Everyday Environment

Nowadays, most forward-thinking corporations and environmental savvy people are going green. Trouble is, when it comes to what's really environmentally sound, there are a lot of misunderstandings. Here is a list of green urban legends that are not what you think: Bottled water is safer than tap water. Americans gulp down 28.5 gallons of bottled water per capita each year, discarding billions of plastic containers. It's convenient, sure, but is not necessarily healthier than plain old tap...Read Full Story

 Travel is a time to let go, unwind, indulge, or explore. All good things, but that doesn't have to mean a vacation from your otherwise squeaky-clean, environmentally responsible habits. Travel is one of the more wasteful industries—just think of all those single-use bottles of moisturizer, the carbon cost of transatlantic flights, the rented cars—taking measurable tolls on the planet. Each additional 10 pounds per traveler, for example, requires an extra 350 million gallons of jet fuel each...Read Full Story

Cardboard production produces the majority of pollutants associated with cardboard. When this product is made, trees are cut down and and turned into a pulp which creates sulfur dioxide emissions. Sulfur dioxide dissolves in water vapor and is released into the atmosphere, where it joins with other gases to create sulfates. Mycologist and mycomimicry advocate Paul Stamets has released the Tree Life Box . It can be made to virtually any dimension, does not increase the cost of shipping, and...Read Full Story

It's right about this time of year that those with fruit trees and gardens in the Northern Hemisphere tend to get overwhelmed by homegrown abundance. Many tons of these are wasted year after year; but no more. Not Far from the Tree is an ambitious effort in Toronto that handles  a residential fruit-picking program aiming to prevent locally grown fruit from going to waste. Toward that end, it sends teams of volunteers to harvest the fruit on trees whose owners are not inclined to do so...Read Full Story

Zero Waste is more than just a great goal– it’s a practice that’s easier to adopt than you may think. The basic principle is that nothing should be thrown into landfills and everything is somehow reused or repurposed. There’s no better place to take the practical steps towards zero waste than in your own home. 1) Monitor. First, take a good look at how much trash you are sending to the landfill. It’s important to recognize what makes up your waste stream. We’re barely conscious of how much we...Read Full Story