Natural. Non-toxic. Biodegradable. It’s possible for manufacturers to cover a multitude of environmental sins with a carefully – if inaccurately – chosen word. And most of them do, as a US House of Representatives committee on greenwash recently found. 98% of the products claiming to be environmentally friendly are guilty of greenwash. That in itself …
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Category:7 Holonics and Life
Home by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Famous for his ‘earth from above footage’, photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s new film, Home, is a feast for the eyes with a strong ecological message. It’s not the usual eco-movie. It’s filmed from above, which makes it spectacular. It gradually unfolds a story, starting with the birth of Earth, and then moves onto how it developed, …
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Organic ‘mainstream agriculture in waiting’
We’ve known for a long time that organic agriculture is what the planet needs. A new report shows how much it has to offer and that it must become the mainstream. The new independent report by the University of Reading shows that organic farming has “much to offer” and “is, perhaps, mainstream agriculture in waiting.” …
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US over-regulation to outlaw organic growing?
There are concerns circulating on the internet that organic farming could be ‘banned’ by a new Bill about to be presented to the US House and Senate. The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (bill HR 875) proposes measures to enforce the use of pesticides and fertilisers to ensure ‘food safety’. The Bill’s jurisdiction might …
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Sustainable Energy – Without The Hot Air
Read the book, or chapters, or synopsis, here. This remarkable book sets out, with enormous clarity and objectivity, the various alternative low-carbon pathways that are open to us. Sir David King FRS Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government, 2000-08 For anyone with influence on energy policy, whether in government, business or a campaign group, …
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God, man and growth
Some research was carried out in 2003 to explore the connection between religion, religiousness and economic growth. The story is told in this article by The Economist: God, man and growth. The conclusion supports the thesis that values are key to social and economic success, not religion itself. It is the belief in being part …
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Being a “guy” can get you killed.
The reluctance of men to adopt a healthy lifestyle appears to be fuelling a gender gap in cancer cases and deaths. Among cancers which affect both genders, men are 60% more likely to develop the disease and 70% more likely to die from it, Cancer Research UK said. There is no known biological reason for …
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Watch the planet breathe.
Sometimes its hard to see the big picture. Its difficult to step outside ourselves and realise that we are part of something larger than ourselves. Our plant is a living system and we are an organism on its skin – one that is rather parasitic at the moment though we could be benign. To get …
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More evidence: females outperform.
Another study, now from the UK, shows that women outperform men at university level. A Higher Education Policy Institute report shows that women are more likely to get places in the top universities and go on to get better grades. This should not be surprising after all females have more DNA than males and are …
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Hexayurt – a great design for low impact building.
The Hexayurt is a prize-winning shelter you can build yourself for about $200 (backup link). Suitable raw materials include common building materials ( fire safe insulation boards,) hexacomb cardboard and plastic. You cut six 4′ x 8′ panels in half diagonally to make the roof, and use six more whole panels to form the walls. …
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