First it was cashew hulls. Now scientists say that onions and garlic also may be effective in soaking up hazardous heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead, mercury and tin. This according to a paper published in International Journal of Environment and Pollution. According to a press release, researchers at GGS Indraprastha University in Delhi, India, found them to be particularly effective in extracting lead, one of the most troublesome metallic environmental pollutants. Since ferns are used to leach arsenic from contaminated soil, these findings make me wonder if planting garlic and onions could in the yard could lessen the toxicity of soil contaminated with lead paint flakes from houses.

Brilliant emergency shelter solution for natural and humanitarian disasters: fabric buildings that turn into concrete when sprayed with water. It takes only two people, some water, and air to erect a Concrete Canvas Shelter, technically known as a rapidly deployable hardened shelter. In 24 hours — voila! – shelter from the storm.

Here’s a great grassroots solution to an ecological problem: urban beekeepers.  In an encouraging story, the New York Times reports that several municipalities have recently made it legal to keep bee hives within city limits. When I toured the White House garden a couple months ago, I was delighted to see that Michelle Obama has a hive tucked away there –even though DC has some contradictory laws on the books that have forced other local city apiarists to operate clandestine hives.