Tag: sustainability

How an aerotropolis, the "Ray" sustainable road, the Gulch redevelopment, and the "Stitch" park over the Connector could change Atlanta.

Eighty percent of the world’s countries already consume insects. They have nutritional benefit—toasted grasshoppers are rich in protein, fatty acids, and iron—and environmental benefits—it takes 2,000 times the amount of water to produce a pound of beef than it does for a pound of crickets.

The idea: Conserve your food scraps, and Compostwheels will pick them up and turn them into nutrient-rich soil that they then deliver to nearby farms. That means less food waste going to local landfills and more local food production.

Georgia Tech’s Living Building will take its name literally, generating more energy (via photovoltaic panels) and capturing more water (with a large, underground cistern that stores rainwater) than it uses. Its 43,500 square feet of programmable space will include a 170-seat auditorium, two 75-seat classrooms, seminar rooms, labs, a maker’s space, cafe, and student commons, all topped by a rooftop garden and apiary. Its composting toilets will use tiny amounts of water, and its heating-and-air system will modulate itself.

Chefs, farmers, and purveyors from around the country are teaming up to promote food sustainability at the Chefs Collaborative 8th Annual Summit this weekend in Atlanta. Miller Union owner and chef Steven Satterfield is this year’s host committee leader, working with notable ATL chefs like Anne Quatrano, Hugh Acheson, and Kevin Gillespie.

Michael Rigolizzo, who may or may not be the best thing that’s happened to Sparta, Georgia, in generations, drove into town for the first time four years ago and found himself charmed. To be charmed by downtown Sparta requires a generous spirit and a vivid imagination.

In building a fashion company that squanders nothing, Karen Glass hopes to promote luxury clothing that is rich and indulgent while also being environmentally and socially conscious.

The City of Decatur has garnered plenty of awards for its environmental work. Last year it became the first local government to reach platinum status in the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Communities program, a designation that recognizes an all-encompassing effort.

A garden is only as good as its soil, and for city gardeners that can be a challenge. If you don’t plan on using chemical fertilizers, then your garden needs a steady supply of rich compost: “black gold” made of decayed organic material such as manure, leaves or food scraps.

After two years in the making, Atlanta’s new center for self-sufficiency, The Homestead Atlanta, launches this weekend with two classes: Designing Beautiful Edible Landscapes and Cultivating Mushrooms Indoors and Out. Soon to follow are classes in hand-spinning yarn, blacksmithing and food fermentation. If you have a single do-it-yourself bone in your body, you’re likely to find something of interest here.