Methane gas is one of the largest contributors to ozone depletion — according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the growing number of animals in factory farms has led to a increased amount of manure and therefore, methane emissions entering the atmosphere. And although raising animals for meat and dairy may account for [...]
In July President Obama announced that through the Recovery Act, $1.85 billion would be given in loans to fund solar projects and to help make clean energy more readily available to U.S. residents. It was great to see Obama lend solar energy some financial support, but it did raise some questions as to why the [...]
I don’t have a dog, but I imagine picking up their poop is probably the least enjoyable aspect about owning one. But would the cleanup seem a little less burdensome if the poop could be made useful? A new project funded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is giving dog waste a second life [...]
In the past I’ve written about overfishing and how a computer application in Italy was working to ensure that fishermen were connected with consumers, so that none of their catch would go to waste. Now a small fishing village in Maine is taking a low-tech spin on this idea of connecting potential buyers to the [...]
Although most body care products are completely unnecessary, many of us would have a hard time giving up our favorite face wash or shampoo. The problem is body care products tend to create a lot of waste, and because we use these items so frequently, the waste adds up. To help reduce the amount of [...]
For many parts of the world, having access to clean drinking water is a privilege and not a right. Rural regions and even many impoverished cities just don’t have the infrastructure needed for water purification, which is why a new invention created by scientists at Stellenbosch University, in Cape Town, South Africa couldn’t be more [...]
With the rising costs of fuel, both economically and environmentally, the U.S. is in desperate need of alternative energy. The problem is that it’s expensive. New electric cars are being developed, but we need batteries for the cars, charging stations, and the infrastructure to go along with them. And although we’re starting to see some [...]
Is it possible for fast food to be healthy, sustainable, and affordable? As a whole, the model is not set up to achieve such lofty goals, but that hasn’t stopped restaurants from trying. 4food, a quick service restaurant set to open next month in Manhattan, is the latest to try to revolutionize the fast food [...]
Having your own patio or backyard garden can be a great way to supplement your groceries, but not everyone has the green thumb necessary to make it work. Knowing what to plant and when to plant it is not common knowledge for the novice gardener. And that’s what makes SproutRobot so great — it takes [...]
As a general rule, beer tends to be a fairly unsustainable product. From the amounts of water used in the brewing process, to the bottling and packaging materials, and the shipping of a product that needs to stay in a cool environment, there are many ways in which one of the world’s most popular beverages [...]
