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

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

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?