By Bhavani Prakash Many plant species can lay claim to being a ‘single species supermarket’ where several if not all parts of the plant can be used productively for food, fibre and/or fuel. Three that I have grown up with in tropical Asia are the coconut palm, the moringa (drumstick tree), and banana plant which are [...]
By Bhavani Prakash Don’t most processed foods such as chocolates, crisps and beverages taste so addictively good? One of the reasons is because there’s a plethora of chemicals that is diligently researched and added to various products, so much so that we the customers are often fooled into believing that they taste even better than [...]
by James H. Wandersee and Renee M. Clary As someone who is interested in green living, you are no doubt aware of the benefits of indoor and outdoor walking–both for people and for the Earth. So it is likely that, whenever you find yourself inside a multistory building, you consciously choose to use the stairs, rather [...]
by Shaan Lalwani Most of us may know that processed sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup or glucose are bad for us and that sugar in general, no matter what the source, is something we should limit. But when we have that craving, what’s the best natural sweetener to satisfy that sweet tooth? There’s much [...]
By Preethi Sukumaran and Srinivas Krishnaswamy If you think that detergents are found only on supermarket shelves, then be prepared for a clean, green surprise. It grows on trees and has been cleaning clothes (and people) since the time of the Buddha! In fact, some sources also add the Buddha to its list of satisfied [...]
By Shaan Lalwani Is the municipality’s anti-mosquito fumigation getting you down? Are you tired of applying jars of strange smelling, sticky mosquito repellents? Or do you like me, love pottering in the garden and do not want to spend your time swatting mosquitoes? I have a nursery in my own backyard, so I spend lots [...]
By Cheryl Leo They say ‘no news is good news’ but is it always the case? For Styrofoam – which is actually a (successful) brand name of one manufacturer of the material, polystyrene (PS)- it is definitely not so. Most people are not fully aware of the implications of Styrofoam use because we hardly hear any [...]
by Bhavani Prakash Imagine the earth as a gigantic greenhouse. Plants and trees absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide as well as toxins from the atmosphere while releasing precious oxygen, thereby producing and maintaining clean air. Logically speaking, the concept should apply to any closed environment such as an urban apartment or office building, or [...]
by Bhavani Prakash I’m very happy to note that the article on “How to Make and Use Garbage Enzymes” has stirred a lot of discussion and this has been an opportunity to clarify where the science lies. I had endorsed Garbage Enzymes enthusiastically as I have personally heard gardeners speak of the positively about the [...]
By Bhavani Prakash Update to this article on 4th March 2011. Based on the responses by readers and those whose opinions I have sought, I would advise readers to read the original blog entry below in the context of the next post: ”Responses: How effective are Garbage Enzymes?” where I make the introduction based on [...]
