The panels that power Masdar. Photos by Brian Merchant If you follow green issues even fleetingly, chances are you’ve heard of Masdar City — the enigmatic, controversial, and pioneering ultra-low carbon city being built in the desert outside Abu Dhabi. Amongst environmentalists, it’s long been a source of contention: Why is the oil-rich United Arab Emirates building a hub of clean energy research and commerce? Is it a massive PR stunt designed to earn the favor of climate-concerned nations? Or is it exactly what the UAE should be doing; transitioning from an oil-based eco… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …A Community-Run Seed Library – Shouldn’t Every Library Loan Seeds? (Video)
January 18, 2011 No Comment
Image credit: BASIL (Bay Area Seed Interchange Library) We already know that saving seeds is critical to fighting climate change , yet seed libraries can prove tough to maintain . But what exactly is a seed library, and how can you use one? Here’s a great primer on one such project in Berkeley. Could our public libraries get in on the act too? … Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Harvard University controls worm with laser, we wait for choreographed dance moves (video)
January 18, 2011 No Comment
Researchers at Harvard University’s Center For Brain Science have successful manipulated nematode C. elegans worms by genetically modifying a select few of their 302 neurons. Not to be confused with magnetically controlled invertebrate , these creepy-crawlies are controlled by the CoLBeRT system (a nod to the comedian but no other relation), controlling locomotion and behavior in real time. The scientists can manipulate movement of the worms, induce paralysis, and even cause them to lay eggs all by shining a laser that turns on and off the modified cells at will. The laser hits the worm and causes it to react as if it were being touched. According to the researchers, the reaction is similar to when light is shined in a human eye — the protein found in the worm and eyes are sensitive to different variations of rays and will respond based on the color shined. Peep past the break for some squiggly mind- er, light-controlled action. Continue reading Harvard University controls worm with laser, we wait for choreographed dance moves (video) Harvard University controls worm with laser, we wait for choreographed dance moves (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Republicans have said that deregulation will be a major part of their platform, but it looks like President Obama is beating them to the punch. The president will sign an executive order today mandating “a government-wide review of the rules already on the books” that aims to “root out regulations…
Continue reading …
Whether it is cutting yourself some slack when it comes to your eco-failures , dealing with eco-anxiety or guilt , or just trying to earn a fair wage in a sustainable economy , TreeHugger has devoted many column inches to the idea that to look after the planet, we have to look after ourselves too. Rob Hopkins has a great take on this as part of his effort to crowd-source the writing of the next edition of the Transition Handboo… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …
Paging Dr. Ron Reagan, Jr. . . . On Morning Joe today, Carl Bernstein insisted Sarah Palin was “ignorant,” but couldn't remember why.
Continue reading …
Image credit: The Naked Garden Whether I am talking about making compost as a form of animal husbandry , or musing on the analogy of compost as a yogurt for the soil , I am known for being more than a little bit geeky about the life in my rotted biomass. But I have nothing on the dude in this video, who can wax lyrical on every single facet of the microbiology that exists in our compost and in… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …
Photo: Friends of Stony Stratford Library via Facebook Mohandas ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi was a famous proponent of nonviolent civil disobedience, seeing it as “a weapon of the strong.” That’s not to suggest that he advocated inaction. On the contrary, he said, “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.” Which brings us to the Friends of Stony Stratford Library (UK) who organised their ‘Wot No Books’ campaign and harnessed the power of social networking to get the wo… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Wooden Food Crates Wall In Mexico Shows Cool, Original Use For This Material
January 18, 2011 No Comment
Photos: Talco . Discarded food crates, whether wooden or plastic, are an amazing material we’ve seen repurposed in pavillions , furniture , and mobile spaces . In a fresh approach, Mexican design and architecture studio
Continue reading …