sustainability Archives – The Green Optimistic

Five Tactics to Use Behavioral Science to Combat Climate Change

Mila Luleva — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 06:58:22 +0000

Environmental and climate scientists are clearly not providing enough evidence to make people adopt climate-smart ways of living. Would then behavioral science help? Here are five ways to make use of it. We all know how to live an eco-conscious life. Switching to renewable energy has to happen faster, eating less meat should be our […]

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Ikea Pledges to Remove Single-Use Plastics and Other Sustainability Actions

Matthew Fiala — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 18:01:05 +0000

Within the next two years, Ikea will remove all single-use plastic from its product range and restaurants as part of its latest sustainability plan. The Swedish furniture retailer pledged to design all its products using “circular principles” with the aim of using only renewable and recycled materials. Ikea, known for its ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances […]

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The Only Country on Earth That Uses Resources Sustainably

Nicholas Say — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 06:21:25 +0000

A recent study conducted by a bunch of ‘University Types’ from the University of Leeds found that Vietnam is the only country on earth that is even close to using resources sustainably, and ensuring a good quality of life for its citizens. The study isolated a number of factors to quantify ‘quality of life’, and […]

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Sustainable Building and Material Designs You Can Use in Your Backyard

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:46:28 +0000

While there is, understandably, always a lot of focus on sustainable building design and materials for homes, interior décor, and offices, people who are interested in leading a more eco-friendly lifestyle also long to find ways to keep their backyard additions greener. Read on for some of the coolest sustainable designs you can consider today. […]

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Earth Overshoot Day 2017: Our Share of Earth’s Resources This Year are Gone.

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 12:00:04 +0000

Yesterday was Earth Overshoot Day. Earth’s resources are all we have right now when it comes to food, construction materials, a large part of the energy extracted, air and water. Yesterday, we’ve just depleted our consumption ratio for this year. What this means is that Earth can’t regenerate what we’ve consumed so far this year […]

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OPEC States It Doesn’t Give a Jack About Electric Vehicles

Courtney Lepping — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 19:39:17 +0000

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), a significant world oil contributor, recently displayed overconfidence in its presence and future influence despite the rise in electric vehicles. While car companies are looking to produce more electric vehicles, OPEC expects to continue providing oil for the car industry. OPEC’s members seem entirely ignorant of the world’s […]

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Creepy Green Project Wants to Turn Dead Bodies into Compost

Guest Contributor — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 05:20:43 +0000

As we get older it’s only natural to think about death, our own death. I jokingly have told my son, “just put my body in the back field with the goats and let me rot. I want to be fertilizer”! Now one company is making a difference. Katrina Spade, Founder, and Executive Director, of the […]

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Renewable Energy Targets Probably Won’t Work in India

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 19:16:05 +0000

As with other arbitrary renewable energy targets set by world governments, it is unlikely that India will meet its goal to generate 40% of its power with renewables by the year 2030. According to Business Standard, they currently support their grid with 15% renewable energy and experts estimate the country will need an additional 300,000-350,000 MW of […]

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5 Home Preservation Methods to Get Through the Winter (Or Any Time of Year)

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 19:14:22 +0000

Farmer’s markets are closing up for the year, and if you ended up with too much produce, here are some surprisingly simple home food preservation methods to get the most out of what local fresh produce is still available. 1. Fermentation Food that is preserved using fermentation actually does spoil, but the chemical processes produce friendly, rather […]

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The Value of Energy in Developing Countries

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 20:48:44 +0000

Here at Green Optimistic, we’ve talked about biomass stoves before. While the Mayon Turbo Stove doesn’t advance the design, it demonstrates how energy value plays a large part in attracting interest in renewables. In developing countries, importing fossils fuels can be a challenge. Since it is so expensive to cook without a fire, that in turn […]

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Foodfully – How to Reduce Food Waste with a Smartphone

Annika Tostengard — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 19:17:42 +0000

Food waste can leave a pretty big carbon footprint. The farther the food had to travel to get to your fridge, the bigger the footprint. However, the health issues surrounding healthy eating become more and more critical and adds another dimension to food management. It can feel overwhelming to navigate through a busy day, only to […]

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7 New Sustainable Designs from London Design Festival

Annika Tostengard — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:15:46 +0000

The latest, most innovative designs were on display at the recent London Design Festival. The SustainRCA exhibition featured several advances in materials and devices that will soon be changing the world into a better place from some of the most creative students at the Royal College of Art. Check out some of the most sustainable designs below below: […]

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San Francisco Parklets: Tiny Parks Replace Parking Lots

Annika Tostengard — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 04:56:59 +0000

San Francisco has a reputation as an eco-friendly system, and their parklets program demonstrates their commitment to green living. For the last five years, the city’s business owners have been busy turning ugly parking lots into gorgeous, tiny parks. Some are just a few plants, while some have places to sit down and relax, but […]

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3 Indirect Ways Sustainable Food Makes the World Better

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 05:22:44 +0000

Everyone knows that sustainable foods are better for the environment and that the lack of pesticides and antibiotics make them a safer choice for humans, too. However, buying from sustainable farms has invisible, indirect benefits on entire communities of people. Here are 3 non-obvious reasons to support sustainable farms: 1. It Helps Small Businesses Factory farms […]

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San Diego Padres Food Trucks Lead in Sustainability

Annika Tostengard — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 19:33:19 +0000

When professional sports come to mind, “environmentally-conscious” does not usually follow in the same line of thought. Large parking lots, bright lights and plenty of trash are much more commonly associated with sports stadiums. However, the San Diego Padres’ food trucks are working to change this reputation, and have made several important steps toward making the ultimate […]

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Heroic Food: Helping Veterans through Sustainable Farming

Annika Tostengard — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 11:22:27 +0000

American farming is in somewhat of a crisis, seeing as 30% of farmers are currently over the age of 65 and only 10% are younger than 35. At the same time, American veterans often face a multitude of challenges when they return home from the traumatic environment of war. Enter Heroic Food and Ennead Architects/Ennead […]

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3 Tips for Picking the Best Fish to Eat

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 09:26:29 +0000

Overfishing and pollution caused by the fishing industry have made it almost impossible to enjoy a salmon filet without feelings of guilt. However, the undeniable health benefits of eating fish make it an important part of a healthy diet. By carefully considering the types of fish you choose to eat, however, you can enjoy seafood while making a minimal […]

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Tiny Solar-Powered Modular Home Can Travel Anywhere

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 19:19:13 +0000

This home may be tiny, but it can go anywhere – it’s basically a luxury tent. The POD-Idladla, as it is called, is entirely solar-powered and can be customized to meet personal preferences. The homes are also designed to stand alone or can be connected to other modular pods. While the POD-Idladla is built to house two […]

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5 Eco Friendly Cleaners You Can Make Using Lemon Juice

Annika Tostengard — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 05:28:23 +0000

Harmful chemicals can be found in most of the cleaning products that can be found in stores. Using common household items can be used to make eco friendly cleaners that are just as effective at disinfection. Lemon juice in particular is a great option, since lemons are cheap and there are organic options. There are […]

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8 Sustainable Weeds You Can Eat

Annika Tostengard — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:20:52 +0000

Don’t let that biomass go to waste! Weeds are not good for the garden, but not all of them need to be thrown away. Some can actually be used as a food source. With all the pesticides and other methods of keeping weeds away, simply eating them seems like a much more sustainable way of […]

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Windy Day In Denmark Provides 140% of Energy Needs

Annika Tostengard — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 05:33:45 +0000

It was an unusually windy day in Denmark on Thursday, July 9. So unusually windy that the country found themselves generating 116% of the entire nation’s energy needs. On Friday morning at 3am, Denmark wind power had provided 140% of the electricity demand, and was able to share the excess power with Norway, Germany and […]

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McDonald’s Jumps on Board the Sustainability Bandwagon

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 06:51:13 +0000

On January 7th, fast food giant McDonald’s, announced that it will begin buying only verified sustainable beef in 2016. Bob Langert , McDonald’s Vice President, stated that the company is not quite ready to commit to a specific quantity it would purchase in 2016, or when it might achieve its lofty goal of buying 100% […]

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