Introduction “Two hours into a midsummer planting job, my crew realized the box of plastic mulch we’d relied on for years had been left at the warehouse. Rather than halt the job, we grabbed a bundle of burlap squares for landscaping that the nursery manager kept “for emergencies.” By sundown the beds were covered, the

Introduction Are all fire blankets made of fiberglass? I used to assume so—until a night welding on a pivot irrigator five years ago. Sparks landed on what I thought was standard fiberglass; moments later the drape glazed, stuck to the steel, and had to be hacked away with a scraper while the crew blew CO₂.

Introduction Climate-smart construction and land management projects increasingly demand materials that leave a lighter footprint on the planet. When it comes to slope stabilization, seeding, and erosion control, the choice often narrows to two meshes: jute rope net—woven from the bast fibers of the jute plant—and plastic mesh made from polypropylene or HDPE. This article