Positive Quote Wednesday - on Walking
January 12, 2012 by admin · View Comments
If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. ~Raymond Inmon
A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White
I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. ~John Muir, 1913, in L.M. Wolfe, ed., John Muir, John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, 1938
Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow. ~Henry David Thoreau
Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time. ~Steven Wright
I have two doctors, my left leg and my right. ~G.M. Trevelyan
My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing. ~Aldous Huxley
When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake. ~Wallace Stevens
After a day’s walk everything has twice its usual value. ~George Macauley Trevelyan
I dream of hiking into my old age. ~Marlyn Doan
No city should be too large for a man to walk out of in a morning. ~Cyril Connolly
Solvitur ambulando, St. Jerome was fond of saying. To solve a problem, walk around. ~Gregory McNamee
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir
Thoughts come clearly while one walks. ~Thomas Mann
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. ~John Muir
Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. ~Soren Kierkegaard
Walks. The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird. ~Jules Renard
Author walking on beach in New Jersey.
Beth
Spell Casting for Positivity
November 1, 2011 by admin · View Comments
1. Identifying the purpose of the spell
This first step allows you to collect your thoughts and become conscious of your internal state as well as drawing your awareness to any physical sensations that arise in response to your current situation. This places you fully in the present moment as you contemplate what it is you truly seek, where the root of the matter lies, if your heart is in it and how best to phrase your instruction in an affirmative, current statement to attain resonance on all levels.2. Preparation for the spell
Gather ingredients such as herbs, crystals or candles, decide on timing in accordance with lunar phases or other natural rhythms and plan what your rite will be, to get into the head space that channels life force toward your desire. The process of planning your petition subtly addresses your sentiments around the subject and creates an opening in your energy indicating your willingness to receive what you are asking for.3. Creating sacred space from which to cast the spell
Next is to enter a space that is a time with no time in a place with no place where you turn within and connect with your core being. This meditative state facilitates alpha brain waves and verifies your connection with the Greater Whole. In essence, you enter an energy vortex that is untouched by time and that expands throughout all dimensions. It is from this place of unity with the fabric of the universe that you are able to harness Original Substance and craft it into manifest form.4. Performing the rite itself
This step often consists of a symbolic gesture such as lighting a candle, burning a prayer paper or fashioning a talisman ~ your right brain responds to images and the carrying out of the act itself conveys a strong message to your subconscious mind. Casting a spell shifts your consciousness and provides a sense of action, similar to how locking a door affirms your sense of security. The thrill of casting magic alone raises your vibration, welcomes magical experiences and invites possibilities into your awareness.5. Loading/Magnetising
Charge an item or raise the intensity of energy within the cone of power (vortex) you have conjured. This can be done through holding a vision of your desired result in rich visualisation, chanting a rhyme, brandishing a wand, drumming, dancing or a myriad other ways that facilitate pouring your creative essence into the etheric form of your intention. Loading aligns body, mind, emotion and spirit to cohere into a swirling magical missile.6. Release
Finally, cast your magic into the universe like a cosmic flare and severe any attachment to the outcome by forgetting about it and going about your day as usual in the full knowledge that it is done. This practise relinquishes control and allows aspects unknown to you to unfold.
Stella Seaspirit fosters your Witchiness and refines your energy-crafting abilities by offering a unique and fresh outlook on Witchcraft as a living philosophy in a simple to understand way. Her goal is to assist you to cast more potent magic. Stella is the creator of Magick by Design coaching and facilitates the Sparkling Witch Tribe, a private online sanctum. Sashay over to her website to get your free Witchification Kit. Connect via Twitter and Facebook.
Beth
Encore! 10 Extinct Lifeforms Worth Resurrecting
October 25, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steve in Animals & Habitats & Nature & Ecosystems & Science & Research. ]
Gone before their time? These 10 extinct species are certainly gone but they’re not forgotten, and they may not even be gone for good if biological technology continues to advance. Could we bring them back? Should we even try? If the answer to the former is “yes”, then the question of the latter is moot.
Woolly Mammoth
(images via: BBC, Loyal K.N.G and Real Simple)
Great herds of Woolly Mammoths roamed over huge swathes of the northern hemisphere for tens of thousands of years, and you’d better believe they left their mark – among other things – on the frozen tundra. It’s impossible to calculate the beneficial effect of dropped dung by the megaton year after year, millennium after millennium, on the arctic environment but we can assume those vast, empty plains would be much more fertile after our shaggy pals resume dumping much more fertilizer.
(image via: DesignerAnimals2011)
Mammoths haven’t been extinct for too long, geologically speaking, with the last dwarf population on Siberia’s isolated Wrangel Island finally biting the permafrost around 1650 BC. Speaking of permafrost, hundreds of mammoths remain preserved to an astonishing, er, degree in what’s been called “nature’s freezer”, and their DNA is perhaps the least degraded of any ancient extinct creature.
Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger)
(images via: Rainforest Info, Haunted America Tours and Retrieverman’s Weblog)
Plagues of introduced invasive rabbits, starving kangaroo herds needing to be culled – if only Australia had a native apex predator that could naturally curb animal population booms… oh wait, they did, but it’s extinct.
(images via: Convict Creations and University of Melbourne)
Though the Thylacine (or Tasmanian Tiger) hasn’t roamed Australia itself for thousands of years, the species managed a last stand on the island of Tasmania along with its relative, the Tasmanian Devil. Pressure from humans (Europeans, not the native aborigines) led to the last Tasmanian Tiger dying in captivity at the Hobart Zoo in September of 1936.
(image via: Australian Government)
Sightings of what are said to be wild thylacines are reported every so often these days but more solid evidence such as hair, scat or even footprints haven’t been forthcoming. The world’s museums contain a number of thylacine remnants, however, including stuffed specimens and pups preserved in formaldehyde. Experiments to ascertain the existence of viable thylacine DNA are ongoing and it’s likely the complete Tasmanian Tiger genome will be sequenced in the very near future.
American Chestnut Tree
(images via: Shady Rest and Mother Nature Network)
A century ago, huge stands of American Chestnut trees made up as much as 25 percent of forested lands in the eastern United States. From Maine to Mississippi, as many as 3 billion Chestnut trees standing up to 45 meters (150ft) tall and as much as 3 meters (10ft) wide provided food, shelter and pollen to an ecosystem much more diverse than today’s. In 1904, however, an accidentally introduced, airborne chestnut blight was noticed in trees at New York’s Bronx Zoo. The fungus spread rapidly and within a few short decades the American Chestnut tree was functionally extinct.
(image via: Treehugger)
American Chestnuts are not “extinct” in the pure sense of the word. Less than 100 mature trees survive in its former range, and trees planted in western North America by 19th century pioneers and settlers have thrived without being infected by chestnut blight. Efforts are underway to impart immunity to American Chestnut trees, ironically from the related Chinese Chestnut trees that have naturally evolved resistance to the fungus.
Dunkleosteus
(images via: Club des Monstres, Satori Smiles and Esoriano)
380 million years ago our primitive vertebrate ancestors were taking their first tentative steps onto dry land. What would compel these early proto-amphibians to leave the warm confines of earth’s primeval oceans? Dunkleosteus, perhaps. Measuring up to 10 meters (33ft) in length, weighing roughly three and a half tons and possessed of the strongest bite of any creature EVAR, this so-called “hypercarnivore” conducted a 20 million year reign of terror without stopping for a lunch break. Actually, the 20 million years WAS its lunch break.
(image via: Taburin)
Times have changed since then, and Dunkleosteus is no longer the terror of the sea… it’s no longer, period. Maybe it’s due for a revival, however. The warming oceans are rapidly being depleted of fish by the descendents of Dunkleosteus’ former prey and fisherman are finding their nets clogged with humongous jellyfish instead. If a reconstituted population of “Dunkies” could be induced to chow down on the jumbo jellyfish, what would the result be? Less jumbo jellyfish and more gigantic fish to feed those hungry hungry humans. Sounds like a plan!
Aurochs
(images via: The Sixth Extinction, Andrew Isles and Telegraph UK)
Domestic cattle provide beef for our dinner tables but at what cost? Overused antibiotics and veterinary growth hormones like BSE are contaminating groundwater supplies, while standardization of beef cattle may lead to a depleted gene pool vulnerability to new diseases. One possible solution is to get back to basics by bringing back Bos Primigenius, also known as the Aurochs.
(images via: Canadian Content, Andrew Isles and Ertai’s Lament)
This ill-tempered ancestor to today’s cattle breeds, holdover from the Eurasian Ice Age megafauna, and star of many magnificent paleolithic cave paintings thrived in isolated areas of central Europe up until the late Middle Ages. The last recognized purebred Aurochs died in Poland, in 1627.
(image via: Dididumm)
As the Aurochs is an ancestral species with living descendants, it should be possible to “backbreed” and eventually produce an animal very close to the ancient Aurochs. In fact, the brother Heinz and Lutz Heck began back-breeding experiments in the 1920s that resulted in today’s Heck Cattle. Approximately 2,000 Heck Cattle now exist and biologists are continuing efforts to increase the size of the cattle to match that of the formidable Aurochs.
Meganeura (Giant Dragonfly)
(images via: Multi.fi, Amici-in-Allegria and OSU Geology)
Ancient Earth wasn’t quite a Garden of Eden, though 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous period the land was very green indeed. The air was different as well, being generally warmer with a higher ration of oxygen. It’s the latter characteristic that allowed several species of gigantic insects to survive and thrive, including Meganeura, the Giant Dragonfly. Fossil specimens display wingspans of over 75cm (2.5ft) and its estimated the creature’s diet included small amphibians.
(image via: Animal Pictures Archive)
Reintroducing Meganeura would be problematic to say the least: today’s atmosphere likely isn’t sufficiently oxygen-rich and the creature would quickly suffocate. As to WHY Meganeura should be revived, let’s recall that today’s dragonflies are potent predators of mosquitoes. Considering the damage done by mosquito-borne diseases and the fact that these illnesses are spreading, I’m willing to give Meganeura a shot at squishing the skeeters.
Smilodon (Saber-Toothed Cat)
(images via: Amazing Data, Science Blogs and Pathfinders)
Smilodon existed from about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago, and in its heyday was the most deadly predator North and South America had seen since T Rex. The species’ most terrifying member had to have been Smilodon Populator, which translates from Latin to “Smilodon the Devastator”. Standing 4 feet (1.22m) high at the shoulder and weighing up to half a ton or 470kg, this resident of eastern Brazil sported signature “saber” canine teeth a foot (30cm) long and ate… well, pretty much anything it wanted.
(image via: AVPH)
We may see the extinction of wild tigers in our lifetimes and lions are in decline as well. Shouldn’t we concentrate our efforts on conserving these existing species, you ask? We should and we are – and their populations are still shrinking. Bringing back saber-toothed cats, on a very limited basis, might serve as a swan song to the planet’s most majestic felines. If it doesn’t work out, well, we’ve still got the La Brea tar pits.
Steller’s Sea Cow
(images via: Seapics, Hancock House and Exposea)
Steller’s Sea Cows once peacefully browsed kelp beds in the western Pacific ocean. Said to be completely tame and showing no fear of humans whatsoever, these relatives of Dugongs and Manatees were toothless having flat plates of bone instead of a regular dentition. The placid creatures were also huge: adults grew up to 9 meters (30 ft) in length and weighed up to 10 tons.
(image via: It’s Nature)
Discovered and named in 1741, Steller’s Sea Cow became extinct in 1768 – it took us a mere 27 years to wipe out a species that took countless millennia to evolve. Somehow that just doesn’t seem fair. These big boys (and girls) deserve another chance and if biology can find some way to reconstitute them as a species, it should be done.
Lepidodendron (Giant Club Moss)
(images via: BBC, Carl’s Corner and WN.com)
Soaring 30 meters (100ft) high with massive trunks over a meter (3.3ft) in diameter, the Giant Club Moss was the undisputed giant of the Carboniferous forest. Packed several thousand to the acre, great stands of Lepidodendron rose and fell quickly: it’s estimated these early trees only lived 10 to 15 years. We owe our huge reserves of coal to the fallen forests of the Carboniferous, which coincidentally owes its name to the very beds of coal it produced.
(image via: Science Buzz)
Restoring Lepidodendron could be a tremendous boost to our energy resources. Not to produce coal – that would take millions of years – but instead as biofuel. Giant Club Moss forests could be re-established on marginal wetlands and swampy areas not used for farming; their fast growth and rapid turnover allowing for bountious harvests every decade. What’s more, Earth’s ancient Coal Forests helped sequester enormous amounts of carbon, reducing atmospheric CO2 and boosting oxygen levels… the revived Giant Dragonflies are gonna love it!
Neanderthal Man
(images via: Big Ideas Blog, The Independent and Esquire)
“Flintstones, meet the Flintstones…” and some day, maybe we will! The complete Neanderthal genome was successfully sequenced in 2009 and subsequent analysis indicates between 1 and 4 percent of the genes of non-African modern humans is of Neanderthal origin. Neanderthal Man may be extinct as a distinct species, however he (and she) lives on within us. Looking for a “cave man”? Try looking in the mirror.
(image via: Feminine Beauty)
Since “breeding back” isn’t a realistic option where people are concerned, possibilities of resurrecting Neanderthals revolve around preserved DNA. The last true Neanderthals walked the Earth approximately 25,000 to 30,000 years ago and such DNA which has been found is greatly degraded. It will depend on advanced gene sequencing technology available sometime in the near future whether Neanderthal DNA can be repaired sufficiently to be viable… and the next step would be finding a willing surrogate mother for little Pebbles or Bam-Bam.
(image via: Disclose TV)
In the late, great George Carlin’s epic riff on Saving The Planet, GC not only reminds us that 99.9% of all the species that ever lived are now extinct (“We didn’t kill them all”), he also points out that interfering with this natural process is just another example of arrogant human meddling. Maybe so, but we’re meddlers by nature who like to put things right if we possibly can. “Haven’t we done enough?”, Carlin asks. Indeed we have, but to quote another wise old sage (Curly from City Slickers), “the day ain’t done yet.” My guess is, neither are we.
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Beneficial Bacteria: 12 Ways Microbes Help The Environment
September 26, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Energy & Fuel & History & Trivia & Science & Research. ]
We have become obsessed with eliminating bacteria, attacking with gels and wipes the microbes we associate with infection, illness and death. But not only are many types of bacteria actually helpful, some strains may hold the key to fighting global warming, cleaning up pollution, breaking down plastic and even developing a cure for cancer. These 12 amazing discoveries demonstrate the many ways in which microscopic organisms help maintain the health of our own bodies and the entire planet.
Gulf Oil Spill Gases Eaten by Bacteria
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Certain types of bacteria can actually clean up troublesome environmental pollutants like spilled petroleum. In fact, a specific strain called Alcanivorax drastically increases in population when an oil spill provides them with large amounts of food, so that they’re able to remove much of the oil. They’re at work on the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico right now, and while they certainly can’t undo the vast damage that has been done to this region as a result, they definitely provide a beneficial effect.
Bacteria Eat Pollution and Generate Electricity
(images via: science news)
Bacteria with tiny wire-like appendages called nanowires not only digest toxic waste – including PCBs and chemical solvents – they produce electricity while they’re at it. One type in particular, called Shewanella, is a deep-sea bacteria that grows these oxygen-seeking nanowires when placed in low-oxygen environments. Researchers discovered that when the microbes’ nanowires are pricked with platinum electrodes, they can carry a current. If these capabilities can be harnessed effectively, they could one day be used in sewage treatment plants to simultaneously digest waste and power the facilities.
Geobacter Consume Radioactive Contamination
(images via: wikimedia commons, sharenator)
The nanowires grown by certain types of bacteria can also be used to immobilize harmful materials – like uranium – and keep them from spreading. A research team at Michigan State University has learned that Geobacter bacteria, which is found naturally in soil, essentially electroplates uranium, rendering it insoluble so it can’t dissolve and contaminate groundwater. These bacteria can be brought into uranium contamination sites like mines and nuclear plants in order to contain the radiation, potentially limiting the disastrous consequences of these types of spills.
Plastic-Eating Bacteria Breaks Down Bags
(image via: katerha)
Non-biodegradable and far too ubiquitous on this planet, plastic becomes a big problem when it comes to disposal. But in 2008, a Canadian student carried out a truly amazing science experiment in which bacteria were able to consume plastic. Since then, research teams have been working on developing this ability and using it to our benefit. A professor at the University of Dublin got the bacteria to metabolize cooked-down plastic bottles into a new type of plastic that’s actually biodegradable.
Earlier this year, scientists discovered that bacteria are already breaking down plastic debris in the world’s oceans on their own, though they’re not yet sure whether this will have a positive or negative effect on the environment. Items like fishing line and plastic bags are devoured by these bacteria; the problem is that the waste that the bacteria then produce could potentially be harmful to ocean ecosystems as it travels up the food chain.
Nylon-Eating Bacteria Clean Up Factory Waste
(image via: ingrid taylar)
We count on a polymer called Nylon 6 for all kinds of everyday uses like toothbrushes, surgical sutures, ropes, hosiery and strings for instruments like violins. The manufacture of this material produces toxic byproducts that get carried out in waste water – but – you guessed it – there’s a bacterium for that, too. Flavobacterium actually evolved to produce special enzymes to digest these byproducts that they didn’t have previously, and that aren’t seen in similar bacterial strains.
In fact, the ability to produce these enzymes in order to consume a material that didn’t even exist prior to the invention of nylon in 1935 is often used as evidence against the theory of creationism, which denies that any new information can be added to a genome by mutation.
Metabolizing Methane, A Greenhouse Gas
(images via: livescience)
One of the most dangerous greenhouse gases, methane is produced by all sorts of industrial and natural processes, including the decomposition of our own waste and that of livestock. Scientists fighting global warming are struggling to find ways to control the effects of methane, but one solution could come from a simple single-celled microorganism. Some types of bacteria use copper from the environment to metabolize methane, eliminating both the greenhouse gas and toxic heavy metals all at once.
Researchers are still trying to determine how to use this in real-world applications, but some options may include venting methane emissions through filters of these bacteria. What’s more, after eating the methane, the bacteria turn it into methanol – so we can harvest their waste for use as fuel.
Turning Newspapers into Car Fuel
(images via: striatic)
Microbes named T-103, found in animal waste, can produce the biofuel butanol by eating paper. Tulane University developed a method for growing the cellulose-consuming microbes so they can produce fuel in the presence of oxygen, which is lethal to other butanol-producing bacteria. This could make the whole fuel production process far less expensive and thus more potentially applicable in the real world. The researchers say that butanol produces more energy than ethanol, which is produced from corn sugar, and doesn’t require engine modifications. It can also be carried through existing fuel pipelines.
Soil-Dwelling Bacteria Kills Cancer
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Cancer and bacteria don’t go well together – at least, when you’re talking about immune response. But one type of bacteria, called Clostridium sporogenes, may actually be used to deliver drugs in cancer therapy thanks to its ability to target tumors. Professor Nigel Minton of the University of Nottingham has learned that C. sporogenes will only grow in oxygen-depleted environments – like the center of solid tumors. When injected into a tumor log with cancer drugs, the bacteria can help the drugs kill the tumor cells without affecting healthy tissue. Researchers expect to have a streamlined strain developed for use in a clinical trial by 2013.
Panda Poop Bacteria Makes Biofuel
(images via: wikimedia commons)
“Who would have guessed that ‘panda poop’ might help solve one of the major hurdles to producing biofuels, which is optimizing the breakdown of the raw plant materials used to make the fuels?” says Ashli Brown, Ph.D., co-author of a study on how bacteria in panda feces can break down a super-tough plant material known as lignocellulose. This discovery could speed up development of plant-based biofuels that don’t rely on food crops. Several types of digestive bacteria found in the panda feces are similar to those found in termites, which of course are pros at digesting wood.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that panda waste will suddenly be in demand for the production of biofuels – that would probably be a lost cause, given the extremely precarious status of the species. The bacteria that have been identified for their cellulose-processing abilities will be isolated and grown on a commercial scale. However, it does prove how important biodiversity really is, and that many species around the world may have more to offer than we realize.
Turning Human Waste into Rocket Fuel
(images via: elvertbarnes, wikimedia commons)
Pandas aren’t the only species whose waste may hold the key to producing fuel. With the help of the bacteria Brocadia anammoxidans, human sewage could be transformed into hydrazine, better known as rocket fuel. The bacteria naturally consume ammonia and produce hydrazine in the process. Until their discovery, scientists thought that hydrazine was only a man-made substance. However, this is less of a boon to NASA than it is to sewage treatment plants. In standard plants, waste-eating bacteria require oxygen to be pumped in with power-chugging equipment, so this development could save a lot of money.
Sulphur-Eating Bacteria Reduce Acid Run-Off
(image via: wikimedia commons)
When sulphur in mine tailings from mining operations react with water and oxygen, they produce toxic sulphuric acid, a major environmental problem which may also be contributing to climate change. Researchers at McMaster University found that two species of bacteria isolated from a mine tailings pond in northern Ontario work together to use sulphur as an energy source, producing and consuming each other’s sulphur-containing waste in a cycle that reduces the amount of toxic runoff Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). This runoff dissolves carbonate rocks and releases CO2, worsening climate change, so the more it is reduced, the less carbon dioxide gas is released into the atmosphere.
Probiotic Bacteria That Treat Depression & Anxiety
(images via: alancleaver_2000)
We already know that beneficial bacteria play an incredibly important role in our own biology, helping with everything from dental health to digestion. But probiotic bacteria may even alter brain neurochemistry, helping to treat anxiety and depression-related disorders. Researchers at McMaster University in Canada and University College Cork in Ireland demonstrated that mice fed with the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 showed a marked decrease in stress, anxiety and depression-related behaviors as well as lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This opens the door to potential microbial-based treatments for psychiatric disorders.
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Salty Power: Renewable Tidal Energy From Floating Platforms?
September 21, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design & Energy & Fuel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Solar and wind power are commonly looked to when we mention renewable energy, but there are plenty of other sources of renewable energy that has not yet been explored to its full potential. Deep sea currents are a natural force that is just ripe for the harnessing, and Italian designer Marco Paolucci thinks he has worked out a way to make good use of these powerful natural waves.
The S2S Project would place sustainable energy generators on the sea bed to harness the massive perpetual power of ocean tides and turn that power into clean, renewable electricity. Paolucci estimates that each generator could produce one megawatt of electricity.
The perpetual motion of tidal currents could provide enough energy to dramatically reduce the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. For all of their power, tidal currents haven’t been harnessed anywhere near their full potential. Sea-bound generators and floating control platforms could give the world a healthy boost toward weaning off of non-renewable oil and gasoline.
In Paolucci’s vision, the platforms will be outfitted with touch-screen control panels. The stations will not only be able to provide large amounts of clean, renewable energy – they will also be able to filter and desalinate sea water.
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Eco-Friendly Eats: 13 of the World’s Greenest Restaurants
July 8, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Food & Health. ]
How green can a restaurant be? Many eateries around the world have tried to answer this question with hyper-local, seasonal, and vegetarian menus and enough sustainable design details to make your head spin. These 13 restaurants include pop-up shipping container cafes, reclaimed airplanes and treehouses as well as more conventional dining establishments outfitted with solar panels, recycled materials, on-site vegetable gardens and other green features, serving up ethical food with an ultra-light carbon footprint.
The Grey Plume, Omaha, Nebraska
(images via: thegreyplume.com)
America’s greenest restaurant isn’t in New York or California as you might expect, but in the seemingly unlikely location of Omaha, Nebraska. The Grey Plume received the top honor from the Green Restaurant Association as it became the nation’s first three-star ‘Sustainabuild Certified Green Restaurant’ (it has since earned a fourth star). Not only does the restaurant feature a menu full of seasonal, locally-grown produce and farm-to-table meats and dairy products; it has also incorporated highly efficient appliances, solar-powered hand sinks, LED lighting, recycling and composting programs, non-toxic cleaning materials and eco friendly to-go products. All wood used to build The Grey Plume is FSC-Certified, and many of the other materials were recycled or sustainably sourced.
Singapore Take-Out Pop-Up Shipping Container Restaurant
(images via: inhabitat)
A custom mobile shipping container restaurant has launched a world tour, leaving its home of Singapore to take the country’s cuisine to places like London, Paris, Moscow, New York, Dubai and Sydney. The 20-foot used shipping container opens to display a mouth-watering assortment of Singaporean foods, and will also be used as a demonstration kitchen to show off Singapore’s culinary talent and food brands.
Acorn House, London, England
(images via: inhabitat)
Billed as London’s first truly sustainable restaurant, Acorn House serves seasonal food in the Shoreditch area of the city. The restaurant composts and recycles all of its waste, buys only organic and fair trade products as well as seasonal local foods, uses boxes that can be sent back to suppliers and picks up produce in its biodiesel car. Acorn House also boasts a training program that prepares local youths to become sustainability-minded chefs.
Slowpoke Espresso Cafe, Fitzroy, Australia
(images via: dezeen)
The walls of the Slowpoke Espresso Cafe in Fitzroy, Australia were turned into a rich tapestry of weathered wood by designer Anne-Sophie Poirier of Sasufi, who was working on a tight budget. In fact, Poirier used only recycled and reclaimed materials in the design, the wood scraps coming from local furniture makers. The warmth of the wood contrasts with bright white walls. Everything from the desks and lamp shades to tiles, vases and the street sign were sourced second-hand at flea markets.
Runway 34, Recycled Airplane Restaurant
(images via: inhabitat)
Airplanes aren’t typically sought-after destinations when it comes to dining. Then again, Runway 34 isn’t your typical airplane. A Soviet-era plane has been reclaimed as a restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland, allowing diners to sit beneath the plane and gaze up at its underbelly; inside the the cabin is a cigar lounge with a vintage vibe that recollects first-class cabins. Appropriately aviation-themed, the restaurant features ‘in-flight magazine racks’ and servers dressed as flight attendants.
Plant Cafe Organic, San Francisco, California
(images via: theplantcafe.com)
Designed by CCS Architecture, San Francisco’s Plant Cafe Organic has been named the city’s top vegetarian restaurant as well as its greenest eatery. With two locations renovated from historic warehouses and fronting the San Francisco Bay, Plant Cafe Organic stands out with a menu full of tasty dishes that are almost entirely organic and locally sourced.
Tang Palace Bamboo Restaurant, China
(images via: freshome)
Sustainable, fast-growing bamboo was used to create the stunning interiors of the Tang Palace Bamboo Restaurant in Hangzhou, China. Atelier FCJZ wove bamboo into a shell-like interior structure that flows throughout the space, enhancing privacy and fostering a sense of intimacy.
Say the designers, “The waved ceiling creates a dramatic visual expression within the hall. The hollowed-out bamboo net maintains the original story height and thereby creates an interactive relation between the levels. We also wrapped the core column with light-transmitting bamboo boards to form a light-box, which transforms the previously heavy concrete block into a light and lively focus object.”
Bloodwood Restaurant, Sydney, Australia
(images via: designdodo)
Reclaimed, recycled and recyclable materials were used to create the warm contemporary interiors of Bloodwood Restaurant & Bar in Sydney, Australia. The owners of Bloodwood commissioned designer Matt Woods to create a space that reflects their dedication to sustainability, which is also reflected in the restaurant’s largely seasonal menu. Salvaged doors, reclaimed timber and railway sleepers give the space a sense of age and history. The restaurant is lit with LED lights, the wine bottles are re-blown, and the kitchen makes use of scraps in order to reduce waste as much as possible.
Bamboo Sushi, Portland, Oregon
(images via: bamboosushipdx.com)
The world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant is in Portland, Oregon. Bamboo Sushi uses only the freshest ethically sourced fish, meats and produce available. Bamboo Sushi also purchases 100% of its power from renewable energy sources, offers reusable chopsticks and fully biodegradable take-out containers, and strives to compost or recycle all waste. “We maintain transparency and accountability for our customers through our multiple, nationally recognized certifications and rigorous, independent, third-party audits,” states the restaurant’s website.
Greenhouse Shipping Container Restaurant
(images via: greenhousebyjoost.com)
Joost Bakker’s Greenhouse Restaurant has a long list of eco-credentials that lodges it firmly within the world’s top eco-friendly eateries. The traveling Greenhouse Restaurant, which began in Sydney, Australia in 2010, is a follow-up to two similar projects by Joost including a pop-up version and a permanent version in Perth, also called Greenhouse Restaurant. Designed to be easily dismantled and recycled, The Greenhouse is made of used shipping containers; greenery covers the exterior walls and produce is grown on the roof. All incoming ingredients and supplies are delivered in reusable, returnable containers to eliminate waste, and many are locally produced. Food scraps make the soil in the rooftop garden richer, and oil from the deep fryer is turned into biodiesel to provide the restaurant’s electricity. The Greenhouse has traveled to Milan, Berlin, Brussels and London.
Wind & Solar Powered Burger King in Germany
(images via: inhabitat)
On a list of sustainable restaurants, a fast-food joint like Burger King definitely does not belong. Or does it? One location in Germany is powered entirely by on-site wind and solar energy, with waste heat providing the energy to heat water, energy-efficient LEDs to provide lighting and a broiler that reduces gas consumption. It also boasts a solar-powered electric vehicle charging station and rainwater collection to keep the landscaping green. However, it’s still Burger King, serving unsustainable and unhealthy food. If only these green efforts carried over into the company’s regular operations.
Treehouse Restaurant, New Zealand
(images via: yellowtreehouse.co.nz)
A pair of wooden cocoons dangle yards above the ground at the edge of a redwood forest. The Treehouse Restaurant in New Zealand is accessed by an elevated walkway and can seat 30 to 50 diners at a time. Made of sustainably grown poplar and pine, the restaurant has won multiple awards for its stunning design. While it’s now closed to the public, this unusual concept will undoubtedly inspire additional treehouse restaurants.
Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio, Napa Valley, California
(images via: fokal.com)
A vegetarian restaurant with an attached yoga studio in California’s lush and laid-back Napa Valley, Ubuntu serves a creative seasonal menu and sources its wine from biodynamic and sustainable vineyards, which are presumably plentiful in wine country. The fresh produce that makes the restaurant’s dishes so healthy and colorful is harvested from a local biodynamic garden and orchard. Designed by Apparatus Architecture, Ubuntu stuns with contemporary décor set against a 19th century stone wall.
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The Gates of Hell: Forever-Burning Crater of Poison
June 29, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Energy & Fuel & Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Turkmenistan is known for its offbeat tourist attractions, but one of the most unusual is the hole in the ground known as The Gates of Hell. The hole, an impressive 230 feet across, is filled with leaping flames that have been lighting up the area for 40 years.
Those looking for supernatural meanings could certainly come up with many to describe this surreal site. The actual origin of this oddity, however, is far more mundane. In 1971, a group of geologists drilling in the Darvaza area accidentally punched through the rock to a deposit of natural gas. The ground crumbled and fell away beneath the drilling equipment.
Since methane is considered dangerous when released into the atmosphere, the geologists decided to light the hole on fire and burn the methane off. They clearly expected it to be a simple, short-lived fire that would burn itself out within days. It was anything but simple.
Now, four decades later, the fire burns on. Looking into the pit, it is easy to understand how it got its name. It almost feels like stepping into this fiery abyss will take you directly to the devil’s lair. The massive deposits of methane below the entire field simply continue burning while curious travelers often make their way to the dangerous location with the sole purpose of peering into the bizarre burning hole.
In 2010 the Turkmenistan government decided that something should be done about the crater. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov ordered the hole covered up and the other gas deposits in the area explored for their mining viability. As of press time more than a year later, the crater continues to burn 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
(top image via Wikipedia – all other images via Atlas Obscura)
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Blue Holes to Infinity Falls: 13 Natural Swimming Pools
June 6, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
As the mercury rises it’s hard not to daydream about taking a dip in the cool, crystal-clear blue-green waters of some imagined paradise. These photos of 13 absolutely incredible natural swimming spots around the world, from a deadly pool atop 360-foot falls to a mirage-like oasis in the desert of Arizona, will have you booking a flight or at least searching for a cool swimming hole close to home.
Devil’s Pool, Victoria Falls, Zambia
(images via: oddity central)
Is the Devil’s Pool the most dangerous pool in the world? Some say yes, considering that it lies on the edge of Victoria Falls – and if you accidentally went over the side, there would be a long 360-foot drop before you reached the rocky base of the falls. That doesn’t stop people from swimming there – or parents from bringing their young children to catch a glimpse of the view from the cool waters. The images are so fantastic, people tend to think they’re faked. Swimming is only possible from September to December, when the river is low enough not to sweep people right over the falls, but at least one person does die every year.
Tat Kuang Si Waterfall, Luang Prabang, Laos
(images via: manymoonhoneymoon, yeowatzup)
Clear and beautifully blue-green, the waters of the Tat Kuang Si Waterfall in Luang Prabang, Laos are enticing, especially in the Laotian heat. You can either swim at the base or climb to the top and lounge in a swimming hole between tiers of the falls. The Tat Kuant Si Waterfall is located in a national park along the Mekong River,
Dean’s Blue Hole, Bahamas
(images via: national geographic, discover-eleuthera-bahamas.com)
Is this 1,000-foot-wide, almost perfectly round ‘blue hole’ in the Caribbean astounding or what? Especially when you learn that it’s 400 feet deep. Dean’s Blue Hole, located about 60 miles from Belize City, is the opening to what was once a dry cave during the Ice Age, which flooded when the ice melted and the sea level rose. It’s a favored spot for free divers, who plunge to great depths with no more equipment than their own two lungs.
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Pleasantly warm at temperatures between 98 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit, Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spring, attracts thousands of bathers every year. The water is rich in minerals like silica and sulfur, reputed to help some skin ailments. The lagoon is actually fed by a nearby geothermal power plant; the water comes up from the ground near a lava flow and is used to power turbines before it ends up in the pool.
Ginnie Springs, Florida
(images via: city-data.com, oceansportsinternational.com)
Stunningly clear, refreshingly cold and full of vast underwater cave systems, Ginnie Springs is one of the most visually spectacular natural swimming spots in Florida. Found in a privately-owned park along the Santa Fe River in the town of High Springs, this collection of seven springs offers activities like tubing, snorkeling, scuba diving and cave diving. Jacques Cousteau reportedly called the water deep in the springs the clearest in the world. This spot is definitely bustling with visitors practically year-round, and it’s easy to see why.
Yangbajain Hot Springs, Tibet
(images via: j2trip.com, supertightstuff.com)
Even in the middle of winter, the water at Yangbajain Hot Springs in Tibet is 70 degrees. Just like Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, this pool is fed by natural hot springs which are harnessed to produce geothermal power, which provides much of the energy used by the capital city Lhasa.
Little River Canyon, Alabama
(images via: swimmingholes.org)
Within the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi River is the Little River, which plunges into the canyon and then meanders through it for 12 miles, offering up a number of beautiful swimming holes that are popular with locals in the heat of summer. Swimmers jump off sandstone rocks into the water both at the base of the falls and an area on the canyon floor known as ‘Hippie Hole’.
Havasu Falls, Supai, Arizona
(images via: wikimedia commons)
This is definitely an oasis in the desert, and if you were lost enough to stumble upon it and think it were a mirage, you’d have well earned a dip in the aqua waters of Arizona’s Havasu Falls. Located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation just south of the Grand Canyon National Park, Havasu Falls is only accessible by helicopter or a ten-mile hike attended by pack mules. Havasu Creek is fed by a spring, so the water remains at a steady level and is 70 degrees year-round.
Mabinay Spring, Negros Oriental, Philippines
(images via: waysabel, luis llanera)
On the island of Negros Oriental in the Philippines is Mabinay Spring, a shady spring-fed lake surrounded by ancient trees. With free admission and easy accessibility, the cool spring is understandably popular with local residents and visitors alike.
Sliding Rock, Brevard, North Carolina
(images via: parke ladd, mountain moose)
Zoom down 60 feet of smooth rock into an icy-cold mountain-fed swimming hole at Sliding Rock, located off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Brevard, North Carolina. A long-popular ‘natural water park’ for locals, stairs and a handrail leading to the top have been added in recent years and lifeguards keep watch during the summer for safety. The pool at the bottom is 6-7 feet deep.
Natural Saltwater Swimming Pools, Azores
(images via: wicked good travel tips, panaramio, azores whales, holiday-rentals.co.uk)
Hemmed in by rocks, natural saltwater swimming pools have formed all along the coasts of the Azores archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the pools are nothing more than that, while others have been given concrete walls, steps and handrails to make them official. The pools allow all the joys of swimming in the ocean, but none of the violent waves that can make laying back and relaxing a little difficult.
Jellyfish Lake, Palau
(images via: echeng, Sky Chick Adventures, National Geographic, meremail, National Geographic, National Geographic)
Over 12,000 years ago in the island nation of Palau, jellyfish were trapped inside a cove when a rock island joined with the mainland, and over time, the body of water became a marine lake. This lake basically turned into jellyfish heaven, a safe place with few predators where the marine creatures could multiply freely – and that they most certainly did. More than 10 million of them occupy Jellyfish Lake, and the best part (for us, at least) is that their ability to sting went away as it was unneeded, so humans can safely swim among them.
Zacaton Cenote, Mexico
(images via: geology.com, flatrock.org.nz)
The world’s deepest water-filled sinkhole reaches an amazing 1,112 feet into the earth. Fed by a freshwater thermal spring, Zacatón Cenote measures over 328 feet across and is a notable diving site and was explored robotically by NASA to determine the depth. It’s unclear whether it’s actually possible to get to this epic swimming hole and take a dip, but we can dream, can’t we?
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Kite Power, Taking Off
April 19, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
Here’s a great video on a new form of energy that we’ve known about since we were kids:
Beth
Power Juicing: 2 Ads Using Oranges to Light the Way
April 17, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Energy & Fuel & Food & Health & Technology & Gadgets. ]
Most of us can agree that fruit is an excellent source of natural energy. Have you ever considered that it might be useful for fueling more than just the human body? Two separate ad agencies have developed, more than a year apart, ad campaigns using the natural power of fruit to produce electricity. The ads take the time-honored “lemon battery” science fair project and turn it into a fun study of the power of nature.
Imperial Leisure developed this ad in 2010 for Jaffa oranges. The film shows a large array of Jaffa orange slices powering an iPhone, giving a unique perspective to the amount of energy needed to run not only our electronic devices, but our bodies as well. Metal spikes (usually zinc and copper) pierce the oranges and a chemical change takes place in the metal. This reaction produces a small amount of power; when lots of the tiny batteries are linked together they can actually produce a significant amount of electricity.
Much more recently, French agency DDB developed this short film for Tropicana. A similar fruit battery concept is used to power a neon billboard reading “Natural Energy.” Imperial Leisure, the British agency that developed the Jaffa campaign, argue that the Tropicana billboard can’t actually be powering the lights because when the oranges are pushed onto the spikes more than two electrodes (one positive, one negative) are piercing each one, meaning the battery would short out rather than produce any power. Whether the billboard is actually powered by oranges or not, both ad campaigns are a fantastic reminder of the energy our bodies can gain from eating natural foods.
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