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Tiny flat-packed off-grid homes aim to be bridge between renting and owning

The Big World Homes project aims to be a new model of affordable housing, and its modular mobile design could make it a good fit for 'pop-up' communities on unused land.




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Green Gift Guide: The DIY'er

Get the creative juices flowing with a maple sugaring or chalkboard paint kit, a cheese cookbook, a knitting set, the best multi-purpose scissors, and more.




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Wow: Vividly Colored Wood Flooring Is Made by Hand (Video)

Traditional marbling techniques are re-adapted to highlight the natural details of this lovely, hand-colored wood flooring.




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CustomMade is an electronic matchmaker for customers with an idea and craftspeople with the skills

This is how the internet is supposed to work.




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8 things to do with bored kids

From photo scavenger hunts to homemade playdough, try these wholesome boredom busters for kids at home with nothing to do.




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Rio+20’s ‘Look at the Bright Side’ Phase Doesn't Hide the Process Needs Re-Thinking

The commitments made by countries and the intention to set Sustainable Development Goals are good achievements, just not enough to justify a summit like this. Is it time to re-design the UN environmental meetings to work for us?




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Colorful Box Hides Lovely, Transformer 270 Sq. Foot Tea Shop in Sao Paulo

A Brazilian firm translates small-spaces ideas into a cute shopping mall shop.




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Bike Schools Turn Kids into Future Urban Cyclists in Brazil

The largest city in America, home to the worst traffic jam in history and the highest number of helicopters in the world, is trying to start a bike revolution in elementary schools.




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Cool Bike Cinema Draws Attention to Vacant Lots in Madrid

Spanish collective Basurama built a movable cinema mounted on a bike and used it to expose empty spots which could be turned into public spaces temporarily.




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9 everyday products you didn't know had animal ingredients

If you thought that by quitting meat or at least going weekday vegetarian you were doing your part to avoid factory farming,




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B'Kid, the Balance Bike that Grows with your Child (Photos)

A wooden kids' bike with a cork seat adapts to the child's necessity as it learns how to cycle. First as a tricycle, then a balance bike and finally as a bike with pedals B'Kid is a longlasting and beautiful object.




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Wal-Mart To Help 20 State Capitals Save Money And Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Wal-Mart has agreed to help US taxpayers take climate action. Over the next two years, they are sending energy audit teams to 20 State Capitol complexes to help save taxpayers money and help the environment...while the Federal Government equivocates




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Where Wiffle Ball's a Crime There May Be No Child Left Outside

With kids across America suffering from a severe case of nature deficit disorder as technology creeps in and takes over their room for creative play it may come as a surprise that a group of kids putting together their very own field of dreams on which




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Every year, the pile of evidence about the danger of burning wood gets bigger

In the north, a lot of people burn wood all year round, but even a single fire is worse than smoking cigarettes.




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Transformer window expands into instant mini-sunroom for small apartments (Video)

This clever replacement window expands out to create a private semi-outdoor space for people who don't have a balcony.




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Gyrecraft: creating luxurious objects from plastic ocean trash (Video)

Plastic pollution in our oceans is a big deal. These designers went out and collected some to create this surprising collection of items that look quite luxurious.




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Beautifully patterned ceramics are 3D printed with sound vibrations (video)

Using a customized printer, these designers combined new technology with low sounds to create this modern collection of ceramics.




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Job-creating bags will reuse lifejackets & boats of refugee crisis (Video)

Mountains of discarded materials sourced from refugees' boats and lifejackets will be transformed into bags -- by asylum seekers themselves, for a decent wage.




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LeGrow is a smart garden system you build with LEGO-like modular blocks (Video)

Perfect for small city apartments, this system allows you to use a variety of add-on components to build your own indoor garden.




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This low-tech terrarium purifies water like a mini-Amazon rainforest (Video)

Emulating the same processes naturally found in rainforests, this prototype filters and cleans water of harmful pollutants.




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Video: Kangaroo petting a dog

They're just like us.




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This Black Friday, Patagonia exchanges new clothing for old and invests in the sharing economy

Patagonia's Worn Wear events, held in collaboration with sharing start up Yerdle, offer a different, more sustainable vision of Black Friday.




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10 ways to reduce (or reverse) your car's carbon skidmark

Cars spit out tons of pollution. Luckily there are many ways to reduce your emissions - we've summarized the top tips for you.




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Greta Thunberg delivers searing speech to world leaders (video)

The 16-year-old climate activist holds nothing back when addressing the UN Climate Action Summit – this speech shows why she is having such an impact.




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Ruby Cup: "Buy one, give one" menstrual cup on a social mission to help African schoolgirls (Video)

Did your fear of stains stop you from going to school or work? Probably not. But this company is aiming to bring menstrual cups to African schoolgirls who miss school because they have their period and cannot afford disposables.




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Grain silo converted into solar-powered home for father & daughter (Video)

Made out of an old grain silo, this renovated micro-home is bursting with delightful creativity.




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The Kissing Bridge in Copenhagen stops being the Missing Bridge, finally opens

It's been a long time coming. Was it worth the wait?




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When Tree-Planting Goes Bad: Twisted, Misplaced Trees of Death in Colombia (Slideshow)

Between 1999 and 2004, there was one death a year due to the falling of trees or branches in Colombia's capital city, Bogota.




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From World's Drug Capital to Green Oasis: The Incredible Story of Medellin, Colombia (Slideshow)

Medellin, Colombia: This city's name used to strike fear in peoples' hearts. In the 80s and early 90s, it was known as the drug capital of the world and the most violent city on the planet.




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Bogota's Amazing Bikeways! (Video)

A Model for the World This video by our friends at Streetfilms is not only great because it shows us a powerful example of bike infrastructure improving a city, but also because it shows how you can change the perception of riding a bike among citizens




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Bogota's Amazing Bus Rapid Transit Keeps Getting Better (Video)

Moving 1.7 People Every Single Day!This is how bus rapid transit (BRT) should be! TransMilenio's 104 stations allow the citizens of Bogota (in Colombia) to get to work, move around the city, run errands... All of that very conveniently and quickly -




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Chiquita Bananas Joins Other Major Brands, Pledges to Avoid Oil from Tar Sands

Chiquita Bananas becomes the latest major brand to avoid tar sands fuel. But will it really help?




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Do you see a devil in this orchid?

Named for 'el diablo' himself, a new and extremely rare orchid species reveals a wicked heart.




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World's largest vertical garden hosts 115,000 plants to create "living building" (Video)

This vertical garden on a residential high-rise in Bogotá reuses greywater from its residents and helps to clean the air.




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Flat pack Bait Hive attracts bee swarms inside for safer & easier relocation (Video)

This simple, foldable bee box attracts roaming bee swarms with a pheromone lure, and helps beekeepers safely relocate bees.




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30,000 bees found inside the buzzing walls of NJ home

The Africanized bees slipped in through a small opening, set up home, and were busy making honey.




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Urban beekeeper using bee sounds and honey to make experimental music (Video)

Did you know honey has its own sound? Using honey and other tools, this bee enthusiast wants to raise awareness about bee colony collapse disorder through music.




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Quebec announces restrictions on honeybee-harming pesticides

While not banning the killer pesticides altogether, the new measure will at least hopefully help the beleaguered pollinators.




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Magnificent spiraling hives are built by stingless sugarbag bees (Video)

Boring old bee hives get exciting with these curly shaped structures, built by bees that don't sting.




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EU declares total ban on bee-harming pesticides

Neonicotinoids, the world’s most widely used insecticides, will be banned for use in fields within six months.




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Particulate Matter levels in London Underground are 18 times as high as the air outside

And the air outside in urban London is pretty awful.




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8 Best North American Beaches For Exploring Tide Pools

Discover the miniature, magical world of tide pools -- and beat the heat -- by heading to North America's coastlines.




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Make roadside attractions part of your next car trip

Don't be in such a hurry! Here's why you should slow down and visit the quirky landmarks that so many small towns have to offer.




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Scientists identify the most environmentally harmful animal product in the American diet

A new paper compares eggs, dairy, poultry, beef and pork to determine which has the biggest environmental impact.




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American dietary guidelines dump environmental concerns

Recommendations to eat less meat for environmental reasons won’t be included in the final 2015 dietary guidelines.




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Sonic's part-mushroom burger now available nationwide

Blending ground beef with mushrooms cuts both calories and carbon emissions. Oh, and lots of folks say it tastes better too.




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Famous motorcycle designer tries his hand at e-bikes with the FUELL Fluid

Buell motorcycles are fast, beautiful and expensive. How does Erik Buell's e-bike compare?




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Why I think buying an e-bike online is a really bad idea

If e-bikes are going to replace cars, they should be taken seriously and maintained properly by people who know what they are doing.




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Learn basic bike repair with these 9 DIY videos

Keeping your bike in tip-top shape means regular maintenance, preventative measures, and the occasional on-the-road quick fix.




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New video from Ken Avidor: "My bike is freedom"

At least until you ride it to a public meeting, where your bike is part of a vast, bike-wing conspiracy.