Weekly Archive for April 23, 2006 : TreeHugger

Wired answers three frequent questions about how to "become more green": 1) Should I ditch my old car for a newer hybrid? 2) How much of the USA's energy comes from "alternative" source? 3) Is eating organic food good for the environment, or just hype? We'll quote the answer to question #1 because it was asked in the comments of a recent post, but to read the rest you'll have to go to ::Wired - How can I be more green? or buy the magazine....

We have talked about the 100 Mile Diet many times, and it seems to be catching on. Canada's National Post put four of its most dedicated foodies to work to create dinner parties strictly according to the 100 mile rule. "To their cries of "Can't we do this in summer" we said "Hell no, That would be too easy" . Read about the dinners in ::Vancouver, ::Calgary, ::Toronto and ::St. John's, Newfoundland Read Mike's posts on the 100 Mile Diet part 1 and part 2...

TreeHugger thinks it’s time to re-invent the Victory Garden. In the WWII period of US history, a “Victory Garden” …largely a matter of growing your own food in the backyard…was a government promoted way for citizens to get fruit and veggies that were unavailable due to fuel shortages and from diverting commercial production to the troops overseas. A half–century later we are entering another global crisis: Climate Change and fuel shortages caused by Peak Oil and rapidly growing consumption. Growing your own food is personally redeeming in the same way that recycling is. More than that, it tastes better than store-bought, can save you money, and reduces your potential exposure to pesticides....

We are beginning to get a picture of what our world will look like in a few years- In America, amber waves of corn from sea to shining sea; in Brazil, sugar cane; in Indonesia. palm plantations. We read in the New York Times that China has just placed a rush order for a billion dollars worth of Merbau for the 2008 so-called Green Olympics, and to replant for palm oil, as part of a larger deal that will essentially level the remaining forest. "For China, the deal is a double bounty: the wood from the forest will provide flooring and furniture for its ever-expanding middle class, and in its place will grow vast plantations for palm oil, an increasingly popular ingredient in detergents, soaps and lipstick.... Merbau wood, mostly prevalent in Papua's virgin forests, has been illegally logged and shipped to China since the late 1990's, stripping large swathes of forest in the Indonesian province on the western side of the island of New Guinea. The decision to award a $1 billion concession to China will "increase the deforestation of Papua," a place of extraordinary biodiversity, said Elfian Effendy, executive director of Greenomics, an Indonesian environmental watchdog. "It's not sustainable." Perhaps its time to not only refuse to purchase floors made from unsustainable materials, but to refuse to walk on them. ::New York Times and be sure to watch the video....

Reputedly famous for its creamy cheeses, Serpa is described in a travel guide as “a sleepy agricultural hilltop town of white houses”. Quite soon this ancient walled town, founded in 400 BC, will be catapulted into the future. It’s about to get an 11-megawatt solar power plant, comprising 52,000 photovoltaic modules, in what is being dubbed the “world’s largest solar photovoltaic power project.” (If I had a buck for every time I’ve typed that claim I could almost retire.) The three movers and shakers on this project are as follows: GE Energy Financial Services is putting up the dough ($75 million USD) so they get to own it. PowerLight have designed and will operate the facility. And local Portuguese renewable energy company, Catavento, will maintain and manage it. According to the press release this will all happen on a 60-hectare (150-acre) southern-facing hillside that will remain productive farmland. And if all goes to plan (construction starts next month) the solar juice will flow by January 2007, so it can power 8,000 homes, and save more than 30,000 tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions. Gorby will be pleased. Via ::International Herald Tribune. ...

Surely this is the coolest alternative to walking since... well, since bicycles. If you could cover 5 meters (16 feet) at a single bound, well you could cover the distance to work (with a short-cut over that fence) before you could stop-and-go your auto across town. With a 2 meter (6 feet) vertical jump, your back flips and slam dunks would rock! Okay, that is the Olympic athlete level of performance, but the Poweriser stilts were tech-checked by the German television program Galileo, and a 3.5 meters (12 feet) stride was demonstrated. The Galileo tech-checker needed about four minutes to get the hang of the springy stilts and was able to master gravel, grass and hills with ease. These gadgets have been around now for about two years (and through a full cycle of re-engineering: if you were the first in your neighborhood to own a pair, check out the upgrade kit being offered free to current owners--right after you leave your comments letting us know if these live up to the imagination). Why is TreeHugger predicting a boom in Powerising? Check out the adverts Zurich drummed up after getting permission from the patent holder to feature their pogo-stilts: ...

You may not have the $2K to bid on a paddling adventure with Christie Brinkley, but who could resist the temptation to go for a rare Caddyshack tee shirt autographed by both Bill Murray and Chevy Chase? (it could be yours for $150.00). These are just a few of the darned nifty celeb offerings available via the Third Annual Chevy Chase Earth Day Auction hosted by clever online fundraisers Charitybuzz. This year's auction will benefit a trio of good causes: The Center for Environmental Education Online, Earth Day Network, and The New York Coalition for Healthy School Lunches. If kayaking the waterways of East Hampton with Christie doesn't do it for you, there are plenty of other fun options: VIP Tickets and backstage passes to a Dave Matthews show; Brunch with Blythe Danner; Meet Martha Stewart; A Tennis match with Chris Evert; Daily Show Tix; An internship with TreeHugger; and many many more!...

Sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised in what you find at traditionally un-green places. As more and more big box retailers are starting to see the advantages of sustainable products, greener products are appearing on their shelves. Well, we want to roll out the green carpet for them, and we want your help in doing so. In our "Unexpected Green" Contest, we are looking to you for examples of how these big boxers are getting more eco-friendly. To enter, just send us a picture and description of what you have found to: contest [at] treehugger [dot] com. Get it to us by Friday, May 5th, and you could even win a $350 gift certficate from the good people at Earth. So, get those entries in and help us shine a light on green products in unexpected places. ...

There is a lot of green stuff going on around Peterborough, Ontario- there are probably more straw bale builders and green roof planters there than anywhere else around. They also share their knowledge- Saturday, April 29 is the Green Expo, with 65 exhibitors, a screening of "the End of Suburbia" (the producer is driving up in his Smart Car) with other presentations by straw bale builder and author Chris Magwood, sustainable transportation expert John Neufeld, who will explain how he drove his Audi A2 Diesel from Toronto to Vancouver (4250 Km) on $ 84.20 in fuel, and others. Sounds like fun! ::Green Expo...

Before the fabulous Maker Faire last weekend I had a chance to see “Who Killed the Electric Car?” at the San Francisco Film Festival. Of the intertwining stories told in this artful documentary, the one about hydrogen fuel cell as red herring is one of the most compelling. The Bush administration and many environmentalists alike continue to talk about fuel cell cars as if they’re about to pop up at our local dealerships, poised to solve our ills at any moment. In a news conference at a Washington gas station this week, House Speaker Dennis Hastert touted fuel cell cars as bringing relief to current high gas prices. He then rode off around the corner in a fuel cell car, but quickly hopped out and back into his waiting SUV (see the lovely photo montage). Electric vehicles and PHEVs (more commonly known as plug-ins) on the other hand are available now and can also provide relief for gas prices and environmental problems. The newly unveiled all-electric Modec delivery van is a case in point....

Prism Solar Technologies in New York has developed a proof-of-concept solar module that uses holograms to concentrate light, possibly cutting the cost of solar modules by as much as 75 percent, making them competitive with electricity generated from fossil fuels. Currently, the approach to overcoming this cost factor of silicon-based solar panels is to concentrate light from the sun using mirrors or lenses, thereby reducing the total area of silicon needed to produce a given amount of electricity. But traditional light concentrators are bulky and unattractive -- less than ideal for use on suburban rooftops....

We've previously pondered why people buy hybrid cars; our general perception is that altruism rules over economy, that it's not necessarily for the cash saved at the pump. An article over at MSN puts seven hybrid models through the ringer to see how the total cost compares between the hybrids and their conventional counterparts; sure, all hybrids have higher sticker prices, but will they ever save you the difference? Their study found that, over five years time, the only hybrid that will actually save you money is the Toyota Prius. All other hybrid models will cost between $300 and $3,700 more than their non-hybrid counterparts over five years. There are lots of "real-world" variables that could work out differently for different drivers (miles driven, city vs. highway mileage, fluctuations in gas prices, etc.) but it's interesting to see it worked out from a purely dollars and cents point of view, and that it might actually be a selling point for the Prius (not that it needs any more). Use the gas savings calculator to see if it'd be worth it for you, and read the whole article. ::MSN Money via ::AutoblogGreen...

When Lloyd gave us the DL on what I call "silly water" and Warren filled us in on the not-so-silliness of the bottled water industry - TreeHuggers turned out for the drink debate and posted lots of comments on the relative merits of various hydration sources. Clearly there is a huge market for the bottled stuff and with brands like Hope To Others pitched to treehuggery types like us, one might wonder who drinks from the tap these days? ...

We've arrived at the final installment of our quick-n-easy actions to take for a better planet. At just 25 items, we know there are a plethora of other easy ways to take action, and just because they're not on the list doesn't mean you shouldn't do them. The little things can make a difference! 5) Instead of buying bottled water, use a water filter instead. There are some pretty strange options for filtration out there, but they can be very simple and easy to use, so get one, use it to replenish your precious bodily fluids, and you'll never buy bottled water again. 4) To go the extra mile, get a rainwater storage tank; you don't even have to dig a huge hole in the yard to have one (we got all the facts at a rainwater harvesting conference). You won't be able to drink it (unless you do what this guy did, and bottle it), but your flowers, plants and garden will sure enjoy it. This will save the potable water your utility provides just for household use, and you'll use less of it. 3) Use "Tupperware"-style reusable food containers for leftovers and lunches; you'll save miles of plastic wrap and tons of plastic bags. While you're at it, get reusable versions of other stuff, like grocery bags, gift bags and (why not?) muffin cups. 2) Draft excluders at the base of your doors can save vast amounts of cold from getting in and heat from getting out. Your wallet will thank you, and you can do it with other doors around the house, like your fridge door, too. 1) Finally, a programmable thermostat will help efficiently regulate your indoor climate; it's like TiVo for your house. Warm it up and cool it down only when you want to, live more comfortably and cheaply. Isn't that what we all want? Whew! Now that we've reached #1, it's time to go forth and take action: use the list, live clean, save money, save the planet. For a refresher, here's the entire 25 ways to save the planet, all in one place. Godspeed, TreeHuggers!...

Hardy har har. But seriously - you are a TreeHugger because you give a damn about the world around you, and it's a lot more than the Hokey Pokey that gets you out of bed in the morning. That's what SustainLane CEO, James Elsen was suggesting when he referred to the existential question posed by a bumper sticker (the pre-blog progressive's opinion format of choice) during his talk at today's LOHAS (Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability) conference. For those of you not familiar with LOHAS, it is the market niche that explains the Whole Foods cum Gaiam leanings of those of us who love the eco-scene, but also crave a bit of lux with our tofu (thankyouverymuch). LOHAS is big and getting bigger (according to analysts privy to snazzy demographic wizardry), and embodies the paradox that drives speaker Paul Ray's research, namely: "Things are getting worse and worse and better and better faster and faster." Even if the Hokey Pokey isn't what it is all about - the eco-enterprisers here at LOHAS have definitely put their whole selves in and are shaking the business world all about as they bring wacky ideas like alternative energy, carbon offsetting and recycled textiles into the mainstream. Stay tuned for more from LOHAS - where you can find everything from organic hemp sports drinks to runway ready eco-couture and everything green in between. (Check out Blue Marble for a live blog update on the event)....

It’s National Arbor Day here in the United States and we’re encouraging you to get out there and plant a tree. Did you know that Arbor Day is actually celebrated around the world? For example in Australia it’s “National Tree Day” (celebrated in July) and they even have an Arbor Week at different times throughout the year, depending on location. In China, “Tree Planting Day” is a public holiday in March and for New Zealand “World Environment Day” is in June. Nebraska is actually home of the Arbor Day roots, deemed at one time to not have enough trees, and was founded by J. Sterling Morton. On January 4, 1872, Morton first proposed a tree-planting holiday to be called “Arbor Day” at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture. The date was set for April 10, 1872. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for planting properly the largest number of trees on that day. It was estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day. Amazing! We’re jealous of those folks that actually get the day off to dig in the dirt, but for those of us that don’t we can make a contribution through the Arbor Day website. ::National Arbor Day...

When our son asked if he could bring a gang of friends to the cottage for the weekend, I started to search for menu items that would be satisfying for a large group but wouldn’t keep me in the kitchen for the whole day. This recipe works perfectly. You can easily increase the recipe – just chop more (or rope in one of your guests to chop more). Consider this ingredient list as a guideline and you could toss in any fruit or vegetables that are local and seasonal. The recipe calls for cashews, but almonds or peanuts would work just as well. I also briefly sautéed the shiitake mushrooms rather than using them raw, but that is simply a matter of taste. Don’t be frightened by the title of the recipe, you can adjust the spiciness by the amount of chili oil you use – I actually used a hot thai chili sauce and it was delicious. It is suggested as a first course, but you could easily add some noodles and serve it as a light lunch or dinner on a hot day. Very Spicy Asian Vegetable Salad...

“Finding another frustrated ethical wannabe was very refreshing. After a good rant about the hardship involved in finding planet-friendly products and how the majority of people simply didn’t have the time and energy to do this, we decided to do it for them and at the same time turn our passion into our job.” This is Jolene Pritchard explaining how she and her business partner, Richard, started Mad*. We were excited to find out about Mad* recently because as Jolene says it is always great to find kindred spirits in this world. Both TreeHugger and Mad* have a keen desire to make leading a sustainable lifestyle easier and more fun. At TH we do this in a variety of ways: blogging, THTV and cool products. Mad* have also created a multi-faceted approach with their website, which includes a news letter, a product database and they have also created The Mad* Show. ...

From the Evangelical Climate Initiative website, we'd like to share this brief excerpt: "As Christians there are three basic steps required for us to help solve the global warming crisis. Pray - seek guidance and encouragement from the Lord. Study - learn more about the problem of global warming and how it relates to your commitment to Jesus Christ and his commands to love our neighbors, care for "the least of these," and be proper stewards of His creation. (As a starting point read our Statement and see our Resources page.) Act - as individuals, family members, church members, and citizens, take steps to reduce global warming pollution". We note use of the word "crisis." The world arguably is consumed with many emergencies, large and small, short- and long-term. Climate change is all of these; and beyond that, continuous. So, perhaps "crisis" is the right term. At any rate, do check out the proposed action list at the site. via Earthwatch Radio...

The slogan goes: “Global Warming stole the Ice Age. We’re stealing it back!” * Yeh, right. Let’s take a moment to ponder the global warming contribution that results from shipping 200 tonnes of frozen deoxygenated water from Canada to London to make a pub you can only stay in for an hour. Or the CO2 emissions obtained by keeping the ice chilled to -5oC with “constantly running refrigeration units.” Oh, and let’s not forget that “fresh ice will be shipped in from Canada to replace the palace and the sculptures as they melt in their progress from city to city.” Yep, it’s heading off on a little touring holiday to Barcelona and Berlin. At the height of the European summer, as all good ice bars should. Look, we’re pleased that the charity WaterAid will be sent 50p from every ticket sold (Adult £21), but this flight of lunacy, scheduled to open next month, has to rank right up there with Ski Dubai. ::IceSpace [Flash Alert!]. via Reuters. ...

Previously we went on a bit of search for organic latex and came up short. Now we learn that a Welsh company, Abaca, is on a similar mission. Their metal free Ramsey mattress already has its chemical free, natural latex core wrapped in layers of organic Welsh wool, and contained within an organic cotton cover. As best as we can make out, they’ve had the the wool and cotton certified as organic by the UK’s Soil Association. But the certification for the latex is currently ongoing. Such diligence does not come cheap. Ramsey mattresses start at £600, or £490 for a pocket spring version (without the latex). Alternatively you could give your existing mattress some extra environmental comfort boost with a organic wool/cotton mattress pad, starting at £85. Buy Organics sell them online, with the retailer John Lewis due to carry them in store. ::Abaca via IC Wales ...

Paying to offset your car’s emissions is a contentious issue. To some it’s a clever and accessible way to get a little greener. Others see it as a feel-good cop out. The New York Times weighed in on the issue this week and made their opinion clear enough: Gas Guzzlers Find Price of Forgiveness. Of course the issue is more nuanced than that and as the idea of going carbon neutral spreads, the debate will broaden. Ford announced this week that it has joined with TerraPass to educate car buyers about the option of offsetting their greenhouse emissions by investing in renewables. Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury will promote the Greener Miles cross-branding program at their dealerships and on the Web, although Ford “has no plans to run a broad-based advertising campaign for the initiative,” according to Green Car Congress...

We learned the hard way about a Toronto tradition for taking back the streets today- mass memorial rides for cyclists needlessly killed. Hubert Van Tol was a University of Toronto Professor and athlete- we rowed together on Lake Ontario (well, not quite together- he was twice as fast). Last Thursday a dumptruck turning right got him. This happens too often in Toronto (two cylists were killed on the same day) where the few bike lanes are full of cars and when it comes to enforcement, we quote Bob Dylan: "the cops don't need you and man, they expect the same". There are few North/South streets in the area of the accident and bike commuters are forced to use the ludicrously named Avenue Road, four fast-moving lanes, none for bikes- it just might slow down the rush hour traffic and we can't have that. ...

Even though we just featured another coffee table in our Sneak Peek series, technically the Full Slant coffee table by Rhubarb Décor is both a coffee table and a bookshelf. It fuses a novel approach of displaying books utilizing their natural tendency to lean with the elegant nature of bamboo ply. The table was inspired by watching books housed between vertical walls. According to designer Todd Laby, "They seemed to try to find comfort by leaning awkwardly under the weight of gravity and yet were slowly damaging their spines. I decided to create useful spaces where books could recline naturally and still remain upright. Hence the name 'Slant'." The table is made from bamboo ply, chosen for its unique strength and beauty, as well as to showcase that sustainable materials are more then mere material substitutes, that their unique properties can both enhance and drive innovation to create ever more useful, modern and intriguing products. ::HauteGREEN and ::Rhubarb Décor Check out the rest of the Sneak Peek Series for a glimpse at the best in sustainable home design....

We've featured electric cars and bikes from Zap! previously on TreeHugger. Now the company has released this electric dirtbike called the "Mud E". It's aimed at "kids aged 8 and up", and the specs say the range is up to 12 miles and speed is up to 20 mph. The charging time is 4-6 hours using a standard outlet. Recycle Free is selling the bike for $849 including shipping. :: Zap! via Free Energy News ...

Part four out of our five-part series has more easy, affordable things you can do by the end of the day today to make a positive impact on our planet. 10) When it comes to toilets, we've seen a lot of gadgets: dual-flush handles, controllable-flush handles, alternative toilets, the UnBathroom emergency toilet, a water recycling toilet and reviews of the best low-flow toilets. They're all valuable in their own way, but rather than rushing out to buy one of them, there's an even easier way to save lots of water: make your own frugal flusher. Just place a brick or similarly voluminous object in the tank of your toilet; by displacing some of the water, there's less of it to flush each time, and less valuable wet stuff goes down the drain. 9) We can't emphasize this one enough: replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. They're more energy efficient, last longer, and can even help clean the air in your home. There are too many other good things about them to list here, but, trust us, they're worth it. 8) Even though there are some good things going on in the bottled water industry, like biodegradable water bottles and this bottled water with a cause, you can't beat filtered tap water in a reusable bottle. Same goes for other widely-consumed beverages, like coffee, and if you're stuck on the aesthetics of the disposable cup, check out TreeHugger founder and fearless leader's ceramic solution. 7) Cut flowers are pretty and smell good, but are ultimately disposable after just a few days. The next time you're in the market for some, go for a potted version instead. They last longer, improve indoor air quality and can even be self-watering. If cut flowers are a must, go for organic and look for the Veliflora sustainable floral label. 6) A low-flow showerhead can save you gallons of water each time you use it. We've seen 'em as low as a half-gallon per minute, and for as little as $12 US. ::25 Ways to Save the Planet: 25 - 11; we finish off the series tomorrow -- don't miss it!...

A recent New York Times article gives us an important lesson on the damage incurred by chemical “spills,"—despite the best efforts to clean them up. In 1986, when a plant near Basle, Switzerland had a chemical spill, millions of fish for hundreds of miles downstream Germany’s Rhine river were killed, and Rhine salmon wiped out. Thanks to an initiative by Dutch minister of water resources Neelie Kroes, salmon is back. In some parts, you can actually see them leaping through the air. But this Rhine, as the article’s headline tells us, is “No Longer Europe's Sewer, but Not the Rhine of Yore.” Now, salmon from Ireland, France, Scotland, and Scandinavia call the river home. They share this aquatic turf with immigrants including a small crab, which moved on in when the Danube was connected to the Rhine in 1992 by the Main-Danube canal. It’s frustrating to think, even with a clean-up project carrying a 20-25 billion euro price tag, we can’t quite clean up these “spills.” ::The New York Times Image Martin Specht for The New York Times....

A few months back we reported that Whole Foods would be going 100% wind powered and because of it they’ve achieved #13 on the Reader’s Digest: America’s 100 Best. “Our special issue celebrates the Best of America- the best toy inventor, movie trailer, math teacher, headline, buzz cut, seaside stroll, street name, cool car, chess player, block party, sandwich, globetrotter, stick artist, view from a dentist’s chair- 100 surprises in all,” the May 2006 issue states. This is great news, not only for Whole Foods, but for the company who they are working with, Renewable Choice. Founded a few years ago, they are now a leading national provider of wind power. Via ::Musings of an Eco-Entreprenuer ...

According to a recently published study, "Metal Stocks and Sustainability," all of the copper in ore, plus all of the copper currently in use, would be required to bring the world to the level of the developed nations for power transmission, construction and other services and products that depend on copper. For the entire globe, the researchers, R. B. Gordon*, M. Bertram,, and T. E. Graedel, estimate that 26 percent of extractable copper in the Earth's crust is already landfilled or otherwise lost in non-recycled wastes. Current prices don't reflect those losses because supplies are still large enough to meet demand, and because new technologies have helped mines produce more efficiently. Sort of reminds us of oil price projections...say about two years ago. Here is a link to the study abstract, as published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. ...

The on-line magazine "Display and Design Ideas" has a feature article up that postulates "the coming boom in green retail," exemplified by this wine section in a Giant Eagle. It's an excellent overview article, and well worth your while to read in full. One paragraph really jumped out at us. "Membership in the nonprofit industry group USGBC has grown more than 1,000 percent in the past four years, currently including more than 5,500 member companies and organizations. Further, the annual U.S. market in green building products and services has grown to $5.8 billion, representing 34 percent growth from the previous year. During the past four years, more than 229 million sq. ft. of commercial building space, which includes retail builds, has been registered or certified under LEED". TreeHugger has been on this trend as well. Check out here,an earlier piece,...and here....here..., and here....

The gloves are on. The drilling bits sharpened. We knew, after the recent price upticks in gas and oil, that wildcatters would want more access to parklands and offshore from tourist beaches. Now, it's obivous that no stone will be left unturned. From the Post Independent of 22 March we learned that: "Two landowners urged the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Monday to deny a proposal to drill for natural gas near a nuclear blast site"..."On Sept. 10, 1969, at a site on the north slope of Battlement Mesa about 12 miles southeast of Parachute, a 40-kiloton nuclear explosive was detonated 8,476 feet below ground surface. [A Texas-based company], proposes to drill within a half-mile radius around the blast site". Based on the solar radiation distribution plot from City-Data (shown here), solar photovoltaic energy development might offer a more favorable risk-benefit tradeoff. But if all you have is a drill, every landscape invites a well. Or something like that....

We visited Archetype: Sustainable House Competition yesterday morning with some trepidation. The winner of the competition gets to build their design at the Kortright Centre, a hotbed of conservation and sustainability. The requirements for the design were: a) meet LEED for homes 1.71 Gold rating b) be designed for mass production c) Aesthetics and Ergonomics d) four bedrooms plus garage e) innovative waste water treatment We have had some doubts about this competition, wondering whether four bedroom houses with garages on greenfield sites with 50' by 120' lots is could possibly be sustainable or affordable. We always thought that you could live the Ozzie and Harriet suburban tract house lifestyle or you could live ethically and sustainably, but it was hard to do both. We were concerned about the the criteria- design of the waste water treatment seemed more important that design of the house. The requirements were extensive and seriously time-consuming, and competitors would have to do a lot of work. And they sure did....

Be Sustainable: Green 5 podcast by Ryan We’re happy to see that Blog Love is catching on around the Blogosphere. This week Be Sustainable starts it’s new Green 5 podcast series with it’s favourite Green Blogs and TH is in there – yipeee! Each episode of the Green 5 covers 5 thoughts, ideas, actions, links or resources on a green/sustainable theme. City Hippy: Plastic bag trees by Becky ‘On a particularly windy day recently I did happen to look up as the sun was out (at last!) and noticed how many bags were caught up in trees - hanging down as little reminders of how we are getting through SO MANY plastic bags.’ Evaneco: Carnival of the Green #24 by Don Bosch This week the Carnival has found religion and animals. ‘With environmental stewardship comes an obligation to remember all the other critters with which we share this good earth.’ God’s creatures featured include penguins, sharks, cattle, poultry and salmon....

What next? First it was the bamboo iPod case, followed by the bamboo keyboard, then came along the bamboo mouse. And now monitors have caught the grass fever too. Apparently due for release in the UK very soon, through www.playengine.co.uk, the monitors will come in 3 configurations: 15, 17 and 19 inch (£250, £275 and £330 respectively). Strangely the bamboo is treated for rot resistance, which might hinder its biodegradable properties, when it comes time to retire it. (Wholesale versions of a similar thing can be seen at Alibaba.) via Virgin Technology News....

The guy who effectively ended the Cold War (aka ’my nuclear arsenal is bigger than yours’), and had to manage the cleanup of Chernobyl, has this to say on a topic doing the rounds at the moment: “Nuclear power is neither the answer to modern energy problems nor a panacea for climate change challenges,” President Gorbachev said recently. “You don’t actually solve problems by finding solutions that create more problems down the track. It doesn’t add up economically, environmentally or socially. Of all the energy options, nuclear is the most capital intensive to establish, decommissioning is prohibitively expensive and the financial burden continues long after the plant is closed. In the U.S., for example, direct subsidies to nuclear energy amounted to $115 billion between 1947 and 1999 with a further $145 billion in indirect subsidies. In contrast, subsidies to wind and solar combined during the same period totaled only $5.5 billion.” An extract from his press release, commemorating Chernobyl 20 years on, in which he beseeches the leaders of the G8 to show some spine, and support solar energy with a global fund of $50 billion USD. via ::Green Cross International. ...

Maybe we should call this week the "Lester Brown Week"? On Monday we asked you for suggestions of interview questions, on Tuesday the TreeHuggerTV team interviewed Mr. Brown (stay tuned for the episode featuring the interview) and today we'd like to let you know that his book Plan B: 2.0 (which we've covered before) is available online for free (legally, of course): Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. You can read it in a browser, or download chapters in .pdf format, but of course you can also buy it to support Mr. Brown (and when you're done reading, why not donate your copy to the local library or start a library at work?). ::Lester Brown - Plan B: 2.0, ::Plan B: 2.0 at Amazon Update: You can watch our interview with Lester Brown here....

Vancouverites Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon have just launched an exciting expansion of their 100-Mile Diet, a new website. From the press release......

The new “Turning Torso” residential tower in Malmö, Sweden, is not only an architectural feat but a state-of-the-art example use of LEDs for residential lighting. Guests or residents heading to apartments on the upper floors are greeted with automatic lighting triggered by motion sensors for LEDs. No additional light sources are necessary, and LEDs thus demonstrate their potential in "real" lighting solutions. The main objective for the lighting installations in the corridor areas was to keep service costs down throughout the lifespan of the equipment. The tower is also supplied with 100% locally produced renewable energy, and the tower is said to be living up to the objective of 105 kWh per square meter per year. :: LED Magazine...

Chances are good that if you drive a hybrid you’re probably pretty happy about the idea of owning a car that’s better for the environment. You may even start feeling so good about yourself for making that righteous purchase that you start to relish the smell of your own “emissions,” as we now know (thanks to South Park) is the case for smug San Franciscans. There is, however, an intricate and compelling story behind Toyota’s hybrids that most of us have never heard. An article in this week’s San Francisco Chronicle elucidates some of the very engaging history behind Toyota’s Prius and the company’s decision to aggressively pursue environmental technologies at a time when fuel efficiency was practically a non-issue. It tells how in the 1990s a team of 100 Toyota engineers was assembled for a special project—to create a car with 100% improved efficiency, a car for the 21st century. The team worked round the clock feverishly in twelve-hour shifts to meet the stringent demands Toyota had set for the project. While U.S. automakers chastised Toyota for pursuing hybrid cars, the Prius’s success story began in 1997 when it hit the Japanese market and has been glowing steadily brighter even since. Toyota is expected to pass GM this year as the world’s largest automaker and has an estimated value that is more than double the combined value of GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. :: San Francisco Chronicle...

According to United Press International, robotic "pigs" are constantly roving over German sewage plants. These electrical pigs, which look like child-sized Volkswagen Beetles, have only one task to perform: help dry the 60 million tons of sewage sludge produced every year in Germany alone. Using solar energy to dry mud, these robots are environmentally friendly and cost-effective. There are currently 100 of them in use around the world, and more are being installed every month. ...

If you are a faithful TreeHugger reader, you probably know that our contests are a great way to score free swag from some of the best green retailers on the net. This month, Earth (the shoe company, not the planet) is putting up a $350 gift certificate to the winner of our "Unexpected Green" Contest. Earth manufactures "healthy shoes" made to give you better support and posture through the yoga-inspired "Negative Heel." And, for every pair of shoes you buy and register with them, Earth will donate $1 to EarthShare, non-profit collaboration of environmental and conservation groups. So please check out www.earth.us and show some love to our contest sponsors....

We've previously tackled the shaving dilemma, but that was before we'd seen the Razor Saver, which might just be one of the handiest gadgets we've ever seen. This baby claims to sharpen your used disposable razor heads for up to 130 shaves (!); using their math, that's a 75% reduction. While everybody's shaving habits are different, one thing's for sure: that sure beats the heck out of the measly number of shaves you get (without sharpening) before the blade is as dull as a butter knife and worthless. Seems it's as easy as this: "Just insert a razor head and draw the old blade across the Razor Saver - it will be like new." It works with any regular or disposable razor, men's or women's, with a single or double blade. Last we checked, a refill pack of four cartridges was nearly as much as the Razor Saver's $12 US price tag, so use it once or twice and it'll have paid for itself. Available from ::Sustainable Village via ::Ideal Bite...

TreeHugger is growing rapidly and needs the help of some smart, organized and dedicated people. We can't pay anything at this point but this may change in the future when we start to break even financially. This experience will teach you a lot about environmental media/blogging and will give you particular expertise in the area of focus of your internship....

In part three of our ongoing series, we bring you five more ideas for ways to reduce your ecological impact, keep things green, and save some green by increasing efficiency while retaining function. 15) Fill your kitchen with bamboo. We just love the stuff, and its versatility makes for a variety of products that are inexpensive, functional and beautiful and long-lasting. Some of our favorites are Ekobo, Bambu (their new utensils are worth a look, too), Vessel's cutting boards, NorSing dinnerware and this dinnerware from Hammacher Schlemmer. While you're at it, bamboo is pretty great for the bathroom, too. 14) Get an efficient space heater to cut down on the cubic area you need to heat, reducing energy consumption and energy bills. 13) If a drying rack or clothing line doesn't make sense for your wet laundry, a spinning clothes dryer that uses centrifugal force is a much more efficient alternative to conventional clothes dryers. 12) Use recycled paper. There's no need to use virgin paper for things like computer printing, envelopes, paper towels, toilet paper or tissues; the best part is that it's all easy to find at office supply stores and grocery stores. Don't forget, you can get great stationary and cool journals from recycled paper as well, so there are more trees for us all to hug. 11) Many of us can't afford to get sustainable hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring or really cool reclaimed lumber flooring, but we can still make a difference with the rugs and carpets we put down. Interface's modular tiles are flexible enough to go in almost any-sized space, big or small, and these bamboo rugs are both sustainable and affordable. Angela Adams' Island rugs are are backed with 100% cotton monk cloth and a latex adhesive, and there are lots more planet-saving, money-saving ideas in our Top 5 carpets and rugs list. Fifteen down; stay tuned the rest of this week for the top ten....

There is no question that the shipping container is an invention that has changed our lives and our economies- goods that previously cost too much to ship can now be transported safely and inexpensively. World trade depends on them; Urban landscapes have been transformed by the virtual abandonment of previously crowded harbours. They are also a current favourite of the prefab housing crowd. BoingBoing suggests celebrating today as its 50th birthday; We suggest that they missed the boat. Shipping containers were common in Vancouver, Skagway and Whitehorse three years earlier. ...

This Reuters photo of an orphaned eight-week-old African cheetah cub prompted us to do a little research on the plight of the world's fastest land animal. Rescued by the Kenya Wildlife Services in Nairobi, the cub is now housed in the Nairobi animal orphanage. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists the cheetah as an Endangered Species, but quotas for “trophies” are provided to Namibia (150), Botswana (5) and Zimbabwe (50). So why are Cheetahs endangered? For starters, loss of habitat, a reduction in its prey base, conflicts with livestock farming, and a reduced ability to survive in parks and reserves due to the presence of larger predators. These factors have led the cat to suffer from inbreeding and high infant mortality. One organization dedicated to the cause is the Cheetah Conservation Fund—they offer an adoption program that runs about $5,000 a year. But really, it all comes back to the big circle: conservation, dedication to an environmentally-conscious lifestyle. Who knows, maybe if you start composting today, you could save a cheetah or two... ::Cheatah Conservation Fund ::Reuters AlertNet Photo courtesy of Planetark.org, copyright 2006 Reuters Limited....

We’ve mentioned a few children’s toys on TreeHugger, but mostly stuffed animals and products for the really little ones in your family. For children a bit older (say 12+, high school and even adults) here’s a toy that they’ll learn from. Thames & Kosmos, an educational toy company, sells a Fuel Cell Car & Experiment Kit, which provides an introduction to our future technology. In a nutshell, it’s a toy car that runs on water, but here are some specifics. The kit addresses solar technology first, by using the solar panel included in the kit to power the car. Next, the solar panel is used in conjunction with the fuel cell to split a small amount of water, inside the fuel cell, into hydrogen and oxygen, which are then stored in separate tanks at the back of the car. This small amount of gas generated can power the motor for about 12-15 minutes, after which the entire process (splitting the water into H and O2) can be done over again. The Fuel Cell Car was launched in 2001 and won a silver award from the “Parents’ Choice Foundation” in 2002. To date, it’s still the company’s top-selling product each year. The kit is $149.95 and includes 30 experiments. Thames & Kosmos is also a supporter of Janet’s Walk, an organization founded by Janet Dreifus who spends her time touring the United States picking up trash and spreading the word about sustainable living. ::Thames & Kosmos ...

In partnership with the Clean Air Foundation, Home Depot Canada has launched a rebate program for up to $100 back on eco-friendly lawn mowers, as part of its new "Eco Options" initiative. What qualifies: Black and Decker Electric Lawnmowers and Trimmers, Gardena Steerable and Push Lawnmowers, Murray ProSeries Low Emission Lawnmowers, and Great States Reel Lawnmowers. This mega chain seems to be on the right track…the corporate site also has tons of information on sustainable endeavors. But no word on why Eco Options is currently unavailable in the U.S. And the site search engine “corrected” our search for “eco” to “deco.” Hmm.... ::Home Depot Canada...

Arbor Snowboards include bamboo in their top sheets, as we’ve noted here and there in previous posts. News just in is that they love the stuff so much they are moving their apparel line into it as well. First comes the ubiquitous T-shirt. But it don’t stop there, no siree. “The T-shirts that we’re doing are just the first step,” says Arbor President Bob Carlson, who says future bamboo products may also include fleece, headwear, button-downs, denim, and possibly first layers for riding. Arbor like bamboo for threads because it has natural antibacterial properties, wicks moisture, is strong, cashmere soft, and “on top of that, it has the environmental story.” Curvy types get 100% bamboo, while that half of the species enamored with TV remotes will have a mix of 70% bamboo, 30% organic cotton. Due out for the Fall/Winter 2007 season in the mid $30 USD range. ::Arbor Snowboards Via Transworld Business....

For those who believe that streets are for people as well as cars, here is the ultimate hybrid: a tent that looks like a car. Artist Michael Rakowitz says: "(P) LOT questions the occupation and dedication of public space and encourages reconsiderations of "legitimate" participation in city life. Contrary to the common procedure of using municipal parking spaces as storage surfaces for vehicles, P (LOT) proposes the rental of these parcels of land for alternative purposes." Do a mashup with Rebar's PARK(ing) and it will be just like a camping trip. ::Michael Rakowitz via ::WMMNA...

..because just like Landbuses, there is standing room only. Up in the front, the suits get leather Barcaloungers that turn into beds, but here is a new idea for those of us in steerage- standing room seats. "Airbus has been quietly pitching the standing-room-only option to Asian carriers, though none have agreed to it yet. Passengers in the standing section would be propped against a padded backboard, held in place with a harness, according to experts who have seen a proposal." We suppose there could be a treehugger case that more people crammed in means less fuel burned per person, and we also suspect that it will end deep vein thrombosis, but generally we think it gives new meaning to Flying is Dying. from ::New York Times...

We are halfway through Michael Pollan's the Omnivores Dilemma with the intent of writing a review, but after reading President Bush's speech yesterday at the Ethanol Lobby's lunch we are going to do an interim review of a slice of it – of pages 33 through 56. Hell, we may just retype them in their entirety. ...

Food manufacturers have been coming under pressure to reduce salt and cut out fatty ingredients from their products. Birds Eye says it has removed 550 tons of fat, Heinz claims to have reduced salt and increased the amount of vegetable in some foods, Kraft and Nestle have also decreased the amount of salt in their foods. But a series of articles in this week’s Guardian have been examining whether they really have cleaned up their act. Walkers, the best selling potato chips, have radically changed the contents of the saturated fat that they use and have reduced salt. Their ad says that their chips now contain the same level of salt as a slice of white bread. But the issue for Dr. M.Rayner, nutrition expert at Oxford University, is that chips are still not healthy food--"the industry seems to think making diets healthier is about choosing healthier versions of the same foods within categories. But that's not enough - you've got to cut out whole categories". ...

This makes so much sense: President Bush just ordered a temporary suspension of environmental rules for gasoline, making it easier for refiners to meet demand and possibly dampen prices at the pump. According to Yahoo News, Easing the environment rules will allow refiners greater flexibility in providing oil supplies since they will not have to use certain additives such as ethanol to meet clean air standards. Where did he announce this? at a speech in front of the Ethanol lobby group- kind of like announcing gun registration at an NRA convention. "Our addiction to oil is a matter of national security concerns," the president said in a speech to the Renewable Fuels Association, which advocates alternate energy sources. "After all, today we get about 60 percent of our oil from foreign countries. That's up from 20 years ago, where about 25 percent of our oil came from foreign countries." We suppose those pesky scrubbers needed for high sulphur coal will be next to go. Read also the remarkable statement on ethanol below the fold- more on this later.::Yahoo News Thanks Brenton...

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered a material that gives a whole new complexion to the term 'fridge magnet'. When this alloy is placed in a magnetic field, it gets colder. Karl Sandeman and his co-workers think that their material - a blend of cobalt, manganese, silicon and germanium - could help to usher in a new type of refrigerator that is up to 40 percent more energy-efficient than conventional models....

Plant a tree in memory of Jane Jacobs, author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities in 1961, which started an uban planning and urban design revolution that rages still. She fought Robert Moses in New York in the Sixties, fought the Viet Nam war and moved to Canada in protest, and continued fighting bad planning and bad architecture to the end. Everything we preach about the value of a vibrant, dense and living city was learned from her. ::Spacing Wire read James Howard Kunstler's interview of Jane Jacobs here...

Whoops, we missed this one by a couple of weeks. The team at Clif Bar, who we enthused about once or twice before, recently got it together with the Sea Otter Classic. Why? So they could make the ‘World's Largest Cycling Festival’ climate neutral. Clif Bar chipped in to purchase “enough clean wind energy to offset all of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from participant travel to and from the event.” In short, they offset close to 748 tons of carbon dioxide. This was achieved with the assistance of NativeEnergy, who also offset the carbon loading inherent in the making of the movie Syriana. As they did for skiers, Clif Bar also provided Cool Tags for cyclists to offset their own 300 miles of car travel. Organic food bars, bicycles, a public event, wind energy, carbon offsets, for-profit businesses and personal responsibility, with 50-60,000 people all hanging out in the same brain space sounds just a TreeHugger sort of scene. Three Cheers to ::Clif Bar the ::Sea Otter Classic....

Today's installment of our series on what you just might see at HauteGREEN next month features Plywood Office Stripe(S) series of bent plywood furniture. The matching end and coffee tables are a study in clean yet striking modern design, and they do an amazing job with resource efficiency; the end table uses one sheet of 3/4" plywood, and the coffee table uses two sheets. That's it. The "stripes" that make up each table are are carefully bent from bamboo, birch or walnut, fastened together with TreeHugger-friendly glues and topped of with non-toxic finishes. Says designer Chris Jamison, "The most important thing this line does is communicate the nature of the materials used. Instead of hiding the reality of the material (the resources consumed plus the process of making it) we celebrate the nature and beauty of it." With results like this, we hope the celebration never ends. ::HauteGREEN and ::Plywood Office Check out the rest of the Sneak Peek Series for a glimpse at the best in sustainable home design....

TreeHugger is thrilled to be in the running for a Webby Award - and we know that we owe most of this success to our enthusiastic readers and tipsters. We're also proud to be part of a growing cadre of green and progressively-minded bloggers. Of course, eco-blogging isn't the only way to go - with so many interesting and unexpected web logs to visit, one can get lost in the blogosphere for hours. We're curious about you folks: ...

Just in time for Spring cleaning, our friends over at Domino Magazine feature an article about eco-friendly cleaning products. As mentioned in our “25 Ways to Save the Planet” yesterday, we’ve talked about a few that we recommend, but Domino takes it one step further and tested seven different products, all for different uses. Among the cleaning squad was Deanna Haines, owner of ZENhome cleaning in New York City (see past articles on ZENhome here and here) who uses only environmentally friendly products for her clients’ homes. We have to say, we expected some of our favorite products to come out on top, but Domino found a few additional ones that we’re definitely going to be looking for during our next trip to the market (like the Holy Cow degreaser and Art Home Botanical glass cleaner). The current issue of Domino is available on newsstands. ::Domino Magazine...

This TreeHugger never thought much of hybrid SUVs, given that they don't belong in the City and that is where hybrids are most efficient, in stop-and-go situations. However we do admit that as taxis they probably make some sense, being tougher and putting in lots of miles. (Mike liked them earlier here) We were pleased to learn that in New York and San Francisco where hybrid fleets have hit the 100,000 mile mark, that the cars and batteries have held up, and that drivers have saved between 20 and 30 dollars in fuel per shift, which is a nice raise for the driver and a lot of exhaust not emitted. “It’s nice to have an SUV that does so well environmentally and saves me about $5,000 a year,” said one driver. ::Autochannel via ::Gizmodo...

TreeHugger believes that if everyone comes together to make a couple small changes, we can make a big difference. As part of our continuing series, here are five more ways to green your lifestyle without breaking a sweat. 20) Eschew air conditioners (even though there are some nice designs, some pretty efficient window units and even an off-grid option out there, some think A/C is the killing frost sure to wilt the last fragile shoots of American culture) and go with a ceiling fan for year-round climate control. It'll help keep you cooler in summer; to push warm air back down into the room in winter, just flip the blades around. 19) Skip the energy-hogging clothes dryer for a drying rack or clothes line instead; it's easier on your clothes, your energy bill and our fragile planet. While you're at it, green your laundry practices or skip electricity all together. 18) Use rechargable batteries instead of single-use batteries. It'll save you some bucks and the hassle of trying to recycle spent alkalines (even though our friends at 3r Living make it a little easier by accepting them for recycling). For more info, check out Green Batteries for everything you'd ever want to know. 17) If given the choice, go for organic fruits, veggies, meat and dairy over conventional food. Organic food is becoming more widely available all the time in grocery stores across the world, and because it's all free of pesticides, herbicides and other chemical non-desireables, it's better for you and the planet. 16) When it comes to food, the only thing making more noise these days than organic is the local food movement. From the Eat Local Challenge to the 100 Mile Diet (so interesting that we added a part 2) to a growing number of resources to help you grow your own food -- it doesn't get more local than that -- it's tough to beat the "eat the season" mantra. If you're still not convinced, here are 10 reasons to give it a shot. #25 - 21; stay tuned for # 15 - 11 tomorrow!...

High-tech bidet seats! They are an efficient extension to the toilet, and sport features such as jets of heated air, remote controls and various water massage settings. Bidets are more hygienic than using toilet paper, and they can pay for themselves by eliminating the need to purchase the paper. Instead, bidets use jets of water and heated air to clean and dry your posterior. There are many hygiene benefits related to keeping everything cleaner and fresher down there....

We've gotten our fair share of flack for hippy-bashing around here, but today in this here post, it's all about hippy love. BJ and Tyler, the controversial "hippies" from The Amazing Race, are pals of mine. Television Without Pity fans have discussed (and dissed) them more than any other team, as they have consistently struggled in that primordial battle against the "frat boys" for first and second place. What is a hippy? Judging by the show's requirements, a wacky guy from California with long-ish hair and crazy outfits. But since these hippies add well-educated, multi-lingual, athletic, and hard-working to the package, they are tweaking stereotypes, and may make it out of last place and win (I hope!) . While the Amazing Race isn't the most TreeHuggerish of endeavors, with all the flying, helicopter driving, etc., Tyler's documentary Kintaro Walks Japan is by comparison all about, well, walking across Japan. If you're in LA, you can get small doses of BJ silliness at the Improv Olympic West. This Wednesday might be your last chance to catch them on the tube, so root for Team Hippy! Update: See our latest post about BJ and Tyler, "BJ and Tyler: Will the Hippies Win the Amazing Race Tonight?", and leave your comments over there!...

Ooooh Hybrids Hybrids Hybrids, we know how much you love us talking about Hybrids. Plus we just love to indulge our TreeHugger audience. So here, for your viewing pleasure, are more Hybrids than you can shake a petrol pump at! In this week's THTV episode Bradley Berman Editor of Hybridcars.com met up with m ss ng p eces at the New York International Auto Show. Brad takes us on an informed and candid tour through the modern green efforts that major car companies are beginning to explore. He tells us, “Three years ago you had to ask someone “Where are the Hybrids? Oh they’re over there.” Last year [you had to ask] a little bit less and this year they’re front and centre! Post Katrina people are kicking into gear…You should think about what you are buying. The thought about what kind of fuel economy your car gives and how clean it runs, you should consider that.” The best way to get your regular THTV fix is to subscribe to our weekly podcast from iTunes, so that you receive a new episode every week without any effort at all! You can also use the TreeHugger XML feed to subscribe. Or you can visit You Tube and Google Video. Last, but definitely not least, iTunes and Quicktime users, here are your links: iTunes MOV – Don’t forget to check it out! ...

According to CNN, green building is near a ~~overused cliche~~ "tipping point" although their idea of green is the typical out-in-the-country big house and is primarily concerned with saving money on fuel. "The necessity for more energy-efficiency is driving the trend," says Matt Belcher, who runs Belcher Homes in St. Louis and who chaired the Green Home Building Conference. "Consumers are looking for energy savings." The article points out that there is more to green than just saving green- water conservation, material usage, and being healthy also come into play. Now if only they started thinking about planning and density as part of the equation we might have something. ::CNN...

We remember when there were so many kids toys around the house that you just wanted to go out and bury them all. (Now it is shoes and purses) Here is a squeaky latex toy that lets you do just that- "If and when you get tired of looking at your Plant-Me Pet on your desk or shelf, you can literally bury the sculpture in a pot of soil (head-first, so as to cover the seeds), water it and place it in the sun, and -- voilá! -- the rubber will decompose and a plant will sprout." Made in Barcelona, home of the famous Stuffbump. from ::Branch, via ::Big Perk UPDATE: Hey, I searched, really! But we covered the designers (and the Plant-me-Pet) earlier here. thanks, Petz...

This one’s to show we can do cute and furry, while still bringing you news of environmental import. The Tammar Wallaby might just hold an answer to the dilemma of super bugs. These are bacteria that have developed resistance to our indiscriminate use of antibiotics. (And try buying a cleaning product in your big box store these days that doesn’t scream ‘antibacterial’.) Anyhow, the likes of Golden staph is back in our hospitals, and pencillin is losing its effectiveness, in many instances, to ward off such infectious beasties. So researchers are very interested in the Tammar Wallaby. When born, the kidney bean, that is a baby ‘joey’, has to crawl up its mum’s belly, from womb to pouch. All without a lung, mind you. (One day old joey seen in middle pic) Once safely anchored to the teat, it is dependent on the mother’s milk to provide all its immune protection for the first 100 days of life. Seems this milk is rather potent stuff. Against some bacteria it’s 100 times more aggressive, than even the best strain of penicillin. (Biomimicry is about taking notes from the pages of nature’s overly bountiful scrapbook. The great concern is that with umpteen species now on a new fast track to extinction, we may be left holding a book, from which many of the vital pages have been torn out.) Via ::New Scientist...

A new survey of the english countryside's flora and fauna by the Botanical Society of the British Isles and Plantlife has revealed that climate change has affected the landscape. Since the last survey in l987 the mean temperature in central England has increased to 10.51C, from 9.05C. Many plants have spread northwards because of these milder conditions. Twice as many of some species of orchids and ferns were recorded as compared to the last survey. Other plants which flourished in cooler temperatures have declined, such as lesser butterfly orchids and mountain pansies. Goldenrod has declined 15%, as have moorland species. It is easier for some plants to disperse and re-establish themselves anew than others. Ferns, orchids and daisies with their tiny spores and seeds can travel far to find a suitable habitat. Michael Braithwaite of the Botanical Society of the British Isles said " a lot of the more traditional wildflowers don't get around easily; they have heavier seeds and discard much less freely, and in the long term that is a worry." Intensified agriculture is a great threat to plantlife. Fertilisers raise the level of nutrients in the soil; hardier species can take over, whilst less hardy ones die off. The speed of the plant's response to climate change is also a concern. Species that cannot adapt will become extinct more quickly than had been expected. :: Guardian ...

The KoMo cereal grinder allows you to make your own fresh flour at home and it does it well, meaning fine, without heating the cereal up to keep its natural humidity, and using a minimum amount of energy. This is because the stone consist of ceramics mixed with corundum, which makes it stronger than diamond (so they say),10 times more durable than granite (often used in mills) and uses less energy to power the grinder. Its box is made from organic wood treated with organic oils. The electric motor uses 360 W and grinds 100 g of wheat, rice, etc. per minute. The maximum noise level lies at 70 db. It comes with a 6 year guaranty, Fidibus Classic costs around €300 and different designs are available, such as a wall-mounted version. Now you just have to ask yourself if you really need this thing… If you prefer muscle power, check out this coffee grinder. KoMo grinders are available at Conasi (Spain), Oekoweb (Austria), Natural Europe and on eBay...

From Japan comes this optical bamboo mouse. It's made with polished strips of bamboo. Bamboo is a readily renewable resource, and it's one of the hardest woods in existence. The Evergreen company makes the mouse, along with a matching keyboard. The mouse goes for 3,980 Yen ($34), and they keyboard is available for 7,980 Yen ($68) from Donya. See also this previous post, where we wrote about another bamboo keyboard. ...

Marcelo da Luz isn’t an engineer or a millionaire. He’s a flight attendant from Toronto. But, in keeping with his last name, his dream has been to build a solar car and pilot it across Canada to set a world distance record. After years of work and a shoestring budget, his craft is almost ready. The XOF1 (Power of One) solar car project has been the work of da Luz and a pieced-together team of engineers, students, scientists and sponsors. He’s received no government funding for the project but has nonetheless managed to create a one-person, fully solar powered car that weighs less than 70 pounds. Marcelo da Luz recalls asking his elementary school teacher “why adults pollute.” His teacher told him that it’s the price of progress. :: XOF1 (thanks to Lynnette for the tip)...

Tomorrow (Tuesday, April 25th), the TreeHuggerTV team will interview the founder of the Earth Policy Institute, writer (author of Eco-Economy: Building an Economy for the Earth and Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, among many others) and environmental analyst Lester Brown. Those of you who are not familiar with Mr. Brown and his work should read his biography and stay tuned to TreeHuggerTV for our interview, and those that are familiar with him can suggest questions for our interview in the comments below. We can't guarantee that your question will be used, but we would greatly appreciate the input. See also ::What Is Plan B?, ::Grist Interview - You're a Good Man, Lester Brown Update: You can watch our interview with Lester Brown here....

As much as TreeHugger loves to support the "little guy", we understand that it is important to support the "big guys" going green as well. Even the most active TreeHuggers have to venture into the big box retailers every now and again (say nothing of the lazy ones like yours truly) and it is nice to see green alternatives when we do. So, this month we want your help in pointing out some excellent examples of finding green products in unexpected places. To enter, send a picture and description of what you found to: contest [at] treehugger [dot] com. We will pick the top entries and the readers will vote on the winner. The winner will come away with a $350 gift certificate from our good friends at Earth. And, please keep in mind - sometimes the big boxers are going green in very subtle and lasting ways, not just as a marketing ploy. It is important, and sometimes necessary, to go beyond the green promotion (especially around Earth Day) and find less hyped items that are just as green. So venture in, dig deep, and send us some cool examples of these small changes that are creating a huge impact. ...

Sage Creek of Victoria, BC, Canada have simple stuff for little ones, like these nursery blocks made from renewable hardwoods (bit vague that) and marked with child-safe, non-toxic inks. They are also expanding their line into grown-up’s organic yoga apparel, but the web presence for the latter is labeled ‘coming soon.’ So while you wait, visit the homewares and kiddy stuff already on line. The nursery blocks, for example, are $60 CND per set. (The simplicity of educational wooden blocks reminds us of Cuisenaire, the ultimate in 3D maths learning for kids, from just plain, coloured timber. A design classic, 75 years young.) But we digress. More on organic gear for kids and others at ::Sage Creek Canada....

Maxell announced a new kind of water and aluminum fuel cell today that generates 10 watts and has 5 times the energy density of a methanol fuel cell. Designed for notebook computers, the prototype is pretty big but they expect to make it 70% smaller. Google Autotranslation below the fold; Read more ::autotranslation here and the ::original here via ::Akihabara News...

It’s been a year since we wrote of Nike’s Considered footwear line, “In the end, we'll have to see whether this latest attempt by Nike is for real.” Well now would be a good time to decide for yourself, as at least two models are currently "On Sale" for less than their sticker price. If you are in Canada, MEC will provide you with the ‘Rock’ model (above) for $99 CAD, down from $145. It creates 63% less waste, requires 37% less energy in production than a comparable Nike light hiking shoe, while reducing solvent use by 80% compared to standard Nike products. We can’t confirm the exact specs for the ‘Mowabb II’ (below), but the intent is the same, and REI are selling it for $80 USD, discounted from $110. Get the full bumph on their range of Sustainability-Just Do It footwear at ::Nike Considered...

With further proof that the future is green, the New York Times reports on the latest innovation in newspaper publishing, and it doesn't have anything to do with paper. Several publications have started testing versions of electronic paper, using a device with low-power digital screens embedded with digital ink that could do for newspapers what the iPod did for music. A handful of trials are underway: De Tijd, a Belgian financial newspaper, the newspaper trade group IFRA in Germany, and the New York Times here in the States are all testing both hardware and software that could take newspapers off the printing press and directly into your hands. The devices, which will be able to download books, newspapers and podcasts, are expected to intially cost about $400. For publishers confronting declining newspaper circulation in most parts of the world, they offer promise similar to that of blogs and other internet content: reaching more readers, saving on printing and distribution costs, quickening the pace of news and information and ultimately saving some trees. ::New York Times via ::Engadget...

Recently, a brand new "Solar Parabolic Trough" power plant was officially opened near Tucson, Arizona. The plant consists of six rows of parabolic mirrors that track the sun as it moves across the sky. The mirrors concentrate the sunlight on steel tubes coated with an absorption material to keep the heat from dissipating. Mineral oil flowing inside the tubes is heated to about 600 degrees Fahrenheit. ...

Earth Day is great; it's a wonderful opportunity for millions of people around the world to take action to help save our delicate planet; the only bummer is that it's only one day each year. With the big day squarely in our collective rear-view mirror, but still fresh in our minds, now is a good time to mention our favorite ways to make every day a little bit more like Earth Day. Each day this week, we'll bring you five things to do to take action and be a good TreeHugger. 25) Get a reel (human-powered) lawn mower (like this one -- they really work! Read our review here) instead of a loud, noxious gasoline grass-cutter. 24) Compost your garbage instead of throwing it all away; over 60% of solid household waste is fit for the compost pile, heap or bin. Check out our picks for composters here. 23) Buy clothes and other linens made from organic cotton. Conventional cotton farming uses only about 3% of the farmland but consumes approximately 25% of the chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and if you want it, you can get it organic: jeans and denim, towels and sheets, even designer couture and upholstery fabric 22) Ride a bicycle. The most efficient form of transportation ever devised was named the most significant innovation in a UK survey; in 2005, more bikes than cars were sold in the US, and it's certainly one of our favorites, from a myriad of killer folding bikes to bamboo bikes to bikes with an electric boost.We don't know how you can't love something that will alternately charge your iPod or make you a daiquiri. 21) Use eco-friendly household cleaners. It's never made any sense to us to use "dirty" chemicals and volatile organic compounds to try to get things cleaner around the house; we recommend ECover, Seventh Generation (if it's good enough for Liv Tyler, it's good enough for us), Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day (read our review of their products), B_E_E and method; between them all, there isn't anything you can't clean without dirtying yourself or the rest of the environment....

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, John Mayer is a "groovy tree-hugger". They report that he took a break from the studio during Elle's green issue party/advance screening of Laurie David's Too Hot Not to Handle to play a four-song acoustic set for all the green partygoers. Given the shindig's subject matter, he took the opportunity to debut a new song called "Waiting for the World to Change," which will reportedly be released on his upcoming album. Mayer said he was very happy to be playing for a cause he found to be "maybe the most logical cause out there." Thanks to Lascelles for the tip! via ::Rolling Stone...

gratuitous picture of cute animal affected by global warming. suck on that, Cuteoverload! Click on the amazing graph from yesterday's New York Times article on American opinion about global warming.(below the fold) It doesn't even register as a serious issue. Even when asked about environmental issues, it rates near the bottom, above acid rain and below the ozone hole. We think that Green is going mainstream in America as we read our Vanity Fair, Elle, Time and even Wallpaper this month, but we may be wrong. We are not even on the radar. From the Times article: "I wish I were more optimistic of our ability to get a broad slice of the public to understand this and be motivated to act," said David G. Hawkins, who directs the climate program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a private group. In an e-mail message, he wrote: "We are sensory organisms; we understand diesel soot because we can smell it and see it. Getting global warming is too much of an intellectual process. Perhaps pictures of drowning polar bears (which we are trying to find) will move people but even there, people will need to believe that those drownings are due to our failure to build cleaner power plants and cars." ::New York Times...

Sometimes the most efficient path is the one overlooked; until someone clever "steals their eyes back" and overcomes the habit. Case in point is "Boxsmart", a Phoenix AZ USA company that has “taken recycling to another level", making a business out of keeping cardboard boxes in circulation. They really don't recycle cardboard cartons, which would involve 1.) Collecting, 2.) Flattening, 3.) Sorting, 4.) De-labeling and de-stapling, and then 5.) Sending off for re-pulping with lots of water & energy inputs, and 6.) Making "new" corrugated boxes with more energy and additives, and 7.) Redistributing the boxes. By not following the open loop recycle paradigm described by the above seven recycling steps (a 1960's idea decidedly un-TreeHugger on the life cycle balance sheet), Boxsmart has a product after only three! Excerpts from Arizona Central Earth Day story on Boxsmart "after the fold"....

Voting for the 10th Annual Webby Awards ends soon (May 5th), and the last time we checked Cute Overload had taken the lead in the People's Voice Award. Hey, we like cute animals as much as the next person, but we won't give up that easily!

TH has brought you over 6,000 green posts, all of it for free because we think it is important to make sustainability mainstream. If you appreciate this and want to show it, please help us get a chance at winning a Webby by voting ("blog - cultural/personal", first category on top) and by writing a review (on the left of the voting panel). Thank you!...

We love this, its like two Product Service Systems in one, with design and recycling thrown in. The Portland (Maine) Public Library takes old books and invited nearly 200 artists to turn them into art. 186 altered books were created and of course, being a library, you can borrow them! We like "leaves of grass" being reborn as "Field of Greens" and the Candy Dish that you borrow, eat the candy and refill before you return. See some of the books at ::Maine College of Art and then order at ::The Portland Public Library although pictures would be nice. via ::New York Times ...

Fabulous website Cool Hunting went all TreeHugger on us Friday, with a series of very green posts. Our favourite was Matthew Moore's Sycamore Farms, where the artist laid out a subdivision of sorghum houses and wheat-paved streets. Full of cool things, including a special Earth Day list. ooo and ahhh at ::Coolhunting...

In the aftermath of the recycled content debacle of Vanity Fair and ELLE magazines’ 'green issues' are any of you feeling a bit guilty about your glossy magazine habit? Co-Op America recently featured an interesting article about other magazines who use recyled content in every issue. We might be more aware of the environmental impact of the magazine industry, but will it stop us buying magazines? There are so many online magazines these days, such as our good selves, that some people think they will soon eclipse the physical format. However, while flicking through the web is gratifying for the sheer amount of information, it’s not quite the same as flicking through a glossy now is it? For those of us who can’t quite kick our magazine habit Mareike Gast, she of the Refugee Radio, has created a new afterlife for our magazines with her Flower Chair. She even kindly provides a step by step guide of how to make one. Simple to make, but with a decorative and detailed finish, this is recycling as an art form. ...

Seven African pygmies have arrived in Britain from Cameroon to publicize the destruction of their homeland. They will be performing in concerts featuring traditional bird-like singing used to enchant animals in the forest. These musicians, members of the Baka tribe, will be launching their first album, Gati Bongo next week. The album was recorded using a mobile solar-powered studio under a giant tree in Cameroon. Martin Cradick created the Global Music Exchange to help the Baka fight for their traditions and their way of life. He describes the wonder of their music: "I think it's because, to survive in the rainforest, you have to learn to listen, whereas almost everywhere else our brains learn to filter out sound. Being a musician is 90 per cent about listening, which is why the Baka are so phenomenally musical and can pick up new instruments so quickly". The Baka are nomadic and live a forest lifestyle, hunting elephants with poisoned arrows and spears. They are being driven out of the rainforests by tourism, logging companies and the government which wants to resettle them elsewhere. A Baka musician said: "We were born and grew up in the forest. We do everything in the forest, gathering, hunting and fishing. Now where do they want us to make our lives? :: Independent...

Once again, it's time to give a shout out to Pair Networks, our reliable and responsive web host. They've been steadily upgrading our hosting as TreeHugger grows, and have a pretty solid environmental consiousness that we've mentioned before. Last Friday we had a big jump in traffic that temporarily ground us to a halt. I got on the phone with Pair and they threw in some extra memory for us and got us back on track in no time - awesome customer service can be as important as any green policy when it comes to running a company sustainably. Anyway, we've got some new gadgetry up our sleeves so look forward to a faster site in the near future. As always, toss any tech questions or trouble my way! Nick at TreeHugger!...

Nobody tells us anything. We had to learn from MocoLoco that founder Graham Hill was interviewed by Vanity Fair's "My SItes-Favorite Websites of the Niche & Famous" (which is he?) Interesting choices. "Ask Graham Hill how much time he spends online, and his answer is, well, a lot. "Ugh, way more than I'd like to," he says. "Probably anywhere from 7 to 10 [hours], typically," he says. Per day. " c'mon, what are you doing the other 14 hours? Back to work! ::Vanity Fair.com...

In celebration of Earth Day, Gates & Co. ordered ice cream and flipped the switch on 31,000 square feet of photovoltaics, generating 480 Kilowatts, enough to power 300 homes or 1066 wintel desktops with CRT monitors, at its new Silicon Valley HQ. ::Mercury News According to the architects, The 32 acre campus "is predicated on a design mission of sustainability"-it has doors made of recycled wood, conference tables made of wheat grass, ceilings made of recycled newspaper and a low-drip water system for landscaping. We want to be nice (that other company gets good press just for waking up in the morning) but why does it have to look so incredibly banal. ::Quezada Architecture...

We try to stay upbeat here at TreeHugger, preferring to be part of the solution rather than to curse the darkness. The comments to TH's satirical party tips for the Anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster demonstrate that this approach is not shared by all TreeHugger readers--even though a close look at the entertainment agenda proves the effectiveness of the "party tips" at revealing the underlying truth of the case: how can someone without direct experience even remotely appreciate the impacts on the individual lives of those involved? If the ironic superimposition of a hint of the uncertainties and fears into your own routine is not to your liking, may we suggest that you mark the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl with a visit to Pixel Press "Nuclear Nightmares: 20 Years Since Chernobyl". This series of photos by Robert Knoth and reporting by Antoinette de Jong presents in stark black and white a testimony of the suffering of some victims of Chernobyl. The arguments will continue about whether Chernobyl was as much a failure of communication, planning and politics as it was of engineering and science. We will have to continue the arguments about how to meet our need for power in the face of peak oil and global warming. But perhaps in honor of those who have suffered, you can instead use the comments to share a memory, experience or website which will remind us of our common humanity in the modern world....

We are losing dreadfully to Cuteoverload in the Webby awards so we figure if you can't beat'em, join'em, and introduce our new round of cute animal articles. Post 1: We learn from the Onion that Huntsville, Ontario beaver Dennis Messner is spending an inordinate amount of time and effort in the planning and construction phases of building his dam. "There are two primary schools of thought on dam building: the instinctive school and the adaptive school," Messner said, studying the river's current. "I'm more of an integration-minded postmodernist. I don't believe that form should follow function, like most of my colleagues do. On the other hand, a dam is a celebration of beaver culture, and that is what it should reflect." He is very concerned about environmental issues: "I do wonder what kind of impact my dam will have on the environment. How can I make this the most positive experience possible, while still minimizing adverse impact on the wetlands? What kind of beaver would I be if I didn't take erosion science into consideration?" Read more at ::The Onion...

Babies ahhhhhh they’re so cute, but oh so expensive! They are more demanding as consumers than your average adult fashionista. Babies outgrow anything there are put into, clothes, nappies, cribs, faster than mummy dearest can go out and find the next size up. They are also a minefield of eco-dilemmas for wannabe green parents. Are the old fashioned washable nappies more enviro-friendly than new biodegradable ones? Furthermore when the family has to travel all this baby paraphanelia has to come with. TreeHugger believes that intelligent eco-design can resolve these issues, so it is great to see Mothercare proving us right by addressing all of these dilemmas in one product. The simple but clever Eco Crib is made from strong cardboard panels which travel flat packed and easily slot together for assembly. We love the funky pastel graphics printed on the outside and that the end panels are shaped with a curve at the bottom so that the crib can be rocked. Not only is the Eco Crib lightweight, easily portable and recyclable, but at £27.99 it isn’t expensive either. Via: The Week Magazine. ::Mothercare...

Apple recently announced that the fifth-generation iPod, iPod nano and iPod shuffle are 100% compliant with the upcoming restrictions of hazardous substances (RoHS) in California and Europe. The company said “...[T]he materials covered by the RoHS directive, including mercury, cadmium, chromium VI and brominated flame retardants, were voluntarily eliminated from all Apple products years ago. In addition, iPod power adapters now exceed Energy Star efficiency requirements and already meet California’s stricter appliance efficiency regulations, which are scheduled to take effect July 1, 2008.” Apple also today announced an expansion of its U.S. recycling program, offering free computer take-back and recycling with the purchase of a new Macintosh system beginning in June. The company said that customers who buy a new Mac through the online Apple Store or Apple retail stores will receive free shipping and environmentally friendly disposal of their old computer. :: Apple Press Release via iLounge...

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Entries for April 23, 2006 - April 29, 2006

Total this week: 95

by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 04.29.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.29.06

by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 04.29.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.29.06

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 04.29.06

by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 04.29.06

by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 04.28.06

by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 04.28.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.28.06

by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 04.28.06

by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 04.28.06

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.28.06

by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 04.28.06

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.28.06

by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 04.28.06

by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 04.28.06

by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 04.28.06

by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 04.28.06

by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 04.28.06

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 04.28.06

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 04.28.06

by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 04.27.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.27.06

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.27.06

by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 04.27.06

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.27.06

by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 04.27.06

by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 04.27.06

by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 04.27.06

by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 04.27.06

by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 04.27.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.27.06

by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 04.27.06

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 04.27.06

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 04.27.06

by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 04.26.06

by Ruben Anderson, Vancouver, BC on 04.26.06

by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 04.26.06

by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 04.26.06

by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 04.26.06

by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 04.26.06

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.26.06

by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 04.26.06

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.26.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.26.06

by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 04.26.06

by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 04.26.06

by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 04.26.06

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 04.26.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.26.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.26.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.26.06

by Bonnie Alter, London on 04.26.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.25.06

by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 04.25.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.25.06

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 04.25.06

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.25.06

by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 04.25.06

by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 04.25.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.25.06

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 04.25.06

by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 04.25.06

by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 04.25.06

by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 04.25.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.25.06

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.25.06

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 04.25.06

by Bonnie Alter, London on 04.25.06

by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 04.25.06

by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 04.24.06

by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 04.24.06

by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 04.24.06