Hurricanes are nothing new, but the kinds of storms (and their number) seem to be getting more serious.

With Hurricane Bill recently shutting down beaches and prompting warnings up and down the Atlantic Coast, and major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina not-so-distant a memory, one wonders: what’s the deal? Are hurricanes getting more numerous and more severe or are we just more aware of them? And if there are more, why?

Read on to have your most pressing (swirling, surging, or raging) questions answered. …read more of The Truth about Hurricanes: Will We See More Like Hurricane Bill? here

Mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and other pesky pests are an annoying and ubiquitous part of the summer. Besides being irritating, insects like mosquitoes and ticks are carriers of serious diseases like Lyme Disease and the West Nile Virus.

Common insect combatants include chemical sprays (smelly, annoying to apply), zappers (often ineffective), and citronella candles (smelly). Chemical solutions are dangerous for your body and the environment, and many chemicals end up killing the natural predators of the pests you are trying to control.

There is another way. Controlling insects through biological pest control is an effective and fascinating natural way of improving the comfort of your summer days outdoors. …read more of Bug Off: Fight Mosquitoes and Insects Naturally and Effectively here

Something big is happening to something big.  As Loretta White described in her recent ecomii Building Blog post, the Empire State Building, the most iconic office in the world, is undertaking an enormous green renovation—one that will put it at the forefront of eco-friendly building technology.

An investment of $20 million that will save the ESB approximately $4.4 million per year in energy costs, cutting total energy use by 38%, the project is truly revolutionary. But what exactly is the green team at the ESB doing to make this happen?

Here’s a quick look at the eight components of the massive retrofit:

Windows: Each one of the ESB’s approximately 6,500 double-hung windows will be removed, insulated with a coated layer of film, and filled with a pocket of krypton/argon gas between the two panes. …read more of Miracle on 34th Street (and 5th Avenue) here