Archive: Feb 2012
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America has 40 million McMansions that no one wants
Americans want a car-free existence, which means that around 40 million large-lot exurban McMansions might never find occupants.
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The Facebook of ride-sharing has arrived
Got a road trip coming up? Why not use Ridejoy to save yourself the gas money and maybe make a new friend in the process?
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Whales get stressed out by noise from shipping
Where I live in New York, we’re constantly holding community meetings where neighbors complain that noise from local bars is stressing them out and keeping them awake. Whales don’t get to protest when their home jet streams get turned into noisy shipping alleys, but it’s otherwise basically the same. Just like late-night drunken clamor stresses […]
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Eco-friendly LEGOs made of sawdust and coffee
Earth Blocks are basically LEGOs, but made out of coffee grounds, tree bark, sawdust, or tea chaff mixed with a plasticlike binder material. Finally, a way to teach children that being eco-friendly means playing with monochrome toys made out of dirt!
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Critical List: Approval coming for two nuclear plants; warrant issued for Nasheed’s arrest
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will give its blessing to two new nuclear power plants in Georgia today. There’s a warrant out for the arrest of Mohamed Nasheed, the Maldivian president and environmental crusader forced to resign at gunpoint. The new president, who deposed him, says the warrant will be used only to ensure Nasheed’s safety. […]
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Peebottle Farm: Keeping city chickens in winter
I pictured myself shoveling a path through four feet of snow every morning towards the chicken coop in the frigid darkness. And all for naught, since hens go on semi-strike due to lack of sunlight in winter, producing far fewer eggs.
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Sorry, we still don’t know if biochar can save our asses
Claims of biochar being a magic-bullet solution to climate change are so far unfounded, but if we invest heavily in research, it could turn out to save us.
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Walmart’s biggest green feat: Putting sustainability on the corporate agenda
Walmart has moved sustainability from the fringe to the forefront of business concerns, showing the drill-baby-drill crowd that eco-friendly choices can help America prosper and compete.
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Urban outfitters: The Nature Conservancy goes to the city
The world's biggest conservation group is making forays into urban areas. Some say it should shift its focus entirely. But can these nature muffins survive in the urban jungle?