without fossil fuels, but it is happening. It’s called thermal energy networks, and six states have passed legislation that either allows or mandates that utilities pilot them, and six more states have filed such legislation. Furthermore, at least…
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Coral reefs are astonishingly important to all of us. Here’s why, plus everything you could possibly want to know about them. Prepare for some big surprises. Coral Reefs 101: Everything You Need to Know https://www.ecowatch.com/coral-reefs-facts-ecowatch.html Related Reading
Shifting land use patterns, population growth, heat waves, droughts, floods, erratic rainfall, worsening pest and disease outbreaks — they all play a part in the ever-increasing food insecurity that is plaguing many parts of the world. But there may be a far-out solution: sending seeds into space where they are exposed to cosmic radiation, extreme…
Although the forests in western Cameroon are among the world’s most sacred grounds because of their natural beauty, rich biodiversity and unusual wildlife, decades of deforestation, unsustainable farming practices and agricultural expansion threaten their survival. But a cooperative effort involving United Nations forces, other international conservation organizations and community-led restoration efforts are beginning to make…
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The availability of affordable housing has become one of America’s most pressing problems, and small towns may be leading the way toward creating a solution. They are reclaiming the streets from the indignities of postwar planning policies, and are introducing better design, less car-centric sprawl, and localized innovation. Can Your Town Solve the Housing Crisis?…
You may think that you as an individual can’t do much to help the environment so there’s no use in trying. If so, Stanford University’s sustainability experts very much disagree with you. Here they offer eight simple, imaginative ways you can make a difference. Eight simple but meaningful things you can do for the…
The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that 44,000 species of plants are threatened with extinction right now, and a direct driver of this crisis is biocides, the same chemicals you spray on your lawn to poison such nuisances as dandelions and clover. But recent studies show that in poisoning dandelions, you probably are poisoning yourself…
As coal-powered power plants shut down at an ever-increasing speed across the nation, the problem arises of what to do with the lands they occupied. Michigan might have the ideal answer: Turn them into greenways, parks, wildlife habitats and clean energy sites. Power Plants to Parklands Is Turning Michigan’s Retired Coal Plants Into Community Hubs…
Read More “Shutting Down Coal-Powered Power Plants Has Multiple Benefits” »
It’s been known for some time now that bottlenose dolphins and orange-fronted parakeets identify each other by mimicking the signature calls of those they are addressing. But now it’s beginning to appear that elephants actually have names for one another. Do elephants have names for each other? https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00797-z Related Reading
The iconic chasing-arrows recycling symbol became so popular with people trying to do the right thing that greedy corporations began slapping the symbols on just about everything to encourage people to buy them. Now the symbol has become virtually useless. Even worse, it causes well-meaning people to put plastics into their recycle bins that actually…
Read More “Has Recycling Become Just Another Example of Greenwashing?” »