Innovation | Grist

City Sickers?

Ask Umbra on urban foraging 4
Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Spring has sprung, and one urban entrepreneur wants to make dandelion wine. But should she pick 'em from her local park? Umbra advises.
Talkin' Bout Cogeneration

Two homeowners, one monster, and a cutting-edge power source 6
Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago
There's a monster in the basement, but Peter and Edith are going to slay it. They're replacing their outdated furnace with a state-of-the-art micro-cogeneration system -- one of the first used in a residential setting.
Pedal Pushers

Iowa City needs bike sharing 0
Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago
An op-ed in the University of Iowa paper says the 80,000-person city needs bike sharing desperately -- and can do it better than big cities.
Papa, Can you PR Me?

World’s first eco-article about “world’s first” eco-items 3
Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Did you know there's now an eco-friendly car wash? Eco-friendly wedding album? Eco-friendly nose-hair groomer? OK, we made up that last one, but we wouldn't be surprised if it's out there. We imagine what happens when "world's firsts" collide.
Oy Convey

Ask Umbra on escalators 1
Posted 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Moved by a column about elevators, a letter-writer wonders about the eco-perils of escalators -- and Umbra rises to the challenge.
One Word, Infinite Possibilities

Plastic bags get a new life in Jerusalem 1
Posted 6 months, 3 weeks ago
When Eric Pallant showed a group of teachers how to make a fused-plastic fabric, he never imagined the creations that would result.
Use the Course

Ask Umbra on hydro power at home 5
Posted 6 months, 4 weeks ago
Behold the mightiness of the backyard stream: Umbra explains how to harness it for home-energy purposes.
Hizzoner's Progress

15 green-leaning mayors 17
Posted 7 months ago
Global warming is a global problem -- but there ain't no global solution. That's why mayors across the U.S. are taking matters into their own hands.
Something Is Rotten on the NYT Op-Ed Page

A false choice from a familiar skeptic 5
Posted 7 months ago
Bjorn Lomborg -- Danish statistician, self-styled "Skeptical Environmentalist," and long-time Grist nemesis -- is back, this time courtesy of the New York Times op-ed page.
It's hot. It's cool. It's a box.

Kyoto stove wins $75,000 FT climate change innovation competition 17
Posted 7 months, 3 weeks ago
The Kyoto box, a solar-powered cardboard cooker, has been named the year’s best climate change-tackling innovation.
Life's a Pitch

15 green sports venues 3
Posted 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Think the only thing green about pro sports is the turf? Think again. As the first crack of the bat rings through the spring air, we take a look at all sorts of sports venues that are scoring big on the eco-field.
Dither and Lace

Umbra advises on running shoes 6
Posted 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Wondering how green your running shoes are? Find out which companies are leading the pack.
Trailer Thrash

Reinventing the trailer park 1
Posted 8 months, 1 week ago
Trailer parks get a bad rap. But done right, the trailer park actually holds great potential as an eco-development model.
New breed of houses makes use of carbage 0
Posted 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Everything about this idea is recycled ... even the idea 1
Posted 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Growing small houses for the recession age 2
Posted 10 months ago
Greening the alleys of Los Angeles 0
Posted 10 months, 1 week ago
Is Toyota developing a purely solar-powered car? 10
Posted 10 months, 4 weeks ago
With heat pumps, smart cooperation is as important as technology 6
Posted 10 months, 4 weeks ago
The World Community Grid sets its sights—and processing power—on clean energy 5
Posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago