Truman's wants to eliminate single-use plastics in the household cleaner industry
Mar 21, 2019: The household cleaning aisle at the store features dozens of spray cleaners for different surfaces, and the ingredient lists are a mile long with chemical names that are impossible to pronounce. While many of those cleaners are effective for getting rid of dirt and germs, some of the chemicals inside are environmental hazards. Then, there are the plastic bottles, which get thrown into the trash once they are empty, adding to the plastic pollution problem. As the marketplace shifts to products...
A micro home with a green roof sits atop a granite wine cellar in rural Portugal
Mar 21, 2019: Related: + Via Dezeen Pavilion House, green roof…
Drones are the new cost-effective way to monitor the environment
Mar 21, 2019: Conservationists, researchers, and volunteers have spent countless hours on the ground keeping tabs on water quality in rivers across the country. Their work has been instrumental over the years, and new technology, in the form of environment drones, is making their jobs a whole lot easier. These unmanned aircrafts, referred to as drones or UAVs, are easy to control and have become cost-effective in recent years. Environmentalists are using them to monitor the environment from the skies and...
MVRDV-designed market in Taiwan will grow food on a massive green roof
Mar 21, 2019: Hot on the heels of their bold “Times Square” proposal for Taiwan’s capital, MVRDV has broken ground on another project—this time for the island’s southern city of Tainan. Created in collaboration with local architectural firm LLJ Architects, the Tainan Xinhua Fruit and Vegetable Market is a new wholesale open-air market that will not only serve as an important hub for the city’s food supply chain, but will also serve as a new public destination. The landmark building will be topped with...
Hen Harriers on the verge of extinction due to gamekeepers killing illegally
Mar 21, 2019: A new study reveals that hen harriers are being killed at an alarming rate on UK grouse moors. Scientists found that gamekeepers are eliminating these birds, which are on the verge of extinction in England, because they hunt red grouse. Conservationists have been tagging hen harriers in the UK for several years and discovered that 72 percent of the birds involved in studies have come up missing. The researchers believe the majority of these birds were killed illegally. Sadly, 83 percent...
Boxy volumes anchor a beautiful home into a rocky cliffside
Mar 21, 2019: Related: + YH2 Architecture Via Archdaily YH2 Architecture, House Dans l'Escarpement…
The FLEXSE tiny house module is built from 100% recyclable materials
Mar 21, 2019: A tiny and deliciously cozy prefab has popped up in St. Petersburg, courtesy of local architectural practice Smart Architecture Laboratory (SA lab). The charming compact building—dubbed FLEXSE—is the firm’s first prototype for tiny modular housing and is modeled after a traditional Scandinavian BBQ house. Designed with flexibility in mind, the FLEXSE prototype was prefabricated in a factory, assembled on-site, and built entirely of recyclable materials. Defined by its organic elliptical...
Proposed $1 billion underwater pipeline will send fracked gas to NYC
Mar 20, 2019: There is a war brewing over the development of a new underwater pipeline in New York City. The proposed project would send fracked gas to the city, a move environmentalists claim would greatly contribute to global warming. An Oklahoma company called Williams has proposed an ambitious plan to construct a 23-mile pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York. The project, which will cost around $1 billion, will connect with an existing pipeline underneath New Jersey, carrying gas all the way to Queens. According...
This gorgeous LEED Platinum winery is made of reclaimed wood
Mar 20, 2019: Related: + Via Dezeen repurposed materials, energy, LEED…
Climate change causing Nebraska's worst floods on record, damage visible from space
Mar 20, 2019: Amid growing concerns about the negative effects of climate change, Nebraska is facing one of its worst flooding catastrophes on record. Following historic levels of rainfall and flooding, the governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, has officially declared certain counties disaster areas as officials deal with the situation. “This really is the most devastating flooding we’ve probably ever had in our state’s history, from the standpoint of how widespread it is,” Ricketts shared. The...
Site-sensitive Woodhouse Hotel promotes agricultural tourism in Guizhou
Mar 20, 2019: In China’s southwest province of Guizhou, Shanghai-based architectural practice ZJJZ has completed the Woodhouse Hotel, a government-backed agricultural tourism project that consists of ten single-story timber cabins embedded into the hillside in the remote village of Tuanjie. As one of the first projects carried out under the government’s policy to help alleviate rural poverty through environmentally sensitive tourism, the Woodhouse Hotel was designed and constructed with as little site impact...
A solar-powered home in Maine rises above the sand dunes on wooden stilts
Mar 20, 2019: Related: + Via…
Are bioenergy facilities the solution to the growing garbage problem?
Mar 20, 2019: Do you know where your garbage goes once you throw it out? For many people - especially Americans - once their trash leaves the house, there is no more thought about where it goes or what happens to it. As soon as a sanitation worker picks up your garbage, there is no reason to think about the serious problems that massive amounts of waste can cause. Every year, Americans discard about 250 million tons of resources, making them the largest generator of waste on Earth. Approximately 136 million...
Escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life in these bamboo huts built on a remote Vietnamese beach
Mar 20, 2019: Related: + ICON Via 3D printed home…
Crucial animal protection laws for the sage grouse being eliminated by the White House
Mar 19, 2019: The White House is eliminating crucial animal protection laws for the sage grouse. The protections, originally put in place by President Barack Obama, are being rolled back to open millions of acres of land for gas and oil development. Conservationists warn the move could land the sage grouse back on the endangered species list. Donald Trump's administration’s new plan targets 8.7 million acres of Sagebrush Focal Areas, an important habitat for the sage grouse and hundreds of other wildlife....
NYC considers Manhattan land expansion to fight climate change
Mar 19, 2019: On Thursday March 14th, Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City unveiled a $10 billion plan to prepare lower Manhattan for the inevitable invasion of sea level rise predicted with climate change. The plan was announced alongside the release of the Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Study, which provides a complete assessment of predicted climate risks, including sea level rise, storm surge, extreme rainfall and heat waves. The plan includes extensive construction of permanent and smartly integrated...
Green-roofed timber dwelling in Austria is built with recycled materials
Mar 19, 2019: In the historic Austrian village of Purkersdorf, Vienna-based architectural practice Juri Troy Architects has completed the L House, a timber home named after its L-shaped form integrated with sustainable design elements. Built with numerous recycled materials, the house forms a strong connection with nature from its green roof to its large windows that sweep views of the bucolic outdoors in. Nestled into a southern slope above the village of Purkersdorf, the 3,450-square-foot L House boasts...
Can Florida save its prized Everglades from climate change destruction?
Mar 19, 2019: Half of all Floridians will live underwater by the end of the century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency’s predictions. In a disheartening article in The Guardian, researcher and author of Rising, Elizabeth Grant instructs Floridians to flip a coin – heads and your home is under the sea. A combination of population explosion, unsustainable development and sea level rise also threatens to destroy Florida’s prized Everglades, but the newly elected Republican Governor, Ron...
Old Swedish farm is reborn as a cozy woodland cabin holiday home
Mar 19, 2019: Swedish architectural practice Wingårdh Arkitektkontor converted a large old farm in the south of Sweden into a holiday home with a cozy woodland cabin atmosphere. Commissioned by a family who reside in the nearby city of Malmö, the countryside retreat was fashioned as a luxurious escape into nature built predominately with timber and designed to embrace views of the lush forest through floor-to-ceiling glazing. The adaptive reuse project—dubbed Kvarnhuset (The Mill House)—has respected the...
Baby turtles officially return to the beaches of Mumbai after largest beach clean up in history
Mar 19, 2019: Olive Ridley baby turtles have officially returned to the beaches of Mumbai, and it is all because one of the world’s largest beach clean-up efforts. Last summer, conservationists watched as over 80 baby turtles made their way across Mumbai’s Versova Beach, which was previously home to a massive garbage heap. “I had tears in my eyes when I saw them walking towards the ocean,” Afroz Shah, an activist in Mumbai, shared. It has been a few decades since the baby turtles have had access...
Solar-powered home takes advantage of cooling ocean breezes in Los Angeles
Mar 19, 2019: Crafted to embrace spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, the Ziering Residence is defined by its dramatically curved architecture and walls of glass. Local practice SPF: architects designed the contemporary house that’s perched high in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and engineered to take advantage of passive systems, including cooling ocean breezes and the thermal mass of concrete floors. The home also reduces its energy footprint with rooftop solar panels and solar hot water...
Activists trying to prevent the vaquita porpoise from extinction
Mar 18, 2019: Researchers just confirmed the sad news that only around 10 vaquita porpoises remain in the wild. Unless immediate steps are taken, these sea creatures will undoubtedly become extinct over the next few years. Vaquita porpoises are among the ocean’s smallest cetaceans and they only reside in the northern Gulf of California. The update on population numbers comes after news of the first vaquita death this year. Scientists are expected to release more information on that front later this week. The...
Kodasema unveils gorgeous prefab floating tiny house
Mar 18, 2019: Related: + Kodasema Via Designboom kodasema prefab floating house, prefab house…
Brazilian Biodiversity Information System is bringing Brazil's biological diversity to the internet
Mar 18, 2019: As one of the most biologically diverse countries on Earth, Brazil is taking steps to consolidate all of the nation’s biodiversity data and information into one place to support scientific research, as well as decision-making and creation of eco-friendly public policy. In an effort to achieve those goals, the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations, and Communications (MCTIC) has created the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System (SiBBr), which is an online platform that gives free...
A modern timber house in Indonesia celebrates mummified wood
Mar 18, 2019: When Banding-Based architectural studio Aaksen Responsible Aarchitecture was asked to renovate an old house in the West Java neighborhood of Kiaracondong in Indonesia, they made a surprising discovery. During the demolition process, the architects found that the wooden roof truss structure was in very good condition despite its age thanks to a culturally significant type of timber, a kind of Albizzia wood that’s been mummified to improve strength and durability. Described by the architects as a...
UN predicts dire future for planet unless people change their ways NOW
Mar 18, 2019: The United Nations’ newest Global Environmental Outlook reinforces the worries of everyone concerned about the environment and our planet’s future. The 708-page report, released last week, examines human-inflicted woes on air, land and water. Scientists urge humans to change their ways—immediately—before we render Earth inhabitable. To those who have been paying attention to the planet’s decline, this report will not be news. But seeing all this human-wrought destruction in one enormous...
IKEA teams up with London artists to upcycle old furniture into funky abodes for birds, bees, and bats
Mar 18, 2019: Related: + Via Dwell wildlife homes, upcycling, ikea, ikea wildlife homes,…
Mobile, off-grid micro home can be configured into 20 different layouts
Mar 18, 2019: Related: + Via…
Shellworks upcycles leftover lobster shells into biodegradable bioplastics
Mar 15, 2019: Four design students at The Royal College of Art & Imperial College have created a biodegradable and recyclable bioplastic using an unusual material—lobster shell waste. In a initiative dubbed Shellworks, the team—Ed Jones, Insiya Jafferjee, Amir Afshar, and Andrew Edwards—has developed new manufacturing machines to produce what they believe is a sustainable replacement for single-use plastics. The malleable bioplastic is extremely versatile and can be adjusted in thickness, transparency,...
New Humane Society report shows animal testing labs kill thousands of dogs annually
Mar 15, 2019: The Humane Society of the United States just released a report on their investigation into widespread animal testing. The inquiry lasted a little over three months and discovered that tens of thousands of dogs are being killed annually in the name of product testing. The study uncovered laboratories across the United States where scientists are using beagles and hounds to test toxicity levels in drugs, dental implants, and pesticides. Over the course of 100 days, one undercover operative recorded...
Reduce food waste with your new best friend Meal Prep Mate
Mar 15, 2019: In a world filled with convenient fast-food wherever you go and a focus on instant gratification, it can be a serious challenge to eat healthily and keep your food waste to a minimum. For many of us, our busy lives cause us to make daily food decisions that fill our diets with high-calorie processed foods which are often wrapped in single-use packaging. However, with a little preparation and planning, you can not only eat healthily, but you can reduce food waste while saving time and money. The...
LEED Platinum home generates net-positive energy in Oregon
Mar 15, 2019: Built for clients who wanted a home with minimal site impact, the Live Edge residence is an environmentally friendly beacon that boasts not only LEED Platinum certification, but also generates more energy than it consumes on an annual basis. Nestled into a bluff among rock outcroppings and juniper trees in Oregon’s Deschutes County, the luxury dwelling is the work of Salem-based firm Nathan Good Architects. Drawing inspiration from the rugged landscape, the architects fitted the contemporary house...
Santa Barbara home is surrounded by wooden screens for natural climate control
Mar 15, 2019: Indoor-outdoor living never looked so good! This modern design by Shubin Donaldson takes full advantage of the beachy climate of Santa Barbara, California. Wooden screens and a central skylight flood the entire space with natural sunlight while keeping the space protected from the ocean winds. “Environmentally, the home is cooled passively by ocean breezes, lit evenly during the day by daylight, and Ipe wood screens minimize sun load on the extensive view windows,” report the designers. The...
Air pollution is killing Europeans at an alarming rate
Mar 15, 2019: New research reveals that 800,000 people die prematurely from air pollution in Europe each year, and confirms a previous study that dirty air kills 8.8 million people per year globally. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, urges Europe to phase out fossil fuels. Scientists used three sets of data to reach their conclusions: population density and age, exposure to air pollution and the health impacts of foul air. While the lungs are the initial body part to suffer, once pollutants...
1950s fire lookout tower in rural Idaho is converted into a dreamy Airbnb rental
Mar 15, 2019: Dressmaker and designer Kristie Wolfe previously built a Hawaiian treehouse on a shoestring budget, as well as a hobbit house in Washington State. Her latest project is a fire lookout tower dating back to the 1950s, which she has renovated into an Airbnb rental. Related: + Crystal Peak Lookout + Kristie Wolfe Photography by Eva Seelye Crystal Peak Lookout, Hobbit Hole, Crystal Peak Lookout in North Idaho, unique airbnb stays,…
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER
Mar 14, 2019: Thursday, March 14, 2019CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 31, 2019 BCSEA’s Board of Directors is currently recruiting for the position of Treasurer. We are looking for someone with both the passion for sustainable energy, and the training in accounting and financial planning, with experience in charitable organizations to serve a vital function within our organization. If this sounds like you, please read on for more information and how to apply. About BCSEA The BC Sustainable Energy Association is a registered charity supporting British Columbia’s transition to a future built on resilient, regenerative production, distribution and use of energy. BCSEA collaborates with government, industr…
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER
Mar 14, 2019: Thursday, March 14, 2019CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 31, 2019 BCSEA’s Board of Directors is currently recruiting for the position of Treasurer. We are looking for someone with both the passion for sustainable energy, and the training in accounting and financial planning, with experience in charitable organizations to serve a vital function within our organization. If this sounds like you, please read on for more information and how to apply. About BCSEA The BC Sustainable Energy Association is a registered charity supporting British Columbia’s transition to a future built on resilient, regenerative production, distribution and use of energy. BCSEA collaborates with government, industr…
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER
Mar 14, 2019: Thursday, March 14, 2019CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 31, 2019 BCSEA’s Board of Directors is currently recruiting for the position of Treasurer. We are looking for someone with both the passion for sustainable energy, and the training in accounting and financial planning, with experience in charitable organizations to serve a vital function within our organization. If this sounds like you, please read on for more information and how to apply. About BCSEA The BC Sustainable Energy Association is a registered charity supporting British Columbia’s transition to a future built on resilient, regenerative production, distribution and use of energy. BCSEA collaborates with government, industr…
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER
Mar 14, 2019: Thursday, March 14, 2019CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 31, 2019 BCSEA’s Board of Directors is currently recruiting for the position of Treasurer. We are looking for someone with both the passion for sustainable energy, and the training in accounting and financial planning, with experience in charitable organizations to serve a vital function within our organization. If this sounds like you, please read on for more information and how to apply. About BCSEA The BC Sustainable Energy Association is a registered charity supporting British Columbia’s transition to a future built on resilient, regenerative production, distribution and use of energy. BCSEA collaborates with government, industr…
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER
Mar 14, 2019: Thursday, March 14, 2019CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: BCSEA BOARD TREASURER APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 31, 2019 BCSEA’s Board of Directors is currently recruiting for the position of Treasurer. We are looking for someone with both the passion for sustainable energy, and the training in accounting and financial planning, with experience in charitable organizations to serve a vital function within our organization. If this sounds like you, please read on for more information and how to apply. About BCSEA The BC Sustainable Energy Association is a registered charity supporting British Columbia’s transition to a future built on resilient, regenerative production, distribution and use of energy. BCSEA collaborates with government, industr…
Solar-powered home puts an eco-friendly twist on the farmhouse vernacular
Mar 14, 2019: When architect Paul O’Reilly of the Australian architectural practice archterra was asked by his mother to design a modern farmhouse, he delivered a handsome dwelling that not only takes inspiration from traditional barn architecture, but also deftly addresses the region’s climatic extremes with its site-specific, energy-efficient build. Aptly named the Farm House, the roughly 2,000-square-foot abode features a gabled roofline, veranda, and timber cladding to mimic traditional barns, while the...
Panda Express introduces vegan options
Mar 14, 2019: Good news for suburban vegans and those who find themselves trapped in airports or mini-malls: The Chinese fast food chain Panda Express has added its first vegan entrees. Vegan diners at all 2,000 locations can soon safely chow down on Panda’s chow mein. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has long been chipping away at Panda Express’ resistance to offering any dishes sans chicken broth or animal-derived seasoning. Supporters of the animal rights group contacted Panda 234,000...
Adobe brick combines with wood in a low-carbon villa in Chiang Mai
Mar 14, 2019: Architectural practice Chiangmai Life Architects has completed a striking villa that blends elements of traditional Thai architecture together with environmentally savvy construction practices and modern amenities fit for 21st-century living. Located in the mountains of northern Thailand, the project, dubbed the ‘Earth & Wood Villa,’ was built primarily of locally sourced natural materials from the self-made adobe bricks to the exposed timber elements throughout. In addition to mountain vistas,...
Plastic waste has met its match with the viral #Trashtag challenge
Mar 14, 2019: It is rare when a social media challenge actually results in a physical change to the environment, especially when it comes to picking up plastic waste. But a new viral challenge has thousands of people from around the world coming together to clean up places that have become overrun with plastic. The new challenge, #trashtag, encourages people to clean up litter and share photos from before and after the clean-up job is over. So far, tens of thousands of individuals have participated in the...
Quirky youth hostel in Taiwan is made from reclaimed materials
Mar 14, 2019: Related: + Via…
Meatless Mondays are coming to public schools in New York City
Mar 14, 2019: Public schools in New York City are starting a meatless Monday program for student lunches. School officials hope the eco-friendly initiative will boost health among the student population and serve as an example for other districts to follow. "People are going to look at this, and they’re going to start to emulate what the New York City schools are doing," NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio shared. According to Huffington Post, the new program will be implemented in 1,800 schools in the city and...
This distillery helps you make delicious, carbon-negative cocktails
Mar 14, 2019: Ever think about how your happy hour is affecting the environment? Manufacturing alcohol in the United States creates harmful carbon dioxide that can wreck the earth’s system of natural resources, and a massive amount of materials needed to package and distribute alcohol (bottles, plastic caps, etc) end up in the trash. Los Angeles-based Greenbar Distillery, however, is changing the game entirely with its carbon negative company model. One of the world’s largest selection of USDA-certified...
Students around the world join climate strike on March 15
Mar 13, 2019: On Friday, March 15th, tens of thousands of high school and middle school students in more than 70 countries plan to walk out of their classrooms and protest outside of their nearest town and city halls. Young people are uniting around the world in combined climate strikes and though they hail from vastly different places, they are all demanding that their leaders take radical action to curb green house gas emissions. How did the climate strikes start? The international youth climate strike...
This Brazilian beach house is made from locally-sourced natural materials
Mar 13, 2019: The architects at MNMA Studio have created a natural beachy oasis made of eco-friendly elements in the region of Pontal do Cupe, Pernambuco of northeastern Brazil. Head architects Andre Pepato and Mariana Schmidt used natural materials such as eucalyptus, certified wood, calcium carbonate rocks and even twigs to complement the concrete structure. The people of the Pontal do Cupe region have limited access to building materials and methods, so the beach house helps to symbolize an innovative and...
These marbled Bluetooth speakers are made from non-recyclable plastic waste
Mar 13, 2019: They said that this plastic couldn’t be recycled, but UK-based company Gomi found a way nonetheless. Each speaker is made from about 100 non-recyclable plastic bags of multiple colors, creating the individualized unique look. The sustainable design company won a 10,000-pound grant from the Environment Now Programme in January 2018 to kickstart the project and were funded further by the Santander Big Ideas Competition later that year. Co-founded by Brighton-based sustainable designer Tom Meades,...