Posts Tagged ‘Gardening’

This Man has the Most Oil in the World

Rafael Ramírez should be ranked as one of the most powerful men in the world. As the Venezuelan minister for energy, he is also head of the country’s state oil company – and, therefore, now controls the world’s biggest proven oil reserves. In a little-reported development, Opec recently certified that the South American nation was number one in national reserves, after a vast field of what was previously classified as tar was redefined as extra heavy crude. La Faja, as the heavy oil belt along the Orinoco river is referred to, contains nearly 220bn barrels. That takes Venezuela’s reserves to 297bn – close to 20% of the world’s oil – and leapfrogs it over Saudi Arabia on 265bn.

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Originally posted on Guardian

Crack Planter Art by Sean Martindale

My concept for these Grass Spills was the original one which grew into the larger Outside the Planter Boxes project (please see ABOUT section for more information). In total, four spilling planters were created on the project launch day along the West side of University Avenue, just North of Queen Street West. Thank you again to James David Morgan and Holy Blue for their assistance in the early morning when I installed these interventions.

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Originally posted PlanterArt

Renewables Give Us More Power Than Nuclear

For the first time in a while, our portfolio of renewable power sources has surpassed power production from nuclear generation. According to the latest Monthly Energy Review from the Energy Information Administration, the most sustainable forms of energy now produce more for us than the most hazardous, largely due to rises in wind, solar and hydro production.

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Originally poster on Green Economy Post

10 Things That You Never Knew Were Recyclable

Nope, you didn’t read that wrong. Human hair is compostable and recyclable. Hair from your hairbrush or fur from your pet are full of useful nitrogen that can be thrown in the compost pile. Donating your hair could help clean up future oil spills. San Francisco nonprofit Matter of Trust collects human and pet hair to create booms that soak up oil. Currently, warehouses are full, but you can be placed on the email alert list when the need arrives again.

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Originally posted on earth911

Infographic: Backyard Vs. Food Supply

It’s time to get self-sufficient…

With food prices ranked at an all-time high and the consecutive bursts of social upheaval surfacing across the globe — all cancers formed by the same food Uncle Sam feeds you and I — relying on affordable and accessible food from your local supermarket in the future isn’t going to be as easy as it is today. Starting your own garden and growing your own food in your backyard is risk-free, inexpensive, and empowering; allowing you to save money and steer clear from the stresses of finding food for your family tomorrow or in case of emergency.

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Originally posted on Renew Resources

Solar Roadways Set to Build First Solar Parking Lot

Solar Roadways, the company behind a technology that could transform the nation’s roads into a network of shatter-proof, energy-generating solar panels, has just a received a new $750,000 grant from the federal government. With that money, the team will get to work at developing a prototype solar parking lot that will fully put their technology to the test.

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Originally posted on Ecofriend

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Tags: launch day, queen street west, food prices, david morgan, energy information administration, proven oil reserves <BR/>

It’s time to get self-sufficient…

With food prices at an all-time high taking the time to learn how to serve you and your family with food grown from your own backyard may be more beneficial to you than learning the specials and deals at the local grocery mart down the street.

Starting your own garden and growing your own food in your backyard is risk-free, inexpensive, and most importantly empowering; saving you extra money, while providing you and your family with a safety net just in case something unpredictable should happen.

But how much acreage do you need to feed you and your family for an entire year? Does your property have enough room?

The good fellows at One Block Off the Grid answer those questions and more, showing you exactly how much land you need to sufficiently feed a family of four in the infographic below.

Enjoy!

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Source: 1BOG

Tags: Permaculture, Gardening, own backyard, green <BR/>

Making Green Homes Affordable

When it comes to construction projects, “green” often translates to “more expensive.” As a result, many working families, seniors and people with disabilities don’t have a chance to enjoy the multiple benefits of eco-friendly living: lower utility costs, healthier living spaces and the feeling that you’re doing the right thing for the planet.

That bothered Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for low- and moderate-income people through affordable housing and thriving communities.

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Originally posted by Sophia Bennet

Self-Watering Plant Containers for Your Garden

Most plants don’t need much to survive: Just dirt, sunlight, and water — although that last one can really trip you up if you’re a novice gardener, out of town, or just plain forgetful.

That’s where self-watering container gardens come in: You place your plants in an insert, place the insert in a reservoir of water, and let the plant soak up water as required.

Self-watering gardens are a cinch to DIY with almost any kind of container, from an empty soda bottle to an 18-gallon storage bin, but there are plenty of pre-made versions, too.

These nine options — from the basic insert to the DIY IKEA to the chic, cubist alternative — will help that basil, marigold, tomato plant and more flourish, despite your watering flaws.

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Originally Posted on Treehugger

World Changing:  Top Sustainability Trends of the Next Decade

World Changing created a list of the top sustainability trends they see occurring over the next decade:

Bike usage will continue to rise across cities worldwide: “Copenhagen residents use bikes for 37 percent of all their transit. But bikes in Europe represent more than utility; riding a bicycle with the Velib’s bikeshare program in Paris now easily competes (42 million registered users) with taking a spring walk along the Seine. Bike-sharing abounds in dozens of European cities as well as in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago, Chile. Look for North American burgs to continue their proliferation of bicycles-as-transit use and bike lane expansion (NYC bicycle use is up 61% in two years).”

Copenhagen UNFCCC meeting will eventually result in a set of targets for cutting GHG emissions: “The UN COP15 Copenhagen conference resulted in no binding treaty status among any of the attending 128 nations that attended for them to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. This year’s late fall gathering in Mexico City is likely to set national binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions.

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Originally posted by The Dirt

TAU’s Eco-Architecture Could Produce “Grow Your Own” Homes

Stable building structures are being built from living trees.

A bus stop that grows its own foliage as shade? A children’s playground, made entirely from trees? A shelter made from living tree roots that could provide natural protection against earthquakes in California?

“Eco-architecture” may sound like a Buck Rogers vision of an ecologically-sustainable future, but that future is now thanks to the guidance of Tel Aviv University Professors Yoav Waisel and Amram Eshel. The concept of shaping living trees into useful objects ­­­­ known as tree shaping, arborsculpture, living art or pooktre isn’t new. But scientists are now ready to use this concept as the foundation of a new company that will roll out these structures worldwide.

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Originally posted by Aftau

Infographic: Map of Pollution Levels in China’s Major River Basins

The seven major river basins, as a whole, have had steady improvements in water quality over the past decade.

The water quality of the Pearl River and the Yangtze River are the best among the seven major river basins. There have been few changes to the Hai River over the last decade, while there was a big increase in water classified as drinkable (Grades I-III) in the Yellow River. The Huai River has had a relatively stable improvement, but the Songhua River has experienced slow improvement from 2004 to 2007 (perhaps due to two catastrophic pollution accidents that occurred there in 2005 and 2006).

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Originally posted by Circle of Blue

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Tags: Sustainability, Environtment, new resources, renew resources, novice gardener <BR/>

Uninhabited Island Bought on Craigslist to Become a Haven for Artists

One of the greatest places to be inspired for art is smack in the middle of nature, with no other evidence of human habitation. Rob Gorski found a listing for the 91-acre island on Craigslist last year and bought the untamed island (not something you get to do every day!).

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Originally posted on Treehugger

Self-Sufficient Underwater Sky Scraper Havests Renewable Energy

With rising sea levels due to changes in climate threatening the coastal cities worldwide, the need for floating or underwater cities and architectures has been felt more than ever before. Conceived by Malaysian designer Sarly Adre Bin Sarkum, the “Water-Scraper” is a self-sufficient underwater architecture that employs a variety of sustainable technologies to produce renewable energy and grow its own food.

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Originally posted on Design Buzz

Energy Generating Portable Green Classrooms

A California-based company, Green Apple Classrooms, has come up with an innovative model of classrooms which are energy neutral and portable. These classrooms are able to generate electricity for themselves and hence are self sufficient. In fact, on an average, the classroom will be able to produce more electricity than required for self consumption. The classrooms are relocatable hence the same classroom can be used for various purposes at different points of time. This will also bring down infrastructure related costs of school.

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Originally posted on Eco Friend

UN  Is Aiding a Corporate Takeover of Drinking Water

Early last month, pharmaceutical titan Merck became the latest multinational to pledge allegiance to the CEO Water Mandate, the United Nations’ public-private initiative “designed to assist companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of water sustainability policies and practices.”

But there’s darker data beneath that sunny marketing: The CEO Water Mandate has been heavily hammered by the Sierra Club, the Polaris Institute and more for exerting undemocratic corporate control over water resources under the banner of the United Nations.

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Originally posted on Alternet

Michigan Woman Faces 93 Days In Jail For Planting A Garden

It just doesn’t get more ridiculous than this.

Julie Bass of Oak Park, Michigan — a mother of 6, law-abiding citizen, and gardener — is facing 93 days in jail after being charged with a misdemeanor.

Her crime? Planting a vegetable garden in the front yard.

Bass says that she planted the garden after her front yard was torn up for some sewer repairs.

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Originally posted on Treehugger

 

 

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Tags: water sustainability, sky scraper, environment, design buzz, Gardening, development implementation, green building <BR/>