- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for February 18, 2007 - February 24, 2007
Total this week: 141
DIY: old sweaters + scissors = new outfit
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 02.24.07
Image: Flickr image of a chopped up sweater, ready to be re-used.
Finding new uses for old clothes is a great way to green up and clean up your wardrobe. Re-purposing old clothing is hot, hip designers are reclaiming used clothing to create sustainable fashion. TreeHugger has explored this concept a few times before, organisations turning sweaters into blankets and artists making one of a kind hats. Read on for ideas and some visual stimulation....
GE announces High Efficiency Incandescent Light Bulbs. Why?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.07
GE just announced "advancements to the light bulb that potentially will elevate the energy efficiency of this 125-year-old technology to levels comparable to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), delivering significant environmental benefits. Over the next several years, these advancements will lead to the introduction of high-efficiency incandescent lamps that provide the same high light quality, brightness and color as current incandescent lamps while saving energy and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions." The bulbs will come out at 30 lumens per watt (twice a conventional incandescent) and top out at 60 lumens per watt. GE says "In addition to offering significant energy savings comparable to CFLs, the 21st century version of Edison’s bulb provides all the desirable benefits including light quality and instant-on convenience as incandescent lamps currently provide at a price that will be less than CFLs."
Now I would not suggest that the release of this statement on the same day as the launch of 18seconds.org. is anything more than coincidental. I would suggest that when every green group in the world is saying that CFL's do not have start-up or colour balance problems any more, that it is unfortunate that GE decides to promote this canard. I would also suggest that announcing a bulb that will be half as good as a CFL when it is launched in three years has just given a whole lot of people an excuse to do nothing. Changing lightbulbs now is one of the quickest, cheapest and easiest first steps around, a start on a long road. GE just put a nice big three year detour into it with this vaporbulb, and knocked the wind out of any movement to ban incandescents by throwing out the lifeline of incremental improvement down the road. Thanks, GE. ::GE Press Release...
Eco-Madera: Sustainable Wood From Ecuador - Part 2
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 02.24.07
In the first part of this post yesterday I began telling you about Eco-Madera, an Ecuadorian company that makes wooden floors and doors from sustainably harvested mixed species wood. Kallari is looking forward to having one their mixed species floors in the café in Quito. There are going to be as many as seven different species of wood in the new floor. This will show the biodiversity of the forest and hopefully look pretty funky too. It will certainly be more beautiful than the dark stained eucalyptus floor that the café currently sports. Eco-Madera will use this new floor as their showpiece in Quito to show their work to potential clients. This means Kallari can be assured of a top quality job and some extra customers! ...
The Stûv that Dreams Are Made of
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.07
We have warmed to many wood stoves, including the lovely modern Rais, but our jaw dropped when we saw the stunning Belgian Stûv at the Interior Design Show. However its inner beauty was revealed when we looked at its features and specifications. It actually works in three modes: when the large curved glass is closed, it reaches thermal and emission efficiencies beyond the tightest European standards. Raise the glass and it is an attractive (if less efficient) open fireplace. At night, close the solid door and its increased airtightness will allow slow burning all through the night. Toss in a swivel to make it face any direction and get this, a radiant barbeque that clips on the front, and you have one hot stove. Cheap at $ 9,000. Available in North America from ::Stûv found at ::IDS...
Trend Day 2007 in Hamburg
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 02.24.07
If you can be in Hamburg, Germany, on 8 May 2007, you have the opportunity to hear 2006 Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus speak at Trendbüro's 12th Trend Day. The theme this year is "Karma Capitalism--Values vs Prices". Under the motto "Every social problem is a business opportunity," invited speakers will examine the question of whether the global word-of-mouth phenomenon emerging in our networked society is the driver for success in ethical business models. Managers, marketers and decision makers have the opportunity to learn from Yunus, who developed a model of microcredit which uses capitalist tools to relieve poverty. Peter Head, the Arup Project Director best known for the eco-city Dongtan, will close the program with the topic "A New Paradigm of Urban Development to Reduce Carbon Emissions."
If you can't be in Hamburg on 8 May, register early to be one of 40 guests invited to participate interactively at the CoreCon Convention Center on Second Life. You may be selected by sending an email to secondlife@trendbuero.com explaining why you should be one of 40 lucky guests selected to test the interaction of the real and virtual space during the 12th annual Trend Day program....
IDS07: Small Fridges Make Good Cities
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.07
Concept spaces by various designers were linked together as an exhibit at IDS, with Toronto's Donald Chong getting the kitchen. And what a gem of a kitchen it is. When one looks at architectural magazines and even TreeHugger, kitchens have become high tech wonders; ads show monster appliances, triple ovens and fridges big enough to park a cow in. When you enter Donald Chong's kitchen you see wood, food and warmth. The fridge is a small, undercounter unit- this is a seasonal kitchen, responding to the marketplace, the baker, vegetable store and neighbourhood vendor. You don't need a big fridge when you are committed to fresh and seasonal. You do need storage; Donald is standing in front of a wall of beautiful objects and ingredients.
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domino & TreeHugger's Green List: Fashion
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.24.07
We've been focusing on interiors thus far in our peek at the Green List in March's domino magazine, having looked at tiles, renovating, rugs, wallcoverings, fabric and furniture, so we'll deviate from that a bit today for a look at some green fashion. For the ladies, the fashion list is comprised of five outfits, with a few extra must-haves for your weekend bag. Many of the designers will be familiar to regular readers, with eco-fashion all-stars like Edun, Loomstate and Levi's Eco comprising parts of a couple of outfits. Linda Loudermilk's denim, Anna Cohen's designer streetwear and some sustainable skivvies by Ciel help round out the list, but that's really just the tip of the iceberg. Open up the print mag to pages 52-53 for more, and surf over to dominomag.com for a slideshow. ::domino's Green List: Fashion...
IDS Report: Furniture from a Four Foot Square
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.24.07
The Ryerson School of Interior Design "is making its move towards sustainability- designing intelligently for today without compromising the environment of tomorrow, whether by degradation of resources or through poor design requiring constant updates.
Students were challenged to design and manufacture a table prototype aimed for mass production using only a 4' by 4' sheet of Baltic birch plywood. Work shown here is representative and chosen only because my photography is so lousy that these are the only shots that turned out. Shirley Chueng's table above reminds my of a telephone table of another era. (and is also my sharpest picture.) ...
Bush Showcases Plug-In Electric Cars
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 02.24.07
Yesterday, President George Bush peered under the hood of two electric cars parked on the White House lawn (see video here). The two cars were a modified Toyota Prius, and an electric pickup built by Phoenix Motorcars. Bush made a short speech to reiterate his State of the Union Address saying: "I firmly believe that the goal I laid out, that Americans will use 20 percent less gasoline over the next 10 years is going to be achieved, and here's living proof of how we're going to get there." The Prius on display had a high-power lithium-ion battery made by A123 Systems. It can power the car for about 40 miles and recharge in five hours. The white truck, made by Phoenix Motorcars, uses a different kind of high-powered battery made by Altair Nanotechnologies. The battery has a range of 130 miles and can be recharged in about 10 minutes with a rapid-charging unit or trickle-charged overnight with its onboard charger. :: New York Times...
Locally Grown Landscape and Garden Plants
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.24.07
File this under "Green Cliches." One of last night's cable TV features included a charming woman touring a farm stand while outlining the positives of buying local produce. Clearly, local food has "arrived" as a subject for the mainstream media. (How odd it must seem to someone visiting from a developing nation, to see adult Americans spend their tube time learning how to buy groceries.) What's the next trend in supply chain shortening, then? Locally grown garden and landscape plants, perhaps. Ideally, decorative plants would be locally evolved, locally grown, and locally distributed (the latter being especially important for heavy potted varieties). We found a Pennsylvania USA vendor of East Coast varieties: Yellow Springs Farm. Check out the on-line catalog first, where some nice plant specimen photos are shown. The general advantages of locally evolved, grown, & distributed (LEG'D) plants are outlined below the fold....
Orlando Bloom's New Home: 'As Green As I Can Make It'
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02.24.07
We already reported on the Global Green pre-oscar party here, where a broad list of eco-celebrities gathered to promote greener vehicles and other alternatives to our rapidly dating fossil fuel culture. Now we have another tidbit of gossip for you from the party, courtesy of the appropriately named Orlando Sentinel. Apparently the paper’s namesake, Mr Orlando Bloom, used the party to talk about the new home he is building in London which, he claimed, would be as green as he could make it:
"It's got solar panels on the roof, energy efficient light bulbs -- newer technology basically that is environmentally friendly,"...
Toronto's Interior Design Show
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.07
We spent this morning at the Interior Design Show in Toronto, and this afternoon at the Gladstone Hotel's "Come up to my room" alternative design event, and are just full of great green design things to show. Toronto readers interested in design should hit both of them before the weekend is out. There is some great student work (especially by Ryerson students) a prototype area with work by young designers, and other items worth seeing that we will be posting over the next few days. See also coverage over at ::MocoLoco, from whom we blatantly ripped off this intro photo. ::Interior Design Show and ::Gladstone Hotel. ...
Levi’s Launches Organic Brand Globally
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 02.23.07
Levi Strauss & Co., creator of the world’s first pair of blue jeans back in 1873, has now launched a new brand called Levi’s Eco. We originally brought you the news back in the summer, but thought we’d do a follow-up piece now that we’ve seen them firsthand. These organic cotton jeans are high-end and costly, but are pretty comparable to other jeans that we’ve seen. As part of the global launch, the Eco jeans are available in all of the Levi’s U.S and Europe stores. Right now they are offering an organic jean jacket as well and apparently new products will be introduced this coming spring. Unfortunately, we still don’t have any information on where/how these jeans are made but it is worth noting that the company's Capital E collection (which includes some Eco jeans) is made in North Carolina. ::Levi Strauss & Co....
Eco-Madera: Sustainable Wood From Ecuador - Part 1
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 02.23.07
One of the projects I am working on here in Ecuador for the Kallari Association is the redesign of their café in Quito. Having been very successful in their first year and a half the café’s business has slumped in recent months and the wear and tear on the interior is noticeable. With the increasing popularity of Kallari's Chocolate, in Ecuador and Internationally, it seems about time to raise the café’s profile to reflect the standard of their world class chocolate. With Kallari producing organic chocolate and fair trade crafts and working for sustainable livelihoods the revamp is of course going to be as eco-friendly as possible. Over the next few weeks I will be writing about how the design work is progressing, the materials we choose, the furniture we design and the challenges, failures and successes we encounter along the way. Today we start with the floor and the prospect of working with Eco-Madera....
Will NASCAR Go Ethanol?
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 02.23.07
"I think the global-warming thing, and all the things that are written about that, a lot more people are aware of the fact that we do need to do something." Quick quiz. Did this quote come from A) a member of the TreeHugger staff B) musician Jack Johnson or C) NASCAR driver Kyle Petty? If you chose C, you probably read this post's title. Or, you might have read this Time article outlining NASCAR's potential to change many American's perception of alternative fuels. The article quotes both Petty and fellow NASCAR driver Jeff Burton as saying that the potential of the sport's marketing power could change the perception of ethanol as a fringe fuel for "that guy with the Volkswagen van that runs off of whatever," to a mainstreamed homegrown alternative. Although NASCAR is a running late to the ethanol party, it is possible (as others have said before) that their move into alternative fuel could prove to be the tipping point.
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Zapping Trash With Plasma Produces Clean Energy and Fuel
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 02.23.07
Popular Science reports that companies like Startech are blasting trash with plasma and producing clean fuels like hydrogen as a byproduct. Basically, you put tons of trash in one end of a plasma converter, and a superheated plasma arc obliterates the trash into its molecular components. The process is called "plasma gasification". There are two byproducts: one is a "syngas" composed mostly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which can be converted into fuel. The other is molten glass that can be sold for use in household tiles or road asphalt. Amazingly, plasma converters produce enough energy to power themselves, and actually produce an excess of energy that can be sold to the grid. Still, some environmental scientists have warned that the residual substances may contain toxic heavy metals.
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TreeHugger Radio: Twelve Steps to Low Carbon Living, The Politics of the Climate Crisis, and Wal-Mart’s Big (Greener) Footprint
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 02.23.07
This Week on TreeHugger Radio: Coop America has designed a 12-step program for greener living and lightening the shadow of climate change. Joseph Romm, physicist and author of Hell and High Water, talks about how global warming begins as a political issue. Also, as Wal-Mart continues to profile itself as a green leader, the big-box giant’s vice president for corporate strategy and sustainability, Andy Ruben, hints at where it’s all headed. Listen for TreeHugger Radio week in the blogosphere on TreeHugger and in the iTunes podcast directory. Also toggle over to EcoTalk with Betsy Roserberg to hear TreeHugger Radio each Friday (listen here or right click to download):: TreeHugger Radio...
TreeHugger Picks: Videos to Use for Inspiration
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.23.07
TreeHugger's Convenient Truths video contest is in its last weekend; we're counting down the final days until we can watch 'em all and see who has the best example of how they are putting the brakes on global warming and gets the $30,000 in sustainable swag. For anyone who needs a little inspiration (or who just wants to take a break and watch some fun & inspiring videos -- it's Friday, after all. Kick back for a sec!), here are some of our picks for TreeHugging videos (and remember, you can always check out TreeHuggerTV for our latest moving pictures).
1) Check out the house of the future, just one of six videos from England about fighting climate change.
2) In preparation for the Sundance Channel's THE GREEN, see what host Majora Carter had to say about "Greening the Ghetto" at the TED conference.
3) For some true inspiration, watch (or read) sustainability guru Bill McDonough in one of TreeHugger's favorite videos ever.
4) Shayne McQuade, inventor of the Voltaic solar backpacks & bags, chats about realizing his green dream with his business.
5) For a little more lighthearted, but still effective, video, we like this solar commercial, which might be the best treatment of the subject we've seen....
Most Huggable: Whole Foods Eats Wild Oats, Maryland’s Emission Cap, Dwell’s Green Suite
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 02.23.07
Dwell’s new site dedicates a room to the best in green modern design and architecture… Maryland, the state with the most coastline and the most to lose from rising tides, has legislation on the table to cap emissions at 1990 levels by 2020… Chevy’s General Manager Ed Peper assures us that the plug-in Volt is so much more than just hype… A new hockey-stick graph comes from web analysis of searches for global warming topics… Whole Foods, the world’s only Fortune 500 health food store, opens wide and acquires competitor Wild Oats… ...
FlexibleLove: Expanding Furniture to Seat 16
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.23.07
Following in the footsteps of other accordion-inspired designs like the Newspaper Extendable Bench and Paper Softseating, FlexibleLove takes the concept a little bit further by being able to function as both a single chair and an extended bench that can seat up to 16 (see the video of it in action here). Made from widely-available, low-cost recycled materials (paper and wood), FlexibleLove is also produced using pre-existing manufacturing processes, cutting back on the footprint of the product even further. The designer claims that the 16-seater can support up to 4224 lbs of weight (!); there is also a 12-, 8- and 2-person size in production. While there aren't too many cases where we'd need to seat 16 people in a row at home, FlexibleLove has the potential to be the hit of your next dinner party; they're (usually) available here, and though it's currently out of stock, preorders for shipping next month are being taken. Check out more pics at their website and see more examples of transforming furniture here. ::FlexibleLove via ::Apartment Therapy LA...
Convenient Truths: Your Last Weekend to Enter!
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 02.23.07
Fruit and Concrete: What a Mix!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 02.23.07
Actually, I think it’s quite a bright idea considering the fact that this years Fruit Tree Tour will feature the world's largest veggie-oil powered caravan, covered in forest-scape murals and carrying 1000 fruit trees and 27 volunteers along its annual 20-city, 70-day tour to inner city schools from San Diego to Sacramento. It’s certainly a one-of-a-kind idea featuring a day-long interactive outdoor program that includes West African agricultural drumming and eco-conscious hip-hop to help reach kids with the concept of sustainability. Ultimately, Common Vision's Fruit Tree Tour aims to educate inner city students about how easy it can be to turn barren school yards into abundant orchards; and in the process create living, outdoor classrooms with the potential to produce enough fresh fruit for their school's cafeteria and possibly even members of the community....
domino & TreeHugger's Green List: Tiles
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.23.07
We're nearly half-way through our peek at the Green List, TreeHugger's collaboration on green design with domino magazine. Today, it's all about the tile; as with many of the other sections, there's something for any preference: colors, materials, style, budget and more. Oceanside Glasstile (top right -- we covered them here) uses recycled bottles (over 2 million pounds a year -- wow!) for their multitude of patterns and colors. For a less pearl-like look and feel, check out the granite dust and recycled glass in fireclay, terra-cotta tiles, (top row, next to the green list) which come in equally gorgeous matte and glossy shades. The indoor/outdoor versatility of the tiles from Coverings, Etc. (bottom left) comes from the combination of recycled glass, granite and marble chips mixed with cement for a very textured, multi-toned terrazzo. Eco-friendly Floorings' recycled-brass squares with a brushed finish (bottom left-center) are just one of the wide variety of surfaces that can green your backsplash or bathroom; add a little color and pattern with Granada Tiles (bottom right), who use a 19th-century French technique using tinted cement rather than clay (requires no firing and less energy) to produce vibrant, Provençal patterns. Lastly, Erin Adams' shiny recycled-aluminum bars (right-center, on the bottom row) are a great way to add a little dimension to a shower without adding more metal to the waste stream. Check out more of the tiles on file over at dominomag.com and on page 48 of the print version. ::domino's Green List: Tiles...
Canadian Company Testing Enzymatic CO2 Capture
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 02.23.07
Is carbon sequestration a promising development for minimizing CO2 emissions, or a "counter-productive red herring?" The jury's still out, but a very early-stage technology being tested by Quebec City's CO2 Solutions could make sequestration a reality, or even transform carbon emitted from smokestacks into raw materials such as "baking soda, chalk, or limestone." According to Technology Review, the company's prototype bioreactor uses an enzyme harvested from genetically modified E. coli bacteria to turn CO2 wastes into bicarbonate:...
LightLouver: A New Daylighting System
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.23.07
Seems like it’s been a few years since we mentioned light shelves. Groovy, simple things they bounce external natural light deep into building reducing the need for powered, artificial illumination. But they do have their limitations, as the ever excellent Environmental Building News, in a product review for LightLouver Daylighting System, observes. “In order to effectively protect an indoor workspace from direct sunlight, [light shelves] need to be quite wide, and they rarely reflect light deep enough into a space to daylight more than the perimeter zone.” Not so with LightLouvers. Roughly speaking the units are like thinnish louvre blinds with a bunch of fixed panels, shaped a bit like the Nike ‘swoosh’ logo. Apparently the angled blades reflect about 76% of direct sunlight into a room, up onto a ceiling, reaching much further back into the space than the usual light shelf. On overcast days they are said to throw around 54% of the available light inside. A retractable version and one built into a glazing unit are also under development. The current model costs upwards from $30 per ft 2 ($300/m 2) and as one of the clients who have them installed says, “You see a nice amount of light on the ceiling, and it reflects down into the workplace—they are doing what they are supposed to do.” ::LightLouver, via Environmental Building News, who have some other good pics. ...
Change a Bulb. Change Everything: 18seconds.org
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02.23.07
Things are looking bad for the incandescent bulb. Not only have California and Australia decided to ban this out dated technology, but it seems there is a huge surge in interest in its successors – the Compact Flourescent Lightbulb (CFL) and, ultimately, LED technology. Yesterday saw the launch of 18Seconds.org, an innovative new US campaign with the slogan: ‘Change a bulb. Change everything.’ The campaign website asks “how enlightened is your area”, and then sets out to provide answers. The idea is to offer an interactive map ranking states, and major cities, according to how many CFLs have been bought since the beginning of the year. So far, Arkansas is in the lead with 284,055 bulbs sold, while District of Columbia is in last place, with only 1725 bulbs sold this year. Of course, this is not exactly a fair competition, given that it is based on total number of bulbs sold, rather than bulbs per capita. However, the idea is neat - by tapping into people’s civic pride and natural sense of competition we can increase adoption of efficient technologies.
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Minnesota Sets Pace for Renewable Energy
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 02.23.07
On Thursday, Minnesota quietly assumed a leadership role in the battle against climate change with the creation of what is arguably the nation’s most aggressive renewable energy standard. The legislation, signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, requires that 25 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. Although Maine and New York maintain more stringent renewable portfolio standards, the two states started with significantly more renewable energy capacity than Minnesota. The Land of 10,000 Lakes currently generates 5 percent of its power from renewable sources, while roughly half the electricity produced in the state comes from coal. Subsequently, Minnesota’s new law will require the most significant increase in renewable energy generating capacity. Currently, more than 20 states have established similar renewable energy requirements and momentum is building in states such as Colorado and New Hampshire to develop similar initiatives. See also :: Renewable Portfolio Standards... So Far and :: Tell Congress to Support Clean Energy...
Sublime Stuart Haygarth
by Bonnie Alter, London on 02.23.07
There is something hypnotic about Stuart Haygarth's aesthetic sense. He loves to collect and categorize everyday objects. His work is concerned with giving order to the banal and overlooked trivia of life. This started out as a post about his new chandelier, as seen in Inhabitat. It is made out of out of 416 disposable plastic wine glasses and lit with a pink fluorescent light source. Then we realized that we had already covered his beautiful chandelier made of debris collected from the beach at Dungeness, a magical stretch of land under a nuclear reactor in southern England. Then we found the mural (a section is pictured); a commission from British Airports Authority. Because of increased airport security, now many items are no longer permitted in carry-on baggage on airplanes. This is a collection of confiscated items, all taken from passengers boarding airplanes at Gatwick Airport over a two week period. The objects are categorized into seven categories--scissors, vanity,tools, drinking and smoking, culinary, toy weapons and miscellaneous. Why do so many people travel with screw drivers and wrenches? We must also mention his lampshade chandelier made from a collection of re-cycled, unwanted and discarded lampshades and put together as a series of linear lights that form "a family". Awe-inspiring. :: Stuart Haygarth via :: Inhabitat
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Johnson Controls, Inc. Moves Toward Renewable Energy
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.23.07
Via RenewableEnergyAccess.com:- "In response to increasing global demand for renewable energy, Johnson Controls, Inc. [based in Milwaukee WI, USA] is expanding its business direction in the areas of designing, installing and servicing geothermal, solar, biomass, wind and other renewable sources as energy supply options for customers. Johnson Controls has already implemented several renewable projects for its customers, including the Utah Department of Corrections (geothermal); Erie Community Unit School District (wind turbines); Denver Federal Center (solar); Indiana Department of Corrections (biomass boilers); and the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant (digester gas cogeneration plant)". As you can see by the photo, visitors are interested in Johnson Control's Lithium Battery offerings as well. Image credit:- Johnson Controls....
Environmentalism is NOT a Religion
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.07
Al Gore hit Toronto the other day, and scalpers were selling tickets at$ 200 a pop. To its discredit, The Globe and Mail decided to treat it like a Green Moonie convention with an article titled Eco-pilgrims gather to 'heed the Goracle'- Hundreds pack hall in show of devotion to climate cause. "They came in their hundreds to hear him speak, and even those left standing outside the crowded hall would not be deterred from lingering in the proximity of the Baptist prophet from Tennessee." Reporter Anthony Reinhart interviewed the usual flakes and flotsam that follow in the wake and built his article around them. "From my perspective, it is a form of religion," said Bruce Crofts, 69, as he held a banner aloft for the East Toronto Climate Action Group amid a lively prelecture crowd outside the old hall. "The religion for this group is doing something for the environment." And another: "It was not our intention to have a religious approach," ecoSanity group founder Glenn MacIntosh said, "but it was our understanding that it was that kind of movement that people were craving; that kind of spiritual connection in their gut."
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EnergyStar vs. EnergyBlackHole
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 02.23.07
What happens when an impossibly bright light enters an impossibly dark place? We are about to find out when the EPA releases version 4 of their EnergyStar standard in a few short months. It's the first time the standard has been updated in 15 years; needless to add, virtually every device out there currently meets the antiquated standard. Strange cough, strange cough. The new standard should up the bar. For example, an 80 percent efficiency rating for PC power supplies is required, effectively killing off items such as this 2000 watt monster. It will also address standby power, which is currently set at a whopping 30 watts for PCs. Servers will be included in the specs, using a fairly complicated measurement protocol that attempts to address real-world performance. This will come in handy, as it is predicted that half of the data centers in the world will run out of power by 2008. And with legislators in the US and EU chomping at the bit to regulate these data centers, EnergyStar might be just in time. To save the (computing) world, that is. ...
Think: Buy the Car, Lease the Battery
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.23.07
Here is an interesting idea to give a boost to the battery powered car: Sell the car but lease the batteries. "By leasing the battery the consumer doesn't take the risk over the unknowns of battery life," said Think president Jan-Olaf Willums. "We're moving from a car concept to a mobility concept. People look more and more at the full cost of ownership." The Norwegian two-seater can go 115 miles on a charge. Separating ownership of the battery from the car opens up all kinds of oppotunities: swapping in better batteries as they are developed, or even the development of battery stations where one can change to a full battery while on the road. ::Green Wombat
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Green Your Beaker: Tel Aviv University Hosts International Conference on Green Chemistry
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 02.23.07
Once upon a time, scientists conducted experiments and with little forethought poured noxious chemicals from their beakers and test tubes down the drain. In recent years, with concerns for the environment and human health high on the agenda, institutions around the world have been addressing ways to “green their chemistry”. On June 6-7th Tel Aviv University’s Porter School of Environmental Studies will host: "Green Chemistry – applications, research, and trends” which will include sessions on commercial applications of green chemistry, raw materials recycling, renewable fuels; environmental and health aspects of home and commercial chemicals and global policies in this area. ...
Tax season is coming up—invest in a few compact fluorescent light bulbs
by Ron Dembo, Zerofootprint on 02.22.07
Australia made news around the world this week by announcing an imminent ban on a cherished piece of Victorian technology: the incandescent light bulb. Now other governments, including California’s and Ontario’s, are considering a similar initiative. And in Ontario, at least, the opposition isn’t trying to halt the plan—John Tory is castigating the Liberals for taking their time.
And what’s not to like about compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)? In Australia, they expect the ban to result in a cut in greenhouse gas emissions of 4 million tonnes. In Ontario, it looks as though a move away from incandescent bulbs would cut electricity demand by the equivalent of the generating capacity of one coal-fired plant.
However, there will always be objectors (this is axiomatic—if there are still, somehow, people out there with doubts that human CO2 emissions are causing global warming, we shouldn’t be surprised that compact fluorescent light bulbs have their detractors). What is heartening here is that the objections are so easily dealt with....
Is the Swiffer Eco-Friendly?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02.22.07
Don't gag on your granola, but 'tis so indeed—that is, if you would believe Gianfranco Zaccai, the president and CEO of Continuum, the award-winning design and innovation consultancy behind P&G's Swiffer products. And he's not just talking about the CarpetFlick.
Zaccai makes this whopper of an assertion in a BusinessWeek op-ed, while rallying designers not to "just make more stuff the world doesn't need," but to keep sustainability—which can be profitable, to boot—in mind....
TH Blog Love – Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 02.22.07
Greener Magazine: Peruvian glacier may vanish in five years
“The fact that the Qori Kalis glacier, high in the Andes Mountains, is only one of many ice tongues retreating on the Quelccaya Ice Cap, the largest body of ice in the tropics, provides strong evidence of the warming that appears to be underway worldwide.”
It’s Getting Hot in Here: Step It Up Tops 700 Actions! by May Boeve
“Mardi Gras may be a day behind us, but here at the Step It Up campaign headquarters, we’re still celebrating. Just today, with 52 days remaining before the April 14 national day of climate action, we’ve hit 700 actions! Check out our map to see where an action is taking place in your community, and if there isn’t one, please sign up”...
Global Green Pre-Oscar Party : Electric Cars for the Stars
by Tim McGee, Helena, MT, USA on 02.22.07
Hollywood heavyweights will travel to the Academy Awards in serious green style this year- thanks to Global Green. Penelope Cruz and Leonardo DiCaprio co-chaired the pre-Oscar party, with a special performance by Maroon5. Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Orlando Bloom, Marcia Gay Harden, Diane Kruger, Joshua Jackson, Walton Goggins, Milla Jovovich, Lisa Ray, Michael Mann, Chevy Chase, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Bahar Soomekh, and LA City Councilman Eric Garcetti all hit the symbolic “green carpet” to help the cause. I had the opportunity to check out some of the cars, rub shoulders with CEO Steven Schneider of ZAP cars and talk with Matt Peterson CEO of Global Green USA....
Video: Sustainability is Only Half the Solution, Regeneration is the Other Half
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02.22.07
Carol Sanford at MIT: "It’s a hell of a way to run a business -- consuming more resources than you bring in, selling off your assets, and cooking the books to make things look good. Yet that is precisely how humans are operating the vast enterprise of living on earth. The U.S. runs a particularly unsuccessful 'Business of Inhabitation', taking up four times more resources than any other nation [...] meeting regulatory requirements and adopting a sustainable approach 'fall short of what we need to do for the planet'. Our problem-solving minds break things down and seek ways merely 'to arrest disorder' or protect what appears valuable [...] We need an evolutionary leap into the 'wholeness mindset,' which involves asking how we regenerate and bring in more of what we need without degrading what is already there." She begins speaking at 5 minutes 22 seconds into the video. ::Video: Carol Sanford at MIT. See also: ::William A. McDonough Conference from 2000, ::Video: Amory Lovins on Winning the Oil Endgame, ::Video: Max Carcas of Ocean Power Delivery, ::Google TechTalks: Climate Change, Carbon Trading and Biofuels...
Convenient Truths: Ed Begley, Jr. to Guest Judge!
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 02.22.07
Actor and environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. has agreed to guest judge our Convenient Truths contest! Many folks know him as Dr. Victor Ehrlich from the television series St. Elsewhere or his recurring roles on Arrested Development and Six Feet Under, but we know him as the vegetarian, IZIP-riding, solar-powered-home dwelling eco-celeb. With only six days left to enter, we hope Ed’s green ways serve as a little last minute inspiration for you to enter your solution to climate change. Not only will your video ...
Bush Goes Green in the Fashion Industry
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 02.22.07
Lauren Bush that is. The niece of President Bush is working on a new organic lifestyle brand, which will include clothing and accessories. It seems she’s not looking to build her portfolio though, rather, be the spokeswoman and face of the brand. The first piece made its debut at the Michael Kors show during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Bush was photographed (seen here with Michael Kors) carrying a burlap shoulder bag that read “Feed the Children of the World” on the side. We’ve seen Ms. Bush’s dedication to others before (for example, when she and her friends collected prom dresses for girls who couldn’t afford them) and she says that by selling the bags they “will feed a child in school for a year through the United Nations World Food Program.” The “Feed Bag” will go on sale in April on Amazon.com. Via ::Fashion Week Daily...
California Winery Brings in the Sheep, Cuts Fuel Use in Half
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 02.22.07
Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-Hours a Year
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 02.22.07
From the lights out department - did you know that a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor uses about 74 watts to display an all white web page, but only uses 59 watts to display an all black page? Yes, there all still plenty of these still in use, particularly in China and Latin America. Worldwide, about 25 percent of the monitors currently in use are cathode ray tubes, which means that they waste energy displaying white backgrounds. This can add up for sites with a global audience.
Take at look at Google, for instance, who gets about 200 million queries a day. Let's assume each query is displayed for about 10 seconds; that means Google is running for about 550,000 hours every day on some desktop. Assuming that users run Google in full screen mode, the shift to a black background will save a total of 15 (74-59) watts. Now take into account that about 25 percent of the monitors in the world are CRTs, and at 10 cents a kilowatt-hour, that's about $75,000/year, a goodly amount of energy and dollars for changing a few color codes.
Of course, you don't need to stick entirely with black; you can try EMERGY-C, a low wattage palette that gives you a bit more flexibility, and only costs about 4 watts more than an all black page. Low wattage web design? It's the future. [We'll keep that low-power palette in mind for the next time we redesign the site! -Ed.]...
House & Garden March 2007: Color & Design
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.22.07
House & Garden's March issue is all about color, and even has a few tips about TreeHugger's favorite hue. They stop in to visit Rizal Coleman (page 54), who owns Architectural Coatings+Design Center in Los Angeles, to talk green paint and wall finishes (and not just the color, in this case). Coleman opened the Center last November, after spending six years developing paints for an upscale brand and inhaling chemicals that were hard on his sinuses; now, after making the switch to nontoxic, VOC-free paints, "I derive such joy from testing new colors," he says, and we think anyone who buys his paints will probably feel the same once they go up on the walls. As a special bonus in the issue, readers will find H&G's "little black book of design," a handy, pocket-sized reference guide to the best in home design, from furniture and fabrics to lighting and laundry, that's the result of polling 20,000 designers and decorators from across the country. They give a nod to some great green design in New York, with Q Collection, Cambium Studio and Vivavi, and TreeHugger is flattered to be included in their favorite websites alongside design powerhouses Apartment Therapy and design*sponge. Pick up the issue for more,
take a closer look at Rizal Coleman's shop and offerings over at houseandgarden.com, check out the full list of the Designers' Best at their site and get more green design at TreeHugger's H&G blog. ::House & Garden March 2007...
Innovative Pharox LED Lamp Uses 3.4W: Replaces 40W Incandescent
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 02.22.07
An innovative LED lamp named Pharox has been launched in the Netherlands. Apparently, this 3.4 watt bulb is a serious replacement for a 40 watt incandescent bulb. It is rated at 60 lumens per watt. It is also more eco-effective when compared to other LED lamps, because the production does not include phosphor. The bulb will initially be available to customers of the green energy supplier Oxxio (the price listed is € 22.68 for 4 bulbs). The bulb was created by Lemnis Lighting, a technology company focused on the lighting market and managed by two members of the Philips family. Princess is going to distribute the light bulbs worldwide. :: Press Release. See also: 3D LED Bulbs
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Ask TreeHugger: Portable Air Cleaner Considerations
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 02.22.07
Question: What portable indoor air cleaner should I buy to remove air pollution from inside my home? I want to use the air cleaners to reduce my wife’s suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity.
Response: If your wife spends most of her time at home in one or two rooms, then placing a suitable portable air cleaner near her in each room should help reduce particle levels - and thus improve your indoor air quality. If she spends time at home in many rooms or your home has an open floor plan, portable air cleaners may not be the best solution. You may want to look at other possible solutions, such as a whole house air cleaning system. [Note that whole house air cleaning systems are not a solution for everyone, as they require a central cooling or heating system.] You should be aware that air cleaners generally don't remove everything -- most don't remove bad smells or remove all potentially harmful gases from the air – be suspicious of such claims.
Portable air cleaners are the most common type of air cleaner. They are small and plug into the wall much like a counter-top kitchen appliance or a portable heater. There are many brands and models of portable air cleaners to chose from. In choosing the best portable air cleaner for you, you should consider the following three factors: ...
Volvo Trucks Calculates Cradle to Grave Impacts
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 02.22.07
It’s online. Volvo Trucks has it. You can go to their website and calculate the life cycle impacts of a Volvo truck. In fact you can even compare two vehicles to see which performs better in terms of materials and production, fuel and exhaust, maintenance and end of life. The results are categorized into resources, air, water and waste. Here’s what they have to say: In order for our customers, and others, to see how two of our best-selling trucks (the Volvo FH and Volvo FM) affect the environment, we produced an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). The EPD is an on-line application containing information about materials, energy consumption, emissions and so on, which enables you to calculate the environmental impact of a single transport operation or the complete life cycle of a truck.
The site is aimed at companies that use Volvo trucks for transportation purposes, but the idea here is great. One drawback is obviously the limitation to Volvo truck types, however the idea and intent is great. Of course they can’t really provide data on other truck types, so that drawback is excusable. If only other vehicle manufacturers would take this idea one step further and provide an online tool for regular greenie citizens to calculate the life cycle impacts of their vehicles. You could check and compare the impacts of the vehicles you want to buy! Read about Volvo’s hybrid system for trucks and busses here and their plans for CO2 free plants in Sweden here::Volvo Trucks ...
domino & TreeHugger's Green List: Renovating
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.22.07
When it comes to greening your home, we much prefer renovating to starting from scratch with new construction, so TreeHugger was happy to help domino magazine find some great resources for new floors, kitchens and lighting for the Green List in their March green issue. For many of the items, we were sure to offer regional options, so folks across the country could find sources closer to home, to cut down on shipping. When it came to flooring, we went with reclaimed wood, like Trestlewood and Pioneer Millworks, FSC-certified sources, like the wood at EcoTimber, and mod, green carpet from Interface. When it comes to the kitchen, green cabinets from Henrybuilt and countertops from Richlite were high on the list, and don't forget to recycle with the EcoPod. Check out more green renovating tips and sources at dominomag.com, and stay tuned for more from the Green List. ::domino's Green List: Renovating...
Whole Foods Joins Wild Oats
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02.22.07
Via New York Times:- Whole Foods chairman and chief executive, John P. Mackey, has announced a proposed merger with Wild Oats Markets. "Whole Foods would pay $565 million, or $18.50 a share, for Wild Oats,...Mark Husson, an analyst with HSBC, said he was surprised by the merger announcement because Whole Foods has always looked down its nose at Wild Oats. But he said the deal made sense, and he compared it to two knights who decide to stop fighting each other so they can protect the castle against bigger competitors". Like Wal-Mart and Target. Given what happens when large retailers allocate a small corner here and there to organics or local produce, this is probably a good development: makes it less likely that the originators of the movement will lose business to the invaders. Image credit: Idylls of the King, eBook...
CSAO: Senegalese Recycled Craft Shop
by Bonnie Alter, London on 02.22.07
Walking into this store in the Marais area of Paris is like entering another country altogether. Suddenly the air is alive with light and colour as the exotic objects, fabrics and furniture transport your spirits. This shop was started in 1995 by a French woman who lived in Senegal and loved the ingenuity and creativity of the Senegalese. Senegal is a former French colony with strong links to France. She started a collective outside of Dakar with 400 artisans to promote their skills and talent, with profits going to a children's charity. Many of the products are recycled from plastic or tin cans. They re-invent traditional art and make it modern such as beaded chairs which are part of an old tradition. The kettle, pictured, is made from recycled plastic and comes in all sorts of striped combinations. It is lightweight and would make a great watering can for the plants. The multi-coloured woven mats, made of recycled plastics, would make any room come alive. The briefcases are made of tin cans or scrap metal sheeting. They were originally created for local use, but the Pop art irony of recycling (transforming a Nescafé sign into a lawyer's briefcase, for example) has made them a big hit. There is an Eiffel Tower made of recycled cans and little animal sculptures. Woven baskets and platters as well as wooden ones are for sale as well as wonderful woven fabrics that are hand-dyed and painted and baked in the sun. :: CSAO...
Update: Possible Environmental Disaster in Antarctica
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 02.22.07
Last week, we took the uncharacteristic step of reporting on a potentially grave situation in Antarctica. Much to our relief, the crippled Japanese whaling vessel is undergoing repairs that will hopefully prevent any chemical or oil releases into the otherwise pristine Ross Sea. Although the boat is still disabled and Greenpeace’s offers to tow the vessel to safety continue to be rejected, repair crews have succeeded in restarting its main engine. A decision on whether to attempt to move the ship under its own power will be made after safety tests are completed. Meanwhile, there is still lingering concern that the boat could leak some of the estimated 343,000 gallons of oil that are onboard. The possibility of a spill has sparked significant concern, because the Ross Sea is near to the breeding ground for a estimated 250,000 pairs of penguins. To add insult to injury, a spokesman for the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research has not ruled out the possibility that the vessel could continue its hunt for 945 whales under Japan's so-called ''scientific whaling'' program. See also ::Japanese Whaling Under Fire...
Hot Rocks Energy Gets a $5 Million Nod from Govt
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02.22.07
Much to the scepticism of our readers we’ve covered hot rocks at least once or twice before. In a nutshell, it’s a form geothermal energy derived from pumping water kilometres underground where it gets heated enough (by hot rocks!) to then rise back to the surface and drive turbines. Taking time off from phasing out incandescent light bulbs, the Australian government’s Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull reckoned that ‘large-scale geothermal power plants had the potential to substantially reduce Australia's carbon dioxide emissions and could provide up to 10 per cent of the country's electricity needs by 2050.’ His counterpart in the Industry Ministry, Ian Macfarlane, was meanwhile giving $5 million AUD to exploration company Petratherm to investigate the concept further at their test site in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. 200 jobs are due to be created as a result. Another company with a potential hot rocks site in the same state is GreenRock Energy, but it looks as if their eyes are currently focussed on a project in western Hungary. It’s all still a bit experimental at the mo’, but makes for a welcome and cleansing relief from the barrage of so called solutions of ‘clean coal’, CO2 geosequestration, and nuclear. ::Petratherm, via SMH....
The Momentum of Climate Change
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.22.07
We long ago gave up covering the skeptical antics of the Wall Street Journal or Canada's National Post; it just got boring and repetitive. Now Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics does the numbers and asks: " Does big business care about climate change as much as everyone else?
Judging from the pages of the Wall Street Journal, the answer is yes. Here are some of the headlines appearing in yesterday’s edition:
-While Housing Withers, ‘Green’ Materials Bloom
-Arctic Melting May Clear Path to Vast Deposits of Oil and Gas
-Biodiesel Powers Up on Financing
-Emissions Caps Could Be Ruinous
-Biodiesel Powers Up on Financing
-Group Seeks Greenhouse-Gas Cuts
-EU Sets 20% Reduction in Emissions by 2020
and that is just the Marketplace section- a lot of coverage for an issue that they say does not exist. Dubner says "It is stunning to me how the threat of climate change has moved so swiftly from a big, simmering news story to a gigantic, omnipresent news story." ...
Design Related: Social Networking Site for Designers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.22.07
Everybody and their dog has a social networking site these days; we have yet to see any real virtue from being a linkedin member but perhaps its scope is just to big and unfocused. We learn from Josh Spear about a design-focused site worth looking at, particularly for those with an interest such as green or sustainable design. There are a few things that I find intriguing and useful: besides the usual profile and portfolio stuff that you see on design related sites like Coroflot, at design:related there is a section called "my inspirations" where one might start entering links to books, websites and people who have inspired us. This, and their "my influences" feature, would make it very easy to network with people who share (or wish to learn about) the influences and interests of others. Imagine if everyone who was influenced by Bill McDonough and Cradle to Cradle listed it- we could have a virtual Greendrinks. This looks promising. ::design:related...
Ashanti Coffee: How Far Away Troubles Affect Us
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.22.07
The lead story in the Economist this week is about Zimbabwe, about how its economy has descended into chaos, how gangs are rampaging through the country and how production of crops and goods is at levels not seen since before WW2. These stories can be shocking, but for us in North America they are distant from our daily lives and do not affect us directly.
However it is surprising how complex and big, global issues can hit you at the local level. A few weeks ago, while buying a coffee in a warming hut at the top of Blue Mountain, a minor ski hill overlooking the small town of Collingwood Ontario, I noticed signs describing it as Ashanti Coffee. TreeHugger loves supporting local green initiatives, and looking it up I found that:
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