- Emily Pilloton Discusses the Hippo Roller and other Designs for Humanity (Part One)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part Two)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part One)
- Andy Revkin - Climate in the Obama Age
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part Two)
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part One)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part Two)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part One)
Entries for March 5, 2006 - March 11, 2006
Total this week: 86
End of the Line - Where Giant Ships Go When they Die
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.06
We don't remember exactly where we found this photo essay (photos by Brendan Corr) about the dismantling and recycling of huuuge cargo ships in Bangladesh, but we thought it was striking on many levels (some good, some bad). We won't spoil it by over-explaining, you can follow this link and see for yourself. Some of the most informative captions were: "Conditions in the shipyards are dangerous. Many workers are barefoot and without gloves, carefully avoiding razor-sharp metal, hot steel, and pollutants. [...] For all its hazards, the shipbreaking industry employs, directly or indirectly, an estimated 200,000 Bangladeshis. [...] The scrap metal stripped off these vessels supplies 80 percent of Bangladesh's steel." ::End of the Line - Photo Essay, ::Greenpeace Website about Shipbreaking...
TH Week: Foodie Fantasy
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 03.11.06
This week, maybe it was the long dark shadow of winter lifting a little, or maybe it's the winter curse of local eating here in the northern hemisphere (root vegetables and hydroponic tomatoes just aren't enough sometimes), but there was food in the air. Check out these posts about what you can look forward to this summer in the say of food and cooking.
Kara tipped off our sweet teeth with Domino's new organic sugar.
Justin tippled a little with Juniper Green's offering of the world's only organic gin.
Jacob made us all want to eat organic veggies with this compelling study of pesticide-laced...pee.
Warren found an incredible way to cook all this up with this massive solar-steam powered Indian kitchen.
Kelly sauteed her way over to this Nigella Lawson recipe for sweet potato-chickpea curry.
So get yourselves cookin, and above all, keep on Huggin'....
Canadian Oil Production: Making People Sick?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.06
As the price of oil rose, the Canadian tar sands gained popularity. What most people don't know is that the oil that comes from that region is not such a good deal from an energy and pollution point of view. You can learn more about that in our post titled: "Canadian Oil: At What Price?" But now another problem is surfacing: the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reports that "a high number of illnesses, including leukemia, lymphomas, lupus, and autoimmune diseases, have been diagnosed in Fort Chipewyan, a community of about 1,200 people living 300 kilometres north of Fort McMurray. Elders in the community say they didn't see these kinds of diseases until the oil industry started production near their homes on the southwestern tip of Lake Athabasca." Fort McMurray's Medical Examiner, Dr. John O'Connor, says: "With my increasing lack of ability to explain why I'm seeing such numbers, it worries me and it does call for a health study to be initiated as soon as possible." And if that study discovers conclusive evidence of a link between the oil production and the diseases, let hope Canada does everything necessary to stop poisoning its citizens. ::High illness rate near oilsands worrisome, says Alberta health official, ::Town's high cancer rate cause for alarm, ::Tar Sands at Wikipedia...
Electrical Smog: More on "Frequency Pollution"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.06
We did not take Fred Gilbert of Lakehead University seriously, but there has been a lot of discussion about the dangers of electrical pollution lately. NOW magazine just did a very interesting article on it, noting that "symptoms of electro-hypersensitivity, or EHS, are all over the map, and include nausea, headaches, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, tinnitus and rashes." One engineer "says cordless phones make plenty of people sick. In fact, the consultant recommends people with sensitivities not only get rid of their cordless phones, but also toss their dimmer switches, energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, halogen lights and, yes, baby monitors." In Scandinavia they take EHS very seriously- there is a cellphone free beach in Norway and in Sweden it is treated as a disability and they are building an EHS friendly village. Forget the tinfoil hat- we need a tinfoil body suit. ::NOW Magazine...
Organic Kraft Dinner Coming Soon?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.06
The ultimate Canadian comfort food is Kraft Dinner- called Macaroni and Cheese in the States but according to Wikipedia there is not enough real cheese in it to use the word legally in Canada- luridly orange, it is hardly health food. Now Kraft Foods is going organic- "I do think it's a freight train that's going to pick up steam," David Johnson, president of Kraft's North American Commercial group, said at the Reuters Food Summit in Chicago. "I don't think it's a fad." With Wal-Mart, Sara Lee and Unilever jumping on the organic trend- how mainstream can you get? ::Reuters via ::Sustainable Table...
GE Cuts Hydrogen Cost With Plastic Electrode Enclosure
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.11.06
Wind turbines and efficient dishwashers are great start but they hardly make a trend line. Where are all the green innovations we've been waiting to hear about from GE since last year's proclamation? Finally comes an announcement that makes an old classic sound eprovisational enough to get our attention . Seems GE has gotten it's Ecomagination chops after all. From the MIT Technology Review: "...researchers at GE say they've come up with a prototype version of an easy-to-manufacture apparatus that they believe could lead to a commercial machine able to produce hydrogen via electrolysis for about $3 per kilogram -- a quantity roughly comparable to a gallon of gasoline -- down from today's $8 per kilogram. That could make it economically practical for future fuel-cell vehicles that run on hydrogen."...
Cocktail Organico Blog – A Potent Blend Of Ethanol Fuel And Organic Booze
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.11.06
We’d like to clink our glasses and say ‘cheers’ as we welcome the arrival of a new green blog to the block. Cocktail Organico is all about the booze! Whether that is basic ethanol fuel to power your motors or fancy organic Papagayo Organic Spiced Rum to power your partying! Our good TreeHugger friend Remy Chevalier is the mixicologist behind this new blog and he is looking for people who appreciate a good tipple to get involved: contributors, advertisers and web designers. So if you wanna learn about the possibilities of deriving ethanol from your lawn or check out the best organic vodkas go and mix it up at Cocktail Organico. We particularly like this blog’s tagline or ‘bumper sticker’ as Remy calls it, "Don't drink while you drive, Drive what you drink!" via: Remy C and the o2 Group....
NYC Party: Big Green Apple Book Release and Web Launch
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03.11.06
If you liked the look of The Big Green Apple, the book, and you salivated over the opportunity to meet Ben Jervey and get your own signed copy ($14.95), here are the details confirming when and where. In addition to celebrating the release of Ben Jervey's The Big Green Apple, you can toast the relaunch of the new and improved eco-logic website, the source for all things green in the Big Apple. Details on when to get your free drinks below....
Treetop Barbie and Other Tree Marketing Techniques
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 03.10.06
Getting non-TreeHuggers to believe that forest canopies have any relevance to their lives can be a tough sell. Evergreen State College professor Nalini Nadkarni has studied rich treetop ecosystems for twenty years, knows their intricacy, and sees first hand the rate at which they're disappearing. Now she's taken on an environmental communications mission far outside of her scientific training: selling the value of forests. Nadkarni and her lab have designed tree motif skate boards, and a "Treetop Barbie." (Mattel wasn't interested in creating one, so a seamstress has styled field outfits for Good Will cast-aways.) Nadkarni has visited churches, synagogues and Buddhist temples to relate the canopies to religious/spiritual teachings. Artistic inspiration and healing benefits are other areas she's explored. She even has prison inmates working on creating and marketing sustainably harvested moss products. Imagine where environmentalism would be if every college had one of her? I would like a (nontoxic) Nalini Nadkarni doll, please. Via anonymous tipster. :: The Daily Astorian. Photo by Lori Assa ...
UK: National Science Week - Click for the Climate!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.10.06
In the UK, National Science Week 2006 starts today, March 10, and ends on March 19 (the Brits felt like Science deserved a 9-day week, and who are we to argue?). The campaign surrounding the week includes Click For The Climate!, an initiative encouraging people to pledge a reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions (and hopefully keep their good habits once the week is over). Some celebrities and politicians have already pledged, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair (the picture shows 10 Downing Street getting CFL bulbs). According to the BBC, more than 500,000 people are expected to take part in National Science Week. ::Click for the Climate!, ::National Science Week, ::BBC Coverage, ::A Bright Idea: Ban the Bulb, ::What Is A Kilowatt-Hour Anyway?, ::Energy Hog Awareness Campaign...
Biologists Defend the Endangered Species Act
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.10.06
Close to 6,000 biologists signed a letter delivered to the Senate this week calling for lawmakers to preserve the integrity of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA, which has been remarkably successful in protecting biodiversity since being signed into law in 1973, is now being considered for changes. The House approved a rewrite of the Act last year and the Senate will be reviewing it soon. Many feel that the proposed alterations to the law will be dangerously weakening. Of specific concern is the shift of key data evaluation from scientists to political appointees in the Department of the Interior. The letter, drafted by the Union of Concerned Scientists, included the signatures of 5,738 American biologists, including six National Medal of Science recipients. :: MSNBC and the Union of Concerned Scientists (Image Credit: Everglades National Park)...
New Organic Sugar for Domino
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.10.06
While searching the market aisle recently for Sugar in the Raw we came across an organic label from one of the largest sugar producers, Domino. It caught our eye so we picked it up to read the label a little more closely. Like other certified-organic products, Domino is made from sun-sweetened sugar cane, grown without pesticides. Now apparently the sugar is harvested and milled on the same day and they start with a special single crystallization process that preserves the flavor of the sugar cane. This is yet another example of a large company taking their products to a new level with the organic twist (see our posts about Ragu and Prego). It seems you can find an organic version of anything. But be prepared, Domino charges a good amount of more money for their organic sugar and you get less of it. ::Domino Sugar...
Turning Point Coffee Table by Jet Age Furniture
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.10.06
Hot on the heels of our "Waste of Packaging" Contest, here's a table that absolutely won't waste any packaging. This table base, designed by Jet Age Furniture, folds up to 1/20th the size of a conventional coffee table, making for super-efficient packaging and shipping. Because the base folds, the configuration can be varied and unique; zig-zag, hexagonal, whatever geometrical shape speaks to you. Since the glass is sold separately (they recommend buying it locally or reusing a piece from an old table or the like), a different piece is all you need for a new look. It's simple, clean, customizable and unique; we like that. ::Jet Age Furniture via tipster Anita and ::LA Furniture Seen
...
United Nations to Organize List of Green Women
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 03.10.06
This week, the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) drew our attention to a new list, to be compiled by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The list, meant to pay tribute to the contributions of women to environmental conservation and management, will include “influential women in the field of the environment who UNEP believes should be honored and whose work should be recognized.” Individuals and organizations can send in nominations. WEN, who previously caught our attention with its study on diapers, also offers a report on “why women matter when it comes to the environment.” The document suggests a gender perspective is necessary due to social roles, poverty, and biology, and offers several examples. In less industrialized countries, the document notes, where women still grow much of the food, the connection between women and the environment is most obvious. ::WEN ::UNEP...
Recording a Renewable Record: Kelley Stoltz
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.10.06
Sub Pop Records recording artist Kelley Stoltz produced a music-industry first. Teaming up with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), and the Green-e program of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), Stoltz's newest album, Below the Branches, is the first album to incorporate the Green-e label on its product packaging, signifying that the album was recorded using 100-percent renewable energy. "I've never been one to write a political song, but I can let people who buy my album know that I care a lot about the environment and possibly influence them to think about what they can do by labeling my album with the Green-e logo,” said Stoltz. “Using renewable energy to offset the electricity I needed to power my guitar amps and my recording machines was a simple and effective way for me to do something about my impact on the environment. Green-e certifies that I am buying 100 percent renewable energy. Hopefully, people will see their logo; check into what they do, and make renewable energy a part of their lives, too."...
Organic Toys for Cats
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.10.06
Well we’ve certainly given you Treehuggers a few options when it comes to dog toys and back when we had our Gift Guide for Dogs we had a question from one of you about cats as well. When exploring the options we found that one of the best was available from Good Humans: a refillable hemp mouse made by Sur-Le-Champ. Not only is it natural and biodegradable but fill it with the organic catnip as well and you’ve got an eco-friendly toy for Kitty. The toy is $4.95 and the organic catnip is $1.98. Thanks to one of our readers for the tip! ::Good Humans...
TreeHugger Picks: Watchin' Green TV
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.10.06
If you've got some plans to "veg out" this weekend, we'd like to remind you that the best kind of veggie is a green one. Inspired by the launch of TreeHugger TV, we wanted to showcase some of our other favorite places to get a TV fix, TreeHugger style. So grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the show:
1) A&E's Find & Design teaches the art of seeing potential in second-hand goods and knowing how to put them to use.
2) BBC's No Waste Like Home shows each family how to be TreeHuggers by giving tips on how to produce less waste and tread lighter on the planet.
3) MTV's Trippin' has us stoked on Cameron Diaz's eco-adventures.
4) Animal Planet's Backyard Habitat is all about making your backyard a better place for animals and nature.
5) Outdoor Life Network's E-Force is "sort of like the Travel Channel meets Animal Planet meets Cops." Awesome.
6) If you're tired of just watching TV, get your shot at the big time with casting calls for TLC's Moving Up, HGTV's new show about landscape design or Discovery TV's off-the-grid reality show....
Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5): a.k.a "Hydrogen StarGate"
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.10.06
We can't help but think that the pictured researcher is covering something up. The Sandia Lab team's claim to a new hydrogen generation technology, we think, is just another "Area 51" type ruse. What they're really working on is a "Star Gate;" and we're going to pack up our tent and head off to New Mexico so we can sneak into the circus, so to speak. Joking. We first learned about this from a tipster who mentioned the Fuel Cell Works release we cite here: "Borrowing from two different research areas that he’s pursued over his career, Sandia researcher Rich Diver has invented a whole new way to make hydrogen to power automobiles and homes. His invention, the Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5, for short), splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, using a simple, two-step thermochemical process." We especially appreciated the "robocasting" method for layering zirconia upon the 'StarGate-like' surfaces. Actually that's an exaggeration on our part as well. Our truly favorite-most part is an imagined one: that would be a State of the Union address in which an impassioned President of the US proclaims that Freedom from dependency on evil empires is contingent upon a budget item for the "Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator." Oh yeah. TreeHugger strongly suggests a serious reading of the full release at this link. It's quite an exciting development. Seriously. ...
BeeBoard Desk by Piet Boon
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.06
If you picked up a Raw Bench, you might want an appropriate desk to go with it. Design Within Reach is selling the BeeBoard Desk- "When Piet Boon was asked to create mobile housing for some of the world’s vast refugee population, he saw it not only as an opportunity to engage in humanitarian work, but to pioneer new uses for sound building materials that could benefit other populations. That led to his BeeBoard Desk and Storage Structure. An ecologically low-impact solution for the home office, the Desk is made from BeeBoard, a layered cardboard with a honeycomb structure" No smoking though- "this item is flammable. Keep away from open flames, cigarettes, heaters and other forms of extreme heat." ::Better Living Through Design. discovered at ::geekpdx...
Recipe of the Week: Mushroom Ragout
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 03.10.06
This Treehugger has a passion for mushrooms and we are always on the lookout for interesting recipes containing them. Last week we promised to try Nigella Lawson’s recipe for Mushroom Ragout and give Treehugger readers the recipe if it worked out. We are happy to say that it turned out to be easy, elegant and quite tasty. Lawson suggests serving the ragout on millet, but we served it on pasta and it worked well. We had it as a main course, but it is quite rich and it would be nice as a first course. Lawson suggests that you can make this dish in advance, but we found that it didn’t hold up the next day in both texture and flavour. Too bad – we had a real hankering for mushrooms on toast. Feel free to mix any type of mushroom, they all work in this recipe.
Mushroom Ragout ...
Cardboard Bench by Jason Iftakhar
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.06
Jason Iftakhar was struck by how much waste packaging supermarkets generated. ‘My idea is about getting a big result without wasting a lot of energy,’ he says. ‘The materials and the machinery were already there, it just needed to be harnessed. It’s the perfect environment to take advantage of a system that’s already established.’ He developed a cutting tool that uses the standard supermarket packing machines to turn old boxes into simple furniture. This upcycling turns a low value item into a neat new product for the store. ::Time Out via tipster Bonnie...
Treehugger TV: Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Today
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03. 9.06
It was 4 days ago that we officially launched Treehugger TV, and that went well. You guys & girls watched the episodes, sent positive feedback and encouraged us to continue, but something was missing. Treehugger TV needed a home. A corner of the web to call its own. So we decided to add a whole new wing, or branch if you will, to the Treehugger building to house this new project. Today is the grand opening and you can participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony by clicking (and bookmarking) this link: Treehugger TV.
Once you are inside, you will see that the episode list is on the right with short descriptions and still images. That's where you go to watch the shows, and as we add new ones each week, the list will grow. On the left side of the site you have instructions on how to subscribe to Treehugger TV via RSS and iTunes, making it easy to never miss an episode. The software used to play the videos is Quicktime, so if you are having difficulties, they can probably be fixed by downloading the most recent version.
Last but not least: tell your friends! Spread the word! The faster Treehugger TV takes off, the easier it is for us (and the great people at m_ss_ng p_eces) to keep producing more episodes for you. Enjoy. ::Treehugger TV...
Vivavi CEO Josh Dormfan on NPR's "Science Friday"
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 03. 9.06
"Can people make a difference in the environment just by the design choices they make for the products in their homes?" This is something most TreeHuggers have tossed around a bit. Tune in to NPR tomorrow (Friday, March 10) at 3:40 p.m. EST when Josh Dorfman answers such questions from the ever-soothing voice of Ira Flatow on Science Friday. The Lazy Environmentalist host will discuss sustainable style, environmental trends, and TreeHugger retail favorite Vivavi. Have two cents? You can call in with your questions or comments: 1-800-989-8255. :: Vivavi, Science Friday...
New Ontario Wind Farm Switched On
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.06
Here in Ontario, a land blessed with wind and water and, 50 years ago, one of the most well managed public hydro systems is the world, we now have brownouts, rotting nuclear reactors, crumbling infrastructure and "stranded debt". One of the few bright spots: today the Melancthon 67.5 megawatt Wind Farm went on line. "Two years ago, Ontario only had 15 megawatts of windpower capacity. The McGuinty government has set the wheels in motion to bring online over 1300 megawatts of windpower capacity by the end of 2008, an 80-fold increase." says Energy Minister Donna Cansfield. "The government is continuing to deliver on its promise to support renewable energy as part of its overall plan to build a sustainable energy future for Ontario," She didn't mention $ 70 Billion that the Ontario Power Authority wants to spend on new nukes. ::Melacthon Wind Project and read ::David Suzuki on Nuclear Power...
Fuel Cells for Laptops: The Wait is (Almost) Over
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 9.06
We've been hearing about fuel cells for laptops for some time now (they keep appearing at trade shows and on websites) but haven't actually seen one on the shelf. Unfortunately, the wait continues, though claims of smaller, more powerful versions keep us chomping at the bit to get our hands on one. The latest incarnation, from UltraCell, claims two days of laptop life, which is quite an improvement over the 20 hours we saw in the most recent prototype. Sadly, this UltraCell model is just a prototype, and the military gets the first shot at them once production-ready. UltraCell hopes to have a commercial version available at the end of this year; we're ready when they are! ::UltraCell via ::Engadget...
World's Largest Biodiesel Plant Coming to Indiana
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 9.06
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels announced plans to build the world's largest biodiesel plant in his state yesterday. Louis Dreyfus Agriculture Industries LLC plans to build the plant near Claypool, Indiana. The new facility will produce up to 250,000 gallons of biodiesel per day, which adds up to more than 80 million gallons per year. With this facility, two other biodiesel and six ethanol plants currently under construction, Indiana is looking pretty sharp when it comes to biofuel production. Said the Governor, "It’s been a hectic year of dramatic progress in renewable fuels development in our state. If Indiana can do this, think what America can do to work toward energy self-sufficiency. In just one year, we’re growing from one alternative fuels plant to nine, with more to come." ...
Instant Survey: Fast Food Nations
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 03. 9.06
Another Volvo Plant to go CO2-Free
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03. 9.06
Making news last year by turning one of its Swedish truck factories into the world's first CO2-free automotive plant, Volvo has done it again. Volvo’s second assembly plant, this time in Ghent, Belgium, will be entirely powered with renewables by next year. Heat and electricity for the assembly plant will come entirely from an on-site biofuel facility and three wind-turbines. The move is not isolated, but falls into a set of broader efforts to reduce and eliminate petroleum use. Sweden has set a goal of severing its fossil fuel use altogether by 2020. Volvo has also been experimenting with petroleum-free electric vehicles. An electric car built in a carbon-neutral factory would be an exciting first. :: Green Car Congress ...
Portugal Goes for Record Wind Power Investment
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03. 9.06
From the The Guardian of March 2 2006 : "Portugal signalled the launch of one of Europe's biggest wind power projects yesterday - a move that will supply enough electricity for 750,000 homes...The contract is the equivalent to a quarter of all the wind power installed in the European Union last year...The winning consortium will be asked to erect about 500 turbines at various locations. Portugal's Socialist government also aims to create 1,600 jobs by allocating €900m (£613m) for turbine equipment manufacturing... The total global wind power capacity now stands at 59,322MW. This is a fraction of the total electricity supply, but the figure is rapidly growing. The countries with the highest total installed capacity are Germany (18,428MW), Spain (10,027) the US (9,149), India (4,430) and Denmark (3,122). Britain, China, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal have all reached the 1,000MW mark"....
Organic Gin: Juniper Green
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03. 9.06
The makers of Juniper Green claim it is the world's only organic gin. It's made with organic grain, water and a combination of organic botanical herbs sourced from around the world. Juniper Green, which is a London Dry Gin, is distilled at Thames Distillery in London. According to the company, Thames is now the only gin distillery which both distills and bottles gin in London. No chemical fungicides are used to assist in the storage of organic grain resulting in natural microorganisms which aid full and deep fermentation. The botanicals used to make the gin are: organic juniper berries, organic coriander, organic angelica root and organic savory.
...
Val Kilmer Builds Eco/ Sells Land
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 03. 9.06
Recent news that actor Val Kilmer plans to: “build a house that will be eco-friendly and hopes to include wind power and solar energy” on his New Mexico ranch, should have made this native New Mexican jump for joy. But I couldn’t help being disappointed by additional news that Mr. Kilmer has plans to sell off 1,800 acres of his Pecos River Ranch. Fortunately, according to Apartment Therapy, Val has taken care to protect some of the land with a conservation easement held by the Santa Fe Conservation Trust. But, there are 850 acres yet available to legally subdivide into 5-acre lots. Sure wind power and solar energy are fantastic, however- (groan, why can’t those damned treehuggers ever be satisfied?) one of the greatest threats to a natural landscape is the introduction of “patchwork” development – whereby naturally contiguous pieces of land are broken up by roads, buildings, agriculture or other human-caused transformations. One can always hope that the new neighbors take a page out of Mr. Kilmer’s book and likewise choose to make their new digs a little easier on the Earth....
Fordhall Community Land Initiative Needs Your Help
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 9.06
“There can be no doubt that the greatest loss of wildlife in the past 50 years has been due to intensive farming. Techniques pioneered at Fordhall Farm show that there’s another way. Sustainable and productive farming can coexist with wildlife.” John Hughes, of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust in the UK makes such a statement in support of the Fordhall Community Land Initiative. This project, led by Charlotte Hollins, age 23 (Project Leader), Sophie Hopkins, age 24 (Project Manager), and Ben Hollins, age 21 (Farm Manager), aims to secure community ownership of Fordhall Farm by selling £50 ($87 USD) non-profit making shares to the general public. It’s a daunting task, as they have “until July 1st 2006 to raise the £800,000 (S1,390,000 USD) required to purchase the land and save it from development.” Charlotte and Ben are the children of Arthur Hollins, who for over 65 years saw to it the farm retained organically managed, chemical-free soils and pastures. Thus making it one of the oldest such farms in the UK. Read about the ambitious plan to save this historic organic property, with it’s free range, grass feed livestock, on their ::website and ::blog. (Via Tipster David C.)...
Worry-Free Snacking with Eat Your Heart Out!
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03. 9.06
Yesterday when it got to be snack time we reached for a bag of peach wedges with mango. Sounds good, doesn’t it? It gets better…not only are they full of flavor but they are gluten-free and all natural with no cholesterol, no preservatives and no fat. So how does Amy Sinaiko, President of the company Eat Your Heart Out!, do it? The concept is pretty simple – freeze-drying. “Basically, what you do is take fresh fruits or vegetables and flash freeze them, then freeze dry them at low temperatures for more than 30 hours. Since they are dried at such low temperatures, all of the nutrients stay active. You’re still getting the vitamins and minerals, but you’re giving it a shelf life of one or two years.” Eat Your Heart Out!, founded in 1999, has exploded over the past few years and can be found in chains such as Whole Foods, Wegman’s and Albertson’s. Lately, Ms. Sinaiko's passion has been working with schools in an effort to end childhood obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. She was invited by Eric Bost, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, to meet with his group at the USDA. Under Secretary Bost heads up the "Child Wellness Initiative" which governs the national school lunch program....
Windsylvania: Building Turbines On Slag Heaps of the Iron Age
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03. 9.06
GE Energy has a new mule kickin' in their stall. Spanish wind turbine maker Gamesa will soon have a total of three manufacturing sites in Eastern Pennsylvania USA. The latest will be on 20-plus acres of a former U.S. Steel site. "The three new plants will create more than 300 new jobs in the production of wind mill blades and towers and the assembly of nacelles, which house the wind turbines." Pennsylvania remains a leader in wind production east of the Mississippi, providing enough clean energy to power some 70,000 homes. Now all we need is a Vesta plant somewhere in the US. If that were to happen we'd be less likely to face a turbine shortage after the next hurricane season makes clear the risk climate change poses to natural gas supplies....
Modular Arts Mineral Panels
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.06
Since we last covered Modular Arts, this stunning Sony Design Center was published in Interior Design, with a lovely custom designed panel. Modular Arts lets you dump the drywall and replace it with a mineral panel with a range of patterns and textures. Panels are "composed entirely of nontoxic mineral and are not subject to hazardous polymerization (do not off-gas VOC's like plastics, or formaldehyde like many wood composites). They contain no accelerators, retardants, or release agents, many of which contain either probable or confirmed carcinogens. In addition, we are very happy about the recent implementation of a system that entirely eliminates waste water from our manufacturing process. modularArts, Inc. now recycles ALL of the water used in manufacturing --even water that is used to rinse machinery and tooling is brought back into the process with a gravity filtration system." ::Modular Arts via ::ReadingToronto...
Green Tomato Cabs in London
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.06
Who ever heard of giving up law to drive taxi's? Tom Packenham and Jonny Goldstone did. They founded Green Tomato Cars, and will pick you up in a Prius. London cabbies are famous for knowing the City well; Green Tomato drivers are all fully licensed, trained and conversant with Green Tomato’s environmental implications. ‘Being green used to mean paying more for worse service,’ says Packenham, ‘but we intend to emulate the best of the other cab firms if we are going to compete"...‘We want to attract everybody: people who care about the environment, corporate clients who want to show that they’re not just chasing profits, and people who just want a cab that is comfortable, fast and doesn’t break down." Come to North America. Please. ::Green Tomato Cars via ::Time Out and tipster Bonnie
Further reading: ::Hybrid Taxis in New York...
TH Blog Love – Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03. 9.06
Enviropundit: Carnival of the Green no.17
This week the Green Building blog brings our attention to worm composting, straw bale houses, green media and McDonalds' Corporate responsibility.
Grist: Caste From the Past by By Matthew Klingle and Joseph E. Taylor III
An investigation into the accusation that the green movement is more concerned about wilderness than human suffering.
Inhabitat: Green Shutter by Evelyn Lee
Landscape Architects have always used trees and plants as a natural way to block sound, and impede the sun and the wind. The Green Shutter designed by Yvew Fidalgo, takes the same concept out of the ground and affixes it to the building.
Sustainablog: Hardcore DIY Sustainability by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg
Vela Creations: The story of Abe and his wife Josie's four-year experiment in building a sustainable life in the West Texas desert.
World Changing: Green Technology - Where the Jobs Are by Joel Makower
Makower tells us that people are drawn to the promise, and the financial (and possibly psychic) benefits, of working to advance clean energy, advanced materials, organic products, locally based business, or any of a number of other opportunities....
World’s Biggest Solar Kitchen?
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 9.06
This just blew me away. These solar reflectors “produce steam which is used to cook vegetables and rice for up to 18 000 people.” The steam can reach temperatures of 650 degrees C (1,202oF) at the focal point of the reflector, hot enough to cook food in massive industrial pots of 200 and 400 litres (53 and 106 Gal). This all happens at the Academy for a Better World on Mount Abu,1,300 metres above sea level, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. On days of peak solar radiation the system can apparently cope with 38,500 meals per day. And we just love this quietly spoken understatement of their treehuggery: “... the cooker is a fine example of the successful use of cost efficient solar thermal energy on a large scale while making use of relatively simple technology and low-maintenance equipment that is locally manufactured from local materials.” More pictures here. A combined project of the ::Brahma Kumaris India, and ::Solare-Bruecke, Germany (amongst others)....
Naomi Watts Stays On (Green) Message At Oscars
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 03. 8.06
Despite being needled for gossip on the rumored upcoming nuptials of super-star Nicole Kidman and country singer Keith Urban, the lovely and talented eco-celeb Naomi Watts stuck to her guns and focused on her environmental message. During the red carpet interview Ryan Seacrest hounded her for deets on the dates, but Naomi offered him this rather more important piece of information:
"I opted not to go for a limousine," said Watts, who rode in an environmentally friendly hybrid Lexus and sounded like a car salesman.
"The hybrids are just all what it's about and we're just doing what we can to try and change the environment.
"They drive 20 miles per gallon or over and they're 90 per cent cleaner than any other new car on the road."
You go girl! Via The Sydney Morning Herald ...
"Greening the Cube"
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 03. 8.06
Grist magazine recently released an article (“Greening the Cube: Eco-friendly furniture meets the cubicle culture”), by Joel Makower breaking down the path towards a green office environment. The environmental mag—which we have credited in the past for articles on wealth and its effect on the consumer environment scale and chicken farming, answers questions such as “Why bother with green furniture?, “What environmental harm could office furniture possibly cause?”, and “So how do you choose green furniture?”. According to Makower, it is much easier to find green office products now—companies including Knoll, Steelcase, and Herman Miller have progressive environmental programs. Herman Miller’s Ethospace System, shown here, is one example. Ethospace sports 100 percent recyclable steel frames, no VOCs, and sustainable wood from managed forest resources. ::Grist...
2005: Has Sustainability Reached the Tipping Point?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03. 8.06
Gil Friend (see his bio here) writes on WorldChanging: "I think we're likely to look back on 2005 as the tipping point for 'sustainability.'" For those that are not familiar with the "tipping point" concept ("The phrase tipping point refers to that dramatic moment when something unique becomes common."), we strongly recommend Malcom Gladwell's bestseller The Tipping Point. Back to Gil: He sees many signs that point in the direction of a mainstreaming of sustainability concepts. He lists some milestones in the manufacturing world, in finance, retail and what he calls "reality" (it is becoming harder to deny it...). Mr. Friend is not 100% optimistic, though. He admits that: "Grinding poverty still immiserates a third of the human family, and shames us all. The addiction to stuff drives our market. And the market still lies, by dismissing the inconvenient parts of physical reality as 'externalities'." So, will we someday look back on 2005 and consider it the tipping point for sustainability? If Treehugger can help it, yes, but only time will tell. ::Sustainability - At the Tipping Point?, Gil Friend was moderator on the: ::Commonwealth Club Environmental Blogging Panel...
The Way the Web Works: More on WiFi at Lakehead University
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 8.06
So here is an interesting chronology: On January 21 we read an article in a small Canadian IT magazine and filed it away for a post. A month later, we wrote about the no WiFi policy at Lakehead University. It was picked up by a blogger who was smart enough to send it to boingboing. It was picked up by engadget and then Reuters and soon it was in newspapers all round the world. Today there is a long article in Canada's National Post interviewing Fred Gilbert of Lakehead (who isn't worried just about WiFi but is seriously concerned about all EMF sources) and in it is: "The next thing to go is electricity at this university," declared one headline; "Why not tear out power lines and transmission towers?" wondered another; and "I'm donning my tinfoil hat and moving my router," -that's us in Treehugger. Reading the article, one becomes less derisive.::National Post...
"Waste of Packaging" Contest: We Have a Winner
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 03. 8.06
Congratulations to Noam Ross for winning our "Waste of Packaging" Contest! TreeHugger reader voted his entry (the plastic egg carton) above the five other great finalists in the contest . For winning the contest, Noam will receive $250 in cool eco-ware from our friends at re:modern. We would like to thank re:modern for helping us with the contest, everyone who voted (and there were a lot of you), and especially everyone who entered the contest. Be on the lookout for another TreeHugger contest coming soon! ...
A Towel Made Out Beech Wood: The Millennium Towel
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03. 8.06
Bonjour of Switzerland has released a towel collection made from Micro Modal, a 100% beech wood cellulose fiber. Modal is softer than terry toweling and 50 percent more absorbent than cotton. It dries quicker too. Bonjour of Switzerland uses only environmentally friendly dyes in production. The towels range in price from $12 for a wash cloth to $65 for a bath towel. Bonswit appears to be the sole retailer at this time. ...
Worldstock.com: Friend or Foe?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 8.06
There is a good post (and resulting comment discussion) over at WorldChanging about Worldstock, a division of Overstock.com that sells mostly sustainable, artisanal crafts and products from around the globe. In "The Worldstock Story," the CEO has this to say, "We pride ourselves on being honest brokers: we don’t gouge producers with our clout, nor consumers with mark-ups, thereby allowing the artisans to receive an average of 60 - 70 percent of the money you spend in Worldstock. Our goal in Worldstock is not to make money, but to create tens of thousands (and someday millions) of jobs in the poorest regions of the world, while bringing customers unique products of which they can be proud – hand-crafted clothing, jewelry, ceramics, furniture, and much more." ...
Mod Green Pod: Organic Cotton Fabric & Vinyl-Free Wallpaper
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 8.06
Mod Green Pod is a brand-new company that's launched with a TreeHugger-friendly goal of taking "organic" from hippie to hip. Their first collection of organic cotton upholstery fabric and vinyl-free wallpaper is a fabulous, fun, whimsical synthesis of rich colors and modern designs. All of the designs are silk-screened by hand, so color, medium and design can all be mixed and matched. Mod Green Pod’s wallpapers are printed with water-based inks and unlike most wallpapers, are finished without a coating of vinyl. To see the collection in person, head to the showroom in Boston; otherwise, swing through their website. ::Mod Green Pod...
Reclaimed Wool Blankets by Ibex
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03. 8.06
Ibex, the U.S. company that makes merino wool sportswear, is now recycling its "waste" merino wool into blankets. At the end of every production season, the factories have small leftovers and remnants of their heavier weight wools. Now these 100% Loden wool, Lambswool and Switchback leftovers are being reclaimed, and made into luxurious "stadium" blankets. The blankets are available from Ibex for $65 each....
Eat no Evil, Pee no Evil: Researchers Study Pesticides in Children
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03. 8.06
We’ve reported in the past on research examining organic milk, organic ketchup, and the effects of organic food on rats. Now, a team led by an Emory University researcher has found that switching the diet of elementary school children from conventional to organic virtually eliminates two commonly used agricultural pesticides from their bodies. Twenty three students from the Seattle area were fed an organic diet for 5 days, at which point researchers observed a “dramatic and immediate protective effect” from the two pesticides: malathion and chlorpyrifos. After returning to a conventional diet, concentrations went up to as high as 268 parts per billion. "Immediately after substituting organic food items for the children's normal diets, the concentration of the organophosphorus pesticides found in their bodies decreased substantially to non-detectable levels until the conventional diets were re-introduced," said lead researcher Dr. Lu. :: Environmental Health Perspectives (Image credit: R@punseLL)...
TreeHugger Picks: Carpets and Rugs
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 8.06
TreeHugger knows that there are few things that really tie the room together better than sustainable rugs and carpets. Here are our favorite floorcoverings.
1) Like Sly needed the family Stone, every good carpet needs good backing; Ethos carpet backing is recovered from recycled car windshields.
2) Nani Marquina's Bicicleta carpet, made from recycled bicycle inner tubes, was inspired by the sheer number of bicycles in India.
3) Get the feeling of cashmere, velvet and alpaca all rolled together with Soy Luxe carpet.
4) When it comes to wool carpets, you can't go wrong with Nature's Carpet and Earthweave.
5) We can't say carpet without thinking Interface, so much we've featured them no less than one two three more times.
6) When your carpet's life has come to an end, be sure to look up Invista, who reclaims carpets of all shapes, sizes and colors so you don't have to pitch it.
7) If you have Enviro6ix carpet, there's no need to worry about throwing it out; it can be recycled into new carpet again and again....
Indian Couple Tackle Waste Management By Turning Plastic Bags Into Fashion Bags
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03. 8.06
A couple from New Delhi, Anita and Shaleb Ahuja, founded the Conserve organization in 2003 to tackle recycling and waste management in their city. This NGO started out collecting and sorting waste from 500 households around the city and soon realised that plastic bags far outnumbered any other waste product. “Plastic bags offer undoubted convenience but are an unnecessary environmental nuisance and have a dismal record of causing suffering both, to humans and animals. Hopefully one day, the need for these would no longer be felt. But, until then, all efforts have to be made to ensure that these usual eyesores are collected from the garbage dumps and recycled appropriately.” The Ahujas soon found a way to recycle the plastic bags appropriately when a designer friend, Nandita Shaunik, asked for some of the collected plastic to make handbags. The first examples proved so popular that Conserve is now running a ‘highly successful enterprise, employing 300 people and with a turnover of around $150,000.’ ...
Save 522 Million Gallons of Gas Sitting in your Car
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 8.06
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory studied the effect of ventilating car seats and found that drivers felt cooler and turned down their air conditioning."If all passenger vehicles had ventilated seats, we estimate that there could be a 7.5 percent reduction in national air-conditioning fuel use. That translates to a savings of 522 million gallons of fuel a year," said John Rugh, project leader for NREL's Vehicle Ancillary Loads Reduction Project. Just by sucking air through the seat. We love the idea that such simple ideas can make such a huge difference. Of course if you want the benefit of this now, you have to buy a Caddilac STS with a $10,000 luxury package, whose owners are renowned for their concern about energy conservation. ::NREL via ::New York Times...
Finally Something To Do With All That Styrofoam?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03. 8.06
This LiveScience.com article starts with a joke better left to the Reader's Digest people, but the substance of the piece is quite interesting. "Kevin O’Connor of University College Dublin and his colleagues heated polystyrene foam, the generic name for Styrofoam, to convert it to styrene oil. [...] the scientists fed this styrene oil to the soil bacteria Pseudomonas putida, which converted it into biodegradable plastic known as PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates)." It's about time because 2.3 million tons of polystyrene foam (styrofoam) are dumped in US landfills each year, and over 14 million metric tons of the stuff are produced annually around the world. Since the foam is very light (95% air), 14 million tons takes up lots of volume....
Mooving Right Along Now — Cow Dung Fuel
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 8.06
If you were Japan and you imported nearly all your oil (and you don’t have an arctic wilderness to ravage) where would you go looking for an alternative? Probably not inside the steaming paddock patties that is cow dung. But scientists at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology donned rubber boots and clothes pegs to go where others fear to tred. And they’ve managed to somehow extract petrol from moo poo. Not much mind you: “1.4 milliliters (0.042 ounces) of gasoline from every 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cow dung”. But given that each year Japan has an estimated 500,000 metric tons (551,155 U.S. tons) of bovine excrement to play with, they might be onto something. Though the high pressure and heat used in the extraction method might cancel out some of the benefit, the scientist have their fingers are crossed for commercialisation within five years. Tipster Saul V. pointed us to the story in ::USA Today. ...
Solartech Sunillumination
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 8.06
Maybe because we’ve covered Light Pipes once, twice and even three times before, Tipster Karl R. thought readers might be interested his start-up company, and its take on the concept. The company feels that daylighting technologies such as theirs are “a far more practical use of the sun’s energy for lighting applications, producing 15 times the present solar cell efficiency with lighting as the end use of the suns’ energy. Solartech uniquely uses sunlight directly for illumination without the inefficient initial conversion to electricity that solar electric systems demonstrate.” They are claiming that over a five year period “Solartech units will eliminate more than ten million metric tons of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, greenhouse gases and other pollutants each year. “ And pay for themselves in two years. This patented technology, needs additional funding before it can reach the point of commercialisation, though a one third scale prototype is operating as a proof of concept model. ::Solartech...
Dwell to Sponsor Prefab Exhibit
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 03. 7.06
More prefab! A series of full-scale models will be erected at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York this year. The exhibit, “Prefab Contemporary Houses” will be held in conjunction with the furniture fair, Saturday, May 20-Tuesday, May 23 at the Javits Center. The details are scarce, but we know it is sponsored by Dwell, which will also host an accompanying (pricey) conference--Dwell Prefab Now II. (Read about the first one here) Registration is $595, or $495 if made by by May 8. The speaker round-up for this all day event includes Rocio Romero, Joseph Tanney, and Michael Sylvester—all big names we have mentioned in previous posts. ::Dwell ::ICFF...
Hybrid Cars: What's in a Name?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 7.06
Hybrid car sales are up, SUV sales are down; yep, hybrids are on the tip of everybody's tongue rage these days. That's a good thing, right? Scott Nathanson, the national field organizer for the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), doesn't necessarily think so. He contends the term "hybrid" is confusing at best and misleading at worst. "People think that it if you slap a hybrid label on something, that makes it a green vehicle," he said. Unfortunately, he says, not so. According to UCS, the soon-to-be-released 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line SUV along with the GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado hybrids, make claims that are "hollow," classifying them as "mild hybrids," which, while true, should not be considered the same class of vehicles as models like Toyota's Prius or Honda's Civic hybrid. ...
TH Almost: Bamboo Warm-Up Pants from Adidas
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03. 7.06
Adidas has played with hemp a little bit with their Dakota Lo and hemp sneaks and we’re here to report that they have now started to use bamboo as well. Last week the New York Times featured maternity clothes for women who like to work out and these Adidas Bamboo Knit Pants were mentioned. They’re only made with 33% bamboo (47% cotton, 15% polyester and 5% spandex make up the other fabrics) but since bamboo is a naturally antimicrobial and moisture-wicking material we think these would be a good alternative to your usual warm-up pants. Plus, they have a waistband that can be folded down or stretched over the belly – a perfect addition to your green maternity wardrobe! Available in black or white ($50). Via ::New York Times ::Adidas.com ...
Solar Power Gets Bigger as Products Get Smaller
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 7.06
Solar power continues to conquer the world of mainstream consumer culture; just check out these two nifty little products that run on the power of the sun. Electronics makers A-Data Technology and Micro-Star International (MSI), both based in Taiwan, are introducing new solar-powered flash-based memory systems later this week at CeBIT, an annual trade show for information and telecommunications technology in Germany. A-Data will launch the Solar Disk thumb drive equipped with a solar cell module. The drive does not have a built-in battery; the solar cell powers its LCD display to show remaining capacity. The product supports USB 1.1/2.0 connectivity and it is expected to be generally available in April. It will come in 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB and 2GB models, and they claim it's the first such drive to operate without any internal battery....
Are you seeing RED? Amex Helps You Spend For Yourself And Give Money To Charity At The Same Time.
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03. 7.06
What have Bono, Elle Macpherson, Scarlett Johansen and Giorgio Armani got to do with American Express? Well the obvious answer is that they all have a lot of money to spend on their credit cards. The not so obvious answer is the launch of (Project) RED which brings big name celebs together with big name brands and big name credit cards all in the very big name of Charity! (Project) RED is the brainchild of Bono and Bobby Shriver and was launched last week in collaboration with their DATA organization which lobbies governments on debt, trade and AIDS in Africa and The Global Fund which fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria around the world. Ethical consumerism is what we are all about at TreeHugger so we are interested to know how (Project) RED will go about fighting devastating diseases in developing countries through people’s everyday shopping habits in the consumerist crazy first world....
Biodynamic Wine Tasting at Appellation in Manhattan
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03. 7.06
What better way to spend a chilly March night than tasting wine? This Thursday, March 9, one of our favorite stores, Appellation Wine & Spirits in New York City, will be conducting a Benziger wine tasting with Mike Benziger of the Benziger Family Winery. Mike has been farming biodynamically for the past ten years and has become one of the leaders in the United States for biodynamic vineyard management. He’ll discuss the principles and practices of biodynamic farming covering important topics such as “farm individuality” and the “cycles of nature.” The discussion begins at 7:00pm with the tasting of several delicious wines at 8pm. The event is free of charge and you must RSVP for it: 212-741-9474 or info(at)appellationnyc(dot)com. ::Appellation Wine & Spirits...
Instant Survey: Going Raw
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 03. 7.06
Transforming Concrete Jungles into Urban Orchards
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03. 7.06
They call themselves the largest veggie-powered caravan in the world, and they’re traversing California teaching school kids that the city is alive. This summer marks the third year of Common Vision’s annual Fruit Tree Tour, which has traveled from San Diego to Sacramento planting over 1,500 fruit trees with the students of inner-city schools. Through a fusion of arts, culture, and ecology, the non-profit aims at awakening youth not only to ecology, but to its cultural and communal roots. From planting heirloom varieties of corn from indigenous Mexican farmers, to playing West African agricultural rhythms, to contemporary hip hop media, Common Vision strives to make ecological awareness relevant and inspirational....
Getting the Trans-Fats Out
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03. 7.06
In response to the US medical establishment's consensus that "trans-fat" consumption is unhealthy, the US FDA required that manufacturers of conventional foods and some dietary supplements list trans fatty acid (trans fat) content on the Nutrition Facts Panel of their products by January 1, 2006. The US food industry, with the possible exception of the organic food segment, is racing to find ways to get the trans-fats out. Courtesy of a great story in the Wichita Eagle, we are able to outline responses of the agriculture and food processing industries (see below) and offer some scenario insights into how markets could respond. Two key questions to think about: Could a public aversion for trans-fat further accelerate sales of organic (non-processed) food; and, How might widespread planting of new oilseed varieties, especially sunflower hybrids, affect the fuel choices of biodiesel industry? Let's wade in....
Greenspace Cottages: A Truly Green Cottage Rental
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.06
Where we live, much of the population either owns or rents summer cottages. They tend now to get bigger and more expensive and duplicate everything that a city house has and have few green aspects or redeeming benefits. Where postwar most working people could afford a place in the woods somewhere, it is now unaffordable for all but the very rich. Thus we were thrilled to learn about Greenspace- they are developing small, affordable rental cottages that are truly green. They sit lightly on the landscape on piers; they have straw bale walls and SIP ceilings; radiant floors; low VOC finishes and generated less than a single pickup truck worth of waste for the construction of the entire cottage. It is in a great spot too- close to the Haliburton Forest Reserve , great for water sports and if you are into rock, there are mines and railway cuts where we have been collecting samples for years- a meteor hit this part of Ontario a few million years ago and created geological wonders. We summer nearby and it can't be beat. ::Greenspace...
What's Your Earth Day 2006 Event?
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 03. 7.06
Last weekend we posted 'Rustle the Leaf's Earth Day Book', a step by step guide to this year's Earth Day and we featured Earth Day Network’s Ecological Footprint Online Quiz a while back, which measures your impact on the Earth’s resources by calculating how many planets you need to live your lifestyle.
Now it’s time to act on those results by planning your Earth Day Event. April 22nd is Earth Day and Earth Day Network’s challenge for this year as part of their Climate Change Solution Campaign are 10,000 worldwide Climate Change events. You can list your event on their web site or find inspiration if you don’t quite know yet what your event looks like. Ideas range from planting trees, creating community green maps or holding a parade to organising water-quality monitoring or t-shirt competitions. If you still feel a bit lost, download the EDN’s Organizer’s Guide (a very useful 46 page pdf) which takes you step by step from getting started to organising Earth Day projects, to working with volunteers, raising money and working with the media.
So tell us and tell them ‘what’s your Earth Day ’06 Event?’ 47 days to go… ::Earth Day Network ::Earth Day 2006 Climate Change Solutions Compaign ::images from EDN’s Organizer’s Guide...
New Zealand Bans Bottom-Trawling, but...
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03. 7.06
The good news first: New Zealand has announced that 1/3 of its offshore waters is going to be declared off-limits to a kind of very destructive fishing called bottom-trawling. "Conservation groups say bottom-trawling is the most destructive type of fishing undertaken in the world's oceans today. Ships trail heavy nets across the sea bed, catching fish but destroying coral and other organisms. [...] The photos show a wide diversity of deep-sea life being dragged up from the deep-sea floor, including bizarre crabs, strange octopi, ancient gorgonian corals and endangered black coral." But Greenpeace is not quite pleased with the deal ("The devil is in the details") because the ban doesn't extended to all vulnerable areas, and some of the areas covered have already been fished out or are too deep to bottom-trawl anyway....
Prairie Fish — Green Inside
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 7.06
We recently had a US enquiry seeking a designer or firm for the interior design of a retail store. “Really want someone who will take a fresh approach while still understanding our aesthetic/message and work with sustainable materials.” While I’m sure there are plenty in the field these days, my immediate thought was of Prairie Fish, a Chicago based consulting firm that specialises in the "design of products, interiors and environments." Happened upon them back in 1993, when mainstream green design was pretty embryonic. They seem to be still thriving. Projects include the Real Goods Retail Store, that serves “as an example to customers and other retailers that environmentally benign materials can be used in interior design and fixturing, with no detrimental effect to the desired aesthetic.” And the Hallmarks Cards stores using wheat, plantation poplar, and water based inks. Or the Ben and Jerry Scoop Shops that employed the likes of recycled glass tiles and linoeum. Through to Patagonia underwear racks fabricated from recycled lumber (and alas some MDF, tsk tsk.) ::Prairie Fish....
The Architecture of Sustainability Competition
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 7.06
In just ten days registation closes for applicants in the “A House for an Ecologist : A Design Ideas Competition”. After that you’ve got two weeks to submit your entry in this event, organised under the auspices of The American Institute of Architects (AIA). Finalists will be exhibited at their forthcoming conference: The Architecture of Sustainability in early May 06, where they will be asking hard questions like: “Is sustainable design an oxymoron?” and “What lies ahead for our profession, and what are our responsibilities as influencers of the built environment?”. But back to the comp. It’s to design a residence/workspace for a field ecologist and make the project “ecologically intelligent”. Incorporate the AIA’s ‘Top Ten Measures for Sustainable Design’ (see link below) and your entry could be in the running for prize money of $1,000 USD. ::House for an Ecologist Competition via Dexigner....
EEStor Capacitors- "This could change everything"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 6.06
Tyler Hamilton of the Toronto Star and website Clean Break has been digging around a very secretive company. Asking them for information they said: "EEStor is not making public statements at present time," company co-founder and chief executive Richard Weir replied when the Toronto Star requested an interview via email. "EEStor would also like to have you and your paper not publish any articles about our company and the Toronto Star is certainly not authorized to publish this response." which of course he published instantly in Canada's biggest newspaper, BoingBoing style. . What they are doing in Austin with their Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers money is developing a "parallel plate capacitor with barium titanate as the dielectric" or hypercapacitor as John recently coined. Says Tyler: "BusinessWeek reported an interesting comment from Kleiner's John Doerr, who recently spoke at a California event where tech VCs gather to make their predictions for the year. Doerr reportedly referred to an investment in an energy storage company he declined to name, calling it Kleiner's "Highest-risk, highest-reward" investment." Tyler's source describes it: (warning: if you continue reading you have to eat this post)...
Graham Hill Interviewed on PSFK Fashion
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 6.06
We like PSFK, the expanding empire of marketing-related websites. Their latest venture is Fashion PSFK, where the first issue features an interview with our own fashion plate Graham Hill, looking fetching in beach attire.
"How green something is is a very complicated question and to answer it properly generally takes experts significant effort. It is for this reason that TreeHugger and its sister sites are an important tool in helping keep companies honest and pushing them to further and further greenness......The beautiful thing about where the Internet is heading is that it is helping to bring the truth out about people and companies. The days are gone when companies could control their press and hide bad practices. So I'd predict that companies that greenwash will have a harder and harder time of it due to consumer backlash on the net. The net will help the good guys win!" ::PSFK Fashion...
Graphic Design Help Wanted: Ohio-to-Erie Trail
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 03. 6.06
In a state ruled by the automobile, it is always good to see people working towards the development of other transporation. In Ohio, the Ohio-to-Erie Trail is one such effort. As the name suggests, the Trail is an effort to extend a bike trail over 450 miles from the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio, in order to make the state a more bike-friendly place. One link in that trail, the Deleware County Friends of the Trail, is looking to you for some help with some volunteer graphic design work. Here is what Pete Brown, VP of the Friends, is asking for: "We are looking for help designing a new logo and creating consistent design standards that include a standard two-color scheme and typeface. The new standards will be used for a redesign of our website (www.dcft.org) and the creation of presentation materials, etc." We know a lot of you spend more time with Photoshop than your significant others, so put these skills to good use. If you want to help, you can contact Pete at: peterwbrown [at] yahoo [dot] com and he will give you the all the details. If you want to find out more info about the entire trail, be sure to check out www.ohiotoerietrail.org.
...
Aspen Buys Ski Industry's Largest Renewable Energy Offset
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 6.06
Aspen Skiing Company has purchased enough renewable energy certificates from wind farms to offset 100 percent of its electricity use. The purchase is the largest in the history of the U.S. ski industry. The 21,000 MWh purchase keeps 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere each year. Aspen joins a significant number of businesses that are now buying renewable energy certificates to offset their electricity use. Whole Foods Market recently announced its purchase of certificates to offset 100 percent of its electricity purchases, in addition to companies like Johnson & Johnson, FedEx, Herman Miller and Staples that are supporting clean energy by using renewable energy certificates. Aspen has been an environmental leader in the ski industry for some time, from LEED-certified buildings to using biodiesel in snowcats to being the first ISO 14001-certified American ski resort. A cooling climate is definitely in their best business interests, so we know they'll keep up the good work. ::Aspen Environment, ::Wind Energy Press Release [pdf] via ::GreenBiz...
Spanish Testing Out Olive Pit Power
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 6.06
Could olive power enter into the world's alternative energy equation? Spanish company Calordom thinks so; they're responsible for powering more than 300 buildings in Madrid on energy extracted from olive pits. Spain is the world's largest producer of olives, and they hope this innovation will raise hopes that olives will become an alternative source of cheap power. "The energy is 100 percent non-polluting, a kilo (2.2 pounds) of burnt olive cores, in reality wood compressed in a natural fashion, emits the same quantity of carbon gas as they would if you just left them to rot," says Calordom head Juan Cabello. Local ecologists aren't so sure, as concerns grow that combustion of biomass on a large scale would not be as clean as advertised. ...
TreeHugger Picks: Ways to Get Free (and Nearly Free) Stuff
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 6.06
Inspired by today's episode of TreeHugger TV about Swap-O-Rama Rama, we thought now would be a good time to remind our dear readers about some other ways to alternately get rid of stuff you don't want and get stuff for free or next to nothing. Remember, what goes around comes around...
1) Tired of paying for food? Have a go at dumpster diving for your food.
2) Groundscout.com enlists the help of others in tracking down good stuff that others have tossed out.
3) The Joystick project is lending a hand by putting signs on still-usable refuse in Barcelona.
4) Blockrocker.com will help you find anything you'd normally find in the classifieds all locally, including carpools and ride-shares.
5) For the burgeoning computer construction/repair enthusiast, there's DIYparts.org, a free exchange of computer parts and components.
6) Swap-O-Matic (a prototype that's the thesis project of a student in NYC) is a vending machine that allows you to give away things you don't need, and get things you like, all for free.
7) Finally, of course there's Freecycle, the city-by-city network of giving and getting for free....
Toxic Metals Test: Kyeann Unleaded?
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 03. 6.06
Last week I found out that my body is carrying a heavy lead load. My mercury is high, but the lead is through the roof. Where did it come from? How long have I had it? What do I do about it? How is it affecting me? These curiosities coincidentally coincide with the EPA releasing new guidelines for home renovation to protect children from exposure. If you're remodeling, have a gander. Additionally, on February 22nd, the state of Rhode Island won a case against paint companies that marketed and sold leaded paint with full knowledge of its harmful effects. According to the Boston Globe, the companies may have to pay billions in damages and clean up to 300,000 homes of toxic lead....
Looking for Something Absurdly Fast? Meet the Acabion
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03. 6.06
Claiming to be the next step in the evolution of efficient human transport, the Acabion comes off as an airplane fuselage mounted over a ridiculously fast motorcycle. Appearing at this year’s Geneva auto show, the German-made Acabion is a synthesis of “aeronautic and bionic concepts,” which apparently adds up to a two-passenger vehicle that can do 280 mph at half throttle. The Acabion's fuel economy is a praiseworthy 62 mpg. While the Acabion has certainly captured our attention, the tease factor is painfully high: while we know it can go from 180-280 mph in 10 seconds, and what the drag coefficient is, how about 0-60? What will it cost? And (although I can pretty easily guess) what exactly are the little wheels in the back? The Acabion is traditional internal combustion but has an electric motor for slow speeds in pedestrian areas so that no one gets impaled. The carbon fiber body and safety features are modeled after formula-one racers (which if you doubt, you should see pictures of the recent Los Angeles Enzo crash). While the Acabion may be on to something with the idea of single and double occupancy vehicles, it’s not clear how going 300 mph fits into the picture at this point. (click through for more pics) :: Acabion via tipster Lascelles Linton...
CRed (And a Lot More Besides)
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 6.06
Yesterday we mentioned the village of Ashton Hayes and their efforts to become climate neutral.. The village is part of a larger regional British campaign of the same intentions. It is called CRed. And I personally reckon the logotype used for this campaign is a brilliant piece of design. The logo works on many levels. See Red - get angry, agitated, take action. Credibility - I stand for something, this is important to me. Carbon Reduction - I’m doing my bit to make this world a better place. Whether the designer intended all such responses I don’t know but the ultra simple logo looks different whichever way you twirl it in your mind. It provokes thought. And when climate change seems like such a big problem beyond th control of Joe Average, its pleasing to see clever design that engages the brain rather puts it to sleep. My 20 cents worth anyhow. ::CRed Climate Reduction Network. ...
SLM Selective Laser Melting - Metals of Nothing
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 6.06
Michelangelo created the genius that is the statue David by removing what did not need to be there. The genius of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is that it does the reverse. It builds shapes by mostly adding nothing. By nothing we mean air. It can achieve “nearly 90% reduction in weight but still retaining an extremely strong structure and stiffness.” Managing to include over 450 holes and channels per centimetre (0.39 inch). SLM (don’t ya just love three word acronyms (TWA)?) does this in stainless steel and chromium-cobalt, but can also work its magic in zinc, bronze and titanium and alloys thereof. Basically SLM builds structures by computerised fusing of metal powder, layer-by-layer. The reason this might be important is simply that we can use much less resources to get the results we need. For example, a car, truck, ship or aircraft that has metal components 90% lighter than standard, requires much less fuel to propel. SLM would appear (admittedly, to an untrained eye) to be the metal worlds equivalent of Aerogel. If each material lives up to its hype, a brave new world might indeed be possible. But as Lloyd rightly pointed out it’s more important to adjust attitude and actions, than rely on technology for the answers to the singular issues. ::Selective Laser Melting from MCP Group....
New York Times on Real Estate: Not the Green Issue
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 6.06
Reading the New York Times Magazine section on Real Estate was frustrating, everything is so big, so expensive, so excessive. It was with relief that we found two items worth reporting: How to Build a Low-PVC, Reduced-Plastic, Polar-Bear-Sensitive House where Tony Grassi, a former chair of the Nature Conservancy built a very green and low- PVC house- (click on picture to enlarge) It was impossible to go completely chemical free but they manage to avoid formaldehyde, copper plumbing (copper mining produces arsenic) and PBDE flame retardants. There was also a brief article on Prefabs With a Modernist Sensibility" ::New York Times...
TreeHugger TV – The Future Is Green Watch It Here.
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03. 6.06
Drrrrrrrum Rolllllllllll Please!………Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, and everyone in between! Today we are very excited to announce the launch of TreeHugger TV. You may have sneaked a peak at our cute trial run Green Tips For Slackers a couple of months ago, but today we are officially introducing THTV with a fantastic double bill! So get your iPods and/or computer screens at the ready so you can be the first to see what TreeHugger TV has to offer.
You can watch Swaporamarama developer Wendy Tremayne discussing what inspired her anti-consumerism community event where people can come and swap and creatively customize clothes. You can also watch Joe Grunberg and Doug Kormal from Trike Taxi take us through their plans for a eco-friendly electric powered pedicab. Wow, look how they weave their way through those traffic jams!
There are a number of ways of watching TreeHugger TV other than the YouTube links above. For instant gratification you can go to Google Video where you can see our original tester and the two shiney new clips produced by m ss ng p eces. Courtesy of the latest media miracle that is podcasting we are now able to regularly bring you entertaining and action packed snippets of our favourite TreeHugger stories. So for your weekly THTV fix you can subscribe to our podcast through iTunes. iTunes and Quicktime users, here are your links: Itunes MOV (Swaporama) and iTunes MOV (Trike Taxi). We hope you enjoy watching.
In order to subscribe to the podcast, all you have to do is point your iTunes (or similar software) to this URL: "http://www.treehugger.com/tv/index.xml" ... or, to watch through iTunes or your video iPod, click here to subscribe....
Guardian: Can our way of living really save the planet?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 6.06
Something is happening in the UK that we are missing in North America. Where we are all single issue types, worried about global warming or peak oil or vegetarianism or seal hunts, in the UK they have wrapped the whole thing into the concept of ethics, which the dictionary describes as "A set of principles of right conduct." They make TV shows about it. They build communities around it. 'People have a hair-shirt image about green living but it can be easy, affordable and attractive,' said Kendal Murray, who lives in BedZed. 'I live with a clear conscience and haven't had to give up a single thing to live this life.'According to the Guardian, "Ethical living is on the march... . Statistics published by the Co-operative Bank show that Britons spent £25.8bn on ethical goods and services last year, up 15 per cent on 2004. More than 40 per cent of that went on ethical banking and investments, though sales of fair trade goods - items which pay a premium over the market rate to the producer - are also rising dramatically." Even the Lonely Planet Travel Guide, which obviously promotes travel, is feeling guilty and now discouraging "casual flying" We need more of this here- it is not about single issues, it is about a way of life. ::Observer with help from tipster Bonnie...
Sales of Full-Size SUVs Take a Dive in February
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03. 5.06
A couple weeks, ago Collin reported that Hybrid Sales Keep Going Up, Up, Up, which is always a good thing to hear (just wait until the Camry hybrid comes out). Another pleasant piece of news is that sales of full-size SUVs keep declining in the US: In one month, February, they dropped by 14% (from 120,376 to 103,566 units). GM says it is happy to have increased it's relative share of that declining market, but it is doubtful that GM management is really smiling much these days (see the "GM Deathwatch" series of editorials at The Truth About Cars). Ford has been hit the hardest with a 21.4% decline in sales....
Take a Look at West Philadelphia High's Hybrid
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03. 5.06
Shooting to national attention in the US after major news coverage, the K-1 Attack Hybrid sports car is sending a message to the major US auto manufacturers: if we can do it, why can't you? Built from a kit, it's whats under the hood that counts: and this baby is reported to have super-sport performance (0-60 in 4 seconds) at better than 50mpg. What these kids are up to deserves a look, so Treehugger will show you where to find out more, in case you have not been following them since our original coverage of the hybrid supercar. The local rag, Philly Inquirer, has a little more depth than CBS on the print side, but CBS offers video, after the car won a vote for more coverage. For the photo album, go to the team's own site ev team. Go Philly Go!
...
Corporate Knights: Creating a Responsible Corporate Culture
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 5.06
We were not quite sure what to make of the magazine Corporate Knights when Ron Dembo gave us a copy last week. The odd name did not say anything to us but when we read their mission statement- "Bad corporations can poison the water we drink, prop up brutal dictatorships, assassinate inconvenient indigenous leaders and swindle billions from shareholders and governments through tax evasion and accounting shenanigans. We believe that bad companies will be eclipsed by Corporate Knights, corporations that make money for their shareholders, enhance their national and local communities of operation, leave as small a footprint as possible on the environment, treat employees well, and keep customers happy." We perked up. (Collin alluded to them earler in Treehugger here) The magazine and website is devoted to working with business to create a "responsible corporate culture [that] can foster a more livable world for all." You can read the entire magazine (issues on water, air and forestry) in PDF form or selected articles online- the writing is good and the content substantive. We wish the name reflected the intent and content more accurately; we didn't get it.. ::Corporate Knights Hybrid gearheads should read the zerofootprintCARS PDF section. ...
Richard Rogers Partnership’s National Assembly of Wales Sets Environmental Example.
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03. 5.06
The National Assembly of Wales, or The Senedd as it is called in Welsh, was officially opened by The Queen last Wednesday. This spectacular building by the British architecture firm Richard Rogers Partnership was awarded the Building Research Establishment's (BRE) highest award for sustainable building construction back in January. The building's score is the ‘highest ever achieved by a BREEAM Assessed Development in Wales.’ RRP are well known for their pioneering approach towards sustainability within Architecture, but NAW is being seen as a particularly ground breaking example. The Queen said on Wednesday of this new landmark building that she hoped it would become as important a symbol as the English Houses of Parliament. TreeHugger hopes it becomes an important symbol for beautiful sustainable architecture, inspiring other architects to make boldly creative architectural statements in favour of the environment....
A Tale of Two Cities* (Woking and Ashton Hayes)
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03. 5.06
I recently turned on the radio, and serendipitously caught a BBC program, called 'One Planet', discussing all sorts of Climate Neutral programs. Two were UK based. The Woking Borough Council, for example, has been running a 200 kWe hydrogen fuel cell (PDF) as a combined heat and power (CHP) system for four years now, to heat and power the city’s leisure centre and park. “Excess heat produced in the summer can also be used to power the centre’s air conditioning, cooling and dehumidification requirements ...”. The fuel cell is on public view, via a information centre to educate how such technology can generate “50% more electricity than the conventional equivalent without burning any fuel.” In the case of Woking they use phosphoric acid for the electrolyte, natural gas to form the hydrogen, while extracting oxygen directly from the air. The leisure park is self sufficient in electricity, and exports its surplus to other council venues. The fuel cell is but one of Woking’s many green initatives to help its 90,000 residents live more sustainably. They are looking to have a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050....
