Photo: Paul Hussey under a Creative Commons license.
If you use earbud headphones, you've probably owned more than one pair. They break easily and often, pushing users to spend less money on a product they know won't last. That in turn pushes manufacturers to make them more cheaply, and crappily. But a new product has stepped in to end the vicious cycle: Ironbuds, ...Read the full story on TreeHugger
Rendering Credit: BBH Design
American healthcare's financial trajectory is unsustainable. According to CMS, the nation's spending on healthcare increased from $2.34 trillion to $2.47 trillion from 2008 to 2009, and is predicted to increase another 80% by 2019. Every year we spend $16 billion on new healthcare facilities. If all of these facilities were high performance buildings, the healthcare system would literally save billions of...Read the full story on TreeHugger
This is big news in the Passivhaus world; Andrew Michler of Inhabitat breaks the story that Passivhaus Institute Ends Relationship With Passive House Institute US
He writes:
The founder of Passivhaus and director of Passivhaus Institute PHI, Dr. Wolfgang Fiest, has just sent word that the Passive House Institute United States (PHIUS) will no longer be able to provide building certifications, and will no longer be considered a partner of the program. While the news comes as a blow to the effort to make inroads for Passive Hou...Read the full story on TreeHugger
Photo credit: David Dove / WWF Greater Mekong
The Irrawaddy dolphin is one of the most endangered species in the world but a new survey has revealed that one key population could be at the very edge of extinction....Read the full story on TreeHugger
Photo by Lydia Romero
A friend of mine was walking down the street in Soho NYC today and spotted this bike. We've heard of some very creative yarn bombing, but this one takes the cake! ...Read the full story on TreeHugger
Henry Gifford, photo by Travis Roozee
TreeHugger has covered Henry Gifford's $100 Million Class Action Filed Against LEED and USGBC. Lawyers like Shari Shapiro didn't think much of his chances, and wrote in Green Building Law:
To the best of my research, Mr. Gifford is not a LEED AP, and indeed, from his website and publications, he has outspokenly denounced the USGBC and LEED. Mr. Gifford does not appear to own any property certified LEED. In short--the USGBC's actions have not harme...Read the full story on TreeHugger
Photos by Jaymi Heimbuch
This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite coffee drinks: the Mexican mocha. It's rich with just a hint of spice. You'd want to pair this with a really fruit-forward wine like a jammy Zinfandel or a really bold Cab. Of course, almost any dessert wine will work but a spicy white Port would be divine. If for some odd reason you are not a dessert person (gasp!) then check out our mole recipe. ...Read the full story on TreeHugger
The Ecologist has a solid article on the problem of China's lax attitude on ivory sales. "Activists question allowing China to participate in ivory trade, with estimates that as much as 90 per cent of retail items in the country are illegal." Read the full article here. ...Read the full story on TreeHugger
photo: William Warby/CC BY
File this alongside making biofuels from the animal fat waste from factory farms: A new article in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research shows that alligator fat could be a good source for biodiesel. Some 15 million pounds of that fat is disposed of in landfills ...Read the full story on TreeHugger
For years I have been asking my students at Ryerson School of Interior Design to define the term Sustainable Design , in the hope that someday, one of them will come up with one that makes sense. I am still waiting. EcoHome, the AIA's green housing magazine, recently released their 2011 EcoHome Design Awards that "span the spectrum of sustainable design and high-performance features."They certainly do....Read the full story on TreeHugger
Photo by dichohecho via Flickr CC
Last week we took a poll of how many of you TreeHugger readers would eat insects if given the option, and for those of you who have, what you thought of them. The majority of you said sure, you'd try them at least once if not more and that they're a pretty decent snack. Overall, we can agree that insects are an option for getting some protein, and they already are a popular snack in many cultures. The west has yet to really take to them, but that could change after the leggy snacks undergo safety testing in the EU a...Read the full story on TreeHugger
Image: One Block Off The Grid (1BOG)
With food prices at an all-time high (and stirring up social unrest worldwide), you might be considering growing your own food, but wondering how much land is actually needed to provide you and your family food for a year. Though the precise figure of acreage to feed a family of four can vary from one source ...Read the full story on TreeHugger
It must be nice to be former Swedish housing minister Birgit Friggebo; She is now immortalized for her removing of the requirement for building approval for structures under 150 square feet, known forever as Friggebods, a portmanteau of her name and bod, or shed. It led to an explosion of innovative design and opportunity for young architects and designers. At Floda31, "a laboratory for innovation and creativity", Marije de Haas and Richard Holland and their students are building a Friggebodar, a" completely sustainable off-grid mini-house that can ...Read the full story on TreeHugger
photo: Paul Lowry/CC BY
Some starkly blunt language coming from the National Weather Service on when the extreme drought conditions gripping much of Texas may let up: ...Read the full story on TreeHugger
Image credit: Solarcentury/Geoff Moore.
Some solar projects, like this 9MW solar roof in New Jersey, are note worthy because of their sheer size. Others, like IKEA's recent solar purchases, are note worthy because of who is doing them, as the potential for spreading clean energy across multiple premises becomes apparent. News that the Crown Estate in the UK has installed a solar roof on a stone factory it owns falls into t...Read the full story on TreeHugger
photo: Adam/CC BY-SA
Maine's taking a stand against oil usage and oil dependency--frankly the bigger issue than where we get our oil from, tar sands and other unconventional oil sources aside. As NRDC Switchboard reports, the state has passed a law mandat...Read the full story on TreeHugger
Central Suriname Nature Reserve, Suriname. Panthera Onca (Jaguar), a near threatened species. Of the sites researched, this one presented the highest number of species diversity. This image is one of nearly 52,000 photos of 105 mammal species, taken as part of the first global camera trap mammal study done by The Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network. Courtesy of Conservation International Suriname.
Researchers have revealed results of a global camera trap study that has captured nearly 52,000 images. Camera traps placed in seven protected areas in the Ameri...Read the full story on TreeHugger
Screen grab via Comedy Central
Frank Luntz is arguably one of the biggest reasons the United States has been able to dodge taking action to address climate change for so long -- in an infamous memo (which was leaked and obtained by a green group), he revealed the rhetorical tricks and talking points conservative politicians should employ to confuse the public about the state of climate science. Politicians still rely on these talking points today, and they've been infuriatingly effective.
Today, we get a glimpse of the man behind the curtain, in this...Read the full story on TreeHugger
photo: Dionne Hartnett/CC BY
Some more on global heat records so far in 2011: In the first eight months of the year six nations in the world have set new all-time high temperature records, with not a single country setting an all-time new national record low. Slightly shockingly, this is an improvement over records set by this time last summer, when 20 nations set new al...Read the full story on TreeHugger
A recent report published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics called Careers in Green Construction show strong trends for national green construction job growth with highly competitive wages and salaries.
Several interesting statistics about growth in the green construction sector are worth noting:
Among other things, the report goes over some of the biggest areas where growth is being seen in the green construction sector. These include energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, onsite practices, and so on. They categorize the various types of green construction jobs in the following way:
Building construction occupations including construction managers, construction laborers, operating engineers, and construction equipment operators. People working in this sector see annual wages between $31,000 and $85,000.
pipefitters, steamfitters, insulation workers, painters, glaziers, and roofers. The annual wages in this category range from $31,000 to $51,000.In other words, green jobs in the construction industry include a broad range of skill levels, experience, and education requirements and provide opportunities for competitive incomes for fulfilling work.
Image Via Flickr: compujeramey
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