- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for October 22, 2006 - October 28, 2006
Total this week: 114
UK: Bill Proposes to Show Car Emissions in Ads
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 10.28.06
Colin Challen, a british MP who chairs on the House of Commons climate change group, thinks that a quarter of the space in car ads should be given over to environmental impact data. "The manufacturers need to enlarge the small print. More and more consumers want to do their bit to combat climate change [...] A prominent display of this advice from the chief scientific advisor to the government would help us all make more informed and responsible choices." The bill will be presented to to parliament on Monday, October 30. We think it's a good idea. Information certainly is the minimum required for action, so the easier it is to find out about the environmental impact of the things that surround us, the better. If successful in the UK, this piece of legislation could migrate to other countries. ::BBC, ::Colin Challen Official Website...
TreeHugger Welcomes Tom Szaky of TerraCycle!
by Tom Szaky of TerraCycle, Trenton NJ on 10.28.06
Trains vs. Planes: Eurostar Joins the Debate
by Treehugger Interns on 10.28.06
Everytime we discuss aviation it generates some pretty passionate discussion. Now Eurostar, the company operating trains between London and Paris, and London and Brussels, has waded into the debate. The company has put out a press release claiming that an independent report commissioned by them shows that their trains emit 10 times less carbon dioxide than an equivalent journey by plane. They also claim that these findings may be conservative, as they don’t take into account the extra harm done by polluting at altitude, or planes being held in holding patterns. ...
Using Food For Fuel Could Save Money. For Some.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.28.06
This headline really caught our eye- "using food for fuel". We love corn, especially with a bit of butter and salt, but now people are just throwing it into furnaces to heat their houses because it is cheaper to burn it than just about any other fuel. We have touted corn-powered stoves before as being TreeHugger correct, but are they? 47 billion dollars has been spent to subsidize corn production since 1995, and corn prices are spiking everywhere because of its increasing use in making ethanol, affecting the cost of everything we eat. Michael Pollan points out that we are all made of corn, that the American diet is almost entirely corn based. Should we be heating with food? ::WPXI
...
Wind Power Update
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.28.06
We've been doing these abridged wind power updates for some time now because they are a source of optimism for those of us who feel trapped in a re-run of "Everyone Loves Raymond". Here are some excerpts from the latest American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) press release: "The U.S. wind energy industry is on track to install a record 2,750 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity in 2006, which will produce about as much electricity as is used by the entire state of Rhode Island." "AWEA had previously estimated that about 3,000 MW would be installed this year, but it is now clear that a few projects originally slated for completion in 2006 will not be finalized until 2007 because of various delays". "Wind power is expected in 2006 to provide 18% to 20% of the new capacity installed in the country -- making it the second-largest source of new power generation after new natural gas plants..." We especially love where we first found this story - via: All American Patriots. Does this mean that wind power is soon not to be regarded as "alternative?"...
Center For Green Roof Research: Penn State's EcoRoof Technology Course
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.28.06
One aspect that makes this photo eye-catching is the lovely layout and plant diversity -- much more appealing than the usual green roof monoculture found in North America. Who's behind the mystery roof? It seems it is either on the Penn State University campus Center For Green Roof Research or at an associated facility in Europe. Did architects and engineers suddenly get into plants. Nope, this is in the Horticulture Department. About time. Here's an excerpt from the course sylabus for Penn State's course EcoRoof Technology (Hort 497A): "The course objective will be to examine the fundamentals of greenroofs their origins, installation, maintenance, and relationship with other green building technologies. Their use in stormwater mitigation as well as their ancillary benefits will be discussed. Practicum periods will be hands-on, with field trips to local green roofs as well as the installation of a green roof on a small building". Get a look at some student "hands on" below the fold. Photo credit: Gert Fortgens, via the CGRR website mainpage.
...
Dhamma! My Phone is Ringing
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 10.28.06
Yesterday on the public transport, a strange noise emanated from the hemp hand-bag of the centered, charismatic young commuter next to you. Your ears perked with curiousity as a cell phone was produced—because this was not the top charts hit nor a jammingly humorous or rude emission. This phone chanted. With a practiced inhalation, the owner of the phone interrupted the mantra before you could enter a meditative state sufficient to calm the whirlwind of thoughts running through your head: how can I get that on my phone? Dare I ask this beautiful person to join me at the next GreenDrinks? Is nothing safe from rampant consumerism? Dating advice and economic theory are outside of the scope of this article. But if you absolutely must have your own “dhamma ringtone”, read on....
Wal-Mart To Sell Energy Efficient Notebook For Under $500
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10.27.06
Wal-Mart will soon be selling an energy efficient notebook computer for under $500. The computer is made by Everex Systems and Taiwanese chipmaker Via Technologies. Everex is calling the computer the "world's most energy efficient notebook". The Via microprocessor inside Everex’s StepNote NC1500 provides 1.5GHz performance at very low power consumption of just 12 watts. ...
Lighting Up The $1 Trillion Power Market
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10.27.06
Business 2.0 recently published a report on the state of the California solar tech boom, and its potential to revolutionize the power market. Pictured here is a solar module from Energy Innovations (EI Solutions). The start-up company was recently given the contract to build Google's solar project. Excerpts from the article appear after the link:
...
Poplar Science: Engineering Trees for Fuel
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10.27.06
While debates rage over both ethanol and genetic engineering, the truth is that the two technologies are likely to play a growing role in our future. The two contentious fields will almost definitely intersect as well. A recent grant given jointly by the USDA and DOE is pushing that intersection closer. The two government agencies recently awarded $700,000 to a team at North Carolina State University to help them modify the genes of poplar trees, making them better candidates for cellulosic ethanol feedstock. Dr. Vincent Chiang and his group believe that poplar trees (the only tree to have its genome mapped) may be an excellent source of cellulose and hemicelluloses, which can be fermented into ethanol. Currently, however, their extraction is a challenge because of being bound up in the tree’s lignin. Dr. Chiang’s group has already achieved poplars with less lignin, and now hope to create ones with more cellulose. :: Green Car Congress...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10.27.06
CNET looks at biomimicry at work in the world of industrial design… Inc.com lists its top 50 green companies… Villagers storm and occupy three Nigerian oil platforms… More ass means more gas: a report finds America’s expanding waistline is gobbling up fuel… From the MIT labs comes a half-sized ethanol engine that runs like a full-sized…...
TreeHugger Asks: Who Are Some Great Industrial Designers?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.27.06
TreeHugger has a few favorites when it comes to industrial designers and design firms; we can't really think about the words without including people like Bill McDonough, Ross Lovegrove and the Salm brothers at MIOculture. They represent some of the best things about sustainable industrial design: aesthetic innovation, form following function and minimal tread left on the planet, and we could go on and on about each of them. But we know there are more out there. Who else should we know about? What designers and firms are at the top of their games when it comes to industrial design and sustainability? Please leave your ideas in the comments below.
...
Hybrid Living: Selling Green Lifestyle to the Lexus Crowd
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.27.06
If you want to see how to make "ecodesignlifestyle" sexy and aspirational, have a look at Lexus's gorgeous website "hybrid living". Like TreeHugger on a Platinum card, it "explores new ideas of how we can experience our lives in such a way that minimizes our impact on the earth without sacrificing comfort and luxury" with the emphasis on luxury. Evidently if you drive a Lexus hybrid, you will want to live in Steve Glenn's Living Home, (watch a great interview of Steve and architect Ray Kappe, explaining all of the green features of the house) and you will want to tour San Francisco, LA and New York, dining in fine vegetarian restaurants and going to organic spas. The green lifestyle never looked so good. Or expensive. ::Hybrid Living via ::Mocoloco...
EPA Tightens Up Power Specs For PCs
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10.27.06
Keeping up with an increasingly global "green" directive for the tech industry, for the first time in seven years the United States government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has rolled out new Energy Star specifications for computers and related equipment. After the specs take effect, new Energy Star qualifying computer equipment will be 65 percent more efficient than conventional models, according to the EPA. The new requirements include improved efficiency across all modes of a computer's operation, and require use of highly efficient internal and external power supplies in order to earn the EPA's Energy Star label. The new specifications go into effect on July 20, 2007.
...
Izzy's Solar-Powered Ice Cream
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.27.06
With 200 solar panels on the roof, Izzy's Ice Cream is the first ice cream shop in the US to be powered by the rays from the sun. This project is set to cut Izzy's peak power demand by 30%, as the 200 panels will generate 8.6 kilowatts of power during peak production. As a business largely based on seasonal appeal, located in St. Paul, Minnesota, the bonus comes on the cold and sunny days in January when Izzy's will be selling some of these kilowatts back to the grid while all the Izzy's Ice Cream makers are at home resting. To help defray the costs of the project, each solar panel is available for sponsorship; according to the site, there are approximately 150 panels available for sponsorship on the roof at Izzy's. Each panel's sponsorship is $100, and as an incentive Izzy's gives a gift certificate for $25 in ice cream. Speaking of the ice cream, this TreeHugger hasn't had the pleasure, but Izzy's was recently featured on Food Network's "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," where the celebrity chef challenges a master food craftsman at his own game. Izzy's looked almost good enough to lick the screen; for those of you who haven't seen it, we won't spoil the ending, but we'll just say that he did solar-powered ice cream enthusiasts proud. Has anyone ever tried it? ::Izzy's Ice Cream via ::Throwdown with Bobby Flay...
The End of an Affair? Americans and Gas
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 10.27.06
Yesterday we posted on measures taken in the UK to minimize traffic and today we’re happy to report that even the US has firmed up laws promoting frivolous gasoline use. Until recently a controversial loophole existed in the tax law allowing buyers of high-end luxury SUVs, to write-off the entire expense of the vehicle in the year of purchase. Essentially, the loophole was used by citizens in high income brackets to finance the purchase SUVs through tax breaks. Without this incentive we hope to see less of these gas guzzlers on our roads although additional tightening of the law may be needed before we see real results.
Could this be the beginning of a new trend in the US? ...
Forgot Something: It's Back To Home Depot
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.27.06
How many times have we done that...oops, forgot the nails, glue, extension cord, or whatever...and had to jump back in the car for another trip to Home Depot? Looks like this time it's Home Depot that forgot something: its US customers. As Lloyd pointed out in his earlier post, Home Depot Canada has embarked on a nation-wide publishing project targeting customers interested in the tools and techniques of green design and lifestyles; whilst, in the US, this week's focus is guilt redemption at corporate headquarters. Sorry, we meant "carbon offsets" for tree planting around HQ. We're TreeHuggers so of course we agree that "planting of thousands of trees on nearly 130 acres across metro Atlanta" is a great thing for the their community, and a fine example for other corporations. And, it offers employees some psychological compensation while they're stuck in traffic for an hour and a half going 5 miles to work on Atlanta's overtaxed road network: -- "look...there's one of our trees." But, from a climate change point of view, these tree planting benefits are orders of magnitude less immediate and significant, on every dimension imaginable, compared to what can be done by empowering its US market. Hypothetical customer buy-decision tradeoff: "do I buy the US$20.00 rake or do I buy the the US$170.00 gasoline-powered leaf blowing and chopping machine"? "Or, would I be better off buying three rakes and asking the family to rake together." "Maybe I could grab a spool of chicken wire and some stakes to make a leaf-mulching crib?" Roughly the same amount of dough gets the green result and gets the family together....
SDE: Breaking the Waves
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 10.27.06
The crash of the waves on the breaker or coast can be put to good use, says Israeli company S.D.E. Wave Energy, set to build the first wave energy harvesting power plant of its kind in Sri Lanka. Not to be confused with tidal power, wave power is the energy of ocean surface waves and harvesting that energy to generate electricity. Wave power generation is not widely employed, with only a few experimental sites in existence. ::See earlier TH roundup post on wave energy here.
TreeHugger spoke this week with Israel’s Chief Scientist for environmental affairs who recommended wave energy as one of the prospects the Israeli government is looking to invest in. We also spoke with S.D.E which has had an overwhelming response from countries in Africa, Asia, and South America—countries which have few viable options for generating sustainable energy. The US, they say, has showed very little interest in the company’s wave harvesting technology. ...
Start the Green Challange With Slate and TreeHugger!
by Meaghan O'Neill, Newport, R.I. on 10.27.06
Did you know that pollution from cars costs Americans over $78 billion a year in wasted fuel? Go ahead and add that onto your medical bills, because traffic also causes lung cancer, asthma, cardiopulmonary disease, and a slew of other ailments. In fact, residents of dirty-air cities (mostly caused by auto emissions) have a two-year shorter life span than inhabitants of clean air areas. So, grab your bike and start pedaling!
Join the Slate Green Challenge with TreeHugger and help reduce our collective CO2 emissions by 20 percent. We are not asking you to go out and build a green home (although you'd get bonus points if you did!), but we are hoping our readers make a positive difference in their own lives and go on to influence others. Start anytime with a carbon footprint quiz, then move on to this week's segment on transportation. If you're one of the first 500 to complete the challenge, our friends over at I'm Organic will style you out with a new t-shirt. Good luck!
[This post was written by Brittany Jacobs, TreeHugger intern on the Slate Green Challenge.]
...
ELT Indoor Living Wall Kits
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.27.06
Living walls clean the air, humidify and provide oxygen. ELT, noted before for their exterior living walls and roofs, has introduced pre-packaged sets of systems so that you can grow your own-. For those with "a hammer, a saw and a couple of nails", you can buy the Easy Green Living wall panels with mounting brackets for just C$40 (US$35). The indoor/outdoor living wall display supporting two living wall panels on a solid cedar stand with irrigation system, ready to plant, is C$200 (US$ 180). For those who want the works, ELT will plant it and supply it pre-grown, although watch out for the shipping costs. ::ELT Living Walls...
EcoOptions Magazine from Home Depot Canada
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.27.06
Getting people interested in buying green products is more than just doing a cost-benefit analysis, they have to understand the issue and want the product. We recently posted on Home Depot's EcoOption campaign in Canada, where they are introducing thousands of green products. To spread the message they have just introduced EcoOptions magazine (on FSC paper, of course). Graphically, it is up there with mainstream shelter porn, making the products look good, showing how they work, and explaining complex issues like FSC Certification. A good example is the ode to a rake, shown above- making this object a lot sexier than a leaf blower. It's put together by Green Living Enterprises, who also publish GreenLiving, subject of an upcoming post. Congratulations to Home Depot Canada's President (and editor-in-chief) Annette Verschuren. We hope you sent a copy to Bob Nardelli; people keep asking why they can't get EcoOptions in the States. The entire magazine is available online at ::EcoOptions...
Feed the Birds Day
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10.27.06
Tomorrow is Feed the Birds Day--held when the clocks go back and winter nights begin. It's the time when birds and other wildlife need a little extra protection as the first frost looms. Giving some food, water and shelter helps them through the winter and provides a haven for wildife. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) suggests that the best foods are black sunflower seeds and peanuts, which can be put out all year round. Bird houses should be hung from branches, far away from where people are walking. Make sure that you can see them from your window, because that's half the fun. For the traditionalist , you will easily find good solid ones, made of approved wood, to attract small robins and wrens. These should only be cleaned at the end of the season, once the birds have left. For the post-modernist--may we suggest the ones pictured; by Swiss artist Stephane Barbier Bouver--who knows what you will attract. :: RSPB and :: Cool Hunting
...
Xerox and the Nature Conservancy Partner for Forest Conservation
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 10.27.06
Forest stewardship seems to have captured the attention of corporate executives, with numerous companies examining the sources of forest products they buy and sell. Yesterday, Xerox Corporation and the Nature Conservancy announced a partnership designed to "...strengthen and advance practices used to conserve the world's forests." Xerox is investing $1 million in the effort to "...develop science-based tools, practices and systems that the paper industry can draw upon to better understand and manage ecologically important forest land." The partnership will focus its efforts on forests in Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Southeastern United States, and will work not only to increase the store of information on ecologically and culturally sensitive areas in these lands, but also to improve certification standards for sustainable forest management. When complete, the company and non-profit plan to provide these information tools and standards to paper suppliers. We have to wonder if the Rainforest Action Network's action against Xerox, a major purchaser of paper from Weyerhaeuser, played into this decision; we don't know if Xerox still purchases paper from the forest products giant. It will be interesting to see if and how RAN responds to this news. ::Xerox and The Nature Conservancy...
Making Plastic With Vitamin C or Water
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10.26.06
Two laboratory breakthroughs are poised to dramatically improve how plastics are made by assembling molecular chains more quickly and with less waste. Using such environmentally friendly substances as Vitamin C or pure water, the two approaches present attractive alternatives to the common plastic manufacturing technique called free radical polymerization (FRP).
...
TH Blog Love – Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 10.26.06
CHEC Blog: 90 tips in 90 days
‘The Children's Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public, specifically parents and caregivers, about environmental toxins that affect children's health.’
EcoTravelLogue: The Best Of EcoTravelLogue by Mary Grady
‘For those of you new to our Eco-TravelLogue, here’s a sample of a few of my favorite posts from these last few weeks… the Logue first launched back on September 12, so there is quite a lot here already. It’s tough to pick out just a few favorites, because I get to write about anything I like here, so I like them all!’...
Energy-Efficient Lamp by Lucesco
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 10.26.06
This lamp is retro—yet still energy efficient. Designed by Sven Adolph for Lucesco Lighting, the spun aluminum Sven illuminates with 40 energy-efficient warm white LEDs, and employs only 22 watts of power. That’s about one-third of the power used by the average lamp. Ah but what about the heat, you say. The LEDs are arranged in a circle, a design trick that prevents it from becoming a furnace. Another perk? A nifty little red light stays on even when the light is off—ending all that stumbling in the dark. Other mod colors include white and black. In 2007, the Palo Alto, CA-based firm plans to launch four additional styles: Floor-standing, ceiling, and two lanterns. ::Lucesco
Photo courtesy of Metropolis Magazine/Evelyn Dilworth....
"No Sheep For You"
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10.26.06
I can’t draw you a diagram of how it happened, but knitting has become a choice medium for stylish, radical, TreeHuggers. The DIY movement is alive and well and it’s got needles. Knitting has lent itself to displays of guerrilla art, symbolic activism, and graffiti. A new book, “No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo, and Other Delights” is right in this vein, it would seem. It is the work of Amy R. Singer, a magnate of hip knitting and editor of Knitty. Clearly, the arsenal of eco-friendly yarns is growing and this book fits right in. Check out some threads we’ve followed here at TreeHugger, including recycled yarns like Repreve or Jimtex, and bamboo or corn varieties. “No Sheep” comes out in April 2007, is $22.95, and can be preordered. :: No Sheep For You via Hugg (Linton)...
TreeHugger 100-Mile Thanksgiving Challenge: Show Us Your Inner Chef
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 10.26.06
Frequent TreeHugger readers know that we give a shout out to local eating whenever we get a chance, and for good reason to. Cutting down the distance that food travels from production to your plate is an easy and very effective way to eat greener (and often healthier). With North America either just getting done with (Canada) or just getting ready to (US) celebrate the fall harvest holiday, we are challenging you to make a local feast for Thanksgiving. Here's the deal: we want you to create a grand feast using all ingredients found within 100 miles of your home. Send us your 100-Mile menu (including the recipe) along with the names of the farms/farmers you got your food from, where they are located and where you are located. Entries should be sent to: contest [at] treehugger [dot] com by November 14th. The most eco-friendly, creative and delicious meals will be featured on the site in the weeks before Thanksgiving, with readers choosing the best 100-mile meal, so get cooking! ::TreeHugger 100-Mile Thanksgiving Challenge...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10.26.06
More eye candy from the LA Auto Show Design Challenge, including an algae-filled Hummer… EarthBox promises more vegetables in less space, less water, and less soil… According to a new report, more than a trillion dollars are waiting for green entrepreneurs over the next five years… In a green travel special, the Guardian looks at painless, plane-less world travel… The trees are painting! Give a tree a brush and see what happens… ...
Live-Work-Design: Home Depot & Duke University Collaborate On 'Smart Home' Project
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.26.06
Via the Atlanta Business Chronicle: - "The Home Depot Inc. and Duke University have teamed up to create a residential lab where 10 students will research and develop security and monitoring, communications, energy efficiency, entertainment, environment and health products for the home". What a team! What will they do? The "more than 100 student members of the Duke Smart House Club and entire engineering classes -- can test new home technology ideas developed by Duke students. The occupants will live with and in the design ideas of the larger group to provide feedback on issues such as technology usability and adoption, energy efficiency and automated control". Can you imagine having this exerience on your resume on graduating from Duke? Go "les Diables Bleus". ...
Automated Green: The Genzyme Center!
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10.26.06
If it's automated green you like, the Genzyme Center has plenty of it. Completed a few years ago, the complex is the headquarters for a biotechnology company in Boston. It has a Platinum LEED Rating which is the highest awarded. Carbon dioxide sensors register "stuffy" indoor air conditions. Fans coils units are automatically shut off when windows or doors are opened for natural ventilation. Photo sensors and occupancy sensors detect conditions and dim overhead lights as needed. The daylight dimming system reduces lighting energy use by about 45%.
...
Chamba Ware for the Kitchen
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 10.26.06
We’ve expressed our feelings on Teflon. We also brought you the news earlier this year about eight U.S. companies eliminating the harmful chemical from their products. In addition to the good ole’ cast iron pieces we found some new cookware recently at VivaTerra. Handmade from clay, this Chamba ware dates back to the age of the Incas. It's unglazed, lead free, heats evenly and a great multi-tasker - going from stovetop to oven to table with style. It cleans easily and can be used for years and years to come. Available at ::VivaTerra...
UC Davis Cafeteria Scraps Used To Generate Electricity
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.26.06
We've often driven by landfills where methane is being "harvested" by an elaborate system of gas wells, PVC collector pipes, transfer mains, particle filters, compressors, steel delivery pipes, storage tanks, and eventually generators. The rear-view mirror thinking that follows is 'why not put all that organic waste in a proper bio-gas digester in the first place instead of a hole in the ground that's bound to leak?' Anaerobic digesters, after all, are a common technology: found in most cities with secondary wastewater treatment, on increasing numbers of poo-powered farms, here, and other poo powered sites there, and elsewhere. In fact the human digestive system is a sort of anaerobic digester. Hence the thought, we suppose, that dawned on University of California at Davis to take those food scraps from the campus cafeterias and put them in an anaerobic digester instead to sending them to a landfill. Reportedly it works just fine as long as the dangerous green gellatin desert with mystery topping is carefully segretated from the collection stream, thus enabling the "bugs" to produce enough gas to power the equivalent of 80 average California homes for a day. Possible safety requirement: a process hazard analysis may be needed to avoid making excess bean burrito specials, leading to a major biogas incident. Via C/Net News....
MTV and Wal-Mart: "a marketing ploy waving a tiny green flag"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.06
Two days ago Justin covered the MTV-WalMart "Everyday Green" cafe; Today Guy Brighton of PSFK trashes it as "a marketing ploy waving a tiny green flag." He goes on..."The space is scarce of anything with depth...The space is green-by-numbers. It's light on impact, light on eco-consciousness, light on message. They even have the standard girl-at-door-handing-out-fair-trade-coffee. The take-away literature is a poorly disguised attempt to sell All laundry detergent.....This exhibition is nothing more that a way for MTV to make money.....You could say that any green message is a good message. But this isn't a message. It's a marketing ploy gone bland. It's a dark way for MTV to advertise a laundry detergent to the wrong target market.::Eco-PSFK
...
aMAIZEing: Bio-Based Paint Solvent & Stripper
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.26.06
If there's one thing TreeHugger knows, it's that there's a greener, more eco-friendly version of almost everything out there. From biodegradable bioplastic cutlery to organic wine, there isn't much that can't be done with a green twist. Today's example: paint solvent & thinner. While stripping paint isn't something many of us do every day, many conventional formulas are full of VOCs and ozone-depleting chemicals, and that isn't good for anyone, whether you do it once a week or once a year. This particular product, aMAIZEing, is made from 100% corn and soybean esters (grown in the US) and claims to do everything its chemical cousins can: lift from the surface, strip and remove adhesives, paint and more from concrete, masonry, wood, metal and a host of other surfaces. If it works as well as it claims, why would you ever want to use the chemical version again? ::aMAIZEing Paint Solvent via ::Apartment Therapy...
Green TV Needs You. (Geographic Constraints Apply)
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 10.26.06
While on Australian commercial TV stations, stars are ice skating, idols are crooning, and survivors are cavorting about islands in skimpy bandanas, the national broadcaster is marching to the beat of a different drummer. We’ve talked before about some of their programs. Like the journalistic piece on the likes of peak oil, the science program that showcased light pipe technology, or the inventors show with the passive ventilation window that let in fresh air, but amazingly kept noise out. For 2007 there will be a blending of the two. Informative television mixed with reality teevee. Dubbed ‘Green TV’, (at this stage), the program will follow energy guzzling households, as they transition to enlightened energy conservers. The producers are currently searching for households with voracious energy appetites, be they owners or renters, in the state of Victoria, to participate in the program. So if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, lower your bills and get fifteen minutes of fame then push that mouse over to ::Green TV....
Raising Energy Productivity
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 10.26.06
Having closely followed and written about energy for a number of years, we at the Earth Policy Institute know that there is an enormous potential for raising energy productivity. This becomes clear in comparisons of energy use among countries. Some nations in Europe have essentially the same living standard as the United States yet use scarcely half as much energy per person. But even the countries that use energy most efficiently are not close to realizing the full potential for doing so. See Chapter 10 “Stabilizing Climate” in Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, available for free downloading...
2006 Brower Youth Award Winners Celebrated
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 10.26.06
“People had alleged that I have inspired many young people over the years, but I say it was just the opposite.” so said David Brower. David is one of the most revered figures in the US environment movement and no wonder, given that his passion for the planet never waned in nearly 90 years of full life. In his final year, he was to witness the inaugural Brower Youth Awards, as established by the Earth Island Institute, which he founded 24 years ago. The 2006 round will be celebrated at a special free event in San Francisco tomorrow night. If the achievements of the six winners,, (Jessica Assaf, 16; May Boeve, 21; Karoline Evin McMullen, 16; Alberta Nells, 16; Elissa Smith, 21 and Ruben Vogt, 22) is anything go by, then the legacy of David’s unwavering enthusiasm lives on. Between them these leaders of tomorrow have already been campaigning for safe cosmetics, zero emissions technology, trout habitat restoration, protection of scared Native American lands, youth participation in environmental decision making and for community mentoring programs. We wish them well in tackling the many challenges ahead of us all, and for taking up the torch to light the way forward. ::Brower Youth Awards....
Money Talks: Driving Taxes in Great Britain
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 10.26.06
We learned this week that the Brits are a wasteful bunch indeed, and traffic is no exception. London suffers the worst traffic congestion in the UK and amongst the worst in Europe. Apparently, London drivers spend 50 percent of their time stuck in traffic. In an attempt to combat the issue London drivers who use their cars in the central city during the day are being charged for the pleasure. Congestion Charging was devised to minimize inner city traffic. Essentially it’s a tax for driving. By law, the money raised goes towards London‘s public transportation facilities benefiting the general public.
Merely six months after the introduction of the astonishingly successful scheme, auto traffic decreased by 30 percent while bus and taxi ridership rose by 20 percent. Net city traffic was reduced by 18 percent. Anyone interested in doing a “back-of-the-envelope” calculation on reduced CO2 emissions, gasoline “saved” or other, please post your findings in the comments section for everyone's benefit....
Heated Issue: A Global Warming Design Competition
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.26.06
With the aim of discovering why design matters, a social design network called Design21 has launched a series of competitions. Titled "Heated Issue," one such competition calls for entrants to design an awareness campaign to educate the public on the issue of global warming. This competition asks participants to create an educational campaign to raise public awareness of the problem of global warming and the contribution of our daily lifestyle and activities to this phenomenon. The aim of the campaign is to provoke people to think about the issue and how their individual consumer choices and energy consumption play into the equation. Four cash prizes, totaling $10,000, will be awarded to the winners, and the deadline to enter is Sunday, December 10. Design21 is a worldwide design network that seeks to promote design practice that is creative, thoughtful and responsible, so that good design becomes an integral part of everything we make, from objects and structures to environments and communities. Their goal is to form a global community that explores ways that design can make positive contributions to society and our environment. Learn more about them here and about the design competitions here. ::Design21 via ::Designspotter...
On Knowing the Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.06
This treehugger is often disheartened when I write about a new product and the entire discussion in the comments is about how overpriced it is. In a recent post about the Binvention (which was about an article discussing why it cost so much!) , comments included: "All I have to say is: plywood, screws, saw, screwdriver...$20. It's a rip off aimed at people with no imagination ", "$110? No thanks....These things are nice and all, but yeah, they do inspire someone to create a similar system that will cost much less." , "I'll sell you one for $90 all day long.. There is a sucker born every minute." When we posted the MiniHome, people complained "Cheap at $125k? That's $400 a sq ft, or about five times what the most luxurious house costs for the space. It will be "cheap" at a fifth of the price." I do not mean to be critical of our commenters, but I think we have to discuss- why do green products cost more?...
Clutter-free Recycling Bin
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10.26.06
Maybe part of the reason that people don't recycle is because of the mess and clutter that gathers whilst waiting for the trip to the recycling centre or the day that it all goes outside. Here's a sleek, good looking way to store all those carefully collected aluminium cans, glass jars, papers and plastic bottles that are rolling around in the kitchen cupboard. The ecopod e1 is essentially a crusher: drop a can or plastic bottle into the hole on the top, step on the pedal and the container is compacted for easier storage. It will store fifty to sixty crushed containers. Ecopod’s mission is to “partner with great people and great companies to raise worldwide eco-awareness”. To that end, they worked with DesignworksUSA, the same people who created the BMWX5 , to ensure that, as well as being a good looking addition to the kitchen, it works. If that’s too big and bulky, here is a very simple and practical, child-proof can and bottle crusher. Squash it in the gadget and store the results in a box until ready. :: Ecopod via :: The Financial Times...
Gluh lampe: The Last Gasp for the Incandescent Bulb
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.06
This might just save the incandescent bulb from oblivion: The gluh lampe picks up the heat energy produced by the light bulb and warms the clay brick, which radiates for up to an hour after switching off the light. The brick tone makes the quality of the light even warmer, and "the brick can easily be disconnected from the bulb and can be used as a bed-warmer, just like in granny's times." You are not wasting all that energy, you are taking it to bed. 79 Euros (US$ 100) ::Formfjord via ::Design Spotter ...
What’s Happening In Your Neck of the Woods?
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 10.26.06
Here at TreeHugger, we try to cover a range of environmental happenings on the local, state, national, and global levels. However, we can’t get to everything. Subsequently, I wanted to ask our readers to share some of the exciting developments in your area. It could be a new organic restaurant, an environmental book club, the opening of biodiesel gas station, or anything else that might inspire other readers. Leave a comment, and let the TreeHugger community know what’s going on....
All the Green News That's Fit to Print in the New York Times
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.06
We don't know what got into the New York Times yesterday, but it was like reading a print TreeHugger. There was an article about driving smart cars and Yaris's in New York; ::Big Guy Tries Tiny Chassis, Taking Jabs Lightly A fun article about what happens when you take Dan Becker, Director of the Sierra Club's global warming program, for a drive in a Hummer; ::A Field Trip Guzzling Gas, Among the Environmentalists another on ::Searching for the Sex Appeal in a Hybrid one on ::Still Miles to Go for the Plug-In Vehicle and thats just the stuff on cars. More in ::The New York Times...
Food Forest: A Garden WithTrees
by Tim McGee, Helena, MT, USA on 10.26.06
Two dimensional gardens are so last season. It's time to use space wisely, and think 3D. Trees are often left out of the garden picture, if they are there are at all it is usually because they were there in the first place. But, as Toby Hemenway points out in a great article on the subject:
"Trees have an unmatched ability to produce soil-enriching leaf litter, fill the earth with humus-making roots, quell temperature swings, hold moisture, arrest erosion, and offer tiers of wildlife habitat. And you can't beat trees for productivity. An acre of apple trees can yield 7 tons of fruit, and an acre of chestnut trees may offer up 10 tons of protein-rich nuts--without annual replanting."
Whether you call it a food forest or an edible forest garden, the benefits of gardening with trees should be considered, and the Edible Forest Garden Website suggests the primary goals a forest garden can help you achieve are:
* High yields of diverse products such as food, fuel, fiber, fodder,
fertilizer, 'farmaceuticals' and fun;
* A largely self-maintaining garden and;
* A healthy ecosystem
As winter rolls in it’s time to start strategizing the new plantings for the spring. While I'm considering which trees to plant in my little plot of land, I look forward to Toby's article next month which promises a little DIY instruction for creating your own Food Forest.::The Columbian :: Edible Forest Gardens...
Bello Mundo Introduces the "Carbon Comparator"
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 10.26.06
We've discussed multiple services available that will allow you to offset the carbon emissions produced by flying -- just enter the number of miles you're traveling, and pay for the offsets. The "sus travel" experts at Bello Mundo magazine have now introduced their own carbon calculator for air travel, but with a slight twist. Rather than providing users with a price to pay for offsets, Bello Mundo's "comparator" shows how travelers can offset those carbon emissions by adjusting activities in their daily lives. According to magazine co-founder Joe Hayhow,...
A Green Wedding Waiheke Island Style
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 10.25.06
Earlier this week I started telling you about my friends Laura and Darren, who I’ve been staying with on Waiheke Island in New Zealand. They bought and are now developing about 20 acres of land on what’s known as a Lifestyle block. Having explained the reasons that motivated for Laura and Darren to live here I should say why I decided to come all the way out here to visit them. The big reason was their wedding, which took place two weeks ago. I must say it certainly isn’t easy on the bank account or on your carbon credit to have your best friend living on the other side of the world from you. New Zealand really is quite a long way to go to perform Bridesmaid’s duties and I can’t claim to have travelled overland like the intrepid Barbara Haddrill. I have however offset my flights with the Carbon Neutral Company and rather than flying straight to NZ and back in two weeks I decided to make the most of flying around the world by incorporating other work projects into a longer trip (more of which later). ...
The Suntracker One-Ups the Skylight
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10.25.06
There’s nothing like the real deal when it comes to light. Natural sunlight makes us feel better, work better, and yes, we buy more too. Skylights are nice and simple, and light pipes can do the trick (see here, here, and here). The Suntracker One is an intriguing upgrade on the conventional skylight. Consisting of a 4’X4’ acrylic dome, the Suntracker uses three heliostatic mirrors that track the sun and reflect its light down into the building. A prismatic diffusion lens then spreads out the light through interior spaces. The reflective surfaces within the dome are run by a small solar-powered motor. Every ten minutes, the mirrors move to keep up with the sun as it moves across the sky, maximizing natural light in Winter months when days are shorter and the sun’s path is closer to the horizon....
Early April Fools Post: Lee Raymond Appointed to Solve America's Energy Crisis
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.25.06
Or perhaps it is a Halloween prank with someone in a Jabba the Hutt costume; In any case, the Bush Administration's Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman has hand-picked former ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond to" lead an influential study to develop policy solutions to America’s energy crisis". We suppose that even with a 400 million dollar severance you can get bored in retirement, but surely putting the fox of big oil in charge of a henhouse like this is a dumb move. Don't remember Lee? read David Robert's great farewell in ::Grist and join the campaign to overturn this appointment at ::Exxpose Exxon via ::Groovy Green...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10.25.06
Environmental Defense makes it easy to find an energy-efficient alternative to any bulb in the house… Weird idea of the week: could Canada’s oil sands be a carbon neutral energy source? In Mississippi, chicken poo mixed with solar energy makes for some powerful stuff…. Mitsubishi changes direction for their new electric vehicles… David Suzuki, the legendary advocate for a sustainable world, steps out of the spotlight…...
Infinia Plans Small-Scale Solar Stirling Dishes
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10.25.06
Infinia, a company based in Kennewick, Washington, plans to release a Stirling solar dish about the size of a large satellite TV receiver. Instead of using photovoltaic cells, it will use the sun's heat to generate electricity. Standard solar photovoltaic panels are generally 12 percent to 15 percent efficient at converting light to electricity, though some can go up to 22 percent. Infinia's planned 3-kilowatt Stirling engine will operate at 24 percent efficiency. ...
LED Headlights Introduced
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10.25.06
LED-based headlights have appeared on the new car scene: the Audi R8 and Lexus LS will be the first vehicles to be using LED headlights. The benefits of LED headlights are lower power consumption, durability and significantly more flexible packaging. However, it does appear that heat build up within LEDs are a big issue, as are the fact that the LEDs need to deal with the heat from the engine compartment. See this post from Wheel Talk for a detailed examination of the new headlights....
Real Green Power: Photovoltaics + Ultra-Efficient Appliances + Passive Heating and Cooling Architectural Design + Solar Thermal + Optimally Designed Living Spaces
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 10.25.06
Retrofitting existing homes with solar power is often expensive, especially if you are in a state where there are no incentives available. It does tend to pay for itself in 10-15 years. But the real strength of solar power is when it is combined with complementary technologies and green architectural design. Combining solar power generation with ultra-efficient appliances is probably the easiest connection to make. Efficient appliances not only reduce size of the solar installation needed, but also tend to keep the house cooler in the summer, reducing cooling requirements. Lighting needs can be reduced by making use of daylight.
...
Google Co-Op Search for Hybrid Cars
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.25.06
Mike, the guy behind a blog called Hybrid Review, is working on creating one of Google's new co-op searches for hybrid cars. The idea behind the searches, explained in this article in the San Francisco Chronicle, is that users can create themed searches which "emphasize" certain sites before indexing the rest of the web; sites that are emphasized are hand-picked by the moderator to show up at the top of the list. So far, Mike has his own site, greenhybrid.com, hybridcarblog.com, greencarcongress.com, autobloggreen.com, www.autoblog.com, hybridblog.typepad.com and hybridcenter.org. We can think of a few that might be good additions to the list; can you? Click over to Mike's site and leave him your ideas, or drop 'em here and we'll be sure he gets them. ::Hybrid Review via ::AutoblogGreen...
New Look, More Friendly Furniture at 2modern
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.25.06
The folks over at 2modern have given the site a little facelift and added some good-looking new products while they were at it. We like Brave Space's "Hollow" line of furniture -- bench, side table and coffee table (pictured) -- for its clean design, contrasting tones and not one but two shades of bamboo. Included is the handy hollow cubby access from the sides and a slim opening through the center for the latest issue of Dwell or Metropolis or other favorite periodical. The surface is finished with BioShield Organic Herbal Oil, and custom sizes are available. Brave Space's designs have impressed us before so it's good to see them continuing to produce well-designed, high-quality, TreeHugger-friendly furniture. ::2modern via Design*Sponge...
Nissan Debuts 2007 Altima Hybrid
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 10.25.06
Reluctant hybrid-maker Nissan has debuted its first gasoline-electric hybrid, the Altima hybrid 2007. The powertrain is partly based on licensed Toyota technology (more on the electric than gasoline side, apparently): The Nissan-made QR25 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine is coupled with a 30 kW (40 hp) electric motor and an electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (eCVT). The Altima Hybrid’s hybrid system is rated at a net power of 198 horsepower (148 kW) with fuel economy estimated at 41 mpg city/36 mpg highway (39 mpg combined) and emissions rated Advanced Technology-Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV). "Combined with Altima’s standard 20-gallon fuel tank, the Altima Hybrid has a projected driving range of up to 700 miles between fill-ups." As we reported before, the Altima hybrid will be made in Nissan's Smyrna plant in Tennessee and the company wants to sell 50,000 units a year at first....
Search for Good: GoodTree and GoodSearch
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 10.25.06
James Currier had a vision to create an online service that would harness the Internet to benefit charity. GoodTree, which originally launched summer of 2005, went offline in November 2005, and re-launched in July 2006 was the result. The search engine which combines results from Google, Yahoo, MSN, and AskJeeves is free, has no banners or pop-ups, will never ask you for money, and will never send you spam yet raises “a lot of money for charity.” ...
TreeHugger Picks: Pellet Stoves
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.25.06
Pellet stoves are extremely efficient, produce little waste and use inexpensive fuel, so they've become increasingly popular in the face of rising natural gas and heating oil prices. As the temperatures dip and you put on a sweater, take a look at some pellet posts from our past.
1) Wood pellet stoves use compressed, recycled sawdust to heat your home.
2) Rika's pellet stoves are designed with function and aesthetics in mind.
3) Bixby Energy Systems devised a pellet made from various types of custom biomass (grape waste, olive pits, almond shells, cotton-gin trash, etc.) and a stove that can burn them all.
4) Corn-burning stoves are similar to the pellet stoves, but burn corn kernels instead.
5) Sound good? Learn where to get pellets during peak demand this winter.
See also: Thinking of Buying a Pellet Stove? We Can Help!
Update: Check out our guide to Buy Green: Pellet Stoves over on our sister site, Planet Green. You know they're a great green way to heat -- learn where to get one and take action today!...
Posch: Happy Purses and Tees
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 10.25.06
Aren't too-worn bed sheets a conundrum? And old T-shirts? For various reasons, they usually prove un-donate-able. Thank goodness Montreal's Luce Beaulieu turns sheets into indispensable market bags and sweet purses. She also gives useless tees the new job of charming with their fresh stitching and clever silk screens. At the Ethical Fashion Show, I snagged a smart "I Heart Kyoto" shirt, one I wear both proudly and apologetically while traveling through Western Europe. Keep reading to see more! ::Posch, Ethical Fashion Show ...
Take the Slate Green Challenge with TreeHugger!
by Meaghan O'Neill, Newport, R.I. on 10.25.06
Feeling guilty about your personal contribution to the rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere? Perhaps you are wondering about the first step in reducing your emissions. That's easy: Drive less!
Gas-guzzling SUVs not only have a significant impact on the Earth, but also on your health. Did you know that the government (ahem, that's you, We the People) pays $0.02 in health care costs for every mile driven by a solo driver? That could add up to an extra latte a week, depending on your commute. Why not get to know your neighbors better and start a rideshare? Your planet, health, and caffeine addiction will thank you!
For more ways to curb your carbon appetite, join the Slate Green Challenge with TreeHugger. Beginning with a carbon emission footprint quiz, the challenge will continue with information on transportation (this week's topic), as well as fun facts on food, clothing, electricity, and holiday shopping. Join in anytime on the collective effort to reduce our overall footprint by 20 percent. Did we mention the prize? The first 500 people who complete the Challenge will receive a T-shirt from our generous friends and sponsor at I'm Organic. Happy dieting!
[Note: This post was written by Brittany Jacobs, TH intern extraordinaire on the Slate-TH project.]...
GE Delivers Coal-Fueled, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Prototype
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.25.06
Technology Review captures it nicely: "GE's advance allows for a solid-oxide fuel cell to use coal-based fuels at costs approaching that of conventional power pla