Inside Auroville’s Living Laboratory of Sustainable Building
Auroville, founded in 1968 spanning parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, India, was conceived as an experimental township on what was once a barren plateau.
Stories on Sustainability
Sustainability sits at the heart of Unsustainable Magazine. This section brings together stories that explore how people, communities, and ecosystems adapt to a world in rapid transition. Here you’ll find reporting and reflections on climate change, ecological resilience, waste systems, energy futures, and the everyday choices that shape our collective impact.
Our aim isn’t just to document environmental challenges, but to examine how they intersect with justice, inequality, and lived experience. From new research on carbon emissions to local efforts to restore biodiversity, these articles connect the global and the personal, the structural and the immediate.
Whether you’re looking for clear explanations, in-depth analysis, or grounded ideas for creating change, the Sustainability category offers a wide-ranging view of the forces reshaping our planet — and the possibilities that still remain.
Guardians of the Himalayas: Apis laboriosa and the Himalayan Ecosystem
There’s one tiny creature that has survived the harsh conditions and defies the odds every day, the Himalayan giant honeybee, Apis laboriosa.
How Paper Over-consumption is Damaging the Environment
Even if we make sure that we recycle it, our global paper industry is placing an unbearable weight on the planet’s forests, water, and climate.
The Blue Carbon vault: How Restoring Mangroves Locks Away CO2 and Protects Coasts
Mangroves, which were often thought of as wastelands, are now more widely acknowledged as blue carbon ecosystems that can store enormous amounts of carbon.
The Truth About Corporate Tech Waste and Carbon Footprint
Tech waste makes up just 2% of landfill mass but creates 70% of toxic waste. Let’s take a closer look.
What’s the Link Between Air Quality, Heat Waves and 911 Calls?
As heatwaves intensify and smog levels climb, emergency medical systems show a predictable pattern of more 911 calls for respiratory distress, chest pain and heat-related illness. The interaction between poor air quality and extreme temperatures strains human physiology, especially among vulnerable groups. What can you do when the air you breathe turns dangerous? What You’re … Read more
Water-Wise Practices: How Your Boundary and Envelope Choices Impact Watershed Management and Drainage
As rain falls, it seeps into the ground and nourishes the soil on an undeveloped hillside. However, when it hits the roof of a house or an impermeable driveway, the water streams into the nearest sewer drain.
Sustainable Energy Models That Empower Local Communities
Communities thrive when they control the energy that powers their lives. Across towns and villages, people are finding ways to generate clean electricity close to home. Solar panels on rooftops, local wind turbines, and shared battery storage are turning consumers into producers. Each small project creates independence, builds confidence, and strengthens resilience. These energy models … Read more
What Are Natural Fibers? The Complete Beginner’s Guide
The way we produce and use materials affects the world’s biggest challenges: climate change, waste pollution, biodiversity loss, and social inequality.
The Wonder Plant That is Thabalaba (Miers)
Dr Noliya Mponya thinks Malawi needs to domesticate the Thabalaba plant, whose scientific name is Jateorhiza palmata.
Why Floating Solar Farms Are Gaining Momentum Worldwide
Understanding the importance of solar farms could transform how you imagine a greener future.
The Best Environmental Books to Understand Climate Change
If you’re serious about finding curated books on sustainability and summaries on climate change, this list is where you can begin.
Dispersers for Energy, Materials, and Nutrition Research
Dispersers will not make headlines, yet they are fundamental facilitators of improvements in energy, materials, and nutrition research.
Malawi’s Demand for Fish Swells Amid Declining Fish Stocks
Over the years, Lake Malawi, the fourth largest fresh water lake in the world by volume, has been losing fish stocks at alarming levels.
Waste-to-Energy Systems and Landfill Diversion Programs
Waste-to-energy (WTE) systems and landfill diversion programs: Businesses are learning to extract electricity, heat, or reusable inputs from waste materials.
The Truths and Misconceptions About Solar Farms
Will solar energy help, or are its benefits overstated? Discover the truth behind every pervasive misperception about solar farms to separate fact from fiction.
COP30 and Brazil’s Green Energy Transition
From November 10th to 21st, 2025, the city of Belém in northern Brazil will host the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).
Chia Lagoon: Restoring Bird Numbers and Biodiversity
Chia Lagoon in Malawi has over 600 bird species, and many are endemic. Their numbers have been threatened by overhunting, but recent efforts have seen a change.
Automotive Sustainability Innovations of the 21st Century
Here are 10 of the most significant innovations that have paved the way for a cleaner, greener automotive future.
The Bird-Friendly Fence and Home: Design Considerations to Prevent Avian Collisions While Maintaining Security
Avian collisions with man-made structures greatly affect bird populations and erode biodiversity. Are there practical solutions?
The Neighbourhood Sustainability Indicator Project
A project carried out in Finland by the Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies collected indicators of a sustainable neighbourhood.
Vivaia – Sustainable, Wearable Shoes for Every Occasion
It’s convenient that one brand can offer everything you need and want, plus offer an ethically run and sustainably made product.
Malawi Makes Strides in Carbon Trading
Malawi has generated income through carbon trading. These earnings have been realized from the sale of carbon credits. Let’s take a closer look.
In Pursuit of Clean Cooking Energy in Malawi
Lack of clean cooking technologies in Malawi, as in much of the rest of the world, is a large problem, resulting in the problematic use of wood or charcoal.
Plant-Based Diets, Food Systems, and a Circular Economy
Plant-based diets offer one of the most effective ways to align your eating habits with circular economy goals. Let’s look at the reasons why.
Urban Mining — Harvesting Building Materials From the Cities of Today for Tomorrow
The practice of urban mining has encouraged sustainability-minded people to think differently about sourcing construction materials. Instead of extracting resources from the planet, this process reuses materials that people would otherwise discard.
Chocolate, and the Cocoa Industry, in a Warming Climate
Chocolate in a warming climate: How changing average temperatures are impacting the cocoa industry
The Seven Stages of Climate Grief
Actually confronting the reality of climate catastrophe can look a lot like the 7 stages of grief. Let’s discuss the 7 stages of climate grief.
Drought-Proofing Your Landscape: Adaptive Strategies for a Changing Climate
Drought-proof landscaping is quickly becoming necessary if you want your outdoor space to survive a changing climate. Droughts are happening more often and lasting longer.
How Climate Change and Infrastructure Issues Are Leading to More Power Outages
Extreme weather and aging power grids make the perfect recipe for widespread blackouts. Resolving it with clean energy isn’t as easy as you think.
Food Waste Due to Recalls: The Environmental Implications
From your home to the local landfills, the ramifications of food recalls are far and wide. Here are 10 lesser-known effects of these critical announcements.
Natural vs. Synthetic Materials: Which Are More Sustainable for Building?
When looking at natural versus synthetic, most builders want to know which aligns most with a greener future.
Sand as a Finite Resource: The Need to Reduce Consumption
Sand may not come to mind when most people think of the world’s limited resources. As through the hourglass, however, sand may be indeed be running out.
Why Diversity in the Trades Goes Hand in Hand With Sustainability
Every benefit of DEI is an advantage for sustainability — the opposite is also true. The willingness to tackle both requires transparency and dedication. By Evelyn Long, editor-in-chief of Renovated There is still little diversity when observing trades like construction, electrical and plumbing. Women, people of color and other minority demographics remain less represented. This reality … Read more
Climate Change and Invasive Species: A Growing Threat to Biodiversity
Climate change and invasive species are interconnected, which may create the most negative consequences for indigenous plants and animals.
Environmental Health and Safety: The Role of Technology
Workplaces are adapting to those evolving influences by merging advanced tech tools with environmental health and safety strategies.