Sustainability & Green Living

El Segundo, Calif. – October 06, 2026 -- Outer Spaces has launched a backyard pavilion that generates solar power and stores it in a hidden battery built into the deck, with the first units arriving in 2027 in Southern California and select markets.

The system hides batteries beneath a finished outdoor deck

The product, called OS1, pairs a solar-generating roof structure with a "power deck" that houses ultra-thin battery storage underneath a walkable outdoor floor. The pavilion produces electricity during the day and can supply backup power to the home during an outage, functioning as an outdoor living room, kitchen, office, gym or wellness space.

Charlotte, N.C. – October 06, 2026 -- Cirba Solutions has launched the Battery Smarts Quiz, a free 10-question online tool designed to help everyday consumers learn how to charge, store and dispose of lithium batteries safely.

The average American owns 11 lithium-powered devices but little safety training

Cirba Solutions, which describes itself as the leading battery recycling materials and management company in North America, built the quiz around gaps identified in its own consumer research. The launch coincides with Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 4-10), hosted annually by the National Fire Protection Association, whose 2026 theme focuses on safe charging habits.

Seattle – October 06, 2026 -- REI Co-op and Japanese retailer BEAMS today launched the BEAMS x REI Co-op Expedition Parka, a limited-edition jacket based on an original 1986 design found in REI's archive. Only 500 units were made, and the parka goes on sale October 6 for $599 online and at select stores.

The jacket pairs 1986 styling with 2026 materials

The parka uses WINDSTOPPER by GORE-TEX LABS fabric, 650-fill-power down insulation and recycled materials. Its durable water repellent coating is made without PFAS, and the jacket is produced in a Fair Trade Certified factory. A coordinating stuff sack and co-branded details are included.

Las Vegas – October 06, 2026 -- BLUETTI has launched a two-day lineup of discounted solar generators and home backup units, available on Amazon and the BLUETTI website during Prime Big Deal Days on Oct. 6–7.

The deals target fall storm season, offering options from whole-home backup systems to pocket-sized power banks for road trips.

The Elite 300 starts at $999 for home and off-grid use

The Elite 300 solar generator delivers 3kWh-class capacity with 2,400W continuous output, enough to run essential household appliances during an outage. It includes a TT-30R port and 12V/30A DC output for travel trailers and boondocking. A bundle with the SORA 500 solar panel costs $1,699.

San Diego – October 06, 2026 -- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has established a third reintroduced population of endangered Pacific pocket mice at North San Mateo, a training area within Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

The milestone marks 20 years since the Alliance launched its Pacific Pocket Mouse Conservation Program in 2006. Since then, the organization has released more than 500 Pacific pocket mice into new and existing populations across the species' native range in Southern California.

The mouse weighs about as much as three pennies

The Pacific pocket mouse is the smallest and one of the most endangered mammals in North America, roughly the size of a human thumb. Once believed extinct, it was rediscovered in 1993 when a small remnant population turned up in Orange County, prompting an emergency listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. Only three original wild populations survive today.

New York – October 03, 2026 -- A new episode of the climate interview series Net Zero Speaks tackles a question coastal communities can no longer ignore: what happens when rising seas meet sinking land. The episode, produced by the Planet Classroom Network with the Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement, features Professor Marco Marani of the University of Padova, Director of the Centre for Climate Change Impacts (CRITICAL).

Hosted by youth climate advocate Ivan Ransom and produced by Gillian Cameron, the conversation centers on what Marani calls 'relative sea-level rise' -- the combined effect of ocean rise and land subsidence. He points to Venice and major river deltas as places where natural sediment compaction and human activity speed up sinking and worsen flood risk.

Diamond Bar, Calif. – October 02, 2026 -- The South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board has approved $60.2 million in additional funding for its GO ZERO Incentive Program, which pays homeowners and small businesses to swap gas furnaces and water heaters for zero-emission heat pumps.

The expansion follows a $21 million pilot launched in September 2025 that helped more than 3,000 single-family homes and 700 multifamily units switch from gas to electric systems. Multifamily funding was fully reserved within two weeks of launch, and single-family funding ran out in under six months.

New funding splits $60.2 million across three pools

The expanded program allocates $20 million each to single-family and multifamily rebates, with another $20 million distributed to either category based on demand.

Catalina Foothills, Ariz. – September 30, 2026 -- Hairline cracks on a clay or concrete tile roof might look harmless, but roofing professional Drew Nelson of Apex Roof Pros LLC says they can quietly let water reach the underlayment beneath the tiles, weakening a roof's waterproofing over time.

In Tucson's dry, high-heat climate, daily temperature swings cause tiles to expand and contract, a cycle Nelson says gradually widens existing cracks and adds stress to the roof system.

Cracked tiles shift weight and expose the underlayment during storms

Nelson explains that cracked tiles distribute weight unevenly, creating stress points across the roof. When monsoon winds or heavy weather hit, that uneven pressure can cause a tile to slip or break entirely, exposing the underlayment and leading to more complex repairs.

Boulder – – September 29, 2026 -- The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is opening hundreds of solar-powered homes, businesses and community sites across all fifty states to the public October 2-4, 2026, as part of its National Solar Tour Showcase Weekend.

Hundreds of host sites span residential rooftops to community solar gardens

Now in its 31st year, the National Solar Tour bills itself as the largest grassroots solar event in the United States. This year's Showcase Weekend includes residential rooftop systems, community solar gardens and net-zero homes, giving attendees a direct look at how solar and clean energy technologies function day to day.

Santa Ana, Calif. – September 29, 2026 -- OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) will host a countywide Community Compost Giveaway on Saturday, October 3, from 7:30 a.m. to noon, offering free, ready-to-use compost made from green waste collected across Orange County homes, while supplies last.

The compost will be distributed at three sites: Bee Canyon Greenery at Frank R. Bowerman Landfill in Irvine, Valencia Greenery at Olinda Alpha Landfill in Brea, and Capistrano Greenery at Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano.

Residents must bring their own containers at two locations.

At the Irvine and San Juan Capistrano sites, residents need to bring their own containers or heavy-duty yard waste bags along with a shovel to load the compost themselves. At the Brea location, OCWR will hand out prefilled bags, limited to four per household while supplies last.