By Derek Markham •
June 29, 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law by President Obama in February provides financial opportunities for homeowners, specifically tax credits, rebates, and loans for improving energy efficiency. The Act also provides tax credits for buying a house and for hybrid and alternative fuel car purchases. The problem is that the 400 page legislation can be tough to work your way through to find what’s available to you.
By Derek Markham •
June 23, 2009
The 13th annual LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Forum, held in Boulder last week, brought some of the world’s most influential conscious commerce leaders, green businesses, and inspiring personalities together for three days, building connections and exchanging ideas for a brighter world and healthier planet.
» See also: Group Buying Club of Solar Panels in Boulder, CO
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By Derek Markham •
June 22, 2009
The problem with most computer games and web portals for kids is that they keep kids glued to the computer, with no incentive to go outside and simply have fun. A new company, MokuZoku, aims to change all of that with a series of games that motivate kids to get out and play.
By Derek Markham •
June 17, 2009
The survival of the Jarawa tribe, on the Andaman Islands in India, is threatened by the construction of a luxury resort by Barefoot India, a so-called ‘environmentally friendly’ tourism company.
The Jarawa tribe has only had outside contact since 1998, and the 320 members are being affected by poaching on their land, pressure from settlers and loggers, and exposure to diseases, alcohol, and possible sexual exploitation.
By Derek Markham •
June 16, 2009
One of the world’s most critically endangered whales, the western gray whale, is being pushed out of its annual feeding area by loud industrial activity from oil and gas exploration by Exxon, BP, and Rosneft, says a panel of top scientists.
“Western gray whale cows with their calves feed near the shore, but the industrial noise resulting from oil and gas development activities is pushing them out of the area.” - Doug Norlen, Pacific Environment
By Derek Markham •
June 11, 2009
Dioxin exposure during pregnancy impairs the development of mammary glands during pregnancy and may cause women to not produce enough milk for their newborns, a new study finds.
Breast milk is an amazing food for babies, and breastfeeding has many benefits for both mother and child, including reducing the risk of heart attacks for mothers, reducing asthma risks for babies, and reducing anxiety in children. But up to 6 million women either can’t breastfeed, or don’t produce enough milk for their child, and dioxin in our food chain may be to blame.
By Derek Markham •
June 9, 2009
15 year old Javier Fernández-Han invented a truly innovative solution to meeting the basic needs of many of the world’s poor, and won Ashoka’s Invent Your World Challenge with his algae energy system, called VERSATILE. His holistic approach uses an efficient, modular system to meet multiple needs.
“An invention that is narrowly focused on solving a single problem often inadvertently creates more problems because nature is highly complex and interconnected.” - Javier Fernandez-Han
By Derek Markham •
June 7, 2009
One of the biggest issues facing us right now is global warming. Its effects on animals and on agriculture are indeed frightening, and the effects on the human population are even scarier. The facts about global warming are often debated, but unfortunately, even if we disagree about the causes, global warming effects are real, global, and measurable. The causes are mainly from us, the human race, and the effects on us will be severe.
By Derek Markham •
June 3, 2009
The Galapagos form of the black salt marsh mosquito has changed its diet to prefer reptile blood instead of feeding on mammals and birds. This discovery has some scientists fearing the introduction of a new mosquito-borne disease which could devastate the Galapagos native wildlife.
By Derek Markham •
May 29, 2009
People living in slums the world over are dependent on pit latrines as their only recourse for a bathroom. And when those pits get full, they’re usually emptied by hand, with a bucket, and the feces is often deposited in the nearest body of water, spreading disease and contamination even further. But a machine made partly from recycled car parts, the Vacutug, may help stop that process.
