With organic foods raking in $16 billion and more annually, some are concerned that Department of Agriculture standards and independent third-party verification may be insufficient to prevent fraud.

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If you’re looking for a slick way to power your gadgets while away from the civilized world, or if you just want to be the coolest EcoGeek on the block, check out the Power Monkey Explorer. It comes with an adapter plug for just about everything. iPods, USB, European outlets, standard Borg power cuplink, everything.

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Here are my results:

Your Body is Producing 258 Watts!
This is 29% MORE wattage than the average person
You could light up 3 light bulbs
You could power 65 iPods
You could power 1 Xbox 360
4 of you would be needed to keep a refrigerator running

258 WATTS Body Battery Calculator - Find Out How Much Electricity Your Body is Producing

Accused at times of everything from vandalism to terrorism, guerilla gardeners continue skirt the law (often acting under the cover of night). Their mission: convert dead public places into useful growing spaces in cities around the world. Who would have thought that gardening could be not only subversive but even illegal?

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U.S.-funded aerial sprayings of coca plantations in Colombia near the Ecuador border has severely damaged the DNA of local residents, according to a new study.

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It’s not just for hobbits anymore. The logic of green roofs is becoming more apparent. We can minimize our bills while maximizing the beauty of the urban landscape. And every day it’s becoming a little easier to live in a house that just happens to have plants growing on it.

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Construction and real estate professionals often misjudge the costs and benefits of “green” buildings, creating a major barrier to more energy efficiency in the building sector. Respondents estimated costs at 17% higher than conventional construction — more than 3 times the actual rate of about 5% higher.

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As the importance of recycling becomes more apparent, questions about it linger. Is it worth the effort? How does it work? Is recycling waste just going into a landfill in China? Here are some answers

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A MIRACLE material for the 21st century could protect your home against bomb blasts, mop up oil spillages and even help man to fly to Mars.

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A well constructed and informed response to Chris Goodall’s research concerning the environmental impact of walking vs driving.

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Walking does more than driving to cause global warming, a leading environmentalist has calculated. Food production is now so energy-intensive that more carbon is emitted providing a person with enough calories to walk to the shops than a car would emit over the same distance.

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The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory says hybrids have saved 230 million gallons of fuel since being introduced to the market.

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“Today Toyota joined almost every other major car company who had already unveiled plans for producing cars that run on energy supplied by the electric grid. Announcing the official plug-in Prius based on the most popular hybrid vehicle to date…”

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By Michael Szabo

QUEENSFERRY (Reuters) - The world’s richest corporations and finest minds spend billions trying to solve the problem of carbon emissions, but three fishing buddies in North Wales believe they have cracked it.

They have developed a box which they say can be fixed underneath a car in place of the exhaust to trap the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming — including carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide — and emit mostly water vapor.

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What do you think — meat grows on trees? Maybe not, but how about in Petri dishes? Scientists in the Netherlands and the United States are working (separately) to create edible meat in the lab from animal stem cells.

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McDonald’s is closing its outlet in a town known for quality food and healthy, local produce.
The fast food chain in Tavistock, Devon, simply wasn’t being used enough by locals.
So after seven years struggling to make ends meet in a town that has won many accolades for the quality of its food, McDonald’s will finally shut up shop on Saturday.
John Taylor, chairman of Tavistock EatWise campaign, said: “Because of the quality of our local food McDonald’s has not been able to compete.”
Earlier this year Tavistock won the title of Best Food Town in the South West.
Mr Taylor said: “I think McDonald’s really started to suffer about 18 months ago when healthy school meals were introduced.
“Children no longer needed to go there because they were being fed properly.”
A McDonald’s spokesman said: “As part of an ongoing review of our restaurant sites, it has become clear that the location of McDonald’s in Tavistock is no longer suitable.”

Link to Original Article . . .

Zerofootprint’s goal is to connect people who care about the environment for the purpose of reducing [their] ecological footprint.

We aim to be the world’s foremost content hub for green, linking millions of people from across the globe engaged in sustainable commerce, and helping to inform people, who want to strive toward a more sustainable lifestyle.

Green Products is a guide to global sustainability, environmental awareness, and green business activity where you can find information on new products, trends and initiatives.

What is Zerofootprint?
Zerofootprint is a not-for-profit organization whose primary goal is to connect people who care about the environment. We aim to bring together millions of individuals, organizations and companies from around the world, who share the common goal of reducing their ecological footprint. Zerofootprint’s website and ongoing projects help people fulfill their intention to reduce their footprint through the content and services it provides.

What does footprint mean?
Zerofootprint’s interpretation of “Footprint” follows the Ecological Footprint, a resource accounting towol created 15 years ago by Bill Rees and Mathis Wackernagel at The University of British Columbia and now advanced and standardized by Global Footprint Network and its 50 partner organizations. Ecological Footprint measures human demand on nature by calculating the land and sea areas used for the resources we consume and to assimilate the wastes we discharge, using prevailing technology. This allows us to assess how much nature we use, and inversely how much nature is available.

The Zerofootprint brand encompasses all those who have the desire to reduce their ecological footprint.

What makes this the right time for Zerofootprint?
So many people have expressed a desire to make a difference that we believe concern for the environment has reached a tipping point. In recent years, membership in environmental organizations has swelled because of awareness of increasingly high environmental risks.

Millions of people around the world are making a conscious connection between their lifestyle and its impact on the environment. This is the perfect time for Zerofootprint because we will enable individuals to help meet their need to reduce their impact on the planet.

http://www.zerofootprint.net/