Aimee Lutkin

The popularity of houseplants waxes and wanes, but with cultural strife comes the rise of potted greenery—all perfectly groomed for Instagram, of course. And millennials are leading the trend in a big way.

The four countries boarded by the Mesoamerican Reef have banded together to protect this important marine life ecosystem, boosting their own economy in the process.

In an effort to raise awareness about our most important pollinator, the Beecosystem has developed a hive that can support a bee family in your home, right where everyone can see it.

Bees have been dying at a rapid pace around the world but Oslo has been working to increase the bee population in its city by focusing on how making a home for bees creates a better home for humans.

Iceland Foods has been leaning on plastics for its well-known frozen food line in the U.K. They've decided they have the technology to get rid of plastic and make their packaging recyclable—and no excuse not to.

By backing their own line of vegan and vegetarian products, Aldi is making these delicious treats far more accessible—and affordable.

Costa Rica is making a huge choice to ban single-use plastic after years of sustainability practices that have improved the country's tourism.

Tiny houses are becoming increasingly popular, as they offer lower prices and unique innovations in housing. They're also becoming more and more sustainable.

An Indonesian artists is trying to draw attention to the pollution of water around his country's shores by making gigantic works out of discarded plastic.

A new lines from The North Face is helping to find a use for waste left behind by tourists in national parks, while also innovating more sustainable means of production for clothes.

Changes in how European countries have been largely dealing with their plastic waste means the government needs to come up with a solution fast. They're turning to recycling.

Though they've never done anything quite like it before, Status Row is embarking on a seven week journey across the ocean in order to support the biggest ocean cleaning charity in their country.

DoorDash has a network in place for connecting food to people, and logistics are often the biggest hurdle for restaurants who want to donate their excess food to the hungry. This company is offering their network and social capital to both reduce food waste and make sure the people who need it are getting healthy, quality meals.

A government mandate has forced the community college system to upgrade their energy systems, but they've actually been wanting to do it for decades, anyway.

The severe drop in bee population is a danger to humanity, and a problem that can be alleviated by humanity through legislation.

This is the longest Costa Rica has run the country's power sources on renewable energy in the last three years.

The Buoyancy Foundation Project is encouraging people in certain flood risk areas to consider retrofitting their homes with a foundation that floats, but its being met with resistance in the U.S. despite success in many communities around the world.

Farmers in India produce agricultural waste that often ends up polluting the atmosphere in fires. This company is trying to eliminate the damage to air quality while also replacing plastic with a new biodegradable material.

Patagonia created a line of clothing from hemp-based canvas, using a more durable and sustainable fiber. Hemp is grown easily in many regions, and doesn't require intense irrigation, fertilizer or pesticides for a successful crop.

Ucareo is a small town in Mexico that could be vulnerable to predatory energy companies looking for land to develop. They're taking steps to make sure energy generated in their area will go benefit the community first.

Starbucks has been working to find a solution to their coffee cup waste issue. Now, they're letting the public help.

This study suggests that a vegan diet may be best for the environment.

This edible coating helps produce, including avocados, extend their shelf life, which ultimately cuts down on food waste.

One of the biggest airline food providers is starting construction on a vertical farm in Dubai as a solution to demand for fresh greens and a severe water shortage.

Researchers from marine life advocates Oceana have discovered a surprising new world under the sea near Sicily.

Starbucks is ramping up its sustainability efforts with a plan to eradicate the use of plastic straws in its assembly line.

It's challenging and laborious to detect this bacteria that decimates bee populations, so an apiary inspector trained a dog to do it. They're amazing.

New technologies means that instead of sucking power off the energy grid, buildings can feed back into it, powering other buildings and even cars.

New technology has allowed scientists to more accurately estimate how much carbon trees absorb, and the results may change how green spaces in cities are planned.

If you see a bee who looks confused or disoriented, it may not be sick. It just needs a little help from a friend.

A company of packaging experts are looking into the future and seeing a world without single-use plastic.

Animals are starting to avoid daytime hours as a means of avoiding humans. 

What can and can't be served at Paisley Park has been contested in the past, as Prince had very specific rules when he was alive. But on this issues, the museum and estate are standing strong.

Every Wednesday in the UK will be "windy," with flavors meant to draw attention to the loss of wind technology development in the country.

Pop Francis has been a vocal support of clean energy, and the need to take a stand against climate change before it's too late. Now, he's following up.

The installation of solar panels into our roadways could be world-changing, but the expense is still prohibitive. By introducing it before the Olympics, Tokyo is giving solar roads a chance to grow in popularity and perhaps lower in cost.

India is being praised for showing "world leadership" by instituting the ban, but UN officials warn we still need to do much more to keep plastics from running into the ocean and destroying marine life.

The food and candy company is getting ahead of competitors with their new sustainability program, confident they'll be paid back financially for their investment in the future.

The country has gone beyond their promise to ban plastic in only coastal communities and expanded to the entire country, setting an example for the rest of the continent.

A historical site in Sydney decided they needed to refurbish their escalators, leaving behind five tons of old wooden treads. They've found the most beautiful way to repurpose them.

Turtles are disappearing at an astonishing rate, as their natural habitats extend beyond human borders. The Philippines has begun an initiative to protect turtles in the Coral Triangle, but they need Malaysia and Indonesia to join them.

Their affordable new line comes with several innovations that might change how beauty products are made—and even how you shower.

With the coffee industry accounting for more than half the agricultural business in the country, the way to maintain sustainable production is via communication. This new network focuses on making coffee production good for the planet and workers.

A new proposal suggests that feeding dogs vegan meals will have a positive outcome for the environment—though it is hotly debated whether or not it will be positive for the dogs.

Developing new plant-based protein meals is now seen as an opportunity for market growth in big companies, rather than a threat to their way of life.

An architecture firm was approached with the challenge of building a home that fit with the landscape rather than destroying it—and they came up with some brilliant solutions.

The company's meatless burger patties have done great, moving from one grocery store to over five thousand in less than two years. These sausages are the next step in their vegan innovation.

Millennials are spending billions of dollars every year, and they care about where that money is going. A new study shows that if your brand doesn't care about the Earth, young people are less likely to trust it.

Hawaii is working hard to divorce its economy from imported fossil fuels. Local government is coming in to meet the state's needs with a commitment to renewable transportation.

An open source network for companies has been developed by Dell and Adrian Grenier's Lonely Whale foundation that will hopefully developed a pipeline that intercepts plastic before it gets to our waterways.

LOLI is taking the long history of mixing skincare products at home and making it so much easier.

As locations for windfarms near coastal lines dwindle, one company is proposing an extremely ambitious solution that they say will produce more energy and save money in the long run. 

San Francisco is mimicking a successful program in Boston where doctors are able to refer patients to a food pantry with a specialty in nutrition.

Germany is working to meet its goal of being at 60 percent renewable energy by 2050, and numbers from 2017 indicate they're moving faster towards their goal than they realized.

Green Magic Homes combines the house of your fantasies with a dream for a greener Earth.

"Sponge Cities" are a new initiative designed to contend with climate change and rising water in cities built to reject rain water, rather than absorb or use it.

A grocery store in Montreal wants to give customers the freshest produce they can provide so they decided to convert the store's roof into a 25,000 feet certified organic garden complete with eight beehives to produce honey as well.

In a country known for its biking, researchers in the Netherlands may have discovered an innovative way to turn used toilet paper into a building material that can be used to produce bike lanes around local cities.

Mall of America is welcoming a vegan chain from Texas into its food court, so vegans can find what they need in literally every department.

Pizza Hut tested out their vegan pizza recipe in a few locations, and the success of their product has lead them to expand to over 200 locations.

Dell wants to draw attention to the global issue of e-waste, and encourage people to recycle their old electronics. They're upcycling the gold from their circuitboards into a beautiful line of affordable jewelry with actress and activist Nikki Reed.

A revamped carbon calculator is encouraging people to pick up the slack on reducing carbon emissions in a few simple steps.

A company in Italy has figure out how to set up a beautiful prefabricated house in a single day that can also be made energy independent with solar panels—and it can be easily folded up and put away too.

New York City is working on emptying its landfills by taking organic, compostable food waste and converting it into methane gas that can power homes, trucks, and fill natural gas pipelines.

The crown jewel of this architecture firm's award winning designs features a garden that keep the owners fed year round—and their chickens too.

A campaign targeting food waste is giving amazing suggestions for how to limit consumer's contribution to the problem, with recipes, tips and advice that will change how you relate to your fridge immediately.

Singapore Airlines wants to start feeding passengers food grown locally in the countries they fly to, as a way to make flying more sustainable—and delicious.

In Britain alone, 2.5 billion disposable cups end up in the trash every year. The government has had success with taxing plastic bags. Will taxing cups work to reduce waste?

Autumn Peltier has been working to protect clean water since she was only eight, inspired by her activist aunt and her connection to mother earth.

A group of volunteers have grown the concept of a two week art project into a full-fledged free grocery store with four locations that saves $22,ooo worth of food every week. Even better, they're feeding those in need, no questions asked.

Changes in technology and agriculture have made planting trees easier and less expensive, while changes to the climate have raised demand for the service.

City to Sea is an organization that is working to end plastic waste when it comes to drinking water, by simply encouraging people just to ask to refill their bottles. It's working.

The village of Aberporth has gotten all of its local businesses to commit to ending plastic, after a local campaign merged with a larger awareness of how plastic is harming marine life.

A city in India has had a system in place for purifying millions of gallons of waste every day into clean water and fertilizer for fish and plants. The old system is being threatened by encroaching real estate markets.

In many cities that have been designed to prioritize cars, housing is experiencing a shortage. One design firm is suggesting we turn parking space into living space.

One waste battling organization is telling people that instead of letting their bread go stale and musty on the counter, they should learn how to properly preserve food in the freezer.

Whenever a big chain decides to make its own brand, it signals a big change in consumer habits that they don't think is going away anytime soon. Tesco, a popular chain in the U.K., is turning to eco-friendly cleaning supplies.

Trashpresso takes plastic bottles and turns them into architectural tiles, and it could produce so much more. Right now, it's on display at the London Design Festival and people are excited about its future.

Homes outside the standard electrical grid will be set up with solar power panels and battery packs, introducing households that have never had electricity to a clean, renewable energy source.

A lot of us are dependent on our cars, but sadly, gas fumes aren't great for the environment. Recently, cities around the world have begun practices "car free" days to promote alternative modes of transport, like biking and public transit.

Oyster shells contribute to landfill waste while oyster beds suffer. Now scientists are starting to organize industries who need the shells for business, helping to make seafood far more sustainable.

Palm trees are taking a hit in Los Angeles, where rising temperatures has made sustaining them a difficult proposition.

A new park opened near Red Square featuring all of Russia's many regional climates, shaking off the country's old vision of what a green space should look like.

Researchers have discovered that once people decide to move away from conventional farming products, the preference for organic grows exponentially—and it sticks.

An Australian non-profit is restoring a short track with classic train cars that run on new technology. It's an experiment that could grow into a whole new form of locomotion.

This "butcher shop" is popular for vegans as a place to pick out a variety of fresh vegan sausage and "meat" cuts for their own cooking, but they want to break out onto the open road and show more people what they can do.

La Soupe has kept hundreds of thousands of food waste out of landfills and turned it into nourishing meals for Cincinnati's kids, who struggle with poverty to a degree far above the national average.

Philippines-based nonprofit launched Liter of Light, a project they think will revolutionize people's dependence on electricity while also providing people with jobs and a means of recycling the island's enormous number of plastic bottles. 

Plantagon has developed an indoor growing system that cuts down on energy use through the whole building, saving on heating costs and water usage while maximizing food production.

London is a city known for its history, but when it comes to energy, innovation can be key to taking care of the planet. One often overlooked plant in London powers most of the city via an underground tunnel infrastructure. 

A device that emits sonar waves is breaking down toxic fish-killing algae as it blooms in New Zealand's drinking water. Even better? It's run with solar power.

"Plasma Rock" is a way to create renewable building resources from the stuff people have thrown in the trash, and one artist and designer is making a point to show we can put landfill waste into creative projects. 

Tiny houses have long been a fan favorite for fantasy living, but a small home can be great for the environment, as they're easily outfitted for sustainable energy systems and can be far more easily built with recyclable materials.

Consumer choices have shifted towards plant-based materials as the effects of conventional farming on our environment becomes common knowledge. 

The United Kingdom has just taken a big step in showing their commitment to reducing the environmental risk posed by cars and vans that run on diesel gas. The decision comes from a fear that nitrogen oxide will soon cause a serious risk to public health.

If you've ever wanted your own tiny home with no muss or fuss, you can buy one online for less than a down payment on most apartments.

Professor of Architecture at Ohio University, Kevin Nute, is making a good case for bringing weather indoors based on decades of previous research. In a new essay he explains why bringing outside elements can improve productivity and mood.

For their 20th anniversary, the company said they wanted to "look forward" rather than back. In the future, they saw the need for sustainably made clothing that considered the ethical implications of all its elements.

U.K. grocery chain East of England is cutting back on the country's food waste problem by offering perfectly good food that's passed its "best by" date at a steep discount.

As sea levels rise, coastal areas are trying to figure out how to save their communities. One organization is suggesting we let the water in.