- 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 January 14, 2007 - January 20, 2007
Total this week: 132
HyperBike: Hype or Hope?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 01.20.07
Is your first instinct that this is not a means of transportation but an exercise device that will soon be relegated to the ranks of many other gut-busting fads? Then ask yourself this: what would the inventor of the horse saddle have thought about a bicycle? Drop your prejudices and hesitations for a second, and give Curtis DeForest some credit for thinking outside the box. DeForest recognizes that major drawbacks of the modern bicycle include the exposure of the rider to accidents and the limited speeds which the average cyclist can maintain. The conventional bike places the weight of the rider above the wheels' spinning axis, an inherently unstable situation (as any cyclist forced to stop fast well knows). Also, conventional bikes use only leg-power, carrying the upper torso as dead weight. And did someone mention saddle-sores? HyperBike solves all those problems. And there is more to come, as this creative inventor's vision will get a boost from the NASA funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program in the development of the next model....
Green Seniors: Environmental Action. Age No Limit.
by Treehugger Interns on 01.20.07
It’s a bit of a cliché in environmental circles that we do what we do for coming generations – take the famous ‘Seven Generations’ quote for example. It seems interesting then, that the greenest age group in the UK, according to a recent poll, is pensioners. According to this BBC report, “over 90% recycle their litter, four out of five take showers rather than baths and 79% use low-energy light bulbs.”
The report features a number of senior eco-activists, including Joyce Emery, the co-founder of Green Seniors, a fledgling network of activists with the slogan ‘Environmental Action. Age No Limit.’ Emery, also known under her blogging name of Green Granny, told the BBC that as you get older, you realize that money and career aren’t everything:...
Invite Site: Handmade, Tree-free and Recycled Wedding Invitations
by Treehugger Interns on 01.20.07
Invite Site has been mentioned briefly on Treehugger before in Erin Oliver’s response to Sean’s post on another green wedding invite company. However, it seems about time they had their own post. As Erin points out, they do not make a fuss about their large percentage of treefree and recycled products, they simply state it as one of the features of each product.
Although this Treehugger has yet to get his hands on a live sample, the photos on the website look gorgeous – ranging from the funky to the formal, but all with that handmade feel. These are do-it-yourself invites, in that you are expected to set and print them, as well as assemble them where necessary. Each invite comes with all the tools you will need for the job, and the site’s ordering page offers a full trouble shooting service via their toll free number. They were certainly extremely helpful and informative when we called for some samples. [Written by: Sami Grover] ...
TreeHugger's Guides for How to Go Green
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 01.20.07
It takes research to live green. Googling and re-Googling our eco-queries is a big part of how we figure out how to get the job done in an efficient, tasteful fashion. Some changes are easy to make, some are bigger tasks and take more time, but either way, we think people should be able to smoothly access the pointers they need to green any part of their lives. The How to Go Green series is a user-friendly crash course through earth-friendly living. Jump in and find out How to Green Your: Workplace, Electricity, Furniture, Wardrobe, Meals, Water, Gifts, Lighting, Car, Heating, and Public Transportation. In the next few weeks we’ll be adding articles on Coffee & Tea, Dishwashing, Recycling, Home Cleaning, Personal Electronics, Women’s Personal Care, and plenty more. If you have a special topic you’d like to see dissected TreeHugger-style, just drop us a comment below and we’ll get our green sleuths on it. ::TreeHugger’s guides for How to Go Green...
Book Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 01.20.07
Did you know that hemp was once in wide-spread use but was made illegal by powerful lobbyists because of its threat to the paper industry as a better resource and threatened the synthetic drugs newly introduced to the market? Or that raw food (such as milk and homemade products) is better for you than pasteurized or irradiated foods, but its sale is illegal so these items are sold underground? Or that as of 2002, less than 2% of the US population is involved in food production? This isn’t your typical food book, and includes such far out things as eating weeds, eating road-kill, eating insects and everyone’s favorite - dumpster-diving for food and swag. Have I got your attention yet?
The book to read is The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved by Sandor Ellix Katz. For those who were around this summer to hear the Mackey/Pollan debate, this book adds more fuel to the fire of just how Americans get their food, and whether local, organic or something else is best. The author takes a fascinating look at food production today, and how it has changed dramatically from just a few decades ago. For instance, organic food was all that was offered prior to World War I &II, which lead to the introduction of pesticides. Many of our food regulations today are made to benefit industry and are no longer helping the public but harming it....
Bamboo Breakfast Tray & Bath Caddy
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 01.20.07
It’s the weekend so why not surprise your honey with a relaxing breakfast in bed? This bamboo breakfast tray found at Red Envelope has collapsible legs that fold under and lock for easy storage. Want to really spice it up? We also found a couple’s bamboo bath caddy which adjusts to fit your bathtub. It comes with two champagne flutes with slots to secure them as well as candles. ::Red Envelope...
Weather Channel's Heidi Cullen Bares...The Truth
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 01.20.07
A UK paper has tipped us off to a US TV broadcast development far more shocking than anything seen on Naked News weather forcasts: the truth. Per The Independent 'A leading climatologist on the Weather Channel in the United States [Heidi Cullen] has caused a squall in the industry by arguing that any weather forecaster who dares publicly to question the notion that global warming is a manmade phenomenon should be stripped of the American Meterorological Society Seal of Approval'. "It's like allowing a meteorologist to go on-air and say that hurricanes rotate clockwise and tsunamis are caused by the weather," she wrote in her internet blog. "It's not a political statement... it's just an incorrect statement." One commenter on Heidi's blog characterized her as a "Climate Hawk." Is that like a Neo-Climatologist? Just wondering. Anyway, cheers to Heidi, who knows which way the wind blows, and is not afraid to say it. She gets the TreeHugger seal of approval. Seals need pack ice too....
Checkmate: OMB Could Stonewall Climate Change Regulations Mandated By US Congress
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 01.20.07
Via AP:- "U.S. President George W. Bush Thursday gave the White House Office of Management and Budget broad new authority over federal agencies." One specific requirement: 'federal agencies are to install presidential appointees as their internal-agency regulatory heads, reporting to OMB'. And, according to the AP report, agency "guidance documents" -- recommendations that clarify regulatory provisions -- must undergo the same Office of Management and Budget scrutiny as regulations. Look below the fold for details from "OMB Watch." ...
Sundance: What Do You Want To Know?
by Kyeann Sayer, Nomad on 01.20.07
Starting Sunday, I'll be your Sundance avatar, a vicarious conduit to Park City's eco films, celebs and SWAG. Since the Lexus Hybrid-sponsored Project Greenhouse will offset its guests' travel, I can feel like a less indulgent celluloid-marinating avatar. The "eco-conscious lifestyle suite" will feature an array of destinations and products that you'll soon know all about, as well as a couple of green-minded projects. Frequently sighted biker Matthew Modine will preview his pedal-related pic. Ed Begley, Jr. will be on hand to chat about Living with Ed. Any questions for these guys? As Simran pointed out earlier, all of this is just the beginning. You'll get the skinny on films and filmmakers with planet-happy ambitions, other eco suites, and the Sundance Channel's new green programming. What else would you like to know? Tell me. And if you're a TreeHugger in Park City, drop me a line! ::Sundance Film Festival...
EcoSexuals - Love Through Verde Coloured Glasses
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 01.19.07
“I was dumbstruck, I think I ate my entire meal in silence. Pork plus NutraSweet? That was definitely our last date.” Even though he probably did recycle, this poor, hapless guy missed out due to an ethics misalignment. The San Francisco magazine recently ran a story on some new marketing segmentation that was deploying the term ‘Ecosexuals’. Seems Metrosexuals have already passed their use-by-date. Apparently this is supposed to be some new phenomena: guys and gals choosing their dates and prospective partners based on whether they use not-tested-on-animals shampoo, wear organic cotton chinos or eat dead critters. Hardly. E-Magazine were running stories like this a dozen years ago, and its been a long held notion that the best matches are those where values and morals are in sync. As we’ve reported before, dating services like Green Singles started out well over 20 years ago, as a paper based newsletter, but have, of course, embraced the web with gusto. And they are not alone out there in the online realm. We’ve also noted Green Passions in the past, but there is also Earth Wise Singles, Concerned Singles, Love Is Green and Human2Human as just some of the competition. “Ethical, green, fun-loving, non-smokers over 25” being the byline for the latter site. This narrowing of focus is particularly obvious in the cornucopia of vegetarian based dating sites. To mention Veggie Passions, Veggie Date and Veggie Romance is to shake a cucumber at but a few of the bunch. We are curious as how successful such eco-dating is. Did you find the love-of-your-life looking all starry eyed across a fair traded, shade grown coffee (with soy!) and organic chocolate cake? Was it the lines of their Prius or ixi that wooed you? Or maybe they brought a replaceable head style toothbrush the first night they stayed over? Give us the goss....
TreeHuggerTV Picks: Mobility & Transportation
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.19.07
When it comes to getting around, there are lots of options that use little (or no) gasoline, from those available to us today, like hybrid cars and biofuels, to those that are just on the horizon, like electric cars. TreeHuggerTV has been getting around to showcase some of the ways from getting to point A to point B while keeping it green.
1) For fueling options, check out what Lovecraft Biofuels has going on in Los Angeles.
2) Learn about the ascension of hybrid cars to the top of today's mainstream green options from Bradley Berman, editor of hybridcars.com.
3) So, who killed the electric car? Take a peek inside the film that explores why they've been systematically pulled off the roads.
4) Boston's AltWheels Festival eschews the typical green options to focus on the cutting edge of green mobility.
5) Take a ride with Comet Skateboards, who're proving that sustainability can bring different 'hoods together....
Oh To Be a Celeb at the Sundance Film Fest. . .
by Simran Sethi, Lawrence KS on 01.19.07
First, you get to rub elbows with your esteemed eco-colleagues like Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore, and Mark Ruffalo – all of whom are featured in the Festival.
Second, you get to nosh at spots like Oasis Café that work towards supporting local economies and global ones.
And third, you get kicking green swag. Sundance Channel shared the contents of the green goody bag with TreeHugger first. ...
Convenient Truths: Leonardo DiCaprio's Global Warning
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 01.19.07
We don't expect your videos to look as professional as eco-celeb Leonardo DiCaprio's new short film on global warming, but we do hope that the video, and the voice behind it, will ignite your inner activist, convince you to record your solution to climate change on camera and submit it into our Convenient Truths video contest.
Remember, we're looking for 1–2 minute pragmatic and inspiring videos that show us the steps you're taking to reduce your personal carbon emissions.
For all the procrastinators out there, the deadline to enter is February 28th, so please don't delay.
Insider's Tip: Enter two, three, four or more videos and increase your chances to win a piece of the nearly $30k valued prize pile, exposure on weather.com's climate change site, One Degree, and the packaging and distribution of your video on a DVD by Ironweed Films!...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 01.19.07
Business Week magazine goes Beyond the Green Corporation. “It’s closer than you think…”
Cuban oil-industry leaders meet to explore national alternative energy solutions…
In Chile, government workers are encouraged to lose their neckties to ease the air-conditioning burden…
Researchers at MIT have developed a system of vaporizing waste, spitting out ethanol…
Sanyo launches a clothes washer in Japan with Aqualoop water recycling technology…
As plans come together for the UK’s largest eco village, over 1,000 people are already on the waiting list…
Google Earth images show vast areas of carefully leveled rainforest…
Biodegradable bubble wrap packs popping pleasure and compost fodder…...
Honda to Advertise Fuel-Efficiency During Super Bowl
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.19.07
The Super Bowl is just a couple of weeks away, and for the second consecutive year, advertisers will take advantage of the huge audience to push their green cred. Honda has announced that it will air three ads during the mega-broadcast, one of which will highlight Honda's fuel-efficiency leadership (they have the highest fleet-wide fuel economy of any major automaker, after all). Last year's big game, watched last year by 141.4 million people, saw Kermit the Frog shill for the Ford Escape Hybrid and Toyota pitch its Camry Hybrid to the tune of $2.5 million for a 30-second spot. "The Super Bowl remains one of the best opportunities to reach a wide television audience in one shot," said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda. "Many Super Bowl viewers look forward to the commercials almost as much as the game, and Honda has taken this great opportunity to highlight a couple of its key brand values through fun and creative ads." We'll have to wait until the fourth quarter of the game to see if their 30 seconds in the spotlight will help them sell hybrid cars to the football-watching audience. ::PR Newswire via ::AutoblogGreen...
Adventure Ecology – ARTiculating Environmental Issues
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 01.19.07
What we like most about Adventure Ecology, apart from their eye-catching graphics and slick animations, are their cool mission statements: “Relax! Adventure is not just about packing your expedition gear and living in a tent, and Ecology is not just about digging out your tie-dye flares and chaining yourself to a tree. The only prerequisite for becoming an adventure ecologist is passion.” These guys are hitting the mark with their motivating action talk. The flashy Adventure Ecology website was mentioned on Most Huggable a few months back for their video game that’s designed to educate kids about the environment.
Adventure Ecology was brought to our attention again recently for another environmental mission called Adventures in Waste, but this one isn’t an animated story, it’s the real thing. Next month four visual artists, Gabriel Orozco, photographers Adam Broomberg + Oliver Chanarin and film maker Dustin Lynn will travel to Ecuador on the first of several ‘mini missions’ to ‘ARTiculate™ some of the world's most environmentally trashed regions with the end goal of then presenting work in response to their findings.’...
The Land Of A Thousand Suns
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 01.19.07
Solar power is always a hot topic over here in Israel. From April until around November, every day in Israel is a beach day. Most of the time however, Israelis are not running around on the beach in Tel Aviv playing matkot in the sun, but are busy bees going to work- usually at least 45 hours per week including Sundays. In the field of solar energy, it looks like the long hours are paying off for companies like Solel. "When we first started, people thought we were crazy. They don't seem so crazy anymore," says Eli Mandelberg from Solel, one of the world's biggest solar energy hopefuls, in Friday's Jerusalem Post. ...
I.D. Magazine January/February 2007: Celebrating the Collective
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.19.07
The above image is a fitting description for the January/February issue of I.D. magazine; subtitled "...the I.D. 40/All Together Now", it celebrates design as a collective, collaborative process, and there's plenty of green to go around. They've got events and installations, like Indestructible Language, in which conceptual artist Mary Ellen Carol proclaims, "It Is Green Thinks Nature Even In The Dark" on the side of a loft complex in Jersey City (page 35). Original TreeHugger Meaghan O'Neill covers Montreal's Canadian Center for Architecture's "Environment: Approaches for Tomorrow" (page 36), illustrating that no matter the philosophical differences, "designers must work with nature, not against it. The environment itself - not human demands on it - becomes the point of reflection." The issue also highlights some of the best in green product designs, including a shout out to Nau's sustainable fashion (page 56), the Eco Kettle (page 119) and LivingHomes green prefab (page 50). The heart of the issue, though, is "The I.D. 40" (starts on page 63), which profiles 40 design collectives from around the world, illustrating that multiple brains are better than one. ...
Compensating Carbon from the Football Field
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 01.19.07
In June 2006 Toronto’s Upper Canada College (UCC) decided to offset the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to the life cycle of the new artificial turf field installed on their campus. Together with the Athena Institute for Sustainable Materials they did an LCA study looking at the impacts of the turf from raw material acquisition through to manufacturing, transportation, use and maintenance, and end-of-life disposal. They also compared the artificial turf to a natural turf system (the baseline). They compared the baseline and the project using a functional unit of a 9000 m2 field over a 10-year period according to ISO 14044:2006 standards. ...
America's Only Fair Trade Town: Media, PA
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 01.19.07
There are 300-plus designated Fair Trade towns in Europe that all work to not only support fair wages but also to reduce their ecological impact. This is what inspired the town of Media, Pennsylvania to anoint itself as the first “Fair Trade town” in the United States. Located just outside of Philadelphia with a population of about 6,000, this means that the community has thoughtful and inspired consumers and retailers who want to use their buying power to improve the lives of others. To become a Fair Trade town, Media used five criteria, established by the British & European Fair Trade movements: 1) The Media Borough Council passed a resolution supporting Fair Trade, and committing to serve Fair Trade coffee and tea at its functions. 2) A range of Fair Trade products are readily available in Media’s shops and restaurants. 3) Fair Trade products are used by a number of local work places (such as law offices) and community organizations (such as churches). 4) Media coverage is provided and there is popular support for the campaign. 5) A local Fair Trade steering group from a diverse representation of institutions is working to ensure continued commitment to Fair Trade Town status. Via ::body+soul ::Media, Pennsylvania...
Azalea Launches Eco-Boutique
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 01.19.07
Azalea, a boutique in San Francisco for both men and women, just launched a new section to their website devoted to eco-friendly products. Called Eco-Azalea, it notes some retailers that we’ve seen before like Stewart + Brown, Loomstate, Nature Girl and Del Forte Denim. Eco-friendly threads are available for men, women and they have a section called the “Eco Beauty Bar” too (love the name, by the way). Opened in 2003, Azalea is known as one of the most fashion forward stores in the area (located at 411 Hayes Street, San Francisco). Soon to be added to the site are products from Pangea Organics, Bread Denim, The Mission Playground and Josh Podoll. Thanks for the tip, Heidi B.! Via ::Daily Candy and ::Hugg ::Azalea...
Laundry Tips
by Bonnie Alter, London on 01.19.07
Never mind what your mother taught you--turn down the heat on your washing machine and your clothes will still get clean. Asda, Britain's biggest seller of cheap clothes, has recommended that its customers wash their clothes at a lower temperature to save energy. From now on, Asda will be labelling all of its clothes with tags that recommend washing at 30 degrees centigrade (86F), instead of 40. They say that such a hot wash is no longer necessary because of improvements in the quality of laundry detergents and washing machines. A Cambridge University representative concurred: " Almost 60% of the total energy to make and launder a garment is used by the customer once they get the item of clothing home". Lower washing machine temperatures mean lower fuel bills and lower emissions from power stations. And don't forget to hang the clothes to dry outside, saving even more energy. :: Independent...
Electric Utilities Unite in Favor of Climate Change Bill
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 01.19.07
On Wednesday, Democratic Senators Feinstein and Carper received an unexpected endorsement for their recently introduced climate change bill. Representatives from six of the nation’s largest electric utilities gathered in Washington D.C. to announce their collective support for the legislation that proposes to cap greenhouse gas emissions. The Feinstein-Carper bill calls for electricity providers to reduce emissions by 25 percent of projected levels by the year 2020. If passed, this legislation would have a direct impact on the endorsing utilities: PG&E Corp, FPL Group Inc., Entergy Corp., Calpine Corp., Public Service Enterprise Group, and Exelon Corp. Together these utilities operate in 42 states and supply 15 percent of U.S. electricity needs. This endorsement is certainly noteworthy as the six utilities demonstrated a dramatic difference in ideology from the rest of the industry, whose trade association, the Edison Electric Institute, continues to oppose mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions. ...
How to Cope With Climate Change, Austrian Style
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.19.07
They have a race to run in Kitzbühel. People will be flying in from all over. Unfortunately it is warm this year and there is no snow on the course, possibly because of global warming, possibly because of the increasing amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. What to do? Bring in snow from higher elevations. By helicopter. Much of the cost of operating a chopper is fuel and they are spending $389,000 to import 100,000 cubic feet of snow. How much carbon is that?
Skiers are in denial :" F.I.S. president, Gian Franco Kasper echoed many of the prominent skiers in the sport when he expressed skepticism about long-term global warming. He prefers to call this season’s problems a cyclical phenomenon."::New York Times...
US House Passes "Long-Term Energy Alternatives"
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 01.19.07
Somebody Pinch Me: Activists and Politicians Work Together to Take On Peak Oil
by Treehugger Interns on 01.19.07
All-Terrain Cabin hits Toronto
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.19.07
The All-Terrain Cabin as shown here is NOT for sale. It is designed as a showpiece, put together by BARK, a British Columbia registered non-profit collective of designers + businesses committed to raising the profile of Canadian design and ingenuity internationally, to show that Canada is more than "maple syrup, raw logs, and handsome Mounties." If you just want the box, go here. If you want to see what a group of very clever young designers do with a very small space, go to the Metro Home Show in Toronto this weekend, because it is far more impressive in reality than you can see in the photographs, shown in our previous post. ...
Flywheels Coming Online for Power Storage
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.19.07
The idea of using flywheels as energy storage medium has been around for a while; this gyrobus tooled around Switzerland in the early 50's. In the 80's volvo played with a sort of hybrid, with a small diesel engine charging the flywheel. The big flat wheels held a lot of power but the rim spun at 3,000 RPM and there was some concern about what would happen in accidents or malfunctions.
As John mentioned in his earlier post, flywheels can be used to smooth out short-term variations in demand at power plants, which makes them more efficient, or more importantly,can be ganged together for storing energy from variable sources like sun or wind. Last week the California Energy Commission was impressed, saying "California has made a significant commitment to deploy renewable energy placing greater demands on the state's electric grid. Technologies such as Beacon's flywheel-based energy storage system provide attractive options." after studying a prototype 100Kw system packed into a shipping container....
TH Blog Love – Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 01.18.07
De Smog Blog: Science meet religion. Religion meet science by Bill Miller
‘A coalition of scientists and religious leaders, often at odds, have shelved their differences in pursuit of a common goal to protect the world from global warming, pollution, species extinction and other “reckless human activities.”’
EcoTravelLogue: WWOOFers Weigh In by Mary Grady
‘BootsnAll’s Vagabonding Travel Forum has been hosting an ongoing chat about these programs for a while now. SurfingDan weighs in: “I wwoofed in Italy and LOVED the experience. It was backbreaking work to be sure, but I went to bed every night stuffed on pasta and veggies and endless amounts of wine. If you really want to work and not treat it as a holiday or free room and board situation, you’ll love it. Otherwise, you stand to be disappointed I think.”’...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 01.18.07
I’ll link to that! A Swedish web marketing firm is challenging web heads to search-engine-optimize climate change… Famous for streets flowing with bicycles, the Chinese are flocking to the personal auto and all its related woes… Steven McCormick, president of The Nature Conservancy, calls for a truce in “the war on terra…” Illegally grown coffee may be ending up in the blends of major roasters’ like Kraft and Nestle, the WWF finds… An innovative flywheel energy storage system comes a step closer to smoothing out California’s grid… Robo-Builder, a mechanized house construction robot, is set to begin work in California…...
Erosion Sink by Gore Design Co.
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.18.07
Gore Design Co. specializes in designing and creating eco-friendly concrete products using a proprietary blend of reclaimed materials and industrial byproducts they call "Recycrete." We're fans of the "Erosion Sink," pictured above; its organic design is clearly inspired by what happens when water runs its natural course, and it would make quite a statement in a residence or business. Tempe, Arizona-based Gore Design also produces countertops, cabinets, fireplaces and furniture with similar aesthetics and eco-ethics, using materials like Plyboo (bamboo plywood) and formaldehyde-free finishes. There's a lot to see at their site, where you can get more info and dig in to the rest of their designs. ::Gore Design Co. via ::Apartment Therapy: Los Angeles ...
The TH Interview: Keith Johnston, Managing Director of GoinGreen, pt.2
by Treehugger Interns on 01.18.07
Keith Johnston is the Managing Director of GoinGreen, a company that has pretty much single-handedly created and developed the electric car market in London. GoinGreen’s main product is the G-Wiz, or Reva, a Californian-designed, Indian-built electric city car which we have previously featured here and here on TreeHugger. Keith has an extensive background in start ups, and in advertising and marketing. These skills have helped develop GoinGreen’s unique approach to marketing and retailing their cars, turning the traditional approach on its head. In part one of this two-part interview, Keith told us how GoinGreen began, he shared his thoughts on why London has proved such a successful market place, and he explained the principle advantages of electric vehicles. Now, in part two, he discusses GoinGreen's new product lines and future development, he talks about the flurry of eco-concept cars coming from Detroit, and gives tips on how the average treehugger can help support the clean transport revolution.
TreeHugger: You recently added liquid petroleum gas (LPG) powered Smart Cars to your product line, as well as offering a plug in conversion for the Toyota Prius. How successful have these additions been, and are there plans for further expansion?...
Besides the Wallpaper: Wallcovering Options
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 01.18.07
If you’re looking to jazz up your workspace or home this winter, we say focus on the walls. We guarantee your room will feel instantly decorated. TreeHugger picked its favorite wallcoverings not too long ago, and we have a few more ideas to add to the list that we grabbed from Domino. The first is embossed paper made of eco-friendly bamboo pulp. With a texture like sturdy cardboard, you can leave it white or paint it a bright color to get the juices flowing. They come with a peel-and-stick adhesive so that the tiles can easily be removed. These “Bud Wall Flats” can be found at Inhabit, along with a few other styles. The second idea we liked from Domino was recycled metal tiles. Made from 100% reclaimed aluminum or brass, their texture adds an extra element to your room. They are easy to install and maintenance is a simple quick wash with mild dishsoap and water. These tiles can be found at Eco-Friendly Flooring and are available in several different finishes. Via ::Domino...
Sundance Channel Sees GREEN
by Simran Sethi, Lawrence KS on 01.18.07
Tony Blair Under Attack Over Aviation
by Treehugger Interns on 01.18.07
Things have been difficult for the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on the green front recently. On the one hand he has made a point of forceful rhetoric regarding climate change, and funding some very real and important research such as the Stern Report. He has also introduced some impressive initiatives, such as the zero carbon homes commitment. On the other hand he is finding himself attacked for lack of progress on the ground in cutting emissions, and for not doing enough to lead by example. The latest of these attacks came from Tony Juniper, director of Friends of the Earth UK, after the Prime Minister signalled his continued commitment to a massive increase in aviation, and apparently suggested that personal sacrifices to save the planet, such as flying less, were ‘impractical’. ...
UK Government Offers Next Phase of Solar Grants
by Treehugger Interns on 01.18.07
For anyone in the UK thinking of installing solar power in their home, work place or community project, now may be the time. Phase 2 of the governments Low Carbon Building Programme is now up and running, meaning grants are available for up to 50% of a proposed project. Be warned however, applicants will be surveyed to show they are taking reasonable energy efficiency measures before they can qualify. We certainly can’t argue with that! More details can also be found at the Solarcentury website, where interested parties can contact their Carbon Solutions team for further advice. [Written by: Sami Grover]
...
TreeHugger Radio 16: GM’s Plug-In Hybrid, Al Gore’s Climate Boot Camp, and Convenient Truths
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 01.18.07
This week we get the Detroit report from TreeHugger’s Kristi Piziks, who bring us her first-hand impressions of the Chevy Volt. As Al Gore’s climate trainee program forges ahead, we caught up with Climate Project director Jenny Clad, as well as recent grad and NASA scientist, Maggie Turnbull. Also, Jessica Root explains how creative and inspired videophiles can use inspiration to help fight global warming in TreeHugger’s Convenient Truths user-generated video contest. This week’s music is The Pinkertones, courtesy of CalabashMusic.com. Keep your ears out for TreeHugger Radio every Thursday on EcoTalk, and right here on TH. (listen) ::TreeHugger Radio...
Potential First U.S. Hemp Farmer Gets Fingerprinted
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 01.18.07
A North Dakota man aims to be the first hemp farmer in the United States. That is, the first one since the practice was made illegal in 1938 and only allowed again temporarily as part of the WWII war effort. After 10 years of recent effort by North Dakota lawmaker David Monson, he is now poised to receive a license to grow the crop beloved by sustainability advocates -- as long as he gets fingerprinted first....
Google's Goals Include Carbon Neutrality
by EcoGeek.org on 01.18.07
An Google internal memo entitled "Big Goals and Directions," was recently leaked to the public. Amongst promises to expand advertising revenue another billion dollars, and to control spam in 20 different languages, Google also expounded on plans to increase its green power consumption to ten megawatts in the short term, and sees that as a step toward complete carbon neutrality.
Google searches stored copies of the entire internet millions of times daily, the hardware required to perform that amazing feat is not trivial. Google operates some 50,000 servers, each one consuming a good deal of power. Google has recently warned that the power consumed by servers is soon going to cost more than the machines themselves.
Estimates of Google's power consumption lie in the 20 to 30 megawatt range, so 10 megawatts of green energy is not an insignificant step toward carbon neutrality. Already, Google has 2 megawatts of solar online to help power its Mountain Valley complex, the Googleplex.
Where will the other eight megawatts come from? We're still waiting to see. ::Google Blogoscoped...
Sustainable Architects Duel Live in New York
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 01.18.07
If you ever watched Iron Chef and thought, “hm, they should do this with architects,” my friend, you are in luck. This Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at a yet undisclosed location in New York City the Master-Disaster Architect Duel III will take place. In this unique event devised by LVHRD (pronounced "Live Hard"), a surprise brief will be presented to the competing architects who then have to creatively solve the problem, build a model and present it to the live audience. At the end of three timed rounds the audience will decide which team won by secret ballot. An ecological and sustainable approach to architecture and urban planning will serve as the main platform for battle. Having a hard time imagining the scene? Check out footage from last year’s event here. ...
Spray-on Defense from WiFi and Cellphones
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.18.07
Ever since we first learned about the dangers of wifi from Fred Gilbert, we have eyed our router nervously and avoided cellphone towers, and followed news about electromagnetic forces. Thus we are so relieved to find that Clarins has come out with a spray-on mist that can protect us from EMF. 'If electromagnetic waves can penetrate walls, imagine what they can do to your skin!', According to the packaging you can 'Ramp up your skin care regimen with E3p Screen Mist, a new health and beauty treatment that helps protect your skin from all types of known pollutants, including electromagnetic waves. This mist acts as a shield, coating it with an imperceptible and invigorating film." Scientists at Clarins whipped up the "Magnetic Defense Complex" from ingredients found 2000 metres deep in the ocean and were elated-"We exposed our cell cultures to a frequency of 900 MHz in the presence of these two plant extracts and found that their structures hardly changed!" ...
The Doggy Dung Disaster: Book Review
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 01.18.07
I have to admit I found this book hard to read. Much of the time I just couldn’t make sense of the words on the page. Mostly because my eyes were filled with tears. Okay, okay, so I’m a soft touch for David & Goliath stories, of people overcoming great odds, especially when the result of their efforts is to benefit others. Which is one of reoccurring themes of this book. The Doggy Dung Disaster & Other True Stories is subtitled ‘Regular kids doing Heroic things around the world.’ If you’ve heard the story of six year old Ryan Hreljac and his mission to provide safe drinking water for villagers in Uganda (which we covered here), try multiplying that inspiration by 29 other equally passionate kids and you have some sense of the power of this slim little book. Kids from Canada to Columbia, Ethiopia to Vietnam are profiled by Garth Sundem, writing in a style that’s easily accessible to the target audience – kids eager for amazing stories of their peers in action. There is a whole chapter on incredible environmental endeavours undertaken by kids mostly still at skool. A biodegradable dog poop scooper (12 y.o. Japan), rainforest protector (8 y.o. Mexico), marsh turtle saviour (3rd grader, USA), plastic shopping bag nemesis (10 y.o. India), water use campaigner (18 y.o. Australia) and eco-cartoonist (12 y.o. Japan). For just $9.95 USD, Doggy Dung is like opening a treasure chest, rich with hope, heavily laden with motivating stories. As legless, Olympic gold medalist, Rudy Garcia-Tolson, at the tender, yet wise age of 15, knows: “a brave heart is a powerful weapon.” And what kid doesn’t want such a heart? Inspire them with this book....
Stacked Hotel Room
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.18.07
We talk a lot here about furniture that folds up and takes less space; we like it to be easy, efficient and neat. Bristol,UK artists Adam Dade and Sonya Hanney do this for art rather than interior design; they go into hotels, pack up all the furniture and photograph it. In an introduction to an exhibition in Birmingham, Simon Morissey described the process. “Each of the ten versions of Stacked Hotel Rooms ... had the same parameters. The artists check into a given hotel. They familiarize themselves with the room. They dismantle the room without being discovered and without causing damage to its contents. They arrange the contents into a stack formation of some kind, a volume within a volume. They take a photograph of it and latterly have also videotaped the process. They reassemble the room. Everything is back in its rightful place”....
South by Southwest Hops on Carbon Neutral Bandwagon
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.18.07
Known by indie film buffs, indie music fans and new media aficionados alike as an incubator for cutting-edge culture and art, the South by Southwest Music, Film & Interactive Conferences (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, has put another notch in its progressive belt by making the event and business carbon neutral. They've partnered with Green Mountain Energy Company, an Austin-based renewable energy market leader, to offset 100% of the carbon emissions arising from SXSW business activities. SXSW has offset 250 metric tons of carbon emissions (that's 100% of the footprint they calculated) by purchasing 376 megawatts of Texas wind energy carbon credits from Green Mountain Energy Company. In addition, the company has given a $5000 donation to the Austin Parks Department for the purchase and maintenance of native trees. But they aren't just writing a check without thinking about what creates the carbon in the first place. "It's important to say that SXSW is not simply offsetting its carbon emissions," said Una Johnston, SXSW's UK & Ireland Manager and Environmental Consultant, in a press release. "We are preparing an emission reduction strategy for the next four years as part of an environmental policy initiative. Roland (Swenson, SXSW's Managing Director) and Eve (McArthur, the Operating Director) have already taken steps to reduce our footprint by replacing the inefficient heating and cooling system in the office and adding insulation to the building. When SXSW takes place in March, the Festival will be working with Ecology Action of Austin to recycle all waste from our outdoor parties and events and will use biodiesel in generators and production trucks."...
What Can Be Learned From a Bowl of Chowder?
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 01.18.07
Scientists, activists, and regulators have developed an extensive list of indicators that are used to measure the health and well-being of the nation’s fisheries. However, in the case of Maine’s depleted fishery, one needs to look no further than a bowl of chowder. An article in yesterday’s New York Times points to the fact that depleted fisheries in the waters surrounding Maine have created a change in traditional chowder recipes for the first time in nearly two centuries. Up until the 1980s, Maine’s waters provided a plentiful array of groundfish which were a staple of properly made chowder. However, years of river damming, pollution, and overfishing have led to a disappearance of fish from areas such as Penobscot Bay. Subsequently, lobster is left to float alone in chowder bowls that were once teaming with cod, haddock, white hake and other groundfish. Obviously the ramifications of Maine’s depleted fisheries go well beyond a change in chowder recipes, but this example provides for an interesting reminder of the many pleasures that will be lost if we continue on a path of environmental neglect. Thankfully, Maine fishermen are starting to demand better management of local fisheries. After all, its a matter of survival for those who depend on healthy fisheries for a living....
Blue Marmalade: Functional and Funky
by Bonnie Alter, London on 01.18.07
What do two disgruntled Scottish designers who want to do something different call themselves? Blue Marmalade. The marmalade part comes from their respect for the quality and integrity of British design and manufacturing--what could be more British than marmalade. And the blue represents creating simple things with a twist. Hence, a company as unique as blue marmalade. Talking about imagination, the clever key hook (pictured) is made of completely recycled plastic. It can be mailed in an envelope, and the middle part pops out to become the key fob. This is just an example of their eco-friendly products that are easily assembled and made out of recycled plastic. They make the plastic in Scotland, sourcing it from different factories.
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Bamford & Sons - Organic Clobber - for Him
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 01.18.07
Bonnie already discussed the Bamford & Sons range of organic cotton and hemp fabrics used in garments and accessories, when she espied their Daylesford Organic Cafe in London. But given that women’s apparel get the lioness’s share of the pictorial representation we thought to show a peek at the line on offer for guys. Pardon the momentary indulgence. No doubt we’ll return to the increasingly diverse of women’s green fashion very soon. ::Bamford & Sons...
"Weird" Animals Need Protection, Too
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 01.18.07
Do people considered attractive receive better treatment? That argument's been made. It turns out this may be the case with animal species needing protections, also: cuddly-looking polar bears get lots of attention (which they should), while the more humble slender loris (shown above) may fall through the cracks. The Zoological Society of London's Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) program "...focuses on animals that have unique evolutionary histories and face immediate risk of extinction." While not all of these species may be odd-looking, their odd evolutionary histories (i.e. a freshwater dolphin) tend to leave them out of the loop when it comes to protected status:...
Easy for Staples to go Solar
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.18.07
It is hard to think warm fuzzy green thoughts about Staples. As a big box retailer it did for small corner office supply stores what Wal-Mart did for everyone else; It sells vast amounts of throwaway plastic things, formaldehyde funiture and disposable electronics. On the other hand, they now sell 100% recycled paper, remanufactured ink jet cartridges and toners, and take back batteries. They also know a good deal when they see it: They now have a 433 Kilowatt, 74,000 square foot photovoltaic installation on their warehouse and all they supplied was the roof. They got a $1.7 million grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and then the local utility designed, installed and financed the rest of the system. Environment Vice Pres Mark Buckley says: "Through our relationship with solar services provider SunEdison, we’re able to purchase solar energy off our rooftop at a rate below or equal to the cost of electricity off the grid. This reduces our operating costs while freeing up more electricity during peak times for use by local homes and businesses...“The solar power system is a win-win proposition for Staples and Connecticut. ” My first thoughts were why Staples got to toot their horn, they weren't doing much here, but a commenter set me straight.
::Staples Press Release via Environmental Leader
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Blood Levels Of Flame Retardants Correlate With House Dust Exposure
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 01.18.07
For this post put on your white lab coat. That way it's easier to say polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardant, a bioaccumulative, slow-to-break-down substance, concentrations of which, in human blood, have been found to correlate with concentrations of those same PDBE's in house dust. This is very important information for all TreeHugger readers. If there's a lot of PDBEs in you, or in your kids, odds are it happened from breathing and touching the dust in your house. How did it get into the house dust? That's exactly the question researchers are trying find a precise answer to. As reported in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, "New research published today [January 17, 2007] on ES&T’s Research ASAP website is the first to definitively link the PBDE concentrations found in people with the quantities of the persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) contaminants in dust from their homes. When considered in tandem with the U.S. EPA’s new assessments of PBDEs and data on the high concentrations of the contaminants in the dust of some U.S. homes, the findings suggest that children could be exposed to levels that put them at risk of developing neurological problems". See our unscientific technical and marketing analysis below the fold....
Turning Away From The Eagle’s Shadow
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 01.18.07
From, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette :- Not content with learning about avian mortality after wind farm installation, a point at which it's basically too late to do much about it, researchers have turned the tables on wind turbine risk, tracking raptor migration routes to map out places that wind turbines should be excluded. We’ve written at length about the common “eco-myth” about bird kills associated with wind farms. Yet we certainly acknowledge that there are key habitats and passages where turbines do not belong. We think it’s great that “The goal of the aviary study…is to produce maps that land managers, government regulators and the wind power industry will use to guide wind power development and turbine placement throughout the northeast. Golden eagles were selected for study because they are an "umbrella species," that migrate along routes shared by other raptors.”...
USB powered LED Lights My QWERTY: Goodbye CFL.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.18.07
The Havaleena Torch Lights at Inhabitat and Mocoloco are cute, but they don't do much except sit there. The D'Light from Boinq, on the other hand, lets us keep cranking posts through all hours with its 50's retro lampshade and bright LED, powered by the USB port on our computer or laptop. Between the monitor and the LED on my keyboard, who needs CFL's? Annoying Flash website at ::Boinq via ::Cube Me...
Missed Opportunity: "Strategic BioMilk"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.18.07
Dairy farmers must be unhappy paying more for corn to feed their cows while the corn growers are getting all the high prices and fabulous subsidies. We hear that there are mountains of butter and tons of surplus milk around the world- perhaps it is all about how you present yourself. Just reposition yourself as "Strategic BioMilk" And you are powering the subsidy train! 1938 ::Modern Mecanix via ::Make...
Housing Employees on the Roofs of Tesco
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.18.07
Our UK sources tell us that Tesco is sort of the Wal-Mart of the UK and is not beloved by all. We have found websites and Guardian articles that are less than charitable. However, they do one thing that we wish a lot of big boxes would do here: They build affordable housing on their roofs and dedicate a portion of it to their employees. A spokeswoman for Tesco said they hoped the scheme would be "beneficial for staff retention" in London, where they suffer from a high turnover of workers. She added: "It is being led in London because there is more need for affordable housing... the sites in London are more constrained so you need to be a lot more imaginative." One could be nervous that such an arrangement would be like the old company houses rented to miners that locked them in for life, but no, Tesco says that the flats will be sold to a housing association and staff will not be treated any differently to other tenants, retaining the right to stay in the property even if they stop working for the supermarket giant. I magine if all those big flat roofs throughout America had residential units for their workers built on top. They might even become a good place to live and work. ::BBC...
Arrgh, Stephane! Don't Do an Obama!
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.17.07
Here we are, getting all footsie under the table with new Liberal leader Stephane Dion, the new Great Green Hope, an environmentalist who can actually form a government, after a long intense relationship with Jack Layton and the NDP and a brief flirtation with Elizabeth May and the Greens, and you go all evil on us. According to the Star: "'It's also time to look at clean coal as a solution to meeting electricity needs while reducing harmful emissions blamed for global warming', Dion told a business audience in what was billed as his first major speech as head of the federal party. 'I think there are cleaner coal possibilities, we need to go there to invest in it and to be a champion in the world,' said Dion, noting university researchers in Saskatchewan and Alberta are looking into the potential."
Just read Grist reaming Barack Obama for supporting "clean coal": there is no such thing, and you will lose any credibility with green voters outside of Cape Breton and, um, Alberta and British Columbia and Saskatchewan... do we wonder now why you like clean coal?
You can be seriously concerned about global warming and controlling CO2 or you can pander to provinces where you would like to gain seats. We in Ontario and Quebec are watching.::thestar...
Big News: EEStor Says Something
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.17.07
Big News from EEStor
Finally some more news from EEStor, the incredibly secretive hypercapacitor funded by hotshot venture capitalists Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Our readers tell us that their patent describes barium titanate capacitors stacked in series with a very high operating voltage. Our commenters also expressed reservations about the difficulty of doing this, suggesting that "The manufacturing obstacles are significant, as are the market obstacles of getting anyone to drive around in a car with energy storage at 3500 Vdc."
Thus we are excited to find that a) they have "completed the initial milestone of certifying purification, concentration, and stability of all of its key production chemicals notably the attainment of 99.9994% purity of its barium nitrate powder.",b) that they have "been awarded a critical patent related to our technology and has 12 additional patents pending.", c) We have built a state-of-the-art facility and have exceptional personnel onboard." and most importantly, it "remains on track to begin shipping production 15 kilowatt-hour Electrical Energy Storage Units (EESU) to ZENN Motor Company in 2007 for use in their electric vehicles." -It is actually coming soon.
Meeting with EEStor CEO, Ian Clifford
I had the opportunity to meet Ian Clifford, the CEO of ZENN, a couple of weeks ago, and have rarely met a more straightforward and likeable CEO. I hope to be among the first to drive home in a new EEStor powered ZENN before the year is out.
Full press release after the fold.
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Snowkiting Expedition Promotes Wind Energy
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 01.17.07
We recently received an email from the ‘To Cross the Moon’ (2XTM) snowkiting expedition. Now we are particular enamoured by engine-less outdoor pursuits, so the idea of scudding across a winter landscape, having hitched a ride to the wind via parafoil does have appeal. But of more direct Treehuggery interest is that the trip was also an educational, awareness-raising venture. While Sam Salwei and Jason Magness attempted to snowkite across North Dakota, from Canada to South Dakota, an accompanying support crew was giving presentations to over 1,000 people throughout the state. Highlighting the potential for wind energy in North Dakota, which according to the team has the possibility of generating enough power to light up 32% of the USA. Perversely the expedition was called off after 12 days, due in part to lack of snow, partly attributable to global warming, which in turn is fed by our vast fossil fuel use. But in that time the guys covered 248 miles (400 km), one day doing 28 miles (45 km) in 90 minutes. A top speed of 35.8 mph (58 kph) was recorded, so there appears to be plenty of that wind stuff for Dakota to work with. ::To Cross the Moon...
Project Rejeaneration by Del Forte
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 01.17.07
In the past we’ve waxed lyrical about Del Forte’s ability to bring an engineered fit to women’s organic cotton jeans. But we’ve, seemingly, not made mention of another of their sustainability endeavours. It’s known as Project Rejeaneration, which funnily enough is about “Jeans regenerated.” Send used Del Forte denim back and they’ll either give you 10% of your next purchase (a bit like Terrapax’s 20% off) or alternatively, should you wish, they’ll donate your 10% to the Sustainable Cotton Project. The jeans themselves are crafted into a second generation of denim style. The current offering being this skirt designed by Janelle Pietrzak and selling for $350. Del Forte garments are sewn and finished in Los Angeles. ::Project Rejeaneration....
Henry Paulson: The Environment's Own Warren Buffett
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 01.17.07
Warren Buffet, the world’s second richest man, is following through on his plan to give the bulk of his $44 billion fortune to philanthropy. Although this is great news for everyone everywhere, Buffet’s cash won’t directly benefit any environmental organizations. The good news is that it looks like Henry Paulson, the US Treasury Secretary and former head of the investment bank Goldman Sachs, will be there to pick up the slack. It is believed that he is planning to give away the bulk of his $800m (£410m) fortune to environmental charities. ...
Building Green: Energy Efficiency and Aesthetics From The Same Materials (Part 2)
by Ted Owens, New Mexico, USA on 01.17.07
In the previous column, I gave a quick overview of the features of my solar straw bale home. I refer to this type of structure as a "hybrid home" because it makes use of the best elements of high and low technology. (More on this concept in a future article.)
In this column, I will discuss the natural efficiency of solar energy, and two simple ways to take advantage of it. To some, the idea of using sunlight to heat, cool, and power your home is still looked upon with some suspicion. This apprehension ignores the fact that the entire earth runs on solar energy....
Video: French Ad for March of the Penguins
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 01.17.07
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 01.17.07
This Chinese design competition winner puts a hotel resort deep in a quarry… What is the basis of all wealth?” asks Celsias. Answer right and win free advertising… Delewarians want wind power—and they’re willing to pay for it… While some American schools fight to keep an Inconvenient Truth out of the classroom, Scottish students will all have the chance… A simple guide to assembling cold frames can get your seeds sprouting even in the winter… The Ecomagination student challenge is ready for you to cast your vote… Model and fashion writer Victoria E bites into the question of whether H&M is green… ...
TreeHugger Picks: Clothing That Takes Action
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.17.07
TreeHugger has a pretty expansive clothing archive, filled with organic cotton, hemp, bamboo and other fabrics and apparel choices that are easier on the planet, but that isn't always enough for the activist-oriented TreeHugger. Here are some picks for clothing and accessories that do more than just hang off your shoulders.
1) A One Ton CO2 t-shirt will offset one ton of carbon emissions before you ever put it on.
2) This smart clothing mimics pine cones: it lets in air to cool the wearer when it is hot and shuts out air when it is cold.
3) Self-cleaning clothing, inspired by lotus leaves, trades the clothes washer for a damp cloth.
4) Solar-powered jackets like Scott Solar SeV Jacket and solar-powered denim jacket help you look good and use the sun's rays to your advantage.
5) Add a solar-powered accessory with Volaic's backpack or their newer bags, Solarstyle's messenger bag or the Power Purse for solar functionality out on the town....
2007 According to Kara DiCamillo: A Historic Year
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 01.17.07
The other posts in this series can be found here. The first one with an explanation of what this is about is here.
Kara DiCamillo, Newport, USA
I'm a little behind the ball when it comes to our 2007 series, but for good reason. I've been doing a ton of thinking lately about what has been accomplished in 2006, how I can even make it better for 2007 and what the year will hold for our industry.
Quick background: I've been writing for TreeHugger for two years now and I have to admit that I had no idea the opportunities that faced me. Back in 2005 when I started, not many people had heard of our little blog. There were only a few of us writing and reading it, we focused on design and post ideas were not as easy to come by. At least for me anyway. ...
2007 According to Bonnie Alter: Green from the UK
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 01.17.07
The other posts in this series can be found here. The first one with an explanation of what this is about is here.
Bonnie Alter, London, U.K.
In the U.K., two of the big themes for 2006 were environmental politics and food. The political scene was dominated by the decline of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s influence and the rise of David Cameron, the new leader of the opposition Conservative party. Cameron positioned himself as the poster child for radical green initiatives. He rode a bicycle to work, made plans to put a wind turbine on his newly green house and made the Labour party take notice. Their response: a budget that didn’t deliver any substantive deterrents to flying or driving. ...
2007 According to Eva Jacobus: Re-Imagining "Futuristic" In Shades of Green
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 01.17.07
No, it's not quite over yet. The other posts in this series can be found here. The first one with an explanation of what this is about is here.
Eva Jacobus, Boston, USA
2006 is going to be remembered as the year global warming, and all its associated inconvenient truths, finally made the big-time. (With the year closing out on an Arctic ice chunk the size of Manhattan unexpectedly breaking free from Ellesmere Island and George W. Bush acknowledging the plight of the polar bears, one can't help but think it's not a moment too soon. It's exactly the kind of thing our mothers warned us about so many years ago – always brush your teeth, date nice boys and girls, and beware of apocalyptic melting polar ice caps when global warming comes.) Which brings us to 2007......
How to Buy Green Produce w/Marion Nestle
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 01.17.07
TerraPass Partners with uShip to Offer "Carbon Balanced Shipping"
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.17.07
Following other transportation-related partnerships with Expedia and Ford, the folks at TerraPass have partnered up with online shipping marketplace uShip to offer carbon offsets for shipping. Not to be confused with Carbonfree Shipping from carbonfund.org, which is available when you make purchases from select online retailers, and TransNeutral shipping, which is a commercial shipping venture, uShip members can list anything they need shipped, from household goods to vehicles to freight, and receive bids from feedback-rated shipping providers, including movers, carriers, transporters, van lines, freight brokers, etc. They also offer independent service providers to join up with them and bid on your shipping job, making it sort of a Craigslist for shipping. The new partnership program, called the TerraPass Certified Provider Program, enables uShip service providers to balance out the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the shipment of goods by funding clean energy and efficiency projects. uShip calculates the monthly carbon footprint of service providers enrolled in the program using the weight and distance of shipments booked through the company. These emissions are then balanced by TerraPass through various projects like domestic wind farms, biomethane projects, and other energy efficiency projects. While such a program won't do anything to extinguish the "carbon neutral: good or bad" debate (and may only add fuel to the fire), shipping is a huge, dirty industry, and we think it'd be awfully nice to be able to move, ship furniture and more with a cleaner conscience. ::Carbon Balanced Shipping with uShip and TerraPass via ::Green Car Congress...
Convenient Truths: Make a Cool Move (and a Cool Video)
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 01.17.07
The videos continue to roll in as we move towards the Feb. 28th deadline for entering Treehugger and Seventh Generation's Convenient Truths contest. You can check out the latest entries by scrolling through the posts at the contest site; hopefully, they'll inspire you to create one of your own. Remember that any kind of action you're taking to lessen your own greenhouse gas emissions can be worthy of a contest video, and that video need not be "professional" -- capture it with a video camera, even the one on your mobile phone, and send it in. All entries have a shot at the almost $30,000 in prizes we're offering. Some of us can change our habits through will and repetition; others need support from family, friends, or some other kind of community. As you move forward on those climate-friendly resolutions you made for the New Year, you might want to consider joining one of the social networking sites aimed at creating communities dedicated to addressing the climate crisis. One of the newest is CoolMove.org. Founders Andy Lubershane and Alex Kieft took their inspiration from the film An Inconvenient Truth, and invite treehuggers to join them in taking simple steps towards lessening their carbon footprint. According to their site,...
100-Mile Diet: Bread!
by Siel, Los Angeles on 01.17.07
[Previous 100-mile adventure posts are here, here, and here] For would-be 100-mile-dieters with a life, sandwiches are de rigeur. But sandwiches are made of bread, and most people don't bake their own loaves. So -- How does one locate 100-mile-friendly bread?
After reading Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon's romantic story about finding a local, under-the-radar, passionate wheat farmer on Vancouver Island, I was determined to do the same. Then I read a bunch of farm bill related stuff -- which made it clear that California was growing a lot of wheat that its residents weren't eating -- and I started getting a bit depressed.
This is what I've found out: While California's a state that produces a good amount of wheat, finding bread made with Cali-grown wheat is no easy task. Why? Most Californian wheat appears to be designated for cattle. This wheat is not going to be yummy for bread-eating humans....
live|work: Access – A New Luxury?
by Tamara Giltsoff, United Kingdom on 01.17.07
I know that Branson has committed $1 billion to alternative fuel development in the next four years; I didn’t know he was operating a product service system (PSS) that is (almost) Treehugging, until Dave Chiu pointed it out to me. Limobike only really deserves a mention because it puts a service in place of a traditional product paradigm. It advocates the servicising of motorbikes. (But the motorbikes themselves aren’t that Treehugging being Yamaha FJR1300’s). Limobike is a passenger motorbike based in London. It provides the quickest and, apparently, one the of the most glamorous ways to get from A to B. Celebrities, business people et al use it to move around congested London or get to the airport. It’s a bit elite – clearly targeted at a niche market – but the concept does require some credit.
It’s a much more efficient way to shift people around an already congested city and the vehicle is accessed and used by many people – that is the beauty of PSS. Typically, with a service model, the vehicle is run and managed in a way that ensures optimum use and life out of it. It’s the providers’ incentive. ...
The Climate Change Backpack
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 01.17.07
Is that ice cream melting in your backpack, or just more evidence of global warming? Well, it may not be so simple, but the Climate Change Backpack is a teaching tool being offered by the Northeast Science Center Collaborative with the aim of making it easy for teachers on the go to educate kids about climate change anywhere it suits their needs... The backpack contains things like historical graphs, lab experiments, a play about climate change that kids can put on in school, an imitation ice core, and a compact fluorescent light bulb, just to name a few. And in keeping with the idea of making it easy to teach kids about global warming, its lessons are designed to expand or contract according to the audience and available teaching time. So far it's not just teachers across the Northeast that are using this tool either, because it's also in use in over 120 National Parks in the United States. And with global warming destined to be the defining issue of our kids lifetimes, I think this may be a tool that few schools should do without....
Biofuel for Airplanes? Perhaps Sooner than We Think.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.17.07
Who knows what will jump out and save us from running out of fuel and keep the airplanes flying. According to a website on Flight, "A NASA scientist is confident that within five years commercial aircraft could be powered using a type of biofuel derived from saltwater plants, or halophytes, grown in desert areas and irrigated using sea water. While the concept may sound far-fetched, engine manufacturer General Electric says it is following developments in this area "with interest", and a major oil company, which prefers to remain anonymous, says it is considering the idea to see how much benefit it has. Dennis Bushnell, chief scientist at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia, says 22 countries are carrying out small experimental activities into the cultivation of halophytes for use in food production, although he admits "nobody is doing this type of biomass for aircraft" at this time. Nevertheless, Bushnell sees "no stoppers" to augmenting halophyte-derived biomass to produce biofuels capable of powering aircraft."
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Download and Print Out Your House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.17.07
Robot-built housing is coming. The first to be built is by Behrokh Khoshnevis at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, who will soon unleash his $1.5m (£940,000) robot. “We will be able to build curves and domes as easily as straight walls. “Your shoes, clothes and car are already made automatically, but your house is built by hand and it doesn’t make sense.” his system is "a fabrication process by which large-scale parts can be fabricated quickly in a layer-by-layer fashion."... "which combines ancient surface forming concepts with modern robotics technology" The researchers in Los Angeles claim their robot will be able to build the shell of a house in 24 hours. “Compared to a conventional house, the speed of construction will be increased 200-fold and the building costs will be reduced to a fifth of what they are today,” said Khoshnevis.:;Watch Professor Khoshnevis's amazing powerpoint show on how it works in construction. or visit his website here...
Good Enough to Eat
by Bonnie Alter, London on 01.17.07
There are so many natural skin products on the market that it is tricky to figure out which to choose. Finnish women have beautiful, pale, flawless complexions, despite the harsh winters. So here is skin cream from Finland with luscious ingredients that sound so, well, Nordic, that it is hard to resist. Lumene creams contain natural plants from the Arctic circle of Finnish Lapland, such as Arctic blackcurrant, cloudberry, cranberry and Arctic Sea Buckthorn. Other ingredients include Arctic Peat, spring water, water lily nectar and pine and willow bark extract. Lumene claims that the clean rivers, forests and marshlands of the Arctic Circle contain rare flora, with special nutrients not found anywhere else. The Arctic cloudberry - a precious yellow berry from the Arctic circle - is not only the most nutritious of the wild berries, but was so valued by the last nomadic people of Europe, the Sami, that theft of the berries stocked for winter was much feared. Lumene don't do animal testing, and they use recyclable materials and a minimum of packaging. And does it work? Who knows, but worth a try for those in northern climes. :: Lumene
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Dragspelhuset: the Accordion House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.17.07
There are so many reasons houses get designed the way they do. The charm of this design is that it expands and contracts according to climate, making a larger space in the summer and a smaller, easier to heat space in the cold Swedish winters. However, as is so often the case, 24H-architecture had another motive- zoning restrictions that limited the additional space to 300 square feet and restricted the setbacks. Temporary structures are subject to different rules, so as soon as the building inspector leaves, they roll out the addition on steel rails and double the space. “I’m an enormous Frank Lloyd Wright fan,” says [Architect Boris] Zeisser. “I’ve been to Fallingwater five or six times, and that’s what I wanted—to have my house over the stream.” ...
Canadian Water in Corn-based Bottles
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.17.07
Tyler Hamilton, who seems to be quoted here daily, discovers +1 Water, a "socially responsible alternative for people who buy bottled water." It is the first Canadian water packaged in Natureworks PLA, the corn based biodegradable plastic used in the UK for Belu water, and like Belu, a significant portion (20%) of their profits are donated to water based charities, including the Hippo Roller project beloved of TreeHugger. So we still have a carbon footprint shipping it, but we can all feel better about not using PET bottles, right? Perhaps not. The +1 site says that PLA bottles "are best suited for disposal in industrial based composts." However in the UK where Belu has been around for a while, the website Letsrecycle looked at what has happened to the bottles and it isn't quite what it was cracked up to be. ...
Survey: Do Nukes have a Place in Our Future?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.17.07
Bill McDonough says " I love nuclear energy! It's just that I prefer fusion to fission. And it just so happens that there's an enormous fusion reactor safely banked a few million miles from us. It delivers more than we could ever use in just about 8 minutes. And it's wireless!" TreeHugger's Tim McGee thinks Thorium powered Nukes might be a good idea. Christine points out that nuclear is back on the table in many European countries. General Electric paints itself green but still believes in Nukes. Canada is thinking about using nukes to make gasoline.
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Kyoto in Action: Gazprom and Dresdner Announce Carbon Trading Venture
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 01.16.07
A joint venture between the Russian energy group Gazprom and Germany’s Dresdner Bank was announced today. By investing in clean-tech and efficiency projects in Russia and other Eastern European countries, the duo plans to rack up carbon credits that can then be traded on international carbon markets. Expected to become a top player in carbon trading, the joint venture is expected to open up an estimated $19.4 billion market (€ 15bn).
In an effort to lower carbon emissions in the former Soviet bloc countries, a carbon credit is awarded for each ton of carbon dioxide avoided by companies operating in the region. Thus, interesting investment opportunities arise that generate carbon credits.
Gazprom stands to gain an estimated $2.6 billion (€2 bn) in carbon credits from optimizing its own operation - simply by fixing leaks and overhauling its own compressors. This is an example of how investments in clean technology are rewarded under the Kyoto protocol.
It’s not all peaches and cream though. There is an unfortunate side effect of decreased carbon emissions in the former Soviet bloc countries. Additional carbon credits flooding the European market – up to 10% by some estimates – will lower the price of carbon credits making it cheaper for European companies to emit green house gasses. ::Financial Times...
Phoenix Motorcars Sells Out!
by EcoGeek.org on 01.16.07
Before their first all-electric sport utility trucks even exist, Phoenix Motorcars has orders for their first run of 75 vehicles. The SUTs are using a new kind of lithium ion battery that, while less power-dense than current batteries is much safer and will not explode if damaged.
The cost of the SUTs is still unknown, but is likely to be in the $40-$50,000 range. All but one of the trucks were purchased by municipalities, the other one was purchased by a 'utility.' So, alas, no private owners yes.
However, Phoenix is about to do crash testing on it's first five trucks and, after that, they'll be producing a round of 500 vehicles during 2007. When those cars start rolling off the line, it'll be time for us all to start taking out our executive wallets.
::AutoBlogGreen ::Hugger JiltedCitizen...
Economist Listens to Readers on Ethical Food
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.16.07
We were quite critical of the Economist when they wrote about the Politics of Food two weeks ago. To their credit, they have published an entire page of letters, all except one critical of their stance. Comments included "We cannot make large-scale improvements without involving popular majorities and one of the best ways to do this is to invite people to think about their decisions and vote with their wallets. Shopping for ethical-food labels is just one of many types of individual actions that make a difference and the impressive growth of such products is evidence that this is working."
and "You also made much of the thoroughly discredited claim that organic farming requires more land to be brought into cultivation. Recent research by Danish and American scientists suggests that if all agriculture was organic, the slight decrease in yields in the northern hemisphere would be more than matched by overall increases elsewhere, leading to a slight increase in total food production." ...
Ronald Bailey: "No one paid me to be wrong about global warming"
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 01.16.07
Ronald Bailey is Reason Magazine's science correspondent, adjunct scholar at CATO and CEI, and editor of the 2002 book Global Warming and Other Myths: How the Environmental Movement Uses False Science to Scare Us to Death. He's been a high profile global warming "skeptic", attacking both the science and the possibility of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, he also testified before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources on "The Impact of Science on Public Policy" and said in 2004: "Finally, in the real world, absent transformative technological breakthroughs in energy production, whatever the chances that average temperatures may one day exceed 2 degrees Celsius, there is absolutely no chance that steep emissions reductions scenarios are even remotely possible."
Well, it seems that Mr. Bailey has changed his mind and is now trying to explain his past position (we'll leave it up to you to decide if he's convincing, but he deserves credit for the detailed mea culpa) while recognizing the existence of global warming some more. The news is a bit old now, but somehow we missed it back then. ::Confessions of an Alleged ExxonMobil Whore, via ::MetaFilter. See also: ::Michael Shermer on Global Warming: "data trumps politics", ::Sir David Attenborough Condemns Climate Change, ::The 4 Stages of Global Warming Denial...
How Can I Recycle This?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.16.07
Recycling bottles, cans, paper and some plastics has become pretty easy for a lot of us; just drop it in the bin and leave it at the curb, or, in some cases, gather it up and take to a local center, and that's it. The system is pretty painless and benefits us (less trash lying around) and our planet (less junk in the landfills), but what do you do when it comes time to recycle less common items like busted earphones or popped bubble wrap? Thankfully, there's How Can I Recycle This?, a UK-based site dedicated to coming up with creative ways to reuse many common items that are usually discarded without a second thought. From things like shiny foil candy wrappers to plastic twist ties and used calendars and diaries, they've got lots of ideas for quick and easy recycling for random stuff, but that's really only part of the story. About half of their entries are for ways to reuse stuff as well: things like tiny bits of soap, molded polystyrene and old potatoes -- items which are past their prime but still can be useful, even if in a non-traditional or downright weird way. For the foodies, they've recently launched a sister site, Compost This, which tackles similar questions related to the viability of certain food waste in your compost heap or bin. Between the two, we don't think there should be much that absolutely has to be thrown away anymore. ::How Can I Recycle This? and ::Compost This via ::Apartment Therapy LA...
The TH Interview: Keith Johnston, Managing Director of GoinGreen (Part 1)
by Treehugger Interns on 01.16.07
Keith Johnston is the Managing Director of GoinGreen, a company that has pretty much single-handedly created and developed the electric car market in London. GoinGreen’s main product is the G-Wiz, or Reva, a Californian-designed, Indian-built electric city car which we have previously featured here and here on TreeHugger. Keith has an extensive background in start ups, and in advertising and marketing. These skills have helped develop GoinGreen’s unique approach to marketing and retailing their cars, turning the traditional approach on its head. In part one of this two-part interview, Keith tells us how GoinGreen began, he shares his thoughts on why London has proved such a successful market place, and he explains the principle advantages of electric vehicles.
TreeHugger: GoingGreen started after founders Steven Cain and Nick Hewson took a trip to India and discovered the Reva, a Californian-designed, Indian-made electric car. Can you tell us a little bit about how GoingGreen was born, and how you have got to be one of the leading electric vehicle [EV] retailers in the world?
Keith Johnston: When they came across the prototype of the Reva in India, they were aware that London would be introducing the first congestion charge zone. They also knew that emission free vehicles would be exempted from that charge. At the time there were no emission free vehicles in London, so they saw this as a commercial opportunity, as well as an environmental one....
TreeHugger Radio Looking for a Sponsor
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 01.16.07
TreeHugger Radio (you can listen to past episodes here) is currently looking for a sponsor. If you are interested or want more information, please contact advertising [at] treehugger [dot] com or call 212.941.4603. For more information on advertising in general, see our ads page.
Without getting too sentimental about it, we'd also like to thank all our past, present and future sponsors for allowing us to give away for free so much text, audio an video content to you, the reader. 10,000 articles in the archives, almost 50 TreeHugger TV episodes, 15 Radio shows and daily and weekly newsletters. That would not have been possible a few short years ago, so thank you Internet, and thank you sponsors!...
LED Loom Lamp from Julian Lwin
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.16.07
We're starting to see LEDs step out a little bit, signaling what appears to be the beginning of the transformation process from conceptual wunderkind to everyday, practical lighting solution. Designers like Yves Béhar (whose Leaf LED lamp got double coverage), the folks at Luceplan and Sven Adolph have embraced the technology and are showing the world that not only can they do everything other lighting can with a fraction of energy use, they can do things traditional lighting cannot. The latest to enter the ring is a new lamp from Julian Lwin, who breaks some new ground with his LED Loom Lamp. It's the first one we've seen that combines organic materials and looks (using a traditional loose hand weave of sustainably managed Ash coppice woods) with the ultra-efficiency possible with LEDs. The materials, local to upstate New York, are used to construct the first in a family of ‘organic technology’ products. We've seen excellent examples of Lwin's work before; his Urban Herbarium, Biodegradable Biotube Bench, Urban Oasis and Galapagos Table have all graced these pages before, but we've never featured his lighting until now. We hope it'll be the first of many. ::Lwin Designs via ::MoCo Loco...
Non-RoHS Compliant Cell Phones May Be "Dumped" In China, Latin America, and US
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 01.16.07
This is a good news-bad news post. The headline is obviously the bad news. From Tierramérica (a cool site for green policy wonks) we learn from Stephen Leahy that "Cellular telephones that contain toxic chemicals are still being sold in Latin America and other developing regions. But thanks to strict European regulations, there are progressively fewer phones being made with cadmium, lead and other dangerous materials." Sorting out the compliaint ones is difficult because "A mobile phone can contain 500 to 1,000 components. Many of these contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium, and hazardous chemicals, such as brominated flame retardants (BFR)..."As a result of RoHS, a number of mobiles can no longer be sold in the EU," said Alhajj [with GreenPeace]. "Those phones are going to be sold in China, the USA and Latin America."" Is the USA, then, in the same class as "developing" nations when it comes to product end of life management? Not entirely, as a Michigan USA business has found their opening in the world of cell phone re-use throughout the Americas, with or without government directive: "Potentially, tens of millions of old phones will be collected and sent to a company in the U.S. state of Michigan called ReCellular Inc., which sorts, erases all data contained in the phones' electronic chips, cleans, tests and re-sells them". That's the good news. Image credit: this site....
Cleaning Sh*t Mountain Without High-Tech Gadgets
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 01.16.07
It was about eight years ago and I just decided to live in Israel when one of my hippy friends, Tara Hart, emailed me about a program she had recently seen on TV- how the garbage mountain created in the center of Israel near the Ben Gurion Airport was posing to be a great danger to airplanes. That’s because birds scavenging for food were getting caught in propellers, wrecking all sorts of damage to large metal flying structures that wingless humans use for transportation. Since then, the garbage mountain, affectionately known by locals as Hiriya (a play on words in Hebrew that literally means “Sh*t Mountain”) has ceased to become operational. The government is taking action to clean the mountain up and turn it into part of the central park system that extends along the Yarkon River to the sea. To ensure water runoff and nearby streams stay clean, decision-makers have opted to use the biological waste purification method, which according to Ha’aretz, is a science that has been developing all over the world for many years now. ...
Facing Smog and Sluggish Traffic, Beijing Upgrades Its Public Bus System
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 01.16.07
The traffic in Beijing is so bad, and the city so large, it is said that even its most efficient denizens can only accomplish one task per day. Hoping to change that local wisdom, the Beijing transportation bureau managed to do a few things one day in late December: it announced new bus fares, a reorganization of the bus network, a massive increase in public transit spending, along with mentions of transit hubs and BRT—all aimed at transforming Beijing’s uncomfortable but necessary relationship with the bus. While the percentage of people using public commuting systems in developed countries is as high as 50 to 60 percent, in Beijing—where new cars hit the streets at the rate of 1,000 a day—public transit use hovers around 30 percent. (For more on the city’s transit quagmire, check out an article I did for That’s Beijing that was recently posted at China Dialogue)...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 01.16.07
GreenEmotor is a maker of electric scooters ideal for peppy local motion… Leonardo DiCaprio has green plans for his private island off the Belize coast… The National Association of Evangelicals joins hands with the science community over issues of the environment… British chain store Marks & Spencer sets its sights on carbon neutrality… Stylish, engineered green wear from Nau is on the brink of arrival… A new mini doc uses imagery from Google Earth to illustrate the damage done to the Wyoming’s Upper Green River Valley… The Breathing Earth maps real time simulation of carbon emissions, births, and deaths around the world…...
Microsoft Tries Again with E-Toilet
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.16.07
A couple of years ago the net was agog with news that MicroSoft was issuing the iLoo, a portable toilet with internet access. Alas it turned out to be fairly fragrant vapourware, and never appeared. It also was basically a chemical toilet and not particularly green. Thus we were thrilled to see the new eToilet, which not only "plays music from Zune, surfs the web, and monitors personal hygiene" but is based on a composting toilet. "Americans spend an average of two weeks per year in the bathroom," Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told a group of IT professionals during an invitation-only party following the conclusion of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "And as part of Microsoft's efforts to continue to make inroads in the home, we fully plan to capitalize on that time." It appears to be an international joint venture combining the Swedish Multoa Manual with the latest Microsoft software.
The eToilet is not unlike a regular toilet in its basic functions, but includes a 21-inch flat-screen monitor built into the toilet lid itself that swings out on a swivel arm when in use. Many of its functions are activated by touch, and the eToilet contains a proximity sensor that will protect the screen from spray during use or flushing....
Intelligent Ventilation and Shading in Buenos Aires Building Design
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 01.16.07
(In collaboration with Lloyd Alter) This hip construction in Las Cañitas neighborhood (Palermo, Buenos Aires) might not be the greenest concerning materials, but its merit resides in the way the ventilation and lighting-reflection were thought, and also in the way it aims to incorporate some familiar-house elements into its apartments. The main characteristic of the apartments is that because the building is situated in a broad piece of land, the units could be organized in a way that they all have cross ventilation (the transit area, stairs and patio is in the middle of the units, which are divided into two sets of four apartments). On the other hand, each of the apartments is divided in two levels, both with a terrace and a balcony closed in the front by a horizontal solar shading system, which protects them from the pedestrians view and also reduces solar gain. This open-air shadowed space acts as an energy-saver-cooler for the units in the building. Another interesting fact of the building is that all the units were thought as “little houses”. Cars and people enter by the same place: a low platform with wooden floor, which serves as parking at night and as playground during the day... ...
Campus of Hope by Studio Luz Architects
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.16.07
The P/A Awards from Architect magazine are out; "Every year, five respected members of the design community sit down in a room for two days to determine the current meaning of the words “progressive architecture” and select projects that fit their definition." recognizing that architecture is "about community, and individuals, and the issues that affect people on a local and a global scale" You can see them all here, but we found the citation to Studio Luz to be the most interesting.
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Grain Sacks Never Looked So Good
by Bonnie Alter, London on 01.16.07
Old canvas bags have never looked so good. These antique Hungarian grain sacks date from 1910-1930. They are handwoven with flax linen, which is known for its durability and strength, and is said to be two to three times stronger than cotton. The weaver would often embroider his initials on them so some come "monogrammed". The stripes, some are red, others blue, indicate the mills where they originated. They have such history and character when made into beautiful pillows, with vintage buttons, and would look wonderful at home or on the patio in summer. Made by a couple whose studio is on an old french fishing boat; check out the brooding photos of wrecks of boats on the Devon coast by the former fashion photographer who is one half of the design team. The other half makes large carry bags out of the same fabric, with long leather shoulder straps, which are impossibly desirable. There must be limited amounts of these grain sacks in Hungary, so think fast.... :: mfv53...
Th Better than Uranium
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 01.16.07
Naturally, I'm speaking of Thorium (Th) here, my perennially favorite nuclear material. In the face of CO2 restrictions, and new energy policies, nuclear power promises to be a sector of our power portfolio. The E.U., North America, China, India and others have left the door wide open for nuclear energy development. However, in the respected journal Nature, there was recently published a little bad news- 'Canned Nuclear Waste Cooks Container' - storing nuclear waste looks more difficult then we expected. But, not all nuclear waste is created equal, and Thorium offers compelling possibilities when it comes to thinking about waste. ...
NY Chef Urges Congress to "Stop the Blandness!"
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 01.16.07
If you want a comprehensive take on national farm policy, ask a chef -- right? While the logic of that statement may escape some, Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of New York's Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the creative director of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, argues that chefs should be among the most concerned about upcoming debates over the farm bill for one simple reason: "...the food that we grow on 200 million acres of harvested cropland is inedible."...
Bamboo Sheets Keep Germs Out of Bed
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.16.07
For those germaphobes or laundry challenged, we learn from the Wall Street Journal about antibacterial bedsheets. They list a couple of brands treated with silver, another with copper, but also bamboo sheets from Elite Linens. "these sheets and pillowcases are made from bamboo fibers that the company says wick away moisture, block bacteria growth and are comfortable for people with night sweats. Some buyers may not like their shiny look." We have seen claims about bamboo's antibacterial properties before and looked further. It appears that "The natural antibacterial properties of bamboo fabric come from an inherent quality of bamboo commonly called “bamboo kun.” Bamboo does not require the use of pesticides due to this natural antifungal antibacterial agent. It is rarely attacked by pests or infected by pathogen. The same natural substance that protects bamboo growing in the field, functions in the spun bamboo fibers." ::Wall Street Journal More on antibacterial goodness below the fold. ...
Growing the Sustainable Web
by Stephen Filler, Tarrytown, New York on 01.16.07
Perhaps the most important proposal affecting sustainability currently before Congress has nothing to do with the environment -- at least not on its face. It’s the “net neutrality” law that was introduced last week that will assure that the Internet remains single-tiered, and is not divided into a fast lane and a slow lane (see story here).
Any website today, no matter how big or how small, has equal access to web users. For years, however, cable and telephone companies, have advocated for a two-tiered Internet that will grant users high-speed access to companies who pay large fees. Users of start-ups’, non-profits’ and individuals’ websites who can’t afford the high fees will be relegated to second class.
Although the battle is being portrayed as pitting supporters such as Google, Yahoo, and Amazon against carriers such as Verizon, AT&T and Comcast, it has critical consequences for all of us. Net neutrality is necessary to preserve the Internet’s role in promoting new businesses, free expression and the collaboration necessary to move us toward sustainablity.
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Any website today, no matter how big or how small, has equal access to web users. For years, however, cable and telephone companies, have advocated for a two-tiered Internet that will grant users high-speed access to companies who pay large fees. Users of start-ups’, non-profits’ and individuals’ websites who can’t afford the high fees will be relegated to second class.
Although the battle is being portrayed as pitting supporters such as Google, Yahoo, and Amazon against carriers such as Verizon, AT&T and Comcast, it has critical consequences for all of us. Net neutrality is necessary to preserve the Internet’s role in promoting new businesses, free expression and the collaboration necessary to move us toward sustainablity.
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David Suzuki Slams Greenwashing Politicians
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.16.07
TreeHugger hero David Suzuki doesn't believe all the green talk coming out of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. "This is all political posturing," he said yesterday. Suzuki said it was hard to believe the Conservative's government's sudden conversion, given that one of the first things it did after taking power a year ago was announce that Canada would not be living up to its Kyoto commitment on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. And, Suzuki added, when "I met Mr. Harper before he was even the leader of the party ... he was denying that global warming was an issue."
Suzuki said it's not going to get any better if it simply becomes a political fad. "I don't think we can make global warming and environmental issues a political issue. Otherwise parties start jockeying and saying `I am greener than them.' "This is a fundamental issue that affects all of us regardless of whether you are right or left wing and we have got to get on with it." ::The Star
In more Canadian news, we learn from Eco-Sherpa that New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton doesn't just talk the talk but walks the walk with solar panels, triple glazed windows, low flow toilets and high efficiency appliances. Watch Olivia Chow lead a tour of the house via youtoube at ::Annex Crier...
Tobacco Farmers Make Ethanol from Sweet Potatoes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.16.07
The Economist Discovers Geo-engineering
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.16.07
The Economist magazine looks at geo-engineering: the the magic technical fix that will solve global warming. As they note, the idea has been around for ages; a 1965 report "nonchalantly proposed dealing with the results by dumping vast quantities of reflective particles into the oceans, to increase the amount of sunlight reflected into space." Other more recent ideas (oft discussed in TreeHugger) include "seeding the skies with compounds to encourage the formation of low-lying, cooling clouds; building a giant sun-shade in space; and dumping iron in the oceans to encourage the growth of algae that would take in carbon when alive and trap it in on the sea floor when dead." and "the most promising idea may be to spray tiny sulphate particles into the upper atmosphere, where they will reflect incoming sunlight. Nature has already done the proof-of-concept work: volcanic eruptions spew such particles into the air, and the cooling effect is well documented." They do come to the appropriate conclusion: "You can look at climate change as an experiment which mankind has―to its horror―found itself performing on the planet. To start a second experiment, in the hopes of counteracting the first, would be, to put it mildly, rather risky." ::Economist and see earlier ::Worldchanging and ::New York Times...
Design Against Crime for more Sustainablility
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 01.16.07
Last week I wrote about the Sweet Dream Security products and some of you didn’t agree with me that these should be considered sustainable design. Ok, those products could be made from eco-friendlier materials but what I’m interested in here is the role of the designer against crime. So let me tell you about the UK-based research centre Design Against Crime (DAC).
Contemporary concepts of using design to impact crime and fear of crime have been around since the sixties with writers and researchers like Jane Jacobs (The Life and Death of the Great American Cities) and later, Oscar Newman (Defensible Space).
The DAC Research Centre, headed by Prof. Lorraine Gamman, based at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, have taken the approach further and are benchmarking good practice as well as seeking to create new examples through design. They employ graphic design to map out different crimes and as an important tool to communicate and raise awareness. For example techniques for theft. But DAC also concept prove and test products. An example is the Grippa project initiated in 2004. The aim was to create ‘anti bag theft furniture' and ‘anti bag theft furniture accessories' for bar and restaurant environments and test those for effectiveness in reducing theft as well as avoiding forgotten or abandoned bags which leads to a safer and cleaner environment. Even though the objects created were tested in a UK restaurant chain and have attracted UK manufacturing interest, DAC are not so keen on mass-producing. Marcus Willcocks, DAC designer and researcher, told us ‘it’s more about research and communication and about changing ideas than simply creating and selling more products.’ DAC considers that customising existing furniture to fit each bar or restaurant’s style and environment can make more sense than getting them to throw out the old fittings for new ones. ...
A PC The Size of your Phone Jack?
by EcoGeek.org on 01.16.07
Well, maybe it's a bit bigger than a phone jack, but this "desktop computer" is built to be installed in a wall, with cords for the mouse, the keyboard, the speakers and the monitor running out of it. And at peak use, it only draws about five watts of power.
Absolutely remarkable! The manufacturers of the Jack PC are calling it a "desktop" but it isn't quite what we think of as a computer. For one thing, it doesn't have a hard drive. So how does it work? Basically the Chip PC can either connect to a local network and use the files on a shared server, or it can operate by itself, but the only software it will run is Internet Explorer and you wont be able to save anything.
Remarkably, the Jack PC does not even require you to plug it in. Just like your old chorded phone ran on the juice from the phone line, this thing runs on the power from the Ethernet line and nothing more. An Ethernet line only delivers five watts, so the Jack PC is guaranteed to never pull much more power than a digital alarm clock. But with an 800 mhz or 1.2 ghz processor, the device is no slouch either....
Venturi Eclectic: Fuelless Transport - Exhibit B
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 01.15.07
Venturi of France make some inspiring vehicles. The sleek lines of both the Fetish and the Astrolab have engendered much lust amongst green car mavens. Late last year they unveiled a less aerodynamic model, tagged the Eclectric. We noted its arrival via Hugg but not here directly. Yet it is possibly the more practical of Venturi’s adventures into fossil fuel free vehicles, being aimed at daily driving in urban areas. They term it the ‘The 1st Energy-autonomous Vehicle,’ meaning it is self sufficient for its energy source, assuming that is, the sun continues to shine and wind blow. They are also claiming it to be the first solar production vehicle, which is a reference to the fact that they are currently making 20 pre-production cars (with their 2.5m2 solar rooftops), and an additional 200 are due by June 2007. (cost anticipated to be about € 24,000, and planned higher level production scheduled for 2009, by which time they expect the price to drop to € 15,000.) The Eclectic has a range up to 50 km at a speed of 50 km/h (electronically restricted), powered from the charge held by the liquid cooled NiMH (NIV-7) batteries, which Venturi say they'll recycle at end of their useful life. Like the Sunswift student project, Venturi also opt to offset other energy use and be a carbon neutral operation. ::Venturi Eclectic, via Dexigner....
Sunswift III: Fuelless Transport - Exhibit A.
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 01.15.07
What uses no fuel, but can travel across a country about 4,000 km (~2,500 miles) wide in five days? What can reach speeds of 100 km/hr using as little energy as a vacuum cleaner? What uses 11 square metres of solar panels, instead of 450 litres of fossil fuels? The Sunswift III solar ‘car’ made and driven by students from the University of NSW, who recently cut 3 days off the record to cross Australia from Perth to Sydney. The shell and chassis of carbon fibre hide sophisticated technology. According to the student’s website “intelligent electrical design allows the vehicle to convert energy generated by the solar array into electrical driving power at an efficiency of over 95%.” Although engineering student Andrew Pratley appreciates the Sunswift doesn't present a practical alternative in the next five to 10 years, he says, “it shows that a group of students can drive across Australia with no fuel, then there probably is better alternatives for us to consider as a nation on where we go with our future transport." (The students chose to offset the carbon emissions of their support vehicles via Greenfleet, who we've noted before.) ::Sunswift III, via :ABC....
TreeHugger Picks: We Have a Dream
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.15.07
As Mike mentioned earlier, today is the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy in the US. In honor of his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, we'd like to take a moment to consider what TreeHugger might include in a similar forward-looking, future-oriented discourse. Here are our picks for what we have dreams for.
1) We have a dream that compact fluorescent lightbulbs will soon be in every home that has electricity.
2) We have a dream that buying and eating local food will be as commonplace as a trip to the grocery store.
3) We have a dream that bicycles will continue to outsell cars.
4) We have a dream that big companies, like Dell and Wal-Mart, and governments, like the ones in California, Iowa and Colorado will continue to make big strides that help catalyze green growth and inspire others to follow.
5) We have a dream that high profile people like Daryl Hannah and Ed Begley, Jr. will continue to help make TreeHugging cool & hip, giving us all green role models to follow to a green future....
Educating Environmental Leaders
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 01.15.07
As American colleges and universities prepare to start the Spring Semester, it is an opportune time to discuss the growing list of academic opportunities that are developing around issues of environmental sustainability. The catalog of available courses and areas of study goes well beyond the traditional options such as ‘Environmental Science’ that have long since been a staple at institutions of higher education. A brief internet search will yield a vast and diverse list of undergraduate and graduate-level programs of study that are intended to educate the next generation of environmental leaders.
For example, Columbia University’s ‘School of International and Public Affairs’ offers a MPA in Environmental Science and Policy. The 12-month program integrates environmental science with policy analysis and management principles. Through its Earth Institute, Columbia offers degrees in numerous other areas including: International Energy Management and Policy, Climate and Society, Earth Resources Engineering, and Earth and Environmental Science Journalism. As previously stated, these are just a few of the many opportunities for those interested in pursuing course work related to the environment. In fact, we would like to hear from our readers about any relevant programs and experiences. Leave a comment, and help inform those who might wish to pursue a similar path of higher learning. ...
Where Should This Furniture Be Sold?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.15.07
We mentioned Studioandolina's bamboo furniture last month, and were impressed with Seattle-based designer Gary Andolina's dedication to using renewable wood sources (he likes bamboo about as much as we do) and his modern, clean designs. Last week, this TreeHugger got an email from Gary, saying, "I saw and was pleasantly surprised by your article in TreeHugger. I am presently looking for stores to sell my tables in. I am wondering if you have any stores you can suggest. I am also curious about other stores you may know about that are not eco-friendly but straight retail outlets." For locations in Seattle, Velocity Art & Design (which counts Atlantico furniture and Esque glass designs among its "eco-friendly" offerings), Greener Lifestyles (we've featured their sofas and lamps before) and One Earth One Design, whose new retail location got our attention awhile back, all jumped to mind. When it comes to online shops, there's our old friends at Vivavi, plus 2modern's "Eco-friendly" section and we thought Andolina's work might fit in well at Design Public, who offers David Brunicardi's work (remember him? We've featured his work here and here), among other TreeHugger-friendly furniture. That's just a quick list; does anyone else have any ideas, eco-friendly and otherwise, for Gary? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below. ::Studioandolina...
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & The Green Movement
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 01.15.07
Bush Administration Plans to Bring Back Nuclear Testing
by Union of Concerned Scientists on 01.15.07
The Bush administration is proposing to rebuild the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal, recreating the type of design, development, and production capability for nuclear weapons used in the United States during the Cold War. These new weapons, would ultimately replace the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal in a program called “Complex 2030.” This initiative would risk a return to underground nuclear testing, create more nuclear waste, and undercut efforts to limit the acquisition of new nuclear weapons by other countries.
The sad fact is that the United States has not cleaned up the waste generated by producing tens of thousands of nuclear weapons the first time around. Hazardous waste and radioactive contamination remains at many locations throughout the United States. A decision to resume nuclear warhead production would involve a huge commitment of human and environmental resources and increased contamination of the environment. ...
Most Huggable
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 01.15.07
2006 was a temperature record-breaker in the US and the UK; now 2007 is already off to a strong start as a contender… Prince Charles has asked Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart, to visit England and share his approach to greening mega-business… In Paraguay, thousands of acres of sensitive wetlands have been preserved in a partnership between local and European conservation groups… The National Venture Capital Association sees 2007 as a booming year for alternative energy investment… StyleWillSaveUs.com explains why low-energy LED lighting is a better way to bring color into the home than paint… A trendy Bay Area boutique, Azalea, launches an all eco web store… ...
Maminas Fabric Dolls
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 01.15.07
Walking around the design store at the Museum of Latin American Art (Malba, the newest and most chic museum in Buenos Aires), we spotted these beautiful fabric toys made by Argentinean designer Mariana Bandin.
The dolls and animals are entirely made from fabric and finished by hand by the designer. Even though the designer could use recycled fabric, we give credit to Maminas because getting artisan toys from materials like fabric is way better than those industrial plastic ones, which take lots of resources and materials to produce.
Plus, they’re a great excuse to step by this shop, where you can also find Vacavaliente’s bonded leather accessories.
UPDATE: Maminas also sells in Japan (Time@home and Wall), the United States (in New York at YoyaShop and UrbanoKids and in California at Lama) and in the UK (at Couverture in London).
Links:
Maminas
Maminas blog...
Jamais Cascio on the Carbon Footprint of the American Cheeseburger (Audio)
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 01.15.07
In TreeHugger Radio 15 we spoke to Jamais Cascio, co-founder of WorldChanging.com and current blogger at OpenTheFuture.com, about his dynamic analysis of the carbon footprint of the great American cheeseburger (the average American eats three of them per week). Collin Dunn first brought the story to TreeHugger here, and for those hungry to hear more about the logic and approach Jamais took, listen to the extended explanation. (10 min) (listen) ::TreeHugger Radio
Update (1/18/07) Mr. Cascio has since revisited his calculations and concluded that American cheeseburger consumption emits the greenhouse equivalent of "up to 13 million SUVs." Please make a note of it and see the update at OpenTheFuture.com...
One/Change Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 01.15.07
This week is Carnival of the Green #60 and it's being hosted by One/Change. Head on over to the Carnival to check out a round up of last weeks 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....
Overpackaging Alert: Treleela Tea
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.15.07
We often rail against excessive packaging and have to wonder about this. "This boutique tea line by Ineeka ntegrates innovative design, responsible philosophies and superior flavor into one cool package. These aren’t you grandma’s tea bags– the Treleela Pochettes are made to replicate the experience of a traditional good brew. Simply tear where the arrows tell you to, attach the wings on each side of your favorite mug, and pour hot water over the opening." While the tea may be "Cultivated on Ineeka’s own family farms, these 100% organic whole leaf teas are produced by an industry pioneer of environmental and social responsibility standards.", what is with the tea bag as big as a mug? Is it re-useable? ::Josh Spear...
Streetcars Back on Rails in America
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.15.07
Portland Oregon Streetcar at curb
Anyone who has seen "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" knows that streetcars were the victim of a conspiracy by a certain automobile company to promote automobile and bus sales by eliminating efficient rail transit. Others say that rising car ownership and development of low density suburbia doomed the streetcar with no help from evil conspiracies. Now it appears that conditions are right for their return and expansion. "Several cities have resurrected the streetcar tradition and about three dozen others plan to — from Tucson, and Birmingham, Ala., to Miami and Trenton, N.J. This return to the past is less about satisfying a sense of nostalgia than about enticing developers and people to old industrial areas and faded neighborhoods. As cities experience a much-publicized urban renaissance, streetcars have become another draw for investment in housing, stores and restaurants. Cities hope that streetcars can do in this century what they did in the last: Connect neighborhoods and provide a relatively cheap alternative to walking and driving." Streetcar lines are a lot cheaper than subways, carry more people than buses, and use less fuel per passenger mile. Depending on the source of electricity, they can be carbon free.
When Portland's new line was put in, It attracted about 100 projects worth $2.3 billion in less than five years, all within two blocks of the line. They include 7,248 housing units and 4.6 million square feet of office and retail. Proximity to mass transit allowed developers to build fewer parking spaces. Ridership was more than triple projections.::USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-01-08-streetcars_x.htm...
Natural Refrigeration: Collecting Ice in China
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.15.07
As Warren noted eariler, Ice harvesting is still a good way to beat the cost of refrigeration. In China, "Citizens collect ice blocks cut from the ice on the Songhua River in Mudanjiang, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province January 10, 2007. People store ice cubes at their cellars in winter for summer use." Buried in sawdust, ice can last all summer at zero cost and energy consumed (other than that cutting and moving the ice in the first place) ::China Daily via ::Splurch
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Firewall Philanthropy: Blind-Eye Denialism In A Changing Climate
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 01.15.07
We all love it when the wealthy give to a good cause that government can't seem to come to grips with. Or, when a self-directed creative genius wins a MacArthur Fellowship. Such well-targeted giving provides inspiration and hope beyond all headlines. So, it is disconcerting when we learn that philanthropic money, well spent, and for worthy cause, is found to originate from investment in corporations that have been contributing to serious environmental and health problems. Such is the example given of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which, according to the LA Times investigative piece just published, has invested in corporations that fouled the nests of the very people the Foundation's work intends to benefit. Rather than excerpt at length from the LAT, we will rely on a photo to symbolize. The picture is of an oil well gas flare in Nigeria. Throughout the Niger Delta, oil well, by-product gases are openly burned to avoid asphyxiation and fire hazard, producing, by one account, 70 million tons of CO2 annually. It is considered uneconomic to capture and sell the gas as fuel. So, up it goes. Nigeria supplies much oil to western nations, and the added climate impact of flaring is not counted when we calculate the climate footprint of our personal vehicles....
Abbott First to Join PHH GreenFleet Program
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 01.15.07
Company cars may not be the ultimate status symbol in the corporate world, but the make, model, and luxuriousness of a company-supplied vehicle still represent one's place in the pecking order for many employees and executives. Corporate fleet vehicles also get driven more than most passenger cars (on average, 25,000 miles per year, according to the US Department of Energy), so this group of automobiles contributes more than its share of CO2 emissions. Environmental Defense and fleet vehicle management company PHH have created the PHH Greenfleet program "...to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce fuel consumption among commercial fleets," and health-care giant Abbott is the first corporation to join the effort. According to ED's press release, ...
Gristmill Launches "Ask a Brokeass"
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 01.15.07
So, let's face it: some of the products we feature here at Treehugger are a bit on the pricey side. That's fine, of course, as there are folks out there with plenty of disposable income, and we want to encourage them to spend their money on the greenest options available. But, what if you're broke? What if you're, in fact, a "brokeass?" Our friends at Gristmill have come to the rescue with the launch of their new column by Kate Sheppard, "Ask a Brokeass." As "Gristmill's resident brokeass," Kate plans to show readers that saving the planet can be done on the cheap:...
Marks & Spencer Gets Greener
by Bonnie Alter, London on 01.15.07
Marks & Spencer, already on the A list for its environmentally aware practices, has announced its “A Plan” to get even better. They will spend £200M ($393M) over the next five years to implement their 100-point plan which includes making the supermarket carbon neutral and sending no waste to landfills by 2012. Already at the forefront, last year the top executives saw the film “An Inconvenient Truth” and Stuart Rose, the Chief Executive said “We believe a responsible business can be a profitable business. We are calling this "Plan A" because there is no 'plan B'.” The plan covers five areas, including fair trade --offering more Fairtrade products and making 20M garments a year out of Fairtrade cotton (an extension of their existing commitment). They will reduce their use of packaging by 25% and use packaging materials from sustainable or recycled sources. Already cut back, it will now become fully degradable, using cornstarch derived plastic. Stores will also test composters which will produce biogas from out of date food and other waste. The retailer will buy as much food from the UK and Ireland as possible; doubling the amount with the next twelve months. Interestingly, they will decrease the amount of food flown in and label imported food as 'flown'. And as a final show of solidarity, Stuart Rose will swap his company BMW for a hydrogen powered car. :: Marks & Spencer...
UK Builders Gear Up For Zero Carbon Housing
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.15.07
While builders in North America keep cranking out the subdivisions and barely tinker with building codes, in the UK all home have to be zero-carbon by 2016 and the builders are holding summits with the Government to figure out how. (A zero-carbon house is defined as one which produces as much energy, by using solar panels or wind turbines, as it consumes.) Instead of whinging doing business as usual, they are saying things like "These houses will produce less than half the carbon emissions of a traditionally built house, they will cost about a third as much to run, and we're building them at the same cost as a standard house type in this country" Even environmental groups like Greenpeace welcomed this summit, saying "Tackling emissions from homes is really important and zero-carbon homes are therefore crucial." Zero carbon houses are being built across the UK with environmentally-friendly developments in Brixton, south London, and Leicester, in the East Midlands. How many are being built in North America? ::Guardian...
How Far We Will Go To Keep Driving: Nuclear Powered Gas
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.15.07
They keep saying that "there is more oil in the Alberta oil sands than in Saudi Arabia," but it requires huge amounts of natural gas to create steam to coax it out, and to make hydrogen required to turn it into synthetic crude. It presently takes the gas equivalent of a barrel of oil (and two tons of mined sand) to make three barrels of oil. Steven Hazell of the Sierra Club of Canada says "The tar sands are clearly the worst type of oil for the atmosphere." (Clearly he had not yet heard of coal-to-oil). Now serious people are contemplating building a 2 CANDU nuclear reactors in the middle of oilsands country to create 1400 megawatts that would be used to create steam and hydrogen needed to make fuel out of the tarsands. This could save a quarter of a billion cubic feet of natural gas per day and create 150,000 barrels a day of fuel. Given that this is in Alberta, which never saw a megaproject that it didn't love, and the desperation in the Canadian nuclear industry to build more CANDU's, it may well happen. As Stephane Dion said two years ago: ''There is no environmental minister on earth who can stop the oil from coming out of the sand, because the money is too big.'' ::CBC...
The Observer Launches the 2007 Ethical Awards
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 01.14.07
We're pleased to tell you that The Observer is kicking off the start of 2007 with the launch of it second annual Ethical Awards. We're looking forward to seeing the nominations for this year's awards after the success of last year that resulted in wins for TreeHugger favourites Architecture For Humanity, The Natural Collection and Make Poverty History. As you will have read, in many of the TH writers' recent 2007 posts, last year saw unprecented mainstream exposure for the environmental and ethical movements and we predict that this will only continue to grow in 2007. The Observer correspondent Lucy Siegle concurs when she writes: 'In the past year, the ethical movement has crossed into the mainstream and become a central issue for everyone from politicians to retailers. Now, as we launch our second annual awards, celebrity campaigners, environmental experts and you, the reader, can nominate those who have done the most to protect the planet.' The Ethical Awards are open to residents of the UK. Click here to see the catagories in which you can nominate your UK favourites! ::The Observer Magazine...
Propane Fired Balloon Breaks Record While Supporting Environmentalists
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.14.07
David Hempleman-Adams has broken the world height record for a conventional propane-fired hot air balloon, reaching 32,500 feet over Red Deer, Alberta, and breaking a 26 year old record. An oberver said "only a mad Englishman would do that in an open basket'.We find it humourous that while taking this propane heater to great heights he is promoting enoughsenough.org, a UK website that "aims to provide simple and easy ways for us to take action and make a difference on things we've hopefully all had enough of. Like 4x4 drivers who only do the school run. Like energy comanies who use slogans like "Positive Energy" when 99.5% of the energy they supply is causing climate change" and paradoxically runs a campaign against unsustainable airport expansion and the aviation industry. Congratulations David! ::Daily Mail ...
Eco-Cube Keeps Cash + H20 From Being Flushed Away!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 01.14.07
When the average school urinal in the UK flushes 151,000 litres of fresh water a year, there’s got to be something that can be done to reduce the flow of clean fresh water being reduced to wastewater and headed to the local sewage treatment plant. Well, thanks to the sharp eyes of Linton over at Hugg, it’s become obvious that the water can be literally turned off when schools switch to the use of the eco-cube. It’s a product that works immediately and with absolutely no urinal modifications required whatsoever, other than to turn off the supply of water running to them. It works by using naturally occurring microbes to break down lime scale, uric scale and ammonic salts naturally ensuring there are no bad odors or scale build up that could cause future blockages or smells. And with rising rates for both water and sewage in the UK, establishments are figuring out fast that they can also save a lot of green from being flushed down the toilet....
Aveda’s “Envirometal” Compact Collection
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 01.14.07
Aveda has made TreeHugger several times, with their Eco-Overnight Pack (featured in the 2006 Holiday Gift Guide), their Environmental Awards and their launch of “Ecoture” fashion collection. We enjoy learning about all the products that Aveda launches, particularly because they are always working hard to improve their sustainability. The latest thing we’re intrigued by: the Environmetal (note no "n") Compact Collection. Three different re-fillable compacts are offered and each is made of recycled metal and has a lead-free mirror. They are portable and small enough to fit in our purse. Personally, we like the Essentials Envirometal Compact which includes two eye colors, one cheek color and even a lipstick color. A perfect companion for a night on the town. Via ::Mother Earth News ::Aveda...
Off to the Dump: House by Paul Rudolph
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.14.07
OK, it probably was not a TreeHugger correct house at 4200 square feet and made of concrete, but we do believe in re-use, recycling and preservation. It is happening all over when people don't think that anything modern has historic value- Preservation Societies will go nuts to save a rotting turn of the century Victorian but a building from the 50's through 70's? Get rid of it. Said Nepal Asatthawasi of the Paul Rudolph Foundation: "“as more and more architecturally significant modern homes reach critical points of neglect and eventual demolition, the consequences of devaluing the artifacts of our recent history will be felt by future generations.” ::New York Times
UPDATE: Westport Newspaper on why the Trust was not able to save the house. Westport Now, pictures below fold...
Solar Powered Cooking, Industrial Strength Model
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.14.07
World's largest Solar Steam Cooking System at Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh
We do go on about how packing people together in cities is more efficient and produces less carbon than low density development. Here is an example of how really packing them in leads to new opportunities. In India, they are using solar energy for cooking."Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd. (KREDL) is now promoting a solar-powered steam-based cooking system that suits apartments, hostels, big hotels and the institutions that take up mass feeding.....The system comprises parabolic-shaped reflectors, which focus the sun's rays on a particular point on an aluminium pipe through which water is made to pass through. The water heats and generates steam that passes through another pipe to be used for cooking purposes."
The article points out that this obviously only works in the daytime, but could significantly reduce demand for LPG (propane) that is the normal cooking fuel. It also says that the system is so efficient that it will pay for itself in two years. We hope to see it coming to steam tables near you soon. ::The Hindu...
London Food Reviewer says NO to Bottled Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.14.07
The word on bottled water is spreading. Times of London food commentator Giles Coren recently wrote in a review that sounds like it could have come from an earlier TreeHugger post:
"Mineral water is a preposterous vanity. It is flown and shipped around the world, from France and Norway at best, from Japan and Fiji at worst. It is bottled in glass that is mostly thrown away and is stupidly heavy to freight, or in plastic which never, ever, decomposes and just goes to landfill or ends up in one of the “plastic patches” the size of Texas currently gyring in our oceans.
Food snobs and restaurant critics make a big song and dance about mineral waters they like and don’t like. New York’s Ritz-Carlton even caters to the whim of abstemious punters with a dedicated water list and sommelier.
The vanity of it! While half the world dies of thirst or puts up with water you wouldn’t piss in, or already have, we have invested years and years, and vast amounts of money, into an ingenious system which cleanses water of all the nasties that most other humans and animals have always had to put up with, and delivers it, dirt-cheap, to our homes and workplaces in pipes, which we can access at a tap.
And yet last year we bought three billion litres of bottled water. 3,000,000,000 litres! I have no idea how much that is. But it seems a lot. Especially when we were fooled into buying it because of labels that said “pure as an alpine stream”, “bottled at the foot of a Mexican volcano” or “cleansed for three million years beneath a Siberian glacier”. What morons we are. ::Times online...
Gas: The Best of the Worst
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 01.14.07
We at Treehugger are proud that our readership includes greenies from all sides of the fence. Some of you go so far as to live completely off-grid, and others of you are just looking for a way to give a greener wedding gift. However, for most of you, there is one uniting factor. You all use gas, even if it's only a little, only every once in a while.
So, this article from out allies at the Sierra Club is a welcome thing. If you're going to buy fuel, why not check out the particular reasons behind why they give BP and Sunoco their gold star, so to speak, while sending Exxon and Conoco to the corner of the class with dunce caps on. Highlights of the good include acknowledgement of Human culpability in global warming, Adoption and attainment of the Kyoto goals, and significant investment in solar and wind infrastructure. Of course, this is till oil we're talking about, so lest you get to happy about filling your tank, highlights of the bad news include historic oil spills, devious PR campaigns, exploitation of native populations, and even supporting apartheid in South Africa. Makes you want to buy a bike. :: Pick Your Poison at the Sierra Club...
Ambitious New Energy Policy Proposed for EU
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 01.14.07
The EU announced on 10th January an ambitious new energy policy: EU member states will be required to reduce CO2 emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by 2020. The more ambitious goal of 30% was compromised based on the very valid argument that if the EU unilaterally pushes up costs for local factories/energy suppliers, the economically and strategically important industries will go offshore--while the product of the offshore companies will prance back to European consumers without penalty after having been produced in a much less environmentally friendly way than the already tightly controlled EU factories would have done. The hammer in their argument: a ton of CO2 is a ton of CO2 whether it comes from the EU or elsewhere. The EU policy does hold open the option to return to the 30% commitment if international support for the proposal can be gathered, and a 60-80% reduction by 2050 will be the EU's target in international negotiations.
In spite of its groundbreaking optimism, the EU plan failed to satisfy eco-advocacy groups like WWF, which emphasizes that the 20% goal is not sufficient to ensure that catastrophic global climate change will be deterred, and Greenpeace, which criticizes the emphasis on sequestration technologies such as pumping excess CO2 deep underground, rather than on alternatives and efficiency. The nuclear question was left open, and many questions are raised by the new policy, including: Can the course be held as the presidency of the EU transfers from Finland to Germany? Can a unilateral energy policy bring advantages, or does economic disaster loom larger than the climate change threat? ...
TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!
Here are a few recommended websites.
