Steven Chu (pegged to be the next U.S. Secretary of Energy) wants refrigerators to become an example for practical, green, forward-thinking legislation. It’s a matter of setting standards – and you can read the full story over at the New Yorker.
Rather than wastefully dousing entire newly-planted fields with water, why not focus on each plant? That’s the thinking behind the WaterBoxx: it’s designed to give a new tree a helping hand through its difficult first months by capturing water and preventing against evaporation. When a sapling is ready for bigger things, the WaterBoxx is cut away. As European Water News reports, this invention has withstood perhaps the ultimate test – growing trees in the Sahara.
Reuse before you recycle! We’ve shouted this from the rooftops before, but it’s well worth repeating (or re-shouting). Jo Oliver over at Go Domestic has 35 things to say on the subject.
We dare you to read these Earth-oriented quotes at RawFoodInfo and not feel inspired. Dare you.
It’s not too late to grab those last few Christmas presents (and to be honest, if you’re a guy like me, you’ve just started shopping). And if you’re panicking because you haven’t the time to rack your brains for the perfect gift, check out Johanna Smith’s roundup of the Web’s green gift guides.
For me, Winter fare is hale and hearty – it’s a time to throw subtlety out the window and rough-chop ripe, seasoned vegetables into stews and thick soups and onto roasting trays. Of the 5 best winter vegetables recommended by Jessica Mordo at Eat Drink Better, I’ll go for the squash every time (and maybe a slice of homemade pumpkin pie for dessert, thanks).
And while we’re on the subject of good food, could you include TV dinners in that category? How about if they’re vegetarian, organic and non-GM? Testing whether these labels are lipstick on a pig is Grist’s Kate Sheppard, testing out 7 “natural” TV-meals.
In the wake of the failed US auto industry bailout comes the wholly unsurprising news that ailing Chrysler intends to throw itself bodily (desperately, you could say) into the electric car market. The road will be a rocky one, but it’s increasingly heading in the right direction.
Just to remind us that animals come in all shapes and sizes including “XXS”, WebEcoist has a roundup of the smallest beasties we ever did see.
Leaky faucets are more than just an annoyance – check out the USGS Drip Accumulator to see what we mean. (Thanks to The Daily Green for the link on this).
Over at Think Simple Now, there’s a fascinating (and provocatively titled) article called “How To Achieve Anything“, based around the Tony Robbins OPA technique. Does it work for you?
Now some in-depth thinking. Being a committed champion of green values is often about challenging opposing viewpoints…but when those viewpoints are just so entrenched, why should we even bother trying? One reason is that sometimes we really aren’t sure why we change our minds. You can read an example of this over at PsyBlog.
“Keep it together. It’ll be fine? Where are your keys? Is everyone in the car? Where are the sandwiches? Stop fighting, both of you! Where’s the dog? GET HIM OUT OF THE SANDWICHES. Look at the time! Where are my keys?” We’ve all been there, and it’s Christmas, so in some shape or form, we’re all heading there as well. The important thing is to keep maintaining your healthy daily routines, as Blissfully Domestic explains.
Some good news on the environment, and a head-start for President-Elect Obama’s sweeping eco-reforms: the EIA prediction for US carbon emissions by 2030 has been revised to be almost 10% lower than previously estimated. The reason? Rising fuel prices…and the promises of President-Elect Barack Obama. Its certainly grounds for optimism.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Image: tanakawho