- 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 August 6, 2006 - August 12, 2006
Total this week: 96
Naturhotel Waldklause Offers Ecotourists Austrian Options
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.12.06
Imagine a hotel striving to set a new standard in ecological construction techniques, with a focus on giving their guests the healing and soothing experience of nature on their next holiday. A hotel built from wood, stone and glass with old-world craftsmanship so fine the wooden pegs which have replaced nails in the construction are fitted without glues. Where arolla pine in your bedroom is claimed to lower your heart rate with it calming aroma. Where you rest enveloped in natural wool bedding from sheep just up the mountain from this Tirolean valley where you are dreaming. Where you drink the local mountain water from your tap--wondering to yourself if the treatment with alpine crystals and light has further enhanced its natural goodness. Where if you invite five friends and take an apartment, your stay could separate you from as little as 35 euros (45 dollars) a night--and still give you free entrance to the nearby thermal baths on weekdays (15% reduction on weekends). Now imagine travelling by train to this exemplary vacation destination, because anything else seems almost an insult to the concept which the Auer family has established for the four-season enjoyment of guests to this paradise for skiers, hikers and nature lovers alike. And if the place you call home is too far to reach the European Alps by public transport, then show this website to every property developer you know until you stir up similar commitment in the tourist industry near your home. ...
Load Balancing With Beacon Power's SmartEnergyMatrix
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.12.06
Beacon Power’s flywheels can absorb and release power in less than four seconds, balancing supply and demand on the power grid faster, cleaner, and cheaper than conventional power plants. Technology Review over at MIT has an in-depth article outlining how skid-mounted flywheel clusters are being tested in a pair of load balancing/frequency control projects. Should the prototypes be proven and then accepted on a nation-wide scale it should make for a substantial energy savings and reduced odds of grid failure, as well as collective pollution reductions. Hard to grasp until you read the entire article. If you're one of the visual-first types, we recommend first having a look at the Beacon flash animation called "Flywheels and Frequency Regulation". Final note: wind power growth increases the need for better frequency regulation; so, you windies ought to allign with the Beacon Mer-go-i-round....
Harvest Wednesdays at the Gladstone Hotel
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.12.06
We love what Christina Ziedler did with Toronto's old Gladstone Hotel- rebuilding and restoring the structure and filling it with artists and events, without rudely throwing it's long-term inhabitants out onto the street. The programming is as interesting as the building- for the next two weeks, a local CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) and chef Marc Breton are presenting tastings of the best and freshest of Ontario produce. Get this- $ 7.50 per person- including tastings of wine and beer. Try seeing how far that goes down the street at the Drake. Weeks three through five are a "cornucopia of farm fresh dishes showcasing "in season" produce delivered from the farmer's field to your table at the Gladstone. Come to all three buffets as menu will vary each week, depending on harvest". all for $35 including wine. Christina runs the Gladstone not as an hotel but as a social and cultural incubator, and in a very short time has turned a dump into a treasured institution. :: Harvest Wednesdays at the Gladstone....
Human Stink Bombs Hit Bottom in Fragrant Violation of Nature
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.12.06
OK, the use of “fragrant violation” is a bit over the top. But, the studies we’re about to introduce you to have some of the hallmarks of the stuff we heard so much about in the late 1970's. According to a research paper recently published by the American Chemical Society, and discussed with related work in Environmental Science and Technology - Onine, production of synthetic fragrance compounds has doubled since the 1990s. As noted in the research report, much of what we North Americans buy that contains synthetic fragrance goes down toilets and sinks, through sewerage systems, and into lakes and streams....
Solar Hyper-Concentrators: Reducing The Cost of Solar Power
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 08.12.06
Focusing the sun a myriad times — that's the aim of solar hyper-concentrators. These devices focus high intensity sunlight on a small area, usually with Fresnel lenses or mirrors. The newest concentrators are a competitive power source, rivaling other up-and-coming renewable energy systems. Some devices are capable of achieving a sunlight concentration equivalent to hundreds of suns. ...
Wind Turbines on the Edge: Small Wind Power Could be Moving in Next Door
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 08.11.06
As wind energy becomes an ever more significant source of clean, renewable power, there are more and more debates about where the turbines themselves should live. Big ones are put out to sea or in the middle of nowhere , and small ones can sit on your roof, helmet, or handlebars. It’s even been proposed to fly them in the sky like kites. In Japan, a little one atop the roof of your taxi can charge your phone while you ride. On one front, turbines continue to get bigger. The German company RePower recently raised the bar when it announced the installation of the world’s biggest wind generators destined for the Scottish North Sea. The mammoth turbines will each have a 5-megawatt capacity and a blade-span of 126 meters. On the other end, turbines also keep getting smaller, and small turbines keep getting better. Advancing technology, better design, and wider acceptance are helping to bring small wind power closer to home. ...
Summer Rayne Oakes: Up-To-The-Minute Eco Style
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 08.11.06
Summer Rayne isn't the easiest girl to keep up with. After all, there's only one of her, and a whole world waiting to be turned on to sexy, sustainable style. If you want a regular window into the unique eco-fashion/social entrepreneurship niche our intrepid girl occupies, check out her blog. Recent highlights: inspiring at LA's EcoPetal (there was some honest to goodness choking up happening), showing that you only need a little Voltaic power and some beach to make a fine afternoon, and looking good in Deborah Lindquist. As you've seen her name on the TreeHugger pages, have you wondered why her mother named her Summer Rayne? Yeah, me too. Find out! :: SRO News...
50 Ways to Save Your Water
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.11.06
The folks at Consumer Reports have been making an effort to be a little greener for a while now, with resources like their "Greener Choices" section and projects like the realistic gas mileage tests. Their latest effort is a list of 50 ways to save water, and it includes a bevy of easy, quick ideas to insure that more water doesn't go down the drain than it should. Featured on the list are some that we've trumpeted before, like using low-flow showerheads and taking care to use the dishwasher correctly. If the quick fixes are too easy for you, they also offer ideas for long term investment in water efficiency, including some good ideas for further research and some interesting stats on where all our water goes (14% of it leaks!). Worth a look, especially for anyone doing a little home improvement this weekend. ::Consumer Reports via ::Hippyshopper...
TreeHugger Welcomes Writer Lester Brown
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 08.11.06
TreeHuggerTV Now on DIVX
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.11.06
There are many ways to get your TreeHuggerTV fix: Of course, there's straight from the source, you can subscribe via iTunes, watch on Blip.tv or YouTube, and now you can also get it via DIVX. At this rate we'll soon be broadcasting on your toaster oven. Related: ::Video: NRDC TV - South by Southwest, ::TreeHuggerTV: NRDC Does Bonnaroo...
The Ultimate Green Car: A Solar-Powered Plug-In Electric Biodiesel Hybrid
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 08.11.06
Actually, the ultimate green car would be no car at all. Even if we all drove zero-emission cars, it would still require expanding our vast and inefficient roadway infrastructure. In cities, the use of cars inevitably leads to congestion and polluted air. An optimal transportation system is a car-free public system of metros and high-speed intercity trains. Does this sound idealistic? Most New Yorkers are already car-free, but unfortunately, not all of them, hence they are subjected to noise and pollution. In Italy, Venice is an example of a modern city that is virtually car-free today. Central to a care-free city is a metro system that is cheap, clean, comfortable and runs 24 hours-a-day on a regular schedule (4-8 minutes intervals). If planned and funded correctly, metro stations are within walking or biking distance of all areas of the city. This enables reliable door-to-door transportation for everyone. Intracity transportation could be served by high-speed rail (see Japan or Italy). For more details see Carfree Cities....
Yao Ming Shuns Shark Fin Soup
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 08.11.06
Houston Rockets star Yao Ming has had sharks close to his heart since he dominated the paint for the Shanghai Sharks. It may be no surprise then that last week he annouced he's sworn off shark fin soup, the Cantonese delicacy often served on holidays that includes, yes, endangered sharks or their fins among its ingredients. According to conservationists, each year as many as 100 million sharks lose their fins and other body parts to hunters before they are thrown back into the ocean (statistics on the shark fin trade are notoriously hard to come by). In 2003, Hong Kong imported 11,662 tons of dried shark fin, most of which were shipped to mainland China, estimated Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring group. Last year,following protests (and public shunnings by director Ang Lee and actor Tony Leung, among others) Hong Kong University stopped serving the (potentially mercury-heavy) delicacy—which goes for $5 a bowl and often higher—while Disney decided to give up its plans to serve shark fin soup at its Hong Kong theme park. Demand for the stuff remains high in Asia, but as the NBA's tallest player says in the new tv advert for WildAid, after using his hand to stop a bullet aimed at an endangered elephant: "When the buying stops, the killing can too." Nice defense, Ming. :: WildAid TV ad (mp4 video); : : Associated Press via China Daily. Interview with WildAid's Elizabeth Murdock at the : : SF Chronicle. For more on sharks and finning, visit : : WildAid, : : BBC and : : National Geographic....
Saving iPods from the Landfill
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.11.06
Matt Bremner was fixing notebook computers and buying parts on eBay, where he noticed that there were lots of broken iPods for sale. He even heard of people just tossing them in the garbage and buying new ones. Seeing a niche, Matt tossed up a website and in late June opened a storefront in Toronto . In keeping with the theme, it is elegant, tiny and white, and feels like a high style reception room, albeit nano-sized at 250 square feet. Our daughter Emma having a dead out-of-warranty iPod, we paid him a visit. ...
Michael Pollan and The Omnivore’s Dilemma Live
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 08.11.06
In May, TreeHugger reviewed Michael Pollan’s latest book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Since then, he’s appeared in numerous other publications including the New York Times and TIME Magazine. In short, there’s been a significant amount of (much-deserved) attention given to both the author and the book. However, if you believe books, like music, are best presented live, and you happen to reside in the Cornwall, CT or Pocantico Hills, NY area, you’re in luck. Pollan will read from, and speak about The Omnivore’s Dilemma at the Cornwall Free Library on August 12, at 2pm. The following day he will appear at the Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, NY. The Stone Barns Center will host a series of Pollan-related events throughout the afternoon that range in price from free to $185. For more information about the Cornwall event click here, for the Pocantico Hills events click here, and for Pollan’s full speaking schedule click here. See also ::Michael Pollan On Organics at Wal-Mart and ::Michael Pollan Goes Hunting...
Another Compostable Paper Cup
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 08.11.06
Eco-friendly food services that provide carry-out and delivery have plenty of options available for cutlery and tableware that's both disposable and biodegradable, but one item gets left out of the mix: the paper cup for hot drinks. Usually the paperboard used in these cups is coated with petroleum-based resins that will gunk up the works in municipal and industrial composting facilities. Such gunk may be a thing of the past, though, as another innovation has joined the Green Mountain Ecotainer: Cereplast, Inc., MeadWestvaco Corp., and Solo Cup Company have developed a new biodegradable resin that will resist heat up to 220 degrees Fahrenheit....
Engineuity: Cars That Go Vroom with Hydrogen and Aluminum
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 08.11.06
Israel is a small country with few major transportation arteries. It takes just as much time crossing the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as it does moving between them- about an hour’s drive each way. Matters become worse because the once compact-car-driving Israelis now emulate Americans and hip-hop stars. When a Hummer or a flashy new SUV drives by in Tel Aviv, heads turn and testosterone starts pumping. Even back in Canada, my otherwise conservative recycle-friendly mother, has just bought a new gold GMC SUV to replace her old family sedan. Should we be worried? Israeli scientists, too, are jumping on the hydrogen-powered car bandwagon to find clean energy solutions. One company, Engineuity claims it has proof-of-concept for a new fuel-cell using hydrogen, aluminium and water. What’s left to do is test that the engine works. Our engines are roaring. ...
The TH Week : If You Build It...
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 08.11.06
Architecture can be intimidating, but it needn't be so. This week, we found a number of great tips for eco-houses using the latest technology and styles.
:: Leonora found a great way to add foliage to your foyer, using living walls.
:: John found out that future homes may have integrated "frigenerators" to provide everything from power, to heat, to water.
:: Jeff linked us to Inhabitat's complete roundup of all things green-roof.
:: Our Interns put together a little piece on saving water over the summer, to make your home just a little more eco.
:: Our interns also caught up to David Arkin of Arkin Tilt Architects for an interview that's sure to give you some good pointers....
This Old Thing? Reused Men's and Womenswear Hits Boston This Weekend
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 08.10.06
As we wait to see what sorts of re-used umbrella couture our Umbrella Inside Out entrants come up with, we like filling readers in on favorite old-to-new designers. Lucky Bostonians get to see the goods in person in a big way this weekend when Brooklyn-based This Old Thing? masterminds Roy Caires and Tommy Cole take their wares north. Sunday's not-to-miss overflow sale will feature over 500 pieces at prices belying their intricately reconstructed origins. If you've always wanted to see yourself or your boyfriend in one-of-a-kind duds, but balked at the prices, this is your day. “Every designer seems to be imitating vintage in their collections and charging an arm and a leg for it. This is how you get the look for real cheap, and it’s the real deal,” Caires tells the Boston Herald. >>Continue reading this post>>...
Jay-Z, MTV and UN To Campaign For Clean Water
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 08.10.06
Def Jam President and CEO Jay-Z will be the focus of Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life, an MTV series that follows the rap icon's tour to international destinations affected by the world water crisis. The film project is part of a joint initiative by Jay-Z, MTV and the United Nations to raise awareness about the devastating lack of safe drinking water in locations around the world. While announcing the partnership Jay-Z explained his own revelations about the water crisis, “After hearing and reading some of the startling statistics about the lack of clean water, I realized that I needed to bring attention to this issue. I know through joining with experts through the UN and partnering with MTV to bring the word to our communities, we can make a difference."...
Built Green TV Needs a New Name [Reminder]
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.10.06
Our friends at Built Green TV need a new name. "To enter the competition, send an email with "Name that Television Show" in the subject line to info@greengroundzero.org. Include your brilliant suggestion, plus your name, telephone number, address, email address and any other pertinent info. The winner will be notified by Aug. 25, 2006 and announced on www.greengroundzero.org and treehugger.com, Aug. 28, 2006." Full press release below....
Booze as Pesticide: The Latest in Organic Farming
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.10.06
We know that all organic wine isn't always all it's cracked up to be, though there are some good ones out there. For anyone whose organic wine experience has left them wanting, we're happy to bring you this interesting idea: if it's no good to drink, it can be an effective pesticide. Farmers in India say spraying liquor, instead of pesticides, is doubly beneficial: they do not get poisoned while spraying and the soil isn't contaminated. While skeptics wonder if the “organic treatment” of cocktails is good for the crop, local wine-shop owners are not complaining. “The sales of cheap liquor have more than doubled,” on the heels of this new realization, according to the owner of a local liquor shop. The best part: booze costing 100 rupees a dose worked comparably to professional grade toxic chemicals that cost 3000-4000 rupees. What will they think of next? ::Hindustan Times via ::Hippyshopper...
Blue Whale Nursery in Patagonia's Golfo Corcovado
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.10.06
The majestic blue whale: At up to 30 meters (100 feet) in length and 140 tonnes or more in weight, it is believed to be the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth. "Blue Whales were abundant in most oceans around the world until the beginning of the twentieth century. For the first 40 years of that century they were hunted by whalers almost to extinction [about 99% were killed]. Hunting of the species was outlawed by the international community in 1966." According to a 2002 report by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, there were only 5,000 to 12,000 Blue Whales worldwide.
The recovery of the species has been progressing slowly since 1966, which is why the discovery by scientists of a blue whale nursery near the coast of Patagonia, in the Golfo Corcovado, is so important. "More than 150 blue whales have been tracked there in the past few years, including several mother and child pairs."...
Chiquita Cleans Up its Act
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.10.06
Dave McLaughlin didn't tell his bosses at Chiquita that he was talking to environmentalists, much less taking their suggestions. For years, the banana company had been synonymous with rainforest destruction and other environmental harms; the company's executives so mistrusted environmentalists that meetings with them often turned into shouting matches. McLaughlin kept at his incognito environmental activism, essentially using the two Costa Rican farms he was managing as test cases for a partnership with Rainforest Alliance; the results were so good, that the entire company followed suit, and has really cleaned up its act. Today all 110 of Chiquita's company-owned farms and the vast majority of its independent farms are certified by the Rainforest Alliance. Chiquita now recycles 100 percent of its plastic bags into paving stones and has reduced pesticide use by 26 percent. Congratulations to Dave McLaughlin, whose passion and persistence single-handedly transformed a huge company for the better. Now let's all celebrate with a banana split. ::CNN via ::Hugg...
UPS Unveils "World's Most Efficient Delivery Vehicle"
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 08.10.06
The EPA and UPS have unveiled what they are calling “the most fuel-efficient and cost effective delivery vehicle in the world”, equipped with an EPA-patented hydraulic hybrid propulsion system. We noted that these new trucks were on their way back in June, but they've now been official unveiled. According to the EPA, the hydraulic hybrid technology can increase fuel efficiency by 60-70% in urban use and lowers greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared to UPS's conventional diesel delivery trucks. The system was developed in concert with leading automotive engineering firm, FEV Engine Technology, Inc. (FEV). ...
The TH Interview: Celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08.10.06
I'm what they call a "Foodie." Not only do I love to eat, cook and try new food but I also promote it on a daily basis. Whenever I travel I visit the local farmstands and delis (the Oakville Grocer in Napa happens to be a favorite), I get excited when a new restaurant opens and I watch the Food Network a lot (okay, i'll admit maybe a little obsessively). One of my favorite shows that I look forward to is “Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello.” In his show, Mr. Chiarello uses fresh and local ingredients making all of his dishes even more appetizing. He focuses on family, lifestyle, tradition and flavorful foods that can be enjoyed each season. In addition to being a chef, Mr. Chiarello also owns Chiarello Family Vineyards and has an online store called NapaStyle, which we love. Each piece, and there are approximately 1,000 pieces, on the site is personally designed, hand-picked and tested by Mr. Chiarello. NapaStyle reflects an eclectic mix of eco-friendly, hand-crafted and exclusive home goods as well as artisanal specialty foods of his creation. Recently, Mr. Chiarello announced that in September he will be opening the first and flagship NapaStyle store in Berkeley, CA. The big news: 75% of the fixtures in the store will be from salvaged materials. I’ll surely be making a visit next time I’m in Napa Valley. We were recently given the opportunity to ask Mr. Chiarello a few questions about his thoughts on food and sustainability. Here’s what he had to say:
Mr. Chiarello, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us. Napa Valley is known for its fresh produce - what does "eating locally" mean to you?...
Clean Energy: Wall Street's New Love Affair
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 08.10.06
BusinessWeek is reporting that energy independence is becoming a national imperative, and renewable energy is attracting an unprecedented array of groups. "We're seeing an alignment of the environmental interests, automakers, the agricultural industry, the security and energy-independence proponents, even the evangelicals," says billionaire venture capitalist L. John Doerr. "When did all those [interests] come together before?" You know a cultural movement is real when the money men get on board. In just the past year a broad swath of financiers -- venture capitalists, hedge funds, investment banks, public pension funds, and even stodgy insurers -- have begun sinking billions of dollars into producers of ethanol, fuel cell superbatteries, microscopic bugs that turn glucose into plastic, environmentally friendly pesticides, anything that might tap into the green craze. ...
A Hummer with your Happy Meal
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.10.06
The honeymoon with General Motors didn't last long, but hey, how often do we get to kick two of our favourite cans in one post? According to the New York Times, McDonalds is giving away toy Hummers in its Happy Meals. Environmentalists are not happy: Charlie Miller, a spokesman for Environmental Defense, says “Anything that sends a message to kids that these are the cool vehicles to buy is the wrong message.” The Times goes on: Anne Korin, co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, a policy research group based in Washington, said that large, inefficient vehicles were unpatriotic and detrimental to America’s national security. With toy Hummers, McDonald’s is “sending a message to children that utter waste of this precious resource that is causing us such national security problems is O.K.” Whoever thought this up was a few fries short. ::New York Times...
RoHS Deadline Passed: How Many Shopping Days 'Til Christmas?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.10.06
Electronic Business news has an interesting story about corporate management systems and RoHS compliance -- (short course here) . RoHS has been in effect for more than a month, and yet “65 percent of [200] survey respondents said they wouldn’t be able to confidently report compliance.” Apparently the lack of confidence by a majority of the survey respondents stems from concerns about how compliance was decided and documented. The inference is that: “When it comes to compliance in general, a large percentage of companies just plain don’t understand…”. The underlying reality may be that the “compliance” determination was often delegated to a consultant or a service function not integrated into business operations....
In-Lock: Bike Parking When There is None
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.10.06
Not sure how well this would work in the real world, but we do like the thought process. The In-Lock is designed to create secure storage for your bike when camping, or anytime you run out of street signs and lamp posts to chain your trusted steed to. Twist the corkscrew into the ground (using the provide bar), slip a chain through the eye. (see 'how-to' image after the fold) The blades of the corkscrew are wide enough to resist pulling up through soil. There are numerous ways the lock could be thwarted by determined thieves, but against the casual, light-fingered person it would have some useful deterrent value. Regardless of actual effectiveness, we applaud any move to make cycling a more positive experience. In-Lock concept by John Wrightson, via Cool Hunter. ...
Two Climbing Magazines Go 100% Recycled
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.10.06
First it was Urban Climber magazine announcing that their October/November issue would be the first ever "green" climbing magazine. (Wonder if they were inspired by the surfing dudes who got there before them? Coz they’ve an interview with the editor of The Surfer's Path.) Other editorial features will look at environment and sustainability. Oh, and of course this their 13th issue will be printed on 100% recycled stock. Which segues nicely to Climbing magazine, a grandpappy of the industry, with 250 issues and 36 years under its harness belt. A few days after UC’s media release Climbing made their own. They are going to 100% recycled paper content, with 85% of that being post-consumer waste (PCW). And in a nice twist they reckon the new paper is even better quality than their old stock. When issue 252, hits the news-stands, also in October, they figure its switch to such a high content of PCW will save: 201 trees, 14,701 gallons (55,650 litres) of water, and 61,385 pounds (27,850 kg) of greenhouse gases. And this is not a special edition, but a permanent conversion to recycled. We’ll let them punch up over who is really first, and just be thankful that they are both doing it. Via Outdoor Industry Association media releases, exhibits A and B....
NY’s Governor Pataki Seeks to Reduce Oil Dependence
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 08.10.06
Throughout his tenure as New York’s Governor, George Pataki has had a surprisingly positive record on environmental issues. The soon to be former Governor was instrumental in the development of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Furthermore, he enacted the first “green building” tax credit in the nation. In addition, Pataki implemented standards that require 25% of the power sold in New York to come from clean and efficient sources. Although this was less of challenge for New York given its tremendous hydro capacity, the Republican Governor seems to have the right idea when it comes to addressing climate change. As talks of Pataki’s presidential aspirations continue, it is clear that he is working to distance himself from his party’s reputation on environmental issues, in particular global warming. This is most recently evidenced by a speech given to the National Press Club on Monday in which Pataki called for a national policy that would reduce oil consumption by 25% over 10 years. The Governor’s plan is highlighted by three interrelated initiatives. First, Pataki outlined the need for tax incentives that would promote increased vehicle efficiency and more widespread use of alternative fuels. Second, he has called for increased production and purchasing of non-petroleum fuels. Finally, the Governor addressed the need to expand the nation’s fueling infrastructure to make alternative fuels readily available. The full text of Pataki’s speech is available here, and a good summary of his plan can be read at Green Car Congress. See also ::North Jersey Fights Climate Change and ::Bishop of London: Contributing to Climate Change is a Sin...
RISD Students Take Guatemala Project To The New York Gift Fair
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 08.10.06
You may remember the series of posts we did earlier this year about a group of students from Rhode Island School of Design who went on a field trip to Guatemala to do a project with local artisans living around Lake Atitlan. The Bridging Cultures Through Design project has continued to develop since their return to Providence. Chelsea Green has been keeping us up to date with their progress and we are excited to say that the RISD students will be showing their work at the New York Gift Fair this weekend, August 12th - 16th, where they will be introducing the products that have resulted from this collaboration to the market. Their partners for this show include Aid to Artisans, Agexpront, RISD Industrial Design Department, La Casa, and La Casa de los Gigantes. Chelsea writes below about the work they've been doing in the last few months and how they've been preparing for the Big Apple! ...
Straw Bale Construction Passes The Fire Test
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.10.06
Wall Street Journal has brought to our attention that plastered straw bale walls have been proven, now, to be a fire- safe envelope for both residential and commercial buildings. Engineer and straw bale advocate Bruce King recently paid for an insurance-required test of fire resistance of straw bale walls, whereby “workers fired up a super-hot gas furnace next to a wall stuffed with straw in hopes of calming skittish insurers, bankers and building inspectors who have been reluctant to embrace big buildings insulated with bales of dried grasses”. The test wall satisfactorily withstood over two hours of 1,700-degree heat and the following hose-down. Here’s a listserve announcement from pleased onlookers. ...
Going the Extra Mile to Save on Gas
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.10.06
In Canada, people are burning gas, driving around to find cheaper fuel. Shell now changes its prices 400,000 times per year. "people will cross the street for 1/10th of a cent per litre" says Ted Stoner, spokesman for the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute. Entire websites are devoted to finding the lowest gas prices- spotters report the prices and the websites update automatically. An 85 year old friend of our mother puts on her bathrobe at 9:30 at night and goes out on a special driving trip just for gas, because that is when the prices usually drop. We would be interested to do the math and figure out how far you drive to save a nickel a tankful before you spend more getting there than you save- we suspect that driving less saves both fuel and money. ::Globe and Mail...
Hybrid Solar Lighting Goes Into Beta Testing
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 08.10.06
It turns out that the Australians aren't the only ones experimenting with technologies that literally bring sunlight into a building. The folks at Tennessee's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a solar hybrid lighting system that they'll be beta testing over the next few months at twenty-five locations around the US, including the Sacramento Municipal Utility District customer service headquarters, San Diego State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Wal-Mart in McKinney, Texas. Preliminary tests from five locations look promising, and demonstrate this technology holds great potential to save energy and money....
GM Builds First LEED Gold Automotive Plant
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.10.06
Poor old General Motors does not often get good press in TreeHugger, what with our obsessions with Hummers and who killed the electric car, so it is nice to congratulate them on their recent LEED Gold certification at the new Lansing Delta Assembly plant. It has a reflective white roof (see Mike on white roofs to fight global warming) rainwater collection for flushing toilets, and a variety of other features. Over the first ten years of operations, the facility is expected to save over 40 million gallons of water and 30 million kwh of electricity. GM says that it is the "only automotive manufacturing plant in the world to ever receive any level of LEED certification"- Evidently the Ford Plant that Bill McDonough worked over is just very green, and the LEED Gold Visitor Center connected to it is not a manufacturing plant, So we congratulate them on being first and hope that the cars that come out of it are as efficient. ::General Motors via USGBC...
Happy Shrimp Goes Local in Rotterdam
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 08.10.06
Soon we Europeans can enjoy local and happy shrimp from the Netherlands. No more clocking up on Food Miles when you fancy fresh shrimp, no more deep-freezing & over-packaging and no more polluting of mangrove forests by existing shrimp farms in Asia. Bass & Gill BV have came up with e new business idea: the Happy Shrimp Farm; the first tropical shrimp farm in Europe. They call it a new eco-industrial company that benefits the economy and the environment. Here is how:
The Happy Shrimp greenhouse-enclosed Farm in Rotterdam uses the waste heat (otherwise released into the air) of the neighbouring power plant to warm the farm. A biological filter bed makes sure the waste streams of the farm don’t pollute in order for future generations to enjoy shrimp happily in an untouched environment. Another advantage of a shrimp farm in Europe is that the shrimp available is at its most freshest as well as safe to eat (see Food Safety page). Happy Shrimp made it their responsibility not just to farm shrimp eco-friendly but also to tell people about industrial ecology, sustainability, energy use, healthy food and joyful lives. Their web site is a great and clear source of information full of happy shrimps.
To feast on Happy Shrimp you have to wait until March 2007 when they will hit the market. The construction of the farm started in April this year and the official opening is in September followed by the Night of the Prawns Party. In the meantime you can Shrimp Up Your Life with the Happy Shrimp Merchandise: 100% organic t-shirts, stickers, or a Happy Shrimp Eco-Sphere; a NASA developed self-sustaining living environment for 3-4 small bright red shrimps! Great how far you can take a sustainable shrimp locally! ::Happy Shrimp via ::Springwise...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 08. 9.06
Our first Hugg contest has its first winner. The fortunate Brenton Klik's Hugg post was randomly drawn and he is now the owner of a set of four DVDs from Palm World Voices, which are sure to expand his mind and keep him busy for a while. But if your name isn’t Mr. Klik, don’t worry, we’ve got more good stuff coming and another round is imminent, so stay tuned. Here's a taste of the latest.
A South African lawyer becomes the first person to swim the river Thames. His mission: to draw attention to the climate change threat… Autoblog Green serves up some of the first video of the Tesla roadster EV… Bristol makes kitchen waste composting the U.K.’s first such citywide program… Timbuk2, maker of die-hard designer messenger bags, goes PVC free… Chiquita learns that a cleaner act makes for bigger profits and healthier forests…...
The TH Interview: Michelle Kalberer of Klean Kanteen
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08. 9.06
After hearing Julia Butterfly Hill speak about the impact of plastics to our planet and to our health, Robert Seals decided he was going to do something about the ever-growing problem of plastic water bottles. He created a stainless steel water bottle that is inert, toxin-free and non-leaching. Robert needed a distribution company and someone to run the business. Enter Michelle Kalberer and Jeff Cresswell, siblings who joined the family distribution business after graduating from college, and Klean Kanteen was born. When Robert moved on, Michelle and Jeff became the caretakers. Treehugger chatted with Michelle about the ups and downs of running an eco-friendly business and how they got from sitting atop an ancient Redwood tree named Luna to a stainless steel water bottle....
Honorary TreeHuggers: Results Are In!
by Treehugger Interns on 08. 9.06
Thank you for voting, sage TreeHugger readers! Here are the top five green celebrities, and below the top five green industry celebrities.
- Woody Harrelson
- Robert Redford
- Edward Norton
- Daryl Hannah
- Jack Johnson
A House for an Ecologist : AIA Competition Winners
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08. 9.06
Several months back, we mentioned the 2006 Committee on Design Ideas Competition presented by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The competition looked pretty interesting; it asked entrants to consider the question (among others), "How can environmental innovation contribute directly to design excellence?" The entrants who best addressed this criteria have been announced, and they look pretty good to us. One of the winners (there are three, listed in no particular order) "rejected the notion of what 'House' really is, and said an ecologist really only needs a place to bed down for the night, and a place to go to the bathroom, maybe take a shower, heat up some water," while another "merged technology with aesthetics in a compelling and interesting way and...is quite a beautiful and somewhat soft building that sits nicely in the landscape." When it came to the third (pictured) winner, ...
Wal-Mart's Green Makeover in TomPaine.com
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08. 9.06
While we're well aware that Wal-Mart isn't perfect, we think they should be recognized for the good, green things they're incorporating into their business practices. TreeHugger buddy and fellow green blogger (at Gristmill) Dave Roberts has an op-ed on TomPaine.com today with a similar point. While the whole thing is worth reading, his argument essentially boils down to this (posted in Gristmill):
So, for progressives to say, "sorry, you get no thanks from me until you green and improve labor standards" is to reject the good in favor of the perfect. Businesses exist to make money. We want to convince them that being green can help them make money. Defending the rights of workers has traditionally been the role of government; that's what progressives exist to fight for. I'm all for pressuring Wal-Mart to become more of an advocate for worker-friendly public policy -- their help in the fight for universal health care would be immeasurable -- but it just seems short-sighted to me to reject the positive steps they're making....
Sustainable Style Foundation Announces 2006 Awards
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08. 9.06
Last week, the Sustainable Style Foundation (SSF) announced the recipients of their 2006 Outstanding Sustainable Style Achievement (OSSA) Awards. SSF's OSSA Awards program honors leaders for their style achievements addressing social and environmental challenges facing our world. A selection committee of accomplished social and environmental leaders evaluated nominees based on the following criteria: effective use of pop culture, future innovation, depth of achievement and, overall impact. “The recipients of the OSSA Awards exemplify how each of us can serve as role models to build a better world tomorrow,” said Rebecca Luke, co-founder and senior stylist at SSF. Continue reading after the fold for a list of the recipients:...
Batman Beware — Overland Working on Eco-tility Belt
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08. 9.06
Okay, so maybe not a belt exactly, but certainly useful bags to carry around your equipment for time fighting. Overland have long made sharp, durable, urban luggage. For the northern spring 2007, they are endeavouring to give their line a green flavour, with the introduction of the Eco-tility Collection. In two styles, for men and for women, the bags have the common thread of being made biodegradable Waxwear cotton canvas (in two weights). To offer some of the weather protection found in coated nylon products, the cotton is treated with a wax and oil finish “using century-old techniques.”To enhance longevity the base of the bags is layered with recycled rubber. No pics around just yet, but you can see the current line at ::Overland Equipment, via SNEWS. ...
Livingstones - Softrock Pillowcushions
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 08. 9.06
Livingstones pebble and boulder shaped pillows and mega-cushions put their owners between a rock and a soft place. The beautiful gray forms are inspired by the weather-worn rocks found in rivers and tides. Ranging in size from a throw pillow to a couch, Livingstones are not only eco-inspired but also crafted from wool and polysilicone fiber. The whimsical pillowcushions were created by French designer Stephanie Marin and made their US debut at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. Keep your eye out for the soft stones, which will make their way to stores later this month. ::Via News-Leader...
Solar Fish Dryer At Odaimanagar
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08. 9.06
Via “The Hindu” here’s a field prototype “solar-powered fish-drying unit installed at Odaimanagar, a fishing hamlet in Besant Nagar”. It was donated by the Germany Leprosy and TB Relief Association, and subsidized in part The Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency “as part of the tsunami livelihood rehabilitation project.” Air-drying fish takes many days and invites fly infestation, replete with eggs and maggots, making the product unfit for consumption. Heavy brine preservation limits market appeal, and the other possible method, the application of electrical heat, has drawbacks that need no further explanation. As reported in The Hindu, the solar fish drier can dry nearly 70 kg of fish in one batch. It’s use should also free up large areas of beach for other uses. Hopefully there might be an odor control benefit as well. ...
Hugg.com/Palm World Voices Contest Winner
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 08. 9.06
Posting green news on Hugg.com is not only personally satisfying, it can also score you some great swag. Brenton Klik can now testify to that as his entry "Australia to Build Solar Tower" was randomly chosen from Hugg contributions to win a culturally rich 4 DVD set from Palm World Voices. To get ready for our next round of prizes on Hugg, be sure to go register, and while you're there, take a gander at the best and freshest user-generated green news on the net. ...
Lessons to Learn From BP’s Latest Misstep
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 08. 9.06
In environmental circles, BP is commonly regarded as the oil company that has demonstrated the most seemingly authentic interest in developing alternative and renewable energy sources. This is best evidenced by the oil giant’s pledge to spend upwards of $8 billion over the next 10 years to develop such technologies. However, despite the company’s relatively positive reputation, it was both amazing and slightly horrifying to hear the announcement that BP’s profits for the second quarter of 2006 had soared to $7.27 billion. These astronomical profits will surely take a hit due to the company’s recent decision to temporarily shutdown a majority of its Prudhoe Bay operations. The shutdown was deemed necessary after leaks and corrosion were detected in a major pipeline at the Alaskan facility, which provides 8% of the nation’s crude oil. The fact that a company with profits of $55,000 per minute allowed its infrastructure to decay is unsettling. However, this incident points to a much more significant and alarming problem, the US’s addiction to oil....
TreeHugger T-Shirt Design Contest Winner
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 08. 9.06
Congratulations to Jennifer Magathan for submitting the winning entry in the TreeHugger T-Shirt Design Contest. Her "Wrap Around" entry was chosen by the TreeHugger readers over the four other outstanding finalists. We would like to thank everyone who submitted entries, the 2,000+ readers who voted, and especially contest sponsor 3RLiving. Jennifer will come away with a $400 gift certificte to 3R Living and we will do our be doing our best to offer her design up for sale on our CafePress store (just as soon as we find a way to to print Jennifer's unique design). Again, thanks to all and congratulations to Jennifer!
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Interfaith Power & Light Spreads the Word
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 08. 9.06
We said "Hallelujah!" when we heard in February that a group of 85 evangelical Christian leaders had signed on to the Evangelical Climate Change Initiative. While this news grabbed press attention around the world, another lesser-known organization, the Regeneration Project, has been spreading the word on the religious obligation to care for creation since 1998. Catholic News Service took note of its "Interfaith Power and Light" project yesterday, which encourages congregations to take action against global warming:...
Flat-Pack for the Flat
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08. 9.06
Here’s a quick and recyclable way to decorate your apartment…and you can get it through the mail. Factum furniture is environmental, foldable, and mailable. It is produced using recycled cardboard and printed with a variety of designs. The patterns are diverse: chintz and the periodic table (both pictured), the London Tube system, psychedelic or Christine Keeler. Available as a cube for use as an end table or stool. Or as a chair with an upright back, capable of supporting at least 220 lb. Each one comes packaged in its own suitcase shaped box and unfolds in seconds. If you are short of space, you can fold it away or hang it on the wall using the (optional) display case. Created by a small company, Art Meets Matter, consisting of art school graduates, their philosophy is “we’ll carry on exploring any design direction which takes our fancy: explorations unfettered by forecasting, already out-of-date trends and the latest ‘in-thing’. Many of our initiatives are unexpected but once they exist often strike the ‘obvious’ chord we all share lurking in the collective unconscious.” :: Art Meets Matter via :: The Independent...
Recycling Used Engine Oil into Fuel Oil
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 08. 9.06
Japanese environmental equipment manufacturer Fuji Energy has developed a compact processing device for converting used engine oil or other waste oils into fuel oil. This device mixes used engine oil and type A fuel in a 40-60 ratio, heats it to 60° C and removes solids using a centrifuge. Following this, the oil is passed through a precision filter six or seven times, breaking it down to micron-sized units. When these are emulsified, the result is an alternative fuel for boilers with virtually the same composition as type A fuel oil....
Financing your Geothermal Project
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08. 9.06
When we posted Malcolm Gladwell's comments on geothermal energy, we received a comment saying "Some people... don't like the inital price barrier. It costs a lot to install." In fact, there are companies like ZeroFootprintEnergy (a subsidiary of TreeHugger contributor ZeroFootprint) willing to take the not very big gamble that oil prices are not coming down soon, and will install and finance the installation of the unit in exchange for the difference between what you are paying now for heating and cooling and what it costs after the installation. Right now they are only working with developers in Ontario, but there are others doing similar things. There are also Energy Efficient Mortgages, where you can borrow against the system, guaranteed by the FHA, on top of your regular mortgage limit. You can do it yourself- at current interest rates you save more than it costs per year for interest and principal payments. ::ZeroFootprintEnergy...
Book Review: The Devil's Teeth
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08. 9.06
Thirty miles west of San Francisco, within the 415 area code and most pizza delivery radii, lie the Farallones, a cluster of rocky islands that just happen to be great white shark central. It is a nature preserve with very restricted access and a couple of biologists and interns. Journalist (Outside Magazine, Time) Susan Casey was obsessed with them and managed to get access legally, twice. She has written a wonderful, light and informative book that is excellent summer reading. It is the reverse of Jaws- the sharks are extremely dangerous but have names, personalities and habits. In fact everything is dangerous- the water is rough, the islands harsh, even the gulls are vicious and hard hats are required to resist attacks. The biologists, Scot and Peter see so much life, and so much death- says Peter: "I hate the word anthropomorphism. It should be the other way around. Not how the animals are like us, but how humans are like animals" ....
TreeHuggerTV: Milk Musings - Industrialized Organics & Community Agriculture
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 08. 8.06
This week TreeHuggerTV is milk made! We fill up on viewer’s comments about buying green milk, take a closer look at the challenges of industrialized organics, report on Michael Pollan’s conversation with Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, and take a trip to West Oakland’s Peoples Grocery. This is an inspiring community based story where young people are trying to build up a self reliant, socially just and sustainable food system. Founder Malaika Edwards tells THTV about their vision of creating access to healthy affordable food. People’s Grocery now serves 3500 customers per year in the West Oakland community....
live|work: If Energy Were A Colour
by Tamara Giltsoff, United Kingdom on 08. 8.06
The problem with energy is that it’s invisible, we can’t see how much we waste or over-consume (I introduced this notion in my last Treehugger feature). And the same sentence works when you replace ‘energy’ with ‘CO2’. Someone once asked me to imagine that CO2 was a colour and then asked me to look up at the sky. Everything was a thick blood red in my vision and it was leaking from everywhere – a disturbing image of reality. Add to this that, historically, the problem with energy is that it is/was cheap. The cheap component is changing, as is a looming sense of energy insecurity, which provides us innovation consultants with a rich platform for changing the way we consume energy – potentially. I’d like to introduce some work going on this area AND get some feedback from you readers. ...
Protesting Smog, Hong Kong Dims Sum Lights
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 08. 8.06
Tuesday night was unusually dark in Hong Kong, thanks to a grassroots campaign that called on citizens to switch their lights off in protest of the city's growing pollution problems. A survey estimated that 60 percent of the city's residents would be participating in what organizers called "the biggest protest ever in Hong Kong," thanks in part to a city-wide campaign that included SMS reminders from local mobile phone providers. Still, while the city's Legislative Council joined in, switching off the lights at its historic downtown chamber house for three minutes at 8 pm, Hong Kong's political leader Donald Tsang decided to snub the protest, claiming it would look bad for the city. Something also looks bad about 1,600 people a year dying of pollution-related illnesses and lost productivity and health care totaling 2.57 billion US dollars a year. ...
New Grist Organic Beer
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08. 8.06
We learned recently about New Grist from Grist Magazine (hmm…go figure). Brewed at the Lakefront Brewery along the Milwaukee River in Wisconin, they not only offer organic beer but it’s also the first beer brewed without malted barley or any gluten-containing products to be authorized by the U.S. Government. Each batch is tested for gluten prior to fermentation, before being bottled and shipped. And, Lakefront was the first American brewery to produce a certified organic beer under its own label. The brewery began with only sixty barrels of production and sold them exclusively to taverns within "rolling" distance of their Milwaukee headquarters. Now, the beer is available for distribution in six packs of 12-ounce bottles. If you live close by, Brewery tours are available and make sure to stop in for the Fish Fry on Friday evenings. Via ::Grist ::Lakefront Brewery...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 08. 8.06
Beyond Petroleum hasn’t moved beyond leaky pipelines in Alaska or spiking gas prices at the pump… The Department of Energy wants to see fiber optics bring the sun into your office… Solar screens keep out the summer mosquitoes and the summer heat… Britain’s MPs want to beef up the road tax for the country’s worst polluting autos… Turning the tide into energy: The NY Times looks at the fledgling business of drawing power from the motion of the ocean… ...
Good on Paper: New Recycled Cards
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08. 8.06
Born and raised in San Francisco, designer Lisa Wong Johnson's graphic cards and are inspired by everything from salvage yards and old signs to Frank Gehry and found objects. Her newest collection includes some beautiful, modern designs printed on 100% recycled paper using vegetable-based inks. A lot of her work is based on natural forms (birds, flowers, bunnies and the like) and she does custom work for weddings and small businesses as well. ::Good on Paper via ::design*sponge...
Reader Question: Green Roof vs. Solar Panels
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08. 8.06
First we had Trees vs. Solar Panels, now this: "I'm curious which would be more advantageous to the environment. Installing a green roof or solar panels. It seems like they're vying for the same spot on my roof. Chris R." Dear readers, please share your wisdom in the comments. See also: ::Solar Category, ::Inhabitat Has the Goods on Green Roofs, ::China's Learning to Love Green Roofs, ::Green Roofs: A primer, ::Toronto Goes Green (Well, its Roofs, Anyways), ::Chicago Wal-Mart to Sprout Green Roof...
BookMooch: A Product Service System
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08. 8.06
Everybody (TreeHuggers included) has more books than they need. They're full of information, fun to read and easy to collect, but what do you do with 'em when you're done reading and they're relegating to collecting dust along with all those books from school that you swore you'd use again someday? Enter BookMooch (our newest product service system), a community that helps you get rid of your old books, get new books and even help charities, all for the cost of shipping. Here's how it works: sign up (it's free) and type in all the books you don't need any more. You earn points for each book you type in, and when someone requests one of your books, you send it off to them (you also earn points for mailing them). You can then take your points and request books you'd like from other people. If you prefer your local library to having books sent to you, take your points and give them to charities BookMooch works with, such as children's hospitals (so a sick kid can get a free book delivered to their bed), African literacy, or to the good people at BookMooch, to thank them for running this web site. Either way, you have fewer old books, more new ones, and are helping disseminate ideas and information across the land. Nice. ::BookMooch via ::Boing Boing
Illustration credit: Andrice Arp...
The Tipping Point for Geothermal Heating and Cooling?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08. 8.06
Inventor of The Tipping Point and author of Blink, Malcolm Gladwell recently started a blog that he contributes to occasionally. His dad recently installed a geothermal system for heating and cooling and Malcolm was impressed, and got dad (a mathematician) to explain it, (which he does well) and finishes himself with the conclusion (common at TreeHugger) :"One of the frustrating things about the current discussion over our dependence on imported oil is the persistent notion that real solutions will require some future technological breakthrough. I think we have a lot of the answers. We just haven’t made consumers and public officials aware of them." ::Malcolm Gladwell...
Northern Ireland: Renewable Energy for All New Buildings in 2008?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08. 8.06
The government of Northern Ireland has proposed to change building regulations to make it mandatory for all new buildings built from 2008 onward to use renewable energy. "[It will] apply to all new homes, company and public buildings [and] make micro-generation, such as solar panels to heat hot water, solar photo voltaic panels on roofs to generate electricity or small wind turbines for houses mandatory". Secretary of State Peter Hain seems a fan of green energy. He said: "I am fully committed to the use of renewable energy and I know how effective it can be. In my home in Wales, I have installed PV panels on my roof and this has resulted in my energy bill being halved." If solar can work in Ireland, it can work anywhere! The programme will offer grants to up to 50% to 4000 households of the cost of installing systems such as solar heating schemes and photovoltaic panels, small scale wind turbines, biomass boilers and geothermal heat pumps. It will be handled by a partnership led by Action Renewables, along with the Energy Saving Trust and the Northern Ireland Energy Action. Irish readers who want more information about grants can call 0800 023 4077. ::Northern Ireland leading the way on green energy, via ::Northern Ireland Proposes Mandatory Solar or Wind on All New Buildings...
Largest Wind Turbines Being Installed Offshore
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 08. 8.06
A German company called RePower Systems is in the process of installing the world's largest wind turbines offshore in the Scottish North Sea. The turbines are rated at 5MW, and have a rotor blade diameter of 126 metres (413 feet) – the size of two soccer fields when spread out. They've been operating as a prototype at the onshore location of Brunsbüttel with an availability of over 95% since 2004.
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Design Competition: Umbrella Inside Out Deadline September 1!
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 08. 8.06
That's right! Only a little over three weeks for designers to enter the Umbrella Inside Out competitions, brought to you by TreeHugger, I.D. Magazine, and the Sustainable Style Foundation! Designers, give us your umrbella couture, or shelter us with a Cradle to Cradle umbrella. Finalists will be featured on TreeHugger and in I.D. Magazine. Don't forget that the winning garment will walk the runway at Paris's Ethical Fashion Show! You still have time! :: Umbrella Inside Out...
Lower Your Air Conditioning Bill And Save The Planet
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08. 8.06
As our intro graphic, courstesy of the Florida Solar Energy Center , shows, opportunities for improvement in your air conditioning bill lie not only with expensive HVAC equipment upgrades, but in reducing your 'cooling load'. Although the site lists 16 ways to reduce the cooling load, thereby reducing your personal climate footprint, we’d like to focus on just one of them: solar screening. See the example below the fold....
Nigeria Launches Solar Electrification Project
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 08. 8.06
This past Saturday marked a new era for residents of Bishop Kodji, an island-based village off the Nigerian coast: they had electricity for the first time ever. The event also marked the kick-off of a rural electrification project by the country's Lagos State government that will provide solar installations to a total of nineteen villages previously without power....
Boho Summer Jewellery
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08. 8.06
The "boho" look has been declared finished here in London, but judging by the streets, stylish girls don't seem to have followed orders. That's because the ethnic look is such a natural for summer--reeking of long hot days and nights on beaches from Goa to Ibiza. Here are some of the nicest bangle bracelets, necklaces and scarves out there. Who could resist these pretty semi-precious stone bracelets, hand-threaded by Chinese women who rely solely on selling them for their income. They come in coral, turquoise and mother of pearl. For the more natural look, there are sustainable Vietnamese rosewood bracelets, worn with a masai coloured beaded bracelet for a great combination. For the necklace: a colourful, double strand of glass marbles in vivid shades of turquoise, dark blue, red and amber glass interspersed with silvery beads, made by hand, in India, with proceeds going to funding sporting opportunities for children in Delhi. To top it off: an elegant glittery shawl of hand woven silk with sequins throughout for that perfect evening cover-up. Designed by two Bengali designers who work closely with rural weavers, Bai Lou has grown from 2 to 100 weavers since they began in the back streets of Kolkata....
Legislation Aims to Permanently Protect N.Y./N.J. Harbor Bight
by Rose Fox, New York City on 08. 8.06
Our friends at the Coastal Marine Resource Center are excited about new Congressional legislation under consideration that would declare 19,000 square miles of ocean in the New York/New Jersey harbor bight to be a permanently protected area. Reports the New Jersey Star-Ledger, "The New Jersey/New York Clean Ocean Zone Act would permanently ban construction of new dumpsites, extracting of national resources, building of new pipelines and other damaging measures" in an area still vulnerable despite three decades of intensive clean-up work and temporary regulations sponsored by groups like CMRC and its allies. We'll be keeping a close eye on the progress of this legislation, and hoping fervently for its success. ::In the News: New Bill Aims to Keep Ocean Between N.Y. and Jersey Clean...
Leopoldo City Vegetable Garden Greening Many Different Corners of the Cities.
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 08. 8.06
Since last time we talked about the Leopoldo City Vegetable Garden, these guys have been pretty busy and creative in many different areas. Leopoldo has developed different shapes and sizes from Large to Medium and XS (very cute and perfect for growing herbs) for this light recyclable aluminium structure which provides you with all the excitement of a vegetable garden in your apartment. However, just the design product wasn’t enough for Leopoldo so they entered the Product Service System (PSS) by promoting not only the object but also a greener diet and its therapeutical and educational properties. The Leopoldo City Vegetable Garden has become a great tool for working with handicapped people as it has shown to improve physical and psychological capacities and, as they say ‘it doesn’t break your back’ since the plants grow at a certain height which makes it perfect to handle from a wheelchair. I’ve been told that they are working on a book at the moment to go with the product and in which they share their knowledge and passionate stories. Last but not least they did a project together with Vinçon in Madrid last month to launch their plant calendar and to share tips about gardening. ...
Tarma - Recycled Stainless Steel Jewellery
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08. 8.06
Although named after a Peruvian mountain town, Tarma is a US based line of ‘personal art’ for the outdoors and nature enthusiast. The Active range of pendants, ear rings, bracelets and so on features icons of paddlers, hikers, climbers, surfers, etc, as well as leaves, shells, rocks and mountains. This celebration of the wild world is enhanced through the selection of a material that limits its environmental harm — recycled stainless steel. Or 316 stainless to be precise; a molybdenum grade that is more corrosion and pitting resistant than conventional chromium-nickel stainless. This allows the jewellery to take on a shine akin to silver (so we are told). Pieces sell for around $25-30 USD. Styles are tailored for both genders, and even those non-jewellery types might be won over with a bottle opener! A sister line, known as Artisans, is fair-trade jewellery wrought in the likes of copper, ceramic and glass. ::Tarma, via PR News....
HempFlax Insulation
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08. 8.06
Building insulation is a sure-fire way to gain greeny points. In the winter it reduces heat loss; in summer heat gain. Less energy is expended in warming or cooling a living or working space. Hempflax, of the Netherlands, make their insulation batts from mostly hemp fibre, adding some polyester fibre for reinforcing. Soda acts as the fire retardant, and as the hemp is naturally resistant to moths and beetles extra chemical application is avoided. Eight thicknesses are available from 40mm (1.6 inch), to 250mm (10 inch). Using Dutch and German crop, Hempflax suggest their product is low in dust, and “creates a healthy organic indoor climate”, in new buildings, or renovations. (It is further intimated that the material can be recycled, though into what is not explained.) Just the thing for lining the floor or ceiling of your hempcrete or hemp-baled house. ::HempFlax....
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 08. 7.06
An amateurish Al Gore spoof on YouTube isn’t the work of kids after all, try a Republican marketing firm with ExxonMobil as a client… Fourteen states are calling on the EPA to require warnings on the most commonly used pesticides… Pat Robertson sees the light on global warming and predicts more wrath coming to the coasts… A Seattle “eco-broker” cashes in his guzzler for a ZAP! Zebra… Britain’s top scientist calls for a modern-day Apollo Project to counter the developed world’s "worrisome lack of determination" on climate troubles…...
Ecowork: Healthy Workspaces, Good for the Planet
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08. 7.06
Ecowork designs and manufactures sustainable, eco-friendly furniture for creative workspaces. The encourage us to "restore the balance, repair the environment, redefine evolution, and start with your workspace." Their commercial furniture suite is about fun and organic design, recycled and rapidly renewable materials and considerate, green production processes. Asking the question "Should this be your next office?", Ecowork designs and develops functional, affordable and sustainable office furniture, using 95% recycled core materials. The natural materials and organic design lead to an open and productive workplace, best suited for more casual, energetic and forward-thinking companies; more important is the low impact the products have on natural resources. The innovative line has earned high praise for design and sustainability, including Best in Show Recognition at NeoCon 2000 and the International Design Sense Corporate Prize for Sustainable Design, in 2001. ::Ecowork...
Ecorazzi: Dishing on Green Celebs
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08. 7.06
Why is Jack Nicholson going to tear down Marlon Brando's old house? What is Leonardo DiCaprio's newest project? How do Kate Bosworth, Orlando Bloom and Global Cool all fit together? These are all topics tackled by the folks over at ecorazzi, a new site focusing on highlighting the efforts of celebs doing good green things and following celeb gossip with a green twist. Though TreeHugger has a whole section dedicated to movie stars, rock 'n rollers and other beautiful people, we're glad to see that there's now a whole site devoted to green star-chasing and raising awareness about green celebs making news with their activism. ::ecorazzi.com via ::Musings of an Eco-Entrepreneur...
BtheNV Designs: Sustainable Jewelry
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08. 7.06
Let’s face it ladies, we love to accessorize. And thanks to Daily Candy we discovered these earrings and have to say that we love them. Not only are they so very stylish but here’s what we really like: they are made from recycled magazines (oh, and they’re made up the road from us in Barrington, RI too). RISD graduate Nancy Vayo (NV) and her sister B formed their company, BtheNV (be the envy), to carry on a family tradition of craft, love of life, liberty from the same old same old and the pursuit of happiness. Together they cut out strips from magazines then laminate and twist them into a line of beautiful yet lightweight hoopy jewelry. You can browse through their gallery of earrings and pendants online and shop through their online store. We love the price too (around $20 or so) considering each piece is handmade and one-of-a-kind. Via ::Daily Candy ::BtheNV...
Biomimetic Building Uses Termite Mound As Model
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 08. 7.06
The Eastgate Centre is a shopping centre and office block in central Harare, Zimbabwe. The building was designed to be ventilated and cooled entirely by natural means — it was biomimetically modeled on local termite mounds. It was probably the first building in the world to use natural cooling to this level of sophistication. ...
TreeHugger T-Shirt Design Contest: Voting Ends Today
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 08. 7.06
This is your last chance to vote for your favorite design in our T-Shirt Design Contest. The votes will be tallied tonight, August 7th, at midnight EST - so check out our five great finalists and help choose the next TreeHugger tee. The winning designer will not only get their tee printed on our CafePress store, they will also receive a $400 gift certificate from our friends at 3RLiving. So, if you haven't already, please vote below.
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The Deluded World of Air Conditioning
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08. 7.06
All of our complaints and concerns about the effects of air conditioning on how and where we live are summarized brilliantly in William Saletan's article in Slate. "Air conditioning takes indoor heat and pushes it outdoors. To do this, it uses energy, which increases production of greenhouse gases, which warm the atmosphere. From a cooling standpoint, the first transaction is a wash, and the second is a loss. We're cooking our planet to refrigerate the diminishing part that's still habitable." Read the whole article in ::Slate: The Deluded World of Air Conditioning...
Eco-Friendly Car Insurance
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08. 7.06
You can now drive and insure your car with a good conscience. Ecoinsurance is the UK's first car insurance that claims to offset some of a car’s CO2 emissions at no cost to the customer. They will do this by contributing to projects like reforestation, renewable energy sources and third world education schemes. There is an extra 10% discount on insurance for those with hybrid cars. You can calculate just how bad your car is for the environment with a handy little chart. The results are shocking—a Land Rover emits 12.53 CO2 tons annually and 1,837 pine trees are needed to absorb those emissions. Just to drive home the point, a chart graphically depicts those trees--it takes a lot of scrolling down to see them all. They are also providing an eco-friendly repair network. Their appointed mechanics recycle materials like used oil and old bumpers. The policy is sold by Co-operative Insurance, which is associated with the Co-operative Bank ( see Treehugger), and like the Bank, they have an Ethical Engagement Policy to guide the social, ethical and environmental aspects of their investments which includes human rights, sustainability and labour rights. :: Ecoinsurance ...
Indoor Landscaping – Growing Green Inside
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 08. 7.06
TreeHugger just can’t get enough of verdant architecture, whether it’s green roofs from Chicago to China, or living walls. However while we’ve been concentrating on greening the exterior surfaces of buildings, the German company Indoor Landscaping have taken their grass inside. They describe their work as ‘a connection between man, enclosed spaces and open nature... Nature should become tangible for people even within buildings, our plants change with the seasons, they age within the architecture enhanced in character and charm.’ Having started by bringing large plants and trees into office spaces Indoor Landscaping have now graduated to permanent green wall installations which clean the air, create sound barriers and obviously have an amazing visual impact. Via: Core 77 :: Indoor Landscaping...
Neal Brothers Organic Snack Foods
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08. 7.06
Sigh...even on vacation we have to keep those posts coming. We love getting up north and living like our ancestors did, with the click click click of the rotary phone dialup modem. We love the slower pace of a three minute wait for a TreeHugger page to load, time to consider each comment and image. We also enjoy sitting on a dock drinking organic wine and munching on Neal Brothers organic snack foods. We started with Neal Brothers pretzels last year because they were baked, transfat and palm oil free and healthier than most other snack foods. After reading Peter Singer we have started looking at everything we eat, and learned about their organic line of tortilla chips, salsas and pretzels, all made with organic grains, sea salt, and "pure expeller pressed canola oil" which starts making good old rapeseed oil sound like exotic extra virgin stuff. No more expensive than high-end potato chips, a lot healthier and very tasty. The Neal Brothers started the business while in University, and "believe in the organic movement for many reasons and most importantly for the positive impact that it has on improving sustainability of our Earth's environment. We also strongly believe in the Fair Trade movement and the positive impact it has on millions of poor farmers around the world." Thanks for letting us stuff our face with chips and not feel guilty. ::Neal Brothers Foods...
The 'Frig-Enerator-Water Supply': A Working US Army Sponsored Prototype
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08. 7.06
Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends has in-depth coverage of two "Engineers at the University of Florida [who] have developed and built a system that can provide power, water and refrigeration from a single unit. This project, funded by the U.S. Army, will lead to units small enough to fit inside a military jet or a large truck. The prototype system is already more efficient than conventional turbines. And it is also environmentally friendly because it can use traditional fossil fuels as well as biomass-produced fuels or hydrogen and releases only small amounts of pollutants. This kind of system could be used as a mobile unit in case of hurricanes or wars. But it might also be connected to the normal power grid in fixed locations". See the Gainsville Times article for some local Florida coverage of the story....
Inhabitat Has the Goods on Green Roofs
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 08. 7.06
Green roofs are hot, and we couldn't be happier. While we've contributed our share of posts to the discussion and promotion of green roofing, we've also been impressed with the frequent considerations of this topic around the Green Blogosphere. One of our favorite green blogs, Inhabitat, has devoted a number of posts to green roofs over the past year, and deepened our understanding of the benefits of this technology, the design potential inherent in them, and the cutting-edge thinking that sees green roofing as only the first step in adapting ecological principles into building construction. ...
High Performance Non-Contaminant Stove Designed in Argentina
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 08. 7.06
In order to attend the poor heating conditions of southern Argentina (since because of the raise in the gas price, locals were using wood in poor conditions, which translated in forest depredation and lung diseases in children for the smoke), the National Industrial Technology Institute supported the development and production of a multifunction stove. The artifact, which is also an oven and possibly a thermotank, was developed by Francisco Borrazás and Jorge Dartiguelongue and works with firewood, but releases four times less carbon dioxide than the minimum demanded by Canadian norms. It’s also three times more efficient than a salamander heater and eight times more than a fire. Among other things, it has a special air injection and tiles, which retain smoke and burn the tar, poisonous gases and carbon dioxide. Although using wood to heat a place might seem anti-ecologic, Barrazás says the stove works with sustainable wood such as eucaliptus, and that they’re working to make artificial trunks with loose wood pieces. “On the other hand, the wood is never enough because regular stoves consume it very fast. But a cubic meter of wood, which usually lasts four or five days in a regular stove, takes fifteen days to consume in one of ours”, adds Dartiguelongue......
Summer Rayne Oakes on Kirsten Muenster Jewelry
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 08. 7.06
In December, we gave a brief nod to Kirsten Muenster, a designer who creates unique customized jewelry out of eco-friendly, socially responsible materials. In her July "Behind the Label" column for Lucire magazine, eco-model/entrepreneur/Treehugger fan Summer Rayne Oakes took a closer look at Muenster's creations, and the creativity she harnesses in both her design process and her choices of materials. According to Oakes,...
Yarn Made From Corn
by Rose Fox, New York City on 08. 7.06
We're always interested in hearing about new fibers being made available to hobbyists, and the latest one sounds particularly intriguing: yarn made from corn. Kollage Yarns recently developed Cornucopia, and the South West Trading Company, creator of Soysilk, offers Amaizing. The corn fibers are knit into tubes that then flatten into a slightly stretchy ribbon. Knitter's Review has an in-depth review of Cornucopia that concludes, "Although I don't see corn fibers making cotton obsolete any time soon, I do see them serving as a fresh, fun, and environmentally friendly alternative to cotton (although I don't know if the corn used for these fibers is genetically modified or not)." We did some research and couldn't find anything bearing out the idea that corn is better for the environment than cotton, especially since we have no way of knowing how much fiber can be made from an acre of corn vs. an acre of cotton or what kind of processing the corn goes through (from the mechanical processes of extracting and spinning the starch to the chemicals used in bleaching and dyeing the fiber) on its way to becoming yarn, so take that pronouncement with a grain of salt; but for those who prefer to avoid wool and other animal fibers, another vegetarian yarn on the market is always good news. We welcome informed comments on the relative environmental impacts of growing cotton, corn, and soy, especially with respect to their use in fabrics and yarns. ::Cornucopiaand ::Amaizing via ::Knitter's Review...
Japanese Beetles: Climate Invaders On The March
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08. 6.06
“Currently the Japanese beetle is the most widespread pest of turfgrass and costs the turf and ornamental industry approximately $450 million each year in management alone…” Anecdotal evidence of increased sales of pesticides and beetle traps indicates that these nasties are proliferating. Anything green West of the Mississsipi is fair game for them (see range map graphic after the fold). And of course we have obligatory “consistent with climate change” finding: “Japanese beetles, a voracious eater of turf and trees, live longer under higher levels of carbon dioxide” (found in subscription only research paper but oft cited in press coverage)....
Study: Singles Need TreeHugger Most
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08. 6.06
Is your mission to have fun and live well--while being green? And are you living alone? A new study suggests that singles could make the biggest impact towards minimizing environmental footprints if their awareness could be raised and well-designed sustainable lifestyle products targeted to their needs. Well, actually, the study calls singles "a potential environmental time bomb". But if there's one thing the leaders at the forefront of the new eco and sustainability movement have learned, it is that you cannot terrify people into being green. Better to focus on the positive side of the message: "One-person households are now wealthier than ever and may be willing to put money into more environmentally-friendly homes and products"....
The Long Hot Summer: When Water Matters
by Treehugger Interns on 08. 6.06
Recently, THTV has been looking at conserving water in the shower, and with drought being declared in more and more places this summer – vast swathes of the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and South in the US, almost 95% of New South Wales, Australia, and even (formerly) rainy old England – the issue of water conservation is especially pressing. Reducing strain on over-taxed water supplies and coping with water restrictions are beginning to look like annual problems for most of us.
The EPA describes a two-pronged approach to conserving water, comprised of both engineering changes and behavioral changes. Most Treehuggers have implemented the behavioral changes, and are aware of turning off the faucet just like turning out the light. Engineering changes, which alter the plumbing or fixtures of the house, have a higher initial overhead, making them a little slower to be adopted, but can make a significant difference to a home's overall water use....
The TH Interview: David Arkin of Arkin Tilt Architects
by Treehugger Interns on 08. 6.06
David Arkin, AIA and his wife Anni Tilt are partners of Arkin Tilt Architects, an award-winning firm focused on ecological planning & design, located by Codornices Creek in Berkeley, CA. Not only do they design beautiful, sustainable buildings, but they practice what they preach, both at home and at the office (check out their Treehugger lifestyle!). Treehugger intern Dave Chiu interviewed David Arkin about Arkin Tilt's sustainable building practices, their thoughts on branding green design, and tips on making your home a greener building.
Treehugger: For some, “sustainable” and “green” connote fundamentally different ways of living. For others, these words are trendy and fashionable. What do you find worrying about this perception? What do you find exciting?
David Arkin: The most widely agreed upon definition of 'sustainable' is that we meet the needs of current generations without jeopardizing those of future generations. There are a lot of different ways that such a goal can be accomplished - just in the realm of energy use, for example, one can live entirely without electricity as was done for thousands of years, or one can supplement a high usage with renewable sources. The importance of "trend" is in raising awareness across huge spectrums of people - who was it that said that no publicity is bad publicity? Of course, the danger is that fashion moves on, let's just hope the consciousness stays....
Richard Sweeney - Paper Sculptures
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 08. 6.06
We do love being spoilt by Inhabitat’s constant ability to bring us new and beautiful eco design and architecture. This weekend is no different with Sarah Rich's post on Richard Sweeney. This 22 year old British artist/designer has recently won the New Designers DKNY Award for his extraordinarily beautiful paper sculptures. Made from repeated elements of folded paper Sweeney’s creations combine clean lines and minimalist white paper with extremely complex decorative forms. Richard says, “I'm highly influenced by natural form; structures in nature are very efficient, the maximum is achieved using the least material and energy possible. Growth patterns produce forms that appear very complex, yet have a basic underlying principle.” The judges of the DKNY award said, “Beautifully hand crafted structures with multiple installation possibilities.” You can see Richard’s sculptures on show at from September 15th at the DKNY Exhibition, 27 Old Bond Street, London. Via: Inhabitat :: Richard Sweeney See more images of Sweeney's work on Flickr...
Something Fishy about Wine
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08. 6.06
We often promote organic wines, knowing that they are made with grapes grown without chemical weed killers and pasticides and fewer chemical additives. We were surprised and a little disgusted to learn that there is more to it than that- a process called fining is common in the industry to clarify, or clear up, wine without filtering, which can take out too much flavour. Traditional fining agents include gelatin (made from the connective tissue of large mammals, such as cows and pigs) and isinglass, which is the polite name for a product made from fish bladders. Blood is sometimes used, as is egg white. Only in New Zealand (which has a big vegan lobby) do you find the occasional "contains fish products". A good bet for vegan-safe wine is Spain's Albet I Noya Lignum 2003, which is "lightly filtered, but, as the winery likes to boast, completely unclarified. So you can be sure no fish were harmed in its production." read about others from :: Beppi Crosariol in the Globe and Mail...
‘Suitcase’ by Edson Raupp
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08. 6.06
Another curious entry lifted from the list of snazzy threads compiled in the shopping guide of Well Fashioned. This is the website that backs up the recent exhibition of the same name that we visited in London. Thought we’d use Suitcase (clever name) as a reminder that the collected ensembles are now touring the UK, currently wowing them in Leicester, before trucking off to Barnsley, Portsmouth and thence Wolverhampton. Edson may have bored of hanging around his tailoring business in Brazil, because these day he chops up suits, instead of sewing them. He does however remanufacture their sleeves, pockets, lapels, buttonholes and buttons into new renderings as funky accessories. A pin striped handbag, if you will. As the blurb says, “The classic nature of the English gentlemen’s jacket is retained but an almost surreal aspect is developed, exemplifying a British eccentricity.” Indeed. An embryonic website can be found at — ::Suitcase -London...
Pakucho: Naturally Pigmented Cotton
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08. 6.06
Free from dyes, chemicals and synthetic processing, from seed to T-shirt. So how do they get them there colours without dyes, you might be wondering? ‘Coz cotton actually grows in different colours. The white cotton we all know is a long fibre and easier to process. The coloured variations are of a shorter length and more troublesome to fabricate. Sally Fox, of Foxfibre, pioneered cotton breeding to bring us long fibre, naturally coloured cotton decades ago. Now that the green market has matured, the concept is finally getting some long deserved traction. We’ve noted the idea once, twice even thrice before. But on this occasion it’s T-shirts in four shades termed: Café, Ecru, Vicuña and Avocado. £18 for the short cap women’s shirts shown here. Men’s style also available. Pakucho’s site is another of those Flash heavy numbers, though we did like the wandering ladybug - a symbol of chemical free pest control. And their potted history of coloured cotton is worth the read too. ::Pakucho, via Well Fashioned....
TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!
Here are a few recommended websites.
