Posted on 31 October 2011 by Sustainability Digest
© Yonggu Do and Eunha Seo via Yanko Design
How do we solve that old, old problem of chalk dust in classrooms? And at the same time solve the problem of running out of that laaaaast little nub of chalk? Two designers think they have the solution. …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Posted on 31 October 2011 by Sustainability Digest
The impact of global climate change on the world’s ocean is complex and we’re only just beginning to understand the many shifts that are occurring as waters warm. As is happening on land, species in the water are migrating, chasing the conditions in which they’ve evolved. This is no different with forests of trees as with forests of seaweed. Australia’s seaweed is heading south, and that could push it into oblivion. …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Posted on 31 October 2011 by Sustainability Digest
In the same way that solar panels are getting more efficient at converting sunlight into electricity, wind turbines are also getting better at harnessing the wind. There are two main levers that engineers can pull to squeeze out improvements: 1) Modifying the physical characteristics of the turbines, such as the shape of the blades, the components inside th…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Posted on 31 October 2011 by Sustainability Digest
Walmart stores via Flickr/CC BY 2.0
As Americans, we’re conditioned to think big. Big houses, big cars, big screens. Big, centralized power plants that blast energy to our big cities and big suburbs. But there’s a compelling argument to be made for breaking with that paradigm, and starting to think smaller. Of course, that applies to all of the above, but let’s focus on power generation….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Posted on 18 October 2011 by Sustainability Digest
© Bheestie
We’re always talking about how the greenest gadget owner is one who makes their electronics last. But sometimes no matter how caring an owner you are, stuff happens. Rain, sweat, or an accidental drop in the toilet bowl can kill a cell phone or MP3 player unless you know how to do some speedy resuscitation for electronics. These Bheestie Bags promise to be the resource you need to get the wet out. …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Posted on 18 October 2011 by Sustainability Digest
Despite heavy, flooding-producing rains at the beginning of October, 99% of Texas remains under severe drought conditions, Think Progress reports (and kudos to them for continuing to stay on top of this one). Check out the drought map (below) from Drought.gov to see the o…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Posted on 13 October 2011 by Sustainability Digest
Photo: margaret atwood
Margaret Atwood, writer and Canada’s National Treasure, is issuing a limited edition of her latest book on straw paper. The paper is made solely of straw leftover after the grain harvest. Her new book, In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination, will be the first in North America to be printed on this energy saving paper….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Posted on 29 September 2011 by Sustainability Digest
Photo: Flickr, CC
Take a Step Back and Look
As we near the moment when our planet officially hosts 7 billion people (of course this is just a statistical guess – nobody’s sure precisely how many humans are on Earth), we need to take some time to think about some of the big issues that we’ll have to face in the future. Transportation is a big one, and in this post I will try to take a bird’s eye view of what we should focus on and how we should approach the problem. I certainly won’t pretend to have all the answers, but…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Posted on 11 September 2011 by Sustainability Digest
Photo: Mayo Clinic
As the quest for a cure to Aids continues to offer hope to millions suffering from one of the world’s most devastating health epidemics, it’s also producing some particularly peculiar sights along the way. Scientists studying how genetic engineering could help combat HIV infection have successfully birthed a litter of kittens spliced with virus-resilient DNA from a monkey, along with luminescent genes of a jellyfish — producing cats that literally glow in the dark and that one day may help save countless lives….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Posted on 07 September 2011 by Sustainability Digest
View this infographic bigger at EnergySavvy.com
With all the talk among the Republican hopefuls for President about opening up more of the US for energy exploration in the name of job creation, here’s an infographic laying out in stark terms how many more jobs can be created, and more energy saved, through energy efficiency</…Read the full story on TreeHugger
