- 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 December 17, 2006 - December 23, 2006
Total this week: 120
BedZED Under the Spotlight: BioRegional Defends its Pioneering Project
by Treehugger Interns on 12.23.06
Life is tough on the cutting edge, and the press can be unforgiving. We Treehuggers love the BioRegional Development Group, and we particularly love their flagship eco-housing estate BedZED, which we have reported on here and here. However, not everything has gone smoothly with this project. In particular they have had major problems with their prototype Combined Heat and Power plant, something we also picked up on here. These problems have now been highlighted by the mainstream press, who have shown an increased interest in green building following the UK government’s recent announcement about carbon neutral homes. Apparently the Daily Mail ran a story under the rather unkind and, in our opinion, inaccurate headline of “Great Green Gimmick.” However, BioRegional are now out to set the record straight....
Gas, Electric and Hybrid Go Head to Head in LCA
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 12.23.06
The Grade 7 class at the American School of Barcelona is studying alternative energies as part of their most recent social studies unit. When I was asked to talk to them about Los Angeles on the Verge of Nation's Best Mass Transit?
by EcoGeek.org on 12.23.06
It doesn't matter where you live, you know about LA. Those two letters bring words like "smog," "sprawl," and "traffic," straight into any brain that hears them. LA is a marvelous place, as long as you don't have to drive anywhere. But, you may also have heard, you have to drive everywhere. LA started out as a mass-transit mecca. Its train routes were the best and largest in the country, and the city grew with this system its backbone. But when the car took over, Los Angeles paved over its rail lines.
The next fifty years were spent talking about how nice it would be if there was some mass transit. In the last ten years, they've actually been doing something about it! Folks may think of LA as the capital of sprawl, but it's actually the densest metropolitan area in America, it just happens to be gigantic.They call it "dense sprawl," and it happens to be perfect for mass transit, if it's managed well. Unfortunately, it has not been. Misspending and inefficiency at LA's transit authority kept the system broken for decades. But now, LA is returning to its roots and developing one of the largest and most robust mass-transit systems in the world....
Tree Planting Far From 'Pointless', Researchers Argue
by Treehugger Interns on 12.23.06
Last week we reported here on new research that suggests planting trees may not always have the climate-cooling effects that many would expect. The authors of this study have since expressed concern that they may be being misreported in some sections of the media, and insist that they have not been denigrating tree planting overall.
In a letter to the Guardian, which we unfortunately cannot find on their website, Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institute put forward the following clarification:...
Which Is Better: Fake Racoon Dog or Real Raccon Dog Fur Trim?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.23.06
AP has a story about Macy's removing from it's stores jackets that had real fur instead of the designer- and seller-supposed "faux fur" trim. The trim in question was found to be from the fur of a critter called "racoon dog," which is not at all related to the Racoon, and which is in the same family, but not the same genus, as a wolf. Setting aside the Humane Society claim that the racoon-dog is 'dog like' (as opposed to being an actual domestic dog), which choice would be environmentally superior: 1.) a new jacket without trim; 2.) a new jacket with a petroleum-based faux fur trim; 3.) an honestly labeled new jacket with real fur trim; or, 4.) a used jacket with fur trim? Please look below the fold before you pass judgement....
Belkin Pitstop: Get a Charge from a Lamp
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.23.06
Pitstop is an inductive charging system integrated into an attractive floor lamp. When it popped up on Yanko, we were surprised; It is credited to the Belkin Innovation Design Group, and the link takes you to the site of Belkin, a well-known manufacturer of electronic accessories. No sign of it appears on their site. A little digging and we find that it is yet another entry in a DesignBoom competition called The Skin of Corian by a clever group (Kenneth Mori + Mitchell Suckle + Oliver Duncan Seil, Thorben Neu, David Kleeman, Yoko Iida, Folk Sirichai, Ernesto Quinteros + Belkin Innovation Design Group) who understand that in the future, electronics will be invisible and part of the architectural fabric....
Turn Off that Office Equipment Before the Holidays
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.23.06
It may be a day late for this post, but Canon UK estimates that "With many offices closing (or with skeleton staff) for up to 10 days this year, Canon research shows that the amount of energy used by office equipment – PCs, printers, photocopiers and fax machines – left on standby is enough to roast an astonishing 4.4m turkeys, which is also enough power to microwave 268m mince pies or more than 350,000 standard Christmas tree lights for 10 days." -and that is just in the UK." In addition, the research shows that almost 19,000 tonnes of C02 emissions would also be produced by these machines." So last one out, turn everything off, not just the lights! ::Canon UK...
Alternate Ways to Read: Zinio
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.23.06
We read a lot for Treehugger, and often the online content lags the paper version, so we buy hard copies that are piling up. There is something about the flow of magazines, where experienced art directors put them together to look good and give you the information in a logical order. Then there are the ads, which in print can be as interesting, informative and beautiful as the editorial content. As an experiment we subscribed to Architectural Record using a magazine service called Zinio and now get all of the content, layout and ads, without cutting trees. It is a digital reproduction of the magazine with some extra bells and whistles.
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Plug-In Hybrids Could Help Stabilize The Grid
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 12.23.06
A recent article in Technology Review argues that plug-in hybrid vehicles could help stabilize the electrical grid. The idea is called "vehicle-to-grid" (often abbreviated as V2G). The article says: "In such a system, plug-in hybrids, rather than being merely an extra burden to the grid, become a much needed way for grid managers to balance the amount of energy generated at any given time to match the amount of energy being consumed. Millions of cars, each with several kilowatt hours of storage capacity, would act as an enormous buffer, taking on charge when the system temporarily generates too much power, and giving it back when there are short peaks in demand."
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ModeLabs Designs Three Self-Charging Phones
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 12.23.06
French designers ModeLabs has developed three self-powered cellphone concepts. The designs rely on the inherent movement of their users to regenerate power and signal the possibility of using smaller batteries or even eliminating them entirely. The company revealed the U-Turn, a business phone which can draw energy from opening and closing its keyboard, and the Runaway, a wrist-mounted phone for athletes that takes advantage of the faster movement of exercise as its main power source....
Climate Wrecks Flights
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.23.06
Heathrow Airport has been enshrouded in fog for the past four days and thousands of passengers have been forced to camp out, waiting for flights. Whilst we sympathise with these misery-ridden travellers, desperate to get home for the holidays, this is (finally) a case of climate wrecking flights, instead of, as usually happens, flights wrecking the climate. The satirical weekly column, "Greener than thou" says that this has to be one of the best environmental stories of the year. " Each morning, since the fog set in, Rowan and I have run into the garden to check out the sky, then sat down to calculate the torrents of CO2 that will not be released. Last night, with hundreds more planes grounded indefinitely, it seemed the right moment to crack open a bottle, and plan a party. Until then, with 2006 such a grim year for the climate, there was no way we could have justified even this minor environmental insult. Personally, just the extra lighting would have made me feel guilty. But our party - assuming we used sustainable cutlery and took the bottles to recycling in the wheelbarrow - would be written off by just one of those thousands of passengers not taking a plane. If BA kept up the total ban on domestic flights we might even run to crackers". Further: "They brought it on themselves, don't these people read George Monbiot?" Their last tip, in rhyme: Home-made canapes this year, will keep your consciences clear. :: Guardian ...
SunOpta To Build Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Based On Wood Chip Feedstock
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.23.06
Via:- Renewable Energy Access, “SunOpta Inc. signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with GreenField Ethanol Inc. to develop and implement commercial scale processes to produce cellulosic ethanol from wood chips…One or more commercial-scale plants using the new process are planned”. That’s an impressive announcement on it's own; but, in looking for background we came across a far more interesting bit of information on the SunOpta website. Turn off the music, and take a quiet moment to read this carefully. ...
Cashmere: Sustainable Fiber or Environmental Disaster?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 12.23.06
In theory, cashmere is the TreeHugger's ideal natural fiber. Knit or woven, it produces long-lasting garments. Quality cashmere will not pill and will keep its form for years, even generations, getting softer the more it is used. Knit garments can be hand-washed, no dry-cleaning impacts. The goats which are the source of cashmere fiber may be sheared or combed, but research suggests that combing results in better yield and less "loss" due to goats injuring each other as they huddle for warmth in the last blustery spring days. Goats which are properly kept and combed should not tweak the conscience of all but the most extreme animal protectionist (who will suggest a petroleum-based alternative for equal warmth and breathability, which has its own drawbacks). And now cashmere is so cheap, everyone can benefit from this fiber that is 8 times warmer than wool, stores without wrinkles and modulates its insulating capacity based on humidity (so you are never too warm but always warm enough). Is there a catch?...
TreeHuggerTV Featured on iTunes
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.22.06
We were very pleased to find out that the mega-popular iTunes is featuring TreeHuggerTV in its Podcast section. If you haven't already, subscribe!
You can check out the most recent THTV episode here, and TreeHugger Radio is a must too....
The Bower - Traders of the Lost Artefact
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.22.06
During the daylight hours for the past five years I’ve been managing, as a job-share, a community-based reuse centre. My co-pilot and I have, as of 2007, passed the reins to a new manager. Like businesses, such as Urban Ore, in California, we take in unwanted, yet still functional goods, mostly from private households and light commercial enterprises, and find new owners for them. What makes the Bower (named after a native bird that collects blue items to attract mates) different to most second-hand stores is that it is a not-for-profit, community-based co-operative. It is effectively owned by local people and managed for them. It is not a for-profit business, nor a fundraising venture for a charity or church organisation. This frees it to pursue a raft of sustainability initiatives. Like harvesting rainwater for washing and gardening, running a truck on biodiesel, environmental education for schools, working out of Sydney’s first strawbale building, where everything from the roof trusses to the computers are salvaged items. Though limited in resources and physical space, the Bower provides a service to about one third of all Sydney residents. Working with 15 local councils, it offers a referral facility, to connect customers with over 1,000 other reuse or repair businesses in the city. Very satisfying work in a country with one of the world’s highest per capita waste streams. It’s been fabulous five years, recently culminating in an award for Sustainability Leadership.::The Bower....
Europe Flags a Carbon Bank for Aircraft CO2 Emissions
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.22.06
The European Union this week announced it’s intention to establish CO2 emission quotas for commerical airlines by 2011. Companies will be given a carbon credit based on their emissions over the previous couple of years. Those airlines, like the Dutch carrier KLM, who reckon they fly with the minimum of emissions will be able to trade their unused credits with less ‘clean’ airlines. The EU reckon that although greenhouse gas contributions from aviation only amount to three percent of the total emissions, they have increased 87% in the past 16 years, and the industry is still growing. The European Commission believes that ticket prices for local flights would increase by €9 and €40 for long haul trips. As a KLM rep put it, “We try to fly as efficiently as possible, but you can always do better, so we keep on investing in that." But American, and Asian carriers, are said to have “reacted angrily to the new plans.” No, really, what a surprise. Via ::Radio Netherlands and ::Deutsche Welle....
Ormat: No Retrofit, No Fuss Biodiesel
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 12.22.06
Considered one of the top 5 geothermal energy companies in the world, Israeli company Ormat recently released news of a new biodiesel formulation that may green wheels everywhere. TreeHugger spoke with the company's CEO Dita Bronicki who said the company’s R&D in Yavne, Israel has formulated a biodiesel that requires no retrofit on your diesel engine and that can be used in its pure form of 100 percent, without mixing. Bronicki expects the fuel to be good to go in about 2 years, but it is too early for her to say which continent will get it first. ...
Thomas Friedman: And the Color of the Year is....
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.22.06
Thomas Friedman, New York Times Columnist and author of The World is Flat, on the growth of living and thinking green: "For so many years the term “green” could never scale. It was trapped in a corner by its opponents, who defined it as “liberal,” “tree-hugging,” “girly-man,” “unpatriotic,” “vaguely French.” No more. We reached a tipping point this year — where living, acting, designing, investing and manufacturing green came to be understood by a critical mass of citizens, entrepreneurs and officials as the most patriotic, capitalistic, geopolitical, healthy and competitive thing they could do. Hence my own motto: “Green is the new red, white and blue.” He goes on: "Because while our embrace of green has finally reached a tipping point, the tipping point on climate change and species loss is also fast approaching, if it’s not already here. There’s no time to lose. “People see an endangered species every day now when they look in the mirror,” said the environmentalist Rob Watson. “It is not about the whales anymore.” Does Malcolm Gladwell get a royalty everytime someone says tipping point? Friedman is behind the ::New York Times subscription fence but it was picked up by ::Timesunion.com...
Smart Kids More Likely to be Vegetarians
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.22.06
A study published in the British Medical Journal has found a connection between kids with high IQs and their decision to go vegetarian later in life. A study from the University of Southhampton and Southhampton General Hospital compared data from a 20 year period for children whose IQs were tested at age ten. Of the 8,179 women and men in the study, 366 were vegetarian by the age of 30, nine were vegan, and 123 reported being vegetarian but eating chicken or fish. The connection between high IQ and vegetarianism continued to be statistically significant after controlling for social class and better education. The researchers also suggest that this higher chance of vegetarianism may help explain why people with higher IQs tend to have better cardiac health. (Abstract here, PDF here) :: The Jerusalem Post (Image from Flickr, note misspelling)...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.22.06
From Instructables comes a minty recipe for a shakeable LED… A connection is found between a city’s expanding suburbs and children’s expanding waistlines… Sol-X builds solar panels that concentrate light to get more power out of less roof space… Nova Science offers a bite-sized video tour through the inner workings of a fuel cell… With the launch of TreeHugger’s new site, one of many shnazzy new features brings the Hugg news feed to TH’s left-hand bar…...
TreeHugger Picks: It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.22.06
The holiday season is nearing its zenith, with a couple of big days right around the corner. Here are some ways TreeHuggers know that Christmas is almost here.
1) You've weighed all the factors and picked up a living Christmas tree.
2) Your LED Christmas lights are efficiently filling your house with cheer.
3) You mined TreeHugger's Gift Guide for green gold to go under the tree.
4) You've followed the ten tips for a greener Christmas.
5) You're already thinking about ways to recycle all those Christmas cards....
The Slate Green Challenge Wrap Up: How Low Did You Go?
by Meaghan O'Neill, Newport, R.I. on 12.22.06
Over the past several weeks, 30,281 (and counting) Green Challenge participants have pledged to shed 60,299,408 pounds of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking 6,164 cars off the road for a year. Now comes the moment of truth: How many of your pledges have you fulfilled? Did you really cut beef from your diet, inflate your car tires, turn down your thermostat, and take the train instead of flying? The Green Challenge wrap-up quiz asks you to revisit your pledges. Will we meet our goal of a 20 percent reduction in collective carbon emissions? Only you can help us find out! If you've already taken the wrap-up quiz: Thanks! If you haven't clicked through yet, what are you waiting for? (It won't take long, we swear.) And if you're one of the first 500 quiz-takers to meet your personal 20 percent reduction goal, we'll send you a free T-shirt from I'm Organic. Learn about The Slate Green Challenge here, or go straight to the ::Slate Green Challenge Wrap Up Quiz.
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The Compact: Buy Nothing New for a Year (or Two)
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.22.06
The small San Francisco cooperative that calls themselves "The Compact" (we first covered them ten months ago), who pledged not to buy anything new (almost) for an entire year has followed their mantra for 356 days. The only new products allowed by The Compact are food and bare necessities for health and safety -- things like toilet paper, brake fluid & underwear -- in their effort to go without buying anything new; everything else comes from TreeHugger faves like FreeCycle, Craigslist, thrift stores and even dumpsters, and their idea is making big waves. Publications from Yoga Times to Martha Stewart's Body + Soul to the London Times picked up on the story, and even Oprah's producers called. Interestingly, all the media has caused a bit of a backlash against the movement. "I think it upsets people because it seems like we're making a value judgment about them," says Shawn Rosenmoss, an environmental engineer and original Compactor, who has two children. "When we're simply trying to bring less...into our house." Still, the group has attracted 1,800 people to their Yahoo! group and has spawned SubCompact cells operating across the country. The group has found it enlightening enough to extend the pledge another year. "We didn't do this to save the world. We did this to improve the quality of our own lives," says John Perry, another original Compactor; said like that, it's easy to see why they don't want to stop. ::The Compact Yahoo! Group, ::Compact blog via ::Washington Post
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The Greening of Seoul
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.22.06
Seoul, South Korea is the seventh largest city in the world. Photos show it to be a huge, booming, modern, soulless city of high rises and endless traffic. But with the completion of Cheonggyecheon Park, the city has gained a green "lung" in the heart of this town of ten million people. The story starts with a river in the middle of Seoul that had become little more than a sewer by the l970’s. Finally it was turned into a road, with a 6 lane highway above. In 2002 the mayor made a brave and visionary decision: he pledged to tear down the highway, restore the river and create a 5 mile long park along its banks. What made this idea even more audacious was that it meant relocating 160,000 cars a day off of a main arterial road. Opposition came from planners, traders and drivers. The surprise was that "the tearing down of the motorway has had both intended and unexpected effects. As soon as we destroyed the road, the cars just disappeared. A lot of people just gave up their cars. Others found a different way of driving." ...
Energy Choices: Fun with Conservation
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.22.06
On Monday, New York's Clarkson University announced the latest effort to come out of its National Science Foundation-funded K-12 Project-Based Learning Partnership Program: the board game Energy Choices. Designed for middle-school students, the game challenges players to learn about both national energy policy, and the impact of personal choices on energy conservation. According to the university's press release, Energy Choices enourages students to have fun while thinking about the big picture of energy use:...
Old Country Roofing: The Mainstreaming Of Roof-Top Solar Power
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.22.06
Beyond basics like remembering inspection dates, oil change, and tire-fill intervals, most of us don’t know, nor do we care, about how to fully maintain our own cars. Similarly, when the furnace needs a tune up, we rely on a contractor. Turnkey installation and service “bundling” is needed for residential solar power to become common and reliable, to become something we take for granted in other words. Here’s a current example of how such services are evolving. “BP and Old Country Roofing (OCR) have signed an agreement to offer turnkey solar roofing solutions to more than 100 homebuilding companies and homeowners”. OCR installed more than 12,000 roofs in 2005, and will work with BP Solar's EnergyTile product, a roof-tile design that blends seamlessly into the design of the roof (pictured). The new solar roofing package, which includes design, installation, warranty and customer service, will be available beginning in January 2007"....
Kitchen Design: Cycle of Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.22.06
DesignBoom runs wonderful competitions, but you have to look at all of the entries. I missed this kitchen called Cylce of Water earlier. Designed by French team daeron isabelle + Flavie Papin + Marine Rouit + Isabelle Daëron, it integrates a water cycle into your kitchen, with the water starting as steam and ending up in the garden. "Water, necessary to all aspects of life, will soon become a rare element. "Cuisine à l'eau", is a kitchen designed around the use of water in all its different states."
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BMW's Club of Pioneers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.22.06
We don't think much of BMW's Hydrogen 7, and do think that their Street Carver is probably a better solution for getting around, but they are certainly trying to develop some green cred. Now they have launched the Club of Pioneers website, which is "about a mobile lifestyle. It gathers individuals and institutions who care about one of the most important and challenging issues of our time. The cause is in part by our mobility, that is, the emissions that change the climate around the world." ...
Hardy Shuttle: Exciting New Ways to Make More Garbage
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.22.06
Hardy's, Australia's largest wine producer, proudly offers the Shuttle- "an innovative, all-in-one, bottle-glass package that has the potential to redefine the way people around the world drink their wine." Now you get to throw away an acrylic glass and bottle. "Its unique design also enables customers to be served more quickly and efficiently, which has the potential to optimise staffing and boost overall sales"- Less work, more garbage. The Yob market appears to be huge- "We believe the new technology has the potential to redefine how people drink their wines the world over – particularly at sporting and other outdoor events, concerts and performances, where glassware is not permitted for safety reasons." Surely they are used to swilling it from the bottle? ::Hardy Wines via ::Core77 via ::MocoLoco...
La Capsule by House Couturier
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.22.06
If all of our stuff was designed so that it served multiple purposes or folded up into less space, we could live in smaller spaces and use fewer resources. And, as our Greening Your Work pointed out, telecommuting saves a lot of carbon. Thats why we love things like La Capsule. If you work at home and do not have a separate room you are often forced to look at your work stuff when your work day is over. With La Capsule, when closed one sees only an atractive painted cylinder in the corner of your room; when open it is a useful office with storage, a computer table and shelving. Designed by ::House Couturier in London, although we could not find this on their site, and judging by their other stuff, green materials are not a priority. via ::Cube Me...
Welcome to TreeHugger 2.0
by Nick Aster of TriplePundit on 12.21.06
Drum roll..... this is it folks, the new spanking clean and super fancy TreeHugger 2.0. We've been working our tails off to get the site better looking, better organized, and more user friendly and what you see here is what we've come up with. We've got better, more clear categorization, some cleaner design, nifty post "hoppers" on the side to help you navigate, and a few more things to come!
Have fun poking around and let us know if anything's broken (as if that could possibly happen). I really hope you like it and want to send some special shouts of thanks out to Michael Graham Richard, our chief editor, Eva Jacobus who helped in the migration, Federico Silvka - the master designer from Barcelona, as well as Jessica Root, our priceless manager and Graham Hill for busting this whole thing together.
Note from Michael: And of course, we all want to thank our excellent media architect, master of all things technical and of actually implementing all these fancy ideas that we come up with (and coming up with a lot of them himself), Nick Aster. We've all been working really hard lately, but I'm sure that he had an extra dose of that. Thanks Nick!...
Quick Quiz: The 6° of Energy Efficiency Challenge
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.06
John recently posted about the Alliance to Save Energy, a group set up by radical environmental groups like Dow Chemical and the American Gas Association. The 6° of Energy Efficiency Challenge asks a number of questions, which we will Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.21.06
The nation’s first nuisance case against a wind farm is settled, and it’s not a nuisance… This slick solar outdoor sconce charges its batteries by day and illuminates at night… A joint research effort of Chinese and Indian scientists sets out to monitor warming trends in the “The Land of Snows”… In Northern China a factory is underway that will start by making 20,000 EVs a year… After the National Science Teacher’s Assoc. rejected 50,000 copies of An Inconvenient Truth, they’re up for grabs…...
TreeHugger Radio 12
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 12.21.06
This week on TreeHugger Radio, General Motors speaks on its renewable energy programs, Dell speaks on its newly expanded recycling initiative, Prince Charles tries to quit private planes, and millions more pile onboard for holiday travel. Music this week comes from Mexican Institute of Sound, courtesy of Calabash Music. (listen)...
Tio Lounge Chair: Sustainable, Fashionable Furniture
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.21.06
A new concept from Conscious Design, the Tio Lounge Chair has interchangeable covers designed by some of New Zealand's preeminent fashion designers. Balanced between product and fashion design, it won the Design Institute of New Zealand's BeST Award in the "sustainable product" category; the sustainable product category was added to the Institute's awards this year in order to create a higher profile for sustainable design within the New Zealand design industry.. According to the designer, "Good design embraces the realities and limitations of the environment", which is at least part of the reason that Tio is made from local materials using pine wood sourced from sustainable plantations in New Zealand. The user is encouraged to "think of it like your wardrobe for your living room" -- with so many "outfits" to choose from, there aren't many interiors that this chair couldn't mesh with, and when you get a new couch, Tio could change right along with it. No reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater, after all. Tio is available for sale in New Zealand via the stockists on their site. ::Tio and ::Conscious Design via ::Core77...
TH Blog Love – Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 12.21.06
Club Of Pioneers: Local versus Exotic by Piers Fawkes
‘When Tasmania Rain sent us two bottles of their new mineral water to our office we were left puzzled what to do. In one way, we wanted to write about a new company with a twist on something we see everyday. In another way, we wanted to write about what might be happening with our modern wellbeing when consumers felt that they had to ship the purest water in the world more than 10,000 miles to our dirty, hectic city. See also this week’s TH Quick Quiz.
Cocolico: Carnival Of The Green # 58
‘We checked our calendar, it’s already the last week before Christmas, and yet we’ve got a pre-present from Santa Clauss. Cocolico is welcoming the Carnival of the Green, the weekly marathon of green weblogs. If you just stumble on this event, imagine a giant relay from blog to blog, giving them a weekly tribune to show their activity and attract some insights on various topics related to sustainable development.’...
Tilting at lampposts
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.06
photo Richard Perry New York Times
Light pollution is a problem for astronomers, a waste of energy and indirectly a source of CO2 to make the energy. We don't usually think of it as an urban problem, given that we demand streetlighting for safety and accept outdoor advertising. In fact, according to Susan Harder of New York City, “One day,” she said on a recent evening, “we’ll look back at light pollution in the same way we do the recycling or ecology movements, and wonder how we ever could have thought otherwise." She particularly dislikes the ones [pictured]on Broadway: “It’s Obi-Wan Kenobi’s swords!” Ms. Harder said with a giggle. “Seriously, lighting designers love this stuff. Their creed is ‘Glare is Good.’ And there’s no light hitting the ground, see? It all hits these beautiful old buildings and washes them out. You can’t see a thing.” ::New York Times...
Cool Yule Tree Baubles
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.21.06
It's a dilemma--the irresistible urge to buy christmas tree ornaments and knowing that it's the year for a green, environmental christmas celebration... Here's the answer: do both! Start with the stringing of the cranberries, interspersed with popcorn--always so pretty. Edible, home-made ginger bread men are a yummy touch. Pinecones look lovely. Then take a look at the range of recycled ornaments available. The bells and stars pictured are made from recycled circuit boards, cut into festive shapes, such as trees and snowmen. Recycled tin hanging shepherds look distinctive. Or recycled CD's hanging from the tree, in tree or bell shapes, reflect the light. Hand-made baubles from Oxfam look good and help communities to survive. For the lights--LED bulbs are brighter, smaller, longer lasting and use 88% less energy than traditional lights. Plus they don't get hot to the touch. Or, a string of solar-powered crystal balls, in red, white or blue. Enough? Then sit back and enjoy it, with some Fairtrade cocoa. ...
Awake at the Wheel: A Blog about Biodiesel
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.21.06
The guys behind Propel Biofuels (we mentioned them here and here) have started up a new blog all about biodiesel. They've been blogging there for over a year, but have started to pick up the pace recently, talking about proper blends for winter driving (they recommend a 50/50 mix), biodiesel's positive fuel-product energy per unit of fossil fuel energy (about 3.2 to 1) and the relative price of the biofuel (they're selling B99, 99% biodiesel, for $3.03 per gallon, while petrodiesel is going for $3.11 in Seattle). The site is designed to be a source of practical information for biodiesel drivers as well as a forum to publish feedback from their customers, friends and from their own experience; as both retailers and all-around alt-fuel advocates, we imagine they have a pretty interesting take on what it takes to make the fuel more popular and where biodiesel is headed, so we'll be keeping an eye on them and hope they keep up the good work. ::Awake at the Wheel via ::AutoblogGreen...
US Navy Commissions Green Housing for Sailors
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.21.06
If you've ever spent any time in housing compounds on a US military base, you know that the homes occupied by soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are... well, let's say "functional." The Navy, however, is breaking that mold with the release of its plans for Market Style Apartments, a housing community for its Naval Station Norfolk in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The plans for the complex emphasize creating an "...outstanding quality of life standards for its seamen," and for contractor VOA Associates Inc., this means incorporating green features into the development:...
Constructal Theory: Sustainability
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 12.21.06
Sustainability has become a key concept to solving global resource and environmental issues. Several concepts have emerged in the past few decades that appear to provide a path towards a sustainable future. Biomimicry inspires and provides a way for us to adopt examples of evolved sustainable design and systems. Cradle-to-Cradle design provides a goal for enriching our industrial systems. Constructal theory provides the instructions for creating the optimized systems needed, and further, gives us the key for understanding the nature of sustainable technology. These ideas have come at a unique time in our history when, as a society, we are looking at all scales of systems to determine how we might be able to better manage our impact on Earth. Read on to see how constructal theory fits into the new paradigm....
James Sears' Orb: Spinning LEDs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.06
We must learn more about the Interactive Telecommuncations Program. Yesterday it produced the photovoltaic bikini, and today, James N. Sears' Orb. This ball of LEDs relies on persistence of vision (POV) much like the SpokePOV bicycle wheel light, but is far more complex. It spins at 1600 RPM and is James designed the electronics, programmed it and built it. He blogged the whole manufacturing process and it is fascinating reading. ::James N. Sears via ::Notcot
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Davidgraas: Furniture from Cardboard
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.06
Talk about zero-waste design- here is a stool made of cardboard. Netherlands designer David Graas says "You not only assemble this stool yourself, but, because product and packaging are both made from cardboard, also finish it yourself. Two parts of the stool are simply cut loose from the box where the remaining six parts are packaged in. "
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Survey: What is your Favourite Day of the Season?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.06
I love the winter solstice; from now on, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, every day will be a little bit brighter and a little bit longer. Soon we might even have snow. In the UK, pagans and druids are gathering at Stonehenge (Friday Morning) while in Kensington Market in Toronto it is the wonderful Festival of Lights.
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The Hidden Cost of Your Hardwood Floor
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.06
image by Pete Souza, Chicago Tribune
Coming soon to a condo near you: Hardwood made in China. "Night and day, the timber ships reach this Yangtze River port[Zhangjiagang], one of the world's busiest clearinghouses for logs from every corner of the globe: Southeast Asia, the Amazon, Russia, the Congo....And no one is consuming more of it than Americans. U.S. shoppers have become the world's best customers of low-cost Chinese flooring, furniture and plywood, buying 10 times as much as a decade ago. But that profitable embrace comes at a steep, hidden cost: The demand for cheap Chinese goods is driving destructive logging around the world, threatening livelihoods and dividing fragile nations."
We have covered this subject before, but Evan Osnos of the Chicago Tribune has prepared a special report that is a must-read.
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Let Hot Men Sell Environmentalism
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 12.20.06
Last week, in an interview about eco-fashion, I was asked how it related to womens' positive body image. Given that some of our most popular fashion posts have featured busty, near-nude models, I had been mulling it over and answered that the best we can hope for in the foreseeable future is equal opportunity objectification. "Sustainable" textiles becoming mainstream means selling them in the way the public expects: preying on all of the hopes, fears and longings of consumers through image-making. Do men with Photoshop-enhanced six packs and Marky Mark-like endowment sell conventional underwear? Well, then, let them sell organic cotton and bamboo....
Boston Mandates Green Building Standards for Public and Private Projects
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.20.06
From the Boston Globe business section:- “Boston is expected to become the first major city in the nation to require private developers to adhere to a strict set of so-called green-building standards, officials said yesterday…The standards will be required before permits are issued for all projects of 50,000 square feet or more”. Inspired by a colonial-era warning, we bring our notice in doggerel verse.
‘In Boston, if you buy land, step two you’ll build Green; And TreeHugger, on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm.’...
Cutting Carbon Emissions
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 12.20.06
Some time ago, I had a call from my son Brian, who had come across a huge new wind farm as he was driving on one of the interstate highways in west Texas. He described the rows of wind turbines receding toward the horizon. Interspersed among them were oil wells. The wind turbines were turning and the oil wells were pumping. My son was fascinated by the juxtaposition of the old and the new, the past and the future. I said, “If you return 30 years from now, the wind turbines will still be turning, but it is unlikely that the oil wells will be pumping.” What he was looking at in a nutshell was the energy transition, the shift from the age of fossil fuels to renewables. See Chapter 10 “Stabilizing Climate” in Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble (available for free downloading)....
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.20.06
Electrolux’s concept vacuum shoes clean the floor with foot power… Co-foudners of Method green home cleaning line get PETA’s person of the year award… Triple Pundit’s Ask Pablo takes on the question of shower time… A new study shows Britain’s sea life traveling northward as oceans warm… A green moving company puts some grease in its tanks… ...
TreeHugger Picks: TreeHuggerTV's Eco-Party Tips
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.20.06
A couple of big holidays are right around the corner, and with the holidays come the holiday parties. TreeHuggerTV has some good ideas for how to source, plan and enjoy eco-parties during the holidays and all year 'round.
1) Get the skinny on organic and biodynamic wines from the folks at Appellation Wine Store, Benziger Family Winery and Organic Wine Journal.
2) Wine isn't for everyone, and we think learning how to buy organic milk is important enough that there's a second episode dedicated to the beverage that does the body good.
3) No party is complete without food, so bone up on how to buy green fish before buying.
4) The three-part eco-party series (part one, part two & part three) covers the party from start to finish, considering everything from eco-friendly furniture, corn plastics, green gin & vodka and bamboo placemats....
Plant a Tree with Tree Greetings
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 12.20.06
Are you behind on your holiday cards? Consider sending a Tree Greeting! Even better, consider giving it as a holiday gift as well. Here’s how it works: purchase an e-card, a tree will be planted in the recipients name, a certificate will be sent to them electronically and then they’ll be able to take an e-tour to see their tree and where it’s planted. You can select the type of tree and planting area that you want and so many are available. Save paper and plant a tree at the same time – what a great gift! ::Tree Greetings ...
Pedal Power Lights LED Billboard
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.20.06
120 hearty volunteers took turns powering this billboard display last week in Vancouver, BC. The advertisement was sponsored by DDB/Vancouver and BC Hydro to showcase the super-efficiency of LEDs; to wit: the 1500 LED lights on the reindeer were powered solely by the bicycle's pedal power. BC Hydro claims that only 120 incandescent bulbs would have been lit with the same amount of power. If there's a better way to generated power and attention for the need to get away from conventional lighting and spread a little holiday cheer to boot, we have yet to see it. Now all we need is a way to do the same with our own LED Christmas lights. via ::Core77...
Shaklee Get Clean's Concentrated Cleaners
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.20.06
Standing on the pillars of Safe, Powerful, Green & Smart, Shaklee's Get Clean household cleaning products offer concentrated, nontoxic, biodegradable cleaning that use less packaging and less product than other conventional cleaners. Eschewing nasties like chlorine, ammonia, phosphates and formaldehyde, Get Clean is instead powered by natural enzymes and sustainably-derived ingredients, and are never tested on animals. While we can't back up some of their claims, like buying the Starter Kit can save you $3,400 on equivalent cleaners, will eliminate 108 pounds of packaging waste from landfills and will keep 248 pounds of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, we do like to see that you won't need much to get the job done: the product instructions recommends using just 1-2 drops of their Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate per 16 oz. of water to clean windows and mirrors, or just a 1/4 teaspoon per 16 oz. for general cleaning duties, so a little goes a long way. Their product selection includes everyday household cleaner, laundry & dishwashing detergents, scouring paste and more, and they also offer spray bottles, pumps and dispensers for easy diluting and cleaning. Their products are available through the website. ::Shaklee Get Clean via ::Apartment Therapy: Los Angeles...
It's a Wrap
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.20.06
Christmas wrapping paper is really wasteful--but there is something about using newspaper and string that just doesn't have that festive spirit. But there is hope. There are quite a few festive recycled wrapping papers available. Recycled aluminium foil looks shiny and bright and you can re-use it to wrap up the left-over turkey. World Wildlife Fund has gift wrap that is 100% recycled, decorated with sweet little birds on snowy branches (pictured). Or you could cover the presents in paper printed with hot chili peppers, bamboo or tea leaves, all Fairtrade. A Nepalese co-operative, set up with assistance from The Body Shop, makes hand-made carrier bags out of rags, waste paper, and agriculture waste like banana fibres and water hyacinth. Another bright and cheery paper range has been made using the raffia fibres from the bark of the mulberry tree as the base raw material. A variety of petals, leaves, banana, sugarcane fibres and bark particles are used. They have tags and paper cord as well. Don't forget about raffia, used as cord, it's colourful, comes in every colour imaginable and makes every present look like a dream. ...
No Comment
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.20.06
From Democracy in Action: "On December 5, 2006, the USDA announced its new appointments to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB essentially advises the USDA on how to interpret and implement federal organic laws that regulate industry. The NOSB also reviews and approves substances for placement on the National List of Approved and Prohibited Substances. In other words, the NOSB has the ability to significantly weaken or strengthen the effectiveness of the national organic standards". "According to federal law, the NOSB is to be made up of a diverse group of experts in the organic field, including a consumer and public interest group representative, an environmentalist, a scientist, and a handler. Despite this clear mandate of diversity, the USDA's new appointments are all industry representatives"....
Holographic Solar One Step Closer to Reality
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.20.06
Last April, we took at look at the holographic solar module, a technology that could cut the amount of silicon needed for, and thus the price of, solar power generation. Start-up Prism Solar Technologies, which developed the module, has sent a letter of intent to Smart Growth Advocates on behalf of the city of Pueblo, Colorado, to locate its headquarters, research and development operations, and manufacturing there. If finalized (the company and city are still discussing incentives), the company's operations would create up to 300 new manufacturing jobs with an average wage of $22 an hour. Pueblo's attractions for the company include the city's desire to become "the renewable energy capital of Colorado," and its close proximity to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. According to The Pueblo Chieftain:...
How Can You Keep’em Down On The Farm, Once They’ve Been To Green Chicago?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.20.06
If you’re a follower of economic development trends you’ll have seen articles like this recent one from the Chicago Tribune:- “MADISON, Wis. -- Here's the deal: Students would get four years of reduced or free college tuition in exchange for staying in Wisconsin 10 years after they graduate…That's the plan, known as the "Big Bang," from a special state commission that looked at daunting economic projections and decided last week it was time for a "Hail Mary" approach to stave off an era of serious decline in the Dairy State”. Per the article, several states have offered or are talking about offering serious tuition incentives to students who promise to live in state for several years after college graduation. The general idea is to keep the “creative class” around long enough that they’ll help invent, build, and run new businesses that will replace the jobs that have gone off to Asia. Without much exploration of what graduates are drawn to, government "experts” and journalists characterize the intent of these offers as reversing “brain drain:” people moving from the state of their education, to the city(s)/state(s) they want to live in after graduation. Getting at motive, we have our own green hypothesis to explain the cause of the "brain drain" and some possible solutions for the drained-state politicians to consider....
Wall Street Journal on A Hunt For Energy Hogs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.20.06
Jason Fry of the Wall Street Journal bought a Kill-a-Watt and went around his house, measuring where the power went and what his electricity bill was really made of. All the computer wall-warts and chargers cost, but didn't amount to much- "If I really want to save money, the gadgets to look at aren't computers and chargers, but things my grandparents had"- the killers were lighting and the electric dryer. "I estimate our lights cost us around $30 a month, nearly a third of that from a chandelier with eight bulbs...switching from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescents could reduce our light bill from $30 to less than $10, and the CFLs should last a lot longer." He also concludes with: "After running my experiment, I feel confident pronouncing that gadgets don't deserve the real blame for our nation's mounting electric use. Rather, how about the fact that our houses are getting bigger and bigger: According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average size of a new home now tops 2,400 square feet, up from 1,645 square feet in 1975. The impulse to blame our gadgets for higher energy bills is a testament to our ambivalence of how they've transformed our lives -- an outlet, if you will, for the unease we sometimes feel at how thoroughly things have changed." ::Wall Street Journal...
It's a Wonderful Life. Or is it?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.20.06
We have seen It's a Wonderful Life more times than we can count. It is a deeply subversive movie, where George Bailey wanted to throw of the dust of this two bit town and see the world and be an architect and build bridges and do great things but in the end has to settle down, raise a pile of kids and run his dad's Savings and Loan. When George says "I wish I had never been born" angel Clarence grants his wish and he gets to tour Bedford Falls as it might have been had he not been around. I agree with Gary Kamiya' s great Salon piece of a few years ago- Pottersville is a lot cooler than Bedford Falls, and perhaps the town might have been better off without him. Now Jim Kunstler has put his nail into George's coffin as well. ...
QOTD - Dominating Nature
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.20.06
Thought this quote was incredibly timely. Australia’s south eastern states have been battling intense bushfires for the past few weeks. To the point that extra firefighters have been imported from interstate and New Zealand. The country is also in the grip of, what the commission charged with looking after our prime waterways calls, “a one-in-a-1000-years drought.” Humans don’t control nature or the weather, but we do impact them. The results of which seem increasing less hospitable. The 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the past dozen, for example. Here at TreeHugger our byline is ‘The Future is Green.’ Looking out from a dry, brown land turning progressively black, we trust that will be the case. Quote via ::Bushfire Summer....
Comments on Comments
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.20.06
Comments are strange and wonderful things; they are expressions of our freedom of speech and an integral part of the charm of blogs. Commenters catch our mistakes and expand the content of the posts. Since few of us have time to read all of them, we are going to start a weekly review of the most interesting comments, threads and discussions. ...
Shame is Good? Christina Ricci "Tisked" Out of Fur Worship
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 12.20.06
Fur, fur. Our readers recently feverishly debated its re-use, and particularly the "fur is ugly" rhetoric -- you know, the strategy of making any use of fur completely unfashionable and repulsive to stem demand. Now our friends at Ecorazzi tell us that Christina Ricci has denounced past fur flaunting after a PETA wag of the finger and a fan site shut-down. Given Ricci's indie fan base, her public fur-love always seemed a bit surprising. Perhaps this niche makes her more susceptible to PETA's admonitions?
Since we TreeHuggers are in the business of making "Green" fun and friendly, the fur conversation brings up the role of shame in this "environmental lifestyle" world we inhabit. Many of us have escaped environmental communities defined to a large degree by guilt and condemnation. Conversations like that around the recent NY Green Drinks party feel alarmingly familiar. As eco-issues ease further into the mainstream, what's the right balance when we want to make a long-term impact and convince people that conventional cotton is dirty, SUVs are lame and McMansions are dumb, for instance? How much shame is too much? ::Ecorazzi...
The Solar Bikini: Charge up on this
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.20.06
OMFG its just so amazing, you can be at the beach all day grooving to tunes on your ipod and never run out of electricity while wearing this photovoltaic bikini! And who goes in the water anyways?
Actually a student project at winter show at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at Tisch School of the Arts of New York University. Designer Andrew Schneider says "The iDrink swimware line is perfect for those who want to go the beach, listen to music, and enjoy a cold and deserved beverage, but who don't want to get wet! The iDrink's photovoltaic film panels allow a fashionable fit while supplying the 6.5 volts @ 1.5 Amps needed to power a peltier junction and an iPod and keep you double cool! See you on the Jersey Shore!" ::ITP via ::Notcot
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Quick Quiz: Which Bottled Water has a bigger Carbon Footprint?
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 12.20.06
Marketing website PSFK asked what we thought of this bottled Tasmanian rainwater being shipped all over the world. No peeking at the answer below the fold, we are watching.
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Ethical Fashion Forum's Conscious Christmas
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 12.20.06
All right you Christmas-celebrating Londoners! Our friends at Tonic Tees have filled us in:
The Ethical Fashion Forum is hosting an exclusive evening of fashion and ethics to celebrate the Christmas season. Come along to learn about the latest in conscious style, including a seminar by leading ethical style gurus, and a chance to buy the hottest values-led fashion labels, have a colour and style consultation, and meet pioneering designers in the sector. Tickets are £8, or £5 if you donate a high quality second hand fashion item, and are by invitation only - email info@ethicalfashionforum.com for more information.The fund raising event will go down 19th-20th December at the hub on Torrens Street in London ec1. Have fun! ::Ethical Fashin Forum viia Tonic...
25 Gadgets that Will Save You Money
by EcoGeek.org on 12.19.06
Making the rounds of a true techno-meme right now is a very interesting list. The list is called "25 Gadgets that Actually Save Money," and it was created by the Simple Dollar (financial talk for the rest of us.) It is indeed a list of cool products that, in one way or another, can actually save you cash. Going through the list, I have found no more than five that don't have direct environmental benefits....
Al Gore Caught Warming Globe to Boost Box Office
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 12.19.06
Onion photo of Al Gore with flamethrower on Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf
According to the usually reliable Onion, "Dozens of eyewitness reports indicated that former vice president Al Gore deliberately attempted to raise the earth's temperature in order to boost box office receipts for An Inconvenient Truth, his documentary film about global warming that was released in May." read more in ::the Onion...
Drap-Art International Creative Recycling Festival
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 12.19.06
It seems to be that time of the year when Barcelona is very keen on recycling. Last weekend we visited the International Creative Recycling Festival by Drap-Art, a non-profit organization that promotes exactly that since 1995. Apart from other exhibitions and workshops, the Drap-Art Festival just before Christmas is their most important yearly event. Here you could stock up on recycled gifts or wonder at the more arty stuff… The fair together with its workshops and concerts made it a real get-together event for everyone who’s into reevaluated things. Most of the design objects at the fair were pretty familiar to us and we are wondering where this recycling fever is heading too, and how many more crisp packages and truck tarps should be turned into bags. To check out all the designers and artist who participated, go to the Drap-Art web site. ::Drap-Art...
The Slate Green Challenge Wrap Up: How Low Did You Go?
by Meaghan O'Neill, Newport, R.I. on 12.19.06
Over the last eight weeks, 30,033 (and counting) Green Challenge participants have pledged to shed 58,678,436 pounds of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking 5,998 cars off the road for a year. Now comes the moment of truth: How many of your pledges have you fulfilled? Did you really cut beef from your diet, inflate your car tires, turn down your thermostat, and take the train instead of flying? The Green Challenge wrap-up quiz asks you to revisit your pledges. Will we meet our goal of a 20 percent reduction in collective carbon emissions? Only you can help us find out! Learn about The Slate Green Challenge here, or go straight to the ::Slate Green Challenge Wrap Up Quiz....
Convenient Truths: New IPCC Report Downgrades (But Doesn't Dismiss) Human Climate Impact
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.19.06
Many climate change skeptics are hailing an article from last week's UK Telegraph, which proclaims "UN downgrades man's impact on the climate," as the "smoking gun" which supports their disbelief: Sen. James Inhofe, for instance, claims that the preview of the report (which will be published in February) proves his assertion that "Predictions of man-made catastrophic global warming are simply unsustainable." As DeSmog Blog notes, though, that reading of the article requires some cherry-picking, as it also reports that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change "says there can be little doubt that humans are responsible for warming the planet," and that their downgrading of human impact by 25%, as well as their lowering of sea level estimates, represents "...a refinement due to better data on how climate works rather than a reduction in the risk posed by global warming":...
House & Garden: January 2007
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.19.06
House & Garden's January 2007 issue has hit the stands, and among the design for a well-lived life is a feature on filmmaker/photographer Carter Smith's Lower Manhattan remodel. He bought the place when it was a condemned former warehouse; "The roof had caved in, and sections of the floor were missing. But as soon as I saw it, I got a feeling that it would be mine," he says. "I only wanted to work with recycled materials, so it was like a treasure hunt, or The Amazing Race, to find every item before the contractor needed it...I could give guided tours of architect salvage places within a two-mile radius of any airport - I've been to so many." Smith combines the rough beams and exposed brick of the warehouse setting with green plants, clean lines and organic shapes into what looks like a pretty nice place. We like that Smith insisted on recycled materials -- he seems to know good stuff when he sees it, and appreciates used materials for their character and style as well as for their sustainability. Lots of pics and the full story on page 76 of January's issue. Also, don't forget that TreeHugger has a blog full of green design over at House & Garden's website. ::House & Garden
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TreeHugger Job Board Roundup
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.19.06
TreeHugger has had a job board for a few months now. Here are some of the current postings:
- Act Now Productions is looking for a Field Trainer in San Francisco
- MissionPoint Capital Partners is looking for a Staff Accountant & Admin position in Norwalk, CT
- Earth Pledge is looking for an Engineering Associate for the Waste=Fuel Initiative in NYC
- Earth Pledge is also looking for an Energy Analyst/Mechanical Engineer for its Green Roofs Initiative, in NYC too
- The Marine Fish Conservation Network is looking for a Technology and E-Activism Manager in Washington DC
- e4, inc. is looking for a Green Building Consultant in NYC
As Citizens Sue, China's EPA Demands Compulsory Pollution Insurance
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 12.19.06
As half of President Bush’s cabinet descended on Priti Organic Spa
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 12.19.06
Photo: Jenny Ebert
‘Tis the season. The season to get really, really stressed out. Or at least so it seems. Seldom do we look back on a situation and think – “it would have helped if I stressed out a little more!” So, if you’ve got your hands full with holiday planning, shopping, partying and oh yeah, work and life, perhaps a little time out at a non-toxic, organic spa is what you really need. I came across a lovely one in New York’s East Village called Priti. ...
Oh Greener Canadian Parliament?
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.19.06
Well, minus the dark suits and long faces that's what schoolkids across the entire country will be engaging in as they strive to make the world a better place. Essentially, schools sign up to be a part of this endeavour, and are assigned a password that enables their kids to engage in an online forum discussing ways to help Canada go green... And all the while being part of new eco-friendly projects that they create in their own communities that they can then share with other schools in Canada via their online "Parliamentary" debates to discuss environmental issues and ideas... Ultimately they'll be both exchanging ideas and inspiring each other to reach for greater heights in a more sustainable world. What better way can there be to get kids involved in what is essentially a social studies "topic" while engaging their intellects in finding ways to use their "position" for good? And with thousands of kids taking part in the program, I'm betting at least a few of them will ultimately go on to actual positions in government, bringing at least a few of these lessons learned with them......
Minnesota Wind Power Expansion Study Report
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.19.06
The US State of Minnesota has issued a "comprehensive, quantitative assessment of integration costs and reliability impacts of 1500 MW of wind generation in the Xcel Energy control area in Minnesota in the year 2010, when the peak load is projected to be just under 10,000 MW". The full report, available here as a pdf file, is highly technical and dry. Nonetheless, we found a few nuggets. Like this one: "Many of the earlier concerns and issues related to the possible impacts of large wind generation facilities on the transmission grid have been shown to be exaggerated or unfounded by a growing body of research, studies, and empirical understanding gained from the installation and operation of over 6000 MW of wind generation in the United States". The key finding seems to be that integration costs will be "moderate," much of which involves grid expansion costs that will have to be met to bring 1,500 MW in wind power to the local market.
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Why Go Green, When You Can Have Brown?
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.19.06
They are back again…Spurt, the (satirical) organisation whose motto is “Sod Them. Let’s Fly”, has a new ad in the newspapers, “thanking” Gordon Brown, the Chancellor (finance minister), for his recent Pre-Budget Report. Despite big fanfare about his strong environmental commitment, Brown introduced very minor disincentives to curb flying, driving big cars and reducing carbon emissions. As Spurt says: “Thank you Gordon: my 4X4 unencumbered by extra taxes, and a trifling 5£ increase on short haul flights”. It’s true, having commissioned the much discussed, and respected Stern Report on the economics of climate change, Brown ignored its recommendations and instead has announced the construction of new highways and fast track planning “to silence local whingers” (complainers) and speed up development. As Spurt says: In such times, we need a political leader who will not be cowed into taking climate change seriously: a titan who will make the tough decisions required to do practically nothing about the environment. In Gordon Brown, we have such a man. :: Spurt ...
Xull's Recycled Paper Accessories
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 12.19.06
Wondering the ails of the Buen Dia Festival in Palermo (Buenos Aires, Argentina) we found another brand with recycled paper accessories. Julieta Milone, from Xull, makes different kinds of bags, purses and accessories such as wallets and belts from recycled magazines and newspapers, and also recovered chocolates and candies’ wrappings. The brand can be found in Buenos Aires, Aruba and Spain in these shops: Tiendas Pampa (Dardo Rocha 2260/90, San Isidro, Buenos Aires), Mimi Costa (Arenales 1185, Buenos Aires), Fueisera (Domingo Savio 3036, Lomas de San Isidro, Buenos Aires), Linda Aruba (Aruba) and Te mataré diseño (Spain), among others. For similar work check Maria Laura Higa and Ecoist’s pieces. ::Xull...
Turtle Mountain Ice Cream - Organic and Vegetarian
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.19.06
“Please, more posts like this one that focus on these incredibly important issues and less coverage on the more trivial type of topics (i.e. the latest brand of organic ice cream, etc.)” Awww. That’s a shame, because I was also sitting on this post about, well, ... er ... organic ice cream. Dairy-free, organic, soy-based, ice cream to boot. Yeh, I know this product ain’t gonna help the folk in Africa directly, but TreeHugger’s basic premise is that by showcasing greener, more just products and services, we can convince people that small steps are important and achievable. Healthier soil and less dairy can be part of those steps. Especially if it is packaged under enticements like Cherry Nirvana, Chocolate Brownie Almond, Cookie Avalanche or Swinging Anna Banana. (Though we are disappointed that that last one doesn’t contain any real banana, just ‘natural flavour’.) Oh, and your indulgence will at least provide some funds for the Sea Turtle Restoration Project. But, yes, we agree — there are bigger fish to fry than organic ice cream. Still, even the most fervent activist started with modest first steps, or slurps. ::Turtle Mountain....
Coal Fired Electricity Loses Its Toe-Hold In Tahoe
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.19.06
This tale of green change may seem just a piggy-toe wiggle forward in the national scheme of things; but, we see this small local utility's contracting choice as a praiseworthy response to the coming climate trashing that will be caused by hundreds of new, cheap-and-dirty coal fired power plants. [See important background post by Jeff here.] As covered in the Contra Costa Times : - “A small utility near Lake Tahoe's north shore thought it had the answer to providing long-term affordable energy -- coal. But, after an outpouring of public criticism and political pressure, the Truckee Donner Public Utility District voted to reject a 50-year contract to obtain energy from a planned coal plant in Utah…Utilities have found themselves squeezed between competing forces -- the desire to provide inexpensive power to their customers and California's political shift to cut the emissions that contribute to global warming”....
New Design Principle Enables Insulation Breakthrough
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 12.19.06
Here in the northern hemisphere it is getting cold this time of year. Naturally, it is appropriate that researchers at the University of Oregon have made a breakthrough in materials science that stops cold dead in its tracks. David C. Johnson, a professor of chemistry and member of the UO Materials Science Institute, describes why the random stacking of tungsten-diselenide planes (WSe2) creates such a good insulator.
"The reason for the extraordinarily low thermal conductivity that we've now achieved is an unusual structure which is crystalline in two directions but has a subtle rotational disorder in the direction of low-heat conduction," Johnson said....
Middle School Students Help us With Fuel Cells
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 12.19.06
For a fresh batch of ideas, who better to ask then 12-year olds? And dangle a trip to Space Camp (the grand prize) in front of them and who knows what they will come up with. This year, the annual National Engineers Week Future City Competition asks middle school students across the U.S. to create a city, with help from the computer game SimCity 3000, incorporating fuel cells as an alternative energy source. Entries must include the exact type of fuel cell and its kilowatt output for specific power needs....
Peats Ridge Festival - Sustainable Music Event
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.19.06
All the power is either solar or biodiesel generated. The toilets are composting, the showers low flow, the food organic, the crockery, cutlery & food boxes biodegradable, the cleaning products synthetic chemical free, the transport options include a bus or an escorted bike train. Every drink sold has a hearty container deposit levy applied, thus making economic sense for them to be returned, for recycling. This might be a four day music festival but it’s commitment to sustainable practices runs way deeper than many high profile events that we’ve reported on previously. A music festival complete with 11 stages shaking to the beat of “World Music, Blues Roots & Dub, Contemporary Music and Chilled Beats” does seem like just the place you’d expect to find performance, installation, roving and theatrical musical artists, but a University undertaking an Environmental Audit? Well, here you will, ‘coz the Peats Ridge Festival wants to achieve ISO 14001 registration for environmental management. So if you want to see in the New Year with some grooving green be sure to look it up. ::Peats Ridge Festival....
Help End Our Confusion: Let Green Party into Debates
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.06
Canadian politics is very confusing; in Europe, the Green parties are usually on the left of the political spectrum; In Canada their last leader was a former Conservative, and Elizabeth May, the new leader, has made statements that peg her as somewhat of a social conservative. Their policy document hasn't changed either, and it didn't exactly make you want to man the barricades. My historic political home, the New Democratic Party is being squeezed as Stephane Dion, who named his dog Kyoto, is painting the Liberal Party as the true greens. The Bloc Quebecois is socially progressive and supportive of green issues, but is only in Quebec and wants to run its own show. The Conservatives? We hear that Rona is on her way out, but that won't help them much. One thing is certain- we should be able to hear from all of them. Yet the Green Party, even though it gets lots of votes, wasn't allowed in the last debate. Now they are running a petition to demand a presence in the debates in the next election. Even if one is really looking for a Red Green party, all of the major leaders deserve to be heard. Support the petition at ::Demand Democratic Debates. ...
Just What We Needed Dept: A Better Billboard
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.06
If you don't like billboards outside of Times Square and particularly dislike the bright LED TV ones that eat a lot of power, then thank Magink Technologies for developing digital billboards that use "a type of synthetically produced cholesterol" to display images. Unlike LED boards, they reflect light rather than produce it, so they don't get washed out in the daytime and use a lot less energy. The Times reporter got hung up on the word cholesterol and imagines these are made from artificial artery gunk, but cholesteric liquid crystals are pretty common. The Magink site says "Using proprietary technologies, magink manipulates the ink molecules to generate all colors of the visible color spectrum, including all gray levels, to be exhibited in a wide color gamut." The wonderful new Google patent search turned up patent 6963386 in a millisecond, which describes a front-lit LCD screen. They are smaller, use environmentally friendly materials and use less power that LED units that are hard to read in the daytime and garish at night. They can be changed electronically so goodbye paper and glue. Perhaps it is damning with faint praise (who likes billboards? ) but it is a step in the right direction. ::Magink via ::New York Times...
Iron Chefs Everywhere: Recycle your Heat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.06
There is a reason we say "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!"- it is hot in there. Read Bill Buford's wonderful book Heat and you will wonder how anyone survives. All that heat from the Garlands is exhausted through the roof, and make-up air that replaces it is, of course, preheated with gas. More gas is used to heat the thousands of gallons of hot water used for washing dishes and cleaning. in the Star, Tyler Hamilton introduces us to Jeff Martin of Martin Air, who has developed heat recovery systems that use that hot exhaust air to preheat the makeup and hot water, saving up to 80% of the gas used for cooking and heating. On a new restaurant, payback time can be less than a year. Why doesn't every restaurant have this? ::Tyler Hamilton in the Star...
Quick Quiz: What is the Most Efficient Artificial Light Source?
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 12.19.06
Christmas Tree Made From Recycled Computer Parts
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.06
When we discussed the merits of real versus artificial trees, we should have also included a category for home-made trees like this one, that is recycled out of old computer parts. Says builder Jovino: "This tree was made (almost) completely from pre-existing stuff around my house. The foundation consists of modular wire shelf units connected with bailing wire. Plushies are stuffed into every conceivable space with a Hello Kitty angel at the top. The lights are LEDs and the icicles are black-light cold cathodes; the bottom ones being fluorescent. The top 5" tv plays snow and the bottom one plays the yule log. Yay, make-shift tree! " via ::Make, but the Flickr picture lets you move your mouse over and see the components. ::Flickr...
Using Solar Power for Evil: Panels on a Poultry Barn
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.06
Everyone is so happy with this research project to "evaluate the use of solar power as an economical source of energy for poultry houses." It is a partnership between Allen Family Foods, WorldWater & Power Corp. and our favourite green giant GE Energy. “This project is important to help our poultry industry stay competitive and our producers remain profitable, as well as cut our dependence on foreign oil,” Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse said. Charles C. “Chick” Allen III, chairperson and CEO of Allen Family Foods, offered the use of a company-owned farm in Laurel for the pilot study. “We work with 550 independent contractors on Delmarva who raise our chicks,” Allen said. “I was happy to have the opportunity to collaborate on a research project that has the potential to reduce costs for these growers. I want to do anything I can to maintain the economic viability of the Delmarva poultry industry.”
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Hello Private Conservation Boom!
by EcoGeek.org on 12.18.06
Here in Montana we've had some amazing conservation successes. My little town is a popular place to live, and the population is growing accordingly. But the population is not, and never will, grow any further along the river-banks, up the mountains or into thousands of acres of old rangeland in the Missoula valley. Why? Because we decided to conserve that land for other uses. And we aren't alone.
The Land Trust Alliance, an umbrella group for small land trusts, just released a report that catalogs a boom in private land conservation. Land owners in America have set aside over 37 million acres of land for conservation. That number is up 11 million acres since 2000, a 54% increase. California leads the way with over 2 million acres preserved, but I'm pleased to see Montana on the list, with a 90% increase in protected acreage since 2000. Colorado has surpassed Montana though, with their protected acreage growing over 180% since 2000....
Be Green Now Offers To Plant Trees as Gifts
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 12.18.06
Here’s a great gift to add to the TH Gift Guide, probably under the Feel Good and Gardner sections. Be Green Now is an carbon offsetting company set up by Green Mountain Energy to help educate people about Global Warming. They are offering you the opportunity to buy trees as gifts this year. So whether you feel like replacing the tree outside that’s now decorating your home inside, or if just want to give someone a green gift, you can. ‘The Gift of Green trees will be planted in the Kootenai National Forest in Montana. For this reforestation project, Green Mountain Energy Company is partnering with American Forests to plant Ponderosa Pine trees to help the forest recover from large forest fires in 2000. In addition to absorbing CO2, the new trees will also help restore the wildlife habitat that was destroyed, and return the forest to its former glory.’ Be Green Now have added a nice extra touch which is a gift card sent to the recipient. The card is not only decorative, but multifunctional too! It comes bearing your greeting, it’s also an ornament and even better the card is made from seed paper so after the holidays this ornament can be planted to grow fresh herbs. Now that’s good green gift thinking! ::Be Green Now...
Gifts of Compassion from ABC Home and Planet
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 12.18.06
Our gift guide provides lots of ways to give back. So does the ABC Home and Planet Foundation. Givers can choose among sixteen specialized gift packages priced from $40 to $1000, supporting efforts ranging from Dr. Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement International to Maya Rainforest protection, to Pet Rescue New York City. The recipient gets a sweet, embroidered silk pouch fashioned from a vintage sari along with a “Gift of Compassion” certificate fully describing the offering made on her or his behalf. Gifts of Compassion may be purchased at ABC Carpet & Home's landmark retail venue in New York on Broadway at 19th Street, or online. ABC via Erin...
Gorgeous Green by Global Green USA
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.18.06
What do a style guru (Zem Joaquin), an architect (William McDonough) and an actor (Orlando Bloom), have in common? A desire to 'green New Orleans and advance sustainable cities, urban schools, and affordable housing across California and the US.' For that was the aim of the fundraiser they all attended last week, thrown by Global Green USA, the American affiliate of President Gorbachev’s Green Cross International. The press release quotes Global Green President Matt Petersen, "Green design and sustainable building are critical to addressing the world’s most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, air and water pollution and forest destruction. We have the technology to reduce global warming and pollution through the choices we make in our homes, at work and all parts of our lives.” The event was called Gorgeous Green and also attracted actors, Leonardo DiCaprio and Salma Hayek, with the latter suggesting, “We can all do our part to tackle global warming in a way that also improves the lives of those on the edge, whether it is the Inuit people in the Arctic Circle or low-income families in San Francisco or Los Angeles." It raised $250,000 USD, some of which will find its way to support the New Orleans green design housing competition that Brad Pitt previously joined as a judge. ::Global Green USA. NB: Our own TH luminary, Nick Aster, also attended, and will be relaying his first hand account of the event tout de suite....
Airlines Toss Enough Cans Each Year to Build Fleet of Airliners, NRDC Says
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 12.18.06
As if there weren't enough reasons to feel guilty about flying, a newly released NRDC study highlights airline industry and air port wastefulness. Some nuggets:
Airlines in the U.S. throw away enough aluminum cans every year to build 58 new 747s.Not all of the news is gloomy, however. Airports like Seattle Sea-Tac and Oakland have shown that recycling and composting lead to major savings. Read the summary or download the full report. NRDC via GreenBiz...
The airline industry threw out 9,000 tons of plastic in 2004, and enough newspapers and magazines to bury a football field more than 230 feet deep.
Nationwide, U.S. airports generated 425,000 tons of waste in 2004 -- a figure expected to increase nearly 45 percent by 2015.
Each passenger today leaves behind 1.3 pounds of trash. Seventy five percent of this waste is recyclable or compostable.
Ulrich - Cleaning Naturally
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.18.06
It’s easier to be biodegradable when you are free of phosphates, petroleum derivatives, enzymes, bleaches, artificial fragrances or colours, aggressive acids, preservatives, chlorine and such forth. And that’s the story with the cleaning line produced by German company Ulrich. Additionally their products are said to be made from renewable resources and not tested on animals (as decreed by guidelines from the German Animal Protection Agency), while the containers are reusable and maybe refilled at participating retailers. The range includes dishwashing, laundry and general cleaners, as well as products to care for leather, fabrics and timber. Their website includes a useful chart for dealing with various stains. ::Ulrich....
Cocolico Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 12.18.06
Since TreeHugger is the new manager of the Carnival of the Green we'd like to mention this week’s host, Cocolico. Head on over to the Carnival to check out a round up of last week’s green news and events, submitted by other bloggers and green sites. To learn more about Carnival of the Green, where it will be and how to host, please click here to link to our previous post....
What Did We Do to Deserve Coal for Decades?
by Union of Concerned Scientists on 12.18.06
For generations, children have been threatened with coal in their stocking as punishment for being naughty—but giving kids, and all of us, coal fired power plants is a punishment that can last 40 years or more.
Coal provides half of the electricity in the U.S., but at the cost of damage to the environment and public health. In addition to the mercury pollution it causes, coal power plants are the leading contributor to global warming in the U.S. Today, utilities are planning to build 150 new coal-fired power plants, most of which would rely on old, heavily polluting “pulverized coal” technology that has a lifespan of at least 40-50 years....
Israelis To Ski In Austria Find Flowers Instead of Snow
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 12.18.06
In the wake of talks about Global Warming over here in Israel, Israelis who were hoping to spend their Hanukkah holiday skiing in Austria, were sadly disappointed to find out that the runs once suitable for mid-December skiing, at lower altitudes, are no longer the snowy, powdery playgrounds they once were: flowers are blooming there instead. That’s because most people didn’t factor Global Warming into the equation when they were asked if they wanted to buy cancellation insurance. At any rate, the would-be vacationers are opting out of forfeiting their 1 500 Euro per person vacation and going anyway. Most that leave now, will land in locations without snow, or will have to travel an hour each way to sites 3 000 meters in altitude, which are runs not suitable for children. There is a good New York Times story on the phenomenon here, and here we blogged about a green snow company. ...
Free Screenings of An Inconvenient Truth for Colleges
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.18.06
Truth on Campus is offering free public screenings of An Inconvenient Truth to the first 1000 college campuses who join up with the Campus Climate Challenge between now and January 10, 2007. In mid-January, campuses will receive a package with a DVD, screening license, and other cool stuff from the Campus Climate Challenge; campuses are then encouraged to screen the film during the Campus Climate Challenges' "Week of Action" -- Sunday, January 28th through Saturday, February 3rd, 2007, as part of the Challenge's nationwide effort focus the nation's attention on climate change. They hope to get 1,000 campuses to join up; the deadline to register is January 10. We sure hope this goes better than earlier efforts to give the film away to schools. Thanks to Billy from NativeEnergy for the tip! ::Truth on Campus and ::Campus Climate Challenge
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Look up and see the Future: Coal fired B52s
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.06
The US Air Force is flying a B52 on fuel made from secure and local good old American King Coal. After all, "America has more coal than Saudi Arabia has oil." This gushy article from Reuters is all agog that "The planes of the future could be flown with liquid fuel made from coal or natural gas." Airline JetBlue's president says "America must reduce its dependence on foreign oil via environmentally sound and proven coal-to-liquid technologies,...Utilizing our domestic coal reserves is the right way to achieve energy independence." The generally reliable and impartial spokesman for the National Mining Association said " CTL transportation fuels are substantially cleaner-burning than conventional fuels." There is only one small problem: the process emits huge quantities of airborne, liquid, and solid wastes, consumes lots of water, uses twice as much energy making it as you get out of it. Coal to liquid is about mining coal to replace oil, at whatever the environmental cost. This B52 won't fly. ::Reuters...
Fivelimes Green Maps: Find Green Services in Your City
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.18.06
Fivelimes (whom we've featured not once but twice), the web-based community that employs the power of the people to rate and review sustainable products and goods, has added a new feature: Fivelimes Green Maps, an interactive map of green services in your home city. It can help find local sustainable restaurants, biodiesel gas stations, green retailers and more. Know of a green business, service, retailer or utility that you don't see? Users can add them and literally help put them on the map. The service has just been available for a couple of days, so not all major cities have been added yet, though they promise to keep working; contact them to help get your city at the top of the list. Learn more about them here, and start spreading the green here. ::Fivelimes Green Maps...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.18.06
This yoyo-like power generator will be the energy source for the One Laptop per Child… Swiss researchers put rust to work splitting water to make cheap hydrogen… The Australian branch of the accounting giant Pricewaterhouse Coopers plans for carbon neutrality… Nickelodeon gets kids thinking about their carnivorous ways and the Center for Consumer Freedom fights back… Enriched uranium is air lifted from Germany to Russia for processing, but not without outcry…...
Whole Town Solar Lighting
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 12.18.06
People have the luxury of moving out of the shade if they want to. Unfortunately, towns don't have that luxury. In particular, towns located in mountain valleys can get really dark when the sun dips low in the winter. This is the problem solved by residents of Viganella in Italy's alpine north. In order to combat the darkness that descends on them each winter, the city has constructed a giant rotating mirror to reflect light into the town square. Wasn't there an evil James Bond scheme that involved something like this?......
Baumm: Banner Bags Made in Buenos Aires
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 12.18.06
Inspired by Freitag’s fantastic idea (to make designer bags from recycled truck’s tarpaulins), industrial designer Rodrigo Chapero and photographer and designer Lucas Desimone started Baumm. Their idea was to re-interpret that of Freitag’s, but they found that in Argentina trucks are not obliged to change their tarpaulins, so they moved to advertising banners. After collecting banners from different companies they contacted a big firm called Omnigraphics and got to an agreement: the company would give them all the banners for free, but they had to donate an amount of money to a non-governmental-organization (they chose Tendiendo Puentes, which helps homeless kids). So now, Baumm’s bags are not only environmental, but also socially friendly. They have five different models of bags and purses, and they recently reached an agreement with Adidas to make a whole line with that brand’s used advertising banners. The two designers are also developing lamps, but they’re not ready yet. Sale is totally online through their website, and they ship worldwide. Prices go from 40 to 150 Argentinean pesos (about 15 to 50 US dollars). For similar work in Chile check Modulab’s work. ::Baumm...
Google's Solar Trees Due To Bloom This Spring
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 12.18.06
Yes, that's right, groves of pole-mounted solar panels, so-called "solar trees" are the newest addition to Google's ambitious solar project for their Mountain View, California, headquarters. Estimated to feed about 30 percent of the complex's entire power demand, one third of the 9,000 solar panels in the system will take the form of solar trees that will line the parking lots. If you're curious, find more details on Google's 1.6-megawatt solar system in development in John's previous post here....
When Do We Declare that a Company has "Gone Green?"
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.18.06
This could be a first -- a post on Hugg has generated a debate on one of the major green blogs. One Wednesday, December 13, prolific Hugger linton posted an item declaring "EPSON GOES GREEN!!!!!," which linked to a press release promoting the electronics manufacturer's "[plan] to change the packaging for its large format printer (LFP) ink cartridges from white cardboard to 100% recycled brown cardboard (kraft cardboard) and to standardize packaging specifications worldwide." The following day, Joel Makower took up linton's post on his "Two Step Forward" blog:...
TreeHugger in Time Magazine
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.18.06
Welcome Time Magazine readers! We were pleased to see that TreeHugger was mentioned briefly in the December 18th edition of the magazine (on page 109). The page is full of tips on how to "have a green christmas" and the address of our site is in a small square along with a story on Oxfam America. Our 2006 Gift Guide can be found here, you can see last year's edition here (it's still good!), and you can see Oxfam's "America Unwrapped" guide here (Time didn't link to it directly, so we will). Time readers, we're sure that you'll find something to like here -- please have a look at our 10,000-articles archives....
What is Swedish for Free Folding Bicycle?
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.18.06
Ikea gave its 9,000 U.K. employees a moving Christmas present this week: a brand new folding bike that they can ride to work. The bikes fold up so that they can be carried onto buses or trains. They cost £139, and are made by Raleigh, in Poland, especially for this event. You can bet that Ikea customers will want to buy one too ( anyone checked ebay yet...). As an extra encouragement, every staff member will be offered a 15% subsidy on transit tickets to encourage them to use public transport to travel to and from work. The eco-friendly gift is part of the company's commitment to improve the environmental aspects of the business. Last year the Christmas present was a portable DVD player and in 2004 staff received an MP3 player. The UK country manager said: "The bike is a fun present but there is a serious message. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to protect the environment.” Earlier this year Ikea changed its plastic bag policy by charging for them and encouraging use of reusable bags. IKEA says it has reduced plastic bag consumption in its stores across the country by 97%. :: Independent...
Bog House by Lynn Gaffney Architect
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.06
So many architects get their start on either their own or their parent's houses. If you live in Manhattan, your chances of getting to do a house from the ground up are pretty slim. Lynne Gaffney is concerned about issues of economy, sustainability and privacy, and probably fully understands the issues of second homes, but decided to keep renting in New York and to build in Connecticut. The house is made from Structural Insulated Panels (SIP's) about which her builder says "The SIPs are built quicker and better than they could be on-site because they are made in a controlled environment. People aren't trying to build these in the cold, the rain and the mud. It makes the building happen much faster. The pieces arrive dry and ready to put up," The house also has radiant floors in concrete or bamboo, raw plaster walls (no VOCs) Ice stone counters and heat recovery ventilation. Materials were chosen for durability: "If something is good for the environment, but you have to replace it every few years, that creates a lot of waste and negates the benefit"
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A Bath Chair by Reddish
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.06
After seeing a great minimalist Hannukah menorah on Inhabitat, we visited the website of the designers. (How do you spell Chanukka ? Listen to the Leevees) Reddish is an Israeli industrial design firm founded in 2002 by Industrial designers Naama Steinbock and Idan Friedman. We couldn't help but post their recycling of an old pressed steel bathtub into "A readymade bath chair.Cut, bent and legs added – with a surprisingly comfortable result" ::Reddish...
The Economist on the Politics of Food
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.06
We cover the Economist for TreeHugger, and have taken our time writing about a significant article called "Voting with your trolley" because we couldn't quite decide if it was their usual intelligent discourse or an exercise in sophistry. They suggest that we are choosing our food as a means of expressing political opinion- say, concern for the environment or support for poor farmers. Quoting Marion Nestle: "What I hear as I talk to people is this phenomenal sense of despair about their inability to do anything about climate change, or the disparity between rich and poor,” she says. “But when they go into a grocery store they can do something—they can make decisions about what they are buying and send a very clear message.” So we dutifully buy organic, fair trade and local food to change the world. Or do we? ...
Planting Trees Helps Fight Global Warming, but Only in the Tropics
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.18.06
In November, a discussion arose over tree planting as a viable method to offsets carbon emissions. A new study, which used computer modeling to calculate the impact of forests on climate change, concludes that yes, trees can help... if they're planted in the right places. According to a BBC article,...
Survey: Do You Give to Charity?
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 12.18.06
In the New York Times on Sunday, Peter Singer, philosopher and author of "The Way We Eat" discussed philanthropy. He looks at the Millenium Development Goalswhich include reducing poverty, child and maternal mortality, and improving access to safe drinking water. Economists estimated that the world should be donating $ 121 Billion this year. Singer goes on to do the math: Americans in the top 10% of the population, earning about $132K,, should donate 10%, or $13.2 K. Those in the top .1% should give 25% and those in the top .01% about 40%. If this happened, the millenium goals could be easily reached and everyone would still have lots of money to live on. Read the article here.
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This Into That: Recycled DIY for Kids from Tiffany Tomato
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 12.17.06
Great gift alert! Where we see trash, Tiffany Threadgould sees ingredients for household items and clothing. Her new This into That book series imparts this design eye to everybody 8 and up with Fabric Fashions, Garbage Games, and Plastic Pizzazz. Each book features 15 projects with well-illustrated, step-by-step instructions, and any new materials needed. Readers supply only the garbage and DIY enthusiasm! $12 at Target and specialty retailers. ::Tiffany Tomato Designs, via Tiffany...
Santa Falls Victim to Climate Change
by Treehugger Interns on 12.17.06
Treehuggers are no strangers to climate-related bad news, but this latest headline is particularly worrying. It seems Santa, who was recently voted one of the top 100 green heroes, may be unable to make a successful lift-off this year, due to the melting of his runway. More news on this frightening phenomenon can be found over at Green Santa (flash alert!), where kids, and grown ups, can pledge to help avoid further dangerous greenhouse emissions. Looks like we’ll all have to be good if we want to continue getting presents in the decades to come. [Written by: Sami Grover]
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Pole to Pole
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.17.06
What's one mega-challenge that 24 people aged 18-28 are taking to raise awareness of global warming along with various other environmental and social causes along the way? Starting in April of 2007 they'll be setting off on a journey across the globe from the North Pole to the South Pole, with plenty of stops along the way... Ultimately, they expect to teach millions of youths around the globe about the things that each of them can do to help stop global warming, and to help spread the word that young people across the planet are able to take a leadership role in creating positive, tangible change in the world today....
Reva Electric Car Company Receives $20m Funding
by Treehugger Interns on 12.17.06
We have reported countless times on the Indian-made Reva, or G-Wiz at is marketed in London, including here, here, and here. Many people we talk to love this tiny, silent run around, while others claim it is just small and ugly. However, whether you love or hate the thing, it appears that Reva are making a big impression. On a recent visit to London, this Treehugger was amazed at how many could be seen whizzing silently around the streets of central London. Now, having secured $20m in additional investments, the company is set to expand with the stated aim of becoming “a major global car brand”. Apparently, the money will be spent on expanding production capacity and developing newer models. Who knows, maybe they’ll even make a model that everyone likes, but where would be the fun in that? [Written by: Sami Grover]
Interested in electric cars? Check out: 17 Electric Cars You Must Know About
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When Eco-Celebrities Lose Their Way
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.17.06
Anyone else seen a trend of eco-celebs with inexplicable priorities, starting when Robert Kennedy Jr. came out against the Cape Wind project? Mid-summer of 2006 we read of Hollywood green celebs protesting against an offshore liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal proposal for the Malibou area. [California can no longer import power from coal plants that do not meet California natural gas fired plant-performance standards; it gets most of it’s power from natural gas; in-state demand is increasing.] Now this. From the Daily Press: - “Erin Brockovich does not want to smell someone else’s waste. She bets Hinkley does not want to, either. The famed consumer advocate, who helped Hinkley residents fight Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in the 1990s, has decided to join Hinkley’s latest battle against a proposed Nursery Products composting site”....
Friends of the Earth UK Book Store
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 12.17.06
If you are not entirely happy about doing all your Holiday book shopping at certain enormous online megastores then here is a great alternative whose ethics are probably more closely aligned with the sentiments of the literature you are buying. Friends of the Earth UK now have an online book store which has an extensive collection of environmentally themed publications. As well as stocking all the FOE publications they also have ‘hand picked a range of books from other publishers in order to provide you with the best possible range of titles on environmental issues.’ The store is divided into nine different sections, including Ethical Living, Climate Change, Real Food and Big Business. If you are overwhelmed by choice then check out the Book of The Month which will suggest an interesting read for your dearest TreeHugger friend. There are several goods reasons to buy books from FOE: One is that ‘all purchases through the Shop will automatically be placed in a draw to win one of 5 Feeling Fruity Chocolate Hampers from the Natural Collection’ and another is that a portion of the sales provides an additional source of income to fund their important campaign work. Thanks to Al Tepper for the tip. :: FOE Shop ...
Mustermann Strasse Öko-Initiative, or Frohes Fest Familie Stephan
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 12.17.06
Struggling for Christmas ideas for your nameless apartment building co-inhabitants? I suggest you give them money and perspective, namely lower communal electricity/maintenance costs, and hope along the lines of ‘A journey of a thousand megawatts begins with a single step’ philosophy....
