The massive earthquake and resulting tsunamis in Japan last year left a lot of areas devastated and needing clean up. Clean up in and of itself can cause harm, and a lot of times is only done in the quickest way possible rather than in a safe way. Japan is taking a different approach though. In Miyagi prefecture especially, it’s all about the “Green Renaissance.”
Painting a room can give it new life, but we all know that there is leftover paint to consider. How often do we have to find somewhere to put the paint can and make sure we don’t knock into it later, creating a mess? And do we ever get back to using it? Some paints even contain hazardous chemicals. But we can’t get around it–paint stores only sell gallon buckets, and it’s impossible to know how much we’re going to use. Thankfully, there has been an increase in paint recycling initiatives and programs, and new laws being passed in various states. There are also some simple things that you can do yourself when dealing with leftover paint.
It’s spring, and for some of us that means flowers. Not only is it Mother’s Day, but it’s also wedding season, as well as a time to start planting flowers as well. If you’re looking for a green way to give flowers or plants, or just decorate your apartment, why not skip the florist all together and have a hand at potted plants? A while back, we had a short blurb on some plants that improve indoor air quality, but how beneficial are houseplants, what can you do with them, and do they make good gifts?
Every city wants the chance to host an Olympic game, but few really know the impact it will have on a city. Streets suddenly become flooded with traffic and are blocked off. It becomes impossible to get around. Many new facets of infrastructure are needed in order to support this influx of spectators and athletes. This year, the Summer Games will be held in London, a city which has hosted the games several times before. Driving into the games will not be allowed except for VIPs, so to solve the problem of getting people to where they need to go, the city has come up with a unique, and possibly green, idea: an urban cable car.
The idea of using landfill garbage to make extra land isn’t a new one. In fact, it’s been used for generations. Most famously, the Meadowlands of East Rutherford, New Jersey, were built on garbage. New York City has also used refuse for expansion along its shoreline as the city grew. A new project is taking expansion to a new level. The Center for Urban Real Estate (CURE) at Columbia University is developing a huge new addition to Lower Manhattan: “Lower Lower Manhattan.”
The Arctic circle is once again in the center of a battle between business and conservation. Several European ventures are interested in heading north to exploit the untapped reserves of the Arctic. Since global warming has been melting the ice caps, it is believed that it will be easier to pursue oil drilling and other such things that were impossible before. However, Lloyd’s of London, the world’s biggest insurance market, is calling for these various businesses to think before they rush in.
Universities, more than businesses and other institutions, are really trying to do their part to move closer to a sustainable environment. In doing so, they are providing a good example for their students so that they continue practiving living a greener life outside of the school. Here are the top ten greenest universities, in no particular order, in the United States:
Surprisingly, cities are some of the greenest places on earth–if they are planned well and provide lots of Public Transportation. However, not all cities have the luxury of good planning, partially due to the fact that thousands of people arrive each day. This is mostly the case in developing countries like Ethiopia. The capital, Addis Ababa, is plagued with farmers coming in from the country side to try and find better work in the city. Due to the massive influx, more than half the population of the city lives in the slums that consist of poorly, self-built huts and no sanitation. None of this is healthy or green. Two Swiss professors hope to change this trend with their remarkable new concept, the NESTown.
With gas prices rising all over the world and people looking not only to save money but reduce emissions, there is an increasing demand for a new transportation alternative. Though Public Transportation is the best option, sometimes it is not everywhere you need to be. A bicycle can be a great alternative to a car, in that it is easy to use. In fact, it is the most commonly owned form of transportation in the world.
A UK start up has decided t improve upon the bike by making one of their own, and the name certainaly fits it. It’s called the Yike Bike.
By Kailey LaBudd
There are countless celebrities that do their part to help the environment, whether it be by living a “green” lifestyle or donating to charities that help aim to save the environment. Some have even taken the liberty to create their own charities or movements! It would take forever to list ALL of the eco-friendly celebrities, but here are ten well-known stars that have really taken the initiative to live a greener life:
