The Art of Sustainable Fashion: How to Make Eco-Friendly Choices
In a world increasingly aware of environmental issues, sustainable fashion has emerged as a powerful trend with a purpose. As consumers, we have the power to make eco-friendly choices that benefit both the planet and our personal style. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of sustainable fashion and provide practical tips on how to make environmentally conscious wardrobe decisions.
Why Sustainable Fashion Matters
- Reducing Environmental Impact: The traditional fashion industry is known for its significant environmental footprint. From water-intensive cotton farming to chemical-laden dyeing processes and excessive textile waste, it contributes to pollution and resource depletion. Sustainable fashion aims to minimize these negative effects.
- Ethical Production: Sustainable fashion often goes hand in hand with ethical practices. Many sustainable brands prioritize fair labor conditions, ensuring that the people involved in the production process are treated with respect and receive fair wages.
- Longevity and Quality: Sustainable fashion emphasizes quality over quantity. By investing in well-made, timeless pieces, consumers can reduce the need for constant replacements, ultimately saving money and reducing waste.
Tips for Making Eco-Friendly Fashion Choices
- Buy Less, Choose Wisely: Instead of constantly chasing the latest trends, opt for timeless pieces that can be worn for years. Quality over quantity should be your mantra. When shopping, ask yourself if you truly need the item and if it complements your existing wardrobe.
- Support Sustainable Brands: Many brands now focus on sustainability. Do your research and support those that prioritize eco-friendly materials, ethical production, and transparent supply chains. Look for certifications like Fair Trade, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and Certified B Corporation.
- Secondhand and Vintage Shopping: Thrifting is an excellent way to reduce clothing waste. Pre-loved fashion not only reduces the demand for new clothing production but also offers unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that add character to your style.
- Choose Sustainable Materials: When possible, opt for clothing made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, Tencel, or recycled fabrics. These materials are generally less harmful to the environment during production and disposal.
- Consider Local and Handmade: Supporting local artisans and designers can help reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation. Additionally, handmade items often have a lower environmental impact and a unique, artisanal quality.
- Take Care of Your Clothes: Extend the lifespan of your garments by following proper care instructions. Wash clothes in cold water, line dry when possible, and mend or tailor items when they need repair. This reduces the frequency at which you need to replace them.
- Clothing Rental and Swapping: Consider clothing rental services for special occasions or events. Clothes swapping with friends or at organized swap events is another sustainable way to refresh your wardrobe without buying new items.
- Recycle and Upcycle: When it’s time to part with clothing, explore recycling options. Additionally, get creative with upcycling by turning old clothes into new pieces or accessories.
- Educate Yourself: Stay informed about sustainability issues in the fashion industry. Understanding the impact of your choices can motivate you to make more eco-friendly decisions.
The art of sustainable fashion goes beyond looking good; it’s about feeling good about the choices you make as a consumer. By embracing eco-friendly practices, supporting sustainable brands, and adopting a more mindful approach to your wardrobe, you can contribute to a greener and more ethical fashion industry. Your choices have the power to shape the future of fashion for the better, one eco-friendly decision at a time.


NASA is participating in a mission of the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency called Mars Express, which has been exploring the atmosphere and surface of Mars from polar orbit since arriving at the red planet in 2003. The spacecraft carries a science payload derived in part from European instruments lost on the ill-fated Russian Mars '96 mission, as well as a communications relay to support lander missions.
The mission's main objective is to search for sub-surface water from orbit. Seven scientific instruments on the orbiting spacecraft have conducted rigorous investigations to help answer fundamental questions about the geology, atmosphere, surface environment, history of water, and potential for life on Mars. Examples of discoveries - still debated by scientists -- by Mars Express are evidence of recent glacial activity, explosive volcanism, and methane gas.
Initially, Mars Express also carried a small lander called Beagle 2, named for the ship in which Charles Darwin set sail to explore unchartered areas of the Earth in 1831. The lander was lost on arrival in December, 2003.
NASA's involvement with the mission includes joint development of a radar instrument called MARSIS - short for the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding - with the Italian Space Agency. MARSIS has already provided information about features beneath the Martian surface, including buried impact craters, layered deposits, and hints of deep underground water ice.
NASA's involvement also includes coordination of radio relay systems to make sure that different spacecraft operate together; a hardware contribution to the energetic neutral atoms analyzer instrument; and backup tracking support from NASA's Deep Space Network during critical mission phases.
- Straight outta NASA... Credit: JPL


The American Society of Landscape Architects' new Center for Landscape Architecture officially opened to the public in May. ALSA worked with architecture firm Gensler and landscape architecture firm Oehme van Sweden to turn its Washington headquarters into a state-of-the-art Center that embodies the mission, vision, and values of ASLA, featuring flexible meeting, reception, and exhibition spaces.
Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA, Executive Vice President/CEO of ASLA, spoke with us about the new Center, its potential impact, and plans for the future.
Association of Architecture Organizations (AAO): How does the new Center for Landscape Architecture differ from other architecture centers out there?
Nancy Somerville (NS): Well of course, our focus is on landscape architecture. While the building architecture itself is wonderful –and has surpassed environmental goals we’ve set for the building (we are on target for LEED Platinum and Well Building Silver)—we’ve made it a priority to integrate light and landscape throughout the building to really demonstrate to the public the possibilities and the importance of integrating landscape into architecture, not just around it. This idea of existing as a living demonstration project framed many of the decisions around the renovation.
Like many other centers, we have exhibit and event space, but the kind of programming we will be hosting will in large part focus on the landscape architecture profession’s priority issues from a public policy perspective, including active transportation, green infrastructure and integrating nature into urban spaces, community resilience, and climate change.
AAO: The building was home to ASLA prior to its renovation. Do you think that living with the building in its earlier form helped your team unlock the Center’s potential?
NS: Even before the renovation, we were proud to be a living model—since 2006 we’ve welcomed over 1,000 visitors a year to our green roof, for instance. When the roof opened, we were only the second or third green roof in D.C., so it was pretty significant. Our experience with the green roof reinforced our belief in the importance of demonstration projects—people want and need to see how something works. So we wanted to create a new Center that would be a demonstration project from top to bottom, including exterior greenwalls, a cistern to capture stormwater runoff, and gathering data in real time on stormwater capture and reuse. As part of our commitment to LEED and WELL, we will also be documenting building energy consumption, air and water quality, and occupant comfort.
Our next project will extend the demonstration out to the street. We are currently working with the District Department of Energy and the Environment on a demonstration green and complete street project on our block of I Street. We are just about to start design development for what we’re calling the Chinatown Green Street Demonstration Project, with landscape architecture firm Design Workshop as the lead. D.C., like so many large and small cities across the country, has a serious problem with flooding and pollution caused by stormwater runoff. Green roofs are part of the solution, but streets—the largest publicly owned area of land in a city—also have enormous potential as part of the solution. Green streets, like green roofs before them, are largely unfamiliar to most people, including developers and building owners. Here again, a demonstration project can play a critical role in demystifying and speeding adoption of sustainable development practices.
AAO: What does the Center allow you to do that you weren’t able to do as successfully before?
NS: This new Center really expands our ability to do public outreach. Prior to the renovation we had a very small conference room and below-ground patio, which limited the programming and outreach we were already doing. We did manage to squeeze in, including congressional receptions and coalition meetings and forums around our advocacy priorities, but now we have the space for larger events/audiences and broader public education as well.
AAO: Are there new staff positions dedicated to running the Center? What are they?
NS: So far we have not made any staff changes. The work involved with the renovation of the Center and with creation of the first exhibit and opening events has all been handled by existing staff. As the project evolved, we made some strategic decisions aimed at maximizing the initial impact without adding a significant amount of resources right away. For instance, early on we made the decision that the opening exhibition was going to be about the history of ASLA and the profession of landscape architecture; a significant body of knowledge about this topic was in the heads of key staff, which made the hiring of a separate curator for the first year unnecessary. Strategic partnerships, like teaming up with Freeman who did the design and printing of the exhibition, further extended our resources. Now that we are open, we can take some time to look at strategic needs around staff and resources for the Center going forward, and we will be setting more specific priorities for programming in alignment with our overall strategic plan and priorities. We’ve already had several unsolicited proposals for future exhibits, which is quite exciting. We will be evaluating those in the context of our priorities.
AAO: What opportunities do you see regarding collaboration with other architecture and design centers in the DC area?
NS: We are still in the initial stages of opening our Center and exploring partnerships. We know that we don’t want to replicate what is already happening. Our friends at the National Building Museum, for instance, do great programs, and have they have really expanded their programming around landscape architecture, which is fantastic. We’re not looking to redo that or duplicate what they are doing—rather, our intention is to use our new space in ways to further our advocacy and public awareness goals, particularly about designing healthy, resilient cities—and really using the Center in every way to support the profession’s key priorities.
All photos courtesy of ASLA.


Why does dog pee kills grass? You will learn about why dog pee is harmful to grass and why it can lead to patches of dead or discolored areas in your yard. We will discuss the chemical makeup of dog urine and how it affects the pH balance of the soil.
Additionally, we will explore some tips on how to prevent or minimize the damage caused by dog pee on your lawn. By understanding the reasons behind this phenomenon, you will be better equipped to maintain a healthy and vibrant lawn despite having a furry friend.
If you’re a dog owner, you may have noticed the unsightly yellow or brown patches that sometimes appear on your beautiful green lawn. The culprit behind this damage is dog urine. While it may seem like a harmless bodily function, dog urine contains chemicals that can have a detrimental effect on grass.
Chemical Composition of Dog Urine
Dog urine is primarily composed of water, with the remaining components being a mixture of nitrogen, urea, and other waste products. One of the key components responsible for damaging grass is nitrogen. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, but excessive amounts can have a negative impact.
Effects of Nitrogen on Dog Urine
When dogs urinate on grass, the high levels of nitrogen in their urine can cause an overload of this nutrient in the soil. This overload can lead to an imbalance in the nitrogen levels, which in turn can burn the grass and result in yellow or brown patches. The concentration of nitrogen in dog urine is typically much higher than what grass can handle, which is why the damage occurs.
Causes of Grass Damage
Grass damage can occur for various reasons, but dog urine is one of the major culprits. Aside from the high nitrogen levels, other factors such as the frequency and quantity of urination, the dog’s diet, and the pH levels of the soil can also contribute to the severity of the damage.
Factors Influencing the Severity of Damage
The severity of grass damage caused by dog urine can vary depending on several factors. One important factor is the size of the dog. Larger dogs tend to produce more urine, which means a higher concentration of nitrogen. Additionally, female dogs tend to cause more damage than males due to the way they urinate in one concentrated spot. The time of day at which the dog urinates can also play a role, as urine that is left on the grass overnight has more time to soak into the soil and cause damage.
Identifying Signs of Grass Damage
To address the issue of grass damage caused by dog urine, it’s important to be able to identify the signs of damage. Some common signs include the appearance of yellow or brown patches on the lawn, a localized odor in the affected area, and a comparison with other lawn issues such as lawn pests or disease. If you notice any of these signs, chances are that dog urine is the culprit.
Preventing and Minimizing Grass Damage
Preventing and minimizing grass damage caused by dog urine requires some proactive measures on your part as a responsible dog owner. Here are some steps you can take:
Monitoring Your Dog’s Water Intake
By monitoring your dog’s water intake, you can help regulate the amount of urine your dog produces. Ensuring that your dog stays properly hydrated can dilute the concentration of nitrogen in the urine and reduce the damage to your grass.
Properly Hydrating Your Dog
In addition to monitoring water intake, it’s important to ensure that your dog is properly hydrated. Make sure your dog has access to clean drinking water at all times, especially during hot weather or after exercise. This can also help dilute the urine and minimize damage.
Training Your Dog to Urinate in Designated Areas
One effective way to prevent grass damage is to train your dog to urinate in designated areas of your yard. By creating a specific spot for your dog to use, you can minimize the impact on the rest of your lawn. This can be accomplished through positive reinforcement training techniques.
Diluting Urine with Water
If you notice your dog has urinated on your grass, one way to minimize the damage is to immediately dilute the urine with water. Use a hose or watering can to saturate the affected area, which will help dilute the nitrogen and prevent it from burning the grass.
Types of Grass Resistant to Dog Urine
If you’re planning to redo your lawn or plant new grass, it’s worth considering types of grass that are more resistant to dog urine. Some grass species are naturally more resilient and can withstand the effects of nitrogen better than others. Here are some considerations when selecting grass varieties:
Selecting Resilient Grass Species
Certain grass species, such as Bermuda grass and Kentucky bluegrass, are known for their resilience to dog urine. These species have a higher tolerance for nitrogen and can recover more quickly from damage.
Mixing Grass Varieties
Another approach to creating a dog-friendly lawn is to mix different grass varieties. By combining grass species that have varying levels of tolerance to nitrogen, you can create a lawn that is more resistant to damage. Consult with a landscaper or garden center for advice on the best grass varieties for your area.
Consideration of Climate and Soil Type
When selecting grass species, it’s important to consider the climate and soil type of your region. Some grass species are better suited to specific climates and soil conditions, so choose varieties that thrive in your particular environment.
Lawn Care Techniques for Dog Owners
In addition to selecting the right grass species, there are certain lawn care techniques that can help minimize damage caused by dog urine. Here are some strategies to consider:
Regular watering is essential for diluting the concentration of nitrogen in the soil. By watering your lawn frequently, you can help flush away excess nitrogen and prevent damage.
Proper Mowing Practices
Maintaining the proper height when mowing your lawn is crucial for the health of your grass. Set your mower blades to a higher setting to leave the grass longer, as longer grass can help protect the soil from nitrogen burns and encourage root growth.
Regular Soil Aeration
Aeration involves creating small holes in the soil to allow for better air and water movement. Regular soil aeration can help improve the overall health of your lawn by reducing soil compaction and allowing nutrients to reach the grass roots more easily.
Applying Soil Amendments
Depending on the pH levels of your soil, applying soil amendments can help neutralize the effects of nitrogen. Products such as lime or sulfur can help adjust the pH levels to a more suitable range, promoting healthier grass growth.
Remedies for Existing Grass Damage
If your lawn already has visible damage from dog urine, there are several remedies you can try to revive the grass and restore its health:
Raking and Removing Damaged Grass
Start by raking the affected areas to remove any dead or damaged grass. This will help create a clean canvas for new growth and prevent the spread of disease or pests.
Overseeding involves spreading grass seed over the damaged areas. Choose a high-quality grass seed blend that is appropriate for your region. Follow the instructions on the seed packaging for the best results.
Rejuvenation through Proper Care
To help the grass recover, provide it with the necessary care and nutrition. Water the lawn regularly, practice proper mowing techniques, and consider applying a gentle fertilizer to promote healthy growth. With time and proper care, the damaged areas should rejuvenate and blend in with the rest of your lawn.
Alternative Solutions for Dog Urination
If you’re looking for alternative solutions to prevent grass damage altogether, here are a few options to consider:
Designating a Gravel or Mulch Area
Creating a designated area in your yard with gravel or mulch can provide a dog-friendly spot for your pet to relieve themselves. This eliminates the need to worry about grass damage and makes for easier cleanup.
Install Artificial Grass
Artificial grass is another option for dog owners who want a low-maintenance lawn that can withstand frequent dog urination. Artificial grass is resistant to urine and can be easily cleaned with water, making it an attractive option for those looking to eliminate grass damage.
Creating a Dog-Friendly Outdoor Space
If you have the space available, consider creating a separate outdoor area specifically for your dog. This can be achieved through the use of fencing or other barriers to designate a space where your pet can play and relieve themselves without causing damage to your lawn.
Understanding the Health Effects for Dogs
While we’ve been focusing on the impact of dog urine on grass, it’s also important to consider the health effects for dogs themselves. Here are some key points to keep in mind:
Potential Risks of Toxicity
Some studies suggest that the high nitrogen levels in dog urine can pose a risk of toxicity if dogs ingest or come into contact with the grass. This is more likely to occur if the grass has been treated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
Preventing Paw Irritation
Dog urine can cause skin irritation, particularly on the paws. To prevent this, make sure your dog’s paws are cleaned after they have been outside, especially on hot or sunny days when the grass may be hotter than usual.
Positive Implications of Regular Vet Checkups
Regular visits to the veterinarian can help ensure your dog’s overall health and well-being. Discuss any concerns you may have about grass damage and seek advice on how to minimize any potential health risks for your furry friend.
Environmental Impact of Dog Urine on Grass
In addition to the impact on your lawn and your dog’s health, dog urine can also have an environmental impact. Here are some points to consider:
Role of Nitrogen in Eutrophication
Excessive nitrogen from dog urine can contribute to a process called eutrophication. This occurs when an excessive amount of nutrients, such as nitrogen, enters bodies of water, leading to an overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plants. This can disrupt the balance of ecosystems and negatively impact water quality.
Mitigating Environmental Damage
To mitigate the environmental damage caused by dog urine, it’s important to practice responsible pet ownership. This includes minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn, keeping your dog’s waste properly contained and disposed of, and being aware of the potential risks of excessive nitrogen in the environment.
Educating Dog Owners about Responsible Pet Ownership
By educating dog owners about the effects of dog urine on grass and the environment, we can promote responsible pet ownership. This includes taking steps to minimize grass damage, understanding the health implications for dogs, and being mindful of the environmental impact.
Dog urine can indeed have a detrimental effect on grass, resulting in unsightly yellow or brown patches. Understanding the chemical composition of dog urine, the causes of grass damage, and the various factors influencing the severity of the damage is crucial for dog owners.
By implementing preventative measures, selecting grass varieties resistant to dog urine, and practicing proper lawn care techniques, you can minimize the damage to your grass and create a dog-friendly outdoor space.


Importance Of Water
Water is essential for life. A person can live without food for several weeks, but without water, life cannot last for more than a few days. The bodies of all plants and animals have large amounts of water. Several life processes in human beings and animals, such as digestion of food, absorption of nutrients by the body, distribution of nutrients to various parts of the body, or getting rid of body wastes, need the presence of water.
About 70 per cent of the human body consists of water. We take in water through food and drinking and lose it in the form of urine, sweat and exhaled air. Water also helps to control our body temperature. In hot weather, we drink a lot of water.
This maintains our body temperature within reasonable limits. Water that evaporates from the surface of our body in the form of sweat takes away a lot of heat and thus, cools the body.
In plants, water is essential for germination of seeds and their growth as well. It also helps to transport nutrients from the soil, and food from the leaves to different parts of the plants. Plants use water, along with carbon dioxide from the air, to make food in the presence of sunlight. You already know that this process is called photosynthesis.
Plants take in water from the soil through their roots. Our food contains a lot of water.
Besides being essential for life, water is very useful to us in many other ways. It is essential for cooking and washing and for generating electricity.
A large amount of water is used in agriculture and industries. Water is also used as a medium for transport.
Water also serves as home for several plants and anitials, Water does not heat up or cool down as fast as land. This helps to control temperature and enables water-plants and animals to survive in very hot or cold conditions.
Water, like air, is the most abundantly available substance on the earth. It fills the seas, rivers and lakes which cover more than three-fourths of the earth surface. It also exists as snow and ice on mountains. Water is also found within the earth’s crust. In the atmosphere, water is present in huge quantities as vapours or clouds.
Water is a natural resource so long as man does not disrupt the water cycle. Urbanization and industrialization are polluting water continuously. Most of water, being supplied in cities is unfit for drinking. The day is not away, when potable water will be difficult to obtain. We must take special precautions to consume and preserve water. Water is everlasting renewable natural resource. It could be conserved and used wisely.


RECYCLING YOUR LEFTOVER PAINT
The availability of places to take your leftover paint depends on where you live. In some states, such as California and Minnesota, there are well-developed programs called Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facilities that take leftover paint (and other materials that should not go in the trash), for no charge. In other states, there may be few if any, places that will accept your waste paint for recycling or disposal.
For information on where you can take leftover paint, try contacting your local county government, visit Earth911 or call 1-800-CLEAN-UP.
Please note that most Household Hazardous Waste programs do not accept paint from businesses. However, Amazon will accept non-hazardous water-based paints and some chemically similar wastes from businesses for recycling.
Please contact us for fees and further information.


I’ve heard about the option of using Argon gas to boost energy efficiency. – Should I spend more to get the Argon gas?
The repair of a fogged double paned window (or IGU–insulated glass unit)can be further enhanced by adding Low-E coatings and filling the space between the lites with a noble gas such as Argon.
Argon is denser than air and reduces the amount of heat transfer through the IGU.
When 90 percent Argon gas-fill is used in a low-e IGU instead of air, the window’s insulating value can be improved by “up to” only 16 percent.
Argon gas is relatively cheap, but it can result in a slower cycle times in fabrication and add to increased production costs.
It is generally not a good investment to reppair fogged IGU’s with Argon just for energy-efficiency purposes.
Argon only typically increases the insulating R-value of a window by only half a point. (R-value is the measurement of thermal resistance; the higher the number, the more efficient the window.)
The small increase in insulating value from Argon will get you slight energy savings at a high purchase cost.
Argon does little or nothing to reduce transmission of ultraviolet and infrared radiation. (UV light from the sun can damage furnishings more important, infrared radiation transfers heat into or out of a home.)
Argon filled IGU’s have a risk of gas leakage. The partial pressure differentials between the air outside and the Argon inside cause it to naturally escape the IGU.
As Argon leaks out, the IGU loses insulating performance, and, since air doesn’t backfill into the IGU, the two lites of glass begin to collapse into the center of the unit, which can cause the glass to look distorted or even break.
Large incremental costs for Argon filled IGU’s generally outweigh their benefit.
At the end of the day it’s the customer’s choice if he/she wants to pay more for Argon filled IGU’s


We provide full-service residential cleaning services in WNY. Not only do we provide several cleaning packages, but we offer the following additional services:
We deliver the quality service that you expect in a residential home cleaning company. A clean and healthy home says you care about your family. Call us. Our cleaning team will bring you the value that you deserve at a price that you can afford. We can achieve the standards of cleanliness and appearance you desire . . . at a price that makes sense.
With our service, you won't need to worry about whether or not our cleaners have been properly trained because we do. Each employee goes through a comprehensive training program and safety training before working with their supervisor in our clients' homes. We believe our most important asset is our people. The success of our business depends on them, so our people are well trained and well supervised.
We are professionals, and we strive to provide your home with the best care possible. If you have any questions or concerns about any of our policies and procedures, please contact us.
While people understand the importance of cleaning with regard to appearance, they are often unaware of how a clean home affects their health. A clean bathroom and kitchen are two areas that we commonly think of as needing to be clean for health reasons. However, there are other issues within the home that can cause physical harm to your body. Also, the very chemicals we use to clean can have an adverse affect on you.
Poor indoor air quality has been proven to be a cause of health problems. Allergies to dust and mold are common, and can lead to potentially serious conditions. Most traditional cleaning chemicals are toxic, and can cause allergic reactions as well. These can range from minor annoyances to potentially life-threatening. Also, some chemicals are actually poisonous or capable of causing chemical burns. These chemicals can also enter the environment, affecting our water supply.
Here at Diva 4 Maid, most of the products and equipment that we use are environmentally friendly, with the goal of providing you with a safe and healthy environment. Our chemicals are non-toxic, and many are derived from natural ingredients. We use HEPA-quality vacuums, which cut down on dust reintroduced into the air.
The health of you and your family comes first. Many chronic health conditions stem from our environment, so consider how much time you spend in your home. “Green cleaning” is more than a catch phrase, but rather a mind set to promote health.
It is highly recommended that you start with our Deep Cleaning so you get optimal results. If your ceiling fans, light fixtures, door and window trim has not been dusted on a regular basis, our routine cleaning will probably not give you the results you want.
The Deep (or Spring Clean) starts you off fresh and the routine cleanings can be thought of as “maintenance” to your home. To sum up the difference between the two cleans: we hand wipe all items listed in the Deep Clean and feather dust most items in the Routine “Maintenance” Clean. However, we never feather dust countertops, dining tables tops, coffee tables tops, appliances, etc.
Every “Maintenance Cleaning” includes the following:
Our "Deep Cleaning" addresses heavy dirt and dust build-up and includes all of the “Maintenance Cleaning” plus:


Nikwax takes great care to minimize the effect of Nikwax products on the environment and on you, the consumer. Nikwax avoids materials in its cleaners like palm oil, that has been sourced from unsustainable plantations.
Nikwax Footwear Cleaning Gel™ is environmentally friendly; it is non-hazardous, WaterBased, biodegradable and not tested on animals.
Nikwax Fabric & Leather Proof™ is easy and quick to apply; either spray or sponge on to wet shoes. Nikwax Fabric & Leather Proof™ provides highly Durable Water Repellency (DWR) which develops on air drying. It leaves a flexible water repellent treatment on individual fibres of fabric and leather. This allows moisture vapour to pass through, maintaining breathability and keeping your feet dry. Nikwax Fabric & Leather Proof™ has been specifically designed and optimized for fabric and leather combination footwear.
- Brush off dirt with a damp cloth and clean using Nikwax Footwear Cleaning Gel™.
- Shake well before use. Press sponge applicator to break seal.
- Apply generously to wet footwear; Spray-On (from a distance of 5cm) or Sponge-On.
- After 2 minutes, remove surplus with a cloth and allow to dry before use.
Note: Light/colored fabric and/or leather may darken after treatment. Test on a hidden area first.
- Leave footwear to dry at room temperature.
- Paper can be stuffed into the toes to absorb excess moisture, this should be replaced when wet.
- Keep footwear away from fires and radiators, drying too quickly can crack leather and cause bonded soles to peel.


When will animal cruelty go out of fashion?
By Prof. Dr Wayne Visser
Dr Wayne Visser is Professor of Integrated Value and holds the Chair in Sustainable Transformation at Antwerp Management School. He is also Fellow at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Every year, more than 150 billion animals are slaughtered, ending their extremely short lives having endured unspeakable suffering under barbaric factory-farming conditions, to satisfy insatiable human appetites for food and clothing. I am undeniably dismayed by this situation, but I am certainly not surprised. We have been killing animals to eat and stay warm (or fashionable) for thousands, perhaps even millions of years.
What I do find surprising, however, especially as an academic working on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development for the past three decades, is how seldom animal rights makes it onto the ethical agendas of business, government and civil society. In this short reflective piece, I want to examine why this is – and more importantly, why the situation is now rapidly changing, happily for the better.
To begin, then, what are the reasons for our ethical blind-spot when it comes to animal welfare? There are a number of plausible explanations. First, some might wonder whether there is an ethical issue at all. They might still believe – often in line with their religious dogmas – that animals were placed on this earth solely for our exploitation. Therefore, it is our right to breed them and treat them and eat them how and when we like.
Then there is the widely held belief that animals are inferior in every way to humans and do not have intelligence, feel emotions, experience suffering, or need to enjoy a good quality of life, as we do. In fact, this has been thoroughly disproved by science – especially in the case of mammals, and even for birds and fish – but that doesn’t change the convenient and pervasive belief.
Another argument is that it is far more urgent and important to take care of human suffering by tackling poverty and human rights abuses. Not to mention other crises as well, like climate change and political corruption and economic growth. The unspoken needs of animals are simply too far down the list of critical priorities. And nowadays, livestock are killed quickly and ‘humanely’, so what’s the fuss anyway?
Of course, not everyone has such a cold-hearted, callous, self-serving perspective. For over 50 years, activists have been trying to bring the plight of animals to the public’s attention. Beauty Without Cruelty, for example, was founded in 1965. And Greenpeace launched in 1970 to stop the barbarism of commercial whaling and seal culling. But these have remained marginal voices for decades, until today.
Today, animal welfare is rising up the public agenda almost by accident, due to a series of unfortunate events. In the past few years, human-induced climate change has been established as a scientific fact and serious global crisis (accepted by all but the most ignorant, narcissistic and sociopathic among us). And as a result, the spotlight has started to shine brightly on the agricultural sector in general and the livestock industry in particular.
Overall, agriculture accounts for 70% of global freshwater consumption, 38% of total land use and 19% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions; and within these numbers, the footprint of meat and dairy production is particularly high. The broader food industry accounts for more than a quarter (26%) of climate-causing greenhouse gas emissions, which is higher than transportation, for example.
And it turns out that diets make a big difference. In fact, according the Project Drawdown, which studied and ranked the top 100 solutions to climate change, switching to a more plant-based diet is the fourth-most effective action we can take right now. An Oxford University study found that a switch to veganism by 2050 could cut emissions by 70%, while saving eight million lives and trillions of dollars in healthcare costs.
To make this impact more concrete, if you were to eat beef 3-5 times a week, you would create a carbon footprint of 1,611 kg per year, which is the equivalent of driving a regular petrol car 4,112 miles (6,618 km), or heating the average UK home for 255 days. By comparison, eating beans once a day creates a carbon footprint of 20 kg per year, the same as driving 53 miles (86 km) or heating the average UK home for 3 days.
This is one of the reasons why veganism has taken off in the past few years. Growth in the UK has exceeded 700% in the past 2 years and now accounts for 7% of the population, while in the US, it has grown 600%, from 1% in 2014 to 6% in 2017. And since veganism is not just a dietary choice but also a lifestyle choice – based on not harming animals or using animal products – this has had knock-on effects for the fashion industry as well.
For example, we now see an explosion of the global faux leather market, which is set to hit $85 billion by 2025, according to a 2017 report by Grand View Research (GVR). Similarly, there has been a 135% growth in vegan cosmetics since 2013, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD). Meanwhile, vegan fashion brands like Steinmetz, Jakke, Ministry of Tomorrow, Cult Gaia and Marais USA are booming.
Donning my (pineapple-leather) academic hat, I foresee a rapid uptake of animal cruelty-free and vegan textiles in the next 2-5 years, as part of CSR and sustainability programs in business. This applies not only to the fashion industry, but to companies from every sector that consume billions of items of workwear – from uniforms and high-visibility jackets to suits and health-and-safety shoes.
To conclude on a personal note, as someone who made the choice to be vegetarian more than 30 years ago and to be vegan just over 2 years ago – in both instances primarily driven by a concern for animal welfare – I can only say that the change cannot come too soon. Animal cruelty must go out of fashion, fast! There are billions of sentient creatures who share the web of life on this beautiful planet. Our survival may not depend on them, but our dignity and humanity does.


Episode 2. An introduction to natural selection, its limits, and the neutral theory of molecular evolution.
- Singing Scientist Podcast
[Study published in Virus Evolution]
West Nile virus (WNV) is an RNA virus that usually cycles between birds (like robins and crows) and mosquitoes. However, it can also cause fatal brain inflammation (encephalitis) when infecting humans. Related to Zika virus, Dengue virus, and Yellow Fever virus, WNV is responsible for some of the most extensive outbreaks of vector-borne disease ever observed. WNV in the Americas arose from a single strain that arrived in the United States in 1999, likely on a plane to New York from Israel or North Africa. Very early in the process of spreading through the hemisphere, a new genotype named WN02 arose via mutation, containing a nonsynonymous (amino acid-changing) difference in the envelope protein at site 159, changing a valine to an alanine. This single mutation greatly sped up WNV’s development in mosquitoes, shortening the time required for it to spread to new hosts — the unfortunate victims of the sick mosquito’s bite. This selective advantage led to the sweep of the WN02 strain across North America in a matter of a few years.
As with other RNA viruses, mutations in WNV occur with high frequency. Despite this, WNV and its relatives often display less genetic diversity than other RNA viruses. Over a decade of lab research, mostly using chickens, has supported the hypothesis that this genetic constraint is due to natural selection acting differently in birds and mosquitoes. More specifically, it has been thought that WNV is relatively free to mutate in mosquitoes, where it gains genetic diversity. However, conditions inside birds are very strict, such that most of the virus’ diversity is pruned away. Furthermore, different mutations may be necessary to infect mosquitoes and birds, adding twice as many genetic requirements than if viruses infected only one host species.
In a new paper in Virus Evolution, colleagues and I show that these models of WNV evolution, which were developed in the laboratory, do not seem to play out in the wild. The data come from over a decade of screening studies in which birds and mosquitoes in the Chicago suburbs were randomly caught and tested for infection with WNV. In the end, WNV infection was so rare in birds that only 6 birds could be identified as WNV-infected and also mapped to the same time and place as infected mosquitoes (which were more common).
Instead of observing more viral genetic diversity in mosquitoes (as seen in the laboratory), we observed slightly more diversity in birds, with no significant differences between the two host types.
Our results were surprising. Instead of observing more viral genetic diversity in mosquitoes (as seen in the laboratory), we observed slightly more diversity in birds, with no significant differences between the two host types. The host with the greatest amount of viral diversity was one of the birds, not one of the mosquitoes, and the infecting virus may have been undergoing positive (Darwinian) natural selection. When genetic variation existed in multiple hosts, it was nearly always the same variant — for example, a mutation from adenine (A) to guanine (G) — whether or not the host was a bird or a mosquito. And, perhaps most importantly, virus populations in birds were just as similar to viruses from mosquitoes as they were to viruses from other birds, on average.
These results are important for a number of reasons. First, it seems that, while selection may favor certain genetic variants in birds and others in mosquitoes, this must be the exception and not the rule. Instead, when sites in the genome are allowed to vary, they can do so in either host type — in other words, there is no genetic signature of WNV in birds as opposed to WNV in mosquitoes. The virus is simply good at infecting both birds and mosquitoes — end of story. One consequence of this observation might be that only a small subset of all possible changes to the WNV genome represent viable options for WNV evolution. If correct, this substantially narrows the ‘candidate’ mutations that need to be explored in predicting how WNV and similar viruses will evolve next.
Caveats abound. Because our study was of natural (not laboratory) infections, we were limited by the small number of captured hosts that were infected. Small samples are always subject to error. As a result, we were also unable to say anything about differences in how WNV behaves in different species of birds or different species of mosquitoes. However, our study does highlight the fact that the behavior of viruses in the wild does not always follow the expectations developed in the lab. Most importantly, future studies should endeavor to use the same bird and mosquito species as those infected in the wild — for example, laboratory use of chickens to study WNV may not be as good a choice as, for example, robins. Deciding whether our results are generally true for WNV, or perhaps even for other related viruses, must await similar studies in other systems and regions.


“Mother nature is very generous but unforgiving. If you destroy nature, if you don’t obey the rules of nature, nature will destroy you.” the late Prof. Wangari Mathai, Nobel Prize winning environmentalist.
True to each of these words, nature is everything. Nature is life. It is defined as the natural, physical or material universe. In essence, without nature there is no life.
It is therefore vital and necessary to protect and conserve nature. If not for anything else, to keep everything alive (from human beings to safari ants) from going extinct. One very core component of nature that we have absolute control over is forests. A forest is basically a whole multitude of trees standing side by side. An even better definition of a forest is a single tree, a million times. Yes. It all starts with a single tree.
Currently, approximately 4 Billion hectares of the earth’s surface is covered in forests. The largest forest expanse is The Amazon which spreads across nine South American countries, covering well over 2.2 million square miles. Why do we need forests, you may ask?
Forest Vegetation Cover
Forests are the dominant terrestrial ecosystem of the earth. They account for 75% of the gross primary production of the Earth’s biosphere. They contain 80% of the Earth’s plant biomass. They are the sole breadwinner of the very important ozone layer. The ozone is entirely made up of oxygen molecules. This oxygen comes from the trees, thickens up the ozone layer and prevents harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun from reaching the Earth’s surface. You know what happens when the rays of the sun get express access to the earth’s surface? Global warming. And oh, don’t get me started on it. Summarily, the services that forests render the human kind cannot be exhausted.
Now, the globally recommended forest cover in a country is a minimum of 10%. Here in Kenya, only 1.7% of land is covered in forests. This is a critical UCU condition that requires urgent resuscitation. We are basically on life support. It is an emergency. Food, water, oxygen are diminishing by the day. Things a human being can hardly survive without. Lives have been lost. Starvation, thirst, asthma. For every one tree that’s cut down without being replaced, a human life is endangered.
Civilization is a good thing that has really threatened and hurt many forests. Encroachments to create land for infrastructure has especially led to massive deforestation. Forest fires are also not helping matters. The Mau complex, which is the largest indigenous montain forest in East Africa, suffered a rather significant setback in recent years thanks to a forest fire.
So, what do we do?
The government in partnership with environmental organisations have made efforts to encourage reforestation in the country. Creating awareness, setting apart tree planting days and putting in place penalties for people who go about cutting trees aimlessly are some of the ways reforestation is being implemented.
However, like stated above, it all starts with a single tree. In the same spirit, it starts with just one person. You. Plant a tree today. Who knows? That single tree could birth a whole forest in half a decade. That forest could take the coverage up by 1%. Stand up and make a difference. Let us be nice to Mother nature lest she destroys us.
Plant a tree today!!


Granary Square in King’s Cross will be transformed into a compelling winter landscape, unveiling its latest annual installation, ‘Fleeting Forest’. In collaboration with Turner Prize-winning collective Assemble and Local Works Studio, the installation promises to intrigue visitors until February 2024.
Embracing the seasonality of the winter woodland, Fleeting Forest stands apart from traditional festive installations. Comprising 36 living trees, the exhibit weaves a tapestry of bare branches, fallen leaves, and the ambience of a winter forest. The collaborative effort incorporates the creative minds of Studio Dekka, A-swarm, Webb Yates, and Central Saint Martins.
Designed as an intimate square within a square, the installation uses nursery-grown trees, pine and birch saplings from Ashdown Forest, and various plant species commonly found on commons. The structure, supported by straw bale walls and chestnut fencing, creates a human-scale clearing warmly lit during the night and gloomy days, casting a soft glow against the surrounding buildings.
Accompanying the visual spectacle is a sound piece by Cameron Bray, providing a sensory journey for visitors. The immersive experience captures the trees’ odyssey from a nursery near London to the heathland wilderness of Ashdown Forest and finally to their urban home at Bramcote Park.
What sets Fleeting Forest apart is its commitment to positive impacts beyond the installation. The selection of “wonky” nursery trees, challenging to sell due to unusual shapes or markings, challenges conventional norms. Additionally, saplings and ground cover plants were sourced during habitat creation to conserve Ashdown Forest, emphasizing sustainability.
Upon the installation’s conclusion in February 2024, the specimen trees will find a new home in Bramcote Park, enhancing the public space and contributing to biodiversity. The remaining plants will be distributed to community gardens and schools around King’s Cross.
Fleeting Forest serves as a visual spectacle and an open-air seminar room for architecture students from Central Saint Martins. It provides a platform for discussing woodland habitats and their potential to build a regenerative, greener urban environment.
Assemble Collective, and Local Works Studio expresses their hope that Fleeting Forest showcases the positive impacts a temporary installation can have on communities and environments. The project seamlessly connects ongoing initiatives related to our interaction with natural landscapes within and outside London.
Chrissy Cullen, Place Marketing Director at King’s Cross, emphasized the ongoing commitment to bring thought-provoking and interactive winter installations to Granary Square. With its unique blend of aesthetics and environmental consciousness, Fleeting Forest promises visitors an opportunity to sit, contemplate, and appreciate the changing seasons in the city’s heart.
Assemble, a London-based collective, has emerged as a trailblazer in art, design, and architecture. Formed in 2010, this innovative group defies conventional boundaries, seamlessly blending creativity with a commitment to community engagement.
Founded by 18 members with diverse backgrounds, including architecture, design, and art, Assemble challenges the traditional hierarchical structure of creative practices. Their collaborative approach emphasizes shared decision-making, fostering a dynamic and inclusive environment.
Assemble gained widespread recognition for their transformative work in Granby Four Streets, Liverpool. Their innovative revitalization project, initiated in collaboration with residents, turned a neglected neighborhood into a vibrant community space. This success catapulted them into the spotlight, earning them the prestigious Turner Prize in 2015, a testament to their impactful contributions to contemporary art and urban regeneration.
The collective’s projects often involve repurposing existing spaces and breathing new life into forgotten or overlooked areas. Their approach goes beyond aesthetics; it seeks to address social, economic, and environmental challenges, creating spaces that resonate with the communities they serve.
Assemble’s commitment to sustainable and socially conscious design has led to collaborations with various organizations and institutions. Their work often involves repurposing materials, engaging local artisans, and incorporating community input into the creative process.
From temporary installations to long-term regeneration projects, Assemble continues pushing conventional artistic practices’ boundaries. Their ethos revolves around the idea that art and architecture should be accessible and inclusive and contribute meaningfully to the communities they inhabit.
In a world where creativity meets social responsibility, Assemble stands as a beacon, showcasing the transformative power of collective action and the boundless possibilities that emerge when diverse talents converge with a shared vision.
Top Photo: Fleeting Forest, the latest in King’s Cross’ annual winter installation series on Granary Square, features 36 warmly-lit living trees that embrace the seasonality of the winter woodland with ambient sound pieces. Designed in collaboration between Assemble and Local Works Studio. Photography by John Sturrock


A Move-N-Learn is a free, guided tour of a building or location on KU's beautiful campus. It provides participants an opportunity to get some physical activity while learning something new about the campus! Participants are able to earn a HealthQuest credit for attending a Move-N-Learn.
Individuals seeking reasonable accommodations can contact Faculty and Staff Wellness at email@example.com.
Registration is required prior to an event.
Upcoming Move-N-Learn Events
KU Botanical Science Greenhouses
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023
12:10 - 12:50 p.m.
Did you know that KU is home to a curated collection of rare plants from all over the world? Please consider joining us on a tour of the KU Botanical Science Greenhouses located on a rooftop in Haworth Hall. We'll learn about the history of the greenhouses, their functional systems, and ongoing research conducted there. This will also be an opportunity to get up close to rare and endemic plants, including some that are threatened or extinct in the wild. See the towering single leaf of the corpse plant, unique carnivorous plants, and the world's smallest water lily. We'll give a brief overview of the evolution of plant life here on Earth, and which plants in our greenhouses fit where on that evolutionary tree. You're sure to leave refreshed and eager for spring!
- Meet at Haworth Hall, Room 3014
- Space is limited to 20 people with wait-list
- Registration on MyTalent available soon for KU employees
- KU affiliates can email firstname.lastname@example.org to register
Instructor: Patti Beedles, Greenhouse Manager


Looking for reliable and effective air duct cleaning services? Our professional company is here to provide them. We have long experience in cleaning HVAC ductwork systems of all designs and sizes. Whether you have a complex or very old system, it will receive the best possible treatment. Rest assured that all contaminants found in the ducts will be removed for improving the indoor air quality in your home. Our solutions are comprehensive for achieving lasting results.
It is up to you to decide when to use our services. Many people do it when they notice increased amounts of dust and pollen in the rooms despite frequent surface cleaning. There are also those who have made cleaning parts of their HVAC maintenance schedule. No matter what your situation is, you will receive full professional services in the shortest imaginable time.
The work begins with full inspection. If there is any damage, it will be fixed. Our air duct repair techniques are safe, proven and effective, so you can be rest assured your duct will be in perfect condition.All dirt accumulations are identified during the inspection. Then they are removed from the surface using advanced machinery and tools. The loose dirt, dust and pollen particles are extracted with powerful suction. If air filter replacement is required, this task will be done as well. We are prepared to do everything necessary for giving you fresh indoor air and healthy living environment.
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After all contaminants are removed, the surfaces are sanitized. This will keep them completely safe and more resistant to future accumulation. The indoor air will remain clean and free from dangerous allergens for longer. Count on us, at "Air Duct Cleaning Saratoga", to deliver the ideal outcome without any kind of delay. The job is done swiftly no matter how hard or complex it may be.
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The ONE by ONE Contact Lens Recycling Program is the only contact lens recycling program in the U.S. and an effective way to properly recycle your contact lens waste. This free recycling service applies to any and all brands of soft contacts, and it is available to all of our patients! And, as an added bonus, for every 10-pound collection, a $10 donation will be made to Optometry Giving Sight, a global fundraising initiative aiming to solve unnecessary blindness and vision impairment in communities around the world with limited or no access to eye exams and optical correction.
Why recycle contact lenses?Most contact lens wearers are not properly recycling their contact lens waste. All too often, contact lenses are flushed in drains, like toilets and sinks. When wrongfully disposed of, up to 3 billion contacts may end up in our wastewater treatment plants each year, accumulating as microplastics in our waterways, harming marine life, and entering the human food supply. Standard recycling does not work well either: contact lens waste is too small and gets filtered out to end up in landfills. Just imagine that an end-to-end trail of the contact lens packaging waste generated in the U.S. annually could circle the earth 3 times over!
How to join the contact lens recycling efforts?Participation is completely free and very easy. Simply collect your blister packs, top foils, and contact lenses at home and drop them off at any of our Atrius Health optical shops when ready to recycle. You do not need to clean the waste before dropping it off or worry about separating or sorting the materials. Please note that cardboard boxes are recyclable through regular municipal recycling, so do not include them in your drop-off.
Atrius Health Optical Shop drop-off locations for contact lens recycling:
Braintree - 111 Grossman Drive, Braintree, MA 02184
Chelmsford - 228 Billerica Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Chestnut Hill/West Roxbury - 291 Independence Drive, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Concord -330 Baker Avenue, Concord, MA 01742
Dedham- One Lyons Street, Dedham, MA 02026
Kenmore - 133 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
Medford - 26 City Hall Mall, Medford, MA, 02109
Peabody/Lynnfield - 2 Essex Center Drive, Peabody, MA 01960
Quincy - Presidents Place, South Tower 1250 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02169
Somerville – 40 Holland Street, Somerville, MA 02144
Wellesley - 230 Worcester Street, Wellesley, MA 02481
If you are interested in shipping your contact lens waste directly to TerraCycle from home, visit Terracycle for more details.


Homme & femme d'affaire, entrepreneurs, artistants, employé
There are many reasons why laminate flooring may be the best choice for your home. Laminate flooring offers the look of real wood or stone at a fraction of the cost, presenting an extremely economical option for many home owners. Laminate flooring is easy to install, easy to clean and easy to maintain. Laminate is an exceptionally durable product and resists both staining and fading. In addition, laminate flooring can be an environmentally friendly option, often made with recycled materials and requiring no harvesting of rare trees. Visit a Floor Store location near you to see our available laminate products today!


WVC at Omak students sponsor Green Fest 2011 on April 22
The third annual Green Fest 2011, “Working on the World to Change,” will feature a variety of activities on sustainable living and environmental issues on Earth Day, Friday, April 22, in Omak. All of the activities are free and open to the public.
Activities take place on the Wenatchee Valley College (WVC) at Omak campus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and include a morning fun run; presentations on bee keeping, plant graphing, composting and creative recycling; and a feature of Dirt! The Movie. The film is a documentary that uses animation, vignettes, personal accounts and story-telling to reveal man’s historical relationship with dirt.
Music and activities will continue at 5 p.m. at the Omak Civic League Park, with a performance by Ian Dobson’s Pan Leggo, a calypso band.
Participants may bring their eWaste to the festival to be recycled. eWaste includes televisions, computers, monitors, towers and laptops.
Green Fest is a family-friendly community event sponsored by the Associated Students of Wenatchee Valley College at Omak that celebrates greener/eco-friendly living and informs participants on ways they can live more in tune with nature and have fun doing it.
For more information about Green Fest 2011, contact Ebony at 509.846.3674.


The Wild Rabbit is part of the Daylesford estate – one of the most sustainable organic farms in the UK.
The principles that have guided our farm for 40 years are also at the heart of everything that we do at The Wild Rabbit – from the locally sourced, organic ingredients in our kitchens, to the handmade horsehair mattresses in our bedrooms.
Our restoration of The Wild Rabbit combined locally sourced natural materials with centuries old techniques, creating a long lasting environment with minimum impact to our surroundings.
Through thoughtful design choices, we have been able to remodel much of the building from reclaimed and recycled materials: oak boards were revealed and re appropriated; wattle and daub panelling was restored and re-rendered; original beams and joists were exposed and celebrated.
Our walls are plastered with natural lime and new surfaces have been created using reclaimed wood from trees fallen on the Daylesford estate.
In the kitchen, nothing is wasted and we have always been mindful of where we source our produce, using local organic ingredients where possible from growers, farmers and producers who share our sustainable values, as well as the Daylesford estate.
We are lucky to be surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscape in the country and we encourage our guests to explore the Daylesford estate and see first-hand the rich hedgerows, diverse wildlife and wild flower meadows that are the hallmarks of sustainable organic farming. Walking maps are available from reception and we have bikes for those looking to explore the local roads.
During the growing season, the flowers in our bar area and dining room are picked from the organic cutting garden at Daylesford farm. For the colder months, enjoy the warmth of our open fires, with logs brought from the farm where more trees are planted than harvested.
The names of our bedrooms have been inspired by animals found within a three mile walk from us – even the illusive wild boar are rumoured to roam deep in the Oddington Ashes.
In our bathrooms you will find the Bamford Bath & Body collection, made with naturally sourced and, wherever possible, certified organic ingredients. We kindly ask guests to hang towels after use to avoid unnecessary washing.


II.NATIONAL AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (NADP)
- Under Onion Development Scheme, Rs. 20000 per hectare has been given as subsidy
- Assistance to Organic cultivation in Vegetables like Greens (Rs.2500), Tomato , Brinjal and Bhendi (Rs.3750)
- Establishment of Permanent Pandal system at Rs.2 lakh/Ha
- Establishment of Value chain in Vegetables.
- To impart eco-friendly pest management techniques, solar light trap, pheromone trap and yellow sticky traps have been distributed to farmers at subsidized rates.


I’m writing to sing the praises of your custom-made broadfork. I simply can’t believe I have managed my garden all these years without this tool! It has made my rows a consistent width, which I can now maintain by continued use of the broadfork in spring and fall. This will certainly lead me to attain my goal of no-or low-dig gardening in the near future. Furthermore, I have never used a tool that is as efficient as the broadfork in deep aeration and subsequent weed harvesting. As I live and garden in the deep south of Alberta, I am constantly waging battle not only with heavy clay soil, but also with the strenuous and resilient grass varieties that propagate through the use of underground runners. Using the broadfork allows me to break up the soil and get well underneath the network of roaming grass roots so I may pull them out with ease. I like having grass and clover in my pathways, as they contribute to soil structure, solidity and increased nematodes, but having to dig or edge the grass out of my rows was a major undertaking in the fall, especially now, as my field garden is nearly 5000 square feet. I have completed over a third of my garden preparation in the past weeks with the broadfork, and will be far ahead next spring, simply for having purchased this tool! I have included pictures of working one of my sections with the broadfork, from weeding to compost topdressing and mulching. Amazing! Thank you!


Read the following paragraph from Newsela and choose the best heading for it.
Nestled in the peaceful grounds of Wakehurst Place, a country house near London, the bank is an ultimate insurance policy for the world’s wild plants. Its underground vault is worthy of James Bond to keep them safe. Kew aims to store seeds for 25 percent of the world’s plants by 2020, and is at 13 percent so far.
Of those in the freezer already, 1,800 species are from Madagascar. Botanists think some 6,000 of the island country’s 13,000 plants could successfully be dried and stored here. The other 7,000 are seeds, including those of palms from humid forests in the east of the country, which do not survive the drying and freezing process.
“It’s a race against time, picking these things up for the seed bank. It’s insurance against extinction,” said Stuart Cable, head of the Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre. He estimates that around 70 percent of Madagascar’s plants are endangered.
Which heading is the most appropriate?
A) Preserving Plants for the Future
B) Endangered Plants in Madagascar
C) Drying and Storing Seeds


Seoul, South Korea (4E) – Korean Air and Asiana have banned shark fin from their cargo flights as part of a growing global campaign.
Korean Air, which flies to 45 countries, said in a statement that it had stopped shipping shark fin from June 10.
“Korean Air has joined a campaign to protect an ecological system by imposing a complete ban on the shipment of shark fin,” the statement said.
Asiana, the country’s second largest airline, said it was doing the same.
Global shark populations have been decimated by the trade. Humans kill about 100 million sharks each year, mostly for their fins, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which says 90 percent have disappeared over the past 100 years.
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Stable isotope analysis for climate and palaeodietary reconstruction
Stable isotope analysis is an integral part of the AHOB program, providing information on past environments and mapping changing faunal and hominid dietary adaptations through time. Stable isotope analyses is at an exciting stage in it's development, allowing fairly routine measurements of carbon and nitrogen in collagen for important dietary information, as well as providing the promise of new information from isotopes of other elements in bone, such as oxygen. The AHOB project is an ideal framework in which to apply the more established areas of isotope analysis as well as help develop these new areas.
The AHOB project will uniquely provide a very large dataset of new stable isotope measurements of oxygen, carbon and nitrogen in faunal and hominid remains. The data produced from this project will significantly increase the dataset of stable isotope values for the UK.
(1) Stable isotope analysis of oxygen, for climate reconstruction
Bone mineral and dental enamel oxygen isotope values reflect the oxygen isotope values of the water that a mammal consumes. If that mammal is migratory between climatic zones that have very different oxygen isotope ratios then the different values may be recorded in the bone or enamel. Therefore, oxygen isotopes have the potential to identify migrating species or humans. For example, if reindeer travel great distances between distinct climatic zones in a year their antlers may record the different O isotope values of the different regions. If a human child lived in one climatic zone, and then moved as an adult to another, the tooth O isotope values will reflect childhood location, and the bone will indicate adult locality.
A more common use of O isotopes, largely from enamel, is to indicate the changing climate in a specific region, as similar species who are known to be non-migratory will record the current climate in their enamel, and in a sequence from the same area these values can be compared with enamel O isotope values of the same or similar non-migratory species from earlier or later contexts to indicate how the climate has changed.
There are many exciting possibilities with oxygen isotopes of bone and enamel, but there are also serious concerns over contamination of bone and enamel by soil and groundwater oxygen. Generally, enamel has been shown to be much more immune to contamination than bone, but this is a potential problem that needs to be addressed. There are ways to design the experiments to address the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental questions of interest, as well as indicate if diagenesis and contamination of the samples has occurred.
Problems with possible contamination are one of the main reasons for exploring the use of oxygen isotopes in bone collagen, as collagen is a lot more stable and less prone to contamination (see above). Although oxygen is also present in collagen, collagen oxygen isotope ratios have never been measured. This is due to a number of technical factors, but recent advances in mass spectrometry now open up this possibility.
(2) Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen for climate and palaeodietary reconstruction
From bone and tooth collagen we can routinely obtain carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values, which tells us mainly about the past diets of humans and fauna. Collagen likely reflects the isotope values of dietary protein over the long term (10 years or so, depending in the bone element). The carbon isotope measurements will tell us mainly about the amount of protein in the diets from terrestrial vs. marine ecosystems while the nitrogen isotopes reflect the trophic level of the protein that has been consumed, and within a single ecosystem can identify herbivores and carnivores, and the diets of omnivores, such as hominids. Members of the AHOB team have used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values to demonstrate that late Upper Palaeolithic humans from Gough's and Sun Hole caves had a predominately animal protein based diet.
The use of C and N isotopes in bone collagen may be a very important new development in palaeoclimatic reconstruction if bone can provide robust environmental signals in areas where there is a good faunal sequence, but not suitable lake or marine sediment sequences. Additionally the isotope climate signal from these fauna can be linked in with faunal abundance studies and biostratigraphy. But, we need a great deal more data to realise the environmental reconstruction possibilities of bone collagen C and N isotopes, and the AHOB can provide this.


Nuclear testing during the mid-20th century had a profound impact on the environment and the world at large. While the detonation of atomic bombs led to technological advancements and geopolitical shifts, it also left behind a unique and enduring legacy – artifacts that bear witness to this tumultuous period in history. The age of these artifacts can be accurately determined using radiocarbon dating, a powerful scientific tool that allows scientists to trace the presence of carbon-14 in organic materials.
Radiocarbon dating, also known as carbon dating, is a technique based on the radioactive decay of the isotope carbon-14. This isotope is formed in the upper atmosphere through the bombardment of nitrogen atoms by cosmic rays. Plants and animals acquire carbon-14 through their diet or by breathing, and this radioactive carbon is then incorporated into their tissues. By measuring the ratio of carbon-14 to stable carbon isotopes, scientists can estimate the age of organic materials with remarkable accuracy.
Due to the exponential decay of carbon-14, this dating method is most effective for materials with ages ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of years old. However, the influx of radioactive carbon caused by nuclear testing in the mid-20th century has significantly impacted the carbon-14 levels in the atmosphere. Consequently, artifacts produced after this period – such as lacquers, paints, and textiles – exhibit elevated levels of carbon-14, which can be used to pinpoint their true age.
This groundbreaking application of radiocarbon dating has not only shed light on the age of atomic bomb test artifacts but also provided valuable insights into human activities during this era. By analyzing the changes in carbon-14 levels, scientists have been able to track the distribution of nuclear fallout worldwide and better understand the long-term effects of nuclear testing on the environment and human health.
As nuclear testing continues to have far-reaching consequences, the use of radiocarbon dating is helping uncover the secrets of this pivotal period in history. Through the precise determination of artifact age, scientists are piecing together the puzzle of the atomic age and gaining a deeper understanding of its impact on our world.
The Science Behind Nuclear Testing Radiocarbon Dating
Radiocarbon dating is a powerful technique used in archaeology and other scientific fields to determine the age of ancient artifacts and organic remains. By measuring the amount of carbon-14 remaining in a sample, scientists can calculate how long ago the organism or object died or was formed.
How Carbon-14 is Formed
Carbon-14 is a naturally occurring isotope of carbon, and it is constantly being formed in the Earth’s atmosphere. When cosmic rays from the sun collide with atoms in the atmosphere, they create a shower of high-energy neutrons. Some of these neutrons collide with nitrogen-14 atoms, causing them to lose a proton and gain a neutron. This transformation turns nitrogen-14 into carbon-14.
The Half-Life of Carbon-14
Carbon-14 is radioactive, meaning it is constantly decaying over time. It has a half-life of about 5,730 years, which means that after this time, only half of the original amount of carbon-14 in a sample will remain. By measuring the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in a sample and comparing it to known ratios in the atmosphere, scientists can determine its age.
The half-life of carbon-14 is the key to radiocarbon dating because it allows scientists to accurately determine the age of an object up to about 50,000 years old. Beyond this point, there is not enough carbon-14 left to accurately measure, so other dating methods must be used.
Nuclear Testing and Radiocarbon Dating
The advent of nuclear testing in the mid-20th century has had a significant impact on radiocarbon dating. Nuclear detonations release a vast amount of high-energy neutrons, which can react with nitrogen-14 in the atmosphere to create carbon-14. This artificial increase in carbon-14 levels, known as the “bomb effect,” has made it challenging to determine the age of samples from the post-1950s era.
However, this same bomb effect has also provided a unique opportunity for scientists to study the impact of nuclear testing. By analyzing artifacts and organic materials from this period, scientists can precisely date them and gain valuable insights into the history and effects of nuclear weapons testing.
Radiocarbon dating has revolutionized our understanding of the past and continues to be an essential tool in fields such as archaeology, geology, and forensics. The science behind nuclear testing radiocarbon dating allows us to uncover the age of atomic bomb test artifacts and shed light on the history of this significant era in human history.
What is radiocarbon dating?
Radiocarbon dating is a method used to determine the age of organic materials based on the decay of carbon-14 isotopes.
How does radiocarbon dating work?
Radiocarbon dating works by measuring the amount of carbon-14 isotopes in a sample and comparing it to the known decay rate of carbon-14.
What can be dated using radiocarbon dating?
Radiocarbon dating can be used to date organic materials, such as archaeological artifacts, bones, and charcoal.
Why is nuclear testing important for radiocarbon dating?
Nuclear testing in the mid-20th century released a large amount of carbon-14 into the atmosphere, which can be used to calibrate radiocarbon dating methods.
How did nuclear testing affect radiocarbon dating?
Nuclear testing increased the levels of carbon-14 in the atmosphere, causing a “spike” in radiocarbon dating results during the time period of atomic bomb testing.
How does radiocarbon dating work?
Radiocarbon dating works by measuring the amount of carbon-14 present in a sample. Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon that is continually produced in the Earth’s atmosphere. When an organism dies, it no longer takes in carbon-14, and the amount of carbon-14 in its remains gradually decreases over time. By measuring the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 in a sample, scientists can determine its age.
What role did nuclear testing play in radiocarbon dating?
Nuclear testing in the 1950s and 1960s significantly increased the amount of carbon-14 in the atmosphere. This sudden influx of carbon-14 impacted the accuracy of radiocarbon dating, as it made objects from this time period appear much younger than they actually were. By studying the changes in carbon-14 levels caused by nuclear testing, scientists can now correct for this “bomb carbon” and obtain more accurate dates for objects.


Like Flint, water in California’s Central Valley unsafe, causing health problems | Fox News Latino
The population of the Central Valley, a basin surrounded by mountains that once offered hope to migrants like the fictional Joads in the “The Grapes of Wrath,” today is about 80 percent Latino, and 92 percent of the migrant farm workers in the Valley are Latino.
Much of fruits and vegetables consumed in the U.S. are grown here, and the soil has been decimated by agricultural activity – overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, manure from livestock. One result is a toxic soup of nitrates in the area’s drinking water.
When pumped up into people’s homes, the nitrates are so dangerous that people are known to get rashes when they shower. The presence of nitrates in the water supply also has been linked to “blue baby syndrome,” which is caused by the decreased ability of blood to carry oxygen – one of the most common causes is nitrate in drinking water.
“Generations of people who live here know not to drink the water,” Susana De Anda, a clean-water advocate and the co-executive director and co-founder of the Community Water Center NGO, told Fox News Latino.
While the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, made headlines around the country when the city’s leaders exposed residents to a tainted water supply for almost two years, families living in the Central Valley of California have been struggling without clean drinking water for decades.


Pirate Gold Coins: Treasures of the Jurassic - Fish Fossil Wall Display
Diplomystus is an extinct genus of freshwater clupeomorph fish distantly related to modern-day extant herrings, alewives, and sardines. The genus was first named and described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1877. There are seven species of Diplomystus: D. dentatus (Cope, 1877), D. birdii, D. dubetreiti, D. shengliensis (Chang 1983), D. kokuraensis (Uyeno 1979), D. primotinus (Uyeno 1979), and D. altiformis. D. dentatus (Cope, 1877) is well known from lower Eocene deposits from the Green River Formation in Wyoming. Specimens range from larval size to 65 cm and are commonly found in close association with the extinct herring Knightia sp. The Green River Formation is the remnant of a large lake whose mud would eventually be transformed into soft calcite-bearing shale. D. kokuraensis (Uyeno 1979), D. primotinus (Uyeno 1979), and D. altiformis were dominant members of an Early Cretaceous lake fauna (the "Diplomystus-Wakinoichthys Fauna") in what is now Japan and Korea.


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has publicly acknowledged that ethanol in gasoline can damage internal combustion engines by increasing exhaust temperatures and indirectly causing component failures, the American Motorcyclist Association reports.
The EPA statements are found in a rule proposal issued by the Federal Trade Commission regarding a new label for pumps that supply fuel blends high in ethanol.
According to the EPA, “[e]thanol impacts motor vehicles in two primary ways. First … ethanol enleans the [air/fuel] ratio (increases the proportion of oxygen relative to hydrocarbons) which can lead to increased exhaust gas temperatures and potentially increase incremental deterioration of emission control hardware and performance over time, possibly causing catalyst failure. Second, ethanol can cause materials compatibility issues, which may lead to other component failures.
“In motorcycles and nonroad products [using E15 and higher ethanol blends], EPA raised engine-failure concerns from overheating.”
These EPA statements, contained in the FTC document, back the long-held position of the AMA.
“The American Motorcyclist Association has fought the distribution of E15 fuel blends in an effort to protect motorcycle and all-terrain vehicles from the damage that ethanol causes,” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. “Now the EPA acknowledges that ethanol itself is harmful to emissions hardware and other components on all motor vehicles. It is time for the federal government to pause, take a hard look at this product and change its entire approach to ethanol in fuels.”
E15 is a gasoline formulation that contains up to 15 percent ethanol by volume.
None of the estimated 22 million motorcycles and ATVs currently in operation can use fuels with blends higher than 10 percent ethanol. Doing so could void the manufacturer’s warranty, in addition to causing damage to the vehicle.
The AMA applauded the EPA’s decision in its proposed rule to roll back the requirement for wider distribution and use of E15 under its Renewable Fuel Standard.
The AMA also is concerned about the continued availability of E10 blends and E0 fuels — gasoline with zero ethanol content — if E15 is allowed to permeate the marketplace.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.


Cities in Vietnam are developing quite rapidly in the process of industrialization - modernization, and it is important in the development of the nation. However, these cities are vulnerable to risks posed by climate change, typically flooding due to their sensitive urban locations, limited governance, and uncontrolled urbanization stability. Given the current situation of flood disasters in recent years, this paper is to find out the mechanisms of urban disaster risk management through the implementation of resolutions, policy documents, and development programs from the central government, and internationally on how the local government responds to new flooding in the city. The results showed that the disaster risk management mechanism is consensus, responsibility, and power. The mechanism meets the needs and aspirations of actors to solve the problems in the best ways that the local people and the community face. Can Tho City has implemented well and effective disaster risk action programs, and proactively transform programs into the right local characteristics. The techniques used include observation, notes, interviews with local people and actors, and secondary data. The city-specific sites selected in the study include parts with varying degrees and causes of flooding as well as representative urbanized, highly urbanized, and peri-urban areas.
Keywords: Can Tho, Mekong Delta, policy enforcement, practical response, urban flooding.


Steel embedded in good quality concrete is protected by the high alkalinity pore water, which, in the presence of oxygen passivates the steel. The loss of alkalinity due to carbonation of the concrete or the penetration of chloride ions arising from marine or de-icing salts can destroy the passive film. In the presence of moisture and oxygen corrosion of the steel occurs. A characteristic feature of the corrosion of steel within concrete is the formation of macro cells; that is the coexistence of two areas of different electric potential appearing on the same steel surface. This forms a short-circuited galvanic cell, with the corroding area as the anode and the passive area the cathode. The current flow in the concrete is accompanied by an electric field which can be measured at the concrete surface, resulting in equipotential lines that allow the location of the most active corrosion to be identified by the most negative potentials. This is the basis for potential mapping which has become a technique applied to the inspection of reinforced concrete structures and detailed within ASTM C876–09. According to the ASTM method, corrosion can only be identified with 95% certainty at potentials more negative than -350 mV. Experience has shown, however, that passive structures tend to show values more positive than -200 mV and often positive potentials. Potentials more negative than -200 mV may be an indicator of the onset of corrosion.


Our uncompromising commitment to sustainability of people and planet is inspired by our effort to embody sustainability of self, in which ritualistic living and cyclical wellbeing enable us to support our vessels.
LOW WASTE, LOW IMPACT
Just as we work to honor the natural cycles of our bodies, we work to honor the cycles of the planet, in which all matter that is created is designed to be reused, regenerated, or transformed. We embody a circular system, rather than a linear system, in the production of our botanical blends. For each product element, the entire lifecycle is considered, from extraction to end of use. To this end, Monthly Rituals only sources materials that can be reused, repurposed, or broken down and given back to Earth.
All of our packaging materials are paper-based, high-recycled content, Forest Stewardship Council certified, and compostable. We never line our boxes with plastic and we always use plant-based inks. The boxes used to carry the botanical blends to you are made in-house locally in California and are created using 100% post consumer recycled cardboard.
The vessels used for Monthly Rituals blends were selected for their form, function, and sustainability. Our bottles are made exclusively from glass, which can be reused and recycled infinitely.
We exclusively source organic and wild-crafted botanicals for our herbal blends. One-fourth of our herbs, oils, and florals are wild-crafted, meaning they are foraged directly from their native source. The rest are GOTS certified organic. We recognize the value of ensuring that the practices used in cultivating our botanicals are rooted in regenerative farming practices.
One of our primary botanical partners, Mountain Rose Herbs, is a leader in sustainability. Mountain Rose Herbs is Fair Trade certified, Zero Waste certified, and runs their operations in a LEED certified facility powered by 100% renewable energy. Our botanicals are sourced from all over the planet –– a third from North America, a fifth from Asia, a fifth from Europe, and the remaining from Africa and South America. While deriving the plants from their native region ensures maximum efficacy and potency, we recognize that doing so adds to the burden of global carbon emissions. To the end of mitigating our impact, we are working on integrating a carbon offset program that centers projects in locations where our beloved botanicals are derived.
Monthly Rituals provides accessible and inclusive informational resources for all people who menstruate. We recognize the inequities that exist regarding access to menstrual care and education. Beyond doing our part to address accessibility to menstrual care, Monthly Rituals challenges current structures that govern the kind of menstrual care available to people, and just as importantly, the way in which we discuss menstruation. Rather than pathologizing menstruation, we offer a way of thinking that recognizes the positive offerings that our inner hormonal shifts can provide.
We strive to provide open, honest, and accessible information regarding our practices, product information, and sourcing. As a small company, we are constantly at work to expand and improve our sustainability initiatives. If you have any questions regarding our products or practices, send inquiries to our Director of Sustainability, email@example.com.


Sustainability as a “nice to have” – that was yesterday. In the highly competitive consumer goods market, sustainable packaging represents a formidable competitive advantage. It is anticipated that this development will accelerate significantly in the coming years. Sustainable packaging alone will then no longer suffice. Manufacturers of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals or cosmetics need packaging experts who can support this fundamental shift with effective and lasting solutions. With Schubert, they have a partner who they can rely on with one hundred percent confidence. Schubert, as a responsible corporate citizen, has committed itself to the 17 UNESCO goals of sustainability. Behind this are social, ecological and economic values such as growth and high-quality jobs, better environmental and climate protection, as well as an innovative economy based on partnership.
As a frontrunner and foremost driver of innovation, Schubert draws on decades of experience in the packaging industry and provides a level of expertise that is second to none. The combination of modular and flexible packaging machines, unique technologies and comprehensive consulting expertise delivers solutions that are effective both in the short and the long term. This means that consumer goods manufacturers can easily manage new, resource-saving packaging for many years to come. At the same time, they can position themselves in the market as sustainable, future-oriented companies that live up to their responsibility towards people and the environment.
The consumption of resources and the management of our environment affect people all over the world. Many consumers are now more sensitised to the issue and have become more critical when shopping. They are looking more closely at manufacturing processes and are increasingly opting for environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging. However, this doesn’t mean that the product should be more expensive. How can sustainability and economic efficiency in packaging be reconciled? As an expert who has been working with cardboard as a recycling material for over 50 years, Schubert has sound answers to these issues.
The modular machine concept and the consistent use of robotics provide a decisive advantage. Schubert’s modular system is so flexible that packaging machines can be tailored precisely and without redundant components to the customer’s desired requirements. Moreover, new formats can also be implemented in the machines at a later date. This even applies to the switch to more sustainable packaging materials: Simple substitutions such as cardboard trays instead of plastic trays can be carried out in an existing Schubert line without any major outlay.
The more reliable the packaging process is and the more efficient the use of packaging material, the more sustainable the entire packaging becomes. Economic efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand here. Schubert makes this potential available to its customers on request for every machine – with its in-house packaging development. In collaboration with the development department, manufacturers can optimise their packaging in such a manner that they benefit in several ways. This even extends to more sustainable logistics if one more carton fits on the pallet afterwards.
With the expertise provided by Schubert Consulting, the topic of sustainability can be analysed and optimised along the entire chain – from the use of raw materials all the way to the consumer. The experienced consultants determine the most suitable materials based on an integrated processing approach, then develop packaging, plan processes and implement them on the most fitting packaging machines. From a strategic point of view, it is advisable to seek advice at an early planning stage of the project. This is the point at which all possibilities for sustainable change are still entirely open.
As a partner for sustainability, Schubert is ideally positioned to optimise customers’ processes along the entire chain from raw materials, packaging and logistics to recycling. This is based on the five Rs – the five principles of waste prevention.
Elimination of unnecessary and unsustainable packaging materials
Clever packaging solutions for less material usage and fewer truck transport trips
Convertible packaging machines
Recyclable and conventional materials in one system
The resource-saving packaging chain from A to Z
This flow-wrapping machine from Schubert processes conventional composite films and plastic trays as well as sustainable cardboard trays, mono films and paper-based films.
- Integrative process analysis along the entire chain with the specialists at Schubert-Consulting.
- Advice and support in packaging development from our specialists in the material areas of cardboard, paper and plastics.
- Modular, highly flexible packaging machines that can be retrofitted and converted at any time – thanks to the following:
- In-house robot technology (since 1981)
- In-house image processing technology (since 1985)
- In-house packaging machine control VMS (since 1996)
- The introduction of Transmodul as a seamless connection of process steps (the world’s first transport robot in packaging machines in 2009)
- Machine technology without control cabinets since 2014
- Changeable tools (we build or 3D print close to 6500 format parts and tools per year)
- Use of 3D printing technology since 2015, with some 100,000 3D printed parts per year. The PARTBOX streaming platform for customers to print, for example format parts, themselves.
Sustainable alternatives can be used wherever packaging is needed for sale to consumers or for transport to retailers. Schubert has implemented numerous solutions for food, confectionery and beverages in particular. Sustainable packaging is also used in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
Ask us specific questions about your project, we will advise you! Please send us an explanatory sketch or a picture with your enquiry. Our experts will be happy to help you at a personal appointment.


We’ve always been green!
Proof of the Pudding is committed to environmental and social responsibility. It’s our pleasure to create events in ways that conserve natural resources and protect our environment. With Proof of the Pudding, you can have exceptional, ecologically responsible events without sacrificing style.
We’ve always been about the food
Our Corporate Executive Chef, Vagn Nielsen, focuses on fresh, local farm-to-plate fruits and vegetables, sustainable seafood and natural and organic meats. It’s what makes our Culinary Team cook!
The proof green team
Everyone at Proof of the Pudding contributes to increase our efficiency and reduce our impact on the environment, in ways both big and small. Here is our Green “Punch List” that we take care of:
- Recycle & Compost whenever possible
- Do not use Styrofoam
- Use low flow spray valves in the kitchen for water conservation
- Only use recycled & chlorine-free paper
- Use energy saving light bulbs
- Use GRA-Endorsed Sterno Fuel
- Work with printers who are dedicated to supporting the environment and use recycled and FSC certified paper, soy inks and eco-conscious printing processes
- Offer biodegradable disposables made with 100%
- pre-consumer waste recycled paper
- Print on 100% post-consumer recycled paper
- Work with the U.S. Green Building Council
- Recycle our used cooking oil
- Educate clients and employees on ways to make an event eco-friendly