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Thanks to the stinky corpse flower the Houston Museum of Natural Science is seeing an influx of museum goers and a whole lot of green. In the past two weeks alone, ticket sales have topped more than a quarter of a million dollars as an eager public awaits the flower’s odorous bloom.

The flower in discussion is known as Lois. The exhibit has been gaining lots of media attention because of her rarity. Mildly reminiscent of Little Shop of Horrors, except for that whole carnivorous plant issue, Lois has become one of the most notable plants around town. The flower is an Amorphophallus titanium or titan arum, which has only bloomed 29 times in the U.S. This is the second corpse flower to bloom in the state of Texas.

The titan arum is known as a carrion flower or better yet as the corpse flower, due to its intense odor that is evocative of decomposed mammal parts. The plant’s meaty fragrance attracts carrion beetles and flesh flies that help pollinate it. Some have compared her scent from everything such as musty laundry to rotten pumpkins to dead fish, but that has not stopped faithful followers from flocking to see her. The museum has left its doors open 24 hours a day so that interested Houstonians can gather, take a picture and a whiff.

Taken from her natural tropical rainforest habitat in Sumatra, Indonesia, the Houston humidity seems to be a great fit for the blossoming beauty. The museum has taken further steps by creating a sauna-like preserve to increase growth and induce blooming.

Lois’s ridiculously large flower and column-like pillar in-between spans some six feet high. Research indicates that with enough sunlight and space she can grow up to 20 feet high, 15 feet across and 170 pounds in weight! Researchers are expecting her petals to fully bloom up to four or five feet within the next three to four days.

Lois has been steadily watched for signs of blooming. She has acquired so much publicity for herself and the museum that she even has her own live web cam stream and Twitter account! Interested parties can follow her progress online before spending $7.00 to visit the exhibit. Lois-mania has grown as distributors began selling Lois clothing and accessories. T-shirts and buttons can be purchased online or at the museum’s gift shop.

Lois has clearly been working on her own time frame though. Museum officials initially thought she would begin to bloom almost two weeks ago. To nudge things along, Lois’s caretakers have tried everything from plastic bags to composted fruit.

This past weekend, a Houston couple even had the rare opportunity to include Lois in their wedding as the ceremony was held in the museum’s butterfly center.

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As a kid I begged my parents for a tree house. All I got was a swing set and a hammock.

Terreform ONE (Open Network Ecology) is a nonprofit New York-based design group that promotes green design in cities. Terreform ONE is a unique community bringing together students, scientists, architects and artists in hopes of collaborating to explore the fascinating world of eco-friendly design and landscape. The group develops innovative solutions and technologies for local sustainability in energy, transportation, infrastructure, buildings, waste treatment, food, water and media spaces.

One of Terreform ONE’s latest habitat innovations is the adorably named Fab Tree Hab. Leading the way as we progress into fields of more ecologically-sustainable living, the new back-to-basics eco-home is the ultimate tree house with a pretty generous price tag.

The home involves arboreal farming and production. It is composed with 100% living nutrients. The creators have proposed a method to grow homes from native trees. A living structure is grafted into shape with manufacture Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) reusable scaffolds.

The methodology newly introduced to building during the creation of the Fab Hab has been known by many gardeners as pleaching. Pleaching is a system of intertwining tree branches to form archways and screens. The pleaching system helps architects and constructors build walls and other dwelling-like spaces.

The cottage-like residences are shaped and formatted digitally, then through seasonal adjustments, natural composting provides structure for the new home’s foundation.

All dwellings will be enabled and can be fully integrated into an ecological community. They are intended to replace the outdated design solutions at Habitat for Humanity.

Although this may all sound fine and dandy, the Fab Tree Hab is an experiment in time. Working costs and required aptitude over the lifetime of the home include pest management with organic pesticides and upkeep of the natural water treatment system. Plenty of technical expression and innovation is still needed for certain components of the project. Primary concerns lie in the bio-plastic windows that allow growth of the structure and the organization of flows across the walls to assure that the interior of the abode remains dry and pest-free. That’s a lot to think about!

Everything considered, the elapsed time to reach livability is greater than that of a traditional sense, but arguably so should be the health and longevity of the home and family. More so than anything else, the production of this home can be attained at a minimal price, requiring only some time to complete its structure.

The realization of these homes will begin as an experiment. And as envisioned hopefully thereafter, the concept of rejuvenation will take on a new architectural form, a diversity of interdependency between nature and humans.

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Saturday mornings in Madison, WI are usually pretty quiet; in a college town on the weekend, it’s what would be expected. The streets are quiet except for the few cars passing through the downtown area. However, Saturdays in spring bring new life to mornings on the UW-Madison campus.

The Dane County Farmers’ Market happens downtown on the Capitol Square. It begins in April, ends in November and is held every Saturday morning during those months — rain or shine. Of course, Madison isn’t the only place to have a farmers’ market; they happen across the country and around the world. For those unfamiliar, farmers’ markets are pretty much what they sound like: farmers and other local vendors gather together to sell their produce and other goods. Farmers’ markets are often renowned for their abundance of fresh, locally-grown food. In a world where healthier, greener options are championed, farmers’ markets have become popular.

The farmers’ market in Madison truly means summer is here. This may be the reason why so many students force themselves out of bed and make the trek to the Capitol Square; this and all the delicious food. For my first trip this year, I bought my usual favorites, including cheese curds and cheesecake on a stick. (Wisconsinites love their cheese.)

Although my trips to the market are usually just for a few odds and ends (as well as fruits and vegetables), many people get their share of groceries for the week if they go with a plan in mind.

Here are some of the best tips I’ve found for getting the most out of your own farmers’ market:

• Know what produce and other products are in season. This ensures that only the freshest of food is being purchased for meals.

• Create a week’s worth of recipes that include the items you can purchase.

• Go early if you want to get the best of what’s offered. The stands at the Dane County Farmers’ Market open around 6 a.m. and stay open until 2 p.m. However, as early as 10 a.m. many products are gone, and vendors begin to pack up.

• Make sure to have cash on hand, maybe even some loose change to be exact whenever possible, especially since most vendors don’t have the ability to accept cards.

• Ask vendors the best way to use the food you are buying in recipes and more; they usually have good tips since knowing the food is their business.

• If you’re planning to purchase a lot and make it a habit, you may want to look into buying a cart to roll your purchases instead of carrying them. If you don’t have a cart, make sure you have plenty of durable bags.

Farmers’ markets are a great alternative for those looking for more than their usual grocery store fare. Buyers also can feel good knowing their food was grown locally, which is better for the environment and means that food gets to the table fresher.

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What if we could run our cars and households on a fuel that was safe for the planet and us, completely eliminating the need for oil? We all know that as soon as an alternative fuel source is created we will be clutching our pocketbooks ready to sign over for change. Well get ready. Apparently, Denny Klein has got the answer.

Based in Clearwater, FL, Klein says he has created a way to harvest energy from water! Yes, you read correctly. Our savior just might be water; the purest, most abundant, and naturally pollutant-free resource.

Unquestionably the first of its kind, Klein has gone about proving his technological findings with a self-made, water-powered car that actually works. Klein’s company, Hydrogen Technology Applications, Inc., says that all you need is a hydrogen generator adapter for your car. The adapter is the key to everything. Once connected to one of the vehicle’s vacuum lines, the adapter would allow the car to use Aquygen, a form of water broken down from H20 into HHO. Personally, I was never too hip on the whole physics and chemistry deal, but it’s apparent that molecular fission may be the answer to our woes.

Klein claims that according to his research, his new technology could increase miles per gallon by about 50% saving almost 200 extra miles per gas tank. The prototype for Klein’s Aquygen research is a tailored Ford Escort. Klein modeled the car into a hybrid version of its former self so that it could power on both regular gas as well as Aquygen at the driver’s disposal.

Klein says an adapter for all car types can be expected to be on store shelves within the next two years, but the hopes for a fully Aquygen power-driven vehicle will have to wait. But Aquygen-fueled cars are not the only brainchild these fellas are working on. The Florida natives have been tinkering with some Aquygen-powered lawnmowers as well as blowtorches for some pretty well-known businesses, and Klein does not have a problem name-dropping. He mentions NASA, GM, and Chrysler as a few potential buyers.

With acknowledged names like those on his timetable, summer creeping in right around the corner, and those aggravating gas prices steadily climbing, many see the cha-ching factor in Klein’s development. Honestly, I don’t think he’ll have a problem finding someone who wants to invest in this monumental product.

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According to the Earth Day Web site, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day has found the planet in worse shape than ever. Despite humanity’s ongoing battle with global warming, April 22 was still a day spent making changes to help the environment.

Teachers around the globe went paperless for a day this year, giving up printed tests and handouts for movies, overheads and participation grades. Some classes even learned how to recycle their old papers into new, fresh sheets. The paperless idea, a simple way to go green for a day, resulted from Earth Day’s overall hope to convert all K-12 schools to green ones, a feat they expect to accomplish within the next generation. As of March 1, 2010, according to Green School Buildings, 32 states have formed green schools caucuses or working groups in their legislatures. Only 18 more to go!

Another movement inspired by this year’s Earth Day is cutting down on red meat. College students, teachers and young adults pledged online to start reducing their intake of red meat. The Worldwatch Institute says livestock contribute 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, even higher than the GHG emissions from transportation. Included in that percentage, livestock also produce 37% methane, which has more than 20% the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.

An article from Treehugger reported that the Australian Conservation Foundation found that removing just one 150-gram serving of beef a week “would culminate in a savings of 10,000 liters of water and 300 kilograms of greenhouse gases.” Translated from the metric system, that’s about 5 oz. of meat, 2,642 gallons of water and 660 pounds of gas. I love steak just as much as the next person, but cutting it out of my diet once a week could really add up.

A final Earth Day movement that caught my eye was the eagerly awaited release of Avatar. The highest-grossing film in history appeared in stores April 22 because of shared themes between the movie and Earth Day, according to The Huffington Post. The article reported that the film inspired a world-wide tree planting campaign of about one million trees in 15 countries on what fans called “Home Tree Earth Day 2010.”

The post explains that James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver also recently returned from a trip to the Amazon rain forest and have been giving talks about the importance of preserving the environment. Next on Cameron’s agenda; the director hopes to shift the environmental focus of Avatar 2 to the oceans of Pandora as opposed to the rain forests. Hopefully the different setting will inspire an equally powerful rally of environmental action.

The Earth still needs a lot of work, but don’t be shut into a corner with all the bad news about the state of the planet. There are plenty of ways to make a difference and plenty of soon-to-be as well as currently active campaigns out there working to save our “home tree.” For ways to get involved, click here.

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Americans have gone wild about going green. Everything from cosmetics, detergents, to hybrid cars has some kind of eco-friendly undertone to it. Anything with “green appeal” seems to be the new marketing strategy, and products are flying off the shelves.

As time goes on people are becoming more and more willing to spend a little extra time and money on products they view as being greener or simply healthier.

The sex industry is one of the leading corporations in American capitalism. Grossing over $57 billion worldwide annually. There are more strip clubs in the U.S. than any other country in the world. Around 3, 829 cabarets employ over 500,000 people throughout the country, and you can’t forget about those lovely little DVDs and magazine subscriptions.

It’s plain and simple — the sex industry is a consumer-driven market. So why not bring a little green living to the bedroom?

When I think organic, the thought of food automatically pops into my head. To be considered organic something has to be produced without the help of chemicals to grow and sustain life, but how about an organic sexual appetite, the kind you can feel change you from the inside out?

This rare variety of intimacy is the type of thing people sing about and write steamy movie scripts for. It is the kind of sex that grows out of a relationship where you are as deeply connected in life as you are in the bedroom.

The foundations of our relationships are in our thoughts. Any gardener or architect for that matter will tell you, a good foundation is key in growing a new crop or creating a stable structure. Consider the soil you are building your relationship on.

Creating a language and building the trust is imperative. Being able to describe the kinds of touches that are pleasurable or painful is one of the most transformative dialogues a couple can invest in. Maintaining the flow of communication by defining certain aspects of the partnership help individuals remain on the same page.

Doing the daily work of tending to the ecosystem that is your relationship, will provide a significant surplus in cultivating the anticipated organic orgasms. Organic pleasure naturally comes out of loving relationships. Discovering that pleasure together is literally like pouring the concrete into a foundation.

OK, so you can’t just run out to the store and buy this stuff, but knowing that you have the capability to reach someone in the most intimate of ways is one of the most considerable sources of self-actualization that relationships present. Physical contact not only releases hormones and endorphins that foster health and longevity, but it also serves as the core of biological attachment.

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Over the past few years the “Green Movement” has found a way to make a serious worldwide issue almost fad-like and pretentious. From titanium canisters to eco-friendly yoga pants, producers have been capitalizing on the planet’s new-found ecological awareness. Unfortunately, many still refuse to see past the fluff and truly realize the magnitude of this issue and how important it is to jump on the bandwagon.

Whether you believe in global warming or not, there is no denying that we are using resources at an incredibly rapid rate. As “the users,” we are the only ones who can do something about it.

The Global Footprint Network is an independent policy institute based in the U.S., Belgium, and Switzerland. The international “think tank” works to advance sustainability through the use of the Ecological Footprint, a resource accounting tool used to measure how much nature we have, how much we use, and who uses what specifically. The footprint is a data-driven system that demonstrates how close we are to sustainable living.

What we need to realize is that we are not merely living through a financial shortfall in the U.S., but an ecological one globally as well. According to the Global Footprint Network, global overshoot is the real issue at hand. In economic terms, overshoot is considered to be our ecological deficit. Humanity’s demands have exceeded the natural supply the biosphere has to offer, and it can no longer regenerate itself to keep up with our continuous requests. This unfortunate overshoot leads to a depletion of the Earth’s life and the natural capital used to support it. A buildup of waste occurs, and finally there is no available import of resources to the planet. Overshoot is happening locally as much as it is happening globally.

The Global Footprint Network is asking countries, and individuals especially to take that one essential step forward and take responsibility for what is happening to our planet. The network urges humans to measure their impact on the Earth so we can make more informed choices. Their goal is to have a future where human demand on resources are accounted and monitored like Wall Street stocks and bonds. Products are made with the long run in mind. We are using one-planet footprints to get to our goals, and the world as a whole prospers when development succeeds in recognizing the ecological constraints as well as the proper tools and innovations necessary to change them.

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It’s simple. One little oxygen atom bonds to two hydrogen atoms and there you have it ― crisp, clean water. One of the most used and taken for granted resources out there, water has its very own day of observance. The international honoring of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

Here’s a scary fact: The UN says that dirty drinking water kills more people than violence. Nearly 20% of the world’s population does not have appropriate access to adequate drinking water. As the population increases, so will the number of people without attainable water sources.

This year, World Water Day fell on March 22. It was a day of accordance and action to draw attention to the issue of the lack of access to safe drinking water. We are reminded of how the availability of clean water and safe sanitation shapes human lives in so many ways. It impacts human health and the survival of young children. It influences school enrollment and learning. It affects the burden of securing water for daily living, and it changes the health of ecosystems that sustain life. Access to safe water and sanitation is a key driver of human development. It’s 90% of what we are all made of, yet almost all dirty water is washed into oceans and rivers before being decontaminated.

So what can we do about it? First off, the UN is urging everyone to make sure that leaky pipes and fixtures are taken care of. We don’t want any excess being wasted. The World Water Day meeting even called for water recycling systems and multi-million dollar investments in sewage treatment works.

On a more individual level, and I know we’ve all heard it before, stop with the plastic bottles already! Even though the FDA has approved all plastics currently, they might not all be safe. An estrogen-like compound in plastic could be posing risks to the brain development of infants and children, and may even lead to breast cancer in the long run.

Personally, I recommend avoiding plastic food containers as much as possible. Never put hot food in plastic or use plastic dishes in the microwave, as heat increases the leaching of BPA and other toxins. As of right now the best alternatives are glass and non-plastic titanium bottles. More and more companies are coming out with cute styles and patterns to keep eco-friendly.

World Water Day was created to raise awareness about sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the increasing challenges in water management. By encouraging governments, organizations, communities, and individuals around the world to engage in proactively addressing water quality issues and then ultimately restorative projects for more than just one day, maybe every nation will finally have the bare necessities.

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Can we really thank a 16-year-old for our next interplanetary exploration? Or a band of teenagers for the eco-conscious energy that saves our planet from carbon-emitting fossil fuels? The high school students competing in the Spirit of Innovation Awards certainly think so.

Image courtesy of Conradawards.org

Starting on March 29, twenty-five of the top teams will be vying for our votes in an online campaign that chooses this year’s winners. Since August, finalists have been tackling some of the most pressing engineering and scientific issues facing society today, ranging from green living to enhanced nutrition and renewable energy to aerospace exploration. As the competitors’ part of the contest comes to a close, it’s our votes that make the difference between who advances and who goes.

Established by the Conrad Foundation in 2007, the awards challenge groups of high school students to solve real-world problems by using science, math, and technology. The competition encourages education and entrepreneurship, thus not only shaping the minds of our future but the potential shape that future may hold. This is not your run-of-the-mill science fair. These awards feasibly anticipate the innovations and innovators that may change our lives.

Winning groups are granted $5,000 for product development. And a few among the top are given further guidance with admission to The Portal, a program teaching the necessary marketing, technical, and analytical skills to breathe life into the creations. Past participants have even applied for patents to turn their projects into viable solutions.

While these awards celebrate the inner-geek within all of us, they more significantly address the waning education system plaguing our nation. Historically, America’s students have been among the best and the brightest, but we’re quickly being surpassed in the areas of science and math.

The 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment comparison ranks American students 21st out of 30 among those from developing countries in science literacy while ranking even lower at 25th out of 30 in math literacy. According to the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress, fourth-graders aren’t progressing in math for the first time in years; eighth-graders are demonstrating only minimal levels of progress.

The Spirit of Innovation Awards embody the call to action President Obama made late last year. Through his “Educate to Innovate” campaign, Obama urges not only parents and teachers but private companies, foundations, and nonprofits to focus on the perennial ideal that our kids are our future. Obama asks us to take on the responsibility of “mov[ing] American students from the middle of the pack to top in the next decade,” and the Spirit of Innovation Awards embraces that challenge.

So who will the winners be this year? The teens designing carbon-nano bucky tubes for drug delivery in microgravity, or the students converting humid air into drinking water by using solar, wind, and geothermal power? Or maybe the seniors creating a piezo-electric wallpaper that captures sound as energy?

Click here for more information about the finalists. Online voting is open from March 29 to April 9.

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3, 2, 1 ― Lights out! And by “lights out,” I’m not talking about bedtime. I’m referring to a global blackout event wherein over 4,000 cities and 88 countries have previously participated in shutting off the lights in their homes and businesses for one hour in an effort to make a stand against climate change. In 2010, we will try to shatter the records once more during Earth Hour which will take place this Saturday, March 27 between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. (local time).

Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia and has since expanded on a worldwide scale with participation peaking to over 1 billion people in 2009. It’s expected to grow at an accelerated rate going forward. Organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the mission of Earth Hour is to both cultivate a lifestyle that instills a harmonious balance of people with nature and promote consumption reduction which will ultimately be a contributing factor in achieving the goal of harmony. Amongst the participating parties, over 812 landmarks will flick off the lights including the Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building, Leaning Tower of Pisa and the London Eye.

Backed by high-profile celebrities and athletes including Steve Nash, Tom Brady and Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm (a.k.a. Sporty Spice), the media has helped spawn increasing amounts of events related to Earth Hour for all age demographics. Whether you are a child or quite a bit older, you can get involved in many capacities to procure a change and raise awareness about initiatives related to the hour. Media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and the official site for Earth Hour, offer the opportunity to connect with other participants and spread the message of conservation and protection of the natural environment. They suggest different means of enjoying the hour from arranged stargazing to building lanterns, throwing a fondue party or a candle-lit game night.

No matter what we do during Earth Hour, taking part for merely that one hour is just the beginning of endless other ways we can all make an impact on a daily basis. Suggestions to help make everyday an Earth Day would be to wash clothes in cold water, unplug unnecessary electrical appliances when not in use, switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs, reduce your thermostat, carpool to work or school and more. Ask your employers if they have environmentally-friendly company policies and if not, encourage improvements such as investing in green power or recycling programs.

If you want to officially make your mark and join Earth Hour’s impressive statistics, click here and pave the way to a brighter and healthier future!

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