Being near a river, a lake or the ocean, makes you calmer and healthier
Being near water supports psychological and overall health outcomes, research shows. Spending time near the water, “promotes physical activity and general fitness,” reducing the incidence of diabetes and other diseases associated with Read More...
If you want to save on carbon emissions, travel by cargo ship
Many people are concerned about the carbon footprint of their air travel. A round-trip trans-Atlantic flight can easily gobble up a ton of carbon dioxide per passenger—about half the annual emissions an individual should aim for if we’re to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. If you are Read More...
UK and Germany keep setting new clean-energy records
The British grid has not burned any coal for 1,000 hours so far, this year. In Germany this year, coal generated 35 percent of the country’s electricity but, for the first time, renewable resources generated more energy in the same period: 36.5 Read More...
The natural health benefits of “forest bathing”
More than half of humanity lives in cities where the experience of nature is scarce. In that reality, we may forget that nature is our first source of healing. A new therapy is called “forest bathing”. Just being in a forest can help to reduce anxiety and boost the immune Read More...
Crowdfunding campaign to fund delivery of “ugly” vegetables
Supermarkets don't like to sell "ugly" vegetables. A new initiative in London aims to solve this problem. Oddbox partners with local growers and markets to buy surplus, misshapen or otherwise 'unsellable' fruits and vegetables, curates those products into seasonal veggie boxes, and then delivers Read More...
Collecting bottles: is Norway presenting the solution to the plastic crisis?
Norway has a successful deposit-return scheme for plastic bottles and cans. Its success is unarguable – 97 percent of all plastic drink bottles in Norway are recycled, 92 percent to such a high standard that they are turned back into drink bottles. Some of the material has been recycled more than Read More...
Ireland as the world's first country plans to sell all its fossil fuel shares
The Republic of Ireland will become the world’s first country to sell off its investments in fossil fuel companies, after a bill was passed with all-party support in the lower house of Read More...
It’s easier to keep your aging mind sharp in rural areas, new study finds
Living in the countryside preserves people’s cognitive powers as they get older, a new study has found. A ten-year analysis of more 6,500 people living in the UK showed mental decline was slower among those who lived in villages and rural Read More...
Happiness is a practice: 6 secrets to a better life
The reason we are so hooked on getting things done is that we believe the payoff that comes from achievements, an award or a larger savings account will ultimately lead to the biggest payoff of all: happiness. But it doesn’t. We have the illusion that the success, fame, money, fill in the blank Read More...
In this county, all the bees are treated like queens
While farmers throughout the West have plowed up the ground where alkali bees nest in order to grow crops, farmers in Walla Walla County in Washington State have welcomed the alkali bee with open arms. In fact, if you’re driving in Walla Walla County, you might come across a sign that tells you Read More...