Plastisoil could alleviate stormwater / groundwater contamination

Plastisoil - an innovative product that lets stormwater to flow into the ground

Groundwater contamination from stormwater runoff is an age-old and growing problem, particularly due to widespread pesticide use.

Earlier this year, a researcher at Philadelphia’s Temple Unversity introduced a cement-like material that would lessen the problem of polluted stormwater runoff.

Naji Khoury,Ph.D.,  an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Temple University, created Plastisoil, a substance made from discarded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic water bottles. Pulverized and mixed with soil, the combined mixture is blended with a coarse aggregate and heated to create a hard yet non-watertight substance similar to pervious concrete or porous asphalt.

For more details on this excitingly innovative product, see http://3.ly/dEdA.

Farm Sanctuary celebrates the animals for Thanksgiving

Farm Sanctuary's turkeys line up for their own Thanksgiving celebration

A Thanksgiving celebration that celebrates and honors rescued turkeys instead of serving them up as a main course?

Farm Sanctuary, a non-profit organization that rescues abused animals and works to promote compassionate treatment of farm animals, hosted their annual Celebration for the Turkeys at their 300-acre farm just west of Orland, California.

Little Known Facts About Glass and Recycling

The following is a reprint of a story by  Elizah Leigh, a respected eco-journalist and wordsmith. Posted by permission from the author.

Glass is one of our most fascinating and recyclable materials. The more you know about it, the better you’ll be able to reuse it.

GE announces top winners of Ecomagination Challenge

An innovative leader with their EcoImagination campaign and commitment to find and fund “the most promising technological breakthroughs for our power grid, General Electric announced the top five winners of their $200 million Ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid.

The Eco-Cartridge – an eco-friendly ink cartridge

The Eco-Cartridge is made of recycled cardboard lined with a biodegradable laminate

With the ever-growing number of products becoming available in recycled materials, office equipment has been one of the last hold-outs.

The Eco-Cartridge is a concept version of an ink cartridge that was created by designer Kevin Cheng.

It’s a definite step forward towards sustainability for a product that all too often winds up in landfills.

For more details on this amazingly innovative product, see http://3.ly/vSC9.

Restaurants not liable when it comes to excess food donations

Too much wasted restaurant food ends up in trash bins and landfills

This interesting item appeared on E Magazine’s Earth Talk and with the holidays approaching, it’s a timely story.

Many restaurants and fast food places wind up with large amounts of wasted, uneaten food that they toss each day. They hesitate to donate  leftover food for fear of liability if someone should become ill from eating it later.

Consumers unconvinced of safety of genetically modified fish

A genetically engineered salmon behind a non-transgenic Atlantic salmon sibling of the same age Courtesy of AquaBounty Technologies

According to a recent survey, Americans aren’t convinced that genetically modified fish is a safe bet.

BPA-free cash register tape soon to be available

Recent studies point to cash register receipts as containing BPA

A personal concern of mine of late has been the news of the prevalent consumer exposure to BPA and what if anything is being done to fix the problem.

BPA or bisphenol A is a chemical that’s found in an amazingly wide range of products and is linked to all sorts of health risks – including breast cancer, prostate cancer, genital abnormalities in male newborns, obesity, diabetes and even ADHD. Recent research has shown that cash register receipts may be the ultimate offender for BPA exposure.

For more on the story – and a workable alternative that’s in the works, check out http://3.ly/fdnf.

Hosting a green Thanksgiving this year – Part 1

The holidays are a time to get together with family and to enjoy some much-needed down time. But there’s another aspect we look forward to – the amazing food.

Since my focus is on the green factor, let’s explore what having a green Thanksgiving might be – filled many of the yummy flavors and smells you’re used to, with some new traditions and different twists along the way.

Father and son capture outer space with everyday ingredients

A view of the blackness of space from the father and son amateur space capsule

Most of us have dreamed of going into space, whether we admit it out loud or not.

This past August, a father and son from Brooklyn, NY, achieved space – via an HD video camera and weather balloon.