A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience
Jumping spiders, a striped gecko and a chirping frog are among more than 50 new species discovered in Papua-New Guinea, the environmental group Conservation International reported on Tuesday. (Pics)
Continue reading… “More Than 50 New Species Discovered In Papua-New Guinea”
Most people who buy bottled water have access to clean drinking water virtually for free (in the US, tap water costs less than a penny per gallon, on average). Nevertheless, the consumption of bottled water continues to grow, far surpassing the US sales of milk and beer, and second only to soft drinks.
Continue reading… “How Much Energy Is Required To Make Bottled Water?”
The EPA’s most-wanted fugitive list is filled with people who smuggled ozone-depleters, dumped toxins into the water supply, and committed other criminal acts of despoilment (The EPA notes: “Do not attempt to apprehend any of these individuals”). Alas, there are no senior execs from Fortune 100 chemical companies who dump millions of gallons of petroleum into the ocean, or sell carcinogenic pesticides, or manufacture cars that get 0.5 miles to the gallon.
Continue reading… “EPA’s Most Wanted List”
Cleanliness at a high cost.
Here’s something for you to ponder the next time you’re in the bathroom: American’s love for soft toilet paper is ecologically hard on forests!
… fluffiness comes at a price: millions of trees harvested in North America and in Latin American countries, including some percentage of trees from rare old-growth forests in Canada. Although toilet tissue can be made at similar cost from recycled material, it is the fiber taken from standing trees that help give it that plush feel, and most large manufacturers rely on them.
The property market is in the doldrums, mortgages are elusive but there is still some hope for the first-time buyer: the paper house.
Continue reading… “The Wall Paper House”
Infants born at very low birth weights are at increased risk of lung ailments in the first 12 months of life, and a new study suggests that modifiable indoor respiratory triggers, namely exposure to cigarette smoke and pests in the home, may be at least partly to blame.
Continue reading… “Living with Smokers Hard On Tiny Babies”
Once impenetrable, the individual genetic code is becoming an open book thanks to kits that scan for genes linked to scores of traits and diseases, from bladder cancer and baldness to male infertility and memory loss.
Continue reading… “Genetic Testing: Do We Really Want To Know Everything Our Genome Has To Say?”
IBM is helping to develop a hydraulic hybrid (SHH) system — that promises dramatic fuel savings and environmental benefits — replaces the conventional drivetrain and transmission. The system uses hydraulic pumps and hydraulic storage tanks to capture and store energy, similar to what is done with electric motors and batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle.
Continue reading… “IBM Helping To Develop A Hydraulic Hybrid”
From the outside, there is nothing unusual about the stylish new gray and orange row houses in the Kranichstein District, with wreaths on the doors and Christmas lights twinkling through a freezing drizzle. But these houses are part of a revolution in building design: There are no drafts, no cold tile floors, no snuggling under blankets until the furnace kicks in. There is, in fact, no furnace.
Continue reading… “Passive Houses Have No Furnaces But Plenty Of Heat”
The world’s first refrigerated beach is to be built at a luxury hotel in Dubai so the filthy rich holidaymakers don’t burn their feet on the scalding hot sand.
Continue reading… “Dubai Hotel To Offer World’s First Refrigerated Beach”
Take a load of empty plastic water bottles to manufacture jeans, or turn waste denim into paper: as eco-consciousness spreads, makers of the planet’s most popular item of clothing are increasingly resorting to recycling.
Continue reading… “Jeans Made From Plastic, Paper Made From Jeans”
People around the United Kingdom have been in for a big surprise. A seven meter three tonne metal man has been wandering in their midst. Who (or what) is he and why is he here? Is the Earth about to stand still? Hardly, but like Klaatu he brings a message to which we should really listen!
Continue reading… “WEEE Man Symbolizes Each Persons Environmental Waste”
