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Eco Chic: Previously Developed Land

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:15:03 -0700

No one will tell you that building a new home rather than purchasing one that already exists is environmentally friendly — even if you use salvaged materials. So, if you're considering building a new home, find a lot that's previously been built on. Previously developed land (PDL) that is vacant or unused is a wasted resource. Building on PDL does not disturb wildlife, and keeps our natural assets intact. There may also be a cash incentive to leaving nature untouched. When asked about the value of New Jersey's natural assets, Bill Mates of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said they're worth a lot:

At least $26 billion a year worth of goods and services. And that $26 billion a year is worth about $850 billion in present value terms.

If you have no plans to build a home but have money to spare, consider purchasing undeveloped land and leaving it that way. It's the only property that can't be reproduced.
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Casa Verde: World's Greenest Building to Go Up in Paris

CasaSugar — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:15:54 -0800

Skidmore Owings & Merrill, the architects behind New York's Freedom Tower (on the site of the former World Trade Center), has announced plans to construct the world's greenest building in the city architecturally known for the Eiffel Tower. The proposed building will house offices as well as up to 5,000 people, and is to be built in the run-down area of Gennevilliers in the outskirts of Paris. It is being dubbed "Energy Plus" because, project partner Marc Eisenberg says, "It will be the first building in the world to be 'energy plus' and carbon zero." read more According to the Daily Telegraph, a UK newspaper, the building will generate its own heating, lighting, and air conditioning by "having more solar panels on it than any other building in existence," and "take water from the nearby river Seine and pump it around the offices." It will be much more expensive to build than other buildings, and the tenants will have to pay the price to live there, but they will save money on utility bills and maintenance fees. There are also plans to trade the building's carbon credits for money in the future. The Daily Telegraph says that normally with costs like this a building would have trouble getting approved, but it has gotten off the ground due to high-profile backers such as the Clinton Global Initiative and "financial incentives from governments."
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Bone Health Requires Some Specific Exercise

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:36 -0800

Turns out if you want to keep your bones healthy, you'd better start young and be specific about which exercise you choose. The New York Times reveals the findings of a new study which indicates that, contrary to popular belief, "any and all activity" may not benefit your bones.

In fact, as researchers investigate the effect of exercise on bone health, it has become increasingly clear that various kinds of exercise produces varying results on bone conditioning. Until recently, researchers believed that the impact of running, or any similar high-impact exercise, would transform the bone, "deforming" it just slightly. As a result of running, the bone would give slightly to the force of the physical activity, and the bone cells would stretch in response and adapt to the repeated exercise by adding cells and becoming denser. But this is not the case. In actuality, researchers have now found that the bone cells don't stretch; instead, when the bone bends, it "squeezes bone fluid" from one part of the bone "matrix" to another, and it's this extra fluid that causes the cells to add denser bone in response.

The key is that only certain types of exercise produce this kind of bone-bending, and the subsequent response to add dense bone-building. Says Alexander G. Robling, an assistant professor in the department of anatomy and cell biology at Indiana University School of Medicine, "large forces released in a relatively big burst” are crucial to building healthy bones, which is why activities like weight lifting won't help bone-bend or produce stronger, denser bones. But the exercises that will? Running, brisk walking at a fast pace, and surprisingly, repeated jumping.

Do You Worry About the Quality of Your Home's Materials?

CasaSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:55 -0800

A study by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has linked Chinese drywall to not only the corrosion of metal and electrical components in US homes and a "rotten egg" odor, but to a whole slew of respiratory problems. Yikes! When I'm shopping for supplies, the last thing that I want to think about is whether materials will cause health problems, so I always try to buy eco-friendly, chemical-free products. But some materials just don't have a non-toxic replacement, and obviously, these homeowners had no clue their homes would be built with faulty materials.

Source: Flickr User retropc

5 Things About Building Stronger Bones

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Many of us tend to think about bone health as an issue for our mothers or grandmothers, but the way we treat our bodies now affects bone strength later. There are a number of culprits when it comes to low bone density, but the good news is there are things you can do to prevent bone loss. Fitness magazine got the lowdown on bone health from several experts. So check out these five things about building stronger bones, and get on your way to building a sturdier frame.

Thinner women are more likely to experience bone loss at a young age, according to Elizabeth Shane, MD, of the Columbia University Medical Center. She described some of her female patients in their 20s and 30s, saying, "They are trying so hard to keep their weight low that they're skimping on important nutrients or working out too much. It's a recipe for early bone loss."
Be sure you're getting enough bone-building calcium and Vitamin D.

To see three more things about bone strength, read more.

Increase bone mass through weight-bearing activities, but beware of incessant exercise that causes your period to stop, because it could make your bones more fragile.
Do exercises that target areas particularly susceptible to bone loss, such as your shoulders, arms, spine, wrists, hips, and legs.
Discuss your diet with your doctor to make sure you're getting essential nutrients. She may recommend adding vitamins to supplement where your diet falls short.

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Oh Snap! Kylie Minogue Lights Up Empire State Building

TresSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:30:00 -0700

Kylie Minogue lends her megawatt smile during a lighting of the Empire State Building in honor of the Coty-DKMS Linked Against Leukemia partnership yesterday in New York City.

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The Greenest Building in the World

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:47:52 -0700

As if I didn't have enough reason to be proud of my home state of Wisconsin-it's also now home to the greenest building in the world.
The Aldo Leopold Legacy Center has received Platinum LEED Certification, the highest possible recognition for green buildings in the United States. Following a rigorous assessment, LEED awarded the Legacy Center 61 points, more than any other building yet rated in the world. The Aldo Leopold Legacy Center is the first “net zero energy” building in Wisconsin and the first carbon neutral building certified by LEED.

Aldo Leopold was a Wisconsin conservationist and writer (and also one of my longtime heroes) who defined conservation as a way of life in which land does well for its inhabitants, citizens do well by their land, and both end up better by reason of partnership. Aldo Leopold recognized that no matter how sophisticated we become, people will always depend on the land-“the land” being shorthand for the community that not only includes and values people but also plants, animals, soils, and waters.

Some of the center's green features include photovoltaic panels, earth tubes that naturally ventilate the building, a radiant floor system, locally sourced, sustainably harvested wood, natural daylighting, and wood heat.

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Get it Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Build it Up Treadmill Run

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 09:45:00 -0700

Don't get scared by the title, this is not some crazy cardio workout that involves getting off the treadmill and actually building something. The term "build it up" is more of a metaphor for how you progress as the time moves along. Basically you run one minute then rest, you run two minutes then rest, you run three minutes then rest and so on. Enjoy!

00:00-05:00 WARM-UP, Speed 2.0
05:00-06:00 Speed 6.0
06:00-07:00 Speed 3.5
07:00-09:00 Speed 6.0
09:00-10:00 Speed 3.5
10:00-13:00 Speed 6.0
13:00-14:00 Speed 3.5
14:00-18:00 Speed 6.0
18:00-19:00 Speed 3.5
19:00-24:00 Speed 6.0
24:00-25:00 Speed 3.5
25:00-31:00 Speed 6.0
31:00-32:00 Speed 3.5
32:00-39:00 Speed 6.0
39:00-40:00 Speed 3.5
40:00-45:00 COOL-DOWN, Speed 2.0

Not ready for this yet? I've done a beginner's version of this workout. To find out what it is read more

00:00-05:00 WARM-UP, Speed 1.5
05:00-06:00 Speed 4.0
06:00-07:00 Speed 2.5
07:00-09:00 Speed 4.0
09:00-10:00 Speed 2.5
10:00-13:00 Speed 4.0
13:00-14:00 Speed 2.5
14:00-18:00 Speed 4.0
18:00-19:00 Speed 2.5
19:00-24:00 Speed 4.0
24:00-25:00 Speed 2.5
25:00-31:00 Speed 4.0
31:00-32:00 Speed 2.5
32:00-39:00 Speed 4.0
39:00-40:00 Speed 2.5
40:00-45:00 COOL-DOWN, Speed 1.5

Still too hard? Then experiment with the speed on the "fast" interval and work at a level that challenges you. You can then begin to build up to be able to do either workout.

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Build-A-Bear: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:00:29 -0700

When it comes to stuffing bears, bunnies, and all the other plush toys ready for the making at Build-A-Bear workshops, parents seem to have strong opinions. They either are all for introducing the creative process to their kids or they won't even step foot in the store. We can tell where Tom and Suri Cruise stand on the issue, so which camp do you fall into?
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How Old Is Your House or Building?

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 04:51:26 -0700

Some people love living in old houses and apartment buildings, while others enjoy the ease of newer constructions. Do you live in a modern house or an older building?

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