An overgrown city is a healthy city. Plants regulate temperatures, scrub the air, provide a haven for urban wildlife and lift our mood sky-high. But all too often, parks and tree-lined boulevards have been regarded as cosmetic frills worked around the basic necessities of concrete, glass and metal - something to add if there's any money left in your budget. It's shutters in the front and bare metal in the back.

Back to the drawing board. A study of urban mortality undertaken by two Scottish universities has discovered a link between good health and green spaces - more specifically, reduced health inequalities. All city populations experience different levels of wellness according to social factors such as income, lifestyle, diet and access to medical facilities. The researchers found that in the 366,000 cases studied, close proximity to green spaces reduced this inequality and reduced the likelihood of people suffered from a number of medical disorders, particularly heart disease and strokes.

Why is this the case? Firstly, greenery cleans the air for us and evens out the temperature, making cities not only more pleasant but more healthful. But this may be the lesser part of the answer. Since mind and body are intertwined, it's clear that a reduction in stress levels can have a profound physiological effect. Recent studies suggest that if your stress levels are high, your body is more likely to age quicker and heal slower. As well ...Read More

Once upon a time, "doing your bit for the environment" was an impassioned hobby at best. Now, it's a job - within the biggest boom industry of the next decade. The American Solar Energy Society estimates that 1 in 4 Americans will be working in ...Read More

To meet our future energy requirements, we need to rely on a huge range of alternative sources. Let's not forget the whimsical beginnings of our efforts to harness electricity (I'm referring to the kite of Benjamin Franklin). It's only fitting that electricity generation technologies come from left field.

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As usual, we're overflowing with things to tell you. We just can't help it! So let's spill.

Joining the hot debate over biofuels is Frances Cerra Whittelsey ...Read More

Have a great weekend, everyone! Enjoy these great eco reads from around the web:

How can traditional, paper-based news resources stay relevant? By getting their facts right. However, the New York Times have published an eco-news piece by John Tierney that may or may not have its ...Read More

Now that my city, San Francisco, has been given one of the highest walkability rates in the nation - surpassing NY and Boston - I am thrilled to know that the rise in fuel costs and deepening energy crisis has spurred more people onto the streets into walking or ...Read More

Introducing the world's only solar-powered trash compactor, BigBelly.

This green machine, making its way to parks and beaches across the United States, has a compaction mechanism that exerts 1,200 pounds of force allowing it to hold five times the volume of traditional trash bins (a ...Read More

Pizza, gelato and vino are easy to come by in Italy but eco is not. The word even gets lost in translation there, until reinforced with hints like verde (green) and il mondo (the world).

That's why I was surprised to bump into Singapore Supergarden on ...Read More

Have you ever wondered what happened to all of those shiny gold and silver subway tokens that used to jingle in your grandpa's pocket? The folks at tokens-coins.com have saved them from the abyss (and landfills) creating cuff links, key rings, jewelry and money clips.

Choose from such cities as ...Read More

For some reason, human beings seem designed to really dig walking barefoot on grass. Seeing a corner of the market, Krispy Kreme (of all things) have now unveiled...the living grass flip-flop.

The world is momentarily speechless. Yes, it's surely just a bit of fun. But you ...Read More