sustainability

The Roots of Permaculture 

“Although the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”

A Challenging Dichotomy

A pale hand, unseasoned by sun or the wild, sat in awkward juxtaposition next to that of a tan, rough version belonging to a man from Belgium—a desperately telling picture in the consideration of the curious existence of Costa Rica’s ecotourism economy. My hand gripped the edge of a mosaic-crusted table, roughly 8 inches from the relaxed palm of Thijs Claes (pronounced Tess Class), The biologist leading the bird conservation project for Global Vision International in Tortuguero National Park.

For many, spring doesn’t come until the first flowers have bloomed—crocuses that line sidewalks, daffodils that spring up in patches next to highways, and hyacinth that bloom in delicately planted containers—but my favorite way to bring spring inside is with a fresh bouquet.

Your garden doesn’t have to be perfectly manicured to look nice—the one thing that makes a garden really stand out is using little quirks of your own to give it personality. Likewise, your garden should not look like your neighbor's garden—so it needs to carry forward your personality and its own quirk within the green.

The products you use in your home matter. Even if you live a fairly healthy lifestyle (vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, etc.), the products you use can really affect your life. Items we use around the house on the daily (such as cleaning products, hand soap, and plastic) can cause serious health concerns if you're not careful. You might not even be aware they're toxic until it's too late. Prevention is the best medicine though, so here's how to create a non-toxic home you'll be proud of.

From a young age, most women (myself included) are instructed on how to use tampons and pads and find a hormonal birth control that works for us. Some of us continue to do fine on conventional products, but it’s important to know that there are other options that don’t contain pesticides, reduce waste, and help manage PMS symptoms and irregular periods without adding synthetic hormones.

Do you want to eat more plants? If so, you have a lot of company. Interest in the topic spiked dramatically last year. Plant-based eating is both timeless and totally new, depending on how you look at it. Throughout time, the overwhelming majority of societies were plant-based, but in the last century unprecedented changes at the societal and agricultural levels began to make plant-based eating worthy of a fresh look.

Not everyone has a green thumb. But if you really want some green(ery) around, here are some tips and tricks for the lazy gardener in you.

"Jump in there with both feet."

Richard Branson, director of the virgin group and proponent of environmental entrepreneurism, explained that clean energy is essentially the next big thing. The Climate Reality Project interviewed Branson as part of their 24-hour live event broadcast across social media in December 2017.

We've been hearing that line for the last decade though.

“Green energy, green business is the next big thing!”

“The health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security. Food is about to demand your attention.” -Michael Pollan, Farmer in Chief