Eco-Vlog

Holly Water cabin has been designed to help its owners diversify their farmland and increase local biodiversity via rewilding. The rustic structure is built from local materials, using natural building techniques. It feels both humble and luxurious, inviting occupants to connect with the landscape, local plants and animals. You may think of Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England as a wilderness area. Certainly, it boasts a sweeping moorland landscape and rugged granite outcrops. However, farming has been the main land use in Dartmoor for thousands of years. Today, over 90% of the land within the National Park boundary is used for farming. Much of this area is moorland, both open and enclosed, where livestock graze. Rewilding initiatives on some of the land seek to restore a more natural landscape and increase biodiversity. One such project is the Holly Water cabin. Related: Rent a minimalist tiny home on the edge of a lake in Austria The owners rent out Holly Water to holiday...

Leading supermarkets in Colombia are stocking and selling beef that may be produced illegally in protected nature areas. Such beef contributes to deforestation. According to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), there are known links between protected ecosystems, cattle ranches and the supply chain behind the beef sold in Colombia . A look at data provided by the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) shows that there are well-established ranchers operating in Chiribiquete National Park . The ICA is in charge of vaccinating all herds of cattle in Colombia, whether they live in protected areas or not. The agency records the accurate names of ranches, their locations and cattle owners. Related: Facebook Marketplace fuels illegal sales of land in the Amazon rainforest Although this information is available, ranchers still exist in protected areas . To make matters worse, these ranchers sell their products to the public through an openly known supply chain. Investigations by th...

As anybody who has ever sat under a tree has noticed, these tall, leafy plants provide shade. But what about people who live in neighborhoods without a heat-blocking tree canopy? They’re going to be a lot hotter and could possibly face worse health outcomes. A new study is raising awareness of shade disparity. Trees aren’t evenly distributed through neighborhoods. Poorer areas of cities, especially those where communities of color live, are often tree-deprived. This new report concludes that people need to plant 30 million more trees in urban areas of the U.S. in order to achieve tree equity . Related: South Korea to plant 3 billion trees by 2050 Conservation organization American Forests recently released its first tally of tree equity scores, using a metric based on population density, existing tree cover, socioeconomic makeup and other relevant criteria. The study looked at 150,000 neighborhoods in 486 cities around the U.S. Current tree cover is about 10% short, the study...

If you enjoyed building forts as a kid, you’re going to love the modular design of the Ekodome Geodesic Dome Kits, which provide options for a versatile dome with endless possibilities. The Geodesic Dome Kits are made by Ekodome, a company based in Brooklyn, New York City. The concept is simple with an aluminum frame that you put together, DIY-style. It’s made with high-quality, durable materials for a long lifecycle. Supplies include the aluminum hub and hub caps with EPDM seal on, aluminum struts and caps both equipped with TPE SEBS seals and stainless steel bolts and nuts. Related: Agrodomes are individual greenhouses for budding crops Once constructed, the geodesic dome can be used for a multitude of purposes such as a greenhouse, garden shed or glamping tent. You might want to employ it as a temporary work space, living quarters or a chicken coop. It would also work as an off-grid tiny home or disaster relief shelter. Each frame can be covered with your choice of materia...

Google is seemingly everywhere, yet it considers the San José, California area home. Inasmuch, the company has been in the planning stages to develop an 80-acre campus since 2017, and discussions have been in the works between the city, the citizens and the company. Recently, the San José City Council gave the go-ahead for Google to pursue its San José Downtown West Mixed-Use Plan, which is set to be the largest multi-modal transit hub on the West Coast. The lead designer on the project, SITELAB Urban Studio, created a concept that is an extension of downtown San José, an area rich with culture and connections with nature. Rather than making a stuffy commercial space, the plan welcomes the community with a major transit hub and copious opportunities to engage with the environment along 15 acres of green spaces and parks. Related: Abu Dhabi’s new urban biodiversity park enhances local microclimate Even with thousands of houses, 7.3 million square feet of office space and up to 500,...

Struggling with sleep? I get it, I have struggled with sleep myself believe it or not. The reality is that sleep is necessary, and there are many negative effects that lack of sleep can cause. But I totally understand how sometimes the nighttime, when everything is quiet and no one else is awake, is the best time to wind down, catch up on your favorite shows, get some work or chores done, or just finally get some quiet “ me” time as you aimlessly scroll through social media. Maybe you are actually trying to go to sleep, but the brain continues to perseverate about what you have to do tomorrow and what you didn’t get done today. Either way, you’re not sleeping. Is not sleeping really worth it to sacrifice your physical and mental health? Keep reading to find out. As a Usui attuned and trained Reiki Level II practitioner, it is believed that our existence is comprised of four bodies: the physical body (biological/physiological), the mental body (thoughts), the emotional body (feelings)...

Have you ever felt like the world is passing you by, and that you’re not a part of it? Don’t feel guilty! To make your goals happen, and get out in the world and experience all life has to offer, you need to start taking real action towards it. In this episode of The Lifehack Show, I explain how to get rid of guilt and make your goals happen. If you have unclear goals, feel unfocused, lack a higher purpose, or have just loss your motivation, you need to watch this video and follow our lessons in the worksheet below. The post How to Stop Feeling Guilty And Start Making Things Happen appeared first on Lifehack . from Lifehack https://ift.tt/3y7Aygr via IFTTT

Consumers are no longer willing to make do with a sad, desiccated bean burger at the family barbecue. With the plant-based meat sector up 45% last year to $1.4 billion (according to Good Food Institute ), the meatless burger wars are serious business. Companies have honed their offerings, making them ever more meat-like. Last month, Beyond Meat released its latest burger upgrade to 28,000 U.S. retail locations and 80 countries. In the name of hands-on journalism, I tried the new burger and compared it with the latest burger iteration from another industry leader, Impossible Foods . Here’s what I found. Plant-based burger shopping When I went to my local Fred Meyer store, which is owned by Kroger, I quickly learned that this new era of plant-based burgers is not aimed at vegans like me. Scanning the plant-based refrigerated case and coming up empty, I asked a worker where to find the elusive burgers. “Meat aisle,” she said. “Gross!” I blurted unprofessionally before pulling myself ...

The latest heat waves are concerning for birds, whose eggs could be damaged from the skyrocketing temperatures. When extremely higher-than-normal temperatures occur in a region and prevail for several days, there is a possibility that bird eggs may not be able to incubate. Scientists are warning that such instances may drive vulnerable bird species out of existence. According to a study, a heat wave during the peak of Australia’s summer in February 2017 saw almost all zebra finch eggs fail to incubate. The maximum air temperature stayed above 40°C (104°F) for eight days straight. Ideally, zebra finches incubate their eggs at about 36°C to 38°C. Related: Record-breaking heat waves ravaging the West are not normal, scientists warn “The temperatures that killed these embryos, they are obviously just too much for the embryos to take,” Simon Griffith, professor and researcher at Macquarie University in Australia, told EcoWatch reporter Richa Malhotra. Griffith, who was part of a larg...

Wendy’s begins testing a new plant-based burger this week in three U.S. markets. But unlike other  fast food  joints, Wendy’s is using a good old whole food — black beans — rather than ultra-processed pea proteins used in more realistic faux meats. The Spicy Black Bean Burger costs $5.79 and is available in Pittsburgh, PA; Columbus, OH; and Jacksonville, FL. The chain is emphasizing the spiciness of its bean  burger , which features paprika, chipotle and a slice of pepper jack cheese. Wendy’s also dissed McDonald’s in a statement, saying “certain plant-based creations have spawned a bland reputation for the category — looking at you McImpossible — but luckily, Wendy’s has spice in her DNA.” Related: What Taco Bell’s menu changes mean for fast food-loving vegans “Consumers are looking for flavor, and unfortunately there’s boring and bland options out there from our competition,” Wendy’s Chief Marketing Officer Carl Loredo said in February, as reported by CNN  Busi...

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”  This seems to be a popular mantra amongst the go-getters of the world. In fact, I’d be willing to wager you’ve heard of at least one highly successful person who prides themselves on their ability to consistently crush goals with as little as three or four hours of sleep per night. [1] You might have made a similar statement yourself at times when life feels too chaotic or exhilarating to even think of cutting into productive wakeful hours to catch up on some Zzzzs. If others are succeeding with minimal sleep, then perhaps you can, too. Yet, you may continue to wonder, “how much sleep do I need to maintain high-achiever status without snoozing my life away?” The key to answering this question is to find your own personal sweet spot that factors in your optimal restorative sleep duration, current lifestyle, and sustainable level of daily function. In this article, I’ll discuss a simple 3-step process to explore and discover how much sleep you need to ...

The winners of the 2021 Skyscraper Competition organized by eVolo Magazine have been announced. The awards, granted annually since the beginning of the competition in 2006, are based on exceptional innovative plans in skyscraper design. The Skyscraper Competition is a top-bar award for high-rise design and represents forward thinking in technology , material selection, programs, aesthetics and spatial organization. Winning designs challenge current understanding of vertical architecture and its connection to the surrounding environmental and human-built elements, as well as the citizens of the city.  Related: “Carbon-absorbing” vertical forest skyscraper nears completion in Taipei The 2021 competition received 492 project applications from around the globe, from which the jury selected three winners and 20 honorable mentions.  First place: Living Skyscraper The first place design was awarded to the team made up of members Andrii Lesiuk, Mykhaylo Kohut, Sofiia Shkoliar, K...

According to Metsä Wood, construction creates an estimated  30% of all CO2 emissions and uses up to 50% of the world’s resources . The standard use of concrete is cost-effective, but it produces a high amount of carbon dioxide. Wood is the best  environmental  choice because of its capacity to capture carbon. However, innovations haven’t yet found a way to make wood work for every application. So, a Finnish company created a hybrid sandwich wall element that replaces half the required concrete for more sustainable construction practices.  “Around 1 million square metres of concrete wall elements are produced annually in Finland. Their load-bearing core creates 45,000 tons of CO2 emissions. If all concrete walls were replaced with hybrid sandwich wall elements, CO2 emissions would decrease by 30,000 tons a year and 95,000 tons of carbon would be stored,” Jussi Björman, Director of Business Construction at Metsä Wood, explained. Related: Minimalist, low-carbon home...