Around the world, cities are finding ways to drastically reduce, or even eliminate, car use. It could happen here too In cities around the globe, World Carfree Day is a nice little break from the everyday. Every year on September 22, dozens of large cities shut down some of their main streets to traffic, leaving […] More »

The current issue of National Geographic features a harrowing feature article on the Alberta oilsands which is well worth your time. Don Martin writes in a CanWest news service wire story that privately, many government and energy industry insiders regard the piece as a public-relations disaster. National Geographic is widely read, and any article like […] More »

The second annual Radical Innovation in Hospitality Awards have announced this years top winner: A luxury oil rig hotel and spa, designed by Morris Architects. Judges were amazed at the fresh, innovative and sustainable concept, which promises to save some of the 4000 oil rigs currently floating in the gulf of Mexico after they are […] More »

Environmental innovation is often focused on big, costly projects — a massive wind turbine farm, a smart grid, or perhaps a policy change on carbon emissions. But when it comes to going green, it’s often the bare bones, DIY projects that have the greatest impact. Enter Solvatten, a simple jerry can that harnesses solar energy […] More »

The center for Environmental Systems Research at the University of Kassel, Germany, just released a comprehensive mapping system outlining areas that may experience high levels of water shortage stress in the next seven or so decades. These suggestions about projected per-capita water availability follow on the heels of a wealth of new books on the […] More »

Looking for an alternative to carbon offsets to save the climate and go green? Well look no further, the smart grid has arrived. Actually, it hasn’t arrived. And it probably won’t arrive for a very long time, although President Barack Obama recently encouraged congress to pass a bill that could see the beginning of the […] More »

Earlier today the Obama camp revealed a new plan to increase funding to the highway and transport sector in the U.S. as part of a national economic recovery plan. The details are still under debate in the senate, but at present $25 billion has been set aside for infrastructure projects, namely building new roads. This […] More »

A Dutch design firm has released a new computer font, Ecofont, that they say uses less ink, and can therefore reduce the e-waste that results from depleted toner cartridges. It’s a regular-looking font except that it’s riddled with holes, and the firm, Spranq, claims this reduces toner use by up to 20 per cent. Their […] More »

If you’re one of the millions of Canadians striving to lower your eco footprint, travel just got easier. Yesterday, Continental Airlines successfully completed their first flight using fuel derived from algae. That’s right, now you can jet-set around the world on little more than the energy of an autotrophic organism! The aviation industry, bemoaned for […] More »

Looking for an adventurous and educational holiday to beat the winter blues? Why not tour the chaos and misery of the mess Texaco Oil left behind in the Amazon Basin. For the last fifteen years Chevron Corp, which acquired Texaco Oil in 2001, has been in a deadlock legal battle with the citizens of Lago […] More »

How’s that for a sensationalist headline? I couldn’t resist. The Ontario Highway Transport Board has recently ruled that rideshare website Pickup Pal is breaking the law by allowing users to coordinate carpools and offer rides to mutually convenient destinations for a fee. The Toronto Star reports that the decision was instigated by chartered bus company […] More »