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About 1 billion people live on $1 a day or less and can't get a foothold on the economic ladder. Once they have the foothold, they can climb further themselves. But among the barriers to getting on the ladder is a lack of access to markets. For example, in countries with poor road infrastructure, even successful farmers may not be able to get their crops to cities to sell.
 Impressions:284
| Last winter, Ottawa was buried in more than 400 centimeters of snow. Clearing it off the roads and trucking it to the city's snow dumps cost $88 million. So, the city council asked for a study to examine the feasibility to use the "cold energy" stored in tons of snow collected from city streets in the winter to cool buildings such as hospitals, universities and government complexes during the hot summer months.
Impressions:325
| The President elect brief rundown of his economic recovery plan to create 2.5 million jobs include the following statements "...building wind farms and solar panels, fuel-efficient cars and the alternative energy technology that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy competitive in the years ahead...That is the chance our new beginning now offers us, and that is the challenge we must rise to in the days to come."
Impressions:1130
| China heralded a new era for the emerging markets when it announced its $600 billion domestic economic stimulus package. Amongst the spending plans is the Hubei Province project to construct nine "eco-cities" as part of a nationwide focus on "energy conservation and environmental protection."
Impressions:444
| In a continuously precarious economy, more and more parents are turning to second-hand sources for everyday items including children's clothes and other stuff. While thrift stores tend to be hit-or-miss and online offerings are often buried within the likes of Craigslist, a new classifieds site for moms promises to aggregate such listings from across the web, making it quicker and easier for parents to find high-quality and low-cost kids' goods.
Impressions:386
| Even the most environmentally-conscious among us use batteries containing toxic substances on a daily basis and most fuel cells and batteries contain a core of heavy metals, which are expensive and pollute the environment. Now UK chemists have discovered a property in the mushroom enzyme "Laccase" that could revolutionize the way fuel cells are produced. They discovered that the substance is every bit as effective as a catalyst on fuel cell electrodes as platinum.
Impressions:405
| Bottled water is healthy than tap water? That’s what marketers would have us believe. Just look at the labels or the bottled water ads: deep, pristine pools of spring water; majestic alpine peaks; healthy, active people gulping down icy bottled water between biking in the park and a trip to the yoga studio. Whether bottled water is better than tap water, and justifies its expense, remains under debate.
Impressions:450
| Weddings are a big business. So big, in fact, that there are niches within the industry that are booming. Green weddings are one of them. There are a lot of things that can be swapped out for environmentally-friendly alternatives. Gowns can be reused or made of organic materials such as silk. Invitations can be made of earth-friendly crops such as hemp, bamboo, banana stalk, and sugar cane paper. You could forgo physical invites altogether and use an internet service to send virtual ones. Other items such as food, flowers, and alcohol can be purchased from businesses that produce these items locally.
Impressions:445
| As many homeowners now recognize, the cost of energy is quite high. To the point that it’s financially beneficial to adjust consumption. Even small reductions in energy consumption can collectively amount to billions of dollars in savings.
Impressions:521
| Founded in 1993 by partners Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano in New York city, LOT-EK (pronounced low-tech) is noted for its inventive reuse of prefabricated objects and industrial materials. The firm is committed to ecologically responsible methods of construction, and incorporates unexpected elements such as oil tankers and shipping containers in its residential, commercial, and institutional projects.
Impressions:499
| If you can get great stuff, save money, and reduce your footprint with rental. Why buy? You're familiar with renting cars, homes, and movies. Why stop there? Imagine if you could rent anything to do with consumer and luxury goods - from Ferraris to Halloween costumes to fashion items to party equipment to tuxedos and beyond - all through one online venue.
Impressions:435
| Polystyrene products have been used for years as home insulation and Styrofoam packaging, but the petroleum-based materials are infamous for the toll they take on the environment. However, in the cradle-to-cradle industrial model, goods should either be fully biodegradable or reusable, limiting waste and pollution. With a rapidly increasing global population, a limited supply of natural resources, and rising energy prices, eco-friendly housing products are selling fast.
Impressions:754
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