by Rocio Zamora Arzola
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Once a farmer, always a farmer. In Iowa, Latinos raised on farms in their home countries are being encouraged to put their green thumbs to the test in the U.S.
Through Marshalltown Community College’s eight-week, bilingual adult education class entitled “Start Your Own Diversified Farm,” students are given the institutional knowledge of [...]
by Lisa Leonard
WHAT’S HAPPENING
In June 2009, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a proposal for the most comprehensive mandatory recycling and composting law in the nation — part of the city’s effort to achieve zero waste by 2020 (SFGate.com 6.10.09).
Beginning in fall 2009, every household and business must sort refuse into recycling, compost and [...]
by Sarah Fazio
WHAT’S HAPPENING
For most dinner party hosts, the evening requires a trip (or three) to the grocery store. But for Doomer Dinner Parties there’s no shopping required — actually, it’s forbidden. The entire meal must be prepared from what’s on hand in the host’s fridge, pantry or garden.
Doomers (a.k.a. peakniks) say society is entering [...]
by Hans Eisenbeis
I was walking my dog along the Mississippi River the other day, enjoying the spring weather, sure, but also envying my friends who’d flown to Cancún or Aspen for their spring breaks — wait, no one I know flew anywhere this April. Most of us are staying close to home, trying to enjoy [...]
by Lisa Leonard
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Fidgety feet? Now consumers can turn nervous energy into electricity with the help of the YoGen MaxT.
The device, from Easy Energy, sits conveniently under the user’s desk, harnessing foot-tapping power into electricity with a pedal that’s ergonomically optimized to prevent tootsies from tiring (Easy-Energy.biz 3.09).
People-powered energy sources for small devices aren’t new, [...]
by Nissa Hanna
WHAT’S HAPPENING
A Philadelphia development team is creating the 100K House project to prove that design-savvy, sustainable homes don’t have to cost a lot of green.
The group is starting with two case study homes, and the project is named after the projected cost of the smaller design.
The two LEED Platinum and Energy Star certified [...]
by Nissa Hanna
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Newly developed Seabrook is a mixed-use coastal community that provides eco-friendly living in a walkable urban environment.
Located on the Pacific Coast between Seattle and Portland, the town promotes bikes as the preferred mode of transportation so denizens can do without cars when visiting Seabrook’s public spaces like the performing arts center, parks, [...]
by Derek Reveron
WHAT’S HAPPENING
A study shows that people who are both bicultural and bilingual may change their personality unconsciously when they switch languages.
Bicultural Latinos who speak English and Spanish change their cultural self-perception faster and easier than bilingual people who live in one culture, according to a study by researchers from Baruch College and the [...]
OBSERVATION
by Hillary Smith
WHAT’S HAPPENING
There are people out there who just don’t care. Or so it would seem, given the results of a new Mintel study which states that 10% of the U.S. population are skeptical, irritated and unmoved by environmental media (BrandWeek.com 7.22.08).
And there could be more. According to Shelton Group, 26% of the population [...]
