2010 So Far Has Been Hottest Year on Record: NOAA
photo: Tambako the Jaguar via flickr.
Continuing the trend from the previous month, NOAA reports that May, the period from March to May, and from January to May all have had the hottest combined global land and ocean surface temperatures since records began in 1880. …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Weekday Vegetarian: A Farmers’ Market Spinach Pie
Photo: Kelly Rossiter
We were spending the weekend with old friends and although we all enjoy cooking and expected to do a lot of it over the three days we were together, I wanted to take something that was ready to eat when we arrived. . I had lots of spinach from the farmers’ market left over from my spinach eggdrop soup, so I made a spinach pie that we could eat warm or at room temperature.
…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Oil-Coated Birds Could Be Cooked Alive as Gulf Heats Up (Video)
Photo via MoneyBlog
Things keep getting worse and worse for the bird populations around the Gulf Coast. First, experts revealed that once a bird is coated in oil, it’s almost certain to die — citing that less than 1% survive, even if they’re thoroughly cleaned. Now, scientists are worried that oil-covered birds will literally be cooked alive by the heat-absorbing oil. …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Want to Feel More Alive? Study Shows You Need to Go Outside
Photo via cletch
We kind of already know this – if not intuitively then through past studies – but a new study has shown that when you spend more time out in nature, you feel more alive. Published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Environmental Psychology, the study shows that getting out and communing with nature is better for feeling rejuvenated than reaching for the ever-so-urban cup of coffee. “Nature is fuel for the soul, ” says Ri…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Weekday Vegetarian: Grill Your Asparagus, Then Choose A Sauce
Photo: Emma Alter
My daughter has never been a big fan of asparagus, but when I cooked it on the grill last week, she changed her mind. So this past weekend, when her best friend Julia joined us at the cottage, I grilled some more asparagus. Julia, who loves it, was surprised by the taste….Read the full story on TreeHugger
Relinquishment Can Be Fun! Redefining the Pursuit of Happiness to Create a Greener World
Eating like this every day wouldn’t be very good for the environment — and it wouldn’t be much of a treat either. Photo by Jennifer Hattam.
Before I moved to Istanbul, I always thought of eating seasonally as a great idea in theory, but kind of a chore in practice. How were you supposed to remember if it was OK to eat asparagus in October or oranges in April? What if you really, really wanted to cook <a href…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Feed Your Kids to a Shark-Shaped Sleeping Bag
Photo via Patch Together
For anyone who’s ever wished they could experience the joy and comfort of being eaten by a stuffed shark, one designer has created a menacing-looking sleeping bag that will make short work of the sandman. Dubbed the ChumBuddy, the 7 foot long stuffed killing-machine is sure to delight all who become ensnared in the shark’s plush, gapping mouth, or who nestle in its soft, fleece bowels. Just imagine the joy of tucking your child in the shark’s throat each and every night while reading them a b…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Smart Grid Will Be Bigger Than the Internet, Says Cisco (Video)
Photo by Donjd2
Cisco has made the smart grid a primary focus for the company, and has determined that they want to be the leader when it comes to technology used for managing electricity. They’ve identified over $20 billion in potential opportunities for businesses, from how information and energy is managed by utilities and consumers alike. And according to Cisco, the smart grid is going to be a bigger market than the Internet. Check out what Cisco’s smar…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Battlefield Battery Can Be Powered With Pee
Photo via Popular Science
In the quest for alternative, small-scale energy producing technology, one company has invented a device that can power electronics with something you’ve been just flushing down the toilet all this time–your pee. The portable, pee-powered battery, called MetalCell, can create enough of a charge to power a laptop for over four …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Could Prickly Pear Cactus Be The Secret to Cheap, Clean Water?
Photo via kretyen
Millions of people lack access to clean water globally, and that lack of access – or rather, access to unsafe drinking water – kills as many as 15 people per minute. We have many options for filtering water, but a primary problem with clean water technologies is they’re expensive and not simple to maintain once placed where they’re needed. Yet, that could change. By using a cactus found commonly worldwide, a team of researchers have devised what co…Read the full story on TreeHugger
