Food & Health

Image from Buglife

Rooftop gardens are being proposed for the top of some of London's biggest buildings. By installing them on the rooftops of places like universities and town halls, it is hoped that endangered species of birds and bugs will be saved.

The Living Roofs for Wildlife project will create seven "living roofs" which will recreate the natural habitats of some of the species and include wildflower meadows, sandy areas and beach.

Science & Technology

photo: International Rice Research Institute via flickr

Though a comprehensive compilation of the research presented at the Copenhagen Climate Congress will be completed by June, and the results published in an academic book, as well in a 30-page executive summary to be presented to politicians heading into the COP15 talks at the end of the year, at the closing session of the Congress six key messages were presented. In attendance was Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, who was given a printed copy of the following conclusions:

Travel & Nature

Image via: Youtube

Yes, the event is sponsored by a chainsaw maker, but the intentions are all good. The bike event has been an annual tradition since 1992 and has raised over $4.1 million for the protection and research of trees. This year, the Stihl Tour des Trees will leave New York on July 19 and wind its way throughout New England as bikers travel 500 miles in one week to raise money for tree research. Registration is now open, but that's not the only way you can get involved and support des trees.

Food & Health

Photo credit: Getty Images

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble: Babies across America are sitting waist deep in an odious brew of cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins that could be detrimental to their health, according to a new report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics about children's bath and personal-care products.

And don't look to truth in advertising to help you keep harmful ingredients out of your tub anytime soon—the national coalition of nonprofit health and environmental organizations further notes that many of the tainted products are advertised as "gentle," "pure," or "naturally refreshing."

Recent Comment by Sirerdrick : "I second glittalogik's take...." [read]

Business & Politics

29 million acres of land in the Southwest under Department of Interior management have been identified as having good solar power potential. Photo: Rick Cooper via flickr

While I'm not so sure his head's in the right place when it comes to oil shale, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar certainly has been supportive of renewable energy. The latest announcement on the matter confirms that viewpoint: Yesterday Salazar issued a Secretarial Order to make production, development and delivery of renewable energy a "top priority" for his department:

Science & Technology

Lithium-Iron-Phosphate particule.

Is this the "Holy Grail" Battery We've Been Waiting For?
Nature published a very interesting paper by MIT researchers Byoungwoo Kang & Gerbrand Ceder this week: Battery materials for ultrafast charging and discharging. In it they claim that they have discovered a way to make a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery charge and discharge about as fast as a supercapacitor. In practice, this could make plug-in hybrids and electric cars much more practical (charging time would mostly be limited by the availability of fast-charging stations with fat "electrical pipes", and regenerative braking would be more effective), as well as some smart grid tricks to better use intermittent renewables. Read on for more details.

Recent Comment by Anthony : "That 10-20 seconds was for a smaller battery (either phone or laptop, I can't recall). ..." [read]

Design & Architecture

Images courtesy of Krylon

When it comes to DIY projects, spray paint is super convenient. It covers just about anything, it won't chip off and it protects objects from the elements. It's also a quick and easy way to get a perfectly smooth finish on textured objects. Sadly though, spray paint is full of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other toxins that are equally bad for the planet and human health.

So Naturally Savvy was happy to discover Krylon's H2O Latex Spray Paint, a 100 percent acrylic latex formula that eliminates some of those harmful chemicals. But it isn't exactly perfect. Here's why:

Recent Comment by tcolberg : "Thanks for the review. It's nice to see postings about products that allow us to get i..." [read]

Travel & Nature

Photo: Telegraph/BARCROFT

After Bears add Tigers...
Okay. I just couldn't pass this one up. I wrote about a guy swimming with a 375 lbs black bear (he actually saved it from drowning), about a white tiger swimming, and about girls swimming with tigers. Seems like a theme is developing, and this is a nice addition. Read on for details.

Recent Comment by Sirerdrick : "... Or we could just make the poaching of poachers legal. Illegally kill an endangered..." [read]