The planet has a fever: Can we treat it? As the new year is carrying on where the old one left off, with growing signs climate disruption is accelerating at a more destructive rate than many scientists predicted. The US deep freeze, which has plunged temperatures in Minnesotato -50C(-58F), may appear to have little in […]

You can use tapestry thread to sew together strings of fresh flowers to hang from a branch — this delicate wall hanging requires fewer blooms than you’d need to create a fuller, ropier garland. Supplies For 1 Wall Hanging Twine (no wider than 1mm) 1 pair of scissors 1 large twig or branch (about 4 […]

From online reviews to satellite measurements, technology continues to disrupt the traditional way contractors do business. But many contractors remain in the dark about one of the biggest technology disruptions heading their way: drones. In fact, one in 10 companies with revenues of $50 million or more already use drones, according to a new report […]

Brass is a popular material for household furniture and accessories. Over time, though, brass tarnishes and loses its warm gleam. You can make it shiny and bright again with our guide on how to clean brass. Before cleaning, check to see if your item is solid brass, or brass-plated. Do this by grabbing a refrigerator magnet and placing it on the piece. Magnets don’t stick to solid brass, so if the magnet sticks, your […]

As Election Day nears, state and local officials should take a serious look at what can realistically be achieved before setting future recycling goals. Election Day is little more than two months away. While waste and recycling haven’t been big issues in this election, I expect to see more than the normal number of recycling […]

Oregon plans to suspend its recycling program for up to two years to re-educate the public on ways to improve the process. China has stopped accepting most recycling materials from the U.S. due to contamination. “The recycling world is changing dramatically worldwide,” said City Administrator Mike Beazley at a recent council meeting. “It’s affecting this […]

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law last December, provided qualified pass-through businesses with a 20 percent deduction, bringing the effective tax rate for those businesses down to 29.6 percent.   The law established conditions that would have to be met for a company to qualify for the deduction, and it expressly excluded most […]

Each year, 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the world’s oceans. Millions of plastic straws are used and disposed each day. The straws are usually made from polypropylene and are not truly degradable. Most recycling programs are loath to accept straws because straws are too light and fall off sorters. They are often […]