- 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 24, 2006 - December 30, 2006
Total this week: 80
Oldest Newspaper In The World To Stop Killing Trees
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.30.06
Via Financial Times:- After several years of deliberation, what is reportedly the world's oldest newspaper has decided that it will publish only digitally. No more Boreal Forest pulp needed, thank you very much. Indeed, the World Association of Newspapers has deemed the world's oldest newspaper (formed 1645), to be the Post-och Inrikes Tidningar of Sweden. Although we can't read Swedish, it appears that the site where the digital version will reside is here . Could this be the destiny of many more newspapers around the world? If so, will we then be burning wood chips to make enough electricity to read them online? Sweden does, after all, have a reputation for doing things green with gusto, as if it were the California of the world. Image credit: Johannes Hjorth (an image apparently based on a practical joke)....
REACH for Greener Chemistry
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 12.30.06
Toxic waste. You know it is bad. Must be controlled. But think about this for a second: factories are not built to make waste. Factories make products. Most of the chemicals which go into a factory come out in the products you buy. Furthermore, the product you buy is often a short detour on the path to becoming waste. Did you ever think: who is making certain that the chemicals in the products I buy are safe? Or at least...are made using the least harmful chemicals available to make a product for which the social benefits outweigh the environmental and health risks? This post may not be the most glamorous or interesting on TreeHugger this month. But if you care about these questions, you should read on. Because the most ambitious law ever to address the question of chemicals in modern life is about to hit the books in Europe. Inquiring minds want to know....
Do It Yourself Solar Lighting From Baker Environmental
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.30.06
Testing the water with one's toe is the only sure way to know how fine the water really is. For those who are intrigued with solar photovoltaic systems but not ready dive in with a large investment, a DIY kit might be just the 'toe in' to provide some personal encouragement. A garage kit is a nice first project because if one did later choose to make the whole-house plunge, it would not have to duplicate what's in the car port. We're featuring an example from Baker Environmental, a UK firm, mostly because we liked their simple web site that had a real "man's garage' pictured instead of one of those sissy garages in a picture perfect Mega-Mansion. Also, it was nice that they offered an 'everything-you-need' kit which does not require a solar-geek friend to assist with installation. Priced at £229.00. Delivery approx. £10 for UK mainland. Next up, we're looking for an on-line retailer who'll offer wardrobe assistance for solar geeks with no idea how to pick a coordinated outfit!...
Ethanol Plant Makes Vodka on the Side
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.06
At last, an ethanol plant that produces something with more value than the sum of the inputs! Most of the time, the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company in Benson Minnesota takes local corn and turns it into ethanol for fuel as part of the current ethanol boom. Part of the time, local rye and wheat farmers deliver their produce to distill into one of America's best vodkas. It is all the same process and the same result; just a different name and a little more distilling. "It's all about degree of purity," said Lee [plant manager], who said that making smooth vodka meant distilling the liquid repeatedly to remove unwanted flavors and chemical compounds. "You have some of that in bourbon. You don't want that in vodka." The Benson brew is distilled six times, one more than Grey Goose. According to the Washington Post: Benson, marooned in a region where it has proved hard to preserve jobs and morale, appears to be a pint-size success story. The ethanol plant employs 45 full-time workers and plans to nearly double its capacity. ::Washington Post Interesting that there isn't a peep on the Shakers website that it is made in an industrial ethanol plant. ::Shakers...
Picture worth 1000 Words Dept: 15,000 People Per Hour
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.06
Shown are the widths of rights-of-way required to move 15,000 people in an hour. The street needs 119 metres (390 feet) while the rail rapid transit needs only 8 metres. (26 feet). Remarkably, the street is at 100% capacity and the rail line is only at 65%. Perhaps our infrastructure investments should not be in highways....From Vuchic's Transportation for Livable Cities via ::Frumination via ::Kottke...
Help our Friends at Worldchanging Win the Yahoo! Charity Badge Challenge
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 12.29.06
Yahoo! is offering a $50,000 matching grant for the nonprofit which gets the largest number of donations before the end of the year using its new "charity badges". Our friends at Worldchanging are currently in second place and could use some help. The winner is determined by number of donations, not the final cash amount, and minimum donations are $10 (but only donations from US residents are accepted by Network for Good, and thus counted towards Yahoo's challenge). If you donate $100 or more, Worldchanging will send you a copy of their book (put "book please" in the "designation" field). For more details on this and to donate: ::Just A Few Days Left to Win the Yahoo! Charity Badge Challenge...
Israel’s Sea Is Not For Chickens
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 12.29.06
Israel has great laws, say lawyers we interviewed here, the problem is enforcing them. A landmark court case, reported here last week, proves that the Israeli Government is clamping down on polluters and protecting one of its only natural resources, the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, polluting companies can expect to pay huge fines for illegal dumping of effluents. Last week, the courts fined Hod Hefer and its manager 120,000 shekels (about $30, 000) for discharging wastewater to the sea without a permit in 2000....
Convenient Truths: Video Submissions to Fuel Your Inner Eco-Competitor
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 12.29.06
TreeHugger Looking for Green Ad Salesperson ($250 reward)
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 12.29.06
You´ve sold online advertising and you've done it well. You´d rather sell stuff you believe in. Or even better, you already do but you´d like to represent a premiere enivironmental website and help take it to the next level. You´re organized, you´re US based (ideally in New York) and you´re a self-starter ready for a virtual position. You have great contacts with many relevant advertisers. Or you know someone like this.
TreeHugger has rapidly grown to be the most trafficked environmental site on the web. We've done well with little ad sales experience in a mostly reactive manner. Our sales have been primarily to small businesses at low CPMs. We are looking for someone who is proactive, experienced and can help move us to larger advertisers, higher CPMs and sold out inventory. This will help us make TreeHugger sustainable and fund projects that will increase our effectiveness in pushing green into the mainstream. More below the fold......
GHG Emission Reductions from Appliance Recycling in Japan
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 12.29.06
As recently published in the online edition of the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment a study was conducted by Katsuyuki Nakano et al. at the Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (JEMAI) to evaluate the GHG emissions reductions from the 2001 appliance recycling law in Japan. The law applies to CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube)-based TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines. Under the law, the Consumer has the obligation to pay a part of the fees for recycling; the recycling fee for an air conditioner is ¥3,500 (approximately $30US). The Retailer has the obligation to collect anything sold in their store and take your old appliance when you buy a new one from them. They are then required to transfer the appliances for recycling. The Manufacturers and importers have an obligation to recycle, for example the standard for the recycling of an air conditioner is 60wt%. The system also lets consumers check to make sure their appliances are properly recycled. ...
TreeHugger Picks: Have a Green New Year's Eve
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.29.06
2006 is just about in the books, which means that this weekend will see many a party to ring in the new year. Here are our picks for greening up your shindig to welcome 2007.
1) Watch the big ball drop in the Big Apple, which will shine brightly with the sparkly power of LEDs.
2) Have plenty of organic bubbly on hand to toast to a happy, healthy, green 2007.
3) Party hosts may want to rent champagne flutes rather than buying a bunch of plastic that'll just get tossed in the trash.
4) For those who overdo it at the party, a little Hangover Helper will help the first day of 2007 start with a clearer head and happier tummy.
5) Alternately, imbibe some organic wine and avoid the sulfites (and hangovers that come with them).
Happy New Year!...
Top Green Trends for 2007
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.29.06
JWT, the largest advertising agency in the US and the fourth-largest in the world, recently announced 70 products, services and trends that will define 2007, and there's a fair sprinkling of green throughout the list. Green building checks in at number seven, followed closely by hydrogen fuel cells and school buses running on biodiesel; be on the lookout for more organic fabrics, "environmental causes" in general and companies going green, which are all trends sprinkled in among things like reality show talent searches and Sacha Baron Cohen. We're also happy to see that locally sourced produce, microgeneration (producing your own power) and our pal Al Gore (who's film had a pretty good year, too) will continue their prominence in 2007. Green will be at the top of TreeHugger's list through the year, and we hope to spot a few people, ideas and products that'll keep the world going green through 2008 and beyond. ::Red Orbit via ::AutoblogGreen ...
TH Week :: Resolutions for Better Power
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 12.29.06
With Global warming and Oil dependency no closer to being addressed adequately, this year is sure to be a battleground for energy sources that don't leave us hanging. This week, our writers found some great prospects for both big and little power that's more green for the new year.
:: Tim brought word of India's wholehearted adoption of Jatropha-based biodiesel
:: Hank brought us news of a huge wind farm project in California
:: John brought us a story about Fat Spaniel Technology's energy estimator software.
:: Jeff pointed the way to the Audobon Society's enthusiastic endorsement of wind power.
:: Tim brought us an update on Lawrence Rome's walking energy backpack....
Energizing America: Sierra, January-February
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.29.06
Sierra, the official magazine of the Sierra Club, kicks off the new year with a hard look at energy issues and choices facing the United States. One of our favorite writers, Bill McKibben, calls for a "...leap to safer, cleaner, climate-friendly alternatives" to fossil fuels in the feature article "Energizing America." Other writers take a look at much-touted energy solutions, including "clean coal," nuclear power, wind, and "negawatts." Additionally, writer Paul Rauber calls ethanol (at least as promoted by the auto industry) a "phony solution" in his "Decoder" column. Other articles include profiles of Melanie Mac Innis, a leader in (and graduate of) the Sierra Club's "Inner City Outings" program, engineer Mike Biddle, an innovator in the use of recycled plastics, and Vernon Masayesva, a Hopi tribe member determined to ween his community off of the money (and environmental degradation) earned from coal mining on the tribe's reservation.
The paper version of Sierra is only available to members of the Sierra Club; membership costs as little as $25. ::Sierra magazine, January-February 2007...
Solar powered LED Mini Light
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.06
Hey, it's solar and it's LED, how could we not show it? It's all one piece unlike Justin's skylight. On the other side is a mirror, as Compact Impact says, "Great for checking your teeth after a makizushi meal to make sure no bits of nori are stuck there! " Just don't keep it in your pocket until you need it, put it somewhere so it can charge up, perhaps next to your Sun Jar. ::Compact Impact...
TH Blog Love – Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 12.29.06
Fiftyrx3: Annatarian by Jill Danyelle
‘After working in the fashion industry for five years Anna Mkhitarian decided to create a company that would utilize eco-effective design and her affinity for hand made art. Annatarian is a made-to-order dress company that uses vintage, organic and factory surplus textiles.’
Organic Authority: Polenta Crostini with Sausage Topping by Barbara Feiner
‘If you’re hosting a New Year’s Eve party, or if you’ve been asked to bring a dish to a potluck affair, here’s an appetizer that’s full of flavor and easy to prepare.’ ...
More Green Resolutions From Coolhunting
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.06
The hipsters at Coolhunting continue with their New Years Resolutions, suggesting that "Consuming less of the world's resources should be on top of everyone's list for 2007." They came up with some interesting choices to help you live green, some of which we have shown in TreeHugger before: Ecopods (the composter, not the coffin) Jorg and Olif bikes, Nau, Preserve Tableware (which we are uncomfortable with but is better than the regular stuff) and others. We are thrilled that green is now so cool. Thanks Josh! ::Coolhunting
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Harris Tweed Tradition Continues
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.29.06
With all the interest in new fashion that is eco-friendly and produced locally by cottage industries, it is worth remembering that some people have been doing this for a very long time. Take Harris tweed: the tweed sport jackets sported by academics and wanna-be’s, usually accompanied by a pipe, and purchased mainly by Americans and Japanese. The cloth has been made in the Outer Hebrides, in the West of Scotland for centuries. Whilst most of Scotland experienced the Industrial Revolution in the 1780’s, the Outer Hebrides did not and they have retained the traditional processes of manufacturing cloth to this very day. The soft, heather colours of the fabric are still hand-woven by the islanders at their own homes. All the pure virgin wool is taken from sheep on the islands, and spun, dyed and finished in local mills. At the peak of its popularity in the 1960’s, they produced 7 thousands metres of cloth a year. But fashion changed, particularly in the U.S. and this dropped to 4.5 thousand by the late 1980’s. Now it is picking up again—Nike produced a series of running shoes using tweed in the side panels. And it has just been bought by an English entrepreneur who wants to boost up its image. Coming soon to your local hip boutique… :: The Guardian ...
How to Build a Green, Car-free Community: Vauban
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.06
from Car Free Housing in European Cities, Jan Scheurer
We hear often how hard it is to live in North America without a car, yet in Manhattan 75% of households get along without one. Then we hear that in the suburbs its different- that is why in the USA nationwide, only 8% of households don't own a car. But what if you designed a community around the principle that one doesn't need a car? That really was green from the ground up? What would it look like? Vauban, near the German city of Freiburg, may be the best demonstration yet.
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The Year in TreeHugger: Oddballs and Eccentrics
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.06
The year end review would not be complete without our orphans and oddballs, the posts that don't quite fit anywhere but go viral and hit the top 100. Headscratcher of the year goes to Justin's channelling of Douglas Adams with Man Discovers Pi Repeats Itself At The Hyper-Thousandth Level While Eating A Heirloom Tomato Sandwich in which "the meta-fractal pattern of the Green Stripe and the Brandywine tomatoes led him to infer that Pi would indeed repeat itself at the hyper-thousandth level, due to the fact that Pi could not be any more random than the quasi-repeated scalene curve of the organically-grown fruit." Of course! Poll of the day follows at end- should it be "a heirloom" or "an heirloom"?
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Wind Power: Free, Plentiful and Fickle
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.29.06
Emma Graham-Harrison/Reuters
We love wind, as do a lot of companies who are investing in wind farms around the world, but the New York Times writes that while every Kilowatt generated by wind replaces fossil fuel or nuclear, standby capacity has to be built for when the wind does not blow. They discuss Texas, where demand is driven by air conditioning for homes and businesses, but the hottest days are often the least windy. Consequently they are building coal or gas plants to match every megawatt of wind capacity. Being for peak load and backup, they are not the most efficient or cleanest plants around. It is also often windy at night when demand is low, and the wind power is competing with low cost base load. Until a decent method of storing wind power (making hydrogen, pumping water uphill) is figured out, or until a carbon tax is put on coal plants, (according to this article, not this writer) wind power may be little more than window dressing. ::New York Times...
This week on TreeHugger Radio…
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.28.06
This week TH Radio brings you special highlights from our interview with Arianna Huffington, the outspoken journalist, author, and progressive pioneer. Arianna and Simran discuss the nation’s addiction, the politics of the environment, and the art of fearless living. Also stay tuned for more from Arianna on TH as she is a judge in our Convenient Truths user-generated video contest. Listen for TreeHugger Thursdays each week on EcoTalk. ::EcoTalk
(Image credit: Time.com)
...Solar Powered GPS: Prayers are Answered.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.28.06
I have dreamed about this. Having once gone for a short walk in the woods with the family, getting lost, thinking about about eating the dog for dinner, four hours doing a 30 minute hike, I have wanted a GPS unit. However I am also the type that would get lost, pop it open and find that the batteries are dead just when I need it. (aren't they always?) Thus I lust for the new Transystem solar powered bluetooth GPS unit. Its rechargeable battery and low power design can run for up to 100 hours with the solar boost. It also boasts a lead-free production process to make it "the most environmentally friendly wireless GPS on the market" so if you don't make it out, at least you won't poison the forest. Not the first solar GPS we have seen, but perhaps if I had it my family would hike with me again. ::Transystem via ::Crunchgear...
Amory Lovins Stepping Down as Rocky Mountain Institute CEO
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.28.06
According to the Aspen Times, Rocky Mountain Institute founder Amory Lovins is changing role at the institute, going from CEO to Chairman and Chief Scientist. You can read RMI's official press release here (pdf). "Lovins [will] remain RMI’s CEO until the new CEO comes in, then become Chairman and Chief Scientist. In this role, he will focus solely on strategic influence, thought leadership, and guidance of RMI’s key strategic projects. [...] “We’re excited for Amory because this transition will enable him to do even more of the strategic work that he’s passionate about," said John C. Fox from RMI's board of trustees.
For an excellent video of Doctor Lovins speaking at MIT about "Winning the Oil Endgame", see this post....
China's Climate Change Report: "It's Getting Hot in Here"
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 12.28.06
Two months after former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern warned that developing countries would be worst hit by climate change, the most developing developing country of them all has issued its own weather forecast: rising temperatures, worsening drought and a slate of 'extreme weather events.' Already the country is suffering from decreased grain production and severe water shortages. A director of the National Climate Centre said that by 2030-2050, China's potential grain output could fall by 10 percent, unless crop varieties and practices adapt to the increasingly turbulent climate. In the south, heavier rainfalls could trigger more landslides and mudslides, the report also warns. Global warming is everyone’s problem—but with China on course to overtake the United States by 2009 as the largest emitter of carbon dioxide, the report adds to the crucial call for the Middle Kingdom to put all hands on deck. ...
Biodiesel in India: Jatropha Takes Center Stage
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 12.28.06
While there is no single solution to providing clean energy, India certainly isn't hesitating when it sees a good thing. As we have pointed out before, jatropha is a plant that may provide India with a socially and ecologically sound option for increased fuel consumption. The MIT Technology Review has a nice news article on the subject, but to highlight their findings:
- The plant can grow in wastelands (where food crops can't)
- Yields four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean
- Yields ten times as much fuel per hectare as corn
- One hectare can produce 1,892 liters of fuel
- Converting plant oil to clean fuel requires only one step...
TreeHugger Radio 13
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 12.28.06
This week we bring you special highlights from our interview with Arianna Huffington, the outspoken journalist, author, and progressive pioneer. Arianna and Simran discuss the nation’s oil addiction, the politics of the environment, and the art of fearless living. (listen)...
Request: TreeHugger Wants a Jotspot Account
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.28.06
Jotspot has been acquired by Google and registration of new users have been shut down temporarily. We'd be very grateful if one of our readers with an unused account could donate it to us.
If you want to make a donation, email graham [--at--] treehugger [--dot--] com with the login information to your Jotspot account. Thank you very much....
Dual Purpose Carrier
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.28.06
It’s Finnish design. It’s ingenious and wacky, and endearing the more you look at it. They call it a "footstool" but we probably wouldn't. In any case, it has a dual purpose; serving as a seat and a bottle carrier for one to three bottles. Made of light plastic, you just screw it into the tops of hard plastic bottles and then use it to carry them. When you get tired, the contours of the carrier make it somewhat comfortable to sit on where ever and whenever you wish. It comes in 13 colours ranging from black to violet. Any other questions? :: Studio Helsinki Design ...
Slate on the Latest in Green Burial
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.28.06
Treehugger has looked death in the face before, but online magazine Slate has a very well-done slide show about green burials that covers the history and evolution of the new green burial industry. See it at ::Slate. For more information on green burials one can look in our graveyard at ::Green Burials, ::Eco-Friendly Burial lets you be Green Forever, ::The Shroud of Marin- the New Yorker on Eco-Burial, ::Ecopod: Green Coffins -- Bling Optional, ::Promessa Organic AB's Sustainable Burial, ::Green Till the End, ::Death Be Not Proud, ::COOL BUT UGLY: Biodegradable Scattering Urn, ::Real Ecourns by Econatur...
US Proposes to List the Polar Bear as an Endangered Species
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.28.06
In July, commenter Frank M. noted "One of the most affecting Global Warming images I've seen was a documentary on the subject that showed an emaciated polar bear struggling to survive among the crumbling ice."...
No Comment #2
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.28.06
A New Year's Prediction - Irradiated Leafy Green Vegetables Are Coming
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.28.06
As sure as the spring of 2007 will be green, politicians and Think Tank "experts" in the US will increasingly suggest that food irradiation is the best way to prevent foodborn illness. If recent history is any guide, opponents of food irradiation will be accused of threatening the health of children, to the extent they have resisted irradiated salads. The limitations of irradiation technology might get in the way of this advocacy strategy, however. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, when exposed to ionizing radiation "lettuce and other leafy vegetables turn mushy". Of equal import, we think, "alteration of some flavor compounds" can be expected. Yumm. According to the FDA website:- "FDA does have a petition under review to permit the irradiation of multi-ingredient foods, including prepackaged (bagged) fresh produce, for the purpose of controlling microbial contamination. This petition, if approved, would permit the irradiation of prepackaged fresh spinach at specified doses. FDA is reviewing this petition". ...
Coolhunting Guide to Eating Better
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.28.06
The hipsters over at trendwatching site Coolhunting must be getting old; they are starting to post resolutions for healthy eating in the new year. They suggest Bear Naked Granola for when they crawl in at 4AM- "Their products have always impressed us for their quality, variety, light and natural sweetness and their wholesome natural ingredients.", Pomegranate Syrup- "More than a passing fad" -fights hangovers and aging. Crispy Green freeze dried fruits (we disagree with this one- apples last all year, why freeze dry them?) and more at ::CoolHunting...
Marmol Radziner in Joshua Tree: New Prefab Development
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.28.06
Before the comments come in, we know that second homes two hours away from LA in the middle of the desert are not the most sustainable things in the world and that nobody needs a second home. However, if you are going to have one, it might as well be drop dead gorgeous, designed by our faves Marmol Radziner, and "Designed for LEED certification, the two homes employ green designs and materials such as recycled steel frames, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), FSC-certified wood, low VOC Green Seal paint, and energy efficient appliances. Floor-to-ceiling windows capture natural light, while expansive decks provide shade for passive cooling and promote the best of indoor/outdoor living." ...
The Year in TreeHugger: Hot Stuff
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.28.06
After cars, the next most popular group of posts was on alternative forms of heating. Corn Stoves and Pellet Stoves were hot, as was the market for pellets. Most were cutesie-pie country style, but there were a few that had some design appeal, like the Austrian Rika and the Japanese Shimotani, of course both of which are not available in North America. Fortunately North Americans can get heat, high efficiency and good design at the same time if you burn wood, with the Topolino, the non-ugly versions of the Tulikivi, and the always elegant Rais. In the comments, readers always questioned whether the price we pay in air pollution is too high.
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1500 Megawatt Wind Project Planned for California
by EcoGeek.org on 12.28.06
A while back we reported that Texas had surpassed California in total wind power. Each state is in the 2300 megawatt range, but Texas is currently reigning surpreme. California, however, wants its championship title back, and they're not going small. The project, which will cover around fifty square miles in and around the Tehachapi mountains, will produce more energy than a large nuclear power plant.
The project is a joint venture between Southern California Edison (already the leading renewable electricity utility in America) and Allco Finance Group, an Australian financing firm. This massive project will, however, take a while to jumpstart. The first turbines should be producing electricity by 2011. So watch out Texas, by 2012 or so, you're going to have a lot of ground to make up. ::Hugg ::Maria Energia and ::Southern California Edison...
Two Nature Quickies: US Stats & Chinese Green Awards
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.27.06
According to a Sidelines piece (paid subscription required) in November 9th's edition of Nature:
- 12% of Americans see the environment as one of the three most important issues facing the United States today.
- 48% see global warming as the most important environmental problem facing the United States, up from 22% in 2003.
- 45% think there is a lot of disagreement among scientists on global warming, but 61% feel that there is enough evidence to justify action.
- 60% of Americans would be willing to pay at least $10 more a month for electricity to solve the global warming problem.
TreeHugger Picks: Our Year in the Media
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.27.06
2006 has been a good year for TreeHugger; from the launch of Hugg, TreeHugger TV and TreeHugger Radio and even TreeHugger 2.0, we've been hard at work devising new ways to bring you the green, and we've had some help from some friends in the media. Here are some of the places that TreeHugger branched out to in 2006.
1) TreeHugger's fearless leader Graham Hill lent his smoldering good looks to Vanity Fair's "Green Issue" in the Spring.
2) TreeHugger TV's Simran Sethi showed The Martha Stewart Show all about eco-chic ideas, materials and products.
3) Kara DiCamillo made TreeHugger's voice heard on NPR's Living on Earth with a segment about our Green Gift Guide.
4) Simran made another appearance on afternoon TV, this time on Oprah Winfrey's show, with some ideas for green decorating and Christmas tree-buying that even caught Rush Limbaugh's attention.
5) Time Magazine picked up some of green gifting ideas and pointed their readers in our direction for more on making gifts green this year.
It's been a great year; a huge thank-you to all our readers for helping us make it possible! Stay tuned for more in 2007!...
Discardia: A Holiday That Celebrates Living More with Less
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.27.06
With all the holidays being celebrated this time of year, Christmas-oriented and otherwise, you may be quick to think that the last thing the world needs is another holiday; we think there's room for at least one more. Discardia is a cyclical, floating holiday (it happens several times per year) designed to celebrate letting go. Says the site, "It doesn't involve obligations or expense or overblown expectations of specialness" -- it just involves thinking about using less and paring down that which we don't need. Discardia is the time to get rid of things (by recycling, FreeCycling & giving away, rather than pitching it, of course) that no longer add value to your life, shed bad habits, let go of emotional baggage and generally lighten your load. Based on ideas like "You Need Less Than You Think" and "Compared to Most of the Rest of the World, I'm Rich," the holiday is particularly fitting this time of year, when much of the developed world gathers to celebrate through giving while consuming too much: eggnog, new stuff, and the list goes on. The latest Discardia started December 21 (with the winter solstice) and continues through January 18 (the next new moon), and we think it's a pretty good way to reflect on 2006 and start 2007 off on the right foot. Check in with the site devoted to the holiday for a new Discardia tip each day, and see if you can pare down your stuff and your life and live more with less. ::Discardia via ::Apartment Therapy: San Francisco...
Convenient Truths: Resolve to Lower Your Carbon Footprint (and win close to $30,000 in prizes!)
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.27.06
While Christmas isn't over for everyone, and Kwanzaa is in full swing, many of us are focused on the last big holiday of the season: New Year's Day (and, of course, New Year's Eve). The changing of the year brings a mixed bag of associations: parties, champagne, and midnight kisses on the one hand; reflection and anticipation on the other. We hope that 2006 has been a wonderful, successful, joy-filled year for you, and that 2007 brings more of the same. As you're thinking about the resolutions you'll make, we hope that you'll include lowering your carbon footprint with dieting, exercise and better financial planning. There's no better time than the turning of the calendar to commit yourself to a greener, more climate-friendly lifestyle -- especially when uploading your video of your acting on these resolutions to the Treehugger Seventh Generation Convenient Truths contest could score you a phone call from a celebrity (see below the jump)! Among the options you might consider:...
The Carbon Footprint of a Burger
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.27.06
Jamais Cascio, former managing editor over at Worldchanging and current proprietor of Open the Future, recently got to wondering: with all the recent hubbub surrounding carbon footprints, credits and offsets, what do everyday, common items contribute to our warming globe? He started with an American institution: the cheeseburger, and, after a little digging and number-crunching he came up with 6.3 to 6.8 pounds (2.85 to 3.1 kg) of carbon emissions per burger. This includes a myriad of factors, from growing the feed for the cattle for the beef and cheese, growing the produce, storing and transporting the components, as well as cooking them all, and he appears to have done a fairly thorough job. So, why choose burgers? The average American eats three burgers per week, or about 150 burgers per year; that's a lot of beef, cheese, shipping and grilling, and it really adds up. According to Jamais' calculations, America's love of burgers contributes approximately 941 to 1023 pounds (that's 428-465 kg) of greenhouse gas per person, per year -- the rough equivalent of the annual carbon output from 7,500-15,000 SUVs if the 300 million US citizens hit the 3 burgers/week average. Will Carbon McCredits soon be appearing on menus across the country (and the world)? Jamais' discerning look at this common food item suggests we may want to think about it. Read more at ::Open the Future...
Taking the LEED in China: Beijing's Building Green
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 12.27.06
China’s GDP is rising faster than a Beijing office building or housing project. But the color of that tower going up across the street—wherever you are there seems to be a crane and an army of construction workers—is slowly turning from the city’s traditional red to a neat shade of green. Over at China Dialogue, I've written something about the trend towards sustainable building in China’s capital, where the LEED green building standard has already been plastered on the scaffolding for a handful of new developments, like Steven Holl’s "filmic" Linked Hybrid mixed-use complex (above). Sure, greenwashing abounds on the real estate market (as it does in the supermarket), but that doesn’t mean architects and engineers aren’t incorporating low-E and rainwater collection into their vocabulary. LEED guru Rob Watson makes regular trips to the capital to meet with designers and officials (who are working on a homegrown standard), and everyone from developers to home buyers to big companies are lining up to learn more. Sure, LEED may have its naysayers (arguing among other things that the standard can be prohibitively hard), and indeed, getting the necessary materials is still harder in Beijing then, say, New York. But the increasingly easier LEED regime is helping construct greener buildings here, and giving green design something that can’t hurt in an increasingly image-conscious China: a nice shiny brand name.
See also the Church of LEED and Inhabitat’s LEED gospel....
Survey: The Politics of Food
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.27.06
Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
According to the New York Times, it was a year of change in the way we eat. In America food safety was an issue as everyone ran from spinach and carrot juice. Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's dilemma" helped focus people's attention on where their food came from; eithical treatment of animals became a concern for many, from Foie gras in Chicago to lobster at Whole foods. Local food and the Hundred mile diet became big. Organics came to Wal-Mart.
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A Person Can Develop a Bad, Bad Cold
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.27.06
It’s cold time, with the wheezes and the sneezes and a sinus that's really a pip... Instead of searching desperately through your handbag or pockets for a dirty tissue, try an age-old solution: the handkerchief. Before they even knew about the environment our fathers used them—a clean, ironed white hankie in the breast pocket of the suit jacket. So did our grandmothers: flowery, sweet and smelling of eau de cologne. And now we can. Softer on the nose and kinder to the environment, carrying a real handkerchief instead of tissues cuts down on the use of paper. Look for vintage ones in second hand shops; they are often made of fine cotton with lovely old or retro prints. Or buy new pretty designer cotton ones. These were written up in Vogue so you know that their time has come. They add a whole new decorum to the nose-blowing business. :: Atishoo...
The Great Yellow Woods Challenge
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.27.06
Ever taken the time to race around your entire neighborhood, grab all the old copies of Yellow Pages when the new one rolls around, and then re-use the outdated copies to make giant sculptures out of them before recycling? Well, if you haven’t then check out what Yellow Pages and the Woodland Trust have teamed up to do in England. Essentially, kids are engaged in a fun, educational recycling program through their schools where they compete against other schools in their local area for cash prizes based on the most books collected and finest sculptures created.
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The Year in Treehugger: Drive-in Edition
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.27.06
Cars. Of the top ten posts of the year by pageviews, six are about cars. Perhaps we should rename the site Autohugger. Our most popular was Justin's post on a hybrid mini; next was Jacob's Loremo Diesel. A similar number showed up to learn how to Hack your Hybrid. Then there was Honda's electric scooter, followed by profoundly banal pictures of the 2007 Toyota Camry. There are lessons here: 1) People want to cut their fuel consumption/ carbon footprint and may be intrigued by the flashy Tesla, but are looking for affordable answers like the boring Camry; the real world counts. 2) Hey, BMW, the big unaffordable Hydrogen 7 doesn't draw flies, but an electric Mini is our most popular post of the year. Learn from this. ...
Book Review: The Ghost Map
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.27.06
A local reviewer said about Steven Johnson's new book: "if you can only read one book about cholera this season, this is it!"
TreeHugger often talks about the benefits of density, about the virtues of cities, about the lessons from Jane Jacobs. We also talk of the need for clean water and sanitation in so much of the world, how the death of millions of children is completely preventable. If one wants to understand how density became safe and how cities became answers instead of problems, there is no better place to start than Steven Johnson's The Ghost Map, "The story of London's most terrifying epidemic- and how it changed science, cities and the modern world".
In 1854 London, there was density without infrastructure; everything was recycled by" bone-pickers, rag-gatherers, pure-finders (dogpoop collectors who sold it to tanners) dredgermen, mud-larks, sewer-hunters, dustmen, night-soil men, bunters, toshers and shoremen, a hundred thousand strong. Recycling made the city work, because nobody had developed the networks of waste management and water supply needed to support such densities since Roman times. A few private water companies piped water from the Thames; otherwise one used the public pumps. Human waste was tossed into cesspools, rear yards, even basements, and the smell was awful. Prevailing wisdom said that disease was carried in the miasma, or in the air, and the more it smelled, the sicker one would get. Consequently the authorities started building sewer lines that carried water away from the cesspools and into the Thames, source of much of London's drinking water.
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Global Warming is Good for Russia
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.27.06
The Economist is running yet another inane article, this one suggesting that global warming is good for Russia. It starts off with the bad- "This is bad for local wildlife. All over the world, species are edging towards the poles as their habitats change. But Arctic and Antarctic creatures have nowhere colder to go. Pity the polar bears. " and "Rising polar temperatures also mean bad news for many human beings—notably the 150,000 Inuit of Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia. Frozen ground is turning mushy, making it hard for hunters to travel. Mosquito infestations have driven their main quarry, caribou, into the hills." ...
The Toyota FT-HS Hybrid Sports Concept Car
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 12.27.06
Toyota wants teenage boys to daydream about hybrids, apparently.
The FT-HS hybrid sports concept car will be premiered on January 7 at the North American International Auto Show, and we can expect 50:50 weight distribution and a 400+ horsepower monster with a drivetrain very similar to the Lexus GS 450h: a 3.5 liter V6 coupled to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system (which could mean SULEV emissions, but no word on fuel economy yet). This could be the next Supra....
100 Mile Diet: Grass-Fed Bison, Anyone?
by Siel, Los Angeles on 12.27.06
[Previous 100-mile adventure posts: Part I and Part II] A secret of the Santa Monica farmers' market: It's heaven for ethical carnivores (If you believe that phrase to be an oxymoron, skip to paragraph 3). Looking for free range, organic, grass-fed beef or pork? Stop at the Rocky Canyon Produce booth, which delivers its eco-meats from Atascadero, Calif. Can't live without Grass-fed bison? Lindner Bison, from Northern Calif., is there for you! There's fish too -- but the booth was too crowded for me to elbow in for more info....
Phoenix EV Truck Has a Lot to Offer
by EcoGeek.org on 12.26.06
Phoenix Motorcars has been making electric vehicle news for a while now. Their first vehicle was a reproduction of a 1930's Cabriolet, but they've moved on to more functional cars in the meantime.
Using lithium ion batteries, Phoenix has developed two normal-looking, normal-sized electric vehicles that they plan on releasing sometime in 2007. Their Sport Utility Truck (room for five with a flatbed) has recently caused a stir with a claim that they're planning a version with a 250 mile range on a single charge. While that number would almost certainly go down as the batteries aged, it is still an exciting number. The 250 mile range version of the SUT won't be available for at least a year. However, Pheonix's 120 mile range vehicles will be available soon, they plan on producing at least 500 SUT's in 2007....
TreeHugger v.2.0: Now with Hot Radio Action!
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.26.06
What’s hotter and more radioactive than a tipped over uranium truck on the North Carolina freeway? As we bask in TreeHugger’s revamped functionality and revitalized slickness, allow us to direct your attention to the presence of TreeHugger Radio conveniently integrated into your interweb viewing console. Cast your gaze up and to the right and there it is, nestled between TV and RSS. Here you’ll find our last several months of TreeHugger Radio, bite-sized roundups of the week’s green news and interviews with some of the world’s leading eco-authorities, hosted by our own Simran Sethi. Please enjoy. ::TreeHugger Radio
. The PodCast is here.
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Sustainable Wood Furnishings from Canada
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 12.26.06
We are always on the prowl for sturdy sustainable wood pieces, and the Neva chest and the Fusion coffee table are just that. Part of the new “Luxury Green” program launched by Vancouver-based Durante Furniture, both are available in wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and environmentally-friendly glues, stains, and construction materials. Jeffrey Braun designed Neva in interlocking, contrasting solid wood blocks. Simon Luethy's Fusion is a seamless merger of stainless steel and wood. It's also nice to note Durante is another established firm breaking the mold to introduce its own green line. ::Durante Furniture...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.26.06
The president of the Audubon Society endorses wind turbines as better for birds than a warming planet… An island in northeast India, previously home to 10,000, is swallowed by a rising sea… UPS continues to streamline its package delivery flow, now cutting down on fuel-wasting left turns… Two non-profits propose a much-needed standard for carbon offsets… LA’s Green Girl checks out the premier of the new eco-reality show, Living with Ed…...
IT's Intersection With Renewable Energy: "Fat Spaniel Technologies"
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.26.06
Fat Spaniel is the company behind an educational display made for customers of a "green" Wal-Mart experimental supercenter. See it and some other unrelated but very interesting green projects at this Wal-Mart link (Note: the animation screen is seen under the wind energy/animation/description menu choice.). We digress. Fat Spaniel's best trick is to shake paws with distributed power systems via Internet, which is what the Wal-Mart Kiosk was all about. Here's the kernel of the FS promo: "Our enterprise-strength solution PV2Web™ provides independent, real-time monitoring of energy usage and generation for residential, commercial and institutional buildings. Using PV2Web, you can view the live performance of any energy system remotely, whether you are at home, in your office or on the road"....
Merry Christmas and a Happy 2007 from Barcelona
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 12.26.06
Dear reader, here’s a merry Christmas (tree) to you from Barcelona. The Abetus Porex is the beautiful Christmas tree hanging in the Maremagnum port of Barcelona, inviting you to look up at it from underneath and hence connect the tree with the floor. The tree is made from polystyrene packaging waste (from last year’s Christmas gifts?), cardboard and projected lights (the video of which is on their web site). Their message: recycle! The coolest thing is the way they communicate their mission with a fun video (in Spanish) and photos documenting the ‘making of’.
A more ethical message comes from Estudio Mariscal with a homemade animation, wishing you a Happy 2007! ::Abetus Porex ::Estudio Mariscal
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Eco-Building to the Max
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.26.06
The Green Light Trust is an environmental charity that helps children become involved in the community by helping to plant local woodlands. When the Trust decided to build a new office, they wanted it to have “deep green principles”. With the help of architects specialising in sustainable construction, they embarked upon a project which is not just carbon neutral, but carbon-negative. All the materials and labour were to be sourced from within a twenty mile radius. Volunteers did much of the work. They moved an existing shed and re-used the timbers, using limewash, not toxic chemicals, to protect against infestation. The bricks are made of local hemp and lime, and are insulators as well as being carbon negative since hemp absorbs carbon dioxide. The interior walls were made of wattle and daub, from their own woodland hazel trees and local clay. They used linseed oil paint. There are solar panels, and the sewage is carried out through their own reedbed system. Rainwater is recycled from the roof and the whole place is heated with a woodchip boiler running on timber from the woods. The building won an architectural sustainability award this year, and rightfully so. :: Green Light Trust via :: The Times...
Ana Walsh Fashion Archeology
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 12.26.06
As we’ve mentioned before and in our How to Go Green series -the one dedicated to Wardrobe- one of the ways to make “eco-savvy fashion choices” is to buy repurposed clothing. Well, if you’re ever shopping in or around Buenos Aires, Ana Walsh’s exquisite taste and faculties in the matters clothes recovery is something to have in mind. This former fashion producer and PR executive that has worked with big brands in the industry launched this year her own line of clothing, focused on clothes recovery and redesign: Ana Walsh Fashion Archeology. “The name is a reference to an archeological work that focuses in the search and redesign of antique pieces through an artisan labor which keeps each products’ original essence”, she explains in her website, where you can also check some pieces of the first collection, called Rebirth. The clothes can be purchased in Pompon -a small shop in 5942 Nicaragua st, Palermo, Buenos Aires- or in her showroom (appointments by phone: 54 11 4833 1063). ::Ana Walsh...
Audubon Society "Strongly Supports Wind Power"
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.26.06
The issue of bird deaths caused by wind turbines still creates knots in the stomachs of many treehuggers: despite evidence that harnessing wind energy has a relatively light impact on birds with proper planning and siting, opponents of new wind projects consistently conjure up images of wind turbine blades coated in blood and feathers (or at least turbines surrounded by avian carcasses). Wind opponents can count on at least one less potential ally, though, as one of the US' oldest conservation organizations, the National Audubon Society, has publicly declared its support for continued wind development, and its belief that the climate crisis poses a much bigger risk to our feathered friends:...
Castor Canadensis Credenza2
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.26.06
We adore Castor Canadensis, the funny, brilliant team of designers who created the recycled tube light and the saunabox. They also did the credenza1, which is gorgeous but bizarre- it is carved out of a solid block of Indiana limestone, extraordinarily beautiful and extravagantly wasteful. Perhaps as penance for this TreeHugger incorrect piece, they have designed Credenza2. "Easily assembled, this Credenza packs flat and requires no hardware. 2 ratchet straps lash the components tightly in place. It is made from a single sheet of plywood with zero waste. Moving? Dismantle it and strap it to the roof of your car. " I usually hate flash but I love this site. ::Castor Canadensis...
Second Generation Ergonomic Backpack
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 12.26.06
Last year we were delighted to hear about Lawrence Rome's innovative backpack design. His energy generating backpack concept made headlines and found astounding support. One of the unexpected benefits of his support system was that people found it was more comfortable, and felt lighter. Rome had hinted last year that this might be just as big a discovery as the innovative energy capture system. The past year has seen testing of this design, and found that the bungee design does indeed make for a lighter load....
Making Gadgets Greener
by Union of Concerned Scientists on 12.25.06
Electronic gadgets continue to grow in popularity and many people will give them as holiday gifts this season. Devices that plug in to wall outlets are responsible for a small but growing portion of total household energy consumption, about five to seven percent. Devices powered by batteries also pose environmental problems. More than three billion alkaline batteries are thrown away in the U.S. each year instead of being recycled. The toxic metals they contain (such as lead, mercury, and cadmium) can leak into groundwater and harm local residents or wildlife. ...
Santa Claus is Chinese
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 12.25.06
I know Santa Claus is Chinese because each Christmas morning after all the gifts are unwrapped and things settle down I systematically go through the presents to see where they are made. The results are almost always the same: roughly 70 percent are from China. After some research, it seems that my one-family survey is representative of the country as a whole.
Let’s start with toys. At the Earth Policy Institute, we have found that some 80 percent of the toys sold in the United States are made in China. Electronic goods—from Apple’s iPod to Microsoft’s Xbox—are made in China. Clothing—from the latest cashmere sweaters to gym suits—is also likely to have a “Made in China” label....
TreeHugger Picks: Celebrating a Green Christmas
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.25.06
Christmas is here, and for many a TreeHugger, it means convening with family & friends, green gift giving and one last hug of the Christmas tree. Here are some ways to be sure your Christmas celebrations are a little greener.
1) If you didn't follow Danny Seo's advice for green gift wrapping, be sure all that paper gets properly recycled.
2) When it comes to what's under the paper, if you didn't reference our green gift guide, we hope you at least bought from an online eco-store and sprung for the Carbonfree shipping.
3) Learn the carbon load of listening to carols before opening the door to listen.
4) When it's all said and done, recycle your Christmas tree if you went with a cut tree this year....
Some Thoughts And Questions Before Greening Your New Year
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 12.25.06
An owner of a UK-based fair trade clothing company gives an anonymous post to TreeHugger - something for us to contemplate into the New Year.
I have some questions and I'm wondering if you might be able to help me find the answer. Many of us are looking to create a new world where the environment and human rights are deeply rooted in the products that we buy. We acknowledge that our prevailing consumer culture is generally damaging to the environment and to humans, as those of us who have disposable incomes look for better products at lower prices. There are some great ideas, great brands, great people making a difference. And yet the new world we are looking for seems so far away. Brands with radical roots are sold to the highest bidder. Former-radicals become self-publicists and/or sofa-sitting multimillionaires. Is this our collective destiny? ...
John Houshmand's Mulberry Bench
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.25.06
We first heard of multi-talented John Houshmand way back in September 2004; since then, he's moved into his own showroom in SoHo and continued to design and build very compelling furniture. The musician, sculptor, designer & artist creates tables, benches, shelving and other pieces made using solid, natural-edge slabs of wood that are mostly made from salvaged or sustainably harvested American timber; this Mulberry low table/bench (item no. 0052 in his collection) nicely combines smoothly curved steel with the randomly beautiful edge of the minimally-milled wood. Many of Houshmand's pieces offset the spare, calculated look of steel or glass with the organic shapes only to be found in beautiful old wood, letting the natural beauty of the wood take center stage -- a technique the designer uses to great effect. His website alludes to more new pieces coming in 2007; we're glad we won't have to wait long to see them. ::John Houshmand via ::Apartment Therapy...
DH Love Life v.2.0 - What a Lovely Christmas Present!
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 12.25.06
Well folks, it’s not only TreeHugger that’s gone for the Christmas makeover. Daryl Hannah has decided to relaunch her site in time for the holidays as well! I am sure you will be as pleased as we were to hear Daryl’s new DH Love Life website is now live and direct. Thanks Daryl - this really is the present we’ve been wanting all year! TreeHugger has been a great fan of the DH Love Life vlog since the beginning. Each week we looked at the little tag at the bottom of the DH home page which said “New Site Coming Soon!” and wondered when is soon? Well soon is now! The new site is much more extensive, with three different sections:...
Travelers Insurance Offers Hybrid Discounts in 44 States
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.25.06
Hybrid owners in 44 states across the US (sorry, Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, North and South Dakota & West Virginia) can now get a 10% discount on their auto insurance through Travelers Insurance. We first heard about the discount way back in January of this year; just last week, Georgia was added to the list, following the addition of California, New Jersey, Texas, New York, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky and Washington to bring the running total to 44 states. The discount seems to be enticing enough to lure quite a few new drivers; compared to the previous 12-month average, new hybrid car business for Travelers has more than doubled. To help raise awareness about the discount and hybrid driving in general, Travelers created hybridtravelers.com to provide info on up-to-date federal and state tax benefits and other perks for hybrid drivers, as well as obtain policy information and get an insurance quote. ::Hybrid Travelers via ::AutoblogGreen
See also ::Kimpton Hotels Offer Discounts to Hybrid Drivers and Eco-Insurance in the UK...
British Agriculture College Harnesses Cow Poop Power
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.25.06
Add Great Britain's Walford and North Shropshire College to the list of businesses and organizations harnessing the power of poop. According to the BBC, the college uses methane digesters to convert wastes from its dairy herd into power for the farm:...
Reading the Future: Utne Reader January-February
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 12.25.06
It's that time of year: time for giving gifts to family and friends, making resolutions for the new year, and, of course, checking out who won the Utne Independent Press Awards. Now in its eighteenth year, the UIPA demonstrates that the independent press is alive and well, and still providing an alternative to the blandness that springs from the most massive publications of the mass market. Special congratulations go out to Ecologist, which captured the prize for environmental coverage in a very competitive field that included Grist, Green Car Journal and World Watch. Other winners include Wilson Quarterly (General Excellence, Magazines), In These Times (Political Coverage), and Seed (Science/Tech Coverage) . Follow the first link above, and you'll find a complete list of winners and nominees.
The other online goodie you'll get with this issue is a short article on Project Rwanda, "a U.S. nonprofit promoting the bike 'as a tool and symbol of hope" in this recovering African nation. For articles on the University of Guelph's organic agriculture program, green surfboards, Nigerian cinema and "the social significance of tea," you'll need to pick up a copy at your local bookstore or newsstand, or subscribe. ::Utne Reader, January-February 2007...
Classrooms of the Future
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.25.06
Here’s a novel and educational way for schools to supplement their budgets. St. Francis of Assisi Primary School has built a biosphere as part of its school. It contains exotic plants and is made of the same material as the Eden Project in Cornwall. They have now installed solar panels on its roof that will produce one kilowatt of electricity a day. During the week this will provide electricity for the classrooms. But the school is closed on weekends and during holidays--this adds up to 175 days a year--and the power amassed during that time will be sold to the National Grid. This will decrease school bills and reduce carbon emissions. It all ties in with the school’s curriculum that teaches children about the environment in a very real and practical way. The asphalt playground has been replaced with a woodland, an allotment garden has been planted and homemade pesticides are used in the biosphere. It was paid for with a government grant. The Headteacher has become so inspired that he has sold his Range Rover and replaced it with a Prius. :: St. Francis of Assisi School via :: Evening Standard...
We Wuv PHEVS
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.25.06
From the Pacific Northest National Laboratories:- "If all the cars and light trucks in the nation switched from oil to electrons, idle capacity in the existing electric power system could generate most of the electricity consumed by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles[PHEVS]. A new study for the Department of Energy finds that “off-peak” electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 84 percent of the country’s 220 million vehicles if they were plug-in hybrid electrics...Because PHEVs are expected to cost about $6,000 to $10,000 more than existing vehicles – mostly due to the cost of batteries -- researchers evaluated how long it might take owners to break even on fuel costs. Depending on the price of gas and the cost of electricity, estimates range from five to eight years – about the current lifespan of a battery". If this idea took hold, utilities could end up promoting PHEVs as powerfully as do oil companies when they argue against CAFE standards. It's expression would be a patriotic meme: 'plug into a the security of a green future.'
Image credit:- Institute for The Analysis of Global Security...
A LEED Christmas: St. Gabriel's Passionist Parish
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.25.06
"May we look forward to the healing of the wounded earth. We're stranded in the web of life and what we do to the web we do to ourselves." So said Father Paul Cusack, at the opening of St. Gabriel's Passionist Church, Canada's first LEED Silver religious space, with one of the more profound reasons we have heard for going LEED. "While reducing energy costs was one of the reasons for building a 'green' church, says Fr. Paul Cusack, C.P., current Pastor at St. Gabriel's, "Our primary motivation was to establish a link between the sacredness of the gathered community of Faith and the sacredness of the Earth." Thus it has passive solar heating, natural daylighting, heat recovery wheel, a living wall and rainwater collection. ...
From Kids' Lips to Pigs' Ears?
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.25.06
At least that’s the path food’s following when kids in Minnesota take their leftover school lunches and toss them into the bin headed for the pig farm instead of the local landfill… It’s all part of a program that enables them to learn about recycling and making better environmental choices at the same time as reducing the school districts costs as well…
Officials at the county level estimate that each school is creating about 17 tons of waste each year, with roughly 80% of it being edible by hogs. When sanitized by steam and left to cool before being fed to the pigs, it’s easy to see that it’s a whole lot of chow that won’t go to waste. And that’s not to mention the space saved in the local landfill, and the cash it takes to cart it there. So how do kids feel about it? Well, first graders in one district became so enthusiastic about the whole concept that they started asking for second helpings at lunch time. Becoming somewhat suspicious of anyone asking for “seconds” from a school lunch program, their school administrators asked the kids to “fess up” as to what was going on…. They confessed that they had been asking for more just so they could send more food to the pig farm because it was fun to do! ...
Antimony in your Bottled Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.24.06
William Shotyk, a Canadian scientist working at the University of Heidelberg, studied 132 brands of bottled water stored for six months, and found significant levels of the toxic metal antimony had leached out of the PET bottles into the water. Levels approached 2,000 parts per trillion, which is the Japanese limit for drinking water. (in Canada it's 6000) "It's increasing over time because (the plastic) is leaching chemicals," said Shotyk in an interview during a recent visit to Ottawa, where he lectured on his findings.Antimony, beloved of alchemists, is a white metallic element that in small doses can cause nausea, dizziness and depression. "Antimony is similar chemically to lead. It is also a potentially toxic trace element," said Shotyk. He is now studying the bottles over a longer term. "If you bottle water in Europe and ship it to Asia, what is the antimony concentration in that water by the time somebody buys that water and drinks it?" ::Edmonton Sun...
Aluna - A Proposal For The World's First Tidal Powered Moon Clock.
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 12.24.06
This beautifully monumental public art work is a proposal for a lunar clock which will track the 'the phase and position of the Moon, and the height of the tides'. A group of British designers and engineers have grouped together under the name of The Aluna Project to create this forty metre wide, five storey high structure which will be situated in both the UK and Australia, making it a dual-hemisphere installation. The design team say Aluna is designed to incorporate science, technology and sustainability into public art. Aluna is described as 'a journey of rediscovery of the natural science between the Moon, the tides and a planet dominated by water. Aluna makes the link between ourselves, the Earth and the Moon. Aluna leaves an awareness of our place in the Universe and encourages a sustainable future. Aluna demonstrates one of the world’s most reliable renewable energy sources. As long as the Moon circles the Earth, the Earth keeps turning and the oceans don’t freeze, the tides will keep ebbing and flowing.' ...
UK Petition to Support Carbon Rationing
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.24.06
graph from Climate Change Action
“The best indication of whether a person truly grasps the scale of the global climate crisis is not whether they drive a hybrid car or offset their flights, nor whether they subscribe to the Ecologist or plan to attach a wind turbine to their house. The most reliable indicator is whether they support carbon rationing.” - Mark Lynas in the New Statesman As Warren and Jeff have reported, they are getting very serious about carbon reduction on that other planet called the United Kingdom. They really do believe that "You can't bargain with the planet because it doesn't care whether or not targets are "politically acceptable". So unless we secure a deal determining how much carbon each nation and each person can emit, we simply will not survive." Using a new petition system set up by the Prime Minister's office that lets citizens set up petitions online (like that would ever happen here), Alex Kent set this up and it seems to be gaining steam. Only open to UK citizens, but a good model for this side of the pond. via ::ecostreet; petition below the fold....
Lights Out in Sydney for Earth Hour
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.24.06
In about three months time nighttime Sydney is expected to become sea of darkness. For an hour of no power. Also known by its organisers as Earth Hour. The aim is to get office blocks and householders to turn off their lights for a mere 60 minutes between 7.30 and 8.30 pm on 31 March 2007, with the intent of moving folk to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by five percent. If they can manage this, it would be the equal of removing 75,000 medium-sized cars from the road. The commercial sector is being targeted because the campaign organisers, which include WWF, believe CO2 emissions attributable to lighting could be reduced by 80% just by turning off office lights and installing energy efficient lights. One calculation suggests that if all city office blocks installed motion sensor lighting the power saved could supply 13,000 homes for a year. City of Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, is of the view that, "Australia's commercial business sector is responsible for around 10 per cent of national greenhouse gas emissions,” so she wants businesses to get behind the campaign, while 22 year old Sarah Bishop, (pictured) will walk the thousand kilometres (1,200 miles) from Brisbane to Sydney to raise the same issues in smaller communities, in the two months preceding . ::Earth Hour, via the Sydney Morning Herald....
Cycling Rail Trails a Boost to Local Economies
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.24.06
Rail trails are based on disused railway lines being ripped up and their relatively level trackways being converted to recreational applications like walking or cycling. The idea really started to gather steam in the mid-eighties in the US, where these days the Rail Trail Conservancy supports about 13,600 miles (~21,900 km) of rail-trails. The concept of railway reuse has spread around world. In Western Australia, for example, old logging lines were converted to make sections of the almost 1,000 km (620 mile) Bibbulmun bushwalking track, which in turn inspired the Mudda Biddi bike trail. On the Australian east coast there is the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, of which a recent study found that cyclists had brought $2.3 million AUD in eco-tourism to local economies, over a single holiday weekend. As the head of the bicycle advocacy group put it, “It probably cost $4 million to build the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail so they can say they’ve got half their money back in one weekend.” The 94 km (58 mile) trail is a bitumen sealed track utilising the gentle gradients of unused rural railways to bring tourists to a country area, the financial impact of which was described as the same as introducing another crop to the region. ::Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, via the Border Mail....
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