Greening The Shack: It’s No Mystery (And It Doesn’t Need To Zap Your Cash)
By Andy Mazal
Filed Under Green Living | 1 Comment
The first step when considering any size of green home makeover is to identify the “low-hanging fruit”-those things which are weighing down on the efficiency of your home that can easily, quickly and inexpensively be improved to have a considerable impact. Here we identify two of the easiest, lowest-cost, highest-impact improvements you can make, and also provide a suggestion for a tool that you can employ yourself to identify some of the other energy-hogging culprits in the place you live. In all cases, we have one eye keenly focused on maximizing the “bang for your buck.”
Continue reading Greening The Shack: It’s No Mystery (And It Doesn’t Need To Zap Your Cash)…
Posted on September 8, 2008 |
Permaculture 101: Designing A Life Beyond Sustainability
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under The Big Picture | 6 Comments
According to the Hirsch Report issued by the US Department of Energy, global oil production peaked in 2005 with the last major discoveries of light crude oil occurring in the 1960s. Regardless, global consumption rates continue to climb 1.5% each year and the UN estimates the world population will hit 9.1 Billion in the next 40 years. It should be glaringly apparent that our world is off balance; what remains unclear is where we should start to stabilize ourselves.
A revolutionary concept developed in the 1970s, dubbed “permaculture,” is rapidly gaining attention as a transformative vehicle for creating holistic, healthy systems from the microcosm of our immediate surroundings to the macrocosm of the planet.
per. ma. cul. ture \ˈpər-mə-ˌkəl-chər\ Etymology: permanent + agriculture
A method for designing human habitats so that all elements integrate to form a simple, non-wasteful, harmless, self sustaining, productive, highly functional system.
The idea of permaculture was developed at the University of Tasmania by environmental psychology professor Bill Mollison and his environmental design student, David Holmgren. In response to the extreme drought conditions of Australia and global dependence on fossil fuels, the two men developed a model that created much needed balance. Inputs equaled outputs and the only “waste” the model created, easily broke down into simple elements that added to the health of their environment. Though the basis of their design has existed in many aboriginal and native cultures for centuries, Mollison and Holmgren devised a way to communicate it to a much broader audience. Continue reading Permaculture 101: Designing A Life Beyond Sustainability…
Posted on August 14, 2008 |
Superfood News: Goji Berries
By Seth Braun
Filed Under Green Living | 2 Comments
Superfoods
A superfood is anything that delivers the power of several foods in one package. They contain significantly higher levels of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances than regular healthy food. We all need a little kick once in a while and superfoods are much better at filling in the gaps in our diet than vitamin supplements. Whether it is for aiding detoxification, replenishing reserves, improving immune system, increasing sex drive or generating energy, superfoods make up for the loss of quality (nutrients and vitality) in the commercial food supply.
Goji Berries
Also known as Lycium Barbarum, Chinese wolfberry, or go qui zi, are reknowned as a “supertonic” herb in the Chinese medicinal system. As a supertonic, there are few people that would not benefit from wolfberry as it benefits all of the following systems…
- Eyesight
Goji contain zeaxanthin, which the inner eye absorbs readily, helping prevent degenerative disease of the eye. - Longevity
Goji has long been considered a longevity food in Chinese herbal medicine. It appears that polysaccharides are the cause. Poly-what? Goji berries are sweet in part because of unique types of carbohydrates (polysaccharides) that boost the body’s anti-aging and stress management ability. - Energy Levels
Goji nourish the blood and build reserve strength. From an eastern perspective, it tonifies the liver and kidney and replenishes vital essence. From the western perspective, goji contain all 8 essential amino acids and a total of 18 amino acids, making them a rare complete protein fruit. Goji contain up to 21 minerals, high concentrations of vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin E, and antioxidants (mostly red-pigment caratenoids) as well as essential fatty acids. - Immune System
The presence of 5 distinct polysaccharides has been shown to improve immune function, strengthening the thymus while increasing “killer T cells.” - Healthy Skin
Beautiful skin is sustained by goji. In January 2005, Phytomedicine Magazine stated that goji “display an interesting array of antioxidant and anti-apoptotic (anti cell death) properties, which may be beneficial for human skin.” - Blood Sugar Levels
People with blood sugar issues such as Type II Diabetes and Syndrome X can benefit greatly from goji as well. Continue reading Superfood News: Goji Berries…
Posted on June 27, 2008 |
Top 10 Reasons to Ride Your Bike…Everywhere
By Greg Berry
Filed Under Green Living | 4 Comments
First, I must preclude this Top 10 with a note about my cycling experience. I’ve been bike commuting for all of my professional life, and before that all during college, and before that I was an early convert to mountain biking. In short, I’ve spent my whole life on a bike and I think it’s the coolest thing going. Why, you ask? Well…
10. No Traffic
Well, this one kind of depends. I commute on bike paths almost the whole way. I bought my home with this in mind, but not everyone has that as a criteria. Either way, at least you’re not contributing to evil traffic, and hopefully you can avoid it altogether.
9. Enjoy The Outdoors
As a culture, we have gotten so completely disconnected from our natural environment, it’s frightening. On your bike you can hear the birds, breathe the outdoor air. See the clouds and decide for yourself whether or not it’s going to rain. Beyond reconnecting with the outside world, cycling is completely emissions-free!
8. Critical Mass
Calling all rebels and rabblerousers…Biking is political protest. If you didn’t know about Critical Mass before, you do now. It’s happening monthly in cities all over the country. Come join us, it’s a blast.
7. Community
Once you start bike commuting regularly, you’ll notice that you see the same people out there. You’ll meet someone from your neighborhood you didn’t know before. And you’ll develop camaraderie that doesn’t come from watching the same TV show.
6. Relax
We all spend too much time rushing around. There’s reason for me to believe that humans weren’t meant to go so fast all the time, hence jet lag. When you’re only moving as fast as your body can make you go, there’s a better sense of groundedness. Continue reading Top 10 Reasons to Ride Your Bike…Everywhere…
Posted on May 22, 2008 |
Elevision: Lester Brown Talks Renewable Energy
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under The Big Picture, eCo TV | 1 CommentWaylon Lewis of Elevision interviews Lester Brown, founder of the Earth Policy Institute and author of Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. Lester Brown is considered one of the foremost leaders in the environmental movement. In this extremely in-depth interview, Lester discusses the Greenland Ice Sheet, Peak Oil, the rise of solar and wind energy, and the decline of coal power in the US.
Posted on April 16, 2008 |
Criticizing Wind Energy Is For The Birds
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living | 1 Comment
Massive wind turbines are being built all around the US to generate emissions-free energy to relieve our carbon saturated atmosphere. Wind power seems like a near-perfect solution to our energy woes until you hear about the slew of aviary casualties that result from wind towers each year. Owls, hawks, and raptors alike experience brutal death by turbine and some avian advocates are up-in-arms. Just how many birds are murdered each year by windmills? Here’s some perspective…
- Tall Buildings: 100 million-1 billion birds per year
- Electrical Lines: 130-174 million birds per year
- Cars and Trucks: 60-80 million birds per year
- Agricultural Pesticide: 67 million birds per year
- Domestic Cats: 100+ million birds per year
Where do wind farms in the US factor into this macabre statistical round-up? 40,000 birds per year ”Yes, if a bird flies into the spinning blade of a wind turbine, than it will probably be killed, but when sited properly, the number of birds killed is greatly reduced,” stated Mike Adams, Wind Power Advocate for NY Wind. Continue reading Criticizing Wind Energy Is For The Birds…
Posted on April 11, 2008 |
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