Green Leaf

Why now, more than ever, all new building should be Passive House from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2zLdhYU https://ift.tt/3depxzJ

A supercell thunderstorm in Argentina delivered shockingly huge hailstones to the heavily populated city of Villa Carlos Paz. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2VPyNUL https://ift.tt/2WcxUVx

An Irish study found that pollution affects cognition and they're unable to detect an ideal shell when they see one. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2yWEZ4B https://ift.tt/35kOXJ5

Our photo of the day comes from Los Angeles, California. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2SCqpX1 https://ift.tt/2VPBrKf

"Be like a squirrel" and other advice for unexpectedly difficult times. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2zEH8C5 https://ift.tt/2lkguYo

The perfectly matching components are accountable for a big part of product success. Although, in this case, the chance of winning customers’ hearts is high, the price of an in-house… The post What Is Custom Synthesis? appeared first on Ecofriend . from Ecofriend https://ift.tt/3c2zO1L https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

You may know that B Corp certification has something to do with being environmentally and socially responsible, but is it worth worrying about? Grand Central Bakery bakes hand-crafted artisanal bread and pastries and offers seasonal café fare to customers in the Pacific Northwest. With locations in Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, the locally owned and operated business is committed to sustainability. In 2018, it became the first bakery in the region to achieve B Corporation certification. What does buying from a B Corp mean to you? We’ll use Grand Central Bakery as an example of the social and environmental benefits of this emerging form of business. What Does B Corp Certified Mean? Completing the B Impact Assessment is the first step of becoming a certified B Corp. The assessment examines the business’s positive impact on its workers, community, customers, and environment. It also assesses the company’s governance structure and accountability. Companies receive a score...

Wildfire season is arriving earlier every year. Are you prepared to prevent fires if you live in the forest? Is your community in a known fire area? Test your wildfire preparation knowledge in this week’s Earth911 Quiz. Earth911 Quiz #64: Wildfire Preparation Challenge With the Summer comes wildfires in many parts of the U.S. and around the world. In this Earth911 Quiz, you’ll test your knowledge of causes of wildfire, how to landscape and build to prevent fire spreading to your home, and what to have ready if you need to evacuate.   Every week, Earth911.com challenges you with quizzes that test your sustainability savvy and help you make environmentally friendly choices when you shop, use products, and dispose of unwanted items. What items should be part your wildfire preparation plan? Since 1983, the National Interagency Fire Center has recorded more than 72,000 wildfires in the U.S. What are the key items to have on hand to respond to smoke and fire in your area? ...

The age of diesel and petrol cars is ending. It’s time to do the same for fossil fuel heating. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2y1DHFp https://ift.tt/3cUxkCg

It's a duffel bag with various inserts that will keep you organized whenever you leave the house. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2Yg7uor https://ift.tt/3d1njmO

Some might say it's slovenly. I call it cutting down my carbon footprint. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2Sj1O9m https://ift.tt/35noKtu

This is our chance to commit to new ways of moving around the planet. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2SkvIKj https://ift.tt/35fWCbv

Our photo of the day comes from Morro Bay, California. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/35hmNi7 https://ift.tt/2YfY3oN

Nearly two million Americans are vegan. And while the numbers are low in comparison to the rest of the population, many people who feel committed to a dietary cause want… The post Here’s Why You Should Think Twice About Giving Your Dog a Vegan Diet appeared first on Ecofriend . from Ecofriend https://ift.tt/2SkbGQ7 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

First the good news: people are cleaning up and recycling more during The Great Pause caused by COVID-19. Does this promise a new era of sustainability-minded living? We will have to wait to see but the initial indications are surprising. As the pandemic passes, citizens have an unprecedented chance to reshape their recycling systems. As stay-at-home orders took hold around the nation during March, recycling programs that remained open saw substantial increases in the volume of paper and cardboard. Even cities that plunged into inactivity, like New York, report that home trash and recycling volume was up 4.2 percent compared to a year ago, Resource Recycling reported . Similar increases were reported in Ohio , South Carolina , and Michigan . “People are staying at home, getting a head start on spring cleaning, and they’re bringing unprecedented amounts of material to our convenience centers,” John Robertson, solid waste director at the Wake County Solid Waste District in North Carol...

For the first time in a long time, I am growing plants from seeds. Like my grandpa’s garden in the porch , I have started lots of seedlings indoors this year — both veggies and flowers. Some of my seeds may grow and some may not, but it sure is interesting to see what works. So far, my sweet peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes are looking pretty good. My cilantro — well, not so much, but I’ve always found it to be a somewhat delicate plant. And my scallions are having a “race” to see where they grow best, in soil or water (water is winning). My biggest surprise has been my marigolds: they’re beautiful and hardy flowers. I originally grew them for the children at a preschool where I help out and to attract pollinators for my community garden . But even if I don’t get to plant them outdoors this year, the marigolds will serve as “flowers for my soul.” This phrase comes from a conversation that I had years ago with my mother-in-law, Lucy. I had announced that I refused to grow anything th...

If you have trouble using perishable food before it spoils, you’re certainly not alone. Approximately 133 billion pounds of food waste is generated in the U.S. each year, and a whopping 39 percent of Americans say they feel guilty about wasting food. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council , about two-thirds of household food waste is due to spoilage. So, to help you cut back on wasted food (and inflated grocery bills), Earth911 compiled this list of creative kitchen tools to help you keep food fresher, longer. And if you’re on a tight budget or would rather not buy new, we’ve also provided handy DIY alternatives for each of these fun, food-saving gadgets. This article contains affiliate links that help fund our Recycling Directory , the most comprehensive in North America.  If you purchase an item through one of these links, we will receive a small commission. 1. Vegetable Keep Sacks Did you know that storing some vegetables — such as potatoes, onions, and garli...

The team at EcoCult prides itself on being the smartest and most well-informed sustainable fashion website in the world. We are serious about being unbiased and transparent about our relationships with brands. We take our job of vetting brands for editorial inclusion and partnerships seriously, and will turn down a brand that we are not confident in, even if it means losing out on money. But the truth is, it would be expensive, time-consuming, and ultimately impossible without a significant amount of outside funding to do the detailed digging and questioning that it would take to be 100% confident of our decision for every single fashion brand that we potentially want to link to. And we don’t want to reinvent the wheel. So, we start with two of the most comprehensive and reliable resources out there: Fashion Revolution’s Transparency Index and Good on You . The Transparency Index is a report from a non-profit which simply measures how much information a large brand has shared on i...

Of course you won't want to eat your beloved decorative houseplants, but there are plenty of edible plants that can be grown indoors. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2SwQBST https://ift.tt/2VLLbW8

Vilnius has an idea that would work in a lot of places. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2KJ6IZa https://ift.tt/2xfJUwQ

But let's not oversell wood construction. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2xZnX5M https://ift.tt/2SfYnQM

Only it can provide the rejuvenation and entertainment that cannot be found elsewhere. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/3f38sKO https://ift.tt/2KHeSRD

Numerous meat processing plants have shut down, due to COVID-19, raising questions about food security and diet. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2KSJ6kZ https://ift.tt/33Mq5Jy

Our photo of the day reveals the benefits of beetles. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/35dXrld https://ift.tt/2W0Y5ye

These are disappointing, jarring, and even traumatic times. Many of the events we were looking forward to this spring — such as graduation ceremonies, religious celebrations, conferences, reunions, and performances — have been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Most of us are living under stay-at-home-orders that significantly restrict our daily lives. To top that off, many of us are not working outside the home and have more time on our hands. Even if you don’t have extra time on your hands, the requirement of physically distancing ourselves from others can take an emotional toll. Thankfully, the human spirit is strong and finds unique and creative ways to overcome challenges. When the pandemic first hit, Italians were singing on their balconies together to lift their spirits. Some generous people have been providing free shopping assistance to seniors or child care for essential workers. There are even medical workers who are donating their time in New York Ci...

Temperatures continue to rise around our planet. March 2020 was 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than March 1991. And overall, Earth is about 2 degrees F warmer now than the 20th century average temperature. It may not sound like much, but the repercussions of Earth warming a few degrees are huge. Arctic ice melt, rising sea levels, floods, droughts, wildfires, species extinction, and famine are just a few. We can’t turn back the clock, but we can work to reduce future consequences. Print or share We Earthling posters to inspire others with your stories. Would you like to share a photo and story? Drop by the Earthling Forum  to contribute your photos and ideas. Data sources: March 2020 temperature increase: This year is on track to be Earth’s warmest on record, beating 2016, NOAA says . The overall global temperature increase: Bloomberg Data Dash: A Live Climate Scoreboard for the World . You Might Also Like… How To Practice Social But Not Emotional Distancing April...

It is not just a choice between tall and sprawl. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/2VYAFJQ https://ift.tt/2Ya1Y6M

Our photo of the day comes from Calgary, Canada. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/35exq59 https://ift.tt/3eOWdRI

Books and dirt feature prominently in this family's life right now. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/35bDcEU https://ift.tt/3cVaomH

Making do with limited ingredients has taken on new urgency in pandemic times. from Latest Items from TreeHugger https://ift.tt/3eTZ2AV https://ift.tt/2VWBvqw

This is the fourth in a series of articles providing options for reducing the amount of the most common materials in household waste. Fabric seems like an oddly specific item to make the list of top waste categories. But textiles are the sixth most common material in the garbage. Textile waste is a fairly new problem. Historically, fabrics were expensive, labor-intensive materials that would be reused until there was almost nothing left to throw away, and even rags would be recycled into new fabric or paper. Modern textile recycling is much less thorough. Today, textiles comprise 6.3 percent of municipal solid waste . We’ve rounded up some good, better, and best options for reducing the textiles your household throws away. Textile Waste After paper, food, plastic, yard waste, and metal, textiles make up the largest component of household waste. Most textile waste is discarded clothing. But furniture, carpets, bedding, and even footwear and tires contribute to the total. The EPA...

The Earth is our shared home, and that insight can help save the world, Dr. Anita Sanchez explains in this thoughtful conversation with Earth911. The author of The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times shares her lifelong investigation of our interconnectedness , traversing Mohican, Hopi, and Buddhist thought to suggest four key actions for making climate change personal. She links four essential indigenous ideas, our power to forgive the unforgivable, to heal, our essential unity, and the power of hope to four simple actions we can take as individuals and communities to restore the planet. Dr. Anita Sanchez Dr. Sanchez presented a powerful TED Talk, Humanity’s Hope: Connecting People, Earth and Spirit . Take some time with Anita and refresh your perspective. Join the conversation and share your thoughts with the community in our Earthling Forum . Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes . Follow the podcast on Spreaker , iHeartRadio , or YouTube . This post was ...