Article

In the Cansayapi community in southwest Minnesota, where Danny Desjarlais grew up amid the bluffs and banks of the Minnesota River valley, housing remains a persistent weight on the tribe. The federally funded housing stock that the 40-year-old construction manager grew up in and around hasn’t changed with the times. Many homes are mold-ridden, some need to be torn down,…

Despite this cognitive dissociation, there is no beating around the math (or hemp stalk) any longer. The textile industry is one of the biggest contributors to the climate crisis, and is largely driven by the petroleum industry, as synthetic petroleum-derived textiles are cheap to produce as a byproduct of fossil fuel extraction. The fossil fuel industry’s depletion and contamination of natural…

By: RootSource Media Staff,  In recent years, architects, builders, and material scientists have turned to the past for inspiration - embracing natural, sustainable materials to confront the environmental toll of conventional construction. Hemp, bamboo, mushroom composites, sugarcrete, coconut fiber, straw, cork, and other bio-based options are gaining traction for their unique benefits and low carbon footprint. Hemp Takes Center Stage…

Across the fields of North America, agricultural residue from the fall harvest accumulates, bound for landfills, animal bedding or simply left to decompose into the soil. Or, the approximately 1.1 billion tonnes of biomass that is generated annually from the United States’ farms, forests and landfills – which is currently of little or no market value – could be repurposed into durable,…

One hundred years ago, fish and shellfish were frequent visitors to dinner plates around the world. While not common knowledge at the time, the fish had oils containing about equal parts omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential components for cell membranes, that are primarily absorbed through the diet. While modern civilizations still love a fresh filet or sushi roll,…