Weekly Greens – July 23rd

Well, it’s that time of the week again and I figured I’d share a few of the weekly greens that caught my attention this week. This is by no means all the interesting or intriguing news I came across. These are just a few I thought were worth sharing.

Image by vj_fliks

On to the ‘weekly greens’:

1 – World’s First Flight Powered by 100% Algae Biofuels Completed: I’m sure you’ve probably heard mention before of planes testing with biofuels. There have been prior tests that have been successful wherein planes flew with a mixture of biofuels and other fuel and/or maybe one engine was powered through the use of algae biofuels.

However this is apparently the first flight for a plane fully-powered by algae biofuels. If you haven’t surmised, that’s a pretty big step. Don’t get your hopes up too high though. This doesn’t mean that your next flight will be on an algae-fueled plane, but it does mean the aviation industry may be headed toward a much greener future.

2 – Goats Help Save Turtles: This is kind of a feel-good story. It’s been known for awhile that a biofriendly way to remove overgrown vegetation and brush is to bring in goats. Many cities, colleges and even counties use this method as a smart way to clear away rough terrain that heavy equipment can’t necessarily access.

Well in this instance goats were brought in to save the turtles….take a look:

3 – Indian spice reduces Alzheimer’s symptoms by 30%: This one is awesome in my book. It’s always nice to see natural ways being found and promoted that can truly help lower the effects of Alzheimer’s (or any disease).

Image by Sunil Photos

Having had loved ones who experienced Alzheimer’s symptoms, I know how hard it can be. Being able to reduce those symptoms naturally is a good thing.

It is like Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Here are a few more foods that are known for their healing abilities.

4 – What to eat when you are dying of heat: This particular article caught my attention as it didn’t just give me a list of things I already knew. It gave me a number of things I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of eating when I was melting from the heat.

Check it out. Maybe you’ll learn something new too.

5 – Urban Garden Update: Speaking of food…this one is from my friend Leslie. I wanted to include it in my weekly greens as you have got to check out her wonderful vegetable/fruit garden.

Leslie sets a great example for living off the land in an urban setting. Her kids even have their own little garden and help tend to it. Leslie also has her line in on some great looking local CSA goodies. Check and see if there is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) near you.

6 – Recycled Bio-Islands Restore Fresh Water Habitats: Rehabilitating our fresh water rivers, lakes and streams is a very important part of preserving and protecting nature.

Mankind doesn’t always think ahead when it comes to disposing of waste. When chemicals and other waste get into fresh water habitats, the plants and animals that live there are the ones that suffer. These recycled bio-islands are a great way to re-use materials to preserve the future.

One last mention, kind of a follow-up on one of last week’s greens, is about another B&B. This B&B can be found in beautiful Ireland at the quaint Glenribbeen Eco Lodge.

The Glenribbeen Eco Lodge received the top EU Green Flower Award for eco accommodations last year and pride themselves in the fact that they haven’t needed to put out a trash bin in almost 3 years. Additionally, they recycle almost everything, try to keep their packaging to a minimum, grow organic foods on site, collect & reuse rainwater, etc, etc.  Check them out.

Well, that wraps up this round of ‘weekly greens’. Please don’t forget to email me with any green news you feel is worth sharing here. And thank you to all of those who emailed me last week with their information and suggestions. Remember, you might just see your news in one of my ‘weekly greens’.