globalbriefs


News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.


Home Range Restoring Native Prairies, Yard by Yard


From Canada south to Texas and from Indi- ana west to Colorado, nearly 600,000 square miles of grassland once contributed to this continent’s complex ecosystem, supporting a diverse and teeming web of life. Today, less than 1 percent remains intact. The good news is that farmers and resi-


dents have been making inroads toward restor- ing this native landscape, converting suburban yards and rural fields to expanses of tall grass and fallow pastures that welcome native species. Government agencies and conservation groups, aided by volun- teers, have undertaken numerous restoration projects across U.S. and Canadian prairieland, some of them comprising thousands of acres. The initial investment in time and money starts with removal of invasive or


even cultivated species and the planting of native grasses. Substantial benefits include low-maintenance ecosystems that require less water and no fertilizer while supporting diverse wildflowers and wildlife. But it’s not as simple as planting a few seeds. In semi-rural and more urban areas, neighbors and zoning laws don’t always see eye-to-eye with these “new pio- neers”, especially in deed-restricted communities. Concern over perceived property value deterioration and a potential influx of vermin sometimes wins the day. Farmers have been known to plow under an entire restoration project upon news of rising grain prices due to the ethanol industry, in order to cultivate it for financial gain. It is evident that social and economic policies must support the effort if it is to succeed.


Source: Yale Environment 360


Eco-House Green Homes Can be a Bargain


One of the most innovative, energy-efficient houses in the United States has been built in the District of Columbia’s working-class Deanwood neighborhood, which has strug- gled with foreclosures. The Empowerhouse, a residence that produces all of its own energy, consumes 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling than a conventional dwelling. Empowerhouse was designed using “passive house”


technologies as part of the Solar Decathlon design competition, held on the National Mall in 2011. It’s the work of students at The New School, in New York City, and Stevens Institute of Technology, in Hoboken, New Jersey, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development. Each duplicable unit costs a locally affordable $250,000. Bringing the community into the design process for both the house and land- scape is the basis for collaboration on additional projects in the neighborhood, including a new community learning garden. The designers remark that it all plays a part in creating social sustainability, an aspect often left out of development programs.


Source: Parsit.Parsons.edu 12 NA Twin Cities Edition


natwincities.com


Moon Fuel Two New Sources of Sustainable Energy


A new compound of lead telluride— a semiconductor first used in the Apollo moon landings to provide astronauts with a renewable, thermoelectric power source—can transform the heat emitted from car tailpipes and the chimneys of power sta- tions and factories into a power source. According to the scientists engineering the innovation at Northwestern Univer- sity, in Evanston, Illinois, as much as 15 to 20 percent of the heat currently being lost could be recovered as electricity. Another team of researchers at


Utah State University, in Logan, has created a yeast biodiesel fuel that can be made using the watery waste from the mass production of cheese. One cheese plant’s daily byproduct of up to 1 million gallons of liquid cheese waste can produce 66,000 gallons of fuel.


Thanks, Dad Norway Recognizes Fatherhood


Norway’s liberal pa- ternity leave policy places equal respon- sibilities on men and women, which in turn progressively redefines traditional gender roles. Pap- papermisjon, or paternity leave, is often combined with a mother’s maternity leave to provide seamless childcare at home without overtaxing parents’ work life. The Norwegian government has socially engineered a society in which men and women are expected to have equal do- mestic and economic responsibilities. Some specifics of the country’s “fathers’ rights” philosophy include leaving the workplace by 5:30 p.m.; being able to adjust office hours around daycare drop-offs and pickups; and al- lowing time to organize family dinners and help with housework.


Source: The Christian Science Monitor


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