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Chicago Is Becoming The Country’s Urban Farming Capital
When you walk into Farmed Here’s 90,000-square-foot warehouse in Bedford Park, a sleepy industrial outpost about 15 miles southwest of Chicago, you might not immediately register that you’re standing in the second coming of the locavore movement. But then you get inside and smell basil—along with baby greens, broccoli, and kale—all of it bathed in the purple fluorescence of LED light and stacked seven racks high in a massive hydroponic system that pumps soybean- and kelp-infused water through a temperature- and humidity-controlled system, nearly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Hawaii Eyes Offshore Wind to Reach 100% Clean Energy
A federal plan to offer leases for offshore wind power development near the coastline of Oahu could help Hawaii take a big step toward reaching its goal of generating all its electrical power with renewable energy sources by 2045. Stationing giant turbines in the ocean north and south of the island will be a huge engineering challenge.
D.C. Approves 50% Renewable Energy Target
The nation’s capital took another step toward nation-leading climate action today, as the District of Columbia Council unanimously approved legislation, B21-650, to expand DC’s renewable energy target to 50 percent by 2032.
How Not Recycling Old Clothes Can Hurt The Environment
Americans may think they donate all of their used clothes, but only 15 percent of textiles are reused. That means a lot of fabric ends up in landfills.
Maybe you’ve done this yourself. You have clothing you want to get rid of. You sort out the stuff to donate. And the stuff that is just ratty beyond belief, well, you just toss it. Bret Jaspers, from member station WSKG in Binghamton, N.Y, reports that that might not be the best strategy if you care about the planet.
Renewables Broke Records Globally in 2015
Global investment in renewable energy reached record levels in 2015, according to a new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). More surprisingly, perhaps, the report shows that the $286bn poured into green energy was more than double the spending on coal– and gas-fired power.
NASA is Teaching Us Sustainability
“Astronauts who spend months on end in orbit have to learn to make do and mend in the best tradition of sustainability. Missions to bring fresh supplies are expensive and time consuming. For any astronauts who take on a mission to Mars, planned for the 2030s, with the round trip likely to take two years, life would be even tougher.
That prospect has helped focus minds at America’s space agency, Nasa, on clever ways to provide for daily needs in challenging conditions. But the lessons being learned are also proving to have knock-on benefits down here on Earth.”
