Home/Posts Tagged ‘plants’
Posts Tagged ‘plants’
Politics, Pollution, May 24th, 2011,
Four major power companies warned that the post-Fukujima backlash against nuclear power in Germany country could result in future winter blackouts. These blackouts would ostensibly occur if Germany decides to decommission all its nuclear power stations. The companies claim that solar and wind power could not meet demand in the case of insufficiently windy or sunny weather. Chancellor Angela Merkel recently signaled she would support closing all of Germany’s 17 nuclear power stations by 2022. Seven nuclear power stations have been off-grid ever since Merkel announced in the immediate aftermath of the Fukushima disaster a “three-month moratorium” on her controversial…
Tags: blackouts, earthquake, Fukushima, Germany, Green Party, japan, Merkel, nuclear, plants, power, reactors, tsunami
Health, Politics, Pollution, Science & Technology, Nov 14th, 2010,
The Ukraine is launching a program of agricultural development in areas contaminated by radiation after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. According to newsru.com the Government claims that the forecasts for ground contamination were too pessimistic. Ukrainian scientists insist that their models specifically allow for the amount of radionuclides in different types of soil. They have worked out rehabilitation plans that involve the alternation of cultivated plants and the application of appropriate fertilizers. “These simple treatments can reduce the level of radioactive isotopes hundreds of times, even to the standards enforced in other European countries” – says Sergey…
Tags: chernobyl, contamination, plants, radioactive
Conservation, Videos & Documentaries, Wildlife & Flora, Oct 4th, 2010,
In terms of conservation, plants do not receive as much attention as cute cuddly animals like pandas or polar bears. Let’s face it – they don’t even rank up there with giant salamanders. But plants provide food for all living things and are essential to life on Earth. The untapped medicinal and technological resources in plant life around the world are unknown but potentially invaluable. Therefore preserving plant species and maintaining botanical biodiversity is an important, if often overlooked, issue. One fifth of the 380,000 plant species on Earth are threatened by extinction, mostly due to human activity. This month,…
Tags: biodiversity, biological, convention, diversity, japan, Nagoya, plants, species
Pollution, Science & Technology, Wildlife & Flora, Sep 23rd, 2010,
In 1946, in the aftermath of the atomic bomb detonation in Hiroshima Japan, American journalist John Hersey traveled to the devastated city to write an article, entitled ‘Hiroshima’, for the The New Yorker magazine. The resulting, incomparable 31,000-word piece describes the experiences of several survivors of the attack. Among the harrowing portrayals of death and destruction, ‘Hiroshima’ also recounts how an unusual amount of greenery quickly sprang up to cover the ruins of the city, as if the radioactive fallout from the bomb had stimulated plant growth. As a symbol of human and ecological disaster, the 1986 incident at Chernobyl…
Tags: chernobyl, disaster, flax, Hiroshima, plants, Pripyat, radioactivity, soybean
Conservation, Wildlife & Flora, Sep 15th, 2010,
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – commonly referred to as Kew Gardens – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the southwest of London, England. Created in 1759, the gardens celebrated their 250th anniversary last year. Kew is home to both the largest collection of live plants in the world and the world’s largest herbarium. A herbarium is a catalogued collection of dried plants. The herbarium at Kew Gardens is both a museum and a research facility, providing a wealth of information on plants as well as precious insights about how ecosystems survive, adapt or die out. The Herbarium…
Tags: botanic, collection, gardens, herbarium, Kew, plants, Royal
Politics, Pollution, Aug 31st, 2010,
According to legislation passed in 2002 by the Social Democratic-Green Party coalition, all nuclear power stations in Germany are to be decommissioned by 2022. However, according to a recent television interview, current German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union plans to extend this deadline by another 10-15 years. From a report in Deutsche Welle: The chancellor, citing an independent consultants’ report set to be published this week, said such a time frame would ensure Germany’s energy needs are met as the country transitions to renewable energy sources. Energy prices would remain under control and goals for reducing greenhouse…
Tags: Angela, Chancellor, energy, German, Germany, Merkel, nuclear, plants, power
Climate Change, Politics, Pollution, Aug 16th, 2010,
The ‘greenest government ever’ is at it again. The UK’s coalition government headed by Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg has been cutting a lot of green programs and departments in the name of efficiency and belt-tightening. Now they are shelving one of their own environmental plans to regulate coal and gas power plants, a measure they claimed could be implemented upon taking office. From a report in the Guardian: Introducing a so-called “environmental performance standard” (EPS) for power companies would have restricted greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas plants and encouraged companies wishing to build…
Tags: Cameron, Clegg, coal, coalition, EPS, gas, government, greenest, plants, power
Green living, Health, Weird Stuff, Aug 2nd, 2010,
This summer has been practically unbearable, as far as temperature goes. The sun is blazing, wildfires are sprouting up all over the place, and this past June had some of the hottest temperatures on record. Sure, you could turn on the air conditioner or a bunch of fans, but they use electricity and waste energy—especially if they are cooling off rooms that don’t need it. Here are some tips and tricks you can do to keep yourself cooled off, without being wasteful in the process: 1. Make sure your house is properly sealed and insulated. This means filling the gaps…
Tags: advice, appliances, food, Go Green, heat, insulation, outdoors, plants, summer, tips, water, ways to stay cool, windows
Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Jul 2nd, 2010,
Are there areas in your community that are obviously lacking in plants (or green space)? Do you sometimes wish you could add more of that missing green space to your surroundings? Would you like to get your community involved, too? Then check this out: The Common Studio has developed an awesome idea known as Greenaid-Seedbomb Vending Machines. The machines are old gumball machines that are fixed up for a new purpose: the giving of seedbombs. These seedbombs are made from a mixture of clay, compost, and seeds. All it requires of you is to put some pocket change into the…
Tags: California, flowers, Go Green, Greenaid, Greenaid-Seedbomb Vending Machines, greenspace, gumball machines, Los Angeles, native species, plants, seedbombs, seeds, The Common Studio, urban greenspace
Green living, Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, May 20th, 2010,
The wheel has been regarded as one of the best inventions of all time; it’s simple and yet it has so many uses. Over the years, people have wondered how to improve on such a design; some have even attempted to and while it’s always nice to make an effort, they haven’t always succeeded. However, there is one recent design that puts a whole new twist on the wheel shape. The only setback is it doesn’t move, but once you hear everything else about it, the lack of motion will hardly be a disappointment. Architecture professor, Steven Ma, has created…
Tags: 100% recycled, awesome, bench, Bio-Aluminum, Bio-Glass, circular, ec-O.bench, green design, lighting system, plants, renewable energy, solar power, Steven Ma, urban green space, water collecting and filtering, wheel
Climate Change, Green living, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 23rd, 2010,
One Dutch inventor is proof that anyone can make a difference when it comes to the environment. Pieter Hoff, a former flower exporter turned invetor, has created the Groasis Waterboxx. This nifty invention makes it possible to grow trees and bushes in the most unlikely places, such as on rocks, across deserts, throughout eroded areas, and so forth. How? The Groasis Waterboxx acts as a water incubator by producing water from an internal condensation process. The process is caused by artificial stimulation and does not require the use of any energy. It’s also capable of collecting rain. To prove its…
Tags: bushes, Groasis Waterboxx, growth, invention, Pieter Hoff, plants, sustainability, trees
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 22nd, 2010,
Throughout this month, my local area has seen several consecutive days of record-breaking temperatures—a first in almost 100 years for this time of year. The temperatures—which were in the high 80s/low 90s—are ones we typically don’t get until the Summer months. Our rainfall is also far below average (approximately half an inch total compared to an average of nearly 4 inches). Not to mention, plants have blossomed much quicker and earlier than usual and migratory animals have also returned earlier than expected. Is all of this cause for worry? It’s very likely. Recently, scientists said that Spring is coming about…
Tags: animals, Climate change, global warming, hotter temperatures, invasive species, plants, spring, spring creep, study
Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Feb 12th, 2010,
Green, green, green. All of the eco-creations this week are absolutely green. Not only do they use recycled materials or have a sustainable purpose, but every single one of them also includes some form of plant life. If you love all the greenery nature can offer, then you’ll definitely want to check these out. Grass Mirror First on the list we have this awesome design, created by H2O Architects. This vertical garden is actually not made from a mirror at all—it’s made of polished stainless steel. Cut at an angle, the “mirror” doubles as a planter. You can stack or…
Tags: foliage, gardening, Grass Mirror, green designs, greenery, greenspace, Naturwall, Osusowake, planters, plants, Read-to-Grow Lawn Kit
Science & Technology, Wildlife & Flora, Feb 5th, 2010,
For a long time, there were certain things that set us apart from the plant world. One of these things would be hormones. While certain plants were discovered to have similar ones to ours, they never really found any with the exact same—until now. Scientists found the female hormone progesterone in a Walnut Tree. Progesterone is part of important female cycles and phases, including the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Until this discovery was made, scientists believed that only animals contained this hormone. Since progesterone is also a steroid hormone, some scientists say it might be an ancient bioregulator; something that…
Tags: discovery, female hormone, plants, progesterone, steroid hormone, Walnut Tree
Science & Technology, Wildlife & Flora, Jan 24th, 2010,
Flowers have been used in a number of environmental projects over the past year. Toyota created 2 new species of plants to help offset their emissions. France is planning on adding a bunch of nectar-bearing flowers along their roadsides to help honey bees. Now, there is a project turning towards a giant amongst flower-kind: the sunflower. The idea behind the Genomics of Sunflower project is the crossbreeding of a standard sunflower with the Texas Silverleaf species (one that grow up to 15 feet tall), thus creating a hybrid that will produce a vast number of edible seeds and also have…
Tags: DNA sequencing, ethanol, flowers, genome, Genomics of Sunflower, hybrid, plants, project, study, sunflowers
Nature, Dec 18th, 2009,
Over the years, publications, television documentaries and movies come out about the number of species that are threatened, endangered or face extinction. Many people worry about the tigers, polar bears, frogs and condors. While I will certainly agree that the animals of the world are vital and should not be forced down that path because of human stupidity, there is one area that tends to be overlooked by many: plants. Plant life is just as important to the environment as those who feast upon them. They provide the animals of the world—and us—with food, shelter, product resources and so much…
Tags: critically endangered plants, plant species, plants, plants that face extinction, top 10 plants
