image by trevor reichman What was a large downtown parking lot in Houston just a year ago, is now Discovery Green, downtown Houston’s new urban park. Underneath the park, an underground parking garage now accommodates the same number of cars as before…no more, no less. An above ground portal, designed by Austin artist, Margo Sawyer, takes drivers from their cars below the Earth up to almost a dozen acres of new centrally located parkspace. ...

At a campaign stop in Iowa today, presidential candidate John McCain touched on the importance of expanding nuclear power operations in the US. In his speech, McCain seemed to appeal to his party's base when he drew laughs and cheers after saying the following:...

Photo: Woman sifting asbestos into powder, Bangladesh (Greenpeace)
Though there have been efforts to phase it out at home, it is anticipated that the Canadian government will be lobbying against the inclusion of a type of asbestos on a watch list of the world’s most dangerous substances in UN negotiations later this week. In a harsh editorial published in its latest issue, the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) is condemning what it calls the Canadian government’s "death-dealing charade" in exporti...

image: Vote Solar Though renewable energy in general, and solar power in particular, has really planted itself firmly in public consciousness over the past year, that doesn’t mean that individuals can rest on their laurels. One of the most interesting booths at Solar Power International wasn’t even on the exhibit floor, and wasn’t even staffed by anyone. The Vote Solar Initiative is a San Francisco-based advocacy organization, working nationally to “bring solar energy into the mainstream” and focusing on “policies that will develop the economies of scale necessary to bring down costs, and help us transition to a renewable energy economy.” Here are some of...

Sarah Thirlwell's wood and recycled plastic pots are a wonderful discovery at Origin: the London Craft Fair. These beautifully shaped vessels, made out of sustainable home grown timber and recycled plastic, are both functional and decorative. Sarah Thirlwell uses recycled yoghurt pots, which look like cream coloured marble with flecks, and combines them with plywood or birch which is shaped on a lathe. The black vesse...