By John DeFore
Green Right Now
The sickening effects of atmospheric formaldehyde may have become a hot topic thanks to FEMA trailers after Hurricane Katrina, but the problem is hardly limited to mobile homes. Formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a widespread health concern introduced to buildings through industrial textiles like carpeting and by materials, like plywood, that use certain adhesives.
That doesn’t mean we have to accept living in toxic rooms. Researchers in Korea have measured the extent to which household plants can clean the air, and their discoveries are encouraging.
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Sensor monitors health of plants
By Amy Hollyfield
KGO-San Francisco
A new product turns to technology to help your plants thrive. Your plants sit there – silently begging for your attention. And many of us stare back and wonder what to do.
>> Watch now
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Tags: · KGO, plants, San Francisco
Grow Your Own House? It May Just Be Doable
September 10th, 2008 · No Comments
By John DeFore
The idea of training plants to grow into odd, useful forms isn’t a new one. It’s been done for ages, has been the subject of enthusiast-penned books, and in recent years has attracted the interest of fine artists and architects.
Now two professors at Tel Aviv University hope to move eco-architecture into the commercial realm, designing products that can be sold and grown around the world.
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Tags: · Eco-architecture, homebuilding, plants, Plantware, Tel Aviv University, Trees
Since time immemorial farmer’s markets have been with us: farmers harvest, bakers bake, dairy farmers milk their cows and they all meet at a central location where there’s lots of foot traffic … and they sell. The common theme: the food is fresh.