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29 Oct 14:17

Baby Girl Gets All Emotional Listening to Her Mother Sing

by Neetzan Zimmerman

Ten-month-old Mary Lynne Leroux is moved to tears by her mother Amanda's angelic rendition of the Rod Stewart single "My Heart Can't Tell You No."

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24 Oct 03:19

Superhero Costumes for Little Furry Pets

by Andrew Salomone
chinchilla-robin1If you've got a little furry creature as well as a little extra felt, then you might think about throwing together a little superhero costume for them, like these clever ones made by Etsy seller la Marmota Cafe.

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01 Sep 21:34

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's Cover of "Get Lucky" Is Pretty Great

by Bradford Evans
by Bradford Evans


Simon Pegg and Nick Frost stopped by a London radio station to promote their new movie The World's End and ended up laying down this incredible cover of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky." We should just replace the original with this song from now on. (via The AV Club)

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25 Aug 04:38

Taking Bicycle Parking to the Streets

by Planetizen
We can best thank Portland and other pioneers for all their hard work with on-street bicycle parking (a.k.a. "bike corrals") by simply benefitting ourselves from their efforts. Here's how...
10 Aug 12:33

Urban Trees Save Lives

by The Dirt Contributor

bryant
A recent study by urban forestry guru David Nowak and other researchers at U.S. Forest Service and The Davey Institute found that urban trees save at least one life per year in most cities and up to 8 people per year in large metropolises like New York City.

“Trees growing in cities help clean the air of fine particulate air pollution — soot, smoke, dust, dirt — that can lodge in human lungs and cause health problems,” Grist explains. As an example, “trees clear 71 tons” of air particulate matter 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) from Atlanta’s air each year.

As explained in a recent post on outdoor air pollution, urban particulate air pollution kills as many as 2.5 million people each year. PM 2.5 has a drastic effect on human health, including premature mortality.

Researchers noted that larger particles between particulates 2.5 to 10 micrometers in diameter—also called coarse dust particles or PM10—are removed by trees at a substantially higher rate. However, the health benefits of PM2.5 removal is 30 to 350 times more valuable.

What happens to our health when those trees die from natural causes en masse? Apparently, as another recent study claims, people die, too. This study study showed that the “loss of trees to the emerald ash borer increased mortality related to cardiovascular and lower-respiratory-tract illness. This finding adds to the growing evidence that the natural environment provides major public health benefits.” Untrammeled development would then also have the same negative health impacts at the ash borer.

Of course, the health benefits are not restricted to our lungs and heart, but also our minds. As can be seen in a new UK-wide study, parks, gardens, and even street trees in urban areas improve the mood and mental well-being of the surrounding residents.

The value of trees goes well beyond their immediate air quality-reducing properties, too. According to one recent U.S. Forest Service study, “urban forests are responsible for storing 708 million tons of carbon—a service valued at $50 billion.”

Not to ignore the financial side of better health, the Nowak study also claims that “the average health benefits value per hectare of tree cover was about $1,600, but varied [from city to city].”

The study concludes that “trees can produce substantial health improvements and values in cities.” Although more research is needed to improve these estimates, this study also leaves room for new research that explores the local effects of tree-filled landscapes in cities.

Read the study and check out a recent animation from ASLA: Urban Forests = Cleaner, Cooler Air.

This guest post is by Phil Stamper, ASLA PR and Communications Coordinator.

Image credit: Bryant Park, NYC / Wikipedia


10 Aug 00:29

Single and Gluten-Free? There's a Dating Site For That

by Ariel Knutson

Single and Gluten-Free? There's a Dating Site For That

Mmhmm, that's right, if you're sick of regular old dating sites and also don't eat gluten, this site has what you need. While I imagine this is great for people who actually have Celiac Disease or are gluten intolerant, it still seems a little crazy to narrow down your dating pool to something this specific. 

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10 Aug 00:23

The Powers That Be: 1908

by Dave
Climniatis

My favorite spot in nyc

New York circa 1908. "Trinity churchyard and skyscrapers." God and Mammon in Manhattan. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
31 Jul 11:37

Brian Williams Rapping ‘Good Vibrations’ Is Surprisingly Perfect

by Madeleine Davies

It's no "Slow Jam the News," but, hey, if Late Night with Jimmy Fallon wants to give us Brian Williams rapping Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch's "Good Vibrations," who are we to argue? We're nobody. NOBODY.

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16 Jul 05:58

L.A.'s Cash for Cacti Program Ups the Ante

by Planetizen
Climniatis

Way more interesting than Louisiana's Cash for Nutria program.

Since 2009, the L.A. Department of Water and Power's Landscape Incentive Program has convinced 850 area property owners to replace their grass lawns with more sustainable plants, mulch, and permeable pathways. Now DWP is upping the ante.
13 Jul 14:34

Can St. Louis Keep Its Unique Heritage from Crumbling?

by Planetizen
As the back-to-the-city movement takes hold, cities are turning old industrial buildings into distinctive spaces prized as offices and lofts. St. Louis is trying to figure out how to preserve their legacy assets from crumbling as they await new life.