Is Ebony Going Extinct & What Can Be Done?
Ebony forests are on the ropes in Asia and Africa and environmentalists are pleading with consumers to find alternatives.
Ebony forests are on the ropes in Asia and Africa and environmentalists are pleading with consumers to find alternatives.
We look at three housing materials that harm the environment — and three more sustainable alternatives to help you build/renovate greener.
In Tanzania, an effort to create ‘food forests’ addresses not only climate mitigation but also community food needs and ecosystem regeneration.
Choosing flooring for a space doesn’t always have to steer you in the direction of harsh chemicals and synthetic materials.
The fact that the so-called “tonewoods” that guitar makers have relied on for almost two centuries are now harder and harder to come by has left guitar makers scrambling to support replanting efforts in far flung locales and looking for sustainable alternatives that still imbue their instruments with pleasing tonal characteristics and eye-catching good looks…
While good old particle board contains formaldehyde that can make you sick, safer alternatives use polyurethane as filler instead. Sealing particle board is another way to minimize exposure to toxic formaldehyde.
Gibson, Taylor, Fender, Martin, Guild, Walden & Yamaha have signed onto Greenpeace’s Music Wood Coalition to help protect threatened forest habitats…
Bamboo is used for everything from lightweight bikes, to flooring, furniture & fishing rods. But is it really as eco-friendly as its manufacturers’ claim?
SECRET KITCHEN COMPOSTING Still struggling to compost in the kitchen? The recycled stainless steel Blanco Solon Compost System (about $300) installs directly into your countertop, so you simply scrape in vegetable trimmings, egg shells and coffee grounds as you’re cooking and lock the lid to keep odors out. After you’ve tossed your organic waste outdoors, […]
Crackling fireplaces are a wonderful way to add warmth and ambience, but they are relatively inefficient devices for heating the home. Most fireplaces convert just 5%-10% of the burning wood’s energy into useful heat. A fireplace can even have a “negative efficiency” effect when there is no fire burning and the damper doors are left […]