green

For many large companies, sustainability can be a buzz term, a simple marketing ploy for sympathy and sales. For Sierra Nevada, the widely-distributed craft beer out of Chico, California, sustainability actually appears to mean something. We stopped in Sierra's headquarters to see what environmental brewing looks like. Many of the raw ingredients (hops and barley) are sourced locally or via ultra-efficient shipping routes. Recycled paper is used for packaging. And the roof of the facility is covered with more than 10,500 solar panels—one of the largest privately-owned solar installations in America.

Someone (it was probably my biochemist beer brewing brother) told me that the green bottles don't block ultraviolet light. It is a reaction with the ultraviolet light that causes this taste that I don't like. Well, maybe I don't always trust my brother (even though when it comes to beer, I should). You know what happens next, right? Experiment time.

These vegetated surfaces don't just look pretty. They have other benefits as well, including cooling city blocks, reducing loud noises, and improving a building's energy efficiency.What's more, a recent modeling study shows that green walls can potentially reduce large amounts of air pollution in what's called a "street canyon," or the corridor between tall buildings.

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji refer to bridges that are woven from the roots of living rubber trees in the Cherrapunji rainforests of Meghalaya, India. Some of them are more than a hundred feet long, grow over decades and withstand the weight of fifty people. Not only are they environmentally friendly, the bridges are also quite utilitarian since the roots grow stronger over their lifespan. For more info, check out this BBC video.