Reforestation plan in Panama could cut 7 million tons of CO2 emissions annually
On June 17 by the Panama Association of Reforestation and the Panama Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture announced a plan that would bring back nearly 2.5 million acres of rainforest over the next 20 years. The Panamanian initiative has 3 main goals: bolster development of Panama’s Read More...
Viewing foreign aid as an investment– not as a charity handout, will benefit all
Shifting the way we view foreign aid is integral in the future success of aid initiatives. A common way of perceiving aid is as a handout to someone in need with no plans of future return on your donation. This is wrong. The interlaced global economy we are part of is not as isolated as that– Read More...
Most nutritious fruits and veggies ranked, see who’s number 1
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study, called Defining Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables: A Nutrient Density Approach, that examined and ranked 47 fruits and vegetables– only 41 made it on the list. The rankings were based on how nutritious each food is. The study looked Read More...
Germany gets 50% of electricity from solar
On Monday June 9, 2014 solar panels in Germany produced 23.1 GW of electricity– or a little over half of the electricity Germany consumed that day. Though this surge in solar panel power only lasted for one day, it is an indicator that solar technology is beginning to make par for supplying base Read More...
Urban Organics
An abandoned brewery in a ‘food desert’ in Saint Paul, Minnesota has started its second life as an agricultural business and fish farm. The company, Urban Organics, works with aquaponics– a growing technique that creates a symbiotic relationship between fish and plants where crops are Read More...
Adding tech to agriculture grows the same amount of produce with 1/2 the water.
The average American uses 80 gallons of water per day for bathing, laundry, drinking, etc. That number blows up to 2000 gallons per day if you factor in the water used to produce the clothes you wear, or the water used to refrigerate your food, or the biggest culprit– agriculture. Agriculture Read More...
Germany's different approach to solar could lead to wider adoption
On Monday June 9th 2014 solar panels in Germany produced 23.1 GW of electricity– or a little over half of the electricity Germany consumed that day. Germany’s approach to solar is slightly different than what we do in the US. Instead of building massive solar farms common, 90% of solar panels Read More...
Rooftop farm grows 5 tons of veggies, 1,800 pounds of fish
Have an old industrial building with a large roof lying around? Probably not, but if you do Urban Farms will deliver a full-scale rooftop garden–aquaponics system. The package is a modular system and includes a greenhouse, a modified shipping container that could be used as an office or kitchen, Read More...
UK’s first carbon–negative building is built from upcycled materials
Located on University of Brighton’s campus, the carbon negative building serves as a living research and design project, exemplifying what buildings can be built with. The house is comprised of 85% post–consumer products. Materials used to build the carbon–negative structure includes floppy Read More...
Drops in coal demand from US, China hint that we have hit peak coal
Earlier this month the White House announced a plan to scale back CO2 emissions from coal–fueled plants. The initiative aims to reduce pollutants that result from coal burning by 30% over the next 15 years. While China still consumes 50% of the world’s coal, 10 years ago the demand for coal in Read More...