In 2015 the bees are still dying in masses. Which at first seems not very important until you realize that one third of all food humans consume would disappear with them. Millions could starve. The foes bees face are truly … Continue reading →
A new law recently passed in France mandates that all new buildings that are built in commercial zones in France must be partially covered in either plants or solar panels.Green roofs, as they are called, have an isolating effect which … Continue reading →
Newark, New Jersey is about to get a giant vertical farm that produces millions of pounds of greens for local customers. A vacant steel factory in Newark is turning into the world's largest-producing vertical farm. After it begins running later … Continue reading →
What if building codes actually required new projects to enhance a certain number of ecosystem services — such as sequestering carbon, building topsoil, enhancing pollination, increasing biodiversity or purifying water and air? Is it possible that a city could be … Continue reading →
The whole better-greener-more-awesome-cities movement has a problem: We haven’t found a good name for it. Sustainable cities! The term brings to mind such mundanity as energy audits and transit routes. Resilient cities! The notion requires us to consider, first, what … Continue reading →
According to an article on Inhabitat.com, Dutch start-up called Plant-e has developed a way to use living plants as a continuous source of clean energy – all that’s needed is a light source, carbon dioxide, water, and, of course, a field or … Continue reading →
This may be some of the most important information we ever share here. What you are about to read holds tremendous potential to radically change the entire world in many positive ways. In 2006 a patent was granted to a … Continue reading →
According to one recent study, there’s at least 5 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean. That’s more than 250 tons. So what to do with mountains of plastic waste with nowhere to go? Katharina Unger thinks we should eat … Continue reading →
As a child of America’s Dairyland and conservationist Aldo Leopold’s home (yes, that would be Wisconsin), I always loved how agriculture and ecology dominated the scenery. Driving through the state, though, I usually only spotted those two vistas out opposite … Continue reading →
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. While the majority of the population now lives in urban areas, the vast majority of our food still comes from far distant rural farms using … Continue reading →
It is easy to forget that once upon a time all agriculture was organic, grassfed, and regenerative. Seed saving, composting, fertilizing with manure, polycultures, no-till and raising livestock entirely on grass—all of which we associate today with sustainable food production—was … Continue reading →
The Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade is now host to some unusual guests and of all places – on their rooftop. Although they are now, beecoming, local residents. Back in September, Walter Schumacher with the American Honeybee Protection Agency, … Continue reading →
SAN ANTONIO – The Alamo Area Council of Governments is mulling over a proposal from the Texas A&M Water Conservation and Technology Center for the center to become a neutral agent in addressing water concerns in the Eagle Ford shale … Continue reading →
The chemical makeup of wastewater generated by “hydrofracking” could cause the release of tiny particles in soils that often strongly bind heavy metals and pollutants, exacerbating the environmental risks during accidental spills, Cornell researchers have found. Previous research has shown … Continue reading →
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its annual Shopper’s Guide today, including the latest iteration of its “Dirty Dozen” list – a ranking of produce most likely to be contaminated with pesticides. The guide ranks 48 popular fruits and vegetables … Continue reading →
Jess Mayes opened a plastic container filled with soil — and worms. He showed Tobin Hill neighborhood leader Carolyn Kelley the fruits of the labor he and other volunteers have put toward composting, worm harvesting and other organic gardening techniques … Continue reading →
2nd Annual Health & The Built Environment Conference May 7, 2014; 7:30 AM – 4:45 PM UTSA Downtown Campus A well-designed urban built environment can improve quality of life and health for many, many people. Attend and participate in the … Continue reading →
As cities in the developing world continue to grow, so do their traffic safety concerns. Latin America, for instance, now sees three times as many deaths from traffic crashes as Europe, the vast majority of which occur in cities. Vulnerable … Continue reading →
What might the oil- and gas-rich Eagle Ford Shale region of South Texas look like in 2018? A newly released but largely unnoticed study commissioned by the state of Texas makes some striking projections: The number of wells drilled in … Continue reading →
Earthships are 100% sustainable homes that are both cheap to build and awesome to live in. They offer amenities like no other sustainable building style you have come across. For the reasons that follow, I believe Earthships can actually change … Continue reading →
