Air quality in homes and offices is becoming a major health concern. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in indoor air emanate from adhesives, furnishings, clothing, and solvents and have been shown to cause illnesses in people. Researchers tested ornamental indoor plants for their ability to remove harmful VOCs from indoor air. The study concluded that simply introducing common ornamental plants into indoor spaces has the potential to significantly improve the quality of indoor air.
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We can join Bill McKibben on Oct. 24 in nationwide protests over rising carbon emissions. We can cut our consumption of fossil fuels. We can use less water. We can banish plastic bags. We can install compact fluorescent light bulbs. We can compost in our backyard. But unless we dismantle the corporate state, all those actions will be just as ineffective as the Ghost Dance shirts donned by native American warriors to protect themselves from the bullets of white soldiers at Wounded Knee. [...more]
You already know that shopping at your local farmers market or CSA is a great way to reduce your food miles. And, if you take that one step further, growing your own food can eliminate shopping altogether. But what's the 'greenest' form of feeding yourself? How can you feed yourself with the smallest possible carbon footprint? Foraging, of course! Finding your food underfoot. [...more]
In the first experiment in a natural environment, Brown University scientists have shown that greater plant diversity significantly enhances an ecosystem’s productivity. The finding, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, underscores the importance of biodiversity to an ecosystem’s value, such as capturing the global warming gas carbon dioxide. [...more]
The amazing health benefits we derive from eating plants and drinking their juices are just the beginning of the story. Research shows that when we bring plants inside to share our environments, we multiply those benefits. [...more]
