SKCEA.ORG » Indoor Environment

Why the best world-changing ideas begin in your neighbourhood

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:08:25 +0000

Your ideas for changing the world may be desperately important. But if you can’t find a way to engage the interests of the people around you they may never take off, argues John-Paul Flintoff. The environmental movement has often been guilty of making people despondent, either by talking about ‘problems’ in a way that makes listeners feel powerless, or by presenting solutions as miserable duties. It needn’t be that way. Instead, we could try to make doing the right thing appealing, rather than merely necessary – and one way to do that is to offer people a chance to say hello to their neighbours.

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Why the best world-changing ideas begin in your neighbourhood

Is "Wine on Tap" a More Sustainable, Drinkable Alternative?

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:08:23 +0000

An innovation in wine drinking is emerging in California restaurants: wine on tap. Wine served from a keg is not a new concept; it has a long-standing history in Europe. But here in the United States, wine on tap has been brought to the market and failed – more than once; first in the 1970s, then twice again in the 1980s. This time, however, the concept is sticking; wine kegs are opening up a new market for wineries and rejuvenating the wine industry. Kegged wine has multiple advantages for both the restaurant and the winery. These advantages are environmental, quality related, and economic.

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Is "Wine on Tap" a More Sustainable, Drinkable Alternative?

G8 Leaders Agree to Act on Climate, Air Pollution

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:08:22 +0000

At the Camp David meeting last week, G8 leaders agreed to act on climate change and air pollution by focusing on methane, black carbon (soot), and hydroflurocarbons (HFCs).

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G8 Leaders Agree to Act on Climate, Air Pollution

Leaf ’stamp’ could detect crop diseases

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:08:21 +0000

Crop diseases could be detected earlier and more easily if a new method that stamps a leaf with a color-changing biosensor is successful. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded US$100,000 to Hideaki Tsutsui of the University of California, Riverside, earlier this month (9 May) to develop the early warning system for crop diseases.

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Leaf ’stamp’ could detect crop diseases

Help at the nest sets chicks up for life

admin — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:50:16 +0000

A chick’s chances throughout life will depend on a good environment and good parenting in its earliest months. One of the ways that chicks can get ahead is to have an extra relative looking after them. New research shows that the benefits of having a ‘helper at the nest’ extend even into adulthood.

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Help at the nest sets chicks up for life

High Concentrations of Toxic Mercury in the Arctic from Circumpolar Rivers

admin — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:50:15 +0000

Environmental scientists have known that high levels of the toxic element, mercury, have been accumulating in the Arctic Ocean for some time. It was believed to be mostly caused by atmospheric sources stemming from the combustion of coal. However, a new study from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Harvard School of Public Health has found that the great majority of Arctic mercury arrives via circumpolar rivers. Some of the largest rivers in the world flow north into the Arctic in Eurasia and North America.

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High Concentrations of Toxic Mercury in the Arctic from Circumpolar Rivers

Cut above: How to cook grass-fed beef

admin — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:29:17 +0000

By Adrian

The way we farm now: Fruit and vegetables vs. commodity crops [INFOGRAPHIC]

admin — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:46:46 +0000

By Grist

Against the grain: Fracking companies mine rural Wisconsin for sand

admin — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:00:15 +0000

By Ellen

Lose Weight While You Sleep!

admin — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:03:01 +0000

Want to lose weight but find it hard to hit the gym three times a week or eating 1,500 calories per day? You might not have to do either. New research suggest sleeping more could be enough to keep the flab away. Research into the circadian clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle shows disruptions to the clock may be linked to metabolic disorders such as obesity and type-2 diabetes. And researchers say sleeping for eight hours a night and eating during daylight hours could be as important in controlling weight gain as diet and exercise. Gad Asher, clinician and medical researcher from the Department of Biological Chemistry at Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, presented research to a Garvan Institute seminar on obesity in Melbourne last night that found every cell in the body has a circadian clock.

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Lose Weight While You Sleep!

Charcoal for African Cookstoves, What’s the Story?

admin — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:03:00 +0000

You may have seen pictures of women in Africa cooking their daily meals on a small cookstove. These cooking implements look remarkably similar to the portable charcoal grills an American family might bring to the beach for an afternoon of grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. Imagine using one of these at your kitchen table to prepare nearly every meal of your life. In Mozambique (a coastal nation in Southwest Africa, just north of South Africa), the average lifespan is 47 years, the average income is $1 per day – minimum wage is a little more than double that, but high unemployment cuts the average in half. Charcoal is the cooking element of choice. Among market shoppers and sellers we met, charcoal was deemed to be the best cooking option because it is easily available and “not dangerous.”

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Charcoal for African Cookstoves, What’s the Story?

New Jersey Takes Slow, Steady Approach to Offshore Wind

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 18:05:32 +0000

The international wind power industry is watching Washington, DC to see if lawmakers will extend the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power. But their eyes are also focused on Trenton, the state capital of New Jersey, to see if state regulators there will help launch America’s long-awaited offshore wind energy industry.

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New Jersey Takes Slow, Steady Approach to Offshore Wind

Chefs’ disregard for environment leaves a bad taste

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:19:33 +0000

By Twilight

After Greenpeace protests, Apple promises to dump coal power

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:09:34 +0000

By Robert

Natural sinks still sopping up carbon

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:50:29 +0000

Earth’s ecosystems keep soaking up more carbon as greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, new measurements find. The research contradicts several recent studies suggesting that “carbon sinks” have reached or passed their capacity. By looking at global measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the new work calculates instead that total sinks have increased roughly in line with rising emissions.

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Natural sinks still sopping up carbon

Taste and Temperature

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:50:27 +0000

Some people like food or beverages hot and some like them cold. What’s the difference? Can the temperature of the food we eat affect the intensity of its taste? It depends on the taste, according to a new study by Dr. Gary Pickering and colleagues from Brock University in Canada. Their work shows that changes in the temperature of foods and drinks have an effect on the intensity of sour, bitter and astringent tastes but not sweetness. Their work is published online in Springer’s Chemosensory Perception journal. Humans receive tastes through sensory organs called taste buds concentrated on the top of the tongue. Taste is sensed through taste cells, which are known as taste buds. There are about 100,000 taste buds that are located on the back and front of the tongue. Others are located on the roof, sides and back of the mouth, and in the throat.

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Taste and Temperature

Jamie Oliver wants you to join the Food Revolution

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:53:38 +0000

By Claire

NOAA: Six Fish Populations Restored to Healthy Levels in the US

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:49:14 +0000

All are aware of the tragic loss of biodiversity that this planet is current going through in various ecosystems. However, a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) report shows that when good policies are in place, natural ecosystems can sustain themselves and thrive. NOAA has released its annual report, stating that a record six fish populations have been rebuilt to healthy levels in 2011. This brings the number of rebuilt US marine fish populations to 27 since the start of the 21st century, showing that great strides have been made to end overfishing thanks to all interested parties.

Hotels charge you (for free)

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:49:10 +0000

Curious about electric cars? On your next vacation, give one a test drive—and instead of paying high gas prices, charge up for free. Major car rental companies, which have been offering hybrid vehicles for years, are now getting into the electric car (EV) market. And an ever-growing number of hotels, resorts, and even B&Bs are adding free electric-car charging stations to entice guests to get off the grid and plug in their cars when they travel.

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Hotels charge you (for free)

Department of Commerce slaps large tariffs on Chinese solar modules

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:42:53 +0000

By Stephen