Green World

Hi, So this post was requested on Twitter after our September Top Tips about recycling . Today we will be talking about how to turn complete waste into something reasonably valuable. This is basically a form of upcycling but to a more extreme level. 1. Ecobricks So, almost a year ago we did a post about ecobricks , but they are such a good example of turning waste into valuables that we decided to put it here anyway. Ecobricks are a building material made from plastic. The waste plastic is washed and then compacted into a clean plastic bottle (also waste). The bottle becomes very hard and durable. Multiple bottles can then be used as bricks and cemented together. The 'bricks' are strong and do not decompose. For more info, read our post where we go into more detail. 2. Metals Although this may seem like something not worth the time. When you separate the metals in waste (for example an old car), you can get usable metal out ...

Hi, You may have heard that trees can talk. So today, we’re going to be looking at how trees talk. Mycorrhizal network The mycorrhizal network is a network of trees and other plants all connected by fungi. This creates a symbiotic relationship between the trees and the fungi that grow on their roots. The fungi give the trees nutrients and the trees give the fungi sugars. Nutrients/Resources However, trees can also use this fungi network to send each other nutrients and sugars. The most common example of this is that older trees will send sapling sugars because the sapling doesn’t get enough sunlight to photosynthesise. Dying trees will also send all of their nutrients into the network for other trees to use. Electrical pulses This is a quite recent discovery. Trees will send electric pulses through the fungi system to warn other trees of droughts, fires, and diseases. Scientists believe that this works similarly to nervous systems in animals...

Hello everyone Does veganism come with health issues? Is it sustainable? And does vegetarianism change anything? - We're going to be comparing three different diet types: veganism, vegetarianism, and a mixed diet, in multiple categories. This post is structured into the following sections: human rights health area needed animal rights greenhouse gas emissions Which diet is the best? Image and text sources Warning: There are no graphic images in this post. However, in the 'human rights' and 'animal rights' sections, there are descriptions of physical and mental abuse towards both humans and animals. Skip those sections, if you know you can't deal with that. Human rights This may seem like an unrelated topic at first, but in many industries, the rights of people in poorer countries are abused because it's cheaper for the compa...

Hi everyone, Today's topic is a rather controversial one: is killing invasive species necessary? We'll take it apart for you to come up with your own opinion. Enjoy! Definition Firstly, let's clarify what an invasive species is. An invasive species is a species that is not native and most likely causes harm to the ecosystem where it now lives. This does not include animals that migrate to another area. Why is it a problem? Depending on the species and the ecosystem, invasive species can cause a lot of harm to their surroundings. Often invasive species have no predators in their new habitat and reproduce in such large numbers that they massively overpopulate, causing death for other species. Or they bring sicknesses the local animals are not accustomed to, and that kills them. For example black and brown rats are an invasive species on the Galapagos Islands : Black and brown rats were introduced to the Galapagos Islands in the 17th ce...

Hi everyone, So today we're going to talk about sustainable homemade presents. If you start now, then some of these would make amazing Christmas presents. 1. Knitting, crochet, embroidery & more yarn items You can make some incredible presents by knitting or crocheting with wool or thick yarn. All you need are needles and wool/yarn. Wool can be expensive if you want good quality so check out this post about making your own yarn out a t-shirt! With thinner yarn you could make some amazing thing through embroidery. Here are some project ideas: Scarfs  Socks Blankets Jumpers Pouch Dishcloths Table mat Headband Fingerless gloves Keychains Friendship bracelets Wall decorations Handles for hot pots and pans Figurines Bag designs 2. Origami Origami is an amazing way to show someone that you put time into what you made. You can use paper of any size, colour or pattern. Here are some ideas: Swans ...