Greenbelts were designed foremost to limit the perils of suburban sprawl, but in doing so, they have significantly augmented city living by providing accessible green space to city dwellers.
Ethanol: King of the Veggie Diesels
Ethanol is a highly flammable and explosive alcohol that is produced from plant crops. Ethanol is also a highly controversial and explosive topic of conversation these days.
What is the Heat Island Effect?
Heat islands, or the heat island effect, are a climactic phenomenon common to urban areas. First observed by meteorologists well over a century ago, the effect is caused when materials characteristic of urban areas absorb and retain heat from the atmosphere, driving up temperatures relative to surrounding rural areas. A factor in every town and… Continue reading What is the Heat Island Effect?
Simple Options to Improve Indoor Air Quality and Overall Health
When starting to live a holistic and “green” lifestyle, it seems there are an abundant number of ways to reduce your carbon footprint on the Earth. At first, taking a few small steps towards improving your sustainability and quality of life is usually the best way to go about this. Indoor air quality is sometimes… Continue reading Simple Options to Improve Indoor Air Quality and Overall Health
Water; Not One Drop to be Wasted
Water is as precious as they come. It covers the earth storing oxygen molecules in vast amounts. It flows through rivers providing vital energy and wealth to countries around the world. It makes up more than half of the human body, as much as sixty per cent in fact. Yet, human civilization seems at odds… Continue reading Water; Not One Drop to be Wasted
Composting: Fast and Easy
First there was garbage collection, then there was recycling, and now there is compost. A fast and easy way to contribute to sustainable development, composting is the act of accumulating decomposed organic matter separately from the garbage we send to the landfill.
Soil Deterioration in Cities; the Dark Side of Asphalt
The networks that tie our world together are indeed vast constructions, none more so than the roadways that tie our cities, towns and villages together. Roadways the world over are predominantly made of asphalt, an impervious, petroleum-based substance that includes aggregate such as sand or gravel. This same product is used in the installation of… Continue reading Soil Deterioration in Cities; the Dark Side of Asphalt
How the “Built” Environment Affects the Natural World
When we think about the environment, most of us imagine a verdant landscape of leafy trees, rolling hills and vast lakes, or at least something not far removed from this spectacular image. Humans, in spite of their environmental conceptions, do not so much occupy a natural world, however.
“LEEDing” the Way: LEED and Environmentally-Conscious Design
Responsible for approximately forty per cent of carbon emissions, and another forty per cent of energy consumption, buildings are an obvious place to start thinking about ways to reduce pollution and use energy more effectively.
What Does Buying Local Food Do for the Environment?
Globalization is a big word that plays a big game. Over time, that game has expanded beyond commodities and into the developing world where comparably affordable food sources are ever abundant. As a result of cheap energy and agricultural subsidies, food companies in the developed world have been forced to come up with new ways… Continue reading What Does Buying Local Food Do for the Environment?