Sustainable Living Stack Exchange
Sustainable Living Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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Moving into a career in sustainability

I am planning to double major in Computer Science and Physics for my undergraduate degree. Then get my MBA. I want to incorporate physical things with computer science: what gets me excited is the advancements in cars and sustainable energy like…
safaiyeh
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Retrofitting insulation in a 4-storey home. Top down or bottom up?

I'm faced with the prospect of wanting to improve the insulation of a 4-storey Victorian (c1890) house in the UK that has solid stone walls and a top floor that is within the non-insulated roof space. Given that this work could take a period of…
Cheeseminer
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Clamp-on water meter?

My region is experiencing a drought and I'd like to know how much water my household is using so we can be sure that we're minimizing our water use (which is good to do even in normal conditions). However, my home is in a multiple unit development,…
Johnny
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Any food and grocery buying systems that lead to less food waste?

I am not asking for specific diets or reducing plastic waste. Many people may not want to change their diets. How do people buy food so that they throw away as little food as possible? There must be people out there with systems or calendars that…
Enjabain
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Are there types of solar panels that can be made completely locally and independent of fossil fuels?

I want to know if there are any kinds of solar panels that can be produced completely locally, from gathering materials to manufacturing to installing, without fossil fuel inputs anywhere in the process. Are there any kinds of…
user37143
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Why do we think of biodegradable plastic as recycled and sustainable?

I look at the questions here and see what is taught to us by the mainstream propaganda: non-degradable plastic is unsustainable and, thus, we must prefer the biodegradable one. But let us consider the full cycle. What are biodegradable plastics made…
Val
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How renewable is diatomaceous earth? (How much is left on earth?)

I've read a lot about diatomaceous earth being useful for organic gardening, animal raising, pest control, intestinal parasite treatment, etc. However I am somewhat conflicted about the material itself - from what I understand it's essentially…
tM --
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How can I assure that fish stock for my aquarium are coming from sustainable sources?

If I want to start an aquarium I will need fish stock to get it going. How can I assure that fish stock for my aquarium are coming from sustainable sources (e.g. being farmed) as opposed to coming from over harvesting of natural ecosystems? Are…
WilliamKF
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Are mobile phone recycling programs keeping pace with the rate of phone upgrades? A global perspective

Mobile phones (or cellphones) are developing very fast, it almost seems that every time an advertisement comes on - it shows yet a new upgraded version of the phone that is in use. This applied to all brands. Now, once a new upgraded phone is…
user1017
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What is a feasible method to recycle parts of a broken laptop?

Laptops are ubiquitous, but like most consumer electronics, they have a failing - they quite simply, fail. The 'normal' thing to do, is to take the memory out and simply throw out the rest - I find this notion horribly wasteful. From experience,…
user1017
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Tissues or cloth to clean a baby - what's more sustainable?

We have a baby and use tissues often to wipe him after feeding, cleaning his nose etc. The alternative would be to use cloth and wash it on a regular basis. My gut feeling is that cloth is more sustainable, but I had the same gut feeling about…
mart
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How much of the emitted CO2 is human caused

Looking at the atmospheric CO2 concentration measurements, e.g. from Mauna Loa, the table there says that the increase of CO2 concentration in the year 2012 was 2.66 ppm/yr. How many percent of this 2.66 ppm/yr in 2012 is human caused (from fossil…
Ondřej Čertík
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How do I dispose of Xenon light bulbs?

I have some under-cabinet lighting that uses Xenon G8 bulbs. I didn't even know this type of light bulb existed until recently. One of the bulbs has stopped working and I want to get rid of it. What is the right/best way to dispose of Xenon light…
Alnoor
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Are LEEDs certifications available for homes?

I've seen various levels of LEEDs certifications on public buildings but never for a private home. Are such certifications available for a home and if so, how would I go about finding a building who would be able to meet the goals put forth in…
WilliamKF
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What species of mycorrhizal fungus do well with apple trees?

In Mycelium Running, Paul Stamets talks about inoculating seedlings with mycorrhizal funguses. He shows a side by side of young Maple saplings, one with and one with out showing the immense difference in health and growth between the two. I'm…
Daniel Bingham
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