EcoGreenius

Hmmm, the smoky flavor of carcinogens give PAHs for thought. Photo via Flickr by brandi666 Stand out of the line of fire of smoky fumes. Sure, that's the first defense. But what about the dangers of grilled dogs, ribs, and salmon? I've long heard tales of how a charcoal grilled burger is the equivalent of a carton of cigarettes. So when flipping through Cure magazine at my acupuncturist’s office, I discovered an article from Lena Huang about “Good Grilling” with easy steps t...

Outer-hallway meeting room, with privacy glass, allowing natural light penetration. SAP, USA, newly constructed LEED "Platinum" headquarters building. I recently had a chance to speak with representatives of the global business software company SAP, as well get a tour of the firm's nearly completed LEED Platinum US Headquarters building in Newtown Square Pennsylvania. The result, written as a composite interview, is a profile of SAP's global sustainability strategy, punctuated with a photographic tour of the new building. There was a discussion of sustainability strategy wit...

A plethora of corroborative data shows that this year’s sea ice levels in the Arctic are the lowest seen in 800 years.

The new research, published in the journal Climate Dynamics, doesn’t specify a cause or reason for the retreat, but it does note that if sea ice melt continues at this level, it’s likely that the North Pole will be completely ice-free during the summer months within a few decades.

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Photo credit: Cheap Chic Weddings Major, major kudos to Ann Kagawa Lee of Honolulu, Hawaii, winner of Cheap Chic Wedding's toilet-paper wedding dress contest, who made this mind-boggling matrimonial ensemble out of bathroom tissue—a textile fit for a recession!—tape, and glue. Drawing comparisons to an Oscar de la Renta couture gown, according to the Web site, Lee's stunningly detailed creation was inspired by Gone With the Wind and Japanese origami....

Last week, San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom passed into law an ordinance that requires all residential and commercial building owners sign up for recycling and composting services. Composting services?

Yes, joining other similar programs in Seattle, Boston, San Diego and Pittsburgh, residents will be required under threat of fine to contribute their yard waste and food scraps. The fines aren’t meant to aggravate, rather Mayor Newsom is interested in incentivizing compliance.

On the face of it, the composting effort seems a bit complex in its implementation and infrastructure. Or is it? In actuality it’s fairly straightforward, it simply requires a mindset shift with an extra few pieces of equipment at the homestead and office. Of course we all groan when we think we might have to throw our banana peels into a separate bin. But once we’re used to it, and our city is at 90% waste efficiency with community gardens, urban parks and micro-farms benefiting, what’s to deter us from making a little extra effort and re-train ourselves now?

Herein lies the challenge. The opportunity for San Francisco will be to imaginatively engage us in a herculean effort to educate AND motivate compliance.

The “Reduce Reuse Recycle” campaign has gained some strong ground, thanks not the least in part to its proficient use in elementary school these days (what parents have not heard their kid come home chanting this?). It’s a catchy phrase with an easy icon that we all recognize. And the three descriptive words help us understand at a base level both our actions and the big picture. No small feat.

And there have been other more entertaining efforts. The “Got Milk” campaign introduced by the California Milk Processor Board in 1993 has been credited with increasing milk sales nationwide. The San Francisco based ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners created that one. And remember the California Raisins? Introduced in 1986 by the California Raisin Advisory Board, another top agency Foote, Cone and Belding created that one.

This is not to say that all campaigns need professional-grade characters with narratives to entertain us. The digital world has actually provided us with a rich array of channels that may be employed. And companies like Virgance have shown us that there is no limit to creative methods of employing social activism.

San Francisco, like many cities, is not exactly rife with cash to employ a hot ad shop to devise its strategy, but hopefully this trend-setting city will get resourceful and seek creative solutions and partners for engaging and motivating positive behavior change.

When President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he allotted 20% of the funds to be used for developing a green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency improvements and other environmentally innovative projects. And Delaware’s aging water infrastructure is smiling because of it.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that $19,239,100 will be awarded to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control in order to upgrade its out-of-date water infrastructure.

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Going green More pharmacies are becoming eco-friendly and energy ... Modern Medicine As they go green, pharmacies are finding that an eco-friendly approach also can be good for the bottom line. Cheri Garvin, RPh, CEO of Leesburg Pharmacy in ... and more »

Let’s talk climate further. That will provide insight for add-ons necessary to achieve year-round comfort.

Yurts appear logical for my tropical climate where elements of nature aren’t so severe. Well, surprise, but no worry. Just know that maintaining yurt warmth can be an easier task than keeping cool.

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With summer now in full swing, our kid’s exposure to the sun is at its highest, and the stores are full of many different products purporting to protect children from sun damage. But how can you be sure that the sunscreen that you choose is actually effective without being harmful to them? The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) new sunscreen rankings can help you decide.

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