Can polystyrene packing peanuts really be used as biofuel? A recent study funded by the department of defence at Iowa State University has revealed that adding Styrofoam to biodiesel can generate more power in diesel engines.  The study showed that dissolving polystyrene packing peanuts in biodiesel fuel yielded an increase in power ...

On Saturday May 9, World Fair Trade Day will celebrate its 60th birthday with a Big Bang. “Big Bang” is the celebration theme this year, which means everyone’s invited to ''bang something (anything) with spoons, sticks, hands, fingers, friends, family, neighbours, a crowd, an audience, a solution. Beat poverty beat climate change beat economic ...

It’s pretty clear that we, as a nation, need to reduce our reliance on gasoline. How can we accomplish this? One answer that frequently gets discussed is raising the price of gas (which would be accomplished by taxing it more heavily). In Europe, gas prices are more than double the prices paid by Americans. It seems to work, because Europeans use ...

If you’re stuck for Mother’s Day gift ideas this year we’ve found a great way to do good by your mom and Mother Nature. A program called HopeLine run by telecommunications giant Verizon collects out of date and no longer used cell phones, batteries and accessories at its nationwide locations. Some phones and accessories are recycled, while others ...

Springtime has a way of inspiring us to fling open our doors and windows, clear out clutter and get down to the nitty gritty of cleaning house after a long winter. This spring, before you pull out your usual bucket of cleaning supplies, do a quick check to make sure you’re really keeping your home clean and safe. Nix nasty cleaning productsThe ...

It’s estimated that global plastic consumption levels are around the 150 million ton mark annually, and studies suggest that producing 1kg of common plastic requires 2kg of petroleum fossil fuels for energy and raw material – and releases about 6kg of CO2 into the atmosphere.If you needed any proof of the sheer quantity of plastic littering our ...

My husband and I went to some friends’ place for the dinner the other night, and after a delicious meal of roast beef, veggies, and the freshest bread I’ve ever tasted (with real butter, no less), the bomb dropped. While clearing the plates, our hostess said, “Now, we don’t have tea or coffee, but I can offer you some homemade apple cider.” My ...

One of the most inspiring things I’ve seen on television lately is Planet Green, Discovery’s 24-hour green lifestyle network. Planet Green programming includes Emeril Green, a green cooking show with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and Living with Ed, a real life account of actor Ed Begley Jr’s  green activism as well as several lifestyle, home ...

Ever wonder about the environmental impact of book and newspaper publishing? The billions of books, newspapers and magazines that are produced daily MUST have a major impact on the environment, right? I’ll be honest here. As a bibliophile and a greenie, I’ve been avoiding that particular question for some time. I stopped using plastic bags and ...

Remember that scene in Waterworld where Kevin Costner’s character pees into a contraption that filters his urine into drinking water? Or the Mad Max movie with Tina Turner in which the town is fueled by pig poop?Turns out, they may have been onto something. According to a report in Reuters, a pioneer program in Orange County, California, will ...