Overall, more household waste is created in the kitchen than any other room. Food preparation generates organic waste, recyclable trash, and grey water, much of which just enters the waste stream currently. It stands to reason that, if you want to reduce household waste, you would start there.

Industrial design group Faltazi saw a problem with modern kitchens: they hang on to 20th century ideals rather than offering a solution to 21st century problems. So the group decided to create a kitchen system that would operate on four principles: waste management, kitchen health, energy reduction and intelligent storage.

The Ekokook concept starts with more efficient food storage. Rather than the traditional two-compartment fridge/freezer combo, the Ekokook features sections to keep fresh fruits and vegetables fresh longer, encouraging the owners to eat more healthy, natural foods while cutting down on the electricity required to refrigerate food items. The steam oven and two-tier dishwasher help to further reduce the energy consumption in the kitchen.

But what really makes the Ekokook shine is its waste management systems. There are separate systems for solid, liquid and organic waste. Waste water from washing fruits and vegetables is recycled to water houseplants, organic waste is routed to an eco-friendly compost system featuring live earth worms, and recyclable wastes are sorted into their appropriate groups.

A few commonly-used household herbs or vegetables could be grown in the overhead ultraponics chambers, presumably using compost and grey water collected from the other components of the kitchen. The rest of the setup is dedicated to intelligent storage, with some overhead and some lower compartments being arranged to maximize space while allowing for freedom of movement in the ultra-modern, planet-friendly kitchen.

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Sex is oh so good for your health. Getting it on is about more than pleasure. Good sexual health can improve your physical health. It certainly puts you in a positive frame of mind. Conserve electricity, turn off the lights and light a candle. Save water, share a shower and soap each other. Go green between the sheets. Ok who needs sheets or a even a bed for that matter, but sex is eco-friendly. Au Naturale is the most earth-friendly packaging there ever was! This is more than a lifehack for mating, more than an excuse to have sex. Here are 55 fantastic health benefits and legitimate reasons to be having lots of sex.

*Safe sex is wise. This is not advocating sex, but instead listing the overall potential health benefits of hitting the sheets.

Sex Relieves Stress & Eases Depression

(image credits:techtunes,gorod.tomsk,Nord_Sud,amolifeamolife)

Treat your partner as if you’re dating is a lifehack strategy for keeping the spark alive. As romantic as a fairytale castle is, it’s unrealistic for most of us to plan a “date night” there. When dating, couples are generally more sexually adventuresome than after a couple has been together or married for a long time. Stress is a killer for both sexes. The health benefits of having sex to relieve stress and to ease depression have been proven. For men, their release calms them and sends happy chemicals to their brain. For women, absorbing semen works as a natural antidepressant and helps get rid of stress. So plan that romantic night out together in nature or light the candles for a special date dinner. Depressed and highly stressed individuals tend to have less sex. It’s a trap! Don’t fall into it.

Relieving pain

(image credits:skyscrapercity,skyscrapercity,atyunchik)

Romance your spouse outside the bedroom is a strategy for keeping the spark alive. Most of us can not take our beloved to a deserted island for a romantic getaway, but that is not required to gain this benefit of sex: relieving pain. The best painkiller ever created is the mighty O. No, not Oxycontin but Orgasm. It releases natural chemicals like endorphins in the body, both before and during climax. These endorphins have a similar chemical structure to morphine. Water is used in many therapies, so why not add the glorious and sensual feel of water to your sex life? It’s a win/win/win situation without needing to find the time, finances, and location of the closest deserted island. Having sex, win. Having sex in the water, double win. Having orgasmic sex in the water? Oh baby!

Sex Helps You Forget & Increases Happiness

(image credits:amolife)

Credit cards due? Bills piling up? Money trouble causes most couples to fight. Before it gets really ugly and you turn on each other, have sex. Having sex helps you forget your troubles. It also improves intimacy, lifts your mood, and increases your imagination. Regular humping can keep you happy. It might not cure your money problems, but keeping busy with the horizontal hustle was proven to provide the same levels of happiness as a couple earning an extra $100,000 annually.

Weight Loss & Boosting Cardiovascular Health

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Next strategy to keep the spark hot is: Exercise, preferably together. Rambunctious rolling in the hay can burn off as much as 700 calories while less vigorous love making burns at least 200 calories. It’s surely the best way to control or lose weight? It’s definitely the best way to burn calories.

Ladies, your passion can protect his heart. Shag your guy’s ticker into shape. Sex lowers blood pressure, boosting cardio health, and reduces his risk of heart attack. Lovemaking improves strength, flexibility, and muscle tone. It might even might even protect against strokes.

Organic Orgasm = 10 All Natural “Medicine Cabinet Cures”

(image credits:codRosu)

Get busy getting frisky since the big O is the all-natural medicine cabinet. If you have a headache, then bonk your way to temporary headache relief. Forget Tylenol, having a headache is an excuse to have sex right away to cure you. It’s practically the cure for the common cold. Having sex stimulates those wonderful pleasure endorphins as well as antibodies to protect you from getting the flu or a cold. Once-a-week sex produces 30% higher levels of immunoglobulin A, boosting the immune system and fighting off disease.

Sex can relieve a stuffy nose; it’s is a natural antihistamine. It can even help combat hay fever and asthma. After frolicking under the sheets, your hormone prolactin surges and fires new neurons in the brain’s olfactory bulb. This means after doing the horizontal hustle, you have a heightened sense of smell. In fact, after sex all your sensitivities are heightened, including activating your taste buds.

Sex can also help protect those pearly whites, so you have better teeth. And it doesn’t get much more all-natural in ingredients than the minerals in semen, such as zinc and calcium, that have been proven to slow tooth decay. Selenium, an ingredient found in semen, might also serve in protection against cancer.

12 More Reasons Sex Is Good For Her & Protects Her Health

(image credits:amolife)

Getting down and dirty with her could help her reproductive health. The more sex she has, the more hormones she will produce that are responsible for increased sexual desire. That’s right, the more sex she has, the more sex she will want to have. More lovemaking can increase her levels of estrogen, which protects against osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s. Sex can also help prevent endometriosis in women. Ladies who have sex at least once a week have more regular menstrual cycles than those who frolic under the sheets less frequently. All this sex helps promote fertility in women by regulating menstrual patterns. Post romp, a female gets a jolt of natural oxytocin which in turn releases endorphins. This natural painkiller can help alleviate arthritis pain or lessen cramps. Plus all the practice is perfect if you want to hear the pitter-patter of little carbon footprints. After you’ve made a baby, horizontal dancing can trigger the onset of labor when she’s at term. Semen in her system may help with a speedy delivery. Yes, sex can maybe even help her to tolerate a natural, drug-free birth.

Sex Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk

(image credits:amolife,deviantart,frenchlettercondoms)

Yeppers, sex is also the answer for a happier and healthier prostate. Men in their 20s can cut their chance of getting prostate cancer by 1/3 by ejaculating more than five times a week. But older men also benefit from frequent sex, as 21 or more orgasms a month are linked to a much lower prostate cancer risk. The more he climaxes, the less likely he is to develop prostate cancer.

Cuts Risk Of Breast Cancer & Gives Better Bladder Control

(image credits:amolife)

Sex can help reduce the risk of breast cancer for women who have never given birth. A study showed that if a female increases the frequency of sex, she decreases the risks of breast cancer.

Sex strengthens the pelvic floor muscles that control the flow of urine. Kegel exercises occur naturally during sex, giving women better bladder control.

Sex Boosts Confidence & Improves Intimacy

(image credits:keenanevanscod,Rosu,imgfave,Nord_Sud)

Lovemaking of course builds and continues to improve intimacy. It also increases desire. If one or the other partner does not have much sexual desire, you can see from the reasons above that the more sex you have, the more sex you will want to have. Women often want more intimacy and is it within her reach. According to Family therapist Michael Gurian, author of What Could He Be Thinking?, a man’s oxytocin level matches a woman’s after his happy ending. Then you’ll both be more inclined to desire cuddle time. For some people, the more they feel loved, the more their self-esteem will inflate. Both parties, however, get a boost to their spirit. When things are great in bed, your confidence will increase. Sex therapist Sandor Gardos says, “When things go well in bed, you feel more confident and powerful in other parts of your life.” This weaves its way into our lovemaking, making us more daring and uninhibited in our sexual endeavors. That, in turn, makes the mighty O even better and makes us want more sex.

Healing Wounds & Hearts

(image credits:gorod,home-biba,Rooms for Romance,elferide)

Healing can be thought of in many ways. Sometimes a relationship needs to heal. Other times, a person needs to heal. It can be a wound or one suffering from something like diabetes. There have been studies in which evidence suggests that sex heals. Lovemaking can help rejuvenate to the point of cells regenerating and wounds healing faster. Set the stage right for the romp and anything is possible. Oxytocin from the big O, it does a body good.

Longevity: Live Long & Hump Often

(image credits:codRosu)

Sex could be the Fountain of Youth. To extend your life and increase vitality, have lots of sex. Most especially this is true for men as the more often he has the big O, the more his risk of death lowers. Guys who climax two times a week have a 50% lower chance of mortality than those who orgasm one time a month. Men who engage in sex regularly cut their chances in half of suffering a stroke. To live a long life, happily hump often.

Sex Fights Aging & Improves Flexibility & Lifts Mood

(image credits:stumbleupon,nanoflux,google,lavenderhill)

All our love hormones after sex help us to bond and to build trust, but also help to fight aging. Use it or lose it. Since sex helps us rejuvenate, the more you orgasm the better it is for you. You live longer, are more flexible, and continue to exercise while making love. So keep giving each other a booty biscuit, improving intimacy, continuing the cycle that increases sexual desire. You’ll be much happier and more inclined to have fun together when you know you’re burning hot for each other to be alone again.  Is it any wonder why sex is a mood lifter and the natural cure to mood improvement?

Eco-Sex Toys To Improve Sex Life & Your Imagination

(image credits:thedailygreen,libida,simply4lovers,goodcleanlove,eartherotics,lovemenaturally,smittenkitten)

Ecosexuals needs toys too. Get eco-sex toys and improve your imagination at the same time. There are lots of “green” lingerie like bamboo jersey shorts and sleeping mask. Sola makes a small bullet-shaped vibrator powered by the sun. Kissable Body Paints come in 8 flavors and are made from organically grown fruit. Soy candles are always a good choice. Yet there are other candles that melt into massage oils and are created from natural ingredients like vitamin E, avocado, and almond. How about a handcrafted spanker made from recycled car and truck tire parts? Or get wet and wild by lubing up with organic formulas, fortified with libido-boosting Chinese herbs like horny goat weed. There’s even Bo, the world’s first rechargeable erection ring. Keep stirring those creative juices. Sex will help improve the imagination and ecosex toys will help keep your sex life from becoming boring. Do you need more healthy reasons to see life through rosier-colored glasses and get your organic orgasm on?

Sex Boosts Energy & Helps You Sleep Better

(image credits:amolife,elferide,webpark,weheartit)

Your passionate adventures can be both reckless and wise. The world is starved for romance. Courtesy and chivalry pay off in the bedroom. Let go; you won’t be sorry. For women, the testosterone absorbed from semen can boost her energy. For men, the more sex he has, the more testosterone he produces which is the driving factor responsible for his sexual desire. Both parties get an energy boost from sex.  However, sex also helps you sleep better. The oxytocin released during big O also promotes sleep. Insomniacs, regular romps are the all-natural and most assuredly the best way to help you catch that needed shuteye.

Oh yes, sex is so good for you. It’s a cure-all; not that you needed a reason to have sex in the first place. But for all the 55 mind-blowing healthy benefits you’ve read here, you better get down to business with the horizontal hustle, do the nasty, go green between the sheets, get your ecosex on, frolic and romp. Forget language barriers or silly slang. Love is the universal language. Nothing gets lost in translation when making love.

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(Images via: Turtle Journal, University of South Florida, Baraza, Zaxy, Indian Cowboy)

Raise your hand if you think this winter has seemed unseasonably cold and cruelly long. While it’s quite easy for humans to get frustrated by the interminable, chilly winter months, at least we can take extra measures (e.g. stay inside, wear more layers of clothing, etc.) to protect ourselves. For some animals, they are not as lucky. Despite many creatures being cold-weather warriors, other animals, including Florida tropical fish and cold-stunned sea turtles, have struggled to survive in the brutal cold. On the other end of the spectrum, global warming continues to have detrimental effects on the animal kingdom, with new research revealing new threats to gorillas, monkeys, lobsters, oysters, scallops and clams.

Cold Weather Ravages Florida Tropical Fish

(Images via: My Cichlid Tank, The Fish Lodge, Aquascape Online, Palm Beach Post)

Just how bad has the winter weather been on tropical fish in Florida? Well, residents have come to describe the situation as the 2010 Fish Kill. Due to the cold weather, many rivers, ponds and even commercial fishing operations have been overwhelmed by floating fish that froze to death. Consequently, wildlife experts and conservations have been trying to save and sustain the fish by pumping in warmer water into their habitats. Unfortunately, the effects of the cold weather have already taken a toll on African cichlid (bottom left), marble molly (top right), danio (bottom right) and other Florida tropical fish, which are expected to decline 50% in population.

NASA Helps Save Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles

(Images via: Tumblr, Turtle Journal, Riverhead Foundation)

Tropical fish aren’t the only marine animals facing grave dangers from unseasonably cold weather in Florida. As a result of water temperatures reaching less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit, green and loggerhead sea turtles have become cold-stunned (i.e. sluggish and lethargic). How rare is this occurrence? Cold stunning was last documented in 1989. Thankfully, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was able to join forces with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to aid at least some of these turtles. The Commission has evacuated and medically evaluated 270 turtles, which will be released into Kennedy’s Mosquito Lagoon once the weather gets better.

Global Warming Indigestion Threatens Gorillas and Monkeys

(Images via: Gorilla Doctors, Susty, Super Green Me, Science Blogs, West Side Safari)

While severe temperature drops affect Florida tropical fish and different types of sea turtles, global warming is still a serious threat to many animals, including gorillas and monkeys. According to a new study, a reasonable temperature increase of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e. 2 degrees Celsius) from global warming could make leaves more fibrous and less digestible. Consequently, mountain gorillas and African colobines that largely rely on these leaves for sustenance could have more difficult times processing this food, forcing them to become less active and possibly even threatening their ability to survive. Based on the study’s hypothesis, it is unknown whether such primates would be able to adapt their diets to such global warming changes, especially if a majority of their time was spent sitting around and processing less beneficial food compared to hunting for new food and sustaining populations via mating.

Supersized Lobsters Sound Great But Could Be Dangerous

(Images via: Last Day Report, Soda Head, Get a Huge Tank, Barrier Reef Australia)

With carbon dioxide rises from climate change, the oceans are expected to become more acidic, which could mean supersized lobsters, crabs (bottom left) and shrimp (bottom middle). While this possibility may sound enticing to sea food lovers, more acidic oceans have negative effects on oysters, scallops, and clams (bottom right), all of which have struggled to build their shells in simulated conditions. Consequently, such developments could throw off the food chain, resulting in superbly huge and constantly hungry predators and increasingly weakened prey.

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(image via: stock.xchng )

We’re more bacteria than we are human.  It may sound like some nightmarish work of science fiction, but it’s true: the millions of bacterial cells found within one human body could fill a half-gallon jug!  Each of us is one big playground for all kinds of germs and fungi. Bodily bacteria can help and harm, with some performing essential actions – like helping us process food – and others occasionally mutating to make us ill.

Mouth Bugs: Treponema denticola

(images via: shaishika.jp)

This nasty little bacterium is present in all human mouths, but when allowed to get out of control through spotty oral hygiene, it can cause some major damage to the gums. It’s highly specialized to thrive in the dark, moist spaces between the teeth and gums, turning them into little germ colonies. T. denticola is related to Treponema pallidum, the nasty bacteria that give people syphilis.

Mouth Bugs: Porphyromonas gingivalis

(image via: liquidarea)

Periodontal disease isn’t pretty – and neither is Porphyromonas gingivalis, the main bacterium that causes it. Not only does P. gingivalis cause infections, it also causes much of the antibiotic resistance seen today. It actually kicks the beneficial bacteria off your teeth and takes their place, eventually disengaging the gums from the teeth if allowed to get out of hand.

Mouth Bugs: Veillonella

(image via: microblog)

Not only is the parasitic bacterium genus Veillonella found in the mouth, it’s in our respiratory and digestive tracts as well. It’s a normal element in the complex web of bacteria that exists within all of us, and though some organisms – like Veillonella alcalescens – are associated with disease, most actually help us out. Veillonella is believed to slow the development of dental cavities by converting the acidic products of other bacteria into less acidic products.

Stomach Bugs: Helicobacter pylori

(image via: steadyhealth)

Stomach acid is strong – so strong, that no bacteria can survive inside it except for a single exceptionally hardy species called Helicobacter pylori. Scientists believe this germ evolved to penetrate and colonize the mucus lining of the stomach, where it can cause a number of gastrointestinal diseases like peptic ulcers and gastritis.  About two-thirds of the world’s population is infected with this bacterium, but it’s usually asymptomatic.

Intestinal Bugs: Bacteroides fragilis

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Considering that bacteria make up 60% of the dry mass in human feces, it’s no wonder we find the thought of intestinal germs so disgusting. But the fact is, gut flora – including bacteria and fungi – perform so many beneficial activities in our gastrointestinal tract, they’re sometimes called a “forgotten organ”.  They play a huge role in the human immune system and help our bodies break down carbohydrates.

But as with all human flora, some intestinal bugs are beneficial and some are harmful. One of the most common types of bacteria found in our guts is Bacteroides fragilis, which typically help our bodies by producing vitamin K and competing with pathogenic bacteria that cause disease.

But then along comes escherichia coli like the bad influence it is, and suddenly B. fragilis teams up with it and starts working against our bodies, causing infection.

Intestinal Bugs: Escherichia coli

(image via: ecoliblog)

E. coli is among the most well-known intestinal bugs we can get, because it’s one of the most destructive – but only when certain strains are present. We all have E. coli colonizing our bodies at any given time, but some strains develop virulent traits that suddenly start working against the host. The genetic elements that separate harmless E. coli from the kind that makes us violently ill are so subtle, they’re only detectable at the molecular level.

Nonpathogenic E. coli strain Nissle 1917 is so helpful, it’s used as a probiotic in medicine, but virulent strains – typically transmitted to humans from dairy and beef cattle by eating food contaminated with feces – can be fatal.

Intestinal Bugs: Candida albicans

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Candida albicans is found in the body of nearly every healthy individual and is kept under control by a strong immune system, but when it gets out of balance, it can be disastrous.

Usually unicellular, C. albicans transforms into an invasive multicellular form when prompted by certain environmental cues in the bodily areas where it lives, which can include the skin, mouth, vagina, rectum, lower bowel and esophagus. Most people know the resulting condition –candidiasis – as a ‘yeast infection’.

This isn’t just an uncomfortably itchy situation; in some immunosuppressed individuals like those infected with the AIDS virus, it can enter the bloodstream and cause serious infection of vital organs like the heart.

Skin Bugs: Malassezia

(image via: doctorfungus.org)

Another type of yeast, Malassezia, is responsible for itchy scalps. M. globosa and M. restricta populate the oiliest areas of our body, causing dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis. Each of our heads can hold up to ten million specimens of M. globosa. Other species of Malassezia, like M. pachydermatis, are more frequently found on animal skin but can be transmitted to people by our canine companions.

Skin Bugs: Staphylococcus

(image via: niaid.nih.gov)

The word ‘staph’ strikes horror in the hearts of many, especially given the recent outbreak of deadly MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). S. aureus is the strain most often responsible for dangerous health issues and is usually transmitted in the form of food poisoning or through skin contact with another person’s infected wound.

Another form of staph is far more common, making its home on our skin.  S. epidermidis is typically harmless, but every now and then it can invade the body through medical devices or foreign objects like catheters, shunts, pacemakers and breast implants and cause infections of the blood, eyes and urinary tract.

Skin Bugs: Propionibacterium acnes

(image via: AAFP.org, luskiewnik.strefa.pl)

It’s been blamed on chocolate and french fries, but the real cause of acne is a complex combo of hormones, dead skin, oil and bacteria. Namely, P. acnes. Though nobody really knows what causes acne to affect one sebaceous gland over another, we do know that P. acnes lives on the fatty acids in our pores and overgrows when the pore becomes blocked, spilling bacteria like staph onto the skin and causing a lesion. It can be killed with benzyol peroxide and many natural antibacterial preparations like clove oil, but put down the tetracycline: P. acnes is becoming resistant to it.

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Farming and gardening are the backbones of human civilization. Without the food that large-scale farms and smaller-scale gardens provide, the species would have been lost long ago. So why do so many of us know nothing about how food is grown or where it comes from? These stories from our friends at Treehugger all examine farming, gardening and the history and future of your food.

Urban Farms in Detroit’s Future?

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Mudball Fight to Sow Garden Seeds

This may be the most fun way to plant a garden ever. It’s just a proposal looking for a home at the moment, but La Batalla Verde (the Green Battle) is definitely appealing. It involves participants gathering in a space that needs to be greened, and wildly flinging mud balls at each other. Since the mud balls contain seeds for hardy plants, the scene of the battle eventually becomes a beautiful green garden. The city gets a new green space, people get to have fun, and at the end of the battle no one feels like they’ve been working in a garden all day.

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(Images via: Daily Cognition, Flickr, Wild about Gardens, Daily Mail, Krewe of Jupiter, That Pet Place)

Often associated together, venom and poison are in fact different. Poisonous animals or plants are dangerous when touched as a result of toxins that are spread out over the body while venomous animals are threatening as a result of toxins that tend to be stored in one part of the body and delivered through injection. With this distinction in mind, continue to learn more about some recent and amazing discoveries about venom. From the past (the world’s first venomous animals and dinosaurs) to the present (modern venomous animals like jellyfish and catfish) to the future (venom drugs for arthritis and cancer), the evolution, dangers, delivery systems and even benefits of venom continue to surprise.

Conodonts: The World’s First Venomous Animals

(Images via: University of Leicester)

(Images via: Compute Scotland, BT Internet, David Darling, Personality Cafe)

(Images via: Diving Bali Safari, Flickr, Flickr, Two Guys Fossils, Tropical Fish)

Based on comparative analysis of fossilized teeth remains, a paleobiologist recently suggested that conodonts (top image) were the world’s first venomous animals. Resembling eels, these jawless vertebrates/marine animals lived as early as 500 million years ago before becoming extinct roughly 200 million years ago. When comparing conodont teeth (second image, top half) with those of other extinct and living venomous species, the paleobiologist observed similar grooves that were likely used to deliver venom, specifically a neurotoxin named tetrodotoxin that has no known antidote. Animals that currently carry tetrodotoxin include some arrow worms (bottom left), pufferfish (bottom right), mola (third image, top left), blue-ringed octopus (top right), rough-skinned newts (bottom left), porcupine fish (bottom middle) and trigger fish (bottom right).

Sinornithosaurus, the Venomous Dinosaur

(Images via: Rare Resource, SA Wiggins, Robot Nine)

Did you know that modern rear-fanged snakes (bottom left) do not inject venom into their victims but rather contain pockets and grooves that allow the toxin to flow into bite wounds and shock prey? If not, you’re likely unaware that such features are linked back to 125 million years ago, when a turkey-sized, feathered dinosaur named Sinornithosaurus (top left, right) roamed the forests of northeastern China. As recently detailed in a new study, Sinornithosaurus fossil records indicate that this dinosaur shared similar characteristics with today’s rear-fanged snakes, particularly a pocket that was connected to the base of a fang by a long groove. According to researchers, a venom gland was stored in the Sinornithosaurus pocket, and this toxin traveled through a venom duct in the long groove to render bitten prey (most likely prehistoric birds) useless. Just as modern Komodo dragons can weaken victims with a venomous bite, the toxic delivery system of the Sinornithosaurus likely allowed this dinosaur to have calm and relaxing meals once the effects of the venom kicked in.

Venomous Box Jellyfish: Hardly Jelly Bellies

(Images via: Joyce Ago Jo, Ocean Leadership, Bizarre Creatures, Honolulu.gov)

For many people, jellyfish are weird-looking creatures that are nothing to worry about. However, this attitude is especially wrong when it comes to the 50 or so species of box jellyfish, which were recently examined in a three-year study. What may come as a surprise, box jellyfish have stinging capsules called nematocysts that can be highly toxic and even fatal. Consider the Australian box jellyfish (top right), which is considered to be the most venomous marine animal. Or the Chironex yamaguchii (right image), which has killed people in Japan and the Philippines. Or the smaller but still dangerous Carukia barnesi (bottom left), whose sting can cause a strange but usually not life-threatening condition called Irukandji Syndrome. Symptoms of this condition can include lower back pain, headache, nausea and an “impending feeling of doom” (that can’t be good). The next time you see a jellyfish in the water, especially of the box or cubed-shaped variety, be advised to stay away, as the above warning sign indicates.

Venomous Catfish: More Plentiful Than Thought

(Images via: Powerful and Awesome, Mayo, Aqua Articles, Sportsman Logue)

According to a recent report, roughly half of the more than 3,000 known catfish species are venomous. Based on this research at the University of Michigan, this means that anywhere from 1,250 to 1,625 catfish species are venomous. The good news is that the venom is relatively mild and not dangerous to most people. Unlike other animals that use venom to hunt and kill prey, catfish venom is strictly defensive. When threatened by bigger fish or fishermen (like myself, who has been stung quite often when unhooking catfish), the catfish will pop out collapsible spines (bottom right) that can prick the skin and cause a mild and itchy sting. Especially interesting, catfish venom glands tend to get smaller as the fish get bigger, suggesting that these defense mechanisms are most often used by younger catfish.

Denim Jeans: An Effective Rattlesnake Venom Shield?

(Images via: Rattlesnakes Facts, Flickr, Okeene Rattlesnake Hunt, Iowa City Clothworks, Tech Funk Manifesto)

Still have those old-school Jordache or Z-Cavarrichi denim jeans from the eighties? If so, you may want to dust them off, especially if you’ll be populating the habitats of poisonous snakes. According to a recent study, denim jeans provided greater protection from rattlesnake bites than shorts. In this interesting study, researchers used warm, saline-filled gloves to create model human limbs. As one glove was covered with denim (bottom middle) and the other left bare, small and large southern Pacific rattlesnakes were provoked to attack the gloves. While the snakes attacked both gloves equally, the denim-covered gloves significantly reduced the amount of venom that was injected by the small snakes by 60% and the large snakes by 66%.

Cobra and Parasitic Wasp Venom: Not All That Bad?

(Images via: Animal Review, Yippii, The Naked Scientists, Flickr)

According to new research, nonlethal cobra venom and parasitic wasp venom may eventually benefit human beings in the form of new drugs. In one study, cobra venom was found to be effective in easing arthritis symptoms in rats, specifically by inhibiting collagen breakdown and preventing cartilage breakdown. Of course, human studies are needed before cobra venom could be considered as an arthritis treatment. In the amazing case of parasitic wasp venom (which doesn’t kill but changes behavior, specifically transforming insects into child-watching slaves), this genome may hold the key to altering symptoms of allergies and cancer. While we shouldn’t hold our breaths just yet for such drugs coming on the market soon, they at least offer some hope in improving future treatments. Who knew venom could be beneficial?

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Whether you’re a full-time eco-devotee or only light green, doing more things for yourself can be a great way to reduce your environmental impact. Repairing clothes instead of buying new ones, growing your own food instead of buying it from the supermarket, or even (if you have the know-how) creating or modifying your own super-efficient transportation are all possibilities. From our friends at Treehugger and Planet Green, here are some tips to get you started on the DIY path.

Reuse

Use what you already have instead of buying something new: that’s an integral part of living green. Planet Green has tons of helpful articles to help you reuse all kinds of things you’ve probably already got sitting around your house.

5 Reuses for Milk Cartons

5 Amazing Reuses for Dryer Lint

5 Reuses for Business Cards

5 Reuses for Tissue Boxes

5 Reuses for Leftover Soap Bits

5 Reuses for CDs

5 Reuses for Coffee Mugs

6 Reuses for Video Game Controllers

7 Reuses for Rubber Bands

15 Reuses for Envelopes

And they even have a handy use for all of those disposable chopsticks you have languishing in a drawer.

Recharge

Energy consumption is a somewhat controllable part of your ecological footprint. Almost all of us can reduce the amount of electricity we use or bike to work instead of driving a car, and some of us can go a step further by switching partially or completely to alternative energy. Learn all about making your own electric motorcycle, or get inspired from this solar-powered scooter or this 95 MPG modified Civic. A little closer to home, you can reduce your energy intake by making your own super-cheap solar panels or solar heater, build a wind turbine, or use old trash you have lying around to create an on-the-cheap recycled solar collector or solar heater.

Refurbish

If you have old sweaters, t-shirts or other clothes that are just taking up room in your closet, making them over is a great way to get more life out of them and avoid the cost of replacing half of your wardrobe. You don’t need to be a sewing expert to perform surgery on your t-shirts or create a cool mash-up sweater; you just need a few supplies and some creativity.

Regrow

Food you grow yourself not only tastes better; it’s better for the Earth. You can grow organic, pesticide-free produce right in your own backyard – or, if you’re yard-challenged, learn how to get started on home aquaponics or hydroponics, and in no time you’ll be growing your own delicious fruits, veggies and herbs.

Rethink

Before you throw something away, look closely at it. Could it be transformed into something completely new? Even things that you were pretty sure were just garbage (or, hopefully, recyclable) can be made into surprising new items. These articles will clue you in on how to fuse plastic bags into fabric, make a tote bag or quilt squares from that plastic bag fabric, or crochet plastic bag yarn into a cool tote bag.

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As we approach World Water Day 2010, it’s important to take a moment to consider just how essential clean drinking water is. More than a billion people worldwide have no access to safe drinking water. Millions die each year from their lack of access to clean, potable water. Many initiatives have been proposed to address this global concern, but it’s a continuing threat in developing nations around the world. Vincent Callebaut Architectures has proposed a novel way to both purify European waterways and raise public awareness of the water shortage problem.

The proposed solution is this self-sufficient, positive-energy floating garden called the Physalia (which means “water bubble”). The design is zero-emission, in keeping with the firm’s commitment to an environmentally-responsible design. But even more importantly, the structure actually produces its own power with photovoltaic cells and hydro-electric turbines. By producing more power than it consumes, the Physalia crosses over into positive-energy territory.

The Physalia is designed to travel between the major rivers of Europe, purifying the water and facilitating international water conservation research. By far, two of the most prominent physical features of the Physalia are its rooftop garden and its massive sunroof. The garden would be nourished by the water in which the vessel floats, while the sunroof and side windows let passengers admire their surroundings. Because of its reflective windows and natural contours, during daylight hours, the vessel looks more like a biological presence or a trick of light than a carefully constructed fluvial craft.

While it glides along in river waters, the TiO2-coated surface reacts with ultraviolet rays to purify the fluvial water. It absorbs and neutralizes waste from agricultural and industrial sources, as well as the water pollution created by other river vessels. It would become a sort of floating laboratory, a testing ground to see just how successful an innovative vessel like this can actually be. At the same time, it could be a floating classroom, a tourist attraction and a conference location all centered around the idea of clean water accessibility.

The vessel itself is an eco-minded traveler’s paradise. It contains four distinct areas with themes based on the four elements. The Water Garden is the vessel’s main entry point. The open-air reception area would house temporary exhibitions and provide a seamless view of the water below and to every side. The Earth Garden houses the research laboratory. The Fire Garden is a womb-like chamber in the underwater section of the Physalia; it features a roaring fire in the fireproof hull and would be home to permanent exhibits on aquatic ecosystems. The Air Garden is described as “an audacious avant-garde project” that would educate visitors about water respect.

Will we ever see a vessel like the Physalia floating between the major rivers of Europe? That remains to be seen. But such an ambitious project would certainly prove to not only raise awareness of the clean water shortage, but also help to cut down on the widespread pollution of river water. Let’s hope that one day, we can look out over the Seine to see this floating bubble drift by.

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The biggest period of overindulgence of the entire year is nearly behind us now. With only the New Year celebrations to go, many of us find that our jeans are fitting a little tighter and our dietary rules are getting a little lax. It’s the perfect time to take a look at what’s happening in the world of food, farming and nutrition.

Human-Powered Vending Machine

We’d all be a little better off if we were forced to confront just how many calories are in those holiday snacks we enjoy so much. Spanish inventor Pep Torres has created an extremely clever vending machine that only gives up the goods once you’ve burned calories equal to the calories in the treat. The candy inside the machine, currently on display at a shopping center in Barcelona, is free once the user hops onto the exercise bike and pedals off the calories in his chosen confection. Torres hopes to educate children and adults about the nutritional cost of  empty calorie sweets; he’d like to see his machine installed in schools and metro stations.

Grocery Waste Feeds London

On December 16th, hundreds of people waited in line to eat garbage in Trafalgar Square. More accurately, they were lining up to eat a delicious, nutritious meal made entirely of food that would have otherwise been wasted by grocery stores, farmers and other food distributors. The fruits and vegetables were all perfectly safe to eat, but because they were the wrong size, shape or color, or a day beyond their “sell by” date, they couldn’t be sold. The event was meant to raise awareness of the horrifying amounts of edible food wasted every day by stores and restaurants, and to call for government regulations on retailers’ food waste.

Promiseland Livestock Loses Organic Certification

In the latest part of a long-reaching organic industry scandal, Promiseland Livestock has had its organic certification suspended for four years. While they aren’t accused of directly defrauding consumers, the organic livestock giant is accused of blocking the USDA from inspecting their facilities as well as their financial and organic records. The suspension comes as a victory for organic industry watchdog The Cornucopia Institute, which has filed complaints against Promiseland as well as many “organic” dairies and distributors.

Helping Sustain Kenya, One Backpack at a Time

A new program may help Kenyans grow their own food and maintain the delicate ecosystem in which they live. Backpack Farm provides everything a new farmer needs to start growing food, and it’s all contained within a backpack. Each pack carries drought-resistant seeds, a collapsible drip irrigation kit, plant food, mosquito pesticide, farm tools, a chemical sprayer, training manuals, and a diary for keeping track of the farm’s progress. The goal is to feed every hungry person and engender a sense of community while teaching self-reliance through farming.

Too Fat to Serve

We all know that Americans are trending more and more toward obesity every year, but what effect is that having on national security? According to a new study from Mission: Readiness, 1/3 of young Americans are too fat to serve in the military. With current troops being overextended and sent on multiple grueling deployments, the military is forced to turn down 15,000 potential new recruits every year based on their body weight.

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At one time, all farmers knew the easiest way to test and correct the pH of their farm’s soil: they tasted it. While it’s something of a lost art now, installation artist Laura Parker is offering a new generation an entirely new way to connect with their food. Her traveling event “A Taste of Place” seeks to bring grower and consumer together by showing consumers that the ground their food grows in or on has a deep effect on how the resulting food tastes.

It was nearly a decade ago that Parker realized how disconnected farmers and their food are from the public. Unless a chef or an artist brings attention to the origins of the food, consumers simply dismiss them. Parker began a journey to reconnect the earth, the farm, and those who eat the fruits of the farmers’ labor. She now travels with her exhibition, providing samples of soil from nearby organic farms along with food grown on those farms.

The food could be leafy greens grown right in the dirt, cheese from animals who graze on the grounds, eggs from chickens raised on the farms, or anything else that carries with it the taste of its origins. But unlike farmers of generations past, participants are not expected to swish around a mouthful of dirt. Since three-quarters of our sense of taste is actually smell, simply experiencing the aroma of the soil is enough. Participants are provided with goblets full of soil from each farm and given “tasting notes” that give an insight into exactly what they may experience.

(images via: Edible Geography)

The language used in the tasting notes strongly resembles that used for tasting fine wines. Words like earthy, grassy, olive, mineral, cream and pine mingle with descriptions of the soil’s texture. After breathing in the aromas of the earth, participants sample foods from the corresponding organic farm and try to detect the same qualities that they found in the soil. And, not surprisingly, many can. Whether it is because of the power of suggestion or because the taste of our food really is closely linked to its origins, people who have experienced Parker’s installation agree: those smoky, heady, mossy and other flavors carry through to the finished product.

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