Is growing vegetables from sewer water the next big thing in reuse? Brinjal, papaya, snake-gourd and black sugarcane are just a few of the crops Keshav Tavre grows on his suburban plot on the outskirts of Mumbai--all of it from a supply of untreated sewage that snakes past his land.
After complaining for years about the stench, Tavre realized that what he'd seen as waste was in fact a source of wealth.
By redirecting the sewage through a series of earthen dykes, each one filtering a bit more than the last,
he was able to ultimately channel reasonably clean greywater into ponds for growing crops and enriching his soil.
In the developed world we take it for granted that we have the technology and the resources to recycle sewage until it's as pure as our drinking water--a process known as toilet to tap.
but the savings can be substantial. via MIT Colab Radio Photo: Simply CVR
Is Milwaukee growing the next urban farming trend? Can Milwaukee foster a new trend in urban farming,
Earlier this year, the city received a IBM Smarter Cities Challenge Grant, which provides $500,
Check out IBM's video on aquaponics in Milwaukee: Photo: oceandesetoiles/Flickr
Italian roses bloom under rooftop solar thermalfour generations of the Ciccolella family have relied on sunshine to cultivate the olives and roses on their farm in Puglia.
The process starts with a 3-D image of a juice bottle, a sketch of simple white lines, popping up on a computer screen in the offices of the Visualizer Team at the production company GSG.
a software product created by the Belgian company Esko, the simple 3-D image is combined with its 2-D label.
With Studio Visualizer, the 3-D bottle is turned from side to side and upside down with the move of a computer mouse.
the entire collection is transferred to Store Visualizer, another Esko software product. The blank background of the previous program is replaced with a grocery store shelf.
An evolving industry From software products that can take a juice bottle from sketch to virtual store shelf in a matter of hours to innovations that make frozen dinners safer and more sustainable
assistant professor of practice at Virginia Tech s Department of Sustainable Biomaterials, said in an e-mail.
Now, the color can be changed instantly on screen and immediately sent to a client s ipad
or iphone for free viewing on an app. At the end of the development phase, Madsen said the completed design is moved into a data management system where the client can access it for instant use in advertisements.
GSG is collaborating with Esko on a 3-D room at the GSG offices, Madsen said.
à  Instead of viewing the product on a virtual grocery store shelf on a computer screen, he said,
or which sort of cookies should go with the quart of milk you just bought, consider this:
Leafsnap combines biometrics and botany for electronic field guidewashington--This week behind the Smithsonian Castle, a research botanist and two computer science professors unveiled Leafsnap, a free plant identification
app for the iphone (available for the ipad next week and Android this summer) with broad potential for the future of image recognition.
and David Jacobs at the University of Maryland to create the world s first plant identification mobile app.
The computer scientists--experts in biometrics and face recognition technology--spent eight years collecting and photographing leaves,
and developing the algorithms and software. I watched Belhumeur test out the app with his iphone,
snapping a picture of a Ginkgo biloba leaf on a white piece of paper. He explained that Leafsnap is interactive
David Jacobs, Peter Belhumeur and John Kress, who created Leafsnap It works very much like Google, he said,
Sure enough, in less than 30 seconds, the response came back from the computers up at Columbia, with Ginkgo at the top of the suggestions.
the app automatically shares their images, species identifications and the tree s location with a community of scientists.
Leaked EU documents rank biofuel emissions higher than crude oileuropean Union politics website Euractive has gotten its hands on official EU data reporting that many biofuel crops release
via: Planetizen; GOOD Cities Images:
Luxury lattes: Starbucks'Geisha'coffee $7 a cupimage via Starbucks Already viewed by many as a symbol of prosperity,
and 450 half-pound bags of a differently-named Geisha coffee sold out just 24 hours after becoming available on the company's website.
Veolia offer twist on smart water management The philosophy behind Molson Coors beerprint Tech giant LG extends into water treatment Pepsico,
management tips from Intel Pepsico grant supports clean water in rural China Many businesses blind to water risks
But regular readers of this blog know the issue goes beyond Mcdonald's, to the idea of cartoons being used to sell unhealthy choices,
Meet'Ardi,'the hottest fossil on the international scenepodcast Your browser does not support the audio element.
As for the hardware, it's a lithe, 900lb vehicle reminiscent of a dune buggy. Its creators say that it can accelerate from 0-60 in under four seconds,
Capturing this water falling onto a site assists in improving the ecology of the city's urban waterways,
of Open Food Foundation have launched recently their flagship project, Open Food Network, an online marketplace connecting consumers to local producers and food hubs.
As a nonprofit organization, Open Food Foundation supports free software for community-focused small businesses working in the food industry.
Growstuff uses open source software to help Melburnians track what they are planting and harvesting, while providing them with a practical local guide to growing their own food.
Founder Alex Bayley, 38, a software engineer, came up with the concept when she was unable to find a localized garden database.
Her site is based on'real-life'planting information from local gardeners rather than advice intended for a European
or U s. audience that may not be relevant to Australia's unique climate. The technology entrepreneur believes she is typical of an increasing number of people turning to their own backyards for food.
a web platform that enables communities with a practical toolkit of useful information and advice,
and support local food production and networks. Emily Ballantyne-Brodie, a Phd candidate focused on design-led food communities
shares Ashkanasy's views that these technologies will help establish a more egalitarian food network.
The system is paired also with an iphone which sends the user a text message when the PH level is off,
or when the jug is running on empty and it's time to buy more milk.
Move over graphene: Bamboo is the next wonder materialstep aside graphene, there's a new super material in town,
and it's a lot more common than you and your honeycombed carbon lattices: bamboo. Bamboo is being hailed as a new super material,
According to the Bamboo Clothing website it thrives without fertilizers or pesticides, requires little water, grows on slopes too inhospitable for other crops,
and it's 100 percent biodegradable, the website notes. The World Bamboo Organization says today's bamboo market is $10 billion
Don't worry graphene. As far as I know, bamboo does not have semiconductor capabilities. Photos:
Goodbye silicon, hello oxides Graphene the Sequel: Graphyne. It s flashier. Paper Cuts: New material could slash CO2,
Precision agriculture â we re starting to use a lot of computers and satellites to optimize crop development.
The use of donor milk, especially off the internet, according to the agency this past December, poses risk for the baby.
Visionary Entrepreneur, is available for download. To watch a clip, view the video below: Related:
Google CEO: You won't'collapse in terror'because of Google glass Apple vs. San francisco fountain: Retail power gone too far?
Apple's tangled web of tax shelters
New battleground in beverage wars: sustainable packagingnot to be outdone by its arch-rival, The Coca-cola Co,
green packaging ideas make progress The ebay box: Recyclable packaging for your reusable stuff Procter & gamble s new packaging is pretty sweet.
Timberland publishes its methodology on its Web site so that people can learn about and adapt the framework for their own uses.)
Their system is a simple network of polyethylene plastic tubing with strategically placed holes that allow just enough water to drip into to the roots of crops.
woods and prairie supporting 20 five-student workstations, kind of like a lab setup. Kids penned up in HGA's zoo school Other schools are based on museum planning,
The Columbus Family Academy by Svigals+Partners (also a firm I work with), has integrated the bas-relief panels set into the cladding around the school into its core math and science curriculum.
and the researchers hope to launch a public web site this summer. The system was announced recently at MIT.
 Zaman said in a phone interview. There was always a so-called superstar  that would drive the entire conversation
Next he developed an algorithm to produce a score or influence ranking, called rumor centrality,
The goal, according to the farm's website, is to improve access to very good food
They also require a network of piped water, sewer and electrical connections, the kind of vast infrastructure developing nations don't have,
Via Nature News. Images: Australian Cancer Council and Action on Smoking and Health
Novel ways to fake ancient goodsbeijing   Strolling through Beijing's Panjiayuan Market, it's easy to imagine you've entered an antique treasure trove.
at the high end of the market, highly organized professionals have developed complex networks of sellers
Intricate designs and seals (red marks made with printing stamps which appraisers have placed traditionally great importance on as a way to authenticate objects) can be copied by lasers with great precision.
But with a more robust network of city farmers urban agriculture can have a major impact on food security in neighborhoods where fresh,
The Potential for Urban agriculture in New york city Via The City Fix Photo: Gonzlaught/Flickr
One answer to toxic food fears in Chinathe fear among Chinese of biting into a toxic-laden morsel has created a potentially huge market for food safety products in the country.
Pepsico and Flickr/Debs Koritsas Via:
Pepsico invests in growing healthy snacks segment in Mexicomexico CITY--Pepsico has chosen one of the world's fattest nations-Mexico-as a home base for the development of its global healthy snacks initiative.
which includes the Quaker line of oatmeal, snack bars and cookies. It also means using healthier oils and fewer fats and sugars.
what critics say has been at the expense of its core soda business. Chief executive Indra Nooyi
The Wall street journal reports that the review is likely to result in beefed-up spending on marketing in the core soft drinks business
Appropriately called i-Crop, the web-based tool --which was developed with Cambridge university--helps farmers monitor
promising to reduce carbon emissions and water usage by 50 percent across the farming of its core crops in the next five years with the use of low-carbon fertilizers and new varieties of produce
The following satellite images from Google earth speak for themselves. De Chant argues that trees should not be thought of as a luxury.
and/or livestock--the site must be at least three acres--down from the previous five acres that were needed to run a farm in the city.
rian bean/Flickr Via Planetizen
Poet's cellulosic ethanol strategy: Dump fed loan, partner with DSMPOET, the largest ethanol maker in the U s.,has turned down a $105 million federal loan guarantee that would have financed one of the country's first commercial cellulosic ethanol plants.
when Google maps was removed from ios 6, forcing the firm's customers to use their own brand of mapping technology on gadgets including the iphone and ipad.
However Apple's maps met with poor reviews and inaccurate data when compared to Google's software
--and this wasn't the end of the issue. Bugs and flaws aside, the tech giant publicly apologized for the state of ios 6 maps,
but it appears the Google rival is still a long way off from being accurate enough for everyday use.
After following directions on their iphones, the Mildura Police force say that many motorists are finding themselves in the middle of Murray-Sunset National park instead of the actual location of Mildura,
or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception. The force has asked Apple to fix the issue,
but in the meantime, perhaps rival firm Google's mapping service or a traditional A to Z would be a better option.
Foxconn plans U s. manufacturing expansion Apple will begin manufacturing Macs in U s. next year Apple says app store has generated 300,000 jobs so far Apple rejects Ëoequestionable US drone strike tracker
app FTC creates guidelines for facial recognition technology use The spy-free app you can use to stop surveillance
How the FBI can read your emails Will coffee soon be a thing of the past
 Prefabricated cores enable builder to churn out houses in less than 2 months Video:  Modern, net-zero energy homes made more affordable with modular design
 They have to calculate in complex computer programs the genetics of each animal and get them together.
 On the entire Dark Rye website, the Whole Foods logo is nowhere to be seen.
â Â said 26-year-old freelance programmer Ivan Pardo, who built Buycott. The app helps consumers make educated purchases reflecting their sociopolitical beliefs.
But beyond information, Buycott features user-generated campaigns. Users can commit to buying products from companies that have backed equal marriage, for example.
A few weeks after quietly putting Buycott in the Apple and Android stores, Pardo contacted journalists.
The app rocketed to#10 in app stores. Its success points to the widespread demand for more transparency in the corporate sphere. â Å The app takes the research process
and makes it instant, â Â said Pardo. Could you paint me a picture of the beginning of Buycott
what she needed to avoid was by checking blog posts. Some guy was writing, â Å Avoid this company â Â
I â â¢d already made a couple of apps at this point and I wanted to improve on their methods.
What happened when you built the app and made it available? For two or three weeks it was sitting in the app store.
I only told my friends about it. Once I felt I had most of the bugs worked out,
It was the top 10 app in the Apple and Android store. Then I started recruiting friends to help run the business.
One of the things people are really picking up on is that the app doesn just give you information, it also something of a social network for consumers.
Could you talk about that aspect of the app? Which campaigns have already been formed and which ones are gaining momentum?
The app will trace the ownership structure of that product all the way up to its top corporate parent.
How do you advise people to use this app? If I wrote out a list of all the things I â â¢m for and against--and
I would have made an app to help you do that. But the only way that most people spend their money is via consumer products.
So that what the app focuses on. I don know whether my hypothesis is right, it still too early to say,
but the premise of the app is organized that people can effect social change if they target their spending.
Do you use the app? I â â¢ve joined three or four campaigns. I used it two or three hours a day when
when I first created the app. Recently someone wanted to boycott all of the sponsors of the Washington redskins until they changed their name to something less offensive.
I never would have imagined the app would be used for something like that. I thought it was a really interesting suggestion.
The boycott of ALEC--American Legislative Exchange Council--has been growing recently. The campaign sprouted up right after the Trayvon Martin verdict
From the moment the app launched people have asked if I need any money or assistance.
At that point we â â¢ll write a blog post saying, â Å Here are our investors.
when they come across the Buycott app? Up until before I launched the app, the only form of online protest was petitions.
Those have existed as long as I can remember--sites like avaaz. org and change. org. Petitions have been the staple of online protest for 20 years with no advancements.
I see Buycott as the next stage for how people can organize themselves using technology. I don want this to be the end.
Can you tell me about the upgrade coming out in a month and a half? What should people look out for?
I didn spend too much time on the social network aspect of the app on this version.
although it still going to be central to the app. For example if you want to look up a Jaguar car, there no barcode to scan.
The international network of parks directors was very dynamic. We all did mosaiculture in our countries,
It creates an international network between parks departments and that's really great. You mentioned that Montreal has some of the largest pieces in the competition this year.
and immediately completed installation with no need to return to site. A significant cost (and hassle) savings.
One very clear example is mobile phones. That's a purely commercial, new movement and it has reached virtually every person.
Even someone on $1 or $2 has access to a cell phone, whether or not they can afford to buy one.
We worked through a network of 3, 000 dealers and 75 manufacturers. That network sold 1. 5 million treadle pumps.
 We applied that model to other products like low-cost drip irrigation. You can't donate people out of poverty.
On your blog you mention that it tastes like a sweet, succulent, hearty meal in a glass,
In your blog you mentioned that there is little reliable data in the field of nutrition science where you found that poor stats conflict with other studies.
Like stopping leaks from natural gas pipelines. Not only does this make economic sense this makes climate sense.
Tiffani Williams, computer scientist, on creating an open source tree of lifethe Open Tree of Life project culls years'worth of segmented scientific research in an effort to create a current, open source version of our knowledge
a computer scientist at Texas A&m University who is working on the project, said the Open Tree of Life will eventually be a Wikipedia-like living document for scientists
and the community to edit and use for research. I spoke recently with Williams about the segmented nature of the tree of life
Our first release of this tree has been about taking trees already in digital form in different databases and building them into this first tree of life.
A lot of our e-mails weren't answered. At the end of the day, I hope the community will see the value in producing a scientific artifact that is made available so people can use it,
We'd like it to be thought of in terms of Wikipedia. I don't use Wikipedia all the time. But there have been a few times
when they disable the site and you realize, 'I depend on Wikipedia.''That would be great for the tree of life in the sense that people who do phylogenic studies can't imagine working without access to it.
What's next for you and this work? I'm a big believer in the importance of education.
I think about how having a tree of life could inform how we teach science in our schools.
Johns hopkins university in Baltimore  observed that people who took a caffeine pill scored higher on memory tests than did swallowed those who a dummy tablet, the BBC reportsâ in a summary of an article in Nature Neuroscience.
Some of the pills contained 200 milligrams of caffeine-an amount comparable to a large cup of java.
the individuals who had taken the caffeine-laced tablets outperformed those who took placebos. Many of the dummy takers thought similar images were the same.
Both via Flickr
Restaurant business innovation: Marijuana sauceyou're not in Indiana. Amsterdam's Manneken Pis chip shop, named after Brussels'famous pissing boy statue,
As MSN reports: At the Manneken Pis chip shop, owner Albert van Beek has created a mayo spread for his chips (what red-blooded Americans call french fries) that tastes like cannabis,
Top photo is a screen grab from tripadvisor. Youtube video via Geobeatsnews
Reversing radiation's bad PRWOULD you eat a banana? Would you install a smoke detector in your home?
The radioactive decay of Earth's core provides much of the heat that keeps us alive on the planet.
Rolling stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell on smart growthwashington-Last week, Rolling stones keyboardist, Mother Nature Network cofounder and conservationist Chuck Leavell was in Washington to talk about his new book
He is also cofounder and director of environmental affairs at The Mother Nature Network, which launched last year.
At the other end of the greenhouse is a network of pipes with cold seawater running through them.
Sappi Fine Paper chases sustainability leadershipfrom my previous blog posts about the topic, I know that sustainable forestry
which creates the sorts of paper that is used in high-end printing for things like magazines, books and catalogs.
when it introduced a Web-based information  resource called eq (which is short for Environmental Quotient).
The focus is the company's $49 million investment in equipment and renewable energy technologies related to an upgrade of its pulp recovery boiler and related equipment.
The Green-e certification acknowledges the company's work to ensure that 100 percent of the energy used to create its Opus web paper at the mill is generated on site.
although the U s. Space Surveillance Network is supposed to be watching for debris. A second generation ICESAT won't be launched before 2015.
According to the article, the artificial eye consists of a lightweight mirror lens attached to a USB video camera.
the Beacon Food Forest will be the largest public food forest in the United states, according to the Seattle news website Crosscut.
Someday, this vision will be the culmination of work by  Daniela Rus, a professor of computer science and engineering at MIT,
In May, at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation the world premier robotics conference Rus and Gilpin will present a paper outlining the algorithms that will make such smart sand possible.
They've already tested their algorithms using 10-millimeter cubes that contain microprocessors and magnets on four sides.
Test with smart pebbles Gilpin and Rus have used already their algorithms on the 10-millimeter-cubed smart pebbles (pictured above) to create a two-dimensional object.
Each pebble also has a microprocessor containing some working memory--2 kilobytes--and some program code--32 kilobytes worth.
those are now possible with the algorithms Rus and Gilpin have developed, according to Robert Wood, an associate professor of electrical engineering at Harvard university. â Å Take the core functionalities of their pebbles, â Â Wood,
who directs Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory, told MIT News Office. â Å They have the ability to latch onto their neighbors;
via: MIT News Office photo: Top: Â The smart pebbles 10-millimeter cubes with processors and magnets built in.
M. Scott Brauer/MIT News Office) Bottom: The smart cubes each contain magnets (shown in red)
 Now, send the details into a massive international database--you know, big data--and you can develop best agricultural practices around the world,
which uses an Arduino ethernet link, an open source hardware platform and sensors to precisely monitor and automatically manage the temperature, light and moisture inside a small domed garden.
Our goal is to produce open systems and hardware that produce healthy, clean food, conveniently, for individuals and families.
We want to get past the mega-industrialized food production systems that are often more of a harm than a benefit to our health
and ventilation peripherals built into a dome that covers the bed. Within it, the soil is separated into growing beds, with buried water sensors,
and set through a web interface. So while this setup could be as local as one's backyard
and developers to take a long, hard look into the ways in which ecosystems behave. It is the model for how we should be handling things like water management, energy utilization,
Kingston, Tennessee had a containment pond spill about a billion gallons of liquid coal ash, which covered 300 acres of land
Wikipedia Commons
Sidewalk trees discourage city crime, study saysone of the things that bothers me most about my new home in Philadelphia is the lack of trees.
WSJ points to Intel's five beehive and 200 000 bees and the four hives at Google's headquarters.
In addition to pollinating flowers on their grounds and throughout the region, the two companies use the honey in the employee  cafeteria Â
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