I’ll admit it, I was one of those little kids who patrolled gutters during rainstorms to save drowning worms. All these years later, I have a new appreciation for them. Honestly, what’s not to love about critters that reduce global warming, help you garden, and will eat most things that you toss their way? As pets, they may not be much to look at, and they’re decidedly bad at playing fetch. But compare them
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Over the past few years fair trade products have expanded into many new markets. With this trend we inevitably have to reevaluate the micro and macro systems involved in producing and providing fair trade products.
There is a rather large difference between fair trade products and fair trade companies, says Mary Morison, executive director of the Fair Trade Resource Network. Large corporations that sell or promote individual
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When you think of a modern "sub-division," what comes to mind? Treeless cul-de-sacs? Expansive golf courses and expensive country clubs? Brand new homes with over-manicured lawns? Well, EcoVillage Ithaca (EVI) and others like it are attempting to redefine what it means to live in a small neighborhood outside of the city.
While many say the trend began with the communes of the 1960s, the eco-village movement within the United States gained most
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Don’t call us the Grinches of Halloween just because we eat our pumpkin rather than prop it up as a doorstop decoration. Actually, we’re on a mission to resurrect the reputation of the poor pumpkin. Once a meaningful Fall mealtime staple, pumpkins epitomize seasonal autumn eating with hearty flavor that have, unfortunately, been relegated to craft supply.
For those wanting to incorporate more local and seasonal foods into their diet during the fall
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This November 7-9, Chicago will host the largest GreenBuild Expo in history. Put on by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council), this year over 18,000 attendees will gather to learn about the trends in green construction and get inspired about future projects. In a city aiming to be the greenest, this is a monumental event. On top of it all, GreenBuild will be held in one of
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Editor’s note: We’re very happy to welcome Lisa Kivirist to the Green Options writing team! Lisa, along with husband John Ivanko, is the author of Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life
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A report released Wednesday from the World Conservation Union (IUCN) predicts an 80% population decline of the most common type of gorilla, the Western Gorilla, from 1980 levels by 2046. The 2007 Red List of Threatened Species finds "commercial hunting and outbreaks of the Ebola virus have virtually extirpated gorillas from a great deal of otherwise intact forest" where they were previously thought to thrive.
"What’s immediately needed if we are to halt the
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Sadly, our little green pumpkin that was doing so well deflated and turned yellow. "Where’s my pumpkin go?" my poor son asked. The plant hasn’t stopped blooming, but I don’t know if I expect more pumpkins or not. Our raspberries look like they’re doing okay despite the fact that little bugs attacked the leaves this year. We got maybe an ear’s worth of popcorn.
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education announced on Friday four Campus Sustainability Leadership Awards in four different categories. Two other schools were named honorable mention. The awards were given during the 7th biennial Greening of the Campus conference held at Ball State University.
Chandler-Gilbert Community College (Chandler, AZ) won in the community college and other two-year institutions category. Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT) won in the four-year
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Some people are afraid that their social lives will suffer when they eliminate meat and dairy from their diet, since social occasions and food tend to go hand-in-hand. For anyone who has ever thought it is difficult as a vegetarian to dine out, to eat at the home of a non-vegetarian friend, or to find food to eat at parties, I hope this can be a guide and a resource.
1. Be Specific.
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The name pesto derives from tradition of making this sauce in a mortar with a pestle. The following recipe, which I encourage you to use a food processor for, unless you have a few spare hours, proves that you absolutely don’t need cheese to make a fantastic pesto. Purchase fresh basil (or grow it yourself!), and find a nice fruity olive oil.
Advance Preparation: Pesto freezes very well. Defrost pesto at room temperature, about
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