Wind farms to power global cities?

Wind farms to power global cities?

Over the last few years, there has been a huge rise in people opting for more eco-friendly ways to power their home. However, it’s not always down to individuals to ensure their homes are greener, which is why governments around the world are also looking into ways of providing renewable energy to homes and businesses. One of these ways is wind power.

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Staying Healthy at Work: An Actionable Guide

Staying Healthy at Work: An Actionable Guide

Guest post by Brenda Snow

 You spend a significant part of your life behind a desk. Desk jobs can be a blessing and a curse.

 On the one hand, it’s nice to not be a roofer working on top of a skyscraper in the middle of a hot and humid summer or freezing cold winter. On the other hand, being tied to a chair is not without hazards, either. In fact, sitting in a chair for hours at a time, let alone all day, without getting up to move, can cause a number of health problems, both acute and chronic.

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Why you should think beyond organic for a bigger impact on the environment

Why you should think beyond organic for a bigger impact on the environment

Globally, the way people think about food has shifted dramatically over the past few decades. With major changes to the food industry (including the introduction of GMO, the mainstreaming of organic foods, a growing awareness of the problems with factory farming, and the growing number of documentaries about our eating habits) more people now think that eating healthy is important. Along with that, many people have turned to the organic market to create healthier diets for themselves and their families.

Organic is hyped, let’s be real for a minute here. While I would never tell you not to eat organic (for reasons I have explained in previous posts), the fact is that there are lots of problems with organic farming that most people don’t know, or just choose not to think about. And eating organic will not help save the planet. That last thought is an important one, so I’ll repeat it once more.

Eating organic foods will not help save the planet.

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Eco-Friendly Cities of the Future

Eco-Friendly Cities of the Future

Guest Post by Powertools2U

Pneumatic waste systems, pollution sensors, robots, drones, and self-driving cars…it’s what we expect for the far future. But these features could be coming to a town near you. In 2050 the world population is estimated to be 9.7 billion; currently, it stands at 7.53 billion. To tackle this overpopulation crisis, new cities and towns are being built across the world. With cool tech and eco-friendliness high on the agenda, we look at these futuristic cities that are not far from the present:

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Paprika chicken wings (recipe)

Paprika chicken wings (recipe)

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for a quick and healthy dinner. It doesn’t require any marinating beforehand (although you can do that if you like for richer flavor), and with a few simple ingredients you can have it on the table in under an hour! It’s a favorite with my kids, too, and we rarely have leftovers!

The real secret to the rich taste, though, is good-quality Hungarian paprika. Hungarian paprika is one of several kinds of paprika (including sweet, smoked, and Spanish pimentón) used in cooking. It has a complex flavor (with at least 8 varieties) and ranges from mild (flavor) and bright red (color) to spicy and pungent with a pale orange color.

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How To Create an Eco-Friendly House that Still Feels Like Home

How To Create an Eco-Friendly House that Still Feels Like Home

Guest post by Tony Mers

Living an eco-friendly lifestyle is essential in the modern era. Many people who want to live healthier lives and promote sustainability begin their eco-friendly journey by implementing small changes within their home.

Unfortunately, many people think of two versions of eco-friendly living: a cold, industrial building covered in solar panels, or a home akin to the ground floor of a rainforest (complete with compost piles in the corner of each room).

But this couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, environmentally-friendly living doesn't mean you have to undergo a complete lifestyle change when you want to support our planet and engage in sustainable efforts. Here are just some of the ways you can craft an eco-friendly house without sacrificing the comforts of home.

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Why going green might ultimately be pointless

Why going green might ultimately be pointless

It’s hard to ignore the expanding “green living” industry, even if you don’t particularly follow it or practice any of its tenets. Globally, more and more people – particularly those who are middle to upper-middle class, urban and peri-urban dwelling – are pursuing healthy living options, buying more organic and non-GMO foods, raising awareness about the presence of harmful and toxic chemicals in the water, the air, and the personal care products we consume, and investing in renewable energy sources.

Yet ultimately, going green may be pointless. Here’s why, and what you can do to make sure that your efforts to go green are actually helpful…

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Types of Air Plants for Your Home

Types of Air Plants for Your Home

Guest post by Alexandria Heinz

Air plants are the latest trend in decor, but what are they? If you’ve ever been curious about these tiny, green succulent-like plants, you’ve come to the right place! Air plants, also known by their scientific name Tillandsias, are easily identifiable by their small structure and lack of roots. Similar to most plants, air plants do need a combination of air and water to survive, but unlike most plants, they don’t require soil to grow.

Epiphytes (plants that don’t need soil to grow) can absorb nutrients through their leaves rather than roots. This makes them a popular choice in home decor. They do need to be watered about once a week, but this is done by misting them, which leaves less of a mess in the home.

In their natural state, air plants are found on trees and shrubs. They are common in the warm climates of the southern United States, Central America, and South America. Many of these tropical plants produce a bright neon flower. To help you become familiar with air plants, we’ll show you 5 distinctive types that are unique in shape and color.

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5 Things you can do now to have a winter food garden

5 Things you can do now to have a winter food garden

Most people who garden believe that the growing season ends when the weather begins to turn cold and morning dew turns to frost. This is absolutely not true, though. A few places (USDA zones 0-2) have extremely short growing seasons that make it very difficult to grow vegetables outdoors without using specialized techniques and growing plants that are uniquely adapted to grow in that climate. However most people, even those who live in places where it reliably snows every winter (like Ontario, Canada), can continue to grow fresh herbs, vegetables, and even some flowers all year round.

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5 Sustainable Steps You Can Take to Create a More Eco-Friendly Christmas This Season

5 Sustainable Steps You Can Take to Create a More Eco-Friendly Christmas This Season

Guest post by Hannah Bullimore

With Christmas fast approaching there are plenty of details to consider. From planning a busy schedule to buying gifts and keeping your guests happy, you may be feeling the stress and strain of the season.

So how do you manage all of this and have a stylish and elegant home throughout the holidays without being overwhelmed by all the stuff that goes with them?

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A Homeowner’s Guide to Environmentally Conscious Water Use

A Homeowner’s Guide to Environmentally Conscious Water Use

Guest post by Jason Baldauf

It’s almost impossible to imagine modern living without the convenience of running water. We take it for granted that we can cook, clean, wash and bathe with it. As such, we may not think about how imperative it is to conserve and protect it. Despite being readily available with a turn of the spigot, it is not an unlimited resource.

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How small-scale farming can help reduce the effects of climate change

How small-scale farming can help reduce the effects of climate change

This past summer was terrible for my crops. I eagerly started the process of sowing seeds and transferring seedlings and cuttings into their permanent homes and looked forward to the day I could begin harvesting the results of my hard labor. I was also in the process of renovating my home for sale and purchasing another, so working in the garden was a welcome relief from the stress and uncertainty of that process. At least it was supposed to be…

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How to Build an Eco-Friendly Tiny House

How to Build an Eco-Friendly Tiny House

Overconsumption and waste is not uncommon to see in today’s world. Take houses, for instance. A quick drive through any typical neighborhood in the United States and you’ll notice some pretty sizeable houses. Now, the chances that each family efficiently uses the space in their large home is pretty unlikely. According to the census from first quarter 2018 data, the average square footage of single-family American homes has increased to 2,641 square feet. Larger spaces not only take more energy to heat and cool, but they also produce more waste.

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Passive Housing: A Smarter Way of Living (Infographic)

Passive Housing: A Smarter Way of Living (Infographic)

This infographic looks at the trend for eco-friendly and sustainable passive housing design.

These days more and more homeowners are developing a passion for environmentally-friendly design. Smart design allows us to dramatically cut down on our energy consumption, or in an ideal situation avoid it altogether. Consequently, an increasing number of homeowners are opting for passive housing. A fantastic option for those seeking a greener way of life, passive houses are 90% more energy efficient than any normal home.

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