Eco Factor: House made using sustainable materials harvests renewable energy as well. Max Pritchard Architects have designed the Bridge House, which is perched on top of a rocky bank, across a “Billabong Creek” to enable the owners live among the trees in a natural setting. The eco-friendly abode has been developed using sustainable materials and its unique design allows for maximum energy savings. The Bridge House makes use of locally sourced sustainable materials for construction and harvests solar energy for power and hot water. All excess energy is sold back to the grid, making the house a carbon neutral dwelling. Built at a cost of AU$220,000, the Bridge House can be closed on a summer afternoon and opened during evenings to maintain optimal living conditions without using an air conditioner. Via: PSFK

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Sustainably-built Bridge House harnesses renewable energy

A few weeks back, we told you about a man who was caught at a New Zealand airport trying to smuggle rare lizards out of the country –in his underwear. Well, it seems that the courts will be making an example out of Hans Kurt Kubus, who hails from Germany, for attempting to sneak out of the country with not one, not two…but 44 endangered lizards stuffed in his skivvies. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Man Caught Smuggling Lizards in Underwear is Sentenced

The green supergroup performs John Lennon’s “Instant Karma (We All Shine On).” Photos by RCruger It’s an eco-SWAT team: members of Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, The Roots, and Guster mingled with music biz denizens, environmental nonprofits, and earth-friendly music fans to party with purpose. Brought together by Reverb , which has greened more than 85 rock tours since 2004, the newly formed Green Music Group gathered over Grammy weekend for a jam session at Jane’s House, as an alternative to Hollywood’s glitzy galas. Launching an impressive… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Reverb Bands Together: Green Music Group Launch

Photo via Aluka Life has never been too easy for the African wasp Certosolen arab… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Wasps Help Fig Trees Have Sex Over Long Distances

President’s budget proposal will call for tripling government loan guarantees for new nuclear reactors, an administration official said on Friday.

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Obama seeks to boost nuclear power in new budget

photo via world-ctl When I lived in Wyoming, I was continually impressed with its Governor, Dave Freudenthal. The former US attorney spoke with a plain tongue, advocated for pragmatic solutions, and managed to get elected in a very conservative state as a Democrat. I thought he was a model for other Democrats looking to break into traditionally conservative places. I still admire Gov. Dave, but lately he’s been making some weird decisions on climate and energy. Last … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Wyoming Wants to Tax Wind Producers on Par With Dirty Fuels

Photo via Aminals Keeping your kids’ toybox green is one of the most daunting challenges as an eco-friendly parent–it requires you to keep a constant lookout for toxic dyes, fabrics, materials, paint, and plastic while giving your little ones the variety and inspiration they need for creative, imaginative play. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Teach Kids Creativity and Composting with Organic Stuffed Animals

photo: J. Novak We’ve become a nation dependant upon drugs. For better or worse, we use pharmaceuticals for everything from getting to sleep to waking up. We use them to stabilize our moods and to increase our sex drives. But what happens to these drugs once we’re done with them? Lloyd wrote a while back about an AP story that stated that pharmaceuticals are ending up in 41 million American’s drinking water. On a recent episode of Food Chain Radio , Michael Olson talked with Alan Roberson of the

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Food Chain Radio Discusses Mitigating the Problem of Pharmaceuticals in Our Drinking Water

Herbie, the giant American elm tree, is giving his trunk over to science.

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Axed elm to be studied for climate clues

[ By Chris in Animals & Habitats , Food & Health , Nature & Ecosystems . ] (Images via: Turtle Journal , University of South Florida , Baraza , Zaxy , Indian Cowboy ) Raise your hand if you think this winter has seemed unseasonably cold and cruelly long. While it’s quite easy for humans to get frustrated by the interminable, chilly winter months, at least we can take extra measures (e.g. stay inside, wear more layers of clothing, etc.) to protect ourselves. For some animals, they are not as lucky. Despite many creatures being cold-weather warriors , other animals, including Florida tropical fish and cold-stunned sea turtles, have struggled to survive in the brutal cold. On the other end of the spectrum, global warming continues to have detrimental effects on the animal kingdom, with new research revealing new threats to gorillas, monkeys, lobsters, oysters, scallops and clams. Cold Weather Ravages Florida Tropical Fish (Images via: My Cichlid Tank , The Fish Lodge , Aquascape Online , Palm Beach Post ) Just how bad has the winter weather been on tropical fish in Florida? Well, residents have come to describe the situation as the 2010 Fish Kill. Due to the cold weather, many rivers, ponds and even commercial fishing operations have been overwhelmed by floating fish that froze to death . Consequently, wildlife experts and conservations have been trying to save and sustain the fish by pumping in warmer water into their habitats. Unfortunately, the effects of the cold weather have already taken a toll on African cichlid (bottom left), marble molly (top right), danio (bottom right) and other Florida tropical fish, which are expected to decline 50% in population. NASA Helps Save Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles (Images via: Tumblr , Turtle Journal , Riverhead Foundation ) Tropical fish aren’t the only marine animals facing grave dangers from unseasonably cold weather in Florida. As a result of water temperatures reaching less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit, green and loggerhead sea turtles have become cold-stunned (i.e. sluggish and lethargic). How rare is this occurrence? Cold stunning was last documented in 1989. Thankfully, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was able to join forces with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to aid at least some of these turtles. The Commission has evacuated and medically evaluated 270 turtles, which will be released into Kennedy’s Mosquito Lagoon once the weather gets better. Global Warming Indigestion Threatens Gorillas and Monkeys (Images via: Gorilla Doctors , Susty , Super Green Me , Science Blogs , West Side Safari ) While severe temperature drops affect Florida tropical fish and different types of sea turtles, global warming is still a serious threat to many animals, including gorillas and monkeys . According to a new study, a reasonable temperature increase of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e. 2 degrees Celsius) from global warming could make leaves more fibrous and less digestible. Consequently, mountain gorillas and African colobines that largely rely on these leaves for sustenance could have more difficult times processing this food, forcing them to become less active and possibly even threatening their ability to survive. Based on the study’s hypothesis, it is unknown whether such primates would be able to adapt their diets to such global warming changes, especially if a majority of their time was spent sitting around and processing less beneficial food compared to hunting for new food and sustaining populations via mating. Supersized Lobsters Sound Great But Could Be Dangerous (Images via: Last Day Report , Soda Head , Get a Huge Tank , Barrier Reef Australia ) With carbon dioxide rises from climate change, the oceans are expected to become more acidic, which could mean supersized lobsters , crabs (bottom left) and shrimp (bottom middle). While this possibility may sound enticing to sea food lovers, more acidic oceans have negative effects on oysters, scallops, and clams (bottom right), all of which have struggled to build their shells in simulated conditions. Consequently, such developments could throw off the food chain, resulting in superbly huge and constantly hungry predators and increasingly weakened prey. Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist: Hungry, Hungry Animals: 10 Unique Stories of Consumption From bonobos ranking food by sound to rats falling in love with junk food, animal appetites, eating habits and consumption are tales of the cool and absurd. Click Here to Read More »» Climate Change: 13 Animals Facing Future Dangers Deforestation, global warming and other climate changes could have serious effects on dolphins, amphibians, turtles, penguins and many other animals. 2 Comments – Click Here to Read More »» Nature’s Cold Weather Warriors: 14 Adaptive Animals From shutting off parts of their body to changing the color of their fur, resilient animals have many tricks up their sleeve when surviving the cold and staying warm. 1 Comment – Click Here to Read More »» [ WebEcoist - By Chris in Animals & Habitats , Food & Health , Nature & Ecosystems . ]

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Unseasonably Cold, Globally Warm Animal Dangers