Google wishes barcodes happy 57th birthdaywhen millions of people this morning switched on their PCS,
weather permitting, sounds really ideal. The Gardens connect to Google's cafe, and Google Park, which is a big garden.
former director of the World Wide Fund for Nature in Hong kong who is now an independent ecologist.
But almost as prevalent were dedicated exhibits to protecting the environment (flowers included) and sustaining the Earth's natural resources.
and laws limit industrial water pollution, the city is working to bring back miles of streams, creating a habitat for animals and better quality water for residents.
Abu dhabi receives an average of just 82 millimeters (mm) of rainfall per year--less than one-quarter the rainfall recorded in the state of Arizona.
and according to a 2005 study, the paltry rainfall is only able to manage a 4 percent recharge rate to those aquifers.
Abu dhabi consumes about 26 times as much water as it gets in rainfall. Many groundwater wells are expected to become useless in 30 years.
said H. E. Razan Al Mubarak, Secretary-general of the Environment Agency Abu dhabi, the environmental regulatory authority.
(which explains why I never saw a dirty car in that decidedly dusty environment), hosing down outside spaces,
Because for Abu dhabi, like its neighbors, this is a critical strategic choice that must be made if the emirate wants to survive
This vertical farm mightparis could one day get a taste of the tropics. The french architecture firm SOA has come up with a greenhouse project that would make fresh, local tropical fruit--bananas in particular--more accessible in the cooler climate of Paris. The design,
called Urbanana, is a vertical, six-story, all-glass greenhouse that would fit between already existing buildings.
it would also be a way to reduce energy use for transporting the fruits long distances from the tropics to cities with cooler climates.
Ecology movements media coverage of climate change, public service campaigns about recycling all that information and more has made people turn increasingly to organic products as the look for the health, environmental and social benefits,
Moreno said. This has helped us win a lot of space in big-box stores. We've upped sales.
says Tim Fox, IME's head of energy and environment. This is food that could be used to feed the world's growing population-as well as those in hunger today.
We can t control the toxins in our environment. But at least we can control it in our food,
and noted that everything from tractor parts to wind turbine components are now being made there.
and rice are pollinated all by wind. However, Rabobank's analyst Ruben Verwijs said in a statement:
and a mix of a parasite and a virus. Montana's ecologist Colin Henderson said to the Washington post:
Some people have considered seriously climate change, others have focused on an accumulation of pesticides. The third approach was,
where even the rain isn't clean and tap water is avoided best. But the capital's newest watering hole takes its water very seriously
ecology, sustainability, harmony. We deliver the highest quality water in Mexico, Quinzanos said while relaxing in a wrought iron chair on the shop's roof garden,
which is designed to capture what it can of the capital's average 34 inches of rain annually just slightly less precipitation than soggy Seattle.
which holds that the environment including music and prayer can affect water on a structural level.
what is essentially an ecological project. Laura Casanova listened to the store manager's explanation of the process, from purification to harmonization,
Parts of Mexico city flood with nearly every storm as a perennially clogged drainage system fills up
Other days, turning on the faucet yields only the gurgle and hiccup of pipes that have run dry as the city periodically shuts off water to one or another neighborhood.
When the rain runs out the Casa del Agua taps water from the city system,
The clouds overhead grew dark blue and heavy, and a line of laundry on a nearby building flapped in the sudden wind.
It appeared the sky would deliver. Photos courtesy Casa del Agua
How do you solve a problem like next-gen biofuels? Next-generation biofuels are viewed often as a transportation fuel panacea.
A magic elixir that will wean the U s. off of foreign oil without sending the economy into the dark ages.
it might be easier to catch a cloud and pin it down. Or hold a moonbeam in your hand.
because the environmental and economic benefits might not be there. The report, requested by Congress,
Yesterday I caught up by phone with Dave Marshall, a Portland city councilor and chair of the Energy and Environmental Sustainability Committee.
The old system puts the sewage and storm water in the same pipes, and when it overflows it eventually ends up in the bay.
what was once an industrial neighborhood, where we re developing a mixed use district. We already have a pretty important trail network that people use here.
in the snow? Yep, I m one of them. I ve been car-free for most of the time
We all know that trees are beneficial to a neighborhood-they are pretty, they are good for the environment
-but how much is a tree actually worth? David Nowak, head of the U s. Forest Service's (USFS) Northeastern research unit, hopes to provide an answer.
also uses localized weather and pollution data in determining the trees'value based on official sources.
while reducing climate changewith a one-two punch aimed at reducing climate change and improving crop yields worldwide, the for-profit company re:
We find that over time biochar also creates an ideal environment for microorganisms to live, things like fungi and bacteria.
The Sequoia will also be used to advance our understanding in the fields of astronomy, energy, genetics and climate change.
Food waste s high water content makes it tough to burn raising the costs of incineration. For companies like Goldenway Biotech, who built the Gaoancun plant,
Despite the plant s apparent environmental benefits, Beijingers remain suspicious. Residents of one city suburb took to the streets with  homemade  banners last November,
calling on the local government to cancel the construction of one of the firm's waste food processing plants in their neighborhood,
which has high financial and ecological costs. What's different about us, besides being foldable,
more available and easier to harvest in tropical zones. But as the global population explodes, edible insects could become big business worldwide.
Andrew Tobert, an environmental activist counter-argues that Indians won t become obese overnight nor will its cuisine disappear.
Å They knew that craft beer was taking the world by storm. Å Â Owner Dan Vroon pulls a pint at Craftworks (Andrew Salmon) International trade also played a role.
The threat of snow was blamed by show organizers for wilting the crowds on the last few days.
They are at risk of losing their lands to erosion and mining or being displaced by government policies to protect forests and coasts.
 These targets, with deadlines of 2015 and 2020, include saving marine ecosystems, protecting natural habitats and stopping the extinction of species. For the next two years,
M. F. Farooqui, a senior government official from the Environment Ministry, who supervised the conference,
according to the latest figures of the Delhi-based  Centre of Science and Environment (CSE.
said Kanchi Kohli from Kalpvriksh, an environmental action group. CSE's latest data also finds that 119 coal mining projects were given forest clearance during this period
which works for the coastal preservation, said that the  Pondicherry harbor constructed in 1989 has blocked the natural movement of sand causing massive erosion to northern beaches  on India's  southeastern coast.
The U s. is a major player in climate change and biodiversity so it should sign on and participate, said Ashok Khosla, head of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world's oldest environmental network.
They have to realize that they will pay costs too. As numbers and policies were contested in Hyderabad
So to help keep tabs on the rapidly growing deforestation problem NASA has culled available data from its network of satellites to generate a map that depicts the amount
For instance, governments participating in the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation program or REDD+can use the measurements to establish a monetary value for the carbon sequestered in forests.
depend on climate, soil, topography and the history of human or natural disturbance of the forests, said Sassan Saatchi of NASA's Jet propulsion laboratory in Pasadena,
For climate change scientists, the map also serves as a barometer of the health and longevity of forests and how they contribute to the global carbon cycle and overall functioning of the Earth system.
The next step in Saatchi's research is to compare the carbon map with satellite observations of deforestation to identify source locations of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere.
Just how safe is your neighborhood? Infographic: Which American cities are most vulnerable to natural disasters?
beautifully illuminated, behaves normally in a quiet environment, swaying every now and then, as if with the wind. But with loud screams or shouts, the tree will then adopt the behavior of a skittish animal,
The tree's reactions to the winds of noise offer a multi-sensory and participatory experience for the audience.
but that's pie in the sky for now. Back to the present and the ipad.
The cloud is where I spend most of my time on this HP Pavilion notebook I am using to compose this post.
These facilities could be housed in vacant buildings in poor neighborhoods, providing jobs and a supply of nutritious, locally produced food for residents.
and tilt to catch sun rays shining down from different points in the sky. At 500 times the intensity, the sunlight strikes the system's non-silicon solar cells to generate electricity.
they could generate an even worse environmental impact than if they were using traditional packaging.
Deforestation will be another place it places its sustainability investments. On the packaging front, Kraft has created something called the Packaging Eco-Calculator,
despite dissent from Greenpeace and other environmental organizations. Its current biofuel roadmap demands that at least 5. 75%of all energy sold on the market of any member country be biofuel
And with ILUC added to the mix, it looks like some top biofuel crops are worse for the environment, in terms of carbon emissions, than crude oil.
who apparently see the environmental, economic, and even aesthetic benefits. via NPR Related on Smartplanet:
and we humans, in the wake of a growing list of extreme weather events and years-long trends, are scrambling to react.
Within the built environment (which includes everything from utility grids to residential homes), designers and architects are turning the focus toward
One research group says the global climate adaptation services industry is already worth $2 billion.
and Environmental Design (LEED) points for constructing weather-and natural disaster-resilient buildings, because a green building is one that doesn't need to be rebuilt when disaster hits.
how do we make the built environment more resilient? For the architecture and engineering firm HOK, the pathway is found in nature.
which serves as a primer to biomimetic design for resiliency based on examples seen in ecologic biomes,
communities of plants and animals that exist in a specific climate. The report focuses on the temperate broadleaf forest biome
Energy and nutrients are moved through the ecosystem this way, and the interspecies relationships evolve and adapt to variations in the climate.
On the other hand, the relationship between a yucca plant and a yucca moth is both efficient and highly vulnerable.
The built environment needs multiple, redundant, decentralized sources of energy to be resilient to a changing environment.
This is one of many examples in the report where life's principles from biomes are used to teach designers and architects to build more resilient communities.
It's not much different than sharing vehicles or other assets within the built environment
as well as part of a solution set for the built environment. Images: HOK & Biomimicry 3. 8
Now, the U s. Environmental protection agency is turning up a similar labeling effort for its Watersense program.
The EPA figures that residential outdoor watering uses up to 7 billion gallons of water on a daily basis. Most people tend to adjust the settings for these devices once per year
The EPA figures that the new technologies could help save up to 110 billion gallons of wasted water annually,
the EPA believes that it has helped consumers save up to 125 billion gallons of water and more than $2 billion in water and energy bills.
Even neighbors who are trying to follow the First lady's prescription are fat. It's not my imagination.
and sky, meaning that the classic retrofuturistic dream of a dual-mode flying car is well within grasp.
Impact on the environment We re increasingly aware that animal production is a major factor in climate change, Singer stated.
Referring to the recent report Livestock s long shadow he argued that animal (livestock) production is a bigger contributor to climate change than all of transport.
It doesn t really include the full weight of the damage that methane does to the environment,
grass-fed cattle made the situation even worse for the environment. Per kilo of beef produced, cattle on grass produce at least 50%more methane than cattle fed grain
who explained that the environment was equipped well to deal with this. In a single gram of soil
our environment and the eco system including our animals. A skilled farmer works in harmony with the eco system so that the environment truly stays in balance,
she said. Food security Peter Singer argued that we waste most of the food value of the grains and soybeans we feed to animals.
Mcgregor made several ecological points but the essence of his argument was this: If all markets were to remove meat â Â food production would decline,
Fiona Chambers also agreed that taking animals off the menu would pose an ecological and food security disaster.
ecology is, and that animals are a fundamental part of cultural biodiversity Firstly, animals are a vital link in the global ecological and,
as such, are linked inextricably to the environment and the future of our food. Secondly, because they serve many important social
culture as well as biological functions, she said. Chambers asserted that ironically to save these breeds and species we had to eat them.
Melbourne designer's vision for a water-smart citymelbourne--Rapid climate change and an increasing need for water conservation has compelled a Melbourne designer to create'Equilibrium,
Capturing this water falling onto a site assists in improving the ecology of the city's urban waterways,
where rainfall percolates through the soil and indigenous plantings, moves through the mountains and down to the river,
Building a rain garden to help filter stormwater before it enters our waterways. Installing a rainwater tank to capture water for the garden,
and rain gardens can help to increase neighborhood self-sufficiency--highlighting the networking possibilities for a community.
groups of friends in a neighborhood can set up a food co-op to buy bulk from farmers directly;
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.
The GM tobacco plants that churned it out are grown in soil in greenhouses at the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular biology and Applied Ecology in Aachen, Germany.
among other environmental risks. Some Roundup Ready seeds had already been planted before the ban was enacted.
The Center for Food safety sues the USDA for not investigating the impact of GM seeds on the environment. 2007:
Awaiting a verdict on the environmental impact of the seeds, the U s. District court for the Northern District of California bans the sale of GM alfalfa seeds on the grounds that the USDA violated federal law by not reviewing the seeds'environmental risk.
Monsanto appeals the ruling, sending the case to the Supreme court. 2010: Monsanto wins. The Supreme court rules 7 to 1. The decision means that farmers,
The environmental impact statement is still pending. USDA spokesman Caleb Weaver was quoted in The Los angeles times as saying that, in so many words,
What kind of environmental risk, you ask? Andrew Pollack explains in The New york times: The crops contain a bacterial gene that allows them to withstand spraying with Roundup or its generic equivalents, known as glyphosate.
The environmental groups and others had said that the foreign gene might spread to organic or conventional nongenetically engineered crops,
According to the USDA's preliminary assessment of the impact, Roundup Ready alfalfa will not adversely affect the environment.
and chemical companies starting to sell old chemical compounds that posed more environmental risks than Roundup
The bamboo industry hails the crop's other environmental benefits. Because it shoots up quickly-as much as a meter (over 3 feet) in a day-it is highly renewable.
New industrial processing techniques (I wonder what the ecological impact of those are) makes bamboo competitive with wood products for Western markets,
Carbon fiber an environmental culprit And more bamboo bits: Toymaker turns to bamboo for material and inspiration In Mexico city,'bamboocycles'make two-wheeled transport trendy California company offers sustainable packaging for meat,
and Myceliophthora thermophilia--two types of fungi that thrive in the hot environments necessary to speed up the biofuel refining process,
researchers used a climate model to analyze how 13 different sectors of the economy will impact global warming from the year 2000 to 2100.
Each part of the economy emits a unique portfolio of gases and aerosols that affect the climate in different ways and on different timescales
For each sector of the economy, they analyzed the effects of a wide range of chemicals--such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, organic carbon black carbon, nitrate, sulfate and ozone--on the atmosphere, particularly clouds.
and biomass burning--tropical forest fires, deforestation, prairie fires and so forth--emits smoke that blocks solar radiation. That's not to say smoke
and learning the value of creating your own environment. The footage, donated by the Association, documents how the late cofounder views his work as becoming obsolete after his lifetime in the fast-paced field of technology.
In the press materials announcing the new bottle, Conrad Mackerron, the senior program director of San francisco-based environmental foundation As You Sow
this advancement should deliver a double win for the environment and Pepsico. The new bottle will use the bio-based materials to reproduce the molecular structure that is used in petroleum-based polyethylene terephthalate (aka PET),
Each Green Index is like a nutritional label that rates a product's Climate Impact,
In a press release talking about the plan, Timberland's senior manager of environmental stewardship, Betsy Blaisdell, says:
But at the very least, it will give companies in this industry a common framework for environmental assessment that is (in theory) independent of the product companies.
Minnesota's School of Environmental Studies (SES) is an optional high school in Apple Valley, Minn.
a river was cut in the science classroom floor which actually flows with water when it rains, thanks to the new science wing's rainwater harvesting system.
The Environmental protection agency released this week its 2012 targets for renewable fuels and once again next-generation biofuels will fall far short of the production volume mandated by Congress.
 Total ethanol production is expected to reach 15.2 billion gallons next year--a 9 percent increase from 2011, according to the EPA.
Instead, the EPA says it will be 8. 65 million gallons--or 0. 006 percent--next year.
because the environmental and economic benefits might not be there. It's likely that even the 8. 65 million production target won't be met this year.
not a single gallon of qualifying cellulosic ethanol was produced, according to the EPA. Not a single commercially viable biorefinery exists for converting cellulosic biomass to fuel,
according to figures released in December by  the  Environmental protection agency.  It s likely that even the 8. 65 million production target won t be met this year.
according to the EPA. Novozymes has agreements to supply the new enzyme to U s. producer  Poet for its cellulosic ethanol Project Liberty facility and to  M&g Group for its Crescentino, Italy plant,
But with a more robust network of city farmers urban agriculture can have a major impact on food security in neighborhoods where fresh,
Urban farms=green infrastructure There is significant potential for urban agriculture to provide critical environmental services to the city through stormwater runoff mitigation, soil remediation,
and can profit from the environmental services they are providing, such as tipping fees for collecting compostable waste.
But the environment is bad. Â China has been afflicted by a string of food safety scandals in recent years, from lethal baby-milk powder to fake pig-trotters.
Pity, then, that much of the packaging that conveys all that holiday cheer will soon end up in a landfill--in fact about a third of a typical landfill's content is packaging, according to the EPA.
the neighborhood is changing, and Masson hopes that the Archives will help stimulate cultural awareness in an otherwise cultureless neighborhood devoid of museums or cultural centers.
The sheep will be a new highlight to the already active agenda at the Archives. Local school children who will come for educational programs will eventually name the anonymous sheep.
she said of the ecological underpinnings of the sheep-cum-landscapers. While Masson hopes it draws people to the Archives,
possible changes in climate, regional water usage spurred by population growth, and governmental water regulations.
cities experience better land use and positive environmental side effects of a greener landscape, and citizens benefit from healthier fare and community activity.
The plan calls for building green infrastructure like stormwater tree trenches, vegetated bumpouts, porous asphalt, rain gardens,
Storm water runoff and the overflow of combined sewer systems--where stormwater and raw sewage flow together in the same pipes--into waterways are two of the biggest problems facing urban water supplies.
by committing to a comprehensive citywide program that will benefit its neighborhoods and its rivers alike.
and asphalt) served by its combined sewer system into greened acres Â--spaces that use green infrastructure like roadside planting strips, rain gardens,
or otherwise collect, the first inch of runoff from any storm. That amounts to keeping 80-90%of annual rainfall from these areas out of the city s overburdened sewer system.
Levine notes that all cities with combined sewer systems must have similar plans under the Clean Water Act.
which in many poor neighborhoods is increased responsible for asthma rates and other health problems. They also reduce stress,
PG&E first utility to embrace new gas leak detection technology From predicting weather to tracking greenhouse emissions
Instead, the EPA says it will be 8. 65 million gallons or 0. 0006 percent. And it's likely not even that target will be hit.
 As of October, not a single gallon of qualifying cellulosic ethanol was produced, according to the EPA.
Climate change will be'devastating'Fedex, UPS under online drug shipment investigation Why nothing is private:
 Also, promoting biodiversity means finding ways to integrate different types of plants to a very particular Parisian climate.
Paris should be a little bit greener as seen from the sky. Â Some of the more surprising projects in the region include rooftop gardens with meter-deep soil for growing vegetables,
This report was written by the DB Climate Change Advisors (which is part of Deutsche Asset management) in conjunction with The Nelson Institute's Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
It estimates the demand for various crops based not only on changing populations but on the increased use of biofuels.
A Journal of the Human Environment. It is called The Value of Producing Food, Energy and Ecosystem Services within an Agro-Ecosystem.
The motivation for the research is the worldwide decline in ecosystem services; the report seeks to illustrate that organic and sustainable farming practices can reclaim some of this value.
It uses a program at an experimental farm in Denmark, where both food crops and biofuels are produced, as evidence.
à ¢ As an addendum to our inaugural special package on the built environment,
The city has organized an system of neighborhood district councils that are funded partially by the city.
Neighborhood district councils provide grassroots input into all types of city decisions, and many organize extra efforts around crime prevention, neighborhood cleanup,
and block nurse programs. When we do our planning work, we often are working with neighborhood-based task forces of community representatives that include residents, property owners, business owners, institutional representatives, etc.,
and  we rely on the  district councils to assist in these processes. This makes our  planning work  more community-based and results in a better product.
It would also be good for the environment. This is a good policy for the city.
 It's located in a really desirable neighborhood in St paul where there are a lot of nice homes
 A lot of it will depend on additional environmental testing that Ford will do now that the plant is closed.
Planning staff have worked also on a neighborhood plan for the North End/South Como area.
It addresses land use conflicts, between residential and industrial, in one part of the neighborhood. In many cases, the residences not well-kept and are blighting influences.
The plan also includes improvements to the streetscape around a  major commercial intersection in the neighborhood,
City of St paul Planning Department More from the Built Environment issue: Restoring Honor Rethinking the row home The future of LEED The buildings are alive Video:
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