Environment Archives - Green Businesses

A Climate Awakening

This year has been the hottest year on record and this has been a trend for the past 3 consecutive years. Fire season has moved from summer to February in many wildfire hotspot locations. For 3 days last week, I was trained by Al Gore on the current state of the climate and how to become a leader in the topic – a Climate Reality Leader. 972 people being in Denver, CO wanting to learn, network, connect, motivate and take action had me certain that the most successful people would see the possibility of tackling this pertinent issue head on. With 97% of scientists aware that the climate is changing due to human causes, climate change is no longer a liberal or conservative issue. Al Gore calls it the Sustainability Revolution. Like the Industrial Revolution and the Digital Revolution, sustainability is finding its way into every industry and its making business more efficient and cost-effective, and with it comes a better quality of life. Yet deniers still wave their hands …

The World’s First Beehive-On-Tap System

Two beekeepers in Australia, Cedar Anderson and Stuart Anderson, have invented a new sort of hive that could revolutionize Beekeeping traditional methods. They have invented the FLOWHive, a special hive that can put your honey "on tap" directly from your hive box. It's main benefit being that it can pour honey out of the combs without upsetting the bees. The FLOWhive contains special inserts that will fit into normal hives or, if you get the whole FLOWhive system, you will have their special wooden outer box complete with windows and access points that will ensure you know exactly when to harvest the honey and have a full supply as soon as it is ready to go. There are a lot of skeptics in their beekeeping community who say it is unlikely to work without a lot of mess and cleanup needed. Some comment in the beekeeping forums that they would rather wait and see before jumping to buy this sort of invention. The key to the system is a special imitation of the traditional…

Toadal Invasion: Australia May have Finally Conquered the Cane Toad

The Problem The historic introduction of 100 Cane Toads to Australia in 1935 began a battle of unforeseen proportions for the indigenous species of the land (See invasion graphic >). The toads were brought over from Hawaii with the intention of setting them loose upon the beetles that were destroying the Sugar Cane crops. Instead of being the agricultural heroes everyone touted them to be, the toads ignored the beetles and proceeded to destroy native species at an alarming rate. Documentaries like “Cane Toads: The Conquest” and “Cane Toads: An Unnatural History” have shown the relentless path of destruction these miniature monsters are creating; and anyone who has watched these can tell you how hopeless the battle used to seem to the people of Australia. Now a ray of hope has come. These toads are successful because they reproduce very quickly, are toxic to eat, and are able to spray poison at their attackers. They also are not choosey about their diet – eati…

Fun Fall Festivities for the Greenie at Heart

Fall is a great time of the year to get outside and enjoy all our planet has to offer. With the weather beginning to cool down, leaves starting to change colors, and the holidays coming soon, this is a wonderful season to bond with the family and enjoy some fun fall festivities. Green Businesses has a few favorites we love to do every year. Maybe you do too? Apple Picking Apple picking may be available all year round, but autumn just so happens to be the most festive time of the year to indulge in such a fun activity. You may have to drive a distance to get to your destination, but it is well worth the drive. The human soul seems to regenerate as you get out of that car and find yourself surrounded by trees and mountains and nature. It is so satisfying to walk through the fields of trees, picking and choosing which apple you would like to enjoy, twisting the select few until they snap off the branch, and later enjoying a crisp and delectable snack. Not to mention, these a…

20 Universities That Encourage Green Living

1) Nanyang Technical University – School of Art, Design and Media - The architectural structure of this building maximizes interior daylight, makes smart use of lack of space and land in the local area, minimizes materials, and uses lower water and electricity uses. 2) Yale University – Kroon Hall - Kroon Hall at Yale University is made from 80% certified timber, 16% recycled content. Also, 34% of the purchased materials came from regional sources. As a result, there is an 81% reduction in annual potable water use, which saves an average 500k gallons of city water a year. They are also seeing a 61% reduction in energy use compared to a similar building and program. It features rooftop photovoltaic panel providing 25% of the building’s electricity. Half of the red oak paneling came from a forest in northern Connecticut that’s managed by the school itself. 3) Carnegie Mellon University – Gates and Hillman…

California Officially Joins the War on Plastic Bags

Great news for the environment occurred last night, when CA government voted to ban single-use plastic bags across the state. “The bill, SB 270, will phase out single-use plastic bags in grocery stores and pharmacies beginning July 2015, and in convenience stores one year later, and create a mandatory minimum ten-cent fee for recycled paper, reusable plastic and compostable bags” states Stephanie Spear, author at EcoWatch, who wrote California Bans Plastic Bags. If the already agreed upon bill is signed by the CA governor, California will be the first state to ban these environmentally un-friendly products.

“More than 120 California local governments have already banned single-use plastic bags with more than 1 in 3 Californians already living somewhere with a plastic bag ban in place, in an effort to drive consumers towards sustainable behavior change,” affirms Spear. With such a large amount of the population already embracing the plastic ban bag, this measure will …