- 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 March 11, 2007 - March 17, 2007
Total this week: 152
Recycled Craft Competition at WhipUp
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 03.17.07
WhipUp is a multi-author craft blog. They post exhibition and book reviews, artist and maker features, tutorials, controversy and current issues in the crafting world. They recently held a recycled craft competition, where entrants had two weeks to make something that was 90% recycled materials. (To find out more about recycling check out the TreeHugger guide to 'How to Green Your Recycling')...
Video: The Rebuilding Center
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.17.07
Freeaire Refrigeration System will Work for A Few Years Yet
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.07
It's reefer madness day at TreeHugger! *. Another great idea to save on refrigeration costs, as long as it is still cold outside, is the Freeaire system, which asks the question: why pay money to refrigerate when cold is free in winter? In a typical convenience store, half the energy consumed is used for refrigeration. The Freeaire can save 90% of the electricity for 150 days of the year; furthermore the fridge equipment lasts much longer as it is barely used throughout the winter. A microprocessor controls a fan and and damper to monitor the temperature of the cooler and the air, and bring in as much outside air as required to keep the temperature stable. The inventor acknowledges that there " may be still out on whether there will be less cold and snow in the future, but even if there might be less cold outside air around in fifty years, that's no reason to act in a way to make it happen! " ::Freeaire via ::The Ugliest Blog on the Intarweb
*(reefer is short for refrigerated van, its not what you think)
See also Justin's post on chest refrigerators. ...
E-Cube Reduces Display-Case Refrigerator Electricity Use
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.17.07
Via The Guardian, which reports that E-cube:- "...is made of wax, is barely three inches across and comes in any colour you like, as long as it's black. And it could save more greenhouse gas emissions than taxes on gas guzzling cars, low energy light bulbs and wind turbines on houses combined. It is the e-cube, and it is coming soon to a fridge near you". The Guardian article, obviously written by non-engineer, conjures up the image of a blob of wax one molds around the refrigerator temp dial. As pictured, E-Cube is actually a plastic box filled with wax that has a heat transfer characteristic similar to food. Inside the cube (pictured), suspended in the wax presumably, is a thermistor that supplants the internal air temperature sensing device that refrigerators use to control on/off cycling. From the E-Cube site is this explanation. "Refrigeration units usually monitor circulating air temperature in order to decide when to switch on and off. However, circulating air temperature tends to rise quickly, far more quickly than food temperature and, as a result, refrigeration works harder than necessary to maintain stored products at the right temperature. This in turn leads to excessive electricity consumption and undue wear and tear on the equipment". Headed for retail store prime time, as Starbucks is reportedly testing the device, we're just surprised that Wal-Mart didn't give it a go yet. Not strongly recommended for home refrigerators, as the benefits are lost with infrequent opening.
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EU's Bold Energy Plan Shames Kyoto Holdouts
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03.17.07
How Europe Can Save the World boasted the headline in The Guardian as it welcomed the "deal which is arguably the most important since (the European Union's) foundation 50 years ago." TreeHugger scooped the major media to bring you the EU's ambitious energy plan with the critical question: "Is there value in leadership if no one is following?" Now, we have the chance to find out.
The Kyoto Protocol suffers from two major deficiencies. First, several nations with major potential contributions to global warming are either exempt or, ahem, boycotting it until the exempt nations step up to the challenge. Second, it is already obsolete--having been intended as a target to get the ball rolling, not as a final solution. And while unsatisfactory compromises often characterize the EU's bureaucratic process, Merkel has succeeded in leveraging her 6-month Presidency of the EU to create a monumental Energy plan. The EU's move clearly shames developed nations which are shying commitments that scientists now agree are necessary for the long-term health of the planet in the interest of short term economic policy....
Transformation House by Michael Jantzen
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.07
Michael Jantzen is at it again, turning his Wind Shaped Pavilion on its side to create an "interactive, responsive, self-contained structure that can change its shape to accommodate different functions. The five center section can be rotated manually or automatically around the living space in order to catch the sun to warm the house, catch the wind to cool the house, catch the rain to supply it with water, catch different views, an or to alter the shape of the entire house just for the fun of it....made of lightweight steel and partially clad in photovoltaic cells. ...
Dog Power: Ideal Bite on Urban Mushing
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.17.07
We have previously covered urban ‘mushing’ here. No, this is not the art of pureeing organic vegetables to make food for your city-dwelling baby, but rather it’s a neat way to get about town cheaply, and cleanly, while exercising your dog. Now Ideal Bite have a very informative post on this subject, including safety tips and a round-up of equipment suppliers. ::Via Ideal Bite::
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Dome was Built in a Day
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.07
So many ideas from Japan. Here is a segmented prefabricated dome system where each slice is made from cement covered polystyrene weighing 80 Kg, about 170 lb. Given that it looks about 8" thick, we can see this house reduces heating bills by 90%. "The houses are 7 meters in diameter, fire proof, earthquake and typhoon resistant, and using the modular building system can be constructed in less than a day." US$ 41,000 which sounds like a deal. Watch video at ::Diginfo...
Applied Materials To Install 1.9 MW Solar Capacity
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.17.07
Per the press release, Applied Materials, equipment supplier to the chip fab and SPV cell industries, has announced that it will install solar panels capable of generating 1.9 megawatts of power on the roofs of the buildings of it's Sunnyvale, California-based campus. When operational in 2008, Applied's new roof-top solar power generating system will provide about the same amount of electricity that would be consumed by 1,400 homes. That's bigger than Google's solar project. So, now who's greener? Image credit: Photo of used AM-made equipment by Fab Surplus...
American Electric Power Does The Right Thing
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.17.07
Via Washington Post : “American Electric Power, a major electric utility, is planning the largest demonstration yet of capturing carbon dioxide from a coal-fired power plant and pumping it deep underground”. The technology involves “…a new process — so far tested only at laboratory scale — that uses chilled ammonia to absorb the gas for collection. The process was developed by Alstom , a major manufacturer of generating equipment, and aims to reduce the amount of energy required to capture the carbon dioxide”. By putting the long pipe dream of sequestration (pun intended) to test, AEP is going a long way to satisfy the critiques offered in a recent MIT study. We note from the Alstrom site that:- “The technology has the great advantage versus other technologies of being fully applicable not only for new power plants, but also for the retrofit of existing coal-fired power plants…The captured CO2 will be designated for geological storage in deep saline aquifers at the site.”...
Keep Them Fluttering By
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.17.07
Looking for a campaign your students can engage in with Earth Day 2007 just around the corner? Well, in keeping with this years theme of cooling the planet, how about working to raise funds to support Trees for Monarchs? It's a campaign to help save the forests in Mexico on which the Monarchs depend each winter by planting over 40,000 trees in south-central Mexico as part of a multiyear program to improve winter nesting sites for the endangered butterfly. As the monarch is threatened by deforestation of its winter habitat in the fir forests, this just may be a great way to teach kids about endangered species as well as global warming while helping to physically save the planet at the same time. Wondering how much impact just one class of 25 can have on the world? Well, every dollar you donate plants a tree, and reforesting these sites will not just improve the butterfly’s nesting habitat, but also restore soil and watersheds in the deforested areas. And that's not all, because the program also works to create alternative sites for wood extraction, it will alleviate future pressure on monarch habitats as well. This might be a great way to teach your kids about the interconnected web of life, and enable them to make a positive difference for Earth Day 2007....
Should You Stop Showing Up For Work?
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.16.07
You don't hear a lot about telecommuting these days - I can't decide if it went mainstream it's a forgotten fad. There's no doubt it saves oodles of resources. As a fellow who has tried it for long periods of time, I can respond to two of the biggest questions surrounding the practice (a) I do wonder where all the people went, and (b) I do get more done.
Mind you, that's a survey of one, and from a business perspective those prominent issues might not be enough to sell a corporate TC program. Other issues, such as the fact that it is perceived as a career killer comes into play. And some countries, such as Ireland, have not yet built out their IT infrastructure to support it. Israel did, but then discovered that doing so encouraged workers to telecommute to higher paying countries such as the US.
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ZAP Shakes it Up at NADA: Dealers Place 2,300 EV Orders
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.16.07
We reported at the end of January that ZAP would be showing up at this year’s North American Dealer’s Association (NADA) convention in Las Vegas to try and drum up mainstream interest for electric vehicles. At the center of ZAP’s attack was an entirely new EV based around Lotus Engineering’s APX crossover, the ZAP-X. It certainly seems that the satisfying aesthetics and impressive performance stats (350 miles per charge and 155 mph) of the ZAP-X made a big impression on the world of auto dealing. The EV maker reports that 19 dealers made non-cancelable purchase orders for a total of 2,300 electric cars. ZAP says this almost doubles the current number of ZAP dealers. Orders included the ZAP-X, the Obvio! 828 two-seater, and the Xebra pickup. ::ZAP ...
The Coming Decline of Oil
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 03.16.07
Oil has shaped our twenty-first century civilization, affecting every facet of the economy from the mechanization of agriculture to jet air travel. When production turns downward, it will be a seismic economic event, creating a world unlike any we have known during our lifetimes. Indeed, when historians write about this period in history, they may well distinguish between before peak oil (BPO) and after peak oil (APO). (See also see Chapter 2, “Beyond the Oil Peak,” Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, available for free online.)
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TreeHugger Radio: An Interview with David Suzuki
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 03.16.07
One of the greatest TreeHuggers of the modern day, David Suzuki has been speaking on behalf of the environment for more than four decades. His career spans zoology and genetics, broadcast television, and grassroots environmental activism. Dr. Suzuki is the author of 43 books (half of them for children), is an inspiring lecturer, and the spark behind green campaigns such as The Nature Challenge and If You Were Prime Minister. In this extended interview, Simran Sethi and Dr. Suzuki delve into the essence of the world economy, the importance of seasonal food, and what happens when you eat too many cherries. Listen to TreeHugger Radio each week here on TreeHugger.com and podcasting on iTunes (click here to listen or right-click to download) ::TreeHugger Radio...
Convenient Truths: And The EPIC International Prize Winner Is...
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.16.07
This being the weekend of EPIC Vancouver’s Sustainable Living Expo, it seems only apropos to announce the EPIC International winner of our Convenient Truths contest.
Drum roll please… “One Person” by Robin Hays. Congratulations, Robin!
Robin will receive $5,000 CAD for a sustainable shopping spree, a Jorg & Olif Citybike, and a pair of biodegradable Earthangels Shoes from John Fluevog. Not only that, but Robin has been invited to attend EPIC's Sustainable Living Expo this weekend, where she will personally be awarded her prizes on their main stage and where her video will be screened!...
Zipcar Launches Fancy New Web Reservation System
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.16.07
Regular TreeHugger readers already know that we're enamored with car-sharing services; they reduce the number of cars on the road and make driving a much more efficient experience as a whole. One of the services that's made a splash here in the States is Zipcar (though they've recently branched out to London and Toronto, along with Chicago here in the US), and to make it a little easier on everyone, they've launched a fancy new reservation system on their website. After surveying 30,000 members and running some tests, they've combined one-click reservations, embedded Google maps and AJAX technology, which allows for real-time interaction with ever-changing vehicle availability and a solid Web 2.0 experience. It looks like a pretty slick system, and if it helps more people share cars, we're all for it. Read all the details in the press release and learn more about Zipcar at their site. ::Zipcar via ::AutoblogGreen...
Evangelical and Muslim Youth Find Common Ground On Earth Day
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.16.07
Muslim and Christian youth living in the US have found common interest in protecting the environment. According to Eboo Patel, founder of the Interfaith Youth Core, a non-profit dedicated to building a pluralistic society through cooperation between people of all religious backgrounds, as he recently traveled the country visiting college campuses on behalf of his organization after meeting and speaking with the Rev. Richard Cizik, vice-president of the National Association of Evangelicals and a well-known proponent of creation-care, he found that often there were groups of students already organizing Earth Day events with both Muslims and Evangelical youth working side by side to lead the way. And in light of clerics in the Middle East working to encourage water conservation along with the powerful stance that the board of the NAE recently took backing Cizik’s position on global warming in light of some very public and misguided criticism, it just may be that their elders are coming to see that they too share common interest in the environment. Patel points out that he really likes the partnership precisely because it is unlikely. And with members of both groups often stereotyped, in reality it’s far more productive to envision a future in which we can all work side by side to protect the planet than to dwell on the temporary divisions that may keep us apart. Now you certainly may think that I'm a dreamer, but if we can all ‘Imagine There’s No Heaven’ it's clear to me that life on earth becomes a whole lot easier as we try…....
Tesla Motors To Open Five Dealer Outlets
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.16.07
Tesla Motors will open up five customer service centers in conjunction with the public launch later this year of the Tesla Roadster, an all-electric sports car. The service centers will be located in Chicago, Northern California, Southern California, New York and Florida, according to a Daryl Siry, vice president of marketing. Each of the centers will have a couple of the cars in different colors, displays on the technology used in the vehicles. More will follow, Siry added, largely because the company will start producing a line of sedans in 2009. "To do 10,000 units for Whitestar (the codename for the sedan) we need to be in a lot more places," he said. :: Via ZDNET
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Turning The Environment Into A Jewish Tradition
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 03.16.07
The Jewish culture is governed by tradition. A newer tradition is for young American Jews to come to Israel to get in touch with their ancient Hebrew roots. Normally they come for about 10 days and visit the obvious sights such as the Dead Sea, the Wailing Wall and Masada. They go back to America with a better understanding of Israel but are not given any information on the country’s environmental challenges and successes. Recently, trip organizers have started offering a flight to Israel with a different spin: an eco-tourism tour. We reported on such a trip last year here and a couple of months ago a new group came to Israel where they learned about issues such as Israel’s polluted Kishon River, the disappearing Dead Sea and were lectured on the many ecological threats that Israel faces. ...
Efficient Wind Tunnels: Could Be Big?
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.16.07
A company called Green Energy Technologies, has developed a efficient wind tunnel product. According to Jetson Green, "The WindCube is the urban-friendly rooftop application and the WindMAX is the tower application for high power users. The turbine is designed on Bernoulli's Principle. The cube captures wind and pulls it into the center of the cube where the turbine is, and in the process, the velocity of the wind increases and propels the blades to generate electricity. The increase in velocity is helpful because it allows building owners to generate wind power where wind may not be as powerful. The technology is ideal for urban buildings, big-box retailers, malls, etc., because it powers the building and allows you to net meter."...
64MW Solar Installation About To Be Switched On!
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.16.07
One of the world's largest solar installation is about to be switched on. The project is called Nevada Solar One, and it is projected to generate 64 megawatts, when it is operational. It covers 300 acres and contain 760 mirror arrays, each measuring about 100 meters. The total number of mirrors is approximately 184,000. The solar power plant will go live next month in Boulder City, Nevada. The mirrors direct sunlight on an oil-filled tube. The oil is then used to create steam, which turns a turbine. See also: A Glass Walkway Over Grand Canyon Opens
:: Via: Energy Blog...
Jenesys Flatpack Prefabs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.16.07
We have often joked that the more energy-efficient buildings get, the more closely they will resemble walk-in coolers. British Columbia's Jenesys Building Systems has introduced a line of prefabs that do exactly that: thick, structural insulated panels (SIP) that are strong, efficient insulators without thermal breaks, tight efficient designs that minimize exterior surface areas, and minimal window area where not facing the sun. It is the combination of these things that make a building perform really well.
Walk-in coolers are pretty utilitarian looking, but architect Carsten Jensen has managed to pull it off with some style.
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Steady As She Goes: Climate Week In Review
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.16.07
TreeHugger writers are solid on the importance of optimism, and a resolute practicality in the face of climate change. Facts and thoughtful analysis will best carry the flag we thought. We were wrong. At times a polite silence, perhaps a half-smile, can be the most effective action. Via Financial Times of March 15, 2006, the chief execs of US car makers testified jointly, this week, before Congressional Committee. Reportedly, the executives were unanimous in support of a Cap-And-Trade regime. John Dingell, (D) MI, and Chairman of the Committee, was quoted as saying:- " "Ladies and gentlemen, Hannibal is at the gates...We need to talk about what can be done and what will work." A particularly interesting remark, given that Al Gore was scheduled to testify later in the week. Now here's the money quote from FT:- "In spite of a past record of skepticism on climate change, all four executives politely declined to agree with a suggestion by Joe Barton, a senior Republican member, that man-made carbon emissions were trivial." Perhaps the execs were practiced in their politeness, having already learned from their own PR people that, according to NOAA (a US Federal Agency) " Winter in the Northern Hemisphere this year has been the warmest since records began more than 125 years ago,...temperatures were continuing to rise by a fifth of a degree every decade. The 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1995. Weather experts predict that 2007 could be the hottest year on record." (Via BBC) Image credit: NOAA....
Summer in the City: Urban Sustainable Design Studio 2007
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.16.07
Last year we let you know about the Urban Sustainable Design Studio, an eight week summer course dedicated to investigating the role of sustainability within design. The USDS course, now in it's fifth year, is run by Peter Nicholson of the Foresight Design Initiative in Chicago. Nicholson says, "The goal of USDS is for participants to leave the experience more knowledgeable and better equipped for having engaged issues, collaborated with others, and wrestled with barriers." A previous participant A. Small has described the program as being "both a perfect introduction to sustainability as well as a continuation of understood concepts and methods in sustainable design. Tangible, actionable results are hard to come by academically; the best way to learn is through actions and examples, and this studio offers students real-world experiences in sustainable design." This year's projects include interesting briefs such as "(R)evolutionizing the Race: Politics and Design" and "Closed Loop Coffee: Creating the Sustainable Enterprise." The deadline for the application and admission process is April 16th. The course runs from June 18- August 10. :: Foresight Design Initiative...
365 Small Steps Cover a Lot of Ground
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.16.07
We talk often about starting with the easy things (why we like CFL's so much) and sometimes the hard things. Vanessa Farquharson is doing the worst of both worlds, a sort of death of 365 cuts, by doing one new little thing for the environment every day for a year and blogging about it. Perhaps it is penance for her day job as a journalist at the National Post, the House organ for Canada's Climate Change Denial Squad.
She started on March 1 by giving up on paper towels from the Boreal Forest (but not giving up paper altogether, just going to 100% recycled, we did say small steps!) through giving up styrofoam (a much bigger step) to giving up bottled water (great step!) and turning down the thermostat. Forever. On day 9 Vanessa is going for local food (but sometimes bananas are OK.) On day 12 Vanessa both cheats and I think gets it wrong (hey, saying you are NOT going to buy a microwave does not count as doing something, and if you are reheating something small, a microwave uses a lot less energy than warming up the entire oven. And read Helen here. ) but that is a minor quibble. Just be sure to go for 366 to make up.
Small Step Woman, No Impact Man, so many people out there, we could start a dating service or a superhero club. Send in comments with your ideas for small steps that add up and we will see if we can help her out at ::Green as a Thistle...
Alter Mundi: Parisian Eco Chic
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.16.07
Alter Mundi is a Parisian eco-boutique. What makes it different from ones in Montreal, London or Rome? It’s the individual sense of style of each country that is reflected in the stores that make it so interesting to compare them. The Montreal and English shops carry the work of mainly local clothing designers. The French are great globetrotters; they love South America and have strong ties to the French speaking countries in Asia. Plus there are many African immigrants in Paris. The mix that is in the shops reflects this eclecticism. Alter Mundi has a furniture and a fashion shop. Much of the fashion comes from Brazil—there are colourful cotton running shoes, by Veja, made from organic cotton, that would make any outfit look hip. As well as tee-shirts by “Tu Do Bom” (how are you). The men's say tu do bom? on the front; the women's are classically designed in bright colours. The handbags are from Cambodia, made of recycled rice bags and India--made of recycled plastic. We loved the bags by Zaza Factory made by Burmese women in Mynamar as well as the funky earrings and necklaces that they have created. They would go well with the cheery sundresses from Cambodia made of organic cotton. When in Paris this is just the place to get that international chic look of green french fashion. Merci à Kyeann Sayer. :: Alter Mundi...
In Hot Water Over Climate, Bush Cuts Funding for Geothermal Power
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 03.16.07
As concern over climate change continues to mount, the Bush administration has announced plans to eliminate federal support for geothermal power. Citing the belief that geothermal is a mature technology, the Department of Energy has decided not to request funds for additional research in 2008. Instead, the administration has decided to increase spending on nuclear power and biofuels. The decision has angered climate activists and scientists who argue that there is enough hot water underground to meet all U.S. electricity needs. ...
Still Troubled about Teak
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.16.07
Gordon M. Grant for The New York Times
We have written before about the evils of virgin teak here, and expressed reservations about reclaimed teak before as well, but damned if I can find it. I think that the reservations were confirmed in the New York Times article on the recycling of old teak buildings into new furniture and floors. Companies like TerraMai are buying up buildings-"As Southeast Asia continues to modernize, many teak-wood homes are being torn down and replaced with Western-style brick or concrete ones." Yet some preservationists worry. From the Times:
Tanet Charoenmuang, the vice president of the Urban Development Institute Foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which advocates for historical preservation in the rapidly modernizing city, is worried that his country is slowly losing its identity, as old teak villas, docks, hotels, tobacco barns and granaries vanish."Houses are sold one after another after another, and, finally, all gone," Dr. Tanet said. "Finally, the culture will be gone, too." Unfortunately, the traditional house that is adapted to the climate and raised to keep cool without air conditioning, is being replaced. "At first, someone may have never thought of selling" a home, he said, but the financial incentive, combined with the growing popularity of Western-style brick and concrete houses with modern conveniences like air-conditioning, has spurred the selling off of teak. The result, Dr. Tanet said, is that "the wooden culture gives way to the concrete."
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Electric Eco-Bike: Green(er) Transport in the UK
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.16.07
We’ve covered electric bikes before, most notably provoking a strong debate about their green credentials here. While this Treehugger agrees that electric bikes are not quite as green as your standard pedal powered variety [authors edit: please see comments for a discussion of this assertion/personal bias], he does have a friend with health problems who benefited greatly from this low-impact version of motorized transport. He’s also seen a not-too-athletic looking senior citizen regularly whizzing around his home town with a big smile on her face [authors second edit: and please see comments for the many other fabulous uses of the electric bike]. It is in this spirit, then, that we bring you news of Electric Eco-Bike, a UK based electric bike developer and vendor. Their website boasts an impressive array of different models, including an intriguing looking electric trike for carrying heavy loads. Unfortunately, most of these conform to the rather ugly stereotype of electric bikes, rather than the more elegant Schwinn, but they are certainly reasonably priced. According to EVUK, the British web-based campaign for real electric vehicles, Eco-Bike’s are being used by London’s Royal Parks Police as a stealthy, and greener, mode of transport.
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American Government Comes Out Against Coal Mining
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.16.07
We are so thrilled to learn that the American government has finally developed concern about the environmental impact of digging for coal. In Canada. It seems that there are concerns that a new mine just north of Montana stands to jeopardize water quality in the transboundary Flathead area. From the Vanouver Sun: The Flathead basin is "an area of unique and internationally recognized environmental importance," Edward Alex Lee, Canadian affairs director in the State Department, said in the Feb. 23 letter. He said the mine could cause "significant adverse environmental effects" in the United States. U.S. Senator Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, said "Montanans are rightfully worried that mining in British Columbia could have devastating consequences to fish, wildlife and our growing recreation industry in the Flathead."
We are certain that Montana is going to put its gasification plants on the back burner and even though Tom Freidman says "Montana has one-third of all the coal deposits in America — 8 percent of all the coal in the world. Montana’s coal is roughly equivalent to 240 billion barrels of oil. “That’s enough to replace all our imported oil for 60 years.” they will leave it in the ground out of equal concern for their own backyards.
We don't support digging up British Columbia for its coal either, but this smells of hypocrisy. ::Vancouver Sun via ::the conscious earth
image by Edward Burtynsky, "Westar Open Pit Coal Mine #19, Sparwood, British Columbia", 1985
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Report Re-characterizes “Clean Coal” Program: Black As Ever
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.16.07
Just when the “clean coal” mantra, having been echoed through the public relations hole a gazillion times, had even US presidential candidates from both parties arguing that more “clean coal” type technology was ready for prime time taxpayer subsidy, comes a contrarian's view from 13 MIT experts. In a nutshell: its not ready. Worse than 'not ready,' the current approach of the US Department of Energy FutureGen program increases the likelihood of financial waste and adds to the risk that energy supplies will be disrupted in the future. Don’t take our word for it, read the overview in Technology Review. Meanwhile, we’ve been making a similar point in our recent posts. So here’s another contrariwise idea from us. Next time the DOE cooks up a scheme that makes or breaks the prospects for life on earth, they might want to get a third party peer review from people with no economic interest in the outcome. Look below the fold for a few excerpts....
Survey: Coins or Bills?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.16.07
Jenna's post about the new American one dollar coin generated some controversy, but I noted one commenter about "the public's willingness to use these coins." In Canada and the UK, there was no issue of choice; the mint just did it and we got used to it. The vending companies bit the bullet and suddenly we weren't feeding endless quarters into machines like Americans do for a chocolate bar or a parking meter, just one coin did the trick, and their sales went up because of the convenience. (there has been inflation, you know) The street people loved it- when the Canadian toonie came out one said "hey, the Prime Minister just gave me a raise!" So here is a two part quiz, questions for Americans and two questions for readers from countries where people have faced change and dealt with it.
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The Onion Tote
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 03.16.07
One hilarious way from The Onion to stand out while you shop at the local store. But seriously, despite the fact everyone knows a reusable tote is a good idea, I can still feel the eyes of people looking at me- I pretend it's envy. In the words of Mark Twain:
Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution -- these can lift at a colossal humbug -- push it a little -- weaken it a little over the course of a century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.We often post on paper or plastic, but when it gets down to it, just bring your own tote- make a statement without saying a word. It also comes in black. ::The Onion...
Flip Flop Key Chains
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.15.07
This month’s issue (March) of Coastal Living features a number of eco-friendly finds in their monthly “Currents” section. In fact, much of the magazine is devoted to it like many other magazines on the stands this March. As the editor notes in her opening note “green has gone mainstream.” Remember the flip flop mat we featured when TreeHugger first hit the internet a few years ago? These key chains are similar and are made for the avid boater in mind. Made from flip flop scraps, they hold up to three keys and will float in the water in case they go overboard. They can be purchased at Bitters & Co. for $5.00 each, along with other cool recycled flip flop items – including the mat! Via ::Coastal Living ::Bitters & Co. ...
Crate and Barrel's Green Sofa
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.15.07
Crate and Barrel has released a green sofa called the Lockaport, and a matching chair. "For upholstery, this is our first venture into" sustainability, says Heather Turner, product manager assistant with Crate and Barrel in Northbrook, noting that the retailer "hopes to develop more." The frames for the sofa and chair are made from hardwood that's certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council. The seat cushions are filled with a soy-based poly-foam, which uses less petrochemicals than standard foam.
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Ask TreeHugger: What Is Vapor Intrusion?
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 03.15.07
Question: Could you discuss the issues and health risks related to "vapor intrusion" of volatile organic chemicals into buildings from contaminated sites? What can a homeowner or purchaser do to find out if there is a vapor intrusion risk at home, schools, or day care centers?
Response: “Vapor intrusion” (sometimes called “soil gas vapor intrusion”) is what happens when chemicals move from the ground or water into your home or other buildings. Chemicals that enter your home through the ground often belong to a class of chemicals called “volatile organic compounds” (VOCs), which as their name implies are volatile, and thus like to exist as a gas. This property is important, allowing VOCs to move easily through openings that exist between the soil grains and thus to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Since basements tend to be at lower pressure than the ground below, this pressure-related movement can cause VOCs to enter your home from the ground through openings or cracks in your foundation. Once inside, the VOCs can spread through out your home with the help of natural air flow, room or house fans, or other home ventilation devices. When this occurs, vapor intrusion can be an important source of indoor pollution in your home....
Purdue's Can-Do Biofuels Promise to Meet All U.S. Transport Needs
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.15.07
Churning up plant matter—such as agricultural and forest waste—into liquid fuel isn't a new concept, but chemical engineers from Purdue University are proposing an new environmentally friendly process that could provide all the fuel for "the entire U.S. transportation sector." (These are the same hallowed halls of academia that brought us the garbage-to-diesel generator. Man, are these guys FOCUSED.)
The difference in this new approach: The addition of hydrogen from a "carbon-free" energy source, such as solar or nuclear power, during a step called gasification....
US Auto Industry Supports National Global Warming Legislation
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 03.15.07
The US has the lowest fuel-economy standards for vehicles in the developed world. While the Japanese, the Europeans and even the Chinese have been working hard to improve fuel-economy standards, the US auto industry went down a different road - a strategy that has so far proved quite unsuccessful. In 2006 Ford Motor reported its biggest annual loss ever, $12.7 billion. General Motors’ (GM) year was not quite as bad, total losses only reached $8.6 billion.
Earlier this week, chief executives of America’s four largest car companies Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota North America and General Motors (GM) acknowledged they intend to change their ways. Collectively the group told lawmakers that they would accept a US economy-wide strategy to reduce carbon emissions as long as it did not disproportionately target car producers. In addition they agreed on the merits of devising a US-wide carbon emission “cap and trade” regime. Their pledge, which took place in a rare joint appearance before Congress, marked a significant step forward for the new Democratic majority on Capitol Hill, which aims to draft America’s first national global warming legislation in the next few months. ...
Kyoto as Cliche
by Ron Dembo, Zerofootprint on 03.15.07
Tim Flannery nailed it when he reflected that one of the obstacles to decisive action on climate change is that the whole idea of global warming has become a cliché even before it has been understood.
There are many ways to interpret this, as global warming means different things to different people. To some it’s a looming catastrophe, to others it’s a business opportunity, to many of us it’s something to worry about once we’ve taken care of other things. (To still others it’s a communist hoax, but let’s focus on people who are trying to do something helpful.) What this means is that even though we all agree that we have to do something, it is far from clear what something is....
Things a Little Birdie Told Me About IT
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.15.07
Percentage of senior IT professionals that are concerned about the negative impacts that their company is having on the environment, according to a recent study: 98Price per ton of scrap whole computers, full truckload, in the global spot market, in US dollars: 80 Price of Lithium button batteries: 2060
Percent of Energy that goes into manufacturing a computer, relative to its lifespan: 81
Breakeven point between servicing a laptop and buying a new one, in months: 18
...
Greener Green – The U.S. One Dollar Coin
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 03.15.07
The Sacagawea dollar coin was introduced in 2000 to replace the Susan B. Anthony dollar, which (being Canadian, I didn’t know) was often confused with the quarter because of its color and feel. The newer coin is a golden color with no ribbing along the sides to prevent confusion, just like the Presidential coins introduced this year by the US Mint . When the coins were introduced, Michael Claus, W. Reid Shepherd and Brandon Wayne at Michigan State University asked “is one form of the dollar better for the environment? If the coin dollar is better, should we replace the paper dollar with its coin equivalent? If the paper dollar is better, and Americans trust the paper dollar more than the coin, wouldn't it be prudent to stop introducing new coins into the American economy?” Their answer: the coin is better. ...
The Future is Here: Aptera's Prototype Unveiled
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.15.07
When we first encountered the Aptera diesel-electric hybrid last year, it was another pie-in-the-sky concept with amazing performance specs (330 mpg, 0.055-0.06 drag coefficient) but a concept nonetheless. Happily, last week at the TED Conference, the curtain was lifted over the real thing, and a working prototype of the spacey ride was unveiled. Delivering slightly less than originally calculated, the three-wheeled hybrid still sips fuel to the tune of 230 miles per gallon while humming along at 55 miles per hour. The production of the prototype is a hopeful first step for Aptera, whose company, Accelerated Composites (aka Aptera Motors), is making tentative plans to sell it for about $20,000 apiece.
Pictures of the Aptera after the jump. And stay tuned for details about when you can get one for yourself. ::Aptera Motors via ::Wired and ::Engadget...
Eco-Tip: Keeping Your Hands Fresh Through Winter
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.15.07
Last year as spring was beginning we featured a tip on how to soothe those post-winter hands naturally with a recipe that included lemon. This tip features papaya and comes from San Francisco’s Lavande Nail Spa. Papaya is rich in alpha hydroxy acid, which is a natural exfoliant, and will keep our hands smooth and soft through the rest of the winter months.
You’ll need:
1 ripe papaya
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
Plastic bags or gloves
Directions:
Combine the papaya, yogurt, honey and grapeseed oil and apply the mixture to both hands. Slip them into the plastic bags or gloves. After 15 minutes, rinse with water.
Via ::Health
...
Sarah Harmer Dethrones the Gravel Kings
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.15.07
Proof of the power of song: Sarah Harmer (shown here with David Suzuki) has won a huge victory in her struggle (reported on earlier here) against the gravel kings. The Province of Ontario has declared 15 pockets of the Niagara Escarpment around her family's home to be "provincially significant wetlands." She told the Star:
"This is a success for the people of Ontario, and for the Niagara escarpment as a whole," the Juno award winner said yesterday. "This is the first time we've ever seen the government stand up for the natural environment. The gravel kings have been successful in getting what they wanted in the past."
Everyone is surprised. "Since the Niagara Escarpment plan has come into effect, there's never been a pit or quarry application that's been denied. It came as a shock to me," said Ken Whitbread, manager of the Niagara Escarpment Commission. However the fight may not be over yet. A rep from the aggregate company says "The pit or quarry is the engine of economic growth" and environmentalists remind us that "The quarry companies are very powerful." ::The Star...
South Korea Turns On the Piggy Poo
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 03.15.07
Amidst the stink over the nuclear program up north, South Korea has begun to tap a considerably less controversial energy source: pig poop. A power plant to the southeast of capital Seoul, capable of generating 30 kW from a daily feed of 20 tons of pig manure, is part of the government’s continuing greening efforts amidst a booming high-tech economy, which is the world’s 11th largest. As a developing country, South Korea’s not yet beholden to the Kyoto Protocol, but with plans to join and with the world’s 10th largest greenhouse gas footprint in the world, it’s becoming increasingly conscious of stepping lighter. Yesterday, the government also announced that domestic companies will be eligible for cheap loans when they build facilities aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions. This comes a month after the ministry said it would seek to cut at least 1 million tons of emissions per year by handing out cash rewards to firms reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But back to the poop......
Clothing Made of Wine (& Beer). Marketers Dream
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.15.07
We’ve had thermoformed biopolymer bikinis before, but now for something completely different. Apparel that grows it self. Well, actually bacteria in fermenting wine do all the heavy lifting. They convert the wine into a vinegar-like scum layer. The layers of this admittedly slimy cellulose are then laid over one another, on an inflatable mannequin. Once the garment has the desired shape the dummy is deflated, while the clothing remains. However when the ensemble dries the very short fibres become like tissue paper, tearing easily. So the garments currently need to be keep wet. The Bioalloy team at University of Western Australia are hoping to partner up with an organic chemist to find a way to polymerise their Micro’Be cellulose fibres and produce longer, more stable, fibres. They hope one day to ferment a seamless dress. Oh, we almost forgot to mention – they've also made a clear panel in one prototype by fermenting beer. Apparently any alcohol can be coerced to “slip into something more comfortable.” ::Micro’Be, via News in Science....
Biofoam Surfboard Blanks Are Made With Plants
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.15.07
Yet another break has been ridden in the surfari that is the search for the ultimate sustainable surfboard. Biofoam surf blanks by HomeBlown have close to 50% of their foam sourced from plant-based agriculture product. Which plants exactly, they don’t appear to be saying. But they do suggest that Biofoam production results in 36% less global warming emissions and a 61% reduction in non-renewable energy use. Compared to, we suppose, a standard polyurethane board, made with polyol resins that the plant ingredients are replacing. Homegrown have manufacturing facilities in the UK, US and South Africa citing that shipping raw materials for local production is 18 times more efficient than shipping pre-made blanks. This is part of the Eden Project’s ongoing Eco Board development, which has so far become a biofoam blank, wrapped in hemp, and bound with bio-based resins. (not to be confused with OceanGreen’s hemp covered balsa board). ::HomeBlown, via Sustainable Industries Journal and Wetsand....
No Impact Man: Living Lightly in NYC
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 03.15.07
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... OK, Colin Beavan probably wouldn't describe himself as a superhero, but like many other individuals and families that we've featured, he's taken on a project that's, at the very least, ambitious... and very green. Colin, his wife Michelle, and daughter Isabella have committed a year of their life to serious experimentation with lightening their environmental footprint. Their goal: zero net environmental impact at the end of that year. For better or worse, the Beavans aren't trying to do this in an idyllic country setting with a straw bale house and big organic garden; rather, they'll shoot for zero net impact in the middle of New York City. The family started their project last November, and have already come across some naysayers:...
Meme of the month: Zero Waste.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.15.07
Everyone is talking about zero waste these days. Jared Blumenfeld of San Francisco's environment department says "From our perspective, waste doesn't need to exist,It's a design flaw." David Redfield of Wal-Mart says "When you look at a dumpster, you see trash. When I look at it, I see materials and money." William McDonough says "We're not talking here about eliminating waste, We're talking about eliminating the entire concept of waste."
According to Fortune: "Zero waste is just what it sounds like - producing, consuming, and recycling products without throwing anything away. Getting to a wasteless world will require nothing less than a total makeover of the global economy, which thinkers such as entrepreneur Paul Hawken, consultant Amory Lovins, and architect William McDonough have called the Next Industrial Revolution." ::Fortune and be sure to watch the bizarre video of a garbage processing plant set to music.
The Whole Life Times: "a new movement is taking a more holistic approach. Rather than focusing solely on what to do with existing waste, the “Zero Waste” movement looks at a product’s entire life cycle — and redirects the conversation toward usable options for every step along the way. The ultimate goal is to eliminate waste as a concept entirely — a lofty aspiration indeed. But Zero Wasters say loftiness is part of the point — after all, creating a trash-free world is going to take nothing short of revolution."
The Boston Globe: "IMAGINE AN INDUSTRIAL system in which nothing ever really dies or gets discarded....In this perfect system, each unit of energy consumed would be somehow offset. Every industrial byproduct would reassemble into something useful and benign. Every beam of sunlight, scrap of garbage, and flush of the toilet would be pressed into service. No exceptions. Humankind would make obsolete the very concept of "waste."
Final word to David Redfield of Wal-Mart: "Trash is Cash."
...
Memento Mori
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.15.07
The Gallery @Adventure Ecology HQ is holding its second show: Waste & The Lost World: Memento Mori. This gallery is the public face of an environmental group for children called Adventure Ecology. Like the first show, the artists involved are looking at serious issues, using nature as a focal point and a metaphor. The gallery has been painted a striking dark green colour and serves as a dramatic backdrop for the art work and sculpture. Alistair Mackie is a sculptor; his work (pictured) appears to be a piece of tree branch. In fact it is made from matchsticks, which were originally made from a tree. It is a reminder that we all return to the earth. He has also made a pair of dice, set with mosquitoes, an allusion to fate being a roll of the dice. Oliver Cleff’s large canvases depict items that have been discarded and have a melancholy and floating feel to them: an upside down toy, a horn. Most disturbing are Polly Morgan’s works. She studied taxidermy and uses found, road-killed birds in her pieces. One has a tiny bird resting in a matchbox, and another has a small grey and white dead bird sitting in a teaspoon. As she says: “We study the details of the animals now they are in peaceful repose, their colours, fur or feathers, the life that's past. While we consider their beauty, we could again consider our own mortality”. :: Adventure Ecology...
Movie Trailer. No, Trailer Movies. Never Mind.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.15.07
We love transportable architecture and mobile design- why build a permanent structure for a temporary use? That is one reason container projects like the Freitag store are so interesting. It is not a new idea; Bookmobiles have been around forever, and evidently there used to be moviemobiles like the 1938 Trailer Theater from Modern Mecanix. No, it is not a theater where you watch trailers (though they give away so much of a movie these days, and we all have such short attention spans that such an idea might work) but a trailer where you watch movies....
New Deal II: The Next Dam Thing?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.15.07
Via Earthwatch Radio, the book "Big Dams of the New Deal Era: A Confluence of Engineering and Politics," by David P. Billington and Donald C. Jackson, University of Oklahoma Press (2006), reminded us about a couple of earlier posts on TreeHugger: like this one on a glut of green power in the US Pacific Northwest and especially this one, looking at the value of upgrading existing hydro facilities. Historian D.C. Jackson is quoted in the Earthwatch report as saying:- "...one of the legacies for New Deal projects in the '40s, '50s and '60s is the federal government becomes seen as the source of revenue for developing projects". ...
Feedback Loop: Climate Change = Smaller Gas Reserves
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.15.07
Here is an interesting feedback loop: Global warming shortens the exploration season. Does this lead to smaller gas reserves and more coal burning, leading to greater warming?
Warmer weather in Western Canada means the winter thaw of ice and snow- the "break-up season" has started early. In northern Alberta the heavy equipment moves on ice roads, and when the ice melts the entire place dissolves into mud. According to the Globe and Mail: "This slows down all activity. Companies that were hoping to squeeze in more drilling before the spring are being cut off." said Stephen Calderwood, a Calgary-based oil and gas analyst.
While the big thaw, usually expected toward the end of March, doesn't completely prevent firms from drilling, it does create huge amounts of mud that prevents them from moving large equipment, such as drilling rigs, on rugged and remote roads in Western Canada's relatively inaccessible natural gas basins. Local municipalities in southeastern Alberta, such as the town of Oyen, have already issued ordinances prohibiting the transport of heavy machinery in an attempt to keep roads clear, essentially meaning that gas rigs in the region can't be sent to drill new wells. As a result, firms are starting to take their drilling rigs out of service. ::Globe and Mail...
Clivus Multrum at the Bronx Zoo
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.15.07
We look forward to the upcoming launch of Dave Praeger's Poop Culture: How America is Shaped by its Grossest National Product. The author has a blog where we learned about a new installation of Clivus Multrum composting toilets at the Bronx Zoo, avoiding construction of a huge septic system or expensive sewer construction, and saving over a million gallons of water a year.
Clivus Multrums are big, and usually used in commercial installations. Where we have tried them we have found them to be odour free. However, people used to a normal flush toilet don't like the idea of sitting on an open pile of compost, even though in a Clivus it can be a long way down. They have developed a system where it looks and functions like a conventional toilet using a mixture of bio-compatible soap and water to carry toilet waste to the composting system below via a conventional 4” drain line. From Justin's earlier post, it looks like a valve toilet design.
...
Bamboo Entertainment Center
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.15.07
Dealing with electronics can be a real pain if you have a lot of components and their attendant wires. Room and Board built this unit out of bamboo, but provided removeable back panels to let the air flow through. We like the ribbing on the face- since bamboo turned from a reed into a board one never sees any pattern any more. Available in dark and light bamboo at ::Room and Board...
Reverb: Greening the Music Industry
by EcoGeek.org on 03.15.07
Hot on the heels of Lloyd's post on the New York Times' recent addiction to good environmental features is this story on the environmental movement among musicians.
A Maine based environmental organization called Reverb, founded by some starving musicians, has been reaching out to the likes of Alanis Morrissette and Sheryl Crow to help musicians decrease their environmental impacts. Reverb assists artists and tour managers in everything from obtaining organic food to recycling guitar strings.
Their services, it seems, are in demand. The organization had been commissioned and sponsored by lots of A-list acts including Bonnie Raitt, the Bare Naked Ladies, Avril Levigne, the Dave Matthews Band and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Everyone of these bands is, at the very least, paying to offset the carbon production of their tours under Reverb's guidance.
Reverb was born out of Bonnie Raitt's "Green Highway" concept. But now Reverb is operating pretty much on their own. But that doesn't meant they don't need donations and volunteers! See also: Who's your favorite Green Musician and Jack Johnson's Green Summer Tour...
Want an Incredible Free Trip to the Arctic?
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.14.07
Then how about getting yourself and some friends together and engaging in a couple of hardcore, late-night, caffeine-induced brainstorming sessions to come up with something so environmentally innovative that the judges of a contest called Ice Edge going on in the UK feel compelled to give you the grand prize. It’s a competition that’s designed to get young people across the UK thinking about the environment and to help them to develop a wide array of practical skills that will enable them to be successful in life.
Young people are invited to create teams of up to four people and come up with a simple yet practical brainstorm that could help combat climate change and solve some of earth’s most pressing environmental concerns. The prize is that once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Arctic, where they’ll carry out experiments with leading scientists, explore Arctic wildlife, go dog-sledding, and probably freeze their butts off on a trip they’ll never forget! If you’re between 13-17 years old, can put together a team of no more than 4 people on real short notice, then come up with a brilliant idea and submit it as a booklet, CD-ROM, PowerPoint demo, website, video, scale model, or even prototype you may just have a chance to win. But you’ve got to work fast because the deadline is March 16th 2007, and that’s just days away! This chance is too great to pass up, so go for it!!!!...
Clippings from the NY Times
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.07
There is so much to read in the New York Times today that we thought we would do a summary. You can start with another late entry to the wasteful packaging category, with this silly idea: cheese packed in a disposable grater from the Dining Section. Also read how disposable gloves on kitchen staff does not necessarily mean clean food.
Moving to more important subjects: The Watt.com boom in Silicon Valley. "Out of the ashes of the Internet bust, many technology veterans have regrouped and found a new mission in alternative energy: developing wind power, solar panels, ethanol plants and hydrogen-powered cars." who else is jumping in? "lawyers, accountants, recruiters and publicists, all developing energy-oriented practices to cater to the cause." Be very afraid when the doctors start investing. More at Start-Up Fervor Shifts to Energy in Silicon Valley.
There is also A U.S. Alliance to Update the Light Bulb- "A coalition of industrialists, environmentalists and energy specialists is banding together to try to eliminate the incandescent light bulb in about 10 years." -not including, of course, GE, which is fighting such a move.
In Opinion, a cattle rancher talks about Smithfield Farms eliminating gestation cages for pigs. "Because we ask the ultimate sacrifice of these creatures, it is incumbent on us to ensure that they have decent lives. Let us view the elimination of gestation crates as just a small first step in the right direction."
in The Arts, Nicolai Ouroussoff reviews the San Francisco Federal Building, covered by us here....
China's Tiger Trade Ban: It's Grrreat! But Will It Last?
by Rachel Wasser, Beijing, China on 03.14.07
These days in China, it’s easy to get an eyeful of tiger. Visitors to the country’s large-scale captive-breeding “tiger farms” may in fact get an eye fuller than they bargained for. In the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin, for example, the Siberian Tiger Park at first seems like a lark. A smiling tiger with a bowtie stands in the parking lot and points visitors to the ticket vendor. Patrons are driven safari-style through fenced-in fields thick with tigers – specimens of one of the rarest species in the world. People chuckle about how cute the big cats are and snap photos.
But then the driver encourages the crowd to buy a cow. Or if a cow’s too dear, at $200, perhaps a chicken for $5. Suddenly the moment’s cuteness – already threatened by the cats’ cramped living conditions – dissipates. Tossing very-much-alive-stock to the cats is common practice in the park, so if gory spectacle is not your thing, you might want to give it a miss. Much more below the jump....
Most Huggable: Q’Orianka’s New FCX, GM’s Battery Brigade, and The Green Antichrist
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.14.07
GM invited bloggers and journalists to Detroit to view the company’s battery progress. Jeff McIntire-Strasburg was there and reports… Lead economists from TD Bank, one of Canada’s biggest, come out in favor of taxing polluters… Ecorazzi is there as Q’Orianka Kilcher drives off in her new Honda FCX fuel-cell car… Ready to trim some of the meat out of your life? Here’s a guide to vegetarian and vegan alternatives… Watch out, Benedict! The Pope is warned to be on the lookout for an Antichrist who is“a pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist.” Most Huggable is a daily roundup of some of the most tantalizing stories from Hugg.com, TreeHugger’s user-generated green news site. Why not submit your own green news? ...
Convenient Truths: The Top Twenty (Selected by You!)
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 03.14.07
We've received and counted your votes for the Treehugger and Seventh Generation Convenient Truths contest, and it's time to announce the videos that will move on to the next round of judging. Here are the top 20 videos you chose (in no particular order):
- Passive Solar Techniques For Year-Round Local Food - Even In Cold Climates
- Greenspotting
- Change A Light Bulb
- Cool Notebooks For A Hot Planet
- Changing A Lightbulb And Boulder Community Hospital
- DREAM Big
- Footprints
- Reality in the Self-Checkout Lane
- Little Guy (Make A Start) Music Video
- Carrying Power: Solar Energy On The Go
- He Gets Around
- Better Late Than Never
- Carless In L.A.
- Chickens Enlighten, Humans Change, World Improves
- Families Fight Back
- Bear Necessities
- What Can Regular People Do About Global Warming?
- I Am A Climate Activist
- The Power of Straw
- Worm Poop - The Other "Black Gold" ...
TreeHugger Picks: TreeHugger Radio's Big Name Interviews
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.14.07
TreeHugger Radio has been getting the green scoop in the audio world for awhile now, chasing down and chatting up some of the big names in the green world to get their take on how we can all hug more trees and generally green up our act. Here are just a few of the heavy hitters TH Radio has wrangled thus far.
1) When Paul Hawken talks, we listen, so it's great to hear his green insights in this full interview.
2) David Suzuki has been working to keep the world green for a long time; listen to what he had to say about his recent sustainability tour of Canadian provinces and stay tuned for a full interview.
3) Cameron Sinclair got double treatment on TH Radio, with an interview and discussion of Architecture For Humanity's new collaborative Open Architecture Network.
4) Daryl Hannah, one of TH's favorite green celebs, talks all about her quest for a green existence in the limelight of Hollywood, her fight to help preserve Los Angeles’ legendary urban farm,
and the evolving challenges of the booming biofuel industry.
5) Wal-Mart has made some big strides in the green world; big enough that we followed up with a full interview with Andy Ruben, Wal-Mart’s vice president for corporate strategy and sustainability.
Listen to TreeHugger Radio every week right here, via iTunes podcast or on Air America's EcoTalk each Friday....
Been Frog Watchin’ Lately?
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.14.07
Well, if you’ve been out frog watching and found one bigger than this kid did I don’t mind telling you that I would be stunned… I mean really, this is a VERY large frog! But kids all over may just be able to top him because they’re out watching frogs as part of the National Wildlife Federations program called Frogwatch USA. In fact, it’s a program that gives kids of all ages the opportunity to help scientists conserve amphibians by spending as little as 20 minutes a week collecting essential information to help protect frogs and toads. It’s an ongoing program managed by NWF in conjunction with the US Geological Survey that aims to increase public awareness of the decline of amphibious species while giving everyone a chance to be directly involved in gathering the information that hopefully will lead to very real and practical ways to save these species from their long-term decline. So for the frog-lovers out there in TreeHuggerville, you can help make a difference as it warms up this spring by downloading the forms, grabbing a net, your kids, and maybe some of their friends too before heading out to Frogwatch. Who knows, one of you may even be lucky enough to find a giant like his! ...
Portland Youth Gets Schooled on Biodiesel
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.14.07
TreeHugger has seen youngsters do some pretty amazing stuff when it comes to cars and transportation. "Hot Rod" Brent Singleton built a gas/electric hybrid '32 Ford and has been busy racing Jaws Jr., his electric dragsters, both on the track and across Utah ‘s Bonneville Salt Flats. Not to be outdone, the West Philadelphia High School Electric Vehicle Team built a biodiesel/electric "performance" hybrid that has over 300 hp and does 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds (see it again here). Now, a 12 year-old in Portland, Oregon is looking to break into this exclusive club with a plan he hopes to take to the bank: converting old Toyota Land Cruisers to run on biodiesel and then selling them to earn money for college. Young Forest Endicott, whose father, Shane, is the co-founder of Portland's ReBuilding Center, has dreams of continuing his schooling at Reed College, a Portland-area private school with a hefty price tag of around $44,000 per year. Worried that the family wouldn't be able to afford it, Shane offered to match whatever Forest could raise, and the youngster hatched a plan to not just make a few bucks, but "to do something that could do some good." So, he's tracking down the old, nearly bulletproof Land Cruisers and fitting them with new fuel lines and other accoutrements required to help the old cars go with the new fuel. Though he has yet to make his first sale, we admire his ingenuity and ambition to go beyond a paper route for his education. ::Oregonian via ::Wired...
New Green Craft Blog: Sew Green
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 03.14.07
Incorporating crafty DIY into your sustainable life is fun, economical and might even take the edge of your creative desires. If your thing is soft crafts, like sewing, knitting etc then you might be interested in this new, collaborative, multi-author blog with big plans. The contributors, from around the world, range from artists, designers, environmentalists, teachers and stay-at-home mums, all with an interest in sharing their creative eco ideas with others. ...
TreeHugger-Style Roller Coaster in Japan: It's Pedal Powered
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.07
Here is the future of the green amusement park: The Skycycle at Washuzan Highland Park in Okayama, a pedal-powered roller coaster. They clearly have some dramatic topography to take advantage of here, and it looks truly frightening. Most North American amusement parks are on pretty flat terrain but they often build artificial mountains- Demand a green ride like this on the Magic Mountain.
The side-by-side tandem pedal-powered carts have seat belts, and a cute pink basket....
Potty Whispering: More on Diaper/Nappy Free Babies
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.14.07
Maybe you missed our earlier post a couple of years ago on ‘elimination communication’, a process of parents and child working together so that baby can avoid wearing a diaper (or nappy). Friends have been through the whole disposable/biodegadable/cloth diaper debate and are still looks for solutions. One, who is having her second child this month became very excited when I mentioned the prospect of rearing her child nappy free. Her eyes lit up, “Tell me more, where do I find our about it, is there a book, a website ... ?” Oh, yeh. One could start with our previous post, note above. Or read a lighthearted take by a sceptic turned proponent. Digest a more scholarly article by Ingrid Bauer, the woman who has raised awareness of the idea among so-called developed countries. See a British perspective, watch an Australian DVD, peruse a website with translations into Dutch, German and Italian. And if that isn’t enough scoop on poop, then the subject even has its own Wikipedia file....
Recycled Wine Bottle Building Wins Energy Grant
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.14.07
An organic winery in Western Australia recently became the recipient of a $20,555 AUD grant from that state’s Sustainable Energy Development Office (SEDO). The money will be used to fund a thermal imaging monitoring program for a cellar-door outlet made from water filled wine bottles. The owner of the winery, Peter Little, a former architecture lecturer at Curtin University and long time passive solar design advocate, noted, "Water is probably, I think one of the miracle building materials of this century which nobody is using," he said. "From our point of view it can store more energy, heat or cool than any material we know.” It seems the structure will use about 13,500 wine bottles. The farmland on which the winery, Random Valley Organic Wines in Karridale, is sited is already the winner of a national recognised Banskia Award in ‘Environmental Leadership in the Rural Sector’ for its certified organic beef, native flowers, grapes and snails!
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Does Cutting a Tree Create Greenhouse Gas?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.07
I am confused. Vancouver's ForestEthics is protesting the logging of Ontario's boreal forest. They say "Industrial logging of (Ontario's) forests is a significant contributor of carbon dioxide." and "On average, about 210,000 hectares of forest are logged in Ontario each year. Cutting those trees releases the equivalent of 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, or about 7 per cent of the province's total of 203 million tonnes."
This treehugger always promotes wood as the best building material to fight global warming, because the carbon is sequestered for the life of the building. When we talked about FMO Tapiola, the Finns said "Wood serves as a carbon sink by absorbing and binding carbon dioxide. One cubic meter of wood stores nearly one ton of carbon dioxide. The storage process of carbon dioxide continues inside the wood products through their entire life cycle." and "The substitution effect of wood products has a significant impact on construction industry’s carbon dioxide emissions. The use of wood products replaces building materials that would have required a great deal of fossil energy to produce."
Evidently the Kyoto Protocol stipulates that emissions are to be counted as soon as trees are cut; we understand that to be because most deforestation leads to burning of the wood. While we do not support the clear-cutting of the Boreal forests, what about a sustainably managed, efficient forest? Next to recycled wood, is that not the best material around? If a tree is felled in the woods for lumber or building materials, why does it count as carbon? ::The Star...
Unpackaged
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.14.07
We all know that excess packaging is the curse of food shopping. Here is a solution that is so simple and obvious that it’s audacious. Catherine Conway has set up a stall at an outdoor market where she sells affordable organic and fair trade dry foods such as nuts, grains, beans, rice, sugar and dried fruits. Unpackaged. You bring your own container or she will sell you a handy reusable one. That’s it. When you run out, you come back for a refill. It is convenient, clean-looking( everything is displayed in stacked, clear containers) and stylish, as can be seen by her logo. She won a competition for young entrepreneurs with unique ethical business ideas and got six months training from experts and now she is expanding to a second locale in London. Mainly she is on a mission to change people’s habits when it comes to “evil packaging”. As she says: “While some packaging is recycled, most ends up in landfill sites and some packaging is just difficult and often impossible to recycle. Recycling is certainly part of the solution, but it will only work if we use less packaging in the first place and adopt more reusable ways of doing things- it is this ethos of reuse that Unpackaged is based on”. Bravo. :: Unpackaged...
Smart Architect Builds Dumb Building
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.07
It is not a sophisticated building, it is a throwback. It is the first office building in 50 years to be built in Seattle without air conditioning. It won't knock anyone over the head with high-tech turbines and acres of photovoltaics; It will just efficiently and simply use 30% less energy by doing things that architects have known about for hundreds of years.
To paraphrase the old New York chicken ads, it takes a smart architect to make a dumb building, and Scott Thomson has done exactly that. Got sun in your face? put on sunglasses on the building to stop it before it gets in. Want fresh air? Open the window. Want light? Make it shallow, only 35 feet from window to courtyard. Want air circulation? Put a hole in the middle of the donut to create a stack effect to draw air through. Nothing to see here that wouldn't be found in a 1936 Architectural Graphic Standards.
After all, this isn't Guadalajara where Carme Pinos took the same approach- it is temperate Seattle. Thomson estimates "there may be only 18 to 20 hours a year when the temperature will climb above 80 degrees inside." which is when you go for a Frappuccino- it is Seattle, after all. ...
The Rise of the CGO
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.14.07
"Career Is Over", a tonguecheek acronym for Chief Information Officer (CIO), appears to be making a comeback as organizations get savvy about IT strategy and consolidate their cash blow. Nick Carr, a prominent proponent of utility computing, thinks the IT dial tone is getting louder every day, resulting in scaled systems that don't require a lot of effort to run; initiatives like the Green Grid just drive this home. Another canary is those meddling college kids, who no longer need assistance managing their computer; please, just give me a dumb pipe and exit the building. To borrow a word from tennis, IT as we know it is tanking.
But ths is terrific! Because The dot green future has arrived - or as Chuck says, getting green is now an important part of your job as an IT professional. Here's the plan; operating expenses are typically 80 percent of a firm's IT budget. These can be reduced down to 50 percent (par for the course) or 30 percent (prizefighter status) with some directed cost savings efforts. Then, use all those freed up bodies and dollars and put them to work on business-centric green projects - solar, wind, biodiesel, whatever pertains. You will need to a lot of these people to sustain your business, and I'm pretty sure that hiring, say, solar engineers is going to get a little tough. So roll your own people using your existing IT staff - we will all stay employed and usher in the new era together.
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Coppi's Organic: Eco-Italian in Washington DC
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.14.07
Butternut squash oven seared with ricotta salata, red onions, pine nuts, capers, and garlic. Fresh Rhode Island squid seared with garlic, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. Organic New York Strip, oven seared with a spicy ginger tomato sauce, served with young chard, golden raisins, and pine nuts. Melanzane pizza with roasted eggplant, cremini mushroom, and red pepper, with smoked mozzarella and baby artichoke. These are just a few of the dishes available at Coppi’s Organic, in Washington DC. Opened in 1993, Coppi’s is an Italian restaurant specializing in organic, local dishes.
The night we visited, the place was packed with a lively but friendly crowd. Unfortunately there was a slight mix up with our reservation, but the friendly and attentive staff found us a seat at the bar and served up some tasty appetizers on the house while we waited for a table (giving us a chance to sample the house wines). Once a table was found, we tucked in to some delicious, and reasonably priced, pizzas (the medium pizzas come out at $12.95, and are more than enough for one person). Checking with the waitress, we were told that pretty much all of the core ingredients were organic, apart from some of the imported meats etc. So next time you are in DC, and you are looking for an informal, green minded eatery, we would certainly recommend Coppi’s.
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Columbo Kitchen Re-issued
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.07
In 1963 designer Joe Columbo imagined a minikitchen with almost all of the functions of a full kitchen in half a cubic metre: two burner stove, fridge, storage, cutlery drawers, chopping board and pull-out worktop, everything but the kitchen sink. Designed to serve up to six people, all on wheels with just an electrical hookup. Now Boffi as updated and re-issued it in Corian. We have no idea of the cost, but what a lot of stuff in a unit 40" x 40" by 26".
Boffi says "A manifesto piece which in spite of the ingenuousness of forecasts about miniaturization (an error curiously antithetical to that of the genius of Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968, which analogously fell down on the unforeseen miniaturization of computers and interfaces, portrayed as being enormous) was capable of setting out an avenue of design that was perhaps not wholly frequented." Original unit below the fold. ::Boffi found in Metropolitan Home
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Questions Executives and Board Members Should Be Asking Themselves
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.14.07
It's all in the numbers. Ninety percent (90%) chance that Climate Change is attributable to human activity. Ten (10) years to get serious about the problem. Possibility of climate catastrophe by mid-century under the "business as usual" scenario. Less than a third of the US populace still in denial. Billions being invested in renewable energy development by private sector. It's also in the symbolism. Those publicly questioning the science seem to be a mix of propagandists and "experts" who, themselves, have published little or no peer reviewed climate research. European companies are acting all smarty pants. What's a US executive to do? In reporting on a 31-company survey conducted for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Andrew Hoffman, associate director of University of Michigan's Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, stated:- "companies with a history of climate-related activity are trying to shift their strategies from a focus on risk management and bottom-line protection to an emphasis on business opportunities and top-line enhancements." We've developed a list of questions that business executives, in general, might be asking themselves to get started....
Arclinea LED Greenhouse in your Kitchen
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.07
Put a greenhouse in your kitchen with Arclinea's Ginger collection- special "LED lights adapted from space travel mimic the movements of the sun, allowing herbs to blossom indoors a fraction of the usual time." Coming soon to kitchen showrooms and head shops everywhere. Could not find it anywhere at ::Arclinea.com, from ::Metropolitan Life....
Survey: Get Out and Pump Up What?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.07
We are not certain what kind of vehicle Savannah Walters is in front of, but it caused some discussion in Kenny's post about tire inflation. . Clearly some people like the little Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris; Others need something big, and still others might listen to Brenton and follow Pareto's Principle.
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RATE THIS VID!: Plastic Bag Pillow
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.13.07
Looking to stop climate change? Watch and follow in the carbon-free footprints of TreeHugger and Seventh Generation’s contest entrants. Don't miss the chance to vote on this video and the others like it. Midnight tonight (EST) is the deadline to vote! Remember to give higher ratings to the most practical and helpful videos. Need more solutions? Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter....
Soil Color = Carbon Content : Sequestering Useful Carbon
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 03.13.07
Sequestering CO2 is a business with growth potential. From pumping the stuff down into wells, to off-setting strategies, managing our CO2 production is an important aspect of our future. One of the best ways to tie up carbon, and have it provide a useful function is incorporating bio-char into the soil. Soil scientists (yes they exist), have just proven that the color of the soil can tell you how much carbon content it contains. Apparently you don't need fancy lab tests, just take a look. Generally, the darker the soil the more carbon content. This little insight makes assessing soil CO2 sequestration techniques far easier and cheaper. Fixing carbon (biochar) into the soil not only takes it out of the atmosphere, but also provides increases in crop production and soil health. The length of time the carbon (biochar) stays in the soil is still under research, but reports I have read state different soil types have been shown to hold onto their carbon for tens of thousands of years. ::Innovations Report ::Terra Preta...
RATE THIS VID!: Man Of Convenience - Part I
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.13.07
Looking to stop climate change? Watch and follow in the carbon-free footprints of TreeHugger and Seventh Generation’s contest entrants. Vote on this video and the others like it today. Midnight tonight (EST) is the deadline to vote! Remember to give higher ratings to the most practical and helpful videos. Need more solutions? Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter....
The 7.83 Hz House: Green, Prefab, Reconfigurable
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.13.07
Featured in the latest issue of Dwell, the "7.83 Hz" house was created by Simon Beames and Simon Dickens of the fledging London-based design house YOUMEHESHE. The firm was set-up to develop an innovative, potentially revolutionary design, which would make a carbon-neutral, eco-friendly, prefab house available to the mass market. Designed to delivered on just two trucks, the prefab is assembled from precut, biodynamically grown wooden panels, which are doweled together onsite rather than glued. The house costs about $170,000 (this does not include land cost). It's constructed around a central core, through which service areas run and heat rises. The interior can be altered as families grow or shrink, with floors added to create new bedrooms. See more images of the home here). See also: YOUMEHESHE: New British Prefab. Via: Dwell...
RATE THIS VID!: Man Of Convenience - Part II
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.13.07
Channel your inner eco-critic. Vote on this video entry and the others like it today! (You only have until midnight (EST) to vote!)...
Philips Now Owns Those Lovely Lexels
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.07
We posted earlier about the Lexel; "the first fully integrated and seamless LED-based light source technology. It has been designed for easy integration and is equivalent to lamp+ballast+socket." It has been a hit with the high end European lighting designers for fixtures like this zumtobel, so I suppose it is logical that TIR, the company that makes them should be bought by Philips for $75 million. It makes some sense, Europe is where the well designed, high end stuff is in demand, whereas in North America we just wait until the container from China hits the Home Depot. You can't keep them down on the farm in Vancouver after they have seen Eindhoven.
Philips says “We are pleased to strengthen our position in Solid State Lighting through this acquisition,” Peter van Strijp, Chief Executive of the Solid State Lighting business unit of Philips Lighting, said. “Through the successful integration of Lumileds in 2005, we ensured a leading position in Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for the general lighting market, and through the acquisition of TIR Systems we now strengthen our position in delivering integrated lighting products to lighting fixtures manufacturers. Our focus will now be on making lighting products that utilize TIR Systems’ Solid State Lighting modules widely available.” ::Clean Break...
RATE THIS VID!: Enviremint
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.13.07
Looking for a good fight? No need for a drunken brawl! Watch how TreeHugger and Seventh Generation’s contest entrants tackle climate change. Who do you think deserves to win? Vote on this video and the others today. Midnight tonight (EST) is the deadline to vote! Fortify your green and sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter....
Design Boom Interviews Shigeru Ban About Artek Pavilion
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.13.07
The innovative Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, he of the paper chairs and buildings, is currently working on the construction of a pavilion for the Finnish furniture company Artek. The structure will be used as a platform to exhibit Artek's new 2007 furniture collection alongside their Alvar Aalto classics at this year's Milan Furniture Fair. Design Boom recently interviewed Shigeru Ban about his collaboration with the forestry company UPM and their developoment of a new wood plastic composite material to be used in the construction of this project. The composite is said to use surplus waste material from UPM's production cycle and recycled plastic to create a lightweight material which can be recycled back into the production process after use. Shigeru says, "I'm very interested in using weak materials. I believe that the material doesn't need to be strong to be used to build a strong structure. The strength of the structure has nothing to do with the strength of the material. We can make a building which withstands an earthquake made of paper, as I did. So the structural strength of the building has nothing to do with the strength of the material."...
TreeHugger Radio: David Suzuki Coast to Coast, The Chances of an American Renewable Portfolio Standard, and The Globie Awards
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 03.13.07
In this installment of TreeHugger Radio we look at the winners of this year’s Globie Awards while TreeHugger correspondent Warren McLaren reports from Sydney on Australia’s recent move to ban the bulb. Also, Congress is taking seriously the idea of passing a Renewable Porfolio Standard for the nation. Dr. Ana Unruh Cohen of the Center for American Progress explains what this might look like. We also speak to David Suzuki about his recent sustainability tour of Canadian provinces. Look for an extended interview with David Suzuki soon. Listen to TreeHugger Radio each week right here on TreeHugger.com, podcasting on iTunes, and on Air America’s EcoTalk each Friday (click here to listen or right-click to download) ::TreeHugger Radio ...
RATE THIS VID!: HMS Environmental Management
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.13.07
Who needs Sundance? TreeHugger and Seventh Generation have brought you your own little private eco-film fest. Sit back, relax, and take in the green. Just don’t forget to hone that artsy eye of yours and vote on the others before the clock strikes midnight (EST)! This is the deadline to vote! Hoping to bring home some swag? Consider signing up for our daily or weekly newsletter. ...
Sustainable Group's New Resleeve
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.13.07
Back in 2005 we wrote about Rebinders, the 3-ring binder made from recycled contents by Sustainable Group. Since then, the company has had a list of corporate clients using their products, such as Nike, LL Bean, Calvert Group, Timberland, Sundance Channel and even Al Gore is handing out their 1" Rebinder for each participant in his training on global warming. Sustainable Group has also come out with a slew of new items recently including their newest, Resleeve. We all know that those non-recyclable jewel cases that CD’s are packaged in are a waste and so Resleeve is the ultimate answer. Resleeve is made of a rigid 16pt recycled bending chip board from 100% recycled fibers (56% post consumer recycled / 44% post industrial recycled) and has a round die-cut hole in the center to view the front of the disk. And here’s a piece of big news: our insider tells us that a major record label is considering Resleeve as a replacement for their jewel cases. We can’t wait until they announce who this will be! ::Sustainable Group...
Mitsubishi Delivers i MiEV Prototypes to Japanese Utilities for Testing
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.13.07
Holding your breath until an affordable and practical electric car is within your reach is probably not advisable. But with a modest auxiliary oxygen supply, you just might make it. Things are happening. Phoenix Motorcars’ electric SUT has launched and will soon be part of the PG&E fleet, and Tesla Motors promises its next EV will be a family car. In Japan, Mitsubishi is making confident moves towards commercializing affordable EVs. The automaker just announced that it is delivering prototypes of its i MiEV electric four-door to two Japanese power utilities to test driving and battery performance. The i MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) is built around a 47 kW motor. Two variations on the battery pack give the i MiEV prototype a driving range of between 81 and 99 miles between charges, with an 81 mph top speed. Mitsubishi has been giving significant attention to its “i” concept for small, efficient cars. More ambitious plans for in-wheel electric motors, however, have been set aside in favor of the single motor design. Mitsubishi expects to put the i MiEV on the commercial market by 2010 with a starting price of $17,000. ::Green Car Congress ...
Drosera Framed Herbarium Sheets
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.13.07
Drosera is a company where "nature and culture cross-pollinate." The New York-based company's mission? To reconnect people with nature by encouraging an active relationship with our natural heritage. When was the last time you called your Mother Nature?
With the release of its 11.5x16.5-inch (unframed) herbarium sheets, which are pressed plant specimens that are mounted and labeled with their names and places of origin, Drosera wants to meet the needs of eco-conscious trendsetters who want to bring nature into their homes and offices....
RATE THIS VID!: Hugurth
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.13.07
Looking to stop climate change? Watch and follow in the carbon-free footprints of TreeHugger and Seventh Generation’s contest entrants. Don't miss the chance to vote on this video and the others like it. Midnight tonight (EST) is the deadline to vote! Remember to give higher ratings to the most practical and helpful videos. Need more solutions? Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter....
Ask TreeHugger: Are Exposures to Diesel Exhaust Related to My Heart Problems?
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 03.13.07
Question: I am a retired fireman who has developed heart problems. In the fire station, there were a lot of diesel fumes. Are these diesel fumes responsible for my heart problems? Could they have affected my health?
Response: Diesel exhaust exposures have been linked to heart (and lung) problems in many research studies. These studies show fairly consistently that higher levels of diesel pollution in the outdoor air is related to higher number of deaths, hospital admissions, heart attacks, and other bad health outcomes. Since these studies base their results on populations (and not individuals), their results say that on average an increase in bad health outcomes may occur for the group that they studied, often a group of people living in a particular city or a group of elderly people.
What this means for you is not that clear. Even though these studies show that inhaling diesel fumes is bad, they don't necessarily say anything about whether diesel fumes in your firehouse are responsible for your specific heart problems. ...
RATE THIS VID!: It's So Easy
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.13.07
Channel your inner eco-critic. Vote on this video entry and the others like it today! (You only have until midnight (EST) to vote!)...
Walmart Follows The Computing Plan
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.13.07
Some folks think that the US doesn't have a plan to deal with global warming because we didn't ratify Kyoto. In fact, we do have a plan and it's called the market economy. Now that might be a bad plan, and in fact I think we will ultimately regret our decision to go it alone. But as an American I have to go with it because it's what we as a nation decided to do.
Which leads me to the full endorsement of Walmart and their announcement that they are now going to offer green electronics to their consumers. Barring the ongoing debate as to whether Walmart is good or bad for America, the fact is that Walmart accounts for about 9 percent of all retail in the US. They have a huge influence on their suppliers to promote efficiency. Of course, other companies are doing their part as well e.g. HP just announced a new line of green computers, and I applaud them. So, if you want to have minimal impact with your next electronic gear purchase, follow the plan you voted for and check these guys out....
Sinkpositive: Save Water, Wash Your Hands
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.13.07
TreeHugger has seen a few different water-saving sink/toilet combinations in the past, but there's always room for one more smart implementation of graywater recycling on these pages. Take a gander at Sinkpositive from Environmental Designworks, a handy device that cycles clean water through the faucet, for hand-washing and such, and reuses it the next time the toilet gets flushed. As we have noted time and time again (not to mention How to Green Your Water), every drop of water saved is beneficial, and Sinkpositive is also a good way to visualize how much water gets used each time you flush. Upgrading to Sinkpositive's "deluxe model" adds an aerator to the faucet, which makes for a more consistent flow; either model is available with free shipping until April 21 (that's Earth Day), and Environmental Designworks donates a portion of each sale to the National Resources Defense Council to help protect the nation's precious water resources. The standard model goes for $99, the deluxe for $119, directly from Sinkpositive's website. ::Sinkpositive via ::Apartment Therapy: San Francisco...
Asus Bamboo Ecobook Computer
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.07
We have an Asus notebook, and like their modular design where you can pick your own CPU and hard drive and assemble it yourself; ours had a tragic fall last week but it was easy to swap out busted parts. Asus also tries to differentiate itself from the others by doing silly things, like a leather notebook, or very sensible things, like the new Ecobook. Its case is covered in bamboo, which I suppose is a statement, but the real show is inside. All of the plastic in it is labeled and recyclable; it is lined with cardboard; there are no paints, sprays or even electroplating used on its components. It looks like it is designed to be easily taken apart for self-service and easy upgrading of components, usually the downfall of notebooks. The bamboo is cute too. ::Cnet and ::Trend Observer...
Stanford and Exxon Mobile Partnership: Donor Yanks Funds
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 03.13.07
Stanford University and Exxon Mobile on the same team: Fishy business? According to a recent article in Mercury News, a big donor to Stanford is outraged over the school's partnership with the oil giant. Movie producer Steve Bing has already given the university $22.5 million, but after seeing a recent Exxon Mobile ad using the school's name, he yanked a promise for $2.5 million. "Exxon Mobil is trying to greenwash itself, and it's using Stanford as its brush," says Yusef Robb. (Bing would only speak through Robb, his collaborator for climate issues.) Stanford's prize? $100 million over 10 years. Thanks tipster John Laumer. :: Mercury News...
RATE THIS VID!: He Gets Around
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.13.07
The polls are open, folks, but only until midnight tonight (EST). Kick back with some locally brewed beer or some organic pop corn and watch and rate this video and the smorgasbord of Convenient Truths entries on the contest site, truths.treehugger.com. These green videos are a just a taste. Continue to satiate your appetite for solutions to climate change by subscribing to our daily or weekly newsletter or checking out Seventh Generation’s Inspired Protagonist blog!...
Ekovaruhuset Stockholm: House of Organics
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 03.13.07
We told you about the opening of the New York City store Ekovaruhuset but somehow we never got around to giving you the lowdown on the original Ekovaruhuset in Stockholm Sweden – until now.
Located on Österlågatan in the heart of the old town of Stockholm, Ekovaruhuset was created by Johanna Hofring. Working as a designer she became aware of the negative environmental impacts of the textile industry as well as the horrible working conditions that are pretty much standard in the apparel and fashion industries. Ekovaruhuset was created in response to this. She explains, “sure I want to wear beautiful clothes, but at what price? Thankfully more and more options are becoming available that both look great and are produced in a manner that doesn’t hurt people or the environment.” ...
This Month in Architectural Record: William McDonough
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.07
Any interview of Bill McDonough is worth reading- he is funny and smart and self-deprecating. He admits his lack of knowledge, his short attention span and the need to collaborate with scientists.
"We’d have to ask the question: how can something be high-quality design if it makes you sick or destroys the planet? And often the answers require science. It’s easy to tell the truth; it’s harder to know what the truth is. And that’s what science is for."...."You can see these polymaths like Vitruvius or Goethe or Jefferson being very interested in science. Franklin did the fundamental science of electricity, and yet he was also dealing with politics and journalism. So you couldn’t have a fundamental review of the human experience without science." Read the interview in ::Architectural Record
Also read the Architectural Technology section on the impications of Zero Carbon on the architectural profession and the personal journeys of architectural firms trying to reduce their own footprints."Cook+Fox includes employees’ home electricity consumption estimated through a sampling of staff utility bills, according to Alice Hartley, a member of the firm’s “green team.” The firm purchases renewable energy credits for this electricity use and for that used by its New York City office."::Architectural Record
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Ideal Home Show Gets Greener
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.13.07
The Daily Mail Ideal Home Show is a big one: 330,000 people over 22 days, and is filled with the usual suspects: garden furniture, hot tubs, bedroom suites, Madame Tussaud's house (with George Clooney sitting at a table) and a french market. This year, however, it has the theme "Sustainable Development--A Return to the Community" and the centrepiece is a so-called "eco-village" with 3 sustainable houses. Well, sort of. They are defining sustainability as good, lasting design, that won't age poorly. And the 3 model homes do have some ultra-modern jutting roofs, along with maximum insulation, timber frames, lots of windows and some recycled rainwater through the roof. But the interiors have no lessons to teach; they are decorated by Marks & Spencer in standard issue beige. However, there are some other interesting additions. A design competition was held at six universities and the winner was a condo composter that fits under the kitchen counter and was noted first in treehugger last year. Another entrant was the ultimate flat-pack room kit--a single standard sheet of plywood that turns into a chair, a coffee table, a lamp and a picture or mirror frame. Another invention is a waste water alarm that monitors sound vibrations generated by flowing water in pipes. If there is prolonged water flow, it activates an alarm to alert the home owner. There is also an interesting exhibit of housing--“In Your Back Yard”--a display about housing issues in the city, suburbs and countryside (pictured). The Show is in its 99th year--this year's efforts just prove that you can teach an old dog new tricks. :: Ideal Home Show ...
Argentine (Eco) Design at the New York MoMA
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.13.07
The New York Museum of Moder Art (MoMA) store is holding its first Argentinean Design exhibition, and we’re thrilled to see some green included. The presentation is called Destination: Buenos Aires, New Argentine Design, and is a selection for which the MoMA teemed up with the Buenos Aires Museum of Latin American Art, one of the coolest design stores that sells eco design in the city. It will last until April and includes bonded leather accessories by our featured Vacavaliente, an adorable natural clay salt and pepper set by Lola Goldstein, a collection of Patagonian porcelain recipients that resemble disposable plastic ones (great chance to switch to reusable) by Leo Battistelli, lovely fabric-monster-toys by Sopa de Principe (we believe these are from recycled fabrics, but even if they aren’t, this kind of toys are way better than plastic ones with hundreds of parts), and clever wood and non toxic lacquer toys by Laboratori. To see the complete designers list (including the non-green ones), visit the Malba website (in Spanish). To find the items, step by the Museum shop. ::MoMA Store ::Malba...
Habitat for Humanity Modular House wins AIA Award
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.07
The American Institute of Architects just announced its 2007 Housing Awards; among the winners were our beloved Loblolly House and in the Special Housing Category, the Designhabitat2 house, from The DESIGNhabitat 2 Studio School of Architecture, Auburn University, David W. Hinson, AIA, Auburn, Ala. The Jury said: “Well thought out spatial organization and environmental factors included for really efficient energy consumption. Organization of the house is simple and really responds to its environment…wonderful…sophisticated simplicity,” The design appears to have two factory -built modules with a site-built center bay, an idea developed successfully by Michelle Kaufmann in the Breezehouse. It is sensible because you put the small rooms and complex services in the factory built portions, while the central bay essentially just encloses space. Built by a team of 3rd and 4th year architecture students partnering with Palm Harbor Homes to design and build two houses for Habitat for Humanity. ::Design Habitat 2...
Trend: Philanthropic Travel
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.07
Many kids in Europe take a "gap year" between high school and university; a lot of them do "voluntourism" involving hard labour and dodgy food, but come away enriched by the experience. Fast Company magazine discusses how those already enriched in other ways can participate in what they call "philanthropic travel."
from FC: "Voluntourism is for people with more time than money," says Exquisite Safari's founder David Chamberlain. "Our trips are for those who have it the other way around." defining it as a sojourn that safely exposes wealthier travelers to downtrodden places glossed over in guidebooks. Though time spent in the trenches can be minimal, participants are frequently transformed. "We spent a week in the slums of Nairobi where we bought bags of rice and delivered them to orphanages,," says Tom Dowd, CEO of industrial chemical company Dowd and Guild Inc. Since his trip last fall, Dowd has made significant contributions to relief organizations. That's what philanthropic travel is all about: Leaving a place stronger than you found it--without the sweat investment.
Sounds a lot more worthwhile than lying round the pool. Don't forget to pack your offsets! ::Fast Company and ::14 Vacations for the Socially Conscious (and lots of money) ...
Goldman Sachs Still Working It's Green Magic
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.13.07
Last year this time we reported on Goldman Sachs progress on greening it's performance in the face of a "browning" shareholder resolution. Subsequently, the firm's CEO, Hank Paulson, went on to become US Treasury Secretary, and the firm itself has further demonstrated that there's profit to be made in making the world a greener place. For the inside story, we read this Newsweek Business report. As reported in the story, "...the firm chauffeurs execs in hybrid cars, and the "Green Tower," its new $2 billion headquarters rising in Manhattan, is so ecofriendly that switching to a meatless diet may be a healthy career move for employees". Demonstrating the effect of Goldman Sach's leadership, the money quote for us was:- "...many of the same banks that grew rich financing companies' strip mines, oil rigs and SUV plants are advising clients that the way to get the green is to go green". Image credit: Boulder Chamber....
Greenwash Watch: More Greenwashing from the LCBO
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.07
When we last posted about the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, a commenter asked "what? you buy your liquor from the government? Is this 1935?" But in fact every bottle of liquor and most wine in this very large province is sold by the government of Ontario, making it the single biggest purchaser in the entire world. Surprising also for a country with a free press, they produce a glossy magazine called "Food and Drink" and are reputed to strong-arm suppliers to advertise in it if they want good space on the shelves. They are using their buying power to promote tetrapaks (less space, easier shipping) and this month hit an egregious new low in greenwashing: an entire section of the magazine called "Envirotrends" with the usual suspects like tetrapaks, Wolf Blass in PET bottles, and a new low: Australian Billygoat Hill Shiraz in 250ml cans.
Where, this side of the 1980 Berlin wall, do you find the government controlling distribution, owning the press and practicing Newspeak that makes recyclable glass bad, small aluminum cans and non-recyclable tetrapaks good? ::Ontario, Canada. ...
Gender Bender Chemicals Also Make You Fat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.07
We used to think that exposure to bisphenol A was a guy thing- the estrogen-like gender-bender chemical that leaches from polycarbonates and the lining of tin cans may cause male breast enlargement and dropping sperm counts, but hey, that's only half the population. Now we learn that it could be a chick thing too: experiments at the University of California at Irvine by Bruce Blumberg indicate that they make you fat. He looked at the fungicide Tributyltin.
"What we discovered," Blumberg said, is that tributyltin disrupted genetic interactions that regulate fat-cell activity in animals. "Exposure to tributyltin is increasing the number of fat cells, so the individual will get fatter faster as these cells produce more of the hormones that say 'feed me,'" Blumberg said. The exposed animals, he added, remain predisposed to obesity for life.
Others suspect the same thing happens with Bisphenol A. Frederick vom Saal of the University of Missouri's research indicates that developmental exposure to low doses of bisphenol A activates genetic mechanisms that promote fat-cell activity. "These in-utero effects are lifetime effects, and they occur at phenomenally small levels" of exposure.
We note that Nalgene continues to stand behind its bottles, and that others challenge Vom Saal's research, but plan to follow Warren's advice and buy aSigg. ::Washington Post see also how none of this is new at ::Our Stolen Future...
Yahoo! Big Shot in Cannes Green Ad Competition
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 03.13.07
Even Yahoo! these days is infected with econess. They just launched an online green ad competition called Big Shot In Cannes of which the winner gets to go to the Cannes Advertising Festival. Your online ad should ‘inspire people to get off their butts and improve the planet. Create an ad for the cause that's close to your heart. Maybe it's about hybrid cars, energy-efficient light bulbs, or recycling.’ That’s your brief (but don’t forget to check the rules and have a good look at the judges); you have until May 7th 2007 to submit your ad. Or up to ten if you get carried away advertising living the green life. The 3 winners will get a roundtrip airfare and 6 nights in a hotel during the International Advertising Festival in Cannes, France in June. Good Luck! Oh, and don’t forget to vote for our own green video contest Convenient Truth. Via the o2 mailing list ::Yahoo! Big Shot in Cannes
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RATE THIS VID!: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.12.07
Looking to stop climate change? Watch and follow in the carbon-free footprints of TreeHugger and Seventh Generation’s contest entrants. Vote on this video and the others like it by March 14th. Remember to give higher ratings to the most practical and helpful videos. Need more solutions? Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter....
Swapping is the New Shopping
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 03.12.07
We know that swapping is good for your budget, your hoarding tendencies and best of all for the environment. We have discussed swapping on TreeHugger before, such as swapping digital media, books, and clothing swapping fairs. We can't get over how big swapping clothing is right right now, its a great way to get good quality clothes or unusual and designer clothes while getting rid of your too-small, or bored-to-death-with clothes, and best of all its a great way to green your wardrobe. If you can't get to a swap festival near you like swap-o-rama (see the THTV episode), clothing swap or the my sisters wardrobe clothing swap (on in Melbourne this weekend), or you can't find any friends who are interested, then you could try an online swap shop. There are heaps of online clothing swapping options, we like whats mine is yours, mentioned recently on Style will save us, located in the UK. ::whats mine is yours ::my sisters wardrobe ::swap-o-rama Image: flickr...
Get Out and Pump 'Em Up!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.12.07
Got students who are all revved up to do something this Earth Day 2007 to prove they’re not full of hot air? Well how about joining Pump ‘Em Up!, a campaign launched in 2001 by a then nine-year old Savannah Walters who read about plans to drill in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, and learned that Americans could save as much oil as would be produced by the new drilling if they simply pumped up their car tires to the proper inflation levels. In fact, the US Energy Department has indicated that we’re wasting at least 4 million gallons of gas daily in America by not keeping them properly inflated.
To make checking tires simple she’s enlisted the help of volunteers to give out the free tire gauges generously donated by Sears, Firestone, Goodyear, and the Rubber Manufacturers Association to people across the country. She’s also gotten instructions for the project translated into other languages including Chinese, and aims to educate drivers around the world of the potential to conserve resources and protect our natural heritage by taking this simple step to stop wasting so much gas. She notes that not only will we save gas, but we’ll also be breathing cleaner air while working to fight global warming through lower emissions of CO2 at the same time. On top of all that, it’s estimated that Americans would also extend the life of their tires by about 25% and thereby save hundreds each year to go along with their gas savings. So if you’d like to get involved by hosting an event simply head to their website to download a flyer, and you’re on your way!...
RATE THIS VID!: An Inconvenient Cubicle
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.12.07
Looking for a good fight? No need for a drunken brawl! Watch how TreeHugger and Seventh Generation’s contest entrants tackle climate change. Who do you think deserves to win? Vote on this video and the others like it. Fortify your green and sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter....
Today Was Fun Spread the Feeling With Love Love Tea
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.12.07
Today Was Fun always manages to create a warm fuzzy feeling of cheerfulness and goodwill with their beautifully packaged, delicious tasting organic teas. To date TreeHugger has shown great affection for this creative tea company praising their colourful tea stack, the joy that is the Inspiration Tea and their great Green Green Carbon Neutral Tea. Now it appears that feelings run deeper and our relationship is developing as we hear that Today Was Fun has launched Love Love Tea. Brought to you in a hot pink box tied up with organic cotton this new blend combines organic rose buds and petals with coriander and liquorice root and is approved by the Soil Association. Just incase the pink box and organic rose buds aren’t hitting all your romantic buttons inside each box you will find a secret love note. Oh all this lovin’ is making me want to put the kettle on. Who ever knew that we could get so passionate about tea! Love Love Tea is available to buy from Harvey Nichols and independent delis in the UK. ::Today Was Fun...
RATE THIS VID!: Carless In L.A.
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.12.07
Who needs Sundance? TreeHugger and Seventh Generation have brought you your own little private eco-film fest. Sit back, relax, and take in the green. Just don’t forget to hone that artsy eye of yours and vote on the others before March 14th! Hoping to bring home some swag? Consider signing up for our daily or weekly newsletter. ...
Most Huggable: Thin Film on a Hot Tin Roof, Solar Vegas, Synthetic Photosynthesis…
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.12.07
What’s going on in Vegas? Solar power is getting pushy, pumping the city’s water uphill… California drivers can expect some more pain at the pump in the near future… Those wacky eggheads at the Max Planck Institute are at it again, this time engineering artificial photosynthesis… DuPont claims to have cracked the ethanol energy code, getting more energy out than is put in… Putting thin film solar on a hot tin roof: “easier than falling off a log”...
Time Magazine: Is Local Food Going Mainstream?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.12.07
The cover of Time's March 12 issue shows an apple with a yellow sticker and the words: "Forget organic. Eat Local." We wouldn't go that far, things aren't that simple in real life, but it's interesting to see that local food is getting more airtime after the last few years when organic food took almost all the space on stage. Inside the magazine is a 6-page piece by John Cloud. His starting point is a dilemma between buying an organic apple from California (he is in New York) or a "conventional" apple ("that sounds better than 'sprayed with pesticides that might kill you'," he says) from New York state. The whole point is that food shouldn't just be good for you, it should be good for the whole system too, so organic food that is shipped halfway around the world might cause more harm than "conventional" local food. The best of both worlds is of course community supported agriculture (CSA) that is both local, thus seasonal, and organic. In some cases it might be worth buying organic food that comes from slightly farther away than "conventional" local food because you are voting with your dollars and encouraging more organic production (eventually local producers will switch if there is enough demand) and you are helping protect topsoil, groundwater, etc. These benefits can sometimes offset the extra shipping. But when the organic food comes from much farther away than the local food, local is the way to go (or just substitute with another type of food that you can find as local & organic). But most important, take the time to enjoy your food!...
Is Phantom Energy Haunting Your House?
by Union of Concerned Scientists on 03.12.07
Many of the electronic devices in your home stay on, even when they're "off." Chargers for cell phones, digital cameras, power tools and other gadgets draw energy even when they're not in use. Appliances like televisions, computer monitors and DVD players can also draw power whenever they're plugged into an outlet. All together, "phantom energy" use account for about 5 percent of an individual's home's electricity use.
You can take some simple steps to reduce the financial and environmental impact from these "vampire" appliances. Unplugging devices is the simplest way to solve the problem, but can be a hassle. Plugging a couple of your devices into a surge protector that can be clicked on and off can make things easier.
When you're shopping for a new device, check out this online database of products rated by their standby energy use from the Federal Energy Management Program at the U.S. Department of Energy. And devices that have the Energy Star label from the Environmental Protection Agency will use less energy when they're in or out of use. See also: ::How To Green Your Electricity...
Win Some Sheks in Israel’s Green Building Design
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 03.12.07
The new Green Building Design Contest, a first in Israel, has been launched by Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection. According to Mr. Nir Kedmi, a head in the Ministry, the purpose of the competition is to raise the awareness of architects, developers and consumers in Israel to the advantages of Israel’s new green building standards developed in 2005. Perhaps to slow the disappearing coastline, participants will be required to plan a residential building in the Tel Aviv area, adjacent to the seashore. The catch is that you have to be a registered architect or student in Israel.
More about the Green Building Standard from the Ministry's site:
The green building standard is a voluntary standard which is awarded to new or renovated residential and office buildings that comply with certain requirements and criteria in the fields of energy, water, land and other environmental subjects. ...
RATE THIS VID!: FREEZEFRAME
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.12.07
Looking to stop climate change? Watch and follow in the carbon-free footprints of TreeHugger and Seventh Generation’s contest entrants. Vote on this video and the others like it by March 14th. Remember to give higher ratings to the most practical and helpful videos. Need more solutions? Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter....
TreeHugger Picks: Straw Bale Construction
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.12.07
Straw bale construction offers many TreeHugger-friendly advantages, from better insulation and reduced heating and cooling costs to the use of renewable, often local materials and great aesthetics. Here are some of our picks of the great things that straw bale construction can offer.
1) Guest writer & green designer Ted Owens has an ongoing thread (currently up to eight installments) about building his green home in New Mexico with bale walls.
2) Like Ted's place, this bale-walled house is so efficient, it doesn't need the electricity grid for power.
3) Though a common misconception, straw bale walls are not more liable to burn than conventional construction.
4) The method works well enough that Visalia, California is building two police stations with straw bale walls; they expect to save 50% on their heating and cooling bills.
5) Books like "Building with Straw" and The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes help showcase that, when it comes to bales, aesthetics and efficiency can go hand in hand....
Eco-Tip in Email Signature: Help us Start a Meme!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.12.07
We all know that many people print emails for no good reason, wasting tons of paper. Lets do something about it, dear reader. Lets start a new internet meme!
Add the following lines to your email signature: "Eco-Tip: Printing emails is usually a waste. Make this tip go viral, add it to your email signature." There's an optional third line for the really devoted TreeHugger fans: "For more eco-tips, visit www.TreeHugger.com". You don't have to add that one, but we'd appreciate it.
This simple two-three line viral signature (if it takes off -- that's up to you!) could save a lot of paper. Most people are well-intentioned, they just sometimes lack information or need a reminder. Please take a minute and add this to your email signature. Consider it your good deed for the day!...
RATE THIS VID!: Little Guy (Make A Start)
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.12.07
1st Sustainable Design National Colloquy in Mexico
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.12.07
The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) will host the 1st Sustainable Design National Colloquy, focused in the analysis of sustainable development. The will take place from September 3rd to 6th, 2007 in the Federal District. The presentation looks kind of basic, but the debate might bring some good conclusions. “The energetic world today is based in non renewable resources such as petroleum, radio activity and natural gas. The electricity we consume comes mainly from carbon installations. The question is how to get to sustainable development applying that concept in different areas or sectors that constitute our everyday life”, says the website. Themes stipulated for the event include Space and Sustainability, Object and Sustainability, Surrounding and Sustainability, City and Sustainability and Other Areas and Sustainability. In order to participate, visit the event’s website, via e-mail at coloquio_disenosustentable at hotmail dot com, or via telephone at 5622 0710 (add country and city prefix)....
The TH Interview: Eric Henry of TS Designs
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.12.07
What do you do when you lose 90% of your business due to globalization and the North American Free Trade Agreement? If you’re Eric Henry, President of TS Designs, which we have previously covered here, you spend $30,000 on erecting a solar array, you completely redesign your core service, namely t-shirt printing, along ecological principles, you adopt aggressive energy efficiency targets, you set up a biodiesel co-op, and you aim to source American-made organic cotton t-shirts. In this interview we hear how TS Designs, a successful apparel company dealing with major brands like Nike and Gap, chose to adopt a sustainable business model, and how they went about implementing it. We also hear about Eric’s views on fair-trade versus domestic production, and we discuss the potential for business to change the world.
In the interests of full disclosure, we should point out that Sami Grover, who conducted this interview, is part of The Change, a company that works with TS Designs on marketing and brand strategy.
Treehugger: TS Designs’ mission is ‘to build a sustainable company that simultaneously looks after the People, the Planet and Profits’. Can you tell us a little about how you balance these considerations?
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Green Fertility Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.12.07
This week is Carnival of the Green #68 and it's being hosted by Green Fertility! 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....
Book Review: XS: Small Structures, Green Architecture
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.07
In 2001 XS: Big Ideas, Small Buildings by Phyllis Richardson created a sensation. Small, light prefab buildings were so 21st century and it was an inspired collection. Now, She has written a followup: XS: Small Spaces, Green Architecture and we wish we could say we are as excited as we were with the first volume but alas, we are not.
Perhaps the biggest problem is that whoever wrote the dust jacket description does not appear to have read the book. "The design goals of the 40 houses included here are to build as small as possible, to harmonize with the site, to use natural heating and cooling techniques, and, above all, to combine aesthetic beauty with ecological sensitivity. The houses are striking in appearance, inexpensive to build, and totally functional, and will serve as inspiration for architects and potential owners."
The book has garden pavilions, sculptures, cameras obscura and treehouses but there is nary a totally functional and inexpensive to build house to be found. That is fine, there are some lovely, innovative and inspiring structures that are worth the price of admission. There are also some of questionable green credentials and others that have been around the block a few too many times.
But while it may be true that "a new generation of architects and builders is creating warm, inviting homes that cause only a fraction of the ecological impact of conventional building methods," they aren't here. The author might have been better served if the blurb said what her introduction does: " almost none of the projects here is an end in itself. Rather, each suggests inroads in a journey to a host of answers." ::XS: Small Structures, Green Architecture...
End The Perverse Incentives Effect On Renewable Energy
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.12.07
TreeHugger's window to the world makes it easy to focus on great new designs. But, it also makes it easy to ignore the extremely important role of state and local government in promoting or, as unfortunately has happened in a few recent cases, retarding the spread of green technologies. We recently posted on the example of the elderly Illinois couple threatened with felony prosecution for using untaxed, waste vegetable oil as a motor fuel. Whether by intent or by coincidence, the enforcement appeared to single them out for being "different," for taking chances with new designs, for spreading the word about innovations. Especially in times of great social and technological change, appearance matters. Taxing early, vocal adapters of veggie-diesel sends the message that motor fuel customers should passively wait for big government and big corporations to tell them what to do. Having just finished posting on that, it was very disappointing when yet another example of the "perverse incentive" appeared in "The Times" of New Jersey, under the headline Save on energy, pay in taxes. Just like the Illinois couple, the New Jersey family took a green step forward and then found themselves driven back two steps by a perverse tax policy. "It seems when they installed the system, the Rouses fell victim to a little-known and apparently scarcely used glitch in the property tax laws that allows the township to treat the panels like a home improvement to be taxed, despite several state programs in place to encourage the use of solar and other renewable energy". New York Times offered this insight on the matter: "The maddening aspect is that the state itself made the higher assessment possible. Solar panels were exempt from property taxes until 1988, but when that exemption expired, Trenton issued an advisory encouraging local assessors to tax them". Fortunately, there has been no lack of good leadership reacting to these two issues. Time for state legislative committees to have a pro-active, systematic look at tax policies. End the perverse incentives before any more families have to go through such nonsense. Image credit: Off Grid Net....
Siel's 100-Mile Diet Adventures Finale
by Siel, Los Angeles on 03.12.07
[Missed out on previous 100-mile adventure posts? Here are part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5]
Coffee's the first thing I have in the morning, as anyone who knows me or reads my blog knows. And most who drink coffee know that those beans doesn't grow within 100 miles of Los Angeles, where I live. This, I realize, must seem a contradiction of sorts for some readers. How can I say I'm doing the 100-mile diet when I drink coffee -- several cups of it -- every day?
Well. I should also add that I also eat chocolate and bananas, also stuff that's grown far, far away. The way I eat, in fact, stands in sharp contrast to the way J.B. MacKinnon and Alisa Smith, the two people who started the 100-mile diet craze, went about things. Those kids seriously took things to the limit, losing 15 lbs and all. In fact, they gave up their near-vegan lifestyles to support their new local one (cue tears from vegan readers)...
Meet The Greens: TED's Animated Enviro Education
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.12.07
Chronicling the adventures of Mom, Izz, Dad, Mrs. Greener and more, The Greens is a new project conceived by photographer Ed Burtynsky and realized by TED and WBGH in Boston. The animated "online project" (the aren't calling it a show...yet) aims to get kids thinking about the world and their place in it, encouraging them to make informed choices and meaningful changes. "Through the animated episodic adventures, a blog, kids' mail, and regular updates, we will explore green living - sustainability, ecology, environmental care and social equity. We will nudge kids to research, to challenge, to discover, and to take action wherever and whenever they can." Though designed for youngsters, anything that rewrites "The Three Little Pigs" fairy tale using "straw bale construction featuring Nebraska-style load bearing and recompressed bails" and LEED certification sounds worthwhile to all, young or old, "green" or not. They've got one episode under their belts, and we'll keep watching to see how effective meshing animation with environmental education can be. ::The Greens via ::Hugg (VictoriaE)...
Time to Vacuum Up the Nickels
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.12.07
I was reading about prioritizing green projects today, and was struck by how many of them don't get off the ground because "they save no money". For example, a bank might save millions implementing a energy efficiency program but, compared to the billions they make, it's loose change. Or the fact that, say, Americans only spend 1.2 percent of the nation's energy on data centers. Seems like a great deal! And the sense is that there's no point in looking at it, because hey, it's only 1 percent. See, I rounded it down already.
No, no, no. These projects need to be evaluated on a cost-benefit basis, not on guts. This is in itself an issue, as return on investment for IT projects is almost never done. And gut-based decision making is very popular, particularly when snap decisions are often seen as a sign of competence. But this is unlikely to yield green benefits. The right stance is the one where every sucked up nickel is appreciated, like the Windsor School District that is thrilled they are saving $300 a month in electricity after switching to Linux thin clients. Pint's a pound the whole world round (except in the UK, home of the 20 oz. pint where "a pint of water is a pound and a quarter"), and so is a few million dollars in loose change. Or a few thousand. Or a few hundred.
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RATE THIS VID!: Timeline
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.12.07
The polls are open, folks, but only until March 14th. Kick back with some locally brewed beer or some organic pop corn and watch and rate this video and the smorgasbord of Convenient Truths entries on the contest site, truths.treehugger.com. These green videos are a just a taste. Continue to satiate your appetite for solutions to climate change by subscribing to our daily or weekly newsletter or checking out Seventh Generation’s Inspired Protagonist blog!...
Cafédirect: Fairtrade Coffee Company
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.12.07
Cafédirect is the UK’s largest Fairtrade coffee company. Its CEO, Penny Newman, just came second to the head of Marks & Spencer in a business award competition to celebrate “Great Britons”. The judges said that she “proves that you can be ethical and run a successful business at the same time”. This is a company that was set up by four charities just sixteen years ago. As part of Fairtrade Fortnight, the Guardian interviewed this dynamic businesswoman, who learned her skills at the Body Shop and has transformed the business-- now it has sales of £21.6M ($41.7M U.S.) a year. Growing awareness of global poverty and concern about where food comes from have helped make Fairtrade products popular, particularly in Britain. Since 2002, they have had a 265% growth rate here. Now that supermarkets are falling over each other to be ethical, she does have some concerns. She says: “Is it just a sexy, fashionable thing to do at the moment?...Retailers need to be there in the good and bad times”. To counteract this problem, she has expanded its market into sales in university campuses, offices and coffee bars where she sees future growth to be faster than at-home sales. This month they will be shipping coffee to France, where there is a much smaller Fairtrade market and she wants to move into Hong Kong. As for the many small farmers growing coffee in Africa and Latin America, Newman is worried that the system will cease to be of benefit for them: “It all started from developmental need, how to help farmers in the face of falling coffee prices. Our concern is not to take that away”. :: Cafedirect Via :: Guardian...
1:1 Making the Digital House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.07
Since the early days of computer aided design, the holy grail has been to not simply draw the building, but to build it in the computer and then drive the machinery to build it for real. Archicad and Revit now commonly build electronic versions of buildings, and a lot of architectural cabinetry like kitchens are produced from CAD drawings using numerically controlled tools. Kieran Timberlake, with the Loblolly House got close, but now Bell Travers Willson have taken it to a whole new level with their demonstration project, 1:1 Making the Digital House. 1:1 is the architectural term for full scale; this isn't a model. They have set up an exhibition of it at The Architectural Foundation's Yard Gallery in London until 20 March.
The Digital House is produced using a detailed 3D computer model that contains all of the construction elements including every wall and screw hole which are pre-determined before the construction....
El Hijo del Santo Wrestles Enemies of the Sea
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 03.12.07
Mexican professional wrestler, El Hijo del Santo, recently announced plans to support WiLDCOAST, a U.S.-based environmental organization. The organization’s current campaigns include: stopping sea turtle consumption in Mexico, defending protected areas on California’s coast, and working to save the gray whales in Baja California. The 7-time WWA World Welterweight Champion has pledged to devote the majority of this year to raising awareness about how human actions are threatening the ocean. Subsequently, El Hijo del Santo will visit coastal communities in northern Mexico and distribute educational comics featuring his character confronting threats to the ocean. Furthermore, the wrestler will travel to Latino communities in California to promote conservation and will head a petition effort in Mexico City demanding that lawmakers create more protected marine zones. Apparently, El Hijo Del Santo’s efforts mark a continuing tradition in which Mexican wrestlers participate in numerous public awareness campaigns. Enemies of the sea beware!...
MorethanMonarchs.org: Networking for Illegal Logging Activism
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 03.12.07
Treehugger readers probably get their share of "action alert" emails from environmental organizations. Typically, a reader receives pertinent facts along with a request to "take action," and email a political representative or corporate executives to express his/her views on the issue at hand. While visitors to MorethanMonarchs.org can also email political officials in Mexico about illegal logging practices in the Monarch Biosphere Region, the winter nesting grounds for monarch butterflies, the ECO-LIFE Foundation has taken full advantage of current web technology, and broadened the scope of communication possible at their site. Not only can concerned citizens of this region email environmental protection officials in Mexico City; they can also share their stories on the site, upload photographs of logging activities, and discuss the effects of these practices on both butterfly and human populations....
America is Drunk on Ethanol
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.07
photo from wired/ AP/ Charlie Neibergall
You can read in Bloomberg how Corn farms have replaced New York lofts as the hottest properties around. "Demand for corn used in ethanol increased the value of crop land 16 percent in Indiana and 35 percent in Idaho in 2006, government figures show. The price of a Soho loft appreciated only 12 percent, while a pied-a-terre in Islington near London's financial district gained 11 percent, according to realtors....."it is the surge in corn prices from ethanol demand,'' said Jim Farrell, chief executive officer at Farmers National Co. in Omaha...``Midwest farmland is predicated by the strength or weakness of corn prices.'' You can read in the Columbus Dispatch that Demand for corn driving up meat prices.: "Strong demand for corn from ethanol plants is driving up the cost of livestock and will raise prices for beef, pork and chicken, the Agriculture Department said Friday." Or you can read this great summary from Wired, which explains the benefits and problems. "The only economical way to make ethanol right now is with corn, which means the burgeoning industry is literally eating America's lunch, not to mention its breakfast and dinner." Read more in ::Wired...
Welcome to Barenaked Planet
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.07
We have given Huggs to the Barenaked Ladies before, but had no idea how green they really were. According to Sherry Noik-Bent of the National Post, Stephen Page of the Ladies:
-sits on the board of the World Wildlife Fund Canada;
-owns shares in local wind co-op Windshare;
-was one of Bullfrog's first customers;
-is part of the Riverdale Initiative for Solar Energy and has 3 Kw of panesl on his roof;
-sets up an eco-village at each concert;
-runs the band's vans and buses on bio;
-brings recycling bins to concerts;
-sells carbon offset wristbands to concert goers;
-selling their latest album on USB flash drives- CD's are usually just loaded into the computer anyways, and "the USB drives are completely reusable and shareable-and exactly what those of us who are interested in the environment should be doing with their products." Page says "Being eco-friendly isn't something thats just for the yuppies".::National Post
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Atypyk: Best. Shopping Website. Ever.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.07
I laughed when I saw this vase made from a 6pack of Heineken on Josh Spear, and followed it to the designers, Ivan Duval and Jean Sebastien Ides, two guys in Paris who have churned out more brilliant stuff in a couple of years than most people do in a lifetime, making 99% of it in France and throwing it all up online for sale at reasonable prices. Umbrellas with gun handles, blinds that look like your window has been bricked up, clocks made out of paper plates, weights made out of vegetables, it goes on and on. Funny and brilliant at ::Atypyk Follow the Quench line first. ...
RATE THIS VID!: YOU Can Stop Climate Change
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.11.07
Looking to stop climate change? Watch and follow in the carbon-free footprints of TreeHugger and Seventh Generation’s contest entrants. Vote on this video and the others like it by March 14th. Remember to give higher ratings to the most practical and helpful videos. Need more solutions? Sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter....
RATE THIS VID!: Families Fight Back
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.11.07
Looking for a good fight? No need for a drunken brawl! Watch how TreeHugger and Seventh Generation’s contest entrants tackle climate change. Who do you think deserves to win? Vote on this video and the others like it. Fortify your green and sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter....
Senertec Dachs: A 90% Efficient Power Plant for Your Home
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03.11.07
Many scenario planners suggest that, in the future, technologies such as fuel cells will change power generation from the steam-belching centralized model which typified the industrial revolution to a decentralized network, with each household generating power and feeding what they don't need back into the system--earning money for the efficient households. What if that technology were already available today? Guess what: it is. And it is called micro-CHP (for combined heat and power). Micro-CHP adopts the concept of co-generation, which is when heat is simultaneously collected and distributed from a generator used to produce electricity. Systems powered by natural gas or heating oil have been available on the market in "micro" models suitable for single households for some years now (see Whisper Gen for example). But what if these systems could use renewable fuels? At the Heating Industry Convention (ISH) in Frankfurt this week, the company Senertec introduced a plant oil burning version of their popular "Dachs" micro-power plant....
RATE THIS VID!: Think Green
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.11.07
Who needs Sundance? TreeHugger and Seventh Generation have brought you your own little private eco-film fest. Sit back, relax, and take in the green. Just don’t forget to hone that artsy eye of yours and vote on the others before March 14th! Hoping to bring home some swag? Consider signing up for our daily or weekly newsletter. ...
RATE THIS VID!: Animal Guide To Saving The Planet
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.11.07
RATE THIS VID!: I Am A Climate Activist
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.11.07
The polls are open, folks, but only until March 14th. Kick back with some locally brewed beer or some organic pop corn and watch and rate this video and the smorgasbord of Convenient Truths entries on the contest site, truths.treehugger.com. These green videos are a just a taste. Continue to satiate your appetite for solutions to climate change by subscribing to our daily or weekly newsletter or checking out Seventh Generation’s Inspired Protagonist blog!...
RATE THIS VID!: A Brighter Idea
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.11.07
The polls are open, folks, but only until March 14th. Kick back with some locally brewed beer or some organic pop corn and watch and rate this video and the smorgasbord of Convenient Truths entries on the contest site, truths.treehugger.com. These green videos are a just a taste. Continue to satiate your appetite for solutions to climate change by subscribing to our daily or weekly newsletter or checking out Seventh Generation’s Inspired Protagonist blog!...
Global Warming Causes Cute Overload
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.07
image from Cute Overload
Humane Societies around Toronto are overrun with cats and climate change is to blame.
According to the Star: Milder weather in cold seasons means cats are outdoors more, doing what comes naturally, say animal workers on the frontlines. The result is a population explosion that's stretching GTA pounds and shelters beyond their limits. "We've been racking our brains to figure out why we're seeing more cats in January and February," says Lee Oliver, spokesperson for the Toronto Humane Society. "Now we realize the spike in kittens and strays is because of the weather."
It's a trend that's developed over the past two or three years, said Kathy Duncan, manager of animal services for Oshawa. "When I came here 17 years ago, there was a clear breeding pattern of litters in spring and late summer/early fall. But now kittens are arriving much earlier. We're seeing newborns in January." ::The Star ...
Updates on Recent Stories: Bikes, Bagels and City Halls
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.07
Who has right of way? New York's Mayor Bloomberg recently said "bikers also have to watch out for themselves in interactions with cars. “Even if they’re in the right, they are the lightweights,” Bloomberg said of cyclists. “Every year, too many people are hit by cars — and bikes have to pay attention.” Bikers shouldn’t assume car doors won’t open into their path, for example, he said. Toronto's Rob Ford said "Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day." Meanwhile Joe at Biking Toronto shows these great pictures shot from the same corner, 107 years apart. Sorry Rob, roads are built for streetcars and bikes and the cars came later.
We wrote earlier about a petition to "request that Dempster's, along with Maple Leaf Foods Inc. and Canada Bread Company Limited, stop littering our shelves, our waste baskets and our landfills with over-packaged products, and that they review their environmental policies in order to reduce their packaging." We are pleased to announce that Dempsters put the idea in the Dumpster and cancelled the Morning Mates.
Below the fold: Plant wins City Hall Competition
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Got Students Who Like to Act Out in Class?
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.11.07
Then consider putting their talents to good use by engaging them in the production of a play about America’s original “Treehugger” Henry David Thoreau that’s being offered free of charge for performance in schools this Earth Day. While discovering the concept of going green in a way that most kids won’t ever encounter it, they’ll probably also come to realize that while one of the forefathers of the environmental movement in America is also one of the most quoted authors in American history, he was better known for having helped market the pencil than for a single word he wrote with it after he was gone. "In an age of global warming, bio-fuels, hybrid cars and oil wars," says play author Michael Johnathon, "the script can introduce students to Thoreau as well as environmental concerns in their own home towns at a time when, frankly, they need it."...
Shipping vs Airfreight revisited: Some more considerations
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.11.07
The environment blog over at New Scientist has just revisited the shipping versus airfreight debate that we covered here. Just to refresh your memories, this was a story that the Guardian reported on, claiming that shipping produces 2.5 times the amount of emissions that airlines create. Interestingly, New Scientist takes a slightly different angle on why aviation is getting so much stick, while shipping remains relatively untouched by protests. Aside from the fact that aviation is set to grow faster than shipping, NS also points out that the aviation industry is easier to pressure than the shipping industry. While many airlines are recognized high-profile brands, it’s a fairly safe bet that most consumers could not name too many freight ship operators or manufacturers.
However, this leaves aside a big question, touched on in our comments section, regarding emissions by weight of cargo e.g. if the same amount of freight was shipped by air or by sea, which would produce more greenhouse gases? It seems, looking at the numbers, that shipping comes way ahead of airlines on this count. When this author was working out a carbon offset scheme for a previous employer, using Climate Care's calculations, shipping 1.5 tonnes of product by ship to the UK created 0.124 tonnes of CO2, while shipping only 0.5 tonnes of the same product by air created 4.5 tonnes of CO2. So, while John’s original recommendation to buy local in his post still stands, if it is a question between shipping cargo by ship or by plane, then it looks like the ship wins every time, at least if these numbers are to be believed.
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PETA Provides Free Personal Advice To Al Gore
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.11.07
Until today, we had not even realized that the organization known as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had a serious interest in climate change policy. But apparently they do. Close on the heels of several personal criticisms of Al Gore for his home energy use by...well, we'll just call them denialists... PETA has sent a letter to Mr Gore, promoting a strict vegetarian agenda. PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk signed the cordially worded letter, which is available at the PETA blog (pdf file). The technical substance of PETA's argument is described here. We can easily imagine Mr. Gore's personal secretary handing him the PETA letter. Al reads it, looks up, and says 'Darn...I I thought it would enough for me to tear down my megawatt hungry mansion and live in a FEMA trailer so I could continue my work. Now, it looks as if I'll also have to eat soy burgers.' PETA has a point, of course. But, we have a feeling that the ten years within which the world must take dramatic steps to prevent climate catastrophe does not include nearly enough time to leverage that idea. Think, for example, how the marine mammal-eating Inuit People might respond? Argentinian cattlemen? Middle Eastern goatherds? If PETA members would just point out their fondness for petrochemical based clothing and shoes, perhaps at least the actual President and the US Congress would listen. Image credit:aerobic hog waste slurry tank, USDA
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Take the Google Line To Work
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.07
Google gets hugs for its solar panels, if less so then for their giant jet, but you know they are the real thing when they do the less obvious, more expensive and really effective things. They essentially have built a private transit system of 32 buses with leather seats, wireless internet and bicycle racks. “It’s the most useful Google fringe benefit,” said Wiltse Carpenter, a 45-year-old software engineer. It’s changed my quality of life” Riders can sign up to receive alerts on their computers and cellphones when buses run late and to top it off, they use biodiesel.
According to the Times, They pick up workers as far away as Concord, 54 miles northeast of the Googleplex, as the company’s sprawling Mountain View headquarters are known, and Santa Cruz, 38 miles to the south. The system’s routes cover in excess of 230 miles of freeways, more than twice the extent of the region’s BART commuter train system, which has 104 miles of tracks. ::New York Times
UPDATE: This very sensible letter by Dan Savage was published in the New York Times:...
