Those who have already climbed the famous glass tube stair of the Pompidou Centre in Paris will be delighted to discover the themes of the D-Day exhibition running from June, 29th to Oct, 17th 2005. For newcomers, that might be the occasion to enter the world of contemporary design from a sustainable perspective. Covering many areas of design such as well being, interactive communication or biotechnologies, DDay expo also puts a strong focus on humanitarian and sustainable issues....
I was browsing around on the auto-web when I found an interesting editorial at
The Truth About Car: They discuss an
article in Autoweek about GM's concept hybrid SUV, the Graphyte. The priceless quote: "In fact, Autoweek let slip that the Graphyte is a sham. The demo SUV was powered by the same old GM iron-- despite the plastic cover proclaiming it a hybrid. 'We later learned that actual prototypes are out in the real world doing engineering tests…' So noone at GM told Autoweek that the demo SUV had a gas-guzzling V8 until AFTER they drove it? You couldn’t ask for a better illustration of the dishonest desperation infesting The General’s ranks." I know that prototypes are work-in-progress, but if that accusation is true, GM has crossed the line into greenwashing territory once again.
::The Truth About Cars,
::Autoweek...
Treehugger Warren regrets that the
Voltaic Backpack won't power his laptop-Perhaps this would help. Made more for the briefcase set rather than the backpacker, it opens to provide enough surface area to generate 13 watts, enough to power computers, hand tools or even a DC Fridge so you can have a cold beer while you work.
::Sunshine Solar via
::Red Ferret...
Now we know which way the wind is blowing: Hydro-Québec, the state-owned power utility of the province of Québec in Canada, is sending out tenders to buy 2,000 megawatts of wind power. Right now, most electricity in Québec comes from hydro power, but in the past 2 years, 1,500 megawatts of wind power have been ordered, so this new announcement brings the future total to 3,500 megawatts, more than 7% of the currently installed wind power capacity in the world. This comes after last year's public outrage at Hydro-Québec's plans to build a natural gas power plant. The outcry was so embarassing for the already unpopular provincial government that it cancelled the project and turned to wind instead (an example to be followed by communities all around the globe)....
Treehugger loves prefab- it can be a better way to build energy efficient, greener home. Italian portal Edilportale.com has announced a design competition with two categories:
* Living unit as preassembled block/blocks
Unit made by preassembled block/blocks whose dimensions allow transport on roads, rails or by air. Dimensions can be related (but it’s not compulsory) to standard dimensions of containers for commercial transportations that automatically comply with transportability problems and don’t need special vehicles. Final unit might be obtained by a single block or by assembling and connecting more than one block.
* Living unit as assemblage of light prefabricated small elements
Unit made by technological systems relying on small prefabricated elements that can be assembled on site according to the need for special dimensions of living units (when such dimensions don’t allow transportation with common vehicles) or when structural conception of technological system doesn’t allow handling of preassembled blocks (usually when system doesn’t provide for a self-foundation basement)
This is a really interesting program and is open to anyone. Ladies and Gentlemen, sharpen your pencils!
::Livingbox...
Spoken like a true Hippie...or is that hipp-eye? Depends on the audience maybe. Excerpted from President Bush's remarks for the G8 meeting: "
The best way to help nations develop while limiting pollution and improving public health is to promote technologies for generating energy that are clean, affordable and secure. Some have suggested the best solution to environmental challenges and climate change is to oppose development and put the world on an energy diet. But at this moment, about two billion people have no access to any form of modern energy. Blocking that access would condemn them to permanent poverty, disease, high infant mortality, polluted water and polluted air. We're taking a better approach". ...
Oh, #$%^ ! Tipster Max send us this lead ages ago, but it got lost in an overburdened in-tray. But there’s still time. So without further ado: “BikeSummer 2005 is in Los Angeles, California, and you can be part of it! It's happening between June 3 and July 4. We are celebrating and promoting the bicycle as an efficient, fun, sociable, healthy, environmentally friendly way to get around Los Angeles. We're exploring neighborhoods and places beyond. We're connecting with new people and communities. Envision a more bicycle-friendly Los Angeles - and make it happen!!”
::Bike Summer 2005 ...
A while back,
Worldchanging put up a link to a gorgeous little video animation, known as the
Wombat. Its message - that we are all in this together. All of us, no matter whether rich or poor. The whole idea of ‘Sustainable Development’ is premised on the notion of providing appropriate resources for the generations that follow. What about those, who today are bereft of those resources? In the next week you’ll see an unprecedented action to help those less fortunate move to a more sustainable existence. The Live 8 concerts and The Long Walk To Justice will focus global attention on the issues of third world debt, aid and trade. The campaign doesn’t want your money, it wants your voice. Give it. (and if you just come to TH for the ‘design’ then go look at the
videos, to see how eloquently a message can be delivered. That’s design for the real world.)
::Live 8...
Hog Works make a rainwater storage tank, the
Waterhog, that can be fitted into a buildings’ cavity wall, or under timber decking, which is pretty funky. But they also do
Groundhogs, as shown here. Not designed for water storage and reuse but primarily as thermal mass. Slot these easy-to-move orange plastic tanks into your buildings’ floor, fill them with water, an anti-algae tablet and a cap. External heat like the sun, or internal, like an efficient heater, will transfer heat into the water. Due to its’ mass (200kg per tank!) the retained heat then takes a long while to be released, thus warming the space, without an excess energy load. It’s the modern version of filling 44 gallon drums and painting ‘em black, which was all the rage during the 70’s energy crisis.
::Hog Works...
With the huge
Live 8 concerts about to get underway, here’s a story about a more modest approach to much the same issues of poverty and hunger. We affluent computer-user types can buy 100% organic milk chocolate. On the packaging we’ll find a code that allows us chocoholics to visit a website and select a project in Africa, India and South America that provides “sustainable food and water supplies for communities in great need”. A portion of the purchase price for that same block of chocolate then goes to that project. Indeed, all of the money goes direct to the project, none is retained for admin purposes. So your dollars, pounds, euros, etc can be spent directly on “clean water, vegetable growing, agricultural training ...all the projects aim at providing people in the developing world with a safety net for the future and vital steps away from malnutrition and poverty.” The swiss chocolate itself is 33% cocoa and 73% of the ingredients are fair traded.
::CHOCaid...
Here’s a
Wiki focused almost solely around renewable energy. If you are into topics like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biofuel, hydrogen and even steam power, the Green Wiki could be just the place to visit. At least for those times when TreeHugger is having a low energy post sort of day. And you need a renewables fix, before you get the shakes. Using the Wiki ethos, cross links abound and you’ll soon have a head full of knowledge and be able to sound like an expert around the water cooler. Readers are encouraged to add their own stories and contribute to the site. There are related topics to investigate as well. Check it out. Via
Greenleap,
::Green Wiki...
They may not be treehugger-correct, but we always loved model rockets. Thus as the resident Kunstler-loving hydrogen debunking crank, this Treehugger was so excited to see that Estes, master of the model rocket, is now offering a hydrogen powered toy rocket that makes hydrogen in an “electrolytic reactor” from water with citric acid as a catalyst. When the hydrogen pressure gets to 3 PSI it is detonated and it shoots up to 200 feet, and then autogyros down.
We were really intrigued by this and tried to find out more. ...
Move over Girl Scouts, Newman O’s delicious cookies are now in our pantry. In 1993, Nell Newman, daughter of Paul, established an organic division of Newman’s Own and in 2001 it became it’s own company. From snacks to salads to even pet foods, Newman’s Organics are made from the highest quality organic ingredients and taste so good. They also have coffee and are partnered with
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. The fresh lettuce comes in compostable plastic tubs that are made from 100% corn grown by farmers in the United States. Nell even has a book entitled
“The Newman’s Own Organics Guide to a Simple Life” which talks about measures you can take as an individual to help build a sustainable lifestyle. We think she’s following in her father’s footsteps quite well.
::Newman’s Own Organics...
Voltaic solar bags and TreeHugger
go way back. In fact, they both sort of grew up together, like kids living next door to one another. TH just recently passed the milestone of 2000 posts. Now it’s Voltaic’s turn for a celebration. Taking the technology and slick design, which made the original pack so popular (that it became a
case study in the power of blogs), they have morphed the concept into 3 new bags. One is a Daypack, smaller than the initial backpack. Then there’s the Pouch, smaller again and uniquely designed such that it can be used as daypack or stow the shoulder straps away and carry it shoulder bag style, with your laptop inside a fully padded shell. Plus it can attach to the back of most larger rucksacks to provide solar juice on remote trips. And finally the Messenger, a more traditional format laptop bag. All sport the same ......
![SunLightTable[1].jpg](http://i.treehugger.com/files/images/SunLightTable[1].jpg)
The Sunlight Table brings natural light into workspaces and re-establishes a connection with the outside world.
The table is covered by optical fibres creating a "sunlight display grid" on the surface. The fibres are connected to a second input grid placed on a window. Light and shade are transmitted from the window through the fibres and into the table....
Many of you may have heard of Nature’s Path, which sells cereals, snack foods and waffles to name a few. All of their products are organic and can be found in a large number of stores in the United States and other countries as well, in addition to being sold online. TreeHugger received a press release from them recently introducing their new eco packaging called EnviroBox. It reduces the packaging of their flaked cereals by 10% and we were told that Nature’s Path will extend this over time to the rest of their products as well. The amount of cereal doesn’t change, just the amount of wasted box space, which equals 75 tons of paperboard per year. It seems like that’s a pretty basic win-win concept and we’re wondering why other companies don’t do it as well.
::Nature’s Path...
The FCX is Honda's fuel cell prototype car. We have already
written about it when it was test-driven by a New York Times journalist. The big news for Honda is that it has now started leasing a few of the cars to private citizens in the USA (I think they were already leasing some in Japan). The firsts to take the plunge are Jon and Sandy Spallino of Redondo Beach, California. These people already own a Honda Civic that runs on compressed natural gas, so they are already used to dealing with fewer refueling points; they will use the FCX in everyday normal use, including commuting to work to Orange County, trips to school for their children, shopping and household errands. Their lease is $500/month....
Dyesol announced their 'float' and IPO on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) this week. Much to my enjoyment, Dyesol has
taken my advice and created a biomimic of photosynthesis. Although not exactly the way I had envisioned, but then again they have been working on titanium dioxide based solar cells for a decade. The titanium dioxide is cheaper and cleaner to manufacture then traditional silicon solar cells. And while their unique dye seems expensive to me, the technology is poised to help revolutionize solar energy (I know I've said this about
others, but it's a rapidly growing field...)...
A new study published in Science prepared by scientists at Stanford University has come to remarkable conclusions: a) if cars ran on hydrogen instead of gas, we would have less carbon dioxide greenhouse emissions, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and soot. b) if the hydrogen was generated by electrolyis from electricity produced by windmills, this would be really wonderful.
And if pigs could fly we could all get on their backs and not need our cars at all. Treehugger likes to be positive and uplifting but reading reports like this really drives us to the
Kunstler Kool-aid. Even the authors admit: "The problem, however, is determining whether these scenarios are feasible. Producing hydrogen from water through wind power is expensive. And there are problems with storing, transporting and distributing hydrogen fuels." Really.
::Nature via
::Worldchanging and for a more restrained overview read
::Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends ...
If the trends already in evidence play out by the cold logic of the marketplace, we can expect the organic cotton market to grow as much as organic food has. In a strong indication of what may happen,
Apparel Magazine has already offered the feature article: -- "
Organic Clothing: It's Not Just for Tree Huggers Anymore". And boy, won't that tickle the Think Tanks who have long despised us TreeHuggers for treasuring anything organic! It's actually a seminal article...call it a must read...that is both disturbing and refreshing. We've all seen the street level evidence. Sam's Club stores, whose parent is Wal-Mart, introduced Chaus' organic cotton active wear. Whole Foods' flagship store in Austin, Texas, has opened an organic clothing boutique, and there are rumors of other major department stores looking into carrying organic clothing lines. Timberline maybe; and, of course, Nike has a company-wide organic cotton content goal. ...
The
American Forest & Paper Association (I remember a few accusations of greenwashing, but I can't remember anything specific - hopefully they are serious about recycling) has set a goal to recover 55% of all paper consumed in the US by 2012, and it has created an award to publicly recognize outstanding efforts to promote paper recycling. The 2005 winners of this award in the categories for "individual", "business", and "community" are respectively: Judge Jack Jones of Jefferson County, Arkansas, Quad/Graphics of Sussex, Wisconsin, and Eureka Recycling of Saint Paul, Minnesota (co-winners) and Clearwater, Florida and Seneca, South Carolina (co-winners too). For more details on the achievements of each winner, read on....
Organic Dates, Organic Roasted Cashews, Organic Goji Berries*, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Organic Vanilla. That’s the complete ingredients list for one of the new Nectar Bars by Clif. Nothing more. And if the readers who commented
last time we posted on Clif Bars are anything go by, the taste will be yummy too. According to Clif Bar, (who alerted us to the new line) the 5 ingredients thing is across the whole line of Nectar bars. They also pointed out that each bar has two ‘servings’ of fruit. And one percent of revenue from sale of the bars goes to the
Organic Farming Research Foundation under a scheme organised by
1% for the Planet Expected to be about $1.80 USD, when available this northern summer.
::Nectar by Clif (*Wanna know what a Goji berry is? Read on ... )...
Ratcliff is an architectural firm that will turn 100 next year. Their internal Committee for Environmental Design Resources has developed this cross referencing web tool, for designers in the realm of the built environment. Although not visually rich (like Treehugger) it does contain a wealth of sources of information for understanding and implementing greener architecture. Being a matrix it has a rank of five topics on one side, with names that mere mortals can follow, such as
site, water, energy, materials, and indoor environment. The other axis is a bit more industry specific:
pro-forma, master planning, pre-design, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and construction/post occupancy. Click on the junction that unites any two topics and a host of related resources appear.The navigation is a little quirky but no doubt as one gets used to it, all becomes clear.
::Green Matrix...
We would love to start providing you readers with more insight into lifecycle analysis. We are looking for a serious practitioner that might be able to take some time out of their schedule to write regular posts (could be a small number/week). We are also looking for a lifecycle analyst to help on some top-secret TreeHugger product development. If you know any of these rare creatures, please send them our way via tips [at] treehugger [dot] com! (and if we end up working together, we would love to send you a $100)....
Come July 2005, there will be another green footwear line to consider, when your existing shoes bite the dust. According the press release, the new Green Toe shoes will include the likes of jute, hemp, straw, and wool in their material mix. The footbeds will be formed from cork and natural rubber. Glue and dye will be kept to a minimum but when required will be water based. Already Simple say they have their factories complying with Amnesty International’s guidelines for Human Rights standards in the workplace. And it looks like they are implementing 50% post-consumer recycled rubber in the soles of the standard Simple Shoe line (such as the one shown). Not much more detail yet, but wander over to their site next month.
::Simple Shoes...
It’s a proven fact that plastic degrades through aging. With the wear and tear of constant washing, leaching of potentially harmful chemicals increases. Not exactly what you want for your young ones, right? Now you can toss those old sippy cups in the recycling bin because our tipster Kate K. found SIGG’s reusable bottles for kids. They are made with a totally inert water-based inner lining that won’t leach those harmful chemicals. These safe cups are stylish, lightweight and 100% recyclable. The innovative top and cap adds extra protection against dirt and bugs and it weighs no more than a comparable sized plastic bottle. The colorful outsides are solvent-free and eco-friendly. ($13.95) Via
::Reusable Bags...
CNET reports that Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page (along with brother Carl Page) are investors in
Nanosolar, which specializes in thin-film solar cells, according to the company's Web site. Brin and Page actually invested in the company a few years ago, but were lumped in with "prominent individual investors." These thin-film solar cells are less efficient in harvesting the sun's energy than traditional crystalline solar cells. However, these solar cells can be printed on sheets of plastic, which can then be transparently integrated into roofs, walls and other surfaces. Thus, more surface area can be covered. Thin-film technology is also improving. Other companies in this field include
Konarka. ::
CNET article via
TriplePundit...
Hempest carries a range of shirts made of hemp blended with silk, linen and
ramie. You'll notice the dual powers of breathability and durability in these blends when wearing these shirts in the summer. The shirt pictured here is a very soft hemp/linen blend, and is available for $59.95. They also have
women's shirts. ::
Hempest Shirts via
MetaEfficient...
During the G8 meeting next week, the cars used by the representatives and leaders of the eight most industrialized countries will run partly on ethanol made from straw. The process developed by the Ottawa-based
Iogen Corp. (their motto is "Cellulose ethanol is ready to go.") uses enzymes to turn straw and other agricultural waste into biofuel, which, we think, is the best way to make ethanol (and not directly with corn or sugar crop, or any other relatively energy intensive kind of agriculture). Well, the G8 cars thing is more symbolic than anything else: "The leaders' cars will be powered by a mixture of 95 percent gasoline and five percent cellulose ethanol -- the maximum that European engines can handle." But it doesn't make the technology any less promising, and should convince biofuel detractors that the technology is improving.
::G8 leaders' cars to use eco-fuel made from straw, via
::ENN...
If I got this through my thick skull, Orion Lights are made from salt crystals. And when heated (by the included internal halogen lamp), they release a wave of negative ions, which have the positive effect of attracting “pollutants such as bacteria, pollen, dust and smoke”. The combined weight of these now co-joined ions makes them too heavy to remain air-borne and they drop to the floor, away from lungs. Why is this important? Well, it has been estimated that poor indoor air quality in Australia costs the economy up to $12 billion AUD per year. The colours of the lights are said to be “formed naturally by the fusion of potassium, magnesium and other minerals.” Pretty sure I got all that right!
::Orion Lights...
Our recent
Eco-Tips on saving water has readers reaching for their personal best and there were some beauties. With Australia currently in the grip of what is being termed ‘a hundred year drought’ such discussions are now everyday conversation. It has focused attention, like never before, on household
rainwater tanks. Smartflo have developed an innovative form of guttering to direct rainwater to tanks. As this blueprint image indicates, the gutter in profile has an integral cover, which is specifically curved to allow wind to blow leaves clear of the gutter. This has two immediate benefits. It eliminates 94% of debris and pollutants from rainwater. And it reduces the accumulation of leaf matter, which is a major cause of combustion in the advent of a bushfire. It's claimed to be the strongest gutter in the world, with the strategically placed central bubble allowing the collection of 200mm (7.8 inches) of rainwater per hour.
::Smartflo...
We recently received this interesting press release: "
The Advertising Council, in partnership with Energy Outreach Colorado and its national and local partners, announced today the launch of a national public service advertising campaign designed to engage children and their parents in energy efficient behavior through a new spokes-villain, the Energy Hog."
The website is a flash-heavy educational tool targeted at young people, with some resources for parents and teachers and TV & radio ads. You can explore a typical house and identify "energy hogs" and even play silly little games (f.ex. In one of them you go through a maze and replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent ones). Teachers, take note.
::Energy Hog website...
Okay, here’s a little tidbit we found in the local paper and just had to share with our readers. You know those mesh bags that fruit and onions come in? Reuse them at the beach for collecting shells, holding suntan lotions or other small items that might get lost in the sand. And if you rinse them off in the water before you leave, they’ll be dry before you even get home. Voila! Via
::The Providence Journal ...
I got to take a trip out to
Wired's Nextfest this last weekend, and despite the overwhelming presence of military technologies, some great sustainable champions were strutting their stuff as well. One of these groups was The Growing Connection, a "personal farming" education advocacy team which teaches kids to grow food plants. And the tools they use are the Earthbox Planter System......
Strange but true:
FedEx Furniture is constructed with empty FedEx boxes, and held together by FedEx packaging supplies. It's an example of ultraminimalist
Freeganism. Jose, the builder of the furniture, says:
All of the furniture seen on my website 100% functional. The couch is standing/sleeping approved, I sleep on the bed every night, I eat at the dining table, and I work at the desk almost 20 hours a day.
::
FedEx Furniture via
Presurfer...
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You may have noticed that the Los Angeles Times is filling a void left by other US papers of record: they're actually covering green issues in depth, and without the usual xenophia. Under the headline "
Europe's Rules Forcing U.S. Firms to Clean Up" of May 16th,2005 they explained how European rule-making is reshaping global product design. Treehugger recently gave excellent in depth coverage to the
electronics dimension of this powerful trend. Another strong EU regulatory influence is in the personal care/beauty products arena. For the US-based companies who according to the LAT article are "Unwilling to surrender sales",... and struggling..."to meet the EU's tough stand on toxics": TreeHugger offers a clue; take a looky right here, we have plenty of good examples....
Zeneration is the first North American to design activewear with bamboo fiber. The Bamboo Collection consists of modern pieces made with bamboo fiber blended with cotton and comfort stretch. Bamboo fabric is well suited to making activewear, because it has "air conditioning" properties which deodorize, absorb and evaporate sweat during exercise. The Zeneration bamboo collection is currently only available for limited retail and wholesale purchases. ::
Zeneration...
Brazil is a leader in the use of biofuels for transportation. About a third of the fuel Brazilians use in their vehicles is ethanol, known in Brazil as "alcohol." That compares with 3 percent in the United States. All gasoline sold in Brazil contains at least 26 percent ethanol, but motorists driving flexible-fuel cars have the option of filling up with pure ethanol, or E100, which currently is selling for about half the price of the blend.
...
Almost all jeans are made of cotton today, because, at the time the
cotton gin was invented, nobody has the technology to process the tough fibers of hemp into a soft fabric. Hemp grew better than cotton in poorer soil conditions, and didn't require pesticides, but it was discarded in those early days.
Today we have the technology to process hemp into a very soft but tough material, making it the optimal fiber for jean production. There's no reason why all jeans shouldn't be made of hemp.
Hempest has a good selection of
men's and
women's hemp pants, including jeans. Pictured here is
IPath's hemp jeans. They are available for around $50 from
EastBay and
Utility Board Supply. Via
MetaEfficient...
Just a quicky. Apple’s iTunes Music Store refers to UK band Coldplay, as “perhaps the most critically acclaimed band in the world”. In concert with their recently released album
X&Y they are also selling 200 special editions of that portable solar charger
Solio we've noted before. The Solio powers iPods, PDAs and mobile phones. The Coldplay branded version is £79.99. In a recent interview with
MTV, frontman Chris Martin said of the band’s interest in things eco and social:
"Anyone who criticizes me for talking about fair trade is really a few pebbles short of a beach, because everybody should care about it, just like everyone should care about the environment: because we all live here." ::Coldplay Solio...
Grab a bunch of light emitting diodes (LEDs) connect them to some solar panels and wrap them in some tough polycarbonate plastic and you get Solarbricks. Can be used like pavers in the ground, allowing 2 tonne trucks to drive over them. Or place them vertically in posts. 6 colours, 2 sizes and a variety of shapes. If given 1 hour of direct sunlight, they will illuminate a pathway for about 3 nights or 12 hours, automatically turning on as darkness approaches. Under conditions of cloud, rain or shade 6-8 hours is required for a full charge. A maintenance free life of about 10 years is forecast. In Europe, try
::Solarwereld and in Australia look up
::Hotbeam...
Gossypium, is we are told, Latin for ‘cotton’. In this case, cotton that is organically grown in India and fair traded through a network of farmers who are paid an 8% premium. On their website you'll find a simple little chain-of-custody, indicating the ‘fully traceable’ route the cotton has travelled from field to store. Established by a couple of textile technologists in 1998, the Gossypium line, out of the UK, includes apparel for women, men, childen and babies. It taps into a growing market for organic cotton textiles — they report that Europe has seen a 60% increase in the past 5 years. The jersey tank top here is £16. Spied at
Grist, who had a feature on green clothing, which also referenced ourselves.
::Gossypium...
We know it isn't very treehugger to be talking about killing animals, but we have to admit that plagues are not so friendly, specially when kids are around or when the wood in your house starts to thin because of termites. For this purpose, Brazilian industry has come up with Natucid, an organic insecticide that gets its faculties from the natural powers of a plant called Indian Azadirachta. This tree's extracts cause the insects lack of appetite and diminishes their reproductive capacity, so that they don't continue to spread. It's mostly indicated for ants and termites, but the manufacturers say that it works with most colony living insects. It comes in 30, 100 and 500ml presentations -the 30ml spray is special for apartments-. The product is absolutely non toxic, nor poisonous or contaminant, and can be purchased through its website (the English version has some broken links, but there's a contact form in the buy section).
::Natucid....
When Edison designed the cheap electric lightbulb, he opened up a whole Pandora's box of good and bad -- good, because people could now work without being slaves to the whims of the sun, but bad because years later, we have forgotten how wonderful sunlight can be. Studies have shown that sunlight causes less eyestrain and helps reduce the effects of Seasonal Affect Disorder, in addition to making color rendition of objects more natural (by definition). With that in mind, Sunlight Direct has emerged as the latest company bringing real sunlight to the indoors with optic fiber piping......
Svalbard, Norway is the site of Norway’s bid to enter into the international seed market. With GM foods, global warming, tsunami, and terrorists nagging at our minds, it is nice to have a few backup plans. This one takes care of our ability to grow food in a variety of climates and conditions. The facility will act as a genetic seed bank of sorts, where countries can store vast quantities of important grain and other seeds. Thus, keeping the current level of biodiversity found in grain stocks safe for the future. So, in the event of a calamity - say GM plants breed with native stocks and create hybrid inedible guck, we can go get our good tasty seeds from Norway and replant. One benefit of having the seeds in Svalbard, is even if the power goes out, the cold temperature is likely to keep the seeds in good condition for a long time. Although, I’m hoping they will install some
wave power generators to keep the seed facility juiced.::
AP Release...
This treehugger was never fond of candles- perhaps it goes back to when our grandmother did not blow them out after Friday night dinner and almost burned the house down. Certainly there is a lot of research that says that they are not healthy for the user or the real estate (coating walls with soot), but they are more popular than ever. Thus we were intrigued but conflicted about Philips new Aurelle line of LED candles. ...
Hydrogen as a direct transportation fuel is everywhere being described as 'not realistic'; or, 'not something we can depend on for many years'. This news has to provide some chuckles to those who are familiar with hydrogen markets. Petroluem refineries use
vast quantities of hydrogen to strip out sulfur, to "crack" long chain hydrocarbons and benzene ring molecules (which need to broken because of benzene's status as a known human carcinogen), and generally increase the clean performance characteristics of gasoline. There's a looming shortage of hydrogen at refineries; and, with anticipated increased demand for low sulfur fuel, the hydrogen shortage will worsen, requiring more investment to boost hydrogen production. Refinery consumed hydrogen may be made from natural gas, methanol, or other hydrocarbon sources. Much more of these, and possibly uranium for nuclear energy, will be consumed for hydrogen and ultimately for petroleum refining's sake. Details below the fold....
Treehugger talked about
vertical farming yesterday but Israeli startup Organitech has developed an automated, high density farming module in that universal form, the standard shipping container that is available today. They eliminate costly labour, pesticides and low productivity levels by using patented floating hydroponic trays that transport the vegetables through the system. As the sketch shows, like any container they can be stacked vertically. Currently a single containerized unit can crank out several hundred heads of lettuce per day. ...
Gunter Pauli's resume probably looks something like this: "Social entrepreneur, 40, graduate of
INSEAD, spent several years as a lecturer and consultant for IBM, created the
Zero Emissions Research Initiative, wrote eight management books and is fluent in six languages." He is pushing for zero-emissions, closed-loop systems and his
Namibia brewery, one of his many projects (see
this page for some), is a good example of that. It is based on the principle that "in natural systems, there is no such thing as waste. Everything that’s excreted, exhaled, or exhausted from one organism is used by another."...
A paper titled "Oil & Security" by
George Shultz and
James Woolsey, co-chairs of the
Committee on the Present Danger, was recently published with the more or less avowed aim of influencing the debate on the Energy Bill at the US Senate. It contains some interesting suggestions, especially coming from
bona fide Reaganites. The second half of the piece even makes them sound like they know someone who has been reading TreeHugger: plug-in hybrids, biofuels, light-weight carbon composite, emphasis on battery R&D, etc. They even start by saying that the paper could be titled: "
It's the Batteries, Stupid." Read on for a summary of their suggestions....
How do you promote environmental awareness? With a Hummer of course! That's what a group in Miramichi, Canada, did. They needed to raise $100,000 for the French Fort Cove Eco-Center, a development with an "interactive display [to] showcase Miramichi's history and culture while promoting education and environmental awareness." How better to do that than with a vehicle classified as a heavy truck and with a fuel economy of 23 liters per 100 kilometers (around 10 miles per gallon). At first some people thought it was a joke and the Sierra Club was quite perplexed. The group behind the contest even received many complaints, but they stand behind their decision: "Leon Bremner, who helped organize the raffle, says the Hummer is drawing a lot of attention and that's just what's needed to sell tickets. He also says Hummers aren't any harder on gas than many other big trucks and SUVs." We prefer the
Green Hummer Project.
::Eco-raffle under fire for Hummer prize ,
::Win a Hummer! (thanks to Brian C. for the tip!)...
We've pointed out the effectiveness of
thermostatic valves previously on TreeHugger. These devices mix the hot and cold water of your shower, so that the output water stays at a fixed temperature. They are different from pressure balancing valves. These valves regulate the pressure of hot water to match the pressure changes of the cold water, thus indirectly keeping outflow temperature more or less constant. So you don't get scalded in the shower when someone flushes a toilet. One drawback is that they are not as accurate at maintaining a constant temperature as
thermostatic valves....
If you love being outside as much as we do, whether it be the garden, the beach or at a BBQ, chances are you need some protection from those nasty skeeters. We wrote about
Buzz Off, the insect proof clothing, and now we're introducing Sun Feather’s Bug Off. It's protection that promises to “rub bugs the wrong way,” but not to worry, it’s the all-natural way. The sweet-smelling products include Bug Off Wipes, Little Bugger Oil and Bug Rub, to name a few. If you know you’ll be outside camping or hiking, try the Bug Off Soap & Shampoo that you can use on both your body and your scalp. Prices range from $6.50 - $13.00. Via
::Coastal Living (subscription)
::Sun Feather...
Which rechargeable batteries are the most effective? Will quick charging really
harm a battery? What is the best
battery charger? If
lithium-ion rechargeable batteries hold the best charge, why can't you buy them in AA or AAA sizes? All these questions are answered on the Green Battery web site — they aim to give you the scoop on how to buy eco-friendly and wallet-friendly batteries. They sell batteries and chargers on the site too. It's a useful resource — even a rechargeable battery enthusiast can find some new information. ::
Green Batteries
...
We’ve spoken about various types of tree-free paper, including the likes of
banana fibre, so it should come as no surprise that wheat is trying to get in on the act. A start-up company has been raising interest in their plan to develop a mill producing non-wood paper pulp from the agricultural ‘waste’ of wheat straw. Seems Australia imports 2/3rds of its paper pulp, so a local source of a tree-friendly variety would be welcomed. Arisa’s mill is expected to offer worlds’ best practice with regard to water recycling and silicate eradication, while avoiding chlorine use (normally used for bleaching to make the paper white) as well as reducing 5,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, per plant each year. Maybe that age-old joke about preferring to eat the box over the cereal contained within will soon be reality.
::Arisa...
Not exactly a new idea, but strangely we don’t have an example up on this site. So this rectifies the oversight. The insides are recycled paper and the external binder is made from circuit boards. Originally such products were made from recycled computer circuit boards, complete with lumpy bits of solder. These days they are often made with ‘reject’ boards that are free of scratchy surface finishes. But either way they demonstrate that materials can have more than one end use and remind us that keeping
toxic electronic components out of landfill is an eminently sensible notion. Made in the Netherlands, these particular products ($42 AUD) are sold via an Australian eco online retailer, who points out that the Latin
circutus means: ‘to go around’, which is another way of saying ‘reuse’. From
::Biome...
ScooterDesk was designed by Jiri Vanmeerbeeck of
UTILIA, a Belgian design firm, and earned a top nomination at
INDEX 2005, Denmark's worldwide award that promotes innovative design that improve lives. In the situations where it can be used, it brings many ergonomic benefits over traditional desks, but what caught our eye is how elegant the design is and how little materials it uses: 3 metal tubes, a tabletop, a saddle, and wheels. Once again, the power of design! Of course, it cannot replace a big desk when one is needed, but when only a small surface (and maybe some mobility) is required, or when space is at a high premium, Scooterdesk fits the bill while apparently being a lot of fun....
The results are in for the April-June Tipline Contest. We ran all the tip contributors through
Random.org and thought there were tons of amazing tips, there can only be one winner. That lucky Hugger is Denise for the
great tip about the Bamboo bike DIY. Well, once she finishes work on her bamboo masterpiece, she won't run out of power cycling around the country, because she's won a brand new
Solar Backpack from Voltaic systems. Thanks to all of you who sent tips, and keep 'em coming. As for the rest of you, drop us a line sometime; The next winner could be you....
Well it seems that London design students have been feeling very urbanized of late – there is a definite theme running through the graduate projects this year – which is the desire to get back in touch with nature. This desire will resonate with Treehuggers everywhere - we loved to be encouraged to open our eyes and be more aware of the beautiful horticultural elements of our cities. This can be a relatively simple matter of noticing small details, as in the
Amazingness project, or turning urban eyesores into gorgeous fertile objects, as in the
Reenchanting The City project.
The graphic designer James Eade has approached this theme from an illustrative point of view, taking the London tube map and transforming it into a network of flora and fauna....
On my morning walk, I pass many backyards with oranges, lemons, grapefruits and mandarins all dropping unwanted to the ground. I also use to pass by banana trees too (yeh, I know they are not really trees, more like a grass) until the owners cut them down and tried to burn 'em out (unsuccessfully). All the while thinking “what a waste” and hoping the guys ‘sleeping rough’ in the area were benefiting. Now I notice over at
Worldchanging a little note about Fallen Fruit. Similarly concerned, they didn’t just hope, they acted. By producing maps of food producing trees accessible to public space, Fallen Fruit encourages citizens to learn about the free food sources in their local communities. What a brilliant idea. Combine this with the
Green Maps concept, throw in some
gleaning and you’ll see sustainability in action — right where you live.
::Fallen Fruit...
People argue that electric lighting, the Internet, cars, movable type, or innumerable other items are the greatest human invention. We think that cooking deserves a place on the list. Heck, we think it's pretty much the top. While sushi has its place, the early human who figured our that meat and vegetables held near or in a fire tasted so awesome deserves some kind of super-duper golden star. Even better was the discovery that almost anything tastes delicious if you slow-cook it for three or four hours. But slow cooking uses a decent amount of extra power, and runs you the risk of burning up a kitchen......
The Internet never sleeps. You blink and everybody beats you to the punch;
WorldChanging, the
Gristmill blog and
BoingBoing already have posts about the interesting concept of vertical farming. Why is it interesting? Because, according to projections, in about 50 years 80% of the Earth's population will live in cities and 3 billion more people will crowd our planet. Problem is, 80% of the land that can be used to grow crops is already in use, and 15% of that land has been damaged by poor agricultural practices. They say that vertical farming will help us feed these additional 3 billion people....
Ever want to see a normalized, 3rd-party ranking of corporate environmental and socio-economic performance? Many big companies report this performance on their own recycled paper. Because metrics and styles differ widely from company to company, however, a standalone report has little meaning. A global economy calls for global context. The
Roberts Environmental Center at Claremont McKenna College uses student labor to normalize corporate sustainability self-reports into an easy-to-grasp index. Industries are
grouped by sector: hence the partial Pulp and Paper sector excerpt shown above is just one of many that are available. The chemical sector was the "default" when we last looked....
Remarkable things seem to happen in Toronto's Dundas Square, the oft reviled but truly elegant space designed by
Brown and Storey Architects. Last week we covered the installation
ATTACK
and now we see a living billboard, made of 900 real plants, advertising an Escape Hybrid from our favourite
greenwasher Ford. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds- Ford has the worst fleetwide fuel economy of all major automakers. via remarkable new subscription only blog
::if.psfk - if that does not work the source is
::AisforAdvertising...
Lunapads are "natural menstrual products" as they say in their website. The company makes all sorts of female protection products such as menstrual pads, panties, cups and sponges, all washable and reusable.
It is well known that lots of waste are produced from the use of disposable products such as regular pads, but we realize it's still kind of a weird alternative for some of us ladies. Other Treehugger featured products on this issue include
Mooncup. We leave it for you to decide, as all details are on their website.
::Lunapads.
Through Colombian blog
Artilugios ....
New Belgium Brewing, a brewery located in
Fort Collins, Colorado, is using 40% less energy per barrel of output than the average American brewer. How do they do it? By being smart: They are aggressively targeting reduction of energy use through conservation and efficiency and getting the most out of what other less eco-savvy businesses would consider only waste. A $5 million system collects methane from the brewing wastewater and uses it to fire a 290-kilowatt electric generator. "When the generator is running - typically 10 to 15 hours a day - it supplies up to 60 percent of the brewery's power. New Belgium saves $2,500 to $3,000 a month by generating its own electricity. But the system's biggest savings came from avoiding the steep fees that would be assessed by the city of Fort Collins to treat the brewery's nutrient-rich wastewater."...
Treehugger Warren regrets that the Voltaic Backpack won't power his laptop-Perhaps this would help. Made more for the briefcase set rather than the backpacker, it opens to provide enough surface area to generate 13 watts, enough to power computers, hand tools or even a DC Fridge so you can have a cold beer while you work. ::Sunshine Solar via ::Red Ferret...
Treehugger loves prefab- it can be a better way to build energy efficient, greener home. Italian portal Edilportale.com has announced a design competition with two categories:
* Living unit as preassembled block/blocks
Unit made by preassembled block/blocks whose dimensions allow transport on roads, rails or by air. Dimensions can be related (but it’s not compulsory) to standard dimensions of containers for commercial transportations that automatically comply with transportability problems and don’t need special vehicles. Final unit might be obtained by a single block or by assembling and connecting more than one block.
* Living unit as assemblage of light prefabricated small elements
Unit made by technological systems relying on small prefabricated elements that can be assembled on site according to the need for special dimensions of living units (when such dimensions don’t allow transportation with common vehicles) or when structural conception of technological system doesn’t allow handling of preassembled blocks (usually when system doesn’t provide for a self-foundation basement)
This is a really interesting program and is open to anyone. Ladies and Gentlemen, sharpen your pencils! ::Livingbox...
Pickings being slim on Treehugger (hey,its Canada Day...) we wandered over to the Green Wiki and found the car that would make even this Treehugger love hydrogen- a 1972 hydrogen powered AMC Gremlin. What could be better? ::Green Wiki
update: read Wired article on Gremlin ...
They may not be treehugger-correct, but we always loved model rockets. Thus as the resident Kunstler-loving hydrogen debunking crank, this Treehugger was so excited to see that Estes, master of the model rocket, is now offering a hydrogen powered toy rocket that makes hydrogen in an “electrolytic reactor” from water with citric acid as a catalyst. When the hydrogen pressure gets to 3 PSI it is detonated and it shoots up to 200 feet, and then autogyros down.
We were really intrigued by this and tried to find out more. ...
Here in the Northeast we are experiencing somewhat of a drought – we haven’t had a good rainfall in probably a month, which isn’t normal. TreeHugger thought it might be a good idea to post a few tips about conserving water that you can do at home without spending any money. Now many of you TreeHuggers already know what to do and we may have touched on a few of these before, but if you have more tips for us, please feel free to let us and others know....
This treehugger was never fond of candles- perhaps it goes back to when our grandmother did not blow them out after Friday night dinner and almost burned the house down. Certainly there is a lot of research that says that they are not healthy for the user or the real estate (coating walls with soot), but they are more popular than ever. Thus we were intrigued but conflicted about Philips new Aurelle line of LED candles. ...
Treehugger talked about vertical farming yesterday but Israeli startup Organitech has developed an automated, high density farming module in that universal form, the standard shipping container that is available today. They eliminate costly labour, pesticides and low productivity levels by using patented floating hydroponic trays that transport the vegetables through the system. As the sketch shows, like any container they can be stacked vertically. Currently a single containerized unit can crank out several hundred heads of lettuce per day. ...
Remarkable things seem to happen in Toronto's Dundas Square, the oft reviled but truly elegant space designed by Brown and Storey Architects. Last week we covered the installation ATTACK
and now we see a living billboard, made of 900 real plants, advertising an Escape Hybrid from our favourite greenwasher Ford. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds- Ford has the worst fleetwide fuel economy of all major automakers. via remarkable new subscription only blog ::if.psfk - if that does not work the source is ::AisforAdvertising...
