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When people think of the coconut industry, they often only think of things like coconut water, coconut milk, the meat and so on. Believe it or not this is only the surface of the industry. There is more to it than meets the eye. What most people do not know is that almost all parts of the coconut tree have use. Even the bits that one would think are just thrown away. One of these bits happens to be the coir.

What is Coconut Coir?

Simply put, coconut coir is the outer husk of the coconut. In older times this husk was merely discarded without much use, then the benefits of this material were discovered. There are two types of coconut coir. White coir which comes from the un-ripened coconuts and brown coir which comes from the more mature ripe coconuts. Each of

these fibers has its own special properties. The white fibers are more flexible than the brown, but are not as strong. The brown fibers on the other hand are less flexible, but are far stronger than the white. You might be asking your self at this point what’s the purpose of these fibers?

How it’s used

Coconut coir has multiple use from garden to home. The most common of these would be the coconut coir pot. This pots provides nutrients to the plants and does not pull moisture away from the plant. This also comes with the added benefit of being organic, which means no plastic needed. With more advancements, simple designs like this can be taken to other levels to provide even better benefits while remaining organic and free of plastics.

Weed Blocking

One such use beginning to rise in popularity is the coconut coir weed blocker. Easy to use and can be adapted to many different sizes needed for your garden. Why is this beneficial you might ask? The primary purpose is of course blocking weeds, but also gives a bit more in terms of usefulness.

• Water control
• pest management
• Blocks weeds
• Environmentally friendly

Coconut coir has the ability to absorb up to 10x its weight in water. This can help retain moisture in the soil and prevent it from drying out and harming your garden while saving on water. As for insects, they do not like settling in coconut coir. This simple little barrier adds another layer of

defense to your plants. It is good for blocking weeds. Unlike the standard fabric, that can sometimes be a nuisance, these just slip right over your plan. With the coconut coir weed block you don’t need to worry about having a negative impact on the environment.

Conclusion 

Coconut coir is becoming a very useful item in and out of the garden. When something that has the benefits of being useful and environmentally friendly, it’s hard to pass up. Keeping a green thumb is a good way to help everyone along.  Using it as a simple weed blocker, a pot, or even a mat will give good benefits to all.

Many small things in life have a tendency to be overlooked. Often seen as not having much value or use, but a lot of the time, this isn’t the case. Creativity and ingenuity are the limits in ones ability to bring about change. Inspiration to do such things can come from any where.

Simple observations of nature can have the power to alter the course of history.  From the sheer beauty of the mountain peaks to the powerful display of storms, nature is one of the most influential and inspiring forces. Even the creatures that roam this planet have given rise to some of the greatest achievements. This inspiration from observing nature gives rise to new ideas. With these new ideas comes the challenge of expanding on such thought. Such a task has many roads to success. As Einstein said, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Closer observations and study into the origin of an idea will give a great amount of detail needed to act.

There’s an old adage, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” The needs of something can give rise to great innovation. When a task takes too long, too difficult, or just approached from a different angle, this brings up the notion of a new way to complete a task. Like with observations of nature, it’s time to look at the source of that idea for change. Over time these ideas build upon each other. What was once a simple idea will become an achievement for generations to take inspiration from and expand upon.

At first glance coconut shells look to be of no use. As said before there’s more than meets the eye. For countless years coconut shells have been repurposed to better the lives of people. Simple and organic coconut bowls have allowed for easier dining and even greater ideas. Once the coconut bowl was seen as successful they began to be used for a more advanced form of storage. Purses and bags  have been used for centuries as an ease for carrying items. Like mentioned before necessity is the mother of invention. Taking a simple idea and improving on it.

Over countless years many nations have sought the benefits of the coconut tree. From providing nourishment to basic shelter and crafts, the uses can be countless. Some of the oldest record uses of the coconut tree dates back to the first century B.C. Native to the tropics, this tree requires warm humid weather, with the added bonus of having a high salinity tolerance.

Food! One of the primary staples of life. The coconut tree provides a nutritious treat for all to enjoy. The white meat of the coconut provides many health benefits. These include boosting heart health and fat loss. Coconut water has become a trend over the last few years. Hydrating, low in calories, and naturally free of fat, coconut water is a drink to be sought after. Finally, we have coconut oil. Both useful in cooking and health products, the industry has taken a liking to the product for its versatile uses.

Even the waste of the coconut tree has many uses. The coconut shells, once the meat is removed, can be fashioned into many useful things. The most obvious of these crafts would be a simple coconut bowl or planter. No need to use plastic when nature provides an excellent product of its own. Many South East Asian countries have deep tradition with creating artistic works of art with such a simple thing. Even the coconut husk has its uses. From rope to mats, and even its own type of planter, the fibers of the husk can be created into valuable assets for gardening and storing goods.

The leaves of the coconut tree have more uses than one would imagine. Though the most common use of these would be for thatched roofs, they have artistic qualities to them as well. Due to the shape and characteristics of the leaf, they are excellent for making weaved goods. Baskets, decorations, and even mats can be created and enjoyed by all.

The wood of the coconut tree is rather unique. It’s very heavy compared to other woods, and requires a bit more of a delicate touch. But like many other woods out there, it is good for building, crafts, and cooking. With the growth rate of the coconut tree, this wood is in great abundance making it a good option for sustainability.

Stay tuned for next week’s article as we dive deeper into the uses of the coconut tree!

There is an ever-present demand for more ecofriendly vehicles in this day in age. Tesla’s electric cars are growing in popularity and hybrid vehicles have been commonplace for over a decade. There is, however, a downside to full and hybrid electric vehicles. Firstly, batteries require rare earth minerals that need to be mined at great expense to the environment. Secondly, batteries have a useful life of a few years before they need to be replaced and contain a host of toxic chemicals complicating disposal. Thirdly, there is virtually no benefit from electric cars if the electricity is generated by fossil fuels which is the case in most parts of the world. A possible ecofriendly alternative to electric cars is ones powered by biodiesel. This fuel is created through a process called

transesterification where vegetable oils are processed and separated into methyl esters and glycerin. Methyl esters can be used to power diesel engines and glycerin has several useful applications such as the production of soap. Naturally, coconut oil can be used in this process due to its high fat content and hence high energy density. Biodiesel burns quite cleanly and does not produce many of the same pollutants created by burning conventional diesel. However, burning any material will result in the production of CO2 emission regardless of how cleanly it may otherwise burn. So does this discredit coconut oil as a potential ecofriendly biofuel? Not quite. This is since despite CO2 being released via burning coconut biodiesel, an equivalent amount of carbon will be sequestered in the process of going the coconuts since plant life converts CO2 into Oxygen. This process is known as the carbon cycle where there is a natural equilibrium between carbon and oxygen being released into the atmosphere leading to a minimal greenhouse effect.

During the so-called green rush, there has been a broad search for finding eco-friendly construction materials. Conventional building materials such as concrete and lumber are extraordinarily damaging to the environment both due to deforestation and heavy carbon dioxide emissions from manufacturing.

Nearly 61,000 acres of forest have been lost to the timber industry in 2017 (Source: Livescience.com) and nearly 8 % of the world’s CO2 emissions in 2016 were directly the result of manufacturing cement (Source: bbc.com). When searching or an eco-friendly building material, a durable and strong material is needed. Preferably one that is already a byproduct.

Although not very intuitive, coconut shells are being investigated as a potential eco-friendly building material. These shells are an abundant by product material that is carbon neutral. They are strong, waterproof, and aesthetically pleasing. A Mumbai based marketing professional (Manish Advani) and architect (Jayneel Trivedi) have spearheaded a project to create eco-friendly houses made from coconut shells. In the heavily impoverished slums of Mumbai, inexpensive building materials are in high demand and this demand could be partially met with the help of coconut shells. The duo uses this eco-friendly material along with scrap wood, metal, and other recycled goods to build small houses for poverty ridden communities all at a price below 200 US dollars.

This project is another testament to the versatility and usefulness of coconut shells and other eco-friendly materials. Not only can they be used to replace everyday household items but they can be used as a household themselves.

The art of Eco-War

–part 1–

Our objectives are to raise ecological consciousness, to encourage and promote a more earth-friendly living and help you create smart strategies to ditch as much as possible your plastic consumption. To make a real difference we need to know that strategy is incumbent upon learning how to effectively minimize our waste and ecological footprint. Unluckily unsustainable habits like plastic are so embedded in our lives that it is impossible to get rid of them easily. Winning this ecological battle needs education, effort, and self-awareness.

So you think that a bunch of governments around the world increasingly awakening to the scale of plastic pollution and banning bags and straws will change the disastrous situation in which we are? Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg and we need to prepare for a wider scale “war” on pollution. Paraphrasing one of the best strategist of all time, Sun Tzu, to win a hundred battles we first need to know our enemy, our environment and ourselves.

Know your enemy:

For some decades plastic has been considered as the “miracle material”. The name plastic has its origin from the Greek “plastikos” which means to mold. The two most widely manufactured plastic is polyethylene and polypropylene. They were first produced in the ’60s for commercial purposes. The first plastic household to be commercialized was a basin and was meant to be a safer and more durable alternative to iron or wooden ones which could last forever. In fact, plastic items were demised to be passed down for generations. So what is gotten to us that we took an immortal material and we started creating single-use objects?

Today more than 50% of plastic production is meant to become single-use plastic and just 9% of it is recycled. Most of it is meant to become landfill or being thrown in the ocean. Our habits have been corrupted by something that insidiously entered our lives like an addiction. We are addicted to the hasty and unsustainable solution that plastic is given to us.  For medical procedures or during humanitarian disasters the use of plastic syringes and bottles is essential. It can save lives if used smartly. An estimated 100MILLION marine animals are killed each year by plastic. It can be a weapon of mass destruction if used ignorantly. By using organic containers, tableware, and reusable bags we can drastically reduce by 80% of our daily plastic waste and our ecological footprint.

KEEP READING PART2