Eco-Vlog

Travelers often wonder if claims of ecotourism and sustainability are greenwashing. That’s why the  Global Sustainable Tourism Council  (GSTC) developed the GSTC Criteria. The organization vets destinations,  hotels  and tour operators for sustainable management and socioeconomic, cultural and environmental impact. Türkiye, also known as Turkey, became the world’s first government to start developing a national plan with GSTC. The folks at Türkiye Tourism collectively answered some questions for Inhabitat about sustainable tourism in Türkiye. Inhabitat: Türkiye’s government has become the first in the world to sign an agreement to develop a national program with GSTC. What do you think makes the country so forward-thinking about sustainability? Türkiye Tourism:  We believe the impact of  COVID-19  on tourism and travel provides us with a unique opportunity to shape a new future for our vital sector and ensure we recover sustainably and inclusively i...

Kari-Out, makers of takeout food packaging containers, invested over $10 million in sustainable paper manufacturing to support their work greening restaurant leftovers. Kari-Out is a leading manufacturer, importer and distributor of paper , aluminum and recyclable packaging products for the restaurant takeout industry. The company’s largest investment to date will be used to expand manufacturing capabilities in Kari-Out’s specialty quality packaging facility in New York. That’s where Kari-Out’s popular food trays, eco box and eco earth paper food containers are produced.  Related: Notpla plant-based packaging is helping the world plastic problem “State-of-the-art machines with new die-cutting, folding and forming technology will allow Kari-Out to double its capacity for paper containers, producing innovative new shapes and sizes to accommodate the changing carry-out industry,” said Dominick Fontana, head of operations for Kari-Out. Furthermore, the investment will focus o...

Fishing is a popular pastime, serving up a combination of required patience along with the rewarding adrenaline of a catch on the line. However, there are certain types of adrenaline even the most dedicated fisherman avoids, including engagement with sharks.  When wading for redfish, sea trout, snook, tarpon and other shallow water fish, fishermen put themselves in shared water with sharks hunting the same animals . In some areas, it’s only a matter of time before the shark takes the bait, endangering the fish, the shark and the fisherman.  Related: Shark populations have decreased by 71% in the last 50 years Sharkbanz offers a two-point solution to the issue. Their products, developed by diver, surfer and water enthusiast Nathan Garrison and his father, protects not only fishermen. Additionally, it protects anyone enjoying shark-inhabited waters, including the marine wildli f e .  For the fisherman, the Sharkbanz Zeppelin is a shark deterrent used in conjunctio...

In the heart of the Andes mountains , ancient cultures developed weaving techniques passed down for generations. These beautiful items are being sustainably made to this day, using the same natural materials and techniques that have worked for thousands of years. One company, EcuaFina, is now selling these items for everyone in the world to enjoy. Their mission is to give weavers in Ecuador the chance to sell their products for a fair price. At the same time, they get to share their work with the world and make these gorgeous items available on a much wider scale. Related: Indigenous leaders hold Ecuador accountable for oil spill Environmentally, Ecuador is one of the most diverse countries in the world. Farther back in history, Ecuador was part of the massive and mighty Incan Empire. They were making fashion history as early as the 1700s, when the country became famous for its Panama hats. The straw hats were made in Ecuador and shipped to Panama, where they became popular with ...

Several environmental advocacy groups have launched a campaign to pressure bitcoin miners to change their coding and reduce energy consumption. Led by Environmental Working Group and Greenpeace USA, the campaign claims the massive amount of energy miners use could decrease by 99% with a coding style change.  According to some reports, bitcoin mining currently uses as much energy as all of Sweden. With cryptocurrency adoption booming, the demand for mining energy reopened previously closed U.S. fossil plants. In response, a campaign dubbed  Change the Code Not the Climate  wants to change crypto mining’s resource-intensive coding approach. Related: Understanding NFTs and energy consumption “Coal plants which were dormant or slated to be closed are now being revived and solely dedicated to bitcoin mining. Gas plants, which in many cases were increasingly economically uncompetitive, are also now being dedicated to bitcoin mining . We are seeing this all across the count...

What’s cold, as big as Rome and should be firmly rooted in  Antarctica ? The Conger ice shelf, which collapsed in mid-March due to record high temperatures. The Conger collapse “is one of the most significant collapse events anywhere in Antarctica since the early 2000s when the Larsen B ice shelf disintegrated,” said Catherine Colello Walker, an earth and planetary scientist at Nasa and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, as reported by The Guardian. “It won’t have huge effects, most likely, but it’s a sign of what might be coming.” Scientists track changes to the ice via satellite data. Related: Critical Antarctic ice shelf breaking away at an alarming rate Ice shelves are floating glacier-fed sheets of ice attached to land. They are supposed to be permanent, or at least relatively stable for millions of years. A heat-trapping atmospheric river bumped temperatures up to record March highs of about 11 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in the collapsed shelf. When shelves co...

In response to the growing urgency of the climate crisis, New York ’s Bread Alone bakery became the first commercial bakery in the U.S. to operate on 100% renewable energy. They recently unveiled a $4 million net-zero facility.  In 1983, Bread Alone opened its doors in Boiceville, New York to serve the community as a values-driven enterprise. The reopening of the company’s Boiceville Bakery and Café is its revitalization. Moreover, the location reopened as an 8,000 square-foot, net-zero energy facility that operates on zero fossil fuels. The facility will serve as a commercial bakery and café . It will also supply Bread Alone’s four Hudson Valley cafes and its New York City farmer’s markets.  Related: This human-powered bakery can provide bread for 150 summer campers a day Moreover, a combination of strategies achieved the resulting net zero. A 366 kilowatt on-site solar array allows the bakery to renewably produce all energy on-site consumed. Furthermore, the solar pow...

Knitters have long known about the health benefits of their hobby: reduced depression, anxiety and blood pressure and an increased sense of wellbeing, to name a few. But now, more and more knitters are finding a way to help both the environment and the homeless — by using recycled plastic yarn, or plarn, and knitting mats and sleeping bags for people sleeping outside. What is plarn? The origins of plarn are hazy. The material mentioned on the internet for more than a decade, but there’s no official inventor. It’s probably that multiple people came up with the idea independently. Related: LEED gold LGBT senior complex provides homes to the homeless So, here’s how to make plarn. First, sort your plastic bags by color. Then, choose a first color. Let’s go with white. Lay your first white bag out flat. Fold it in half lengthwise, then in half again. Use scissors to cut off the top handle. Then, cut your folded bag into strips about an inch wide. This will form loops. Once you have ...

A new  report  written by NDN Collection, an Indigenous non-profit group, slammed the several government agencies for misleading the public on the impacts of the Dakota Access Pipeline project. The report directly implicates Dakota Access Pipeline’s parent company Energy Transfer and the federal government for failing to cooperate with impacted Indigenous Nations. Among the failures outlined by the report is the use of poor technology and substandard science in carrying out the impact assessment of the project. The report further criticizes the Army Corp of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency. The agencies are said to have failed to conduct a realistic and comprehensive environmental impact assessment of the project. Related: Victory at Standing Rock as Dakota Access pipeline shut down Additionally, the report factored in new information about oil quality, the impact of oil spills , leakage and faulty infrastructure. According to NDN Collective, the report c...

Studios 90 is located in the town of Kodla in Karnataka, India , and is one of Sanjay Puri Architects’ recently finished works. The project provides housing for workers of a new local cement factory. The sustainable housing complex adopts a tripartite design model encompassing the socio-cultural context, environment and economy. The building consists of pop-out cubical forms, including 18 studio apartments , 54 hostel rooms and 18 guesthouse rooms. These spaces share facilities on the ground level, including a cafeteria, lounge, gym, and game room. Related: ODA’s vibrant new complex transforms a conventional DC block Three primary colors, red, blue and yellow, add a pop of color to each balcony. The colors pay homage to regional Holi celebrations. Holi, the festival of color, is celebrated using vibrantly-colored pigments. These colors include those used in the residences. The architects carefully designed the housing complex to mitigate local climatic conditions. This is becau...