Scotland bans plastic-handled cotton buds
The ban on buds (swabs) is expected to reduce Scotland's marine plastic pollution by 50 percent.
World's first floating wind farm now operating in Scotland
This technology might open up many new areas to offshore wind.
Meet the sea sheep of Scotland's North Ronaldsay island
Semi-wild and isolated to a 270-acre stretch of shoreline, the North Ronaldsay sheep are one of only two land animals that live exclusively on seaweed.
Helicopter converted into one-of-a-kind hotel in Scotland
Another instance of creative adaptive reuse, where a decommissioned Sea King is transformed into a deluxe mini-hotel.
Photo: Beautiful Isle of Skye offers news of birds
We are officially in love with Loch Pooltiel.
Large-scale floating offshore wind power is finally here
A new, 50MW floating offshore wind farm just got approved. Why does this matter?
Retro-modern Scottish tiny house is all about simple comforts
The light-filled interior of this well-insulated and cleverly designed tiny home imparts a sense of relaxation and well-being.
Get ready for the onslaught of "smart plastic incineration"
You are going to hear a lot about this. It makes everybody's problems go poof. Just don't mention the CO2.
What would a world without sharks be like?
At the rate we’re killing them, we may soon see it firsthand.
Finnish concept of 'sisu' is all about our magical hidden strength
The cultural construct describes the enigmatic inner power that pushes people to get through hardships.
Finland is offering free trips to people in need of happiness lessons
For three days this summer, a local host could show you why their country consistently ranks among the happiest in the world.
'There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather' is a Scandinavian mom's guide to raising kids
Written by one of my favorite bloggers, this new book will inspire and guide readers to instill a love for nature in their children.
The 20 happiest countries on the planet
The numbers are in for the World Happiness Report 2017; who wins this year's crown of contentment? Think of it as a love letter to Scandinavia.
Norway wants tourists to slow down and travel more sustainably
Cruise ships and Disney's 'Frozen' have led to crowds of unprecedented size, about which Norwegians are not entirely happy.
I grew up in a house that looked like a 'hygge' postcard. It was a lot of work.
For those of us who actually live in rustic homes in cold climates, the household items that define the 'hygge' decorating trend are a matter of survival.
'NaturePlay' film reveals Scandinavia's amazing nature-based education system
This new award-winning documentary reveals the stark contrasts between America's obsession with standardized tests, at the cost of everything else, and Scandinavia's embrace of all things nature-based. It's clear which is the more successful approach.
Why antibiotic resistance is so low in Sweden
In the war between antibiotics and bacteria, bacteria often seems to be winning … but not in places like Sweden and Denmark.
Would you send your child to daycare in the forest?
With daycare costs rising, perhaps ditching the building is not such a crazy idea.
Passion House prefab: 400 square feet of Nordic design
Their priorities certainly are different than ours are.
Visiting Alvar Aalto's Nordic House
The Scandinavian master designed a gem of a building promoting Nordic cooperation.
Tree Ring Study Heats Up Battle of Climate Change Skeptics Against Scientists
Can't we all stop fencing for political position and start talking about using the overwhelming amount of data to solve problems?
Cycling Across Scandinavia: Stockholm's Vision for Urban Life
We are at the end of our LostGen2 quest for the world's best city
Cycling Across Scandinavia: Rudolf Steiner Found, Thanks to James Turell
Leaving Boras takes us past a
Cycling Across Scandinavia: Gothenburg to Boras, Sweden Doesn't Strip
Sarah and I have spent the better
A New "Lost Generation" Cycles Across Scandinavia To Understand North America
Toronto, a city rated as one of the most livable in the world by The
Norwegian Wind Power Could Become Europe's Battery
Norway's Oil and Energy Minister, Aaslaug Haga, seems to think that wind turbines is a good bet. The scandinavian country is the 5th biggest
Walking Away From Haz Waste
On a cold and windy November weekday there aren't any cars lined up at the new Kretsloppsparken (Waste Park) Alelyckan outside Gothenburg, even though there are four lanes available - a veritable expressway! - for vehicular drop-off of practically every
A Good Globe Is Hard To Find
A Swedish IT start-up is behind BadBuster, a new plug-in (currently only for Internet Explorer, soon for Firefox) that gives an environmental score to 650 of the largest multinational firms, in the form of a 1-100 number rating. Thus each time your
Finding A Perfect Tike Bike
trioBike has released the next version of its tri-functional cargo bike, which we first wrote about here. The 2.0 Balanced is an aerodynamic and sleek-looking kid-hauler. And the detachable bike, a Shimano Nexus 7-speed, also looks great when you are out
E-Paper Surpasses Dead Trees In Life-Cycle Test
We've written about e-paper here and while the idea seems nifty, it's hard not to think that improving online readers might be the best option rather than adding another electronic gadget to the overladen waste stream. But in a new study from the
Swedish Tourism Cold Comfort For Warming Globe
The Swedish travel industry is woefully under-prepared for a changing climate, says researcher Stephen Gössling. Tourism to and from Sweden contributes 10 percent of the country's total measured CO2 emissions,
Sweden's Green Car Explosion
At this week's Clean Vehicles and Fuels conference in Stockholm, city officials released an updated survey showing that 50 percent of city residents would consider shopping for a "miljöbil" when they buy their next car. That's a huge increase from
Skinny Swedish Packages A Staple In China
There's always clung to the Tetra Pak a bit of uncertainty regarding its environmental credibility: is it or isn't it green? Tetra Pak recycling rates are lousy, but in at least one life cycle analysis it came out ahead of glass and PET plastic in energy
Time To Ecolabel Biofuels?
It wasn't too long ago that biofuels were basking in the glow of nearly everyone's approval - a quick fix for reducing CO2 emissions from transport. The EU aims to fill 10% of its transport needs with biofuels by 2020. But biofuel's easy ride may be
In Copenhagen Bicycles Overtake Cars
As a result of half a century of planning, Copenhagen has achieved a fabulous cycling goal - during the morning rush hour more bikes and mopeds pound the inner city streets than personal cars and buses. Just a bit more than a third of inhabitants get
Swedish Fair Fashion, Hold the Macaroni
In addition to its social conscience, Sweden is also extremely fashion conscious, and recent media debate plus campaigns by local group Rena Kläder (Clean Clothing) have brought ideas about ethical fashion to the forefront. Right on cue, in Sweden's
Chernobyl has become an 'accidental wildlife sanctuary' thriving with life
In the 30+ years since the disaster zone was evacuated, rare and endangered animals are flourishing.
17 product groups that contain palm oil
From cookies and cake mix to hair care and toothpaste, here's where to look for sneaky, eco-catastrophic palm oil.
9 iconic animals brought back from the brink
The recovery of these beleaguered species proves that conservation action works.
This simple trick has saved 1000s of rare seabirds from death
Between 2002 and 2015, these 'streamer lines' helped reduce seabird by-catch in Alaskan fisheries by 78%.
10 endangered species the Trump administration may kill off entirely
A new report describes the 10 species most at risk from policies proposed by the current administration.
Photo: Seagoing slug proves truth is stranger than fiction
Our photo of the day visits the wacky world of nudibranch sea slugs.
Seafood company charged for mislabeling blue crab meat
Capt. Neill's Seafood Inc. said its blue crab meat was American-grown, but it was imported from South America and Asia.
11 facts about blue whales, the largest animals ever on Earth
The blue whale, is the largest animal ever known to have lived on the planet. Here’s what you need to know about the majestic marine mammal.
Don't bother with cruise ships
The 2019 Cruise Ship Report Card reveals what a dirty, harmful industry cruising is.
G20 plan to halt ocean plastic pollution is toothless
No detailed guidelines, no legally binding requirements, and a misplaced focal point are a recipe for failure.
Enough with the Smart Home and Smart City already
Has anything really changed since 1939?
Reconfigurable canopy uses drones to move its modules around (Video)
This example of programmable architecture uses lightweight materials and drones to help it adapt to environmental changes.
Now you can buy "Alexa-enabled smart homes"
But is this really a good idea? Maybe it is better to get up and flick a light switch instead of asking Alexa.