Eco-Vlog

There’s no denying the holiday season is upon us. Whether that makes you ripple with excitement or reluctance, we have help for at least one of your holiday woes — what to buy the grandparents. Grandparents are notoriously difficult to buy for, but keep in mind that many of our loved ones enjoy useful household goods and homemade goodies. As a bonus, these ideas are even good for the Earth! Homemade bread There are endless variations of homemade bread, from cinnamon rolls to a pumpkin loaf. Make it with wheat flour or cater to gluten-free needs. Add seeds or nuts. Mix in some flax, chia or hemp — and don’t forget to add love! Make your homemade gift pretty with a beeswax or cloth food wrap, either of which can be reused again and again. Alternately, place it into a reusable produce bag that they can take to the grocery store later. Related: 9 sustainable living tips to take from our grandparents Aprons At the grill or over the stove, aprons take a beating. Supply grandma or gra...

A recent report released by the  World Metrological Organization  (WMO) has revealed that greenhouse gasses have increased to record highs in the atmosphere despite the lockdowns caused by the pandemic. Contrary to the expectations of many, the amount of greenhouse gases has been on the rise in 2020. The slowdown in economic activities and travel across the world is estimated to have caused a 4.2% to 7.5% reduction in the overall emissions in 2020. According to the WMO, this minor reduction due to the pandemic was nothing compared to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Worse yet, the report indicates that growth is higher than the average rate in the past 10 years. Related: Will gene editing and cloning create super cows that resist global warming? “The lockdown-related fall in emissions is just a tiny blip on the long-term graph. We need a sustained flattening of the curve,” said Petteri Taalas, secretary-general for the WMO. The reviewed data revealed tha...

Austin-based architecture and interior design firm Runa Workshop has recently completed One of the Kids, a nature-inspired campus for children who have autism. In preparing for the project, the architects first needed to educate themselves on how to best suit the needs of the children. Then, the team had to decide how to create a welcoming, comfortable campus within a tight budget of just $800,000 for an approximately 8,000-square-foot space. Cost-effective materials, an emphasis on natural lighting and the incorporation of biophilic and green elements tie the campus together. Created as a local family’s passion project located just north of Austin , One of the Kids provides a safe haven for children with autism to learn and play. The clients sought a campus that would encourage the children to explore their surroundings without overstimulating them. As a result, the designers used biophilic design to create a calming yet inspiring atmosphere. Related: HIVE Project proposes biophil...

Working from home is the new norm with the pandemic and with a rise of people looking to start their own business, however not every person is prepared to do that. Even with this pandemic going on for so long, there are still many people who decide to work from a couch or in a kitchen. That or maybe you’ve scrounged up some money to get a few used furniture for you new office. Regardless of the circumstances, upgrading your home office setup is important. With every passing year, there are new office furniture that can help you be more productive, organized, and more. While you don’t need to upgrade everything every year, it’s still important to upgrade where you can and once every year or so. With that in mind, we prepared a list of some of the ideal home office upgrades to consider. What Makes These Items Ideal Upgrades? Before getting into the list, we want to explain why these items are for you. Based on our research, we’re recommending these items as they fit the following criter...

Often when products claim to be made from recycled materials , companies are only talking about the bulk of the item. When it comes to Groundtruth’s RIKR recycled backpack, every single component is 100% recycled, from the main body to the padding, buckles, binding, webbing, zippers, hardware and even the thread that binds it all together. Most of the backpack, such as the outer shell, side panels and webbing, is made from recycled PET bottles, but the rest comes from recycled textiles like nylon, fleece and felt. Groundtruth was founded in 2017 by a team of three sisters who brought their documentary filmmaking talents and technical fabrics specialties together to create a progressive line of sustainable travel products. Each item is field-tested by real experts right in the environment it was designed for, and the RIKR is no exception; polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan took the backpack on a journey through Norway and Antarctica to test the water-repellency, stain-re...

Do you sometimes find yourself paralyzed by fear? Fear appears to each person in various forms. You might begin to feel a sense of dread, develop a headache, or feel nauseous. Anxiety causes us to overthink situations, which stops us from taking action. Fear can most definitely hold us back from reaching our maximum potential. When this happens, the best thing to do is to let go of fear. What would you be able to accomplish if you lived without fear? Here are some tips to help you overcome them and become unstoppable! 1. Plan It Out Do you find yourself pressing the snooze button regularly? Or does it feel like you’re wasting time in a job you don’t love? As you follow your dreams and create new plans for the future, you might begin to fear failure and become hesitant. Having a plan in place will help you overcome this anxiety. As the saying goes, "Proper planning prevents poor performance." Set achievable objectives that will bring you closer to your goals, and stay commit...

Some people seem to be born with a rather plentiful portion of confidence. They appear to bounce along with a robustness that breeds envy and pop back up after they get knocked down. The good news is that you too can build confidence. It doesn’t matter if you lack it; it is still yours to experience now as you continue to work on growing it over time. Learning how to build confidence is part of the process of evolving into ourselves. Here is how you can build your confidence. 1. Connect With Yourself Confidence and connection go together since we are most confident when we are real. We aren’t trying to be someone else, please others, or living a life dictated by “should.” We build and emit confidence when we are true to ourselves . To be true, get clear on your purpose and your values. Trying to embody the purpose and values of others will leave you feeling cheap and fake. Ask yourself, what are the things that you know you really need and want. Ask yourself what you want your legacy ...

A recent report released by the  World Metrological Organization  (WMO) has revealed that greenhouse gasses have increased to record highs in the atmosphere despite the lockdowns caused by the pandemic. Contrary to the expectations of many, the amount of greenhouse gases has been on the rise in 2020. The slowdown in economic activities and travel across the world is estimated to have caused a 4.2% to 7.5% reduction in the overall emissions in 2020. According to the WMO, this minor reduction due to the pandemic was nothing compared to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Worse yet, the report indicates that growth is higher than the average rate in the past 10 years. Related: Will gene editing and cloning create super cows that resist global warming? “The lockdown-related fall in emissions is just a tiny blip on the long-term graph. We need a sustained flattening of the curve,” said Petteri Taalas, secretary-general for the WMO. The reviewed data revealed tha...

Too often, the giving season feels like a mad rush to check tasks off a list. It’s all too easy (and embarrassing) to wind up giving our friends and family junk gifts that we regret buying. Our  shopping  guide makes it simple to find sustainably made, easy-to-purchase presents that you can feel good about giving over the holidays. Spent grain pancakes Everybody has to eat, and anybody sane likes a good pancake. This  spent grain mix  is low carb, high  protein , contains lots of fiber and uses recycled grains. What?! That’s right, these pancakes are called “spent” because the barley flour comes from microbrewery castoffs. You and your pancake gift recipient will feel even better about breakfast knowing that Grain4Grain donates to a food bank every time somebody purchases a box. Related: How to make soy wax candles for a cozy, autumnal home Shoes by Allbirds Buying shoes can be intimate, so this one is for your close friends.  Allbirds , best known f...

Bath, U.K.-based Hewitt Studios has given a stunning makeover to Morgan Motor Company’s aging café, museum and showroom with the new Experience Centre, a prefabricated visitor center made from sustainably sourced timber . Designed with reusability in mind, the building takes cues from the British motor car manufacturer’s hand-built sports cars that are constructed from three recyclable core elements: ash timber, aluminum and leather. The sustainably minded building also reduces its carbon footprint with high-performance insulation, daylighting and a responsible stormwater management strategy. With more than a century of experience working with local craftsmen to construct its handmade cars, the Morgan Motor Company has built its reputation on ethical sourcing, natural materials and a focus on longevity. As a result, Hewitt Studios wanted the new Experience Centre to reflect the company’s sustainable values and used three prefabricated structures built of timber in a nod to the comp...