We’re happy that you reached our website. Here you will find a series of articles that promote well-being and a sustainable way of life. Explore our site so you find inspiration to make a positive change in your life. Our reading material includes travel and tips plus ways to contribute in the making of a better world.
Climate change is all around us and there’s no denying that capturing carbon by increasing forest cover is key in the fight against this crisis. However, there’s a serious issue looming around as some of these forests exist on paper only, meaning they are ‘Phantom Forests’. Why do these so-called fake forests occur? The simple answer is that promises made by governments and organizations have not been kept.
In the Philippines, along the coast of Iloilo, the perfect shallow waters were planted with mangroves as part of the nation’s progressive National Greening Program. However, around 90% of the seedlings died, because the type of mangrove planted was right for muddy creeks rather than the area’s sandy coast. The government preferred it this way since the seeds were readily available and easy to plant.
Another example of the failed restoration of forests has occurred in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh, where tens of millions of sprouts were planted in the last few years, but when checked on for new plantations, very few have been found alive.
What can be done to avoid greenwashing and truly help nature heal? Perhaps, the most important step is to stop logging the few remaining old-growth forests. Also, countries need to speed up the process of working to get special wild places designated as protected areas.
If enough old-growth forests can be protected and younger forests are permitted to live long enough to become old-growth once again, we can certainly say that there is still hope out there.
Serendix Partners, a Japanese company, has succeeded in 3D printing a house in under a day. The incredible feat of printing a house promises to be at a lower cost than initially expected.
In March of 2022, the Nipponese company managed to build a home in less than 24 hours and for less than 3 million yen (which is roughly $25,358). Granted, the home is a pod residence, which has been referred to as the “Sphere” and is currently the first 3D-printed house in the nation.
Serendix printed the pod-like home at one of the Japanese factories of Hyakunen Jutaku, a residential construction enterprise where people can also ask for high-quality building inspections.
The Sphere was designed by renowned architect Masayuki Sono and its design uses a 20-metric ton reinforced concrete frame. With just over 107.64 square feet, the construction is allegedly exempt from Japan’s building regulations.
The 3-D printer ran for 23 hours and 12 minutes to build the Sphere and still, it supposedly meets local earthquake standards as well as European insulation standards.
What’s even more amazing is that Serendix is aiming to shorten the Sphere’s construction time even more. We’ll just have to wait and see if these pods are appealing to regular customers, in a society that already uses these contraptions for overnight stays in major cities, or if they will solely work as camping sites, disaster relocation shelters, or even vacation homes.
With more and more people gaining conscience about helping the environment, there are different practices they are taking to go green that will also save them a few bucks every month. Let’s take a look at some ways to live a more environment-friendly lifestyle and cut costs:
- Switch to renewable energy: Look for green energy providers in your city, as renewables are now the cheapest form of electricity in many countries. Solar and wind energies are some of the most popular options that are now cheaper than power from new fossil fuels.
- Drive an electric car: Even though electric cars are not 100% emissions-free, as lithium-based and take more energy to manufacture than gas-powered cars, they do produce fewer polluting emissions over their lifetimes than gas-powered cars. Furthermore, a gasoline car can cost you $1,000 to $2,500 a year to fill up while it costs only $300 to $400 per year to charge an electric vehicle.
- Grow your own food: A home garden could be a good way to eat healthy and engage in a new hobby while saving costs at the supermarket and reducing your carbon footprint in your dinner.
- Switch to solar: Installing solar panels and other renewable energy resources requires a considerable upfront investment, but it will save you money in the long run thanks to a range of incentives from federal, state and local governments in some countries.
What are your plans in the “go green” department?
