- 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 18, 2007 - March 24, 2007
Total this week: 126
A Timely New Chapter To The "Just In Time" Story
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.24.07
Much of the push to "re-engineer" business to "streamline for profits" over the last twenty years is captured in the buzz-phrase Just In Time(JIT). If you were a a business owner, experts urged you to store as much as possible of your inventory in the trucks moving toward your customers from outsourced suppliers, minimizing your own payroll and warehousing costs. A product line manager discovered to have amassed a cache of actual inventory faced dismissal, and so on. As a result, trucks in North America and Europe are, in effect, the warehouse system. Hence, the recent argument that under NAFTA, that Mexican trucking companies should be allowed to bring goods in to the US without transferring. The glue that holds this logistical approach together is comprised of the Enterprise Software System, so-called Business to Business (B2B) linkup portals, and a lot of phone calling and fancy shipping contracts. A seldom acknowledged JIT casualty is the near end of the warehouse full of unsold crap merchandise, dumped via "clearance re-sellers". Those clearance malls along the expressways of America are now most likely getting their inventory JIT, as the retail stores in the mall do. One seldom discussed drawback of JIT is the swarm of half- or mostly-empty trucks driving from supplier to distributor or customers and back; or worse, completely empty trucks going half way across the country to get to the next load. With fuel so much more costly and highways slipping into gridlock, might businesses soon have to go back to classic product designs stored in venerable warehouses? Not quite yet. ...
Live a Plastic-free Year
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 03.24.07
Is it possible to really live plastic free? When everything we consume is packaged in plastic, it makes this resolution almost impossible (I would think). So tracking the progress of one woman's journey into trying to live a year totally plastic free is quite intriguing. Discoveries like plastic free packaging on toiletries and personal hygiene products such as her deodorant debacle, and discovery of LUSH products. Try reading more about this issue with TreeHugger's guide to green women's personal care, and check out TreeHugger's stories on natural deodorants and personal care. ::EnviroWoman ::living plastic free in 2007 (same thing different location) [Thanks go to Felicia Sullivan for the tip]...
Greenheart: Fair Trade Without Fossil Fuels
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.24.07
When we covered the shipping vs airfreight debate here (also covered here), Chris Kozak got in touch about what looks like an absolutely intriguing project that he’s involved in called Greenheart. According to the initiative’s website, the idea is as follows:
“Create a self-funding enterprise that uses environmentally clean and sustainable sail and solar power to provide free delivery of development aid and relief supplies to needy countries around the world. Promote fair trade, renewable energy and international cooperation. Develop a tool to help impoverished coastal communities improve their standards of living, while preserving their traditions and protecting the environment.”...
Toronto Unveils Blueprint for a Green City
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.24.07
Mayor David Miller says Toronto will be "the leading environmental city in North America" and has rolled out the blueprints. He says the plan represents a "real" commitment to combating global warming. "This framework is very bold. It sets clear targets for action and it sets out an uncompromising commitment by the city of Toronto to lead on environmental issues."
The plan includes meeting Kyoto targest by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; tax rebates for upgrading furnaces, installing green roofs or even replacing leaf blowers with brooms; a new green building code, more bike lanes, conversion of all streetlights to LEDs and lots more.
However all of these measures require funding and the City is broke, so Mayor Miller will have a hard time paying for this. But it sounds like a plan. ::The Star and ::PDF of the Plan UPDATE: Environment writer Peter Gorrie doesn't think it is much of a plan.::The Star...
TreeHugger Looks Into The Carbon Offset Project At The Tontitown Landfill
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.24.07
As summarized in the TerraPass website: "Waste Management Inc. runs a landfill near Tontitown, Arkansas that provides some of the carbon credits in TerraPass' portfolio. The carbon credits are generated by a methane flaring project. Essentially, methane from decomposing garbage is captured and burned, preventing it from reaching the atmosphere. Such projects are generally considered to be very good sources of carbon offsets, because there is no financial incentive to burn landfill methane other than to generate carbon offsets...However, a BusinessWeek article raised questions about whether the methane flaring project would have taken place even in the absence of offsets." Because carbon offsetting is novel, abstract, and engages up to seven distinct stakeholders...project employees, project neighbors, regulatory authorities (State of Arkansas in this case), corporate project owner (Waste Management in this case), the broker (CCX in this case), the commercial buyer (TerraPass in this case), and the offset purchasers (TerraPass customers in this case), each of which has limited understanding of the other's respective circumstances and interests...we thought it might be helpful for our readers to look at an actual carbon emissions project up close, to meet one of the most distant stakeholders, a carbon credit seller. Wes Muir, a representative of Waste Management, Inc., owner and operator of the Tontitown, Arkansas facility, kindly agreed to answer some TreeHugger questions. Note that links are provided to the TerraPass website where Tontitown project regulatory information is conveniently summarized....
What Lies Beneath a "Healthy Skin" product
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.24.07
I was shocked by this, because I have to admit I use the stuff. Neutrogena is not exactly a health food store product but as an aging guy I wanted a moisturizer with sunscreen in it. Now I learn from Wired that the warm feeling I get when I put it on is the burning of my skin:
HYDROXYACETIC ACID
Marketers prefer the less-scary-sounding "alpha-hydroxy." It’s a corrosive acid that breaks apart the outer layer of skin, spurring new cell growth. While it may make you look younger, it can also make skin twice as vulnerable to sun damage — good thing Neutrogena adds SPF 15 sunscreen. When hydroxyacetic acid is not melting faces worldwide, it can be found in bathroom tile scum removers, where it dissolves minerals left behind in your shower.
Other ingredients are not as scary sounding but Wired does its best to make you run away. Suggestions welcome for a replacement! ::Wired ...
Applied Materials Outdoing Google's Solar Project
by EcoGeek.org on 03.23.07
TreeHugger has reported several times on the Googleplex's alternative energy dreams. Those dreams have become a reality with a 1.6 megawatt solar installation that is larger than any other private solar installation in the world. Well, in true silicon valley spirit, Applied Materials is going a few hundred kilowatts further, and working on a 1.9 megawatt solar installation for their California campus.
Though the Google installation was originally planned to be 1.9 megawatts, and the Applied Materials installation has not yet begun, we're excited to see the spirit of corporate dominance applying to solar panels. Applied Materials, however, has an additional incentive...they make the solar panels they'll be installing. CEO Mike Splinter said, “As we pursue our strategy to significantly drive down the overall solar cost-per-watt, we feel it is important to lead through example.”
We're looking forward to seeing their dedication pay off. Applied Materials better hurry up, though. By the time their project is finished, Google could already be adding on to their own. Plus, if Wal-Mart carries through with it's plans, there won't be enough roof space in all of Silicon Valley to catch up.
::Inside Greentech ::EcoGeek...
Interview with Debra Dunn, Former Head of HP's Sustainability Initiative
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.23.07
In an interview at iinovate, Debra Dunn, who's now an "Adviser to Social Ventures" at the Skoll Foundation, talks about her career path (from a degree in Marxist economic theory to the private sector), how she became head of Hewlett Packard’s sustainability initiative (more about HP's initiatives here) and the different levels at which corporations can change and become more responsible.
There is no mind-blowing revelations in the podcast (lots of opportunities in the green field, corporations must stop thinking about the short term only, a basic regulatory framework such as a carbon tax could level the playing field and accelerate the pace of change, etc), but it's a nice motivational interview, especially for you young idealists who want to change the system from within. You know who you are. The podcast is about 12 minutes long and can be found here.
Related: ::HP Introduces Greener Ink Packaging, ::HP Wins Design for Recycling Award, ::HP's Corn Printer, ::Hewlett Packard to Remove Bromated Flame Retardant from Product Casings, ::Hewlett-Packard Recycling Program & Goals, ::Hewlett Packard Brazil Recycles Paper for its Cases...
Po-Zu - Autumn Winter Collection '07
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.23.07
Last year we let you know about Po-Zu's first collection of comfy eco-friendly slippers. These Japanese influenced, but UK made, slippers, use natural materials such as vegetable tanned leather, coir (coconut fibre) and natural latex. Po-Zu are now launching their latest collection for Autumn Winter '07 called Yasumi which is termed as an indoor/outdoor experience. Po-Zu tell us that with 'the natural latex sole you can now choose to chill at home or stroll to the shops in maximum comfort.' We particularly love their new high top style called Buto, which looks much more stylish than the ubiquitous UGG boot. This season Po-Zu have catered for vegetarians, although not for vegans, with their new pure unbleached wool uppers in felt and tweed, off-white and grey. We're also pleased to hear that Po-Zu was deservedly nominated for the UK Green Awards 2006 for best packaging. Their shoe box works as a seed tray, once the seeds sprout the whole box can be planted in the earth where it will biodegrade. The Po-Zu A/W 07 collection will be available to buy in September from Terra Plana stores. :: Po-Zu...
The TH Interview: Tim Toben of Greenbridge and Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.23.07
Tim Toben is the former CEO of KnowledgeBase Marketing who, after taking a fishing trip with Bill McDonough, became convinced of the need for a new, innovative, green economy. He is now one of the partners of Greenbridge Developments, a LEED Gold certified up-market mixed use development in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (which we previously covered here). He is also the founder of Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute, which we covered here, and we have just discovered he is now working on the presidential campaign for John Edwards. In this interview he tells us why he came to view climate change as ‘the greatest social injustice in history’, and how Greenbridge came about as a response to this injustice. He also responds to accusations that up-market green building is often little more than ‘gentrification’ and, in true Treehugger style, he gives his list for top actions to take to live a better, greener life.
Treehugger: You were previously CEO of the extremely successful KnowledgeBase Marketing. What brought you to sustainability, and are your current interests principally driven by moral concerns, business concerns, or a combination of the two?
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TreeHugger Picks: Tips for Shutting Down and Turning Off
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.23.07
World Shutdown Day is this weekend, and with it comes a good opportunity to prove that you aren't addicted to your computer by shutting it off and leaving it off all day. In addition to taking a break and doing something other than emailing, surfing or blogging, Shutdown Day also has the potential to reduce your energy use and to quantify the good that unplugging can do for you every now and then. In celebration of the day, here are some of our picks for taking the shutdown idea a little bit further.
1) Unplug your cellphone charger, or, better yet, take your phone off the grid.
2) Go for broke and take an energy vacation for the day: no TV or electronics, artificial lights or driving; you can take it as far as you want.
3) If a full-on turn-off is too much, take a minute and learn more about the dangers of phantom power and get some tips for reducing it.
4) Before shutting down, take a minute to learn more how to be energy-independent, or read a book about it after you pull the plug.
5) When you come back online, get some tips to help reduce your computer's energy use to make it more planet-friendly while it is turned on....
Mother Nature Knows Best
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 03.23.07
Biomimicry is the term given to taking inspiration from nature and applying it to technology. Velcro is probably the most well known example of this; its hook and eye stickiness is inspired by the way that burrs stick to dog hair. Often, nature has a more elegant and effective solution for a problem than we do, and it makes sense to capitalize on millions of years of evolution and use that design. If mother nature can do it better, quicker and more efficient, then we should listen to her.
Janine Benyus, the author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, and Dayna Baumeister, are running a six day intensive course to train biologists interested in applying biomimicry to design. On the course you'll learn exactly what biomimicry is, what the major successes in the field have been and how to use your biological knowledge to help develop products inspired by nature.
The course runs from May 23-29, at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch in Dupuyer, Montana, and applications must be submitted by April 11. For more information have a look at the Biomimicry Institute's website....
Building a Green China
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 03.23.07
Even if you’ve been here, your sooty mental image of urban INSABA: Building Renewable Energy Potential in Africa
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 03.23.07
We've taken note of a number of efforts in African countries to use renewable technologies to spread and/or stabilize electrification. Most of these projects have been independent of one another; however, a relatively new effort, the Integrated Southern African Business Advisory (INSABA) is taking a regional approach to building renewable capacity. According to the project's web site, the planned advisory network will build upon earlier efforts to create "...a critical mass of human capital with up to date knowledge and expertise in energy planning and project financing, as well as in the latest technologies and best practices available for increasing the productive use of renewable energies." The network will address both RE development, and demand creation:...
Bill Encourages Telecommuting in USA
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.23.07
We all know that there are societal benefits to telecommuting: less pollution, less time wasted in traffic, more flexibility, etc. Some countries, like Japan, have offered tax incentives to employers who institute telework programs for a while now, but a bill recently introduced into the US Congress may give Americans the same opportunity.
The bill, introduced by Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Representative Lee Terry (R-NE), is called the Parents’ Tax Relief Act of 2007. There are a few interesting parts, including a vastly simplified home office deduction ($2500 or the profit from your home-based business, whichever is lower), and a telecommuting tax credit for employers of up to $2400 per telecommuter. In addition, employers that provide computers and broadband access equipment can write it off, making such equipment tax-free. The bill hasn't passed yet, but there are high hopes....
Tu-Fin: Nordic Walking on Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.23.07
We love carbon-free travel and human-powered transport. There are few forms of exercise that are more efficient and work more muscles than cross-country skiing. Designers I.Kiryakov, S.Ballmeier, K.Eichelberg & M.Dressler appear to have mounted a nordic-trak exercise machine onto a racing canoe hull to create an 8 metre (26') craft that can go 6.5 knots. The cross-country action is converted to forward motion by a rear flipper. The rear is low and flat as a swim platform, the front thin and long for sunbathing. Of course one of the best summer exercises is rowing and a good sculler can go at 9 knots with a lot less technology, but hey, scullers can't see where they are going. ::tu-fin via ::yanko
Update: article in Speigel online. It appears that this design was part of a student competition.
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Israel and Australia Says G’Day and Shalom To A New Water Pact
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 03.23.07
Good on ya Israel, conveyed Australia’s Federal Environment and Water Minister Malcolm Turnbull last Monday while meeting with a 24-person Israeli delegation on Aussie turf. The countries have found common ground in water and have recently signed a non-binding project to co-develop water technologies. Australia and Israel are both dry countries that seek a long-standing solution to coping with drought and water insecurity. According to the Australian Jewish News Turnbull visited Israel in 2005 and has long hinted at expanding cooperation on water between the two nations. “The Israelis are ingenious in their use of water and are world leaders in water technology,” Turnbull said. ...
Students Declare "No Print Day"
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.23.07
When copy machines at West Linn High School in Oregon were out of commission for three days in November, people took notice that they were able to save so many reams of paper from being used at school and interest in having a No Print Day once a month began to surface. Then when they realized that so far this year over 2,646,000 pieces of paper have been used at their school they turned that interest into action. So on March 14 they shut down the schools copy machines for what they hope will be the first of many No Print Days to come… It’s all part of a plan to raise awareness of people’s paper usage on a daily basis, and thereby help reduce what turns out to be about 38.6 percent of all garbage in the country that winds up in landfills as paper. As a result of their actions “The next day there was a visual sign of a reduction in paper use,” said Angie Hammond their teacher. “People are trying to think of different ways to save paper. They’re more conscious of it now.” And with groups as diverse as the school’s Green Team, the Ecology Team, the Associated Student Body, the leadership classes and a teacher like Ms. Hammond to lead the way; there’s a good chance they’ll see long term success with it too....
The 10 Most Magnificent Trees
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.23.07
Call us hokey, but now and then we like to hug trees a bit more literally. Neatorama has a countdown of the 10 most majestic and magnificent trees in the world. Occasionally, it's nice to be reminded of what exactly we're fighting for. In short: trees rule. :: Neatorama...
Global Cool's MySpace SMS Campaign
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.23.07
Climate-crusading charity Global Cool, whom we introduced introduced earlier this year, has enlisted the help of some eco-celebs to help spread the word about and inspire against global warming. Today, they're launching a new SMS-based campaign led by actors Sienna Miller, Josh Hartnett and Rosario Dawson; fans of the actors and consumers concerned about climate change are encouraged to sign up, via text message, for the campaign, which will feature exclusive content sent directly to users' cell phones. Through a partnership with MySpace, exclusive carbon-cutting messages will also be featured for one week within the ‘video exclusive’ section on the MySpace homepage on a rolling basis, promoting the Global Cool message to MySpace’s global audience. Joining the campaign will cost US users $3.99 per month and UK users £3 a month (not including network charges), and the proceeds will go to further Global Cool's work in mitigating climate change. See sample messages and sign up at ::their site or their MySpace. ::Global Cool...
Waterfight in Toronto: Who gets Water Day?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.23.07
As Bonnie pointed out earlier, it is World Water Day. Watercan, a charity that funds local, community-controlled, sustainable water projects in 32 developing countries, has organized a 6 km walk in Toronto to fundraise, starting at 11 on Sunday. One would think that it would be popular and well-attended.
Except, Ethos Water, a subsidiary of Starbucks, has organized its own Walk For Water on Saturday. according to Jennifer Davis of WaterCan: "We've been bumped out of the limelight by Starbucks, and we're not very happy about the whole thing"
Ethos founder Peter Thum is very clear about Ethos Water's walk: "We're not selling anything." Sara Stratton of Kairos Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, a group campaigning to save the planet's water and against bottled water, is not reassured. "Maybe they're not trying to sell anything on World Water Day, but every other day of they year they are selling water." Kairos's slogan is "Water: life before profit."
We love Starbucks, but know which walk we are doing. ::Now Magazine...
This Month in Dwell: Renovate!
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.23.07
Dwell Magazine promotes renovation! Reuse! Recycle! this month with its usual enthusiasm and style. While the advertising in the magazine makes it look more like Architectural Digest every month with high-end unaffordable products, (like the one that asks "who would spend $59,752 on a bed?) the editors continue to show projects that are approachable and that we can aspire to, if not afford right now. There are conversions of bath-houses, women's shelters and punk rock clubs into lofts, funky room additions and and a Dear Dwell section with ten good points on how to do a green renovation from San Francisco architect David Baker.(tip: a good resourch is builditgreen.org) . DWM of the month is Elliot Noyes. Quibble of the Month: Review of expensive monster, albeit energy efficient, refrigerators. ::Dwell...
Transformers: Daybeds go Double
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.23.07
We always like furniture that takes up less space and serves multiple functions. This daybed folds out from a very comfortable twin to make a full double bed when you have, um, guests. I once worked on the design like this and we knicknamed it the "get lucky bed". There is nothing particularly green about this version's construction but the idea is so simple and the price reflects it at $ 749.
We are seeing more and more of this kind of design as people adapt to smaller spaces. We just wish more of it was made from sustainable materials. Other than Roomy, is anyone thinking green?
Picture of it in double mode below the fold. ::CB2 via ::Productdose...
'Take the Train', or 'Screw Them, Let's Fly'? - Guardian Vs Spurt
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.23.07
Discussion of aviation always seem to provoke a heated debate among Treehuggers (our post on George Monbiot’s views received 80 comments!). It appears the issue is not going to go away, at least if the climate in the UK is anything to go by. Spurt (who we previously covered here) have been at it again, taking out full-page ads in national newspapers, and a billboard on the main railway approach to Heathrow Airport, declaring their motto “Screw Global Warming. Let’s Fly.” They have also been questioning government and industry figures on the true climate impact of aviation, claiming it may be as high as 18.5% of the UK’s emissions footprint. Meanwhile, for those wishing to avoid flying, there are alternatives.
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1500 Posts: What I have Learned
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.23.07
It seems not that long ago that Warren and I both hit 500 posts on TreeHugger and I learned how in comparison to him, I was just a poseur. Now I have completed 1500 posts and I have learned so much more, primarily from you, dear reader. After writing about Big Ass Fans I learned that I am a prude. On Valentines Day I learned that "The source of global warming might be all the hot air coming from Lloyd Alter" and to my wife's chagrin, "Lloyd, you need to get laid". Just two days ago I learned that I was an "excitable, aging, metrosexual "architect"." My opinions on excessive exterior lighting have me pegged as either an eco-fascist or eco-commie, I am not certain which. I am also patronizing and colonial. We won't even start with the Maui Instant Cottage.
This gig is sometimes tough, and I have taken my share of abuse. Yet in a lot of ways the comments keep us going, and I think the favourable ones outnumber the nasty ones. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken the time to read what I write, and look forward to writing 1500 more posts and learning yet more about myself. ...
Shut Down Day Tomorrow: Are You Ready For It?
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.23.07
World Shutdown Day is tomorrow—can you do it? Advertised as one of the “biggest global experiments ever to take place on the Internet”, the idea is to find out how many people can go without a computer for one whole day. What will happen if we all participate? If we really do keep off the computers for 24 hours tomorrow, all Emails will go unanswered, and blogs won’t be updated. During lunch breaks, people might talk to their co-workers or go for a walk outside, or buy a newspaper. At home, computer games will cease and instead we will have lunch together and talk about the world. And then read a book in the afternoon. But the real issue is how addicted are we all to our computers? On the Shutdown Day site at last glance, the running tally is 51,635 claiming that they CAN go without computers, whilst 8,075 have admitted they cannot. The site, in 13 different languages, charts people’s reactions from around the world on what they will do instead… National differences abound: in the UK: masturbation, playing the piano, Canada: smoke dope, hang out with my family, the U.S.: read one of those flappy things with the paper screens and from Sri Lanka: this is a disaster. Some of the YouTube responses are quite clever such as one depicting the smashing of computers. But never mind that, the question is: can treehuggers do it? :: Shut Down Day via :: PFSK...
Value Shift: Wolfgang Puck Joins Forces With Humane Society
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 03.22.07
Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck does more than just whip up delightful organic meals, his $300 million a year empire feeds over 10 million customers worldwide. After today, those customers will only be served sustainable catch seafood, organic produce, and meat from progressive animal welfare-compliant farms. A popular icon in the gourmet food industry, Wolfgang has been criticized by animal welfare groups in the past for his use of foie gras, which involves the force-feeding of geese and ducks. He also stated his restaurants will no longer use pork or calves that have been kept in crates, and refrain from using eggs from caged hens on his menus....
How To Green Your Electronics
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.22.07
What’s the Big Deal?
Yes, electronic devices are becoming a bigger and bigger part of our lives, especially as they get smaller and smaller. We use them as tools and toys to communicate, work, enjoy media, and be expressive. Being green with electronics doesn’t mean living in a teepee listening to truckers squalk on the old short-wave. Greening your electronics is a matter of knowing what tech to get, how to use it best, and what to do with it when its useful life is done. Many of these best practices aren’t things you’ll read in the instruction manual, either. In this guide we’ll tell you how to stop wasted energy, what gizmos are greener than others, and what to do about e-waste and electronics recycling. We’ll also show you some of the newest green gadgets coming over the horizon.Tap Project: New Yorkers Pay $1 For Tap Water To Fund UNICEF Projects
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 03.22.07
As Bonnie noted earlier today, the theme of World Water Day 2007 is Coping with Water Scarcity. New York City has a bountiful supply of clean running water from pristine upstate reservoirs -the largest unfiltered supply in the world. 1.3 billion gallons of water are used daily. As, we have noted before others are not as lucky. Over 21 percent of children living in developing countries do not have access to clean water. That’s more than one billion people, or one in five children. 80 percent of all illness and infant mortality is due to waterborne disease. Lack of clean water is the second largest killer of children under five.
With $1, UNICEF can provide 40 liters of safe drinking water, which is enough to give one child safe drinking water for 40 days, or forty children safe drinking water for one day. Despite occasional bad press, New Yorkers are actually quite a caring bunch, eager to help the less fortunate. Today diners at many New York restaurants can participate in the Tap Project by accepting a $1 per person charge for the tap water they drink with their meal which would normally be free. Donations go to UNICEF and will help save lives by providing safe drinking water to children around the world.
Find a map and full listing of participating restaurants here. Caring Non-New Yorkers can help by making a contribution to the Tap Project here. Cheers to clean water for all one day soon! :: Tap Project ...
LCA Training Courses Online this Spring via PRé Consultants and Earthshift
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 03.22.07
The folks at Pré Consultants in the Netherlands not only produce SimaPro Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) software, they also offer a network of software distributors worldwide that provide training courses in a variety of languages. Here is the link to their global training calendar for interested Treehuggers that want to learn more about LCA.
For our North American readers there are courses coming up in Houston, TX, Portsmouth, NH and Portland, OR. As well, you can do online courses regardless of your location. Do check out these courses, as I can say from experience that they are well planned, greatly informative and the people you meet are worth the price of admission. The US trainers come from Earthshift who form part of the Earthster program, which we’ll be reporting on in upcoming weeks. Check out the full list of training courses offered here.
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TH Blog Love – Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.22.07
About My Planet: Recycling Construction Waste by Duane Laird
"Dumpsters were an anathema to my father. He could not, for the life of him, understand why people were throwing away perfectly good items— items he gladly scrounged and brought home with all the excitement of a boy rescuing a puppy from the pound. “Look at this,” he’d say, a knowing smile on his face."
Freshtopia: Back in The Saddle by Oscar Grimm
We're very glad to report that Oscar is on the road to recovery and that the brain surgery hasn't affected his sense of humour: "So here I am, two weeks later, home and feeling actually quite splendid. I returned to Oakland this week minus one rather sizeable head gremlin, and plus a rather dashing row of fourteen stainless-steel skull staples. I’m recovering beautifully from the surgery, and look forward to beginning the next stage of this fight."...
Ask TreeHugger: Getting Rid of Cigarette Smoke
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 03.22.07
Question: I live in a small apartment building. When I come home after work, I smell cigarette smoke in my apartment, which I think comes from my downstairs neighbor. How can I get rid of the smell?
Response: Cigarette smoke can come into your apartment from other apartments in many ways. The amount coming in usually depends on the ventilation in your apartment and the building, the weather, and cracks in walls and floors. Once in your apartment, the smell of tobacco smoke can linger, as it can can be absorbed into clothing and furniture.
Other than getting your neighbor to stop smoking inside the building either through persuasion or legal remedies, it will be difficult to prevent the smoke odor from entering your apartment. If you have a forced air ventilation system in your apartment, the odor may be entering your apartment through the vents. If so, the maintenance person for your building may be able to reconfigure your air handling system, which may help reduce or eliminate the odor....
Update on No Impact Man: The Year Without Toilet Paper
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.22.07
When Jeff last reported on No Impact Man he had a blog, a book deal, a movie. Now he has the front page of the Home section of the New York Times. He is not only a model for us all about lifestyle, but also for marketing and self promotion. (and I mean that very positively!)
The article starts off with dinner: "There was shredded cabbage with fruit-scrap vinegar; mashed parsnips and yellow carrots with local butter and fresh thyme; a terrific frittata; then homemade yogurt with honey and thyme tea, eaten under the greenish flickering light cast by two beeswax candles and a fluorescent bulb."
It then follows through with the rest of their lifestyle changes to achieve no impact:
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70% Of Navarra's Power Comes From Wind, Solar
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.22.07
The region of Navarra, in Northeastern Spain, better known in the U.S. for the “running of the bulls” in Pamplona. But in this region, approximately 70% of the electricity comes from the wind and the sun. With no coal, oil or gas of its own, this mountainous region deliberately went for renewable energy in the late 1980s. The first wind farm was built in full view of the regional capital Pamplona, so that people could get used to it. Now, with some 1,100 windmills dotted all over Navarra, this tiny region is capable of generating more electricity from renewable sources than big EU countries like France or Poland. Navarra plans to reach 100% renewable energy generation by 2010. ...
The Gap Goes Organic-Cotton Pickin'
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.22.07
Strolling past a Gap store display one fine wintery day, I turned to my husband, and with teeth a-chatter, said, "GaaahgurrrbufRbrrr," which translated into: "My word, with all this khaki going on this season with the Gap, what a splendid opportunity it would be for them to experiment with undyed organic cotton."
Apparently, some bigwig sitting in his warm, cozy office thought so, too. The 500-plus Gap stores in North America have started carrying organic-cotton T-shirts for men—unbleached, and without adding any chemical dyes....
SUVs as Cliché
by Ron Dembo, Zerofootprint on 03.22.07
In my last entry I took a page from the Weather Makers, and cited Tim Flannery’s observation 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.
My example of a cliché was the Kyoto protocol, which people talk about without really paying attention to. Kyoto is largely just a symbol of our feelings about global warming, rather than an indication that we’re doing anything about them....
HealthyCar.org: The Consumer Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Cars
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.22.07
TreeHugger knows that air quality is worse inside cars than outside of them. That "new car smell" is the result of the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, and seats (among other parts) off-gassing nasty things like chlorine, bromine, lead, mercury and other chemicals and toxins that are not good for breathing and not good for human health. A new organization, HealthyCar.org (a project of the Ecology Center), has launched as a consumer guide to healthier car interiors. They tested over 200 of the most popular 2006-2007 model year cars, and, using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence device, determined which are the most and least toxic. The Chevy Cobalt, Chrysler PT Cruiser and Honda Odyssey were among the best (least toxic) picks, while the Nissan Versa, Chevy Aveo and the Scion xB 5dr were among the worst. Download the full report here, or search by model to see where your ride places. If toxic chemicals in your cars' interior is a concern, the HealthyCar folks have some tips: since UV rays and heat accelerate the breakdown of toxic chemicals, they recommend using solar reflectors and parking in the shade, when possible; ventilating your car by opening the doors & windows before entering will also help. The best tip, though, is to just spend less time in your car, walking, biking, scooting or otherwise getting where you need to go without sitting down in a toxic off-gas incubator first. Stay tuned for info on car safety seats, coming April 24, and read more at ::HealthyCar.org via ::Gristmill...
A Laptop Spills Its Guts
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.22.07
Pretty interesting article from PC World about what goes into making a laptop. One thing that is striking is the number of substances (at least 20), and number of countries (over 10) involved in the process. Laptops are truly a global product.
Obviously, the impact on the environment for this is a little hard to calculate, with all these parts being shipped all over the world; why don't we leave it as 'a lot'. It does bring into question whether buying locally manufactured electronics would be the proper thing to do. This debate is already raging in auto world, where claims have been made that a locally made Hummer is more eco than a foreign made Prius. Should we buy locally made electronic devices? Does such a option even exist, or could it be created?...
San Francisco Giants to Install Solar Panels
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 03.22.07
As in other entertainment industries, the world of sports is recognizing the value of greening itself. On Wednesday, major league baseball signed a new player to the green team: the San Francisco Giants announced that, in partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric, they would be installing 590 solar panels on the port walk outside of the team's home field, AT&T Park. This would make the facility the first in baseball to incorporate solar technology. According to the team's web site:...
Rome's New Ecotaxi Fleet
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 03.22.07
I just spotted this sweet fleet of pedal-powered Ecotaxis on my way through the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome. Motorized transport is something Rome could definitely use less of, and it looks like the Ecotaxi enterprise is boldly exploring alternatives to the motorino as a medieval street-smart mode of transport. So popular in other tourist destinations, these kinds of bike taxis provide handy transportation for worn-out tourists tempted to hire a regular pollution-spewing taxi car. In addition to their eco-charm, these spiffy biciclette will be operated by participants in a work rehabilitation program....
WWF Launches Campaign against Bycatch
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.22.07
We have discussed the issue of by-catch before- the problem of how many fish, turtles, mammals and birds get killed when the net is thrown out to get our choice for dinner. In an earlier post on shrimp we learned that it can be as much as a ten-to-one ratio. In Canada, the World Wildlife Fund has started a campaign to stop the loss of thirty million tonnes of bycatch per year. They say : Stop fishing? Absolutely not. We just need to fish in the right place, with the right gear, at the right time.
The advertising campaign is very clever; the radio ad is effective and the TV ad is powerful stuff. Cute kids in ads are a cheap trick but this girl pulled it off. Go to ::WWF Canada to watch and listen.
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Get Hopping, It's The Easter Bilby
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.22.07
The Easter shopping frenzy seemed to start the very day after the Christmas sales concluded. Supermarket aisles were suddenly packed to the ceiling in oddly shaped compound chocolate, all wearing garish coats of aluminium foil. Eeek. But, say you can’t instead cycle down to your local food co-op and get some fair traded, organic dark choccy to celebrate the death of a wise man some 2,000 years ago? It’s a conundrum that fortunately Australians can avoid. Elsewhere they have a bunny, but we’ve got the Chocolate Easter Bilby. Like a bunny, the bilby has long ears, a cute nose and lives in a burrow. Unlike rabbits the poor little guy is officially listed as endangered. Actually a bandicoot, the Bilby has pouch, a bit like a kangaroo or wallaby, for toting the little 'uns around in.
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World Water Day
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.22.07
The theme of this year's World Water Day is Coping with Water Scarcity. This is a very fitting subject, given the United Nation's prediction that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in regions or countries with “absolute water scarcity.” Drinking water, agriculture, sanitation and sustainable industry – none are possible without access to water and all are required to lift regions out of poverty. In the UN’s definition, water scarcity does not mean only drought. There are regions with chronic shortages and vast drylands, such as North East and North Africa, Pakistan. There is also a shortage of fresh water—as populations grow, so does the need for more water. Irrigation drains away much of the fresh water available but it is needed for 40% of the crops for mankind. Some of the statistics about water shortage are shocking. More than one billion of the world’s population don’t have access to the minimum requirements of 20-50 litres of fresh water daily. Two in 5 lack proper sanitation facilities and 3800 children a day die from diseases related to lack of clean water and sanitation. Having identified the key reasons for water scarcity, it is chilling to read the World Wildlife Fund’s report “World’s Top 10 Rivers at Risk” because it identifies ten rivers under serious threat for exactly the same reasons as the UN has defined.
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Two Views on the Effects of Global Warming
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.22.07
One assumes that a cover story from the Atlantic will be an intelligent, well-reasoned argument; not this month. Gregg Easterbrook, fresh from his cheap drive-by shooting of Al Gore in the New York Times, writes Global Warming: Who Loses-and Who Wins? One first has to discard any moral compass to think that someone actually wins when others are dying before looking at the tissue of conjecture and fantasy that this article is. He distorts everything, even the map, saying "to consider the big picture, examine a Mercator projection of our planet and observe how the Earth's landmasses spread from the equator to the Poles" when a Mercator projection distorts so much that Greenland looks as big as Africa. It is a silly little thing to gripe about, but he didn't pick that map because he liked the name, he did it because it distorts.
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Locally Produced Geese On The Soup Kitchen Menu
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.22.07
Going just by the name Canada Goose, you'd think the US has Canada to thank for goose crap all over its parks, golf courses, beaches, and even private yards on year round basis. In actuality, Branta canadensis has only recently elected to skip flying back to Canada in spring and gave up flying south to winter because of man-made environmental change. Storm water basins in every single US suburb provide perfect habitat, few people hunt any longer, natural predators like fox have been run over by the SUV parade, PETA won't let local government hire trappers, climate change keeps many local water sources open for most of the year, and millions of square miles of perfectly manicured lawns provide grass for grazing. Via the National Post of Canada (how fitting) we learned that:- "A Michigan citizens group fed up with Canada geese soiling the state's parks, beaches and golf courses is proposing the explosive fowl population be culled --and fed to the homeless. A volunteer waterfront committee in St. Clair Shores, a bedroom community of Detroit, suggests a mass euthanization will reduce thousands of "nuisance geese" infesting 10 kilometres of the town's shoreline...Donating bird carcasses to Detroit soup kitchens struck the group as a good idea after another Michigan suburb curbed a deer population by supplying local shelters with venison about three years ago,..."...
1000 Statues from Trash in Rome
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.22.07
German artist HA Schult makes people out of household waste and glue. By the thousands, he is a one-man recycling center. "Anything can be made into art. Mankind's confines have narrowed, the freedom of art is unlimited.We live in the trash time: we produce trash and we become trash. Therefore HA Schult's 'Trash People' are images of ourselves."
Since 1996 he has installed them everywhere from the Pyramids at Giza to the top of the Great Wall of China. Until March 29th you can see them in the Piazza Del Popolo in Rome. ::HA Schult via ::Splurch...
Survey: Would You Pay More for a Green Harry Potter?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.22.07
When we griped about Harry Potter coming out in a 30% recycled edition in the States, Commenter Anthony said "the UK and Canada are countries with a very different populace that is possibly much more environmentally aware than the Potter-purchasing masses here in the US" and "instead of criticizing the efforts of US industries to green their products we simply laud those efforts without qualification." We think that people will pay a few cents more to get a completely recycled version.
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Downloading Designs: Foldschool Furniture
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.22.07
Downloadable designs are so efficient; no shipping or handling, just bits and bytes. We have shown flatpack furniture , flatpack toys from Readymech and Pinhole cameras as demonstrations of the possibilities of dematerialized designs; now we have Swiss-based architect Nicola Enrico Stäubli's Foldschool.
It is the first of a line of downloadable designs where you supply the labour and the material, while Nicola provides a PDF layout and instructions. You can paypal him a donation if you like. He says "Mass culture is run by superficiality and ecological absurdity. Foldschool supports craftsmanship as a face-to-face approach to design and brings together product and user the closest possible. The mindset of foldschool is to restore design to one of its original missions: to provide a product at an affordable price through a smart manufacturing process."
Today it is cardboard and a mat knife; tomorrow a desktop CNC router and we all have in-house factories. ::Foldschool via ::Core77...
"A Green Wedding" Event in Hollywood, California
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.21.07
We’ve been reading so much about “green” weddings lately. Many resources are now devoted to assisting couples in their eco-friendly decisions and so it came as no surprise when we read about “A Green Wedding” taking place in Hollywood this coming Sunday, March 25th. “Eco-friendly elegance will reign supreme” at this event, organized by A Soolip Wedding, where socially conscious brides will find organic cuisine, tree-free/reclaimed material paper, tips for décor and party favors that have life beyond the event. It will take place at Social Hollywood (6525 Sunset Blvd.) from 11a.m. to 3p.m. and tickets are $65. For more tips, visit Design*Sponge’s Guest Blog today for a special post from yours truly! Via ::StylePhile ::A Soolip Wedding Photo Courtesy of ::Dandelion Ranch...
Most Huggable: Mr. Gore Goes to Washington, Windfarms and Farmers, “Screw Global Warming, Let’s Fly!”
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.21.07
The suspense builds as Mr. Gore prepares to testify before congress on behalf of the biosphere… Air travel in England is certainly the hot topic. Greenpeace camps out at the airport with train ticket alternatives, while others cry, “Screw Global Warming, Let’s Fly!” The Country is getting greener: Town & Country and Country Home magazines roll out the green themes… Can your webpage use less energy? The answer might be in the colors you choose… Are windfarms displacing indigenous farmers? From Mexico to India, cries of protest are getting louder… 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? ...
TreeHugger's Kyeann Sayer on Minnesota Public Radio
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.21.07
We are pleased to say that our very own eco-fashion guru, the lovely Kyeann Sayer, was invited to be a featured guest on Minnesota Public Radio yesterday. The Midmorning show presented a programme entitled The Growth of "Green Fashion" which looked at 'the environmental and social costs of disposable clothing, and how that's leading some consumers to purchase more ecologically friendly threads.' Kyeann's fellow fashion guests were Julian Allwood, a senior lecturer at the Institute for Manufacturing at Cambridge University in the UK and Jen Rapp, the Director of public relations for Patagonia. Amongst other things Kyeann talked about her recent experience at London Fashion Week and how she was particularly impressed with UK eco-fashion designer Sarah Ratty of Ciel. You can read more about the show, learn about the guests and listen to the programme here. ::Minnesota Public Radio...
No Comment: US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's Volcano Parable
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.21.07
Via Dow Jones Newswire (subscription only): - "A healthy environment and a healthy economy are not in conflict," [US Treasury Secretary] Paulson said during a question and answer session with reporters... "Economic growth is not sustainable if you don't have sound environmental practices." Earlier in the day, Paulson had an opportunity to demonstrate his own affinity for the natural world, as he trekked up Pacaya Volcano, just outside of Guatemala City...Paulson also said the "strongest" companies in the world are those with the "best environmental policies."" Image credit: Smithsonian Institution
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Convenient Truths: Winners All Around!
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 03.21.07
Last Friday, we announced the first winner in Treehugger and Seventh Generation's Convenient Truths contest: Robin Hays' video "One Person" won the EPIC International Prize! For her video, Robin (pictured above) received $5000 CAD for a sustainable shopping spree, a Jorg & Olif Citybike, and a pair of biodegradable Earthangels Shoes from John Fluevog. Robin received her prize at the EPIC Sustainable Living Expo in Vancouver last weekend; her video was also screened for Expo attendees. Robin's only the first winner in the contest, though -- more are on the way! The top twenty contest videos, chosen by visitors to Treehugger, are now with our celebrity panel of judges. They'll choose the top ten videos, and then our guest judge Ed Begley, Jr. will select the Grand Prize winner, as well as second and third places, from those ten. As with the EPIC International Prize, those winners will receive much more than a pat on the back -- the contest will award nearly $30,000 in prizes to the selected video makers! Keep an eye on the contest site: more winners will be announced in early April....
XR3 Hybrid: Hitting the Road in May?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.21.07
We first came across custom vehicle designer Robert Q. Riley's work last year, when his XR3 three-wheeled diesel/electric hybrid was still in the planning stages and we weren't sure if they'd ever get off the drawing board. According to Riley's site, the vehicle is indeed transitioning from theoretical design to real world vehicle, scheduled for release in May of this year. Like other similar three-wheelers, the vehicle will be classified as a motorcycle for things like crash-test regulations in the US, and the plans will be available for sale for enterprising DIYers who know a thing or two about fiber reinforced plastic. Current specs for the vehicle include a 40-mile range on electric power only, and between 125 (diesel engine only) and 225 (combined diesel/electric) miles per gallon. The green gearheads at AutoblogGreen plan to visit his shop soon and report on what they find; we hope they find out more about where this one falls on the pipe dream-viable alternative transportation option spectrum. Stay tuned for more and check out Riley's site for more. ::XR3 Hybrid via ::AutoblogGreen...
Snakes Pandas on a Plane
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.21.07
Yes, we know it's a stuffed toy, but admit it, for a second you weren't sure!
You can learn more about the Giant Panda Bear at Wikipedia. To help Panda conservation, see the Pandas International website.
Via Reddit. ...
"All Aboard" - Two New Invasive Species Per Year Entering US/Canadian Great Lakes
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.21.07
Somehow this posting was rejected by one of Lloyd's favorite sources, CuteOverload. Via Milwaukee Journal Sentinal: - "Frustrated by the mounting number of invasive species arriving in the bellies of overseas freighters, some conservationists are proposing a simple but radical solution: Ban the ships from the Great Lakes until they can figure out how to stop discharging contaminated ballast water. "This is being done out of frustration," said Jennifer Nalbone of the conservation group Great Lakes United. "This is a decision we've made because the federal government has failed to protect the Great Lakes."... New foreign species, meanwhile, continue to be discovered in the Great Lakes at a rate of about one every six months". Meanwhile, via The Detroit News, the global fleet also shows it's teeth: - "Shipping interests in the U.S. and Canada have banded together to try to strike down a Michigan law that attempts to stop the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels into the Great Lakes. Four shipping companies, four shipping associations and one dock company filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Detroit asking a judge to declare the Michigan Ballast Water Act unconstitutional." See earlier post on the environmental footprint of the marine shipping industry here. Besides supporting Great Lakes United, what can be done? Buy local. Images: Sea Lamprey sucking blood plasma from Lake Michigan Lake Trout. Michigan Sea Grant Program; Sea Lamprey mouth showing rings of teeth. NOAA Glossary Footnote: This author has had a Sea Lamprey attach briefly to his forearm. (Some say they'll let go of warm blooded animals on their own; but the natural response, which I share, is to yank it off with a free hand and get drunk in a failed attempt to forget it). Leaves a lasting impression about the significance of invasive species....
TreeHugger Picks: Spring Gardening Ideas
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.21.07
Spring officially, uh, springs today, and, after averting a crisis with the new Daylight Savings Time switch, we have some extra daylight to begin fun springtime activities like gardening. While indoor aeroponic gardening never goes out of season, as long as you took our advice and cleaned out your garden last fall (or maybe even if you didn't), it's getting to be time for gardening enthusiasts to till the earth and get your fingernails dirty. Here are some picks for spring gardening ideas.
1) Fruit & Vegetable Garden is an excellence source of information to consult before getting started.
2) Learn more about locally evolved, grown & distributed (LEG'D) plants; they'll tolerate your soil types and weather, won't bring in any new and nasty exotic insects and diseases and have a smaller carbon footprint.
3) A business card garden is a cool example of growing green while scaling down to something smaller if you don't have room for a garden.
4) For a slightly larger container, these recycled planters are a good-looking, sturdy, and environmentally-friendly alternative.
5) Add some green style to your garden with furniture and solar birdbaths and fountains.
6) Check out last year's tips for cultivating your green thumb with green practices. Happy gardening!...
Audi on the Right Track
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 03.21.07
Motor racing isn't the greenest of pursuits, I'll admit. It does seem though, that some positive fuel economy advancements are coming from it. Audi are leading the way with their diesel R10 TDI, which recently won the 12 Hours of Sebring. The car has been so successful in recent races that a handicap was placed on the team, reducing the size of the fuel tank by 10% and forcing more pit stops. Audi won the event despite this, and a puncture that cost two laps.
It would be a stretch to call the R10 economical, but any improvement is positive. It's unrealistic to expect everyone to give up high performance cars, so the fact that people are working on fuel efficiency even in this niche market is great news. If Audi were to combine this technology with more sustainable bio-diesel it would be even better, as the Lola B2K did at Le Mans last year, but at least they're on the right track....
Wind Power Is Spain's Top Energy Source This Week
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.21.07
Taking advantage of a particularly gusty period, Spain's wind energy generators this week reached an all-time high in electricity production, exceeding power generated by any other source, the nation's electricity network authority said in a statement. Wind power generation rose to contribute 27 per cent of the country's total power requirement, Red Electrica said. Wind power contributed 8,375 mega watts to the nation's power consumption of 31,033. Nuclear power, the second largest contributor, added 6,797 mega watts, while coal-fired electric generation came third with 5,081, the statement said. National broadcaster TVE said it believed this may have been the first time wind power exceeded nuclear power's contribution to the power grid. :: Via: The Age
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Subverting the Street Sign
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 03.21.07
Light and language, wit and subtlety are at play with the found reconstructed metal signage, in the work of Peter Quinn in the Northern Territory of Australia. He uses found objects in his constructions not merely as a statement of environmental consciousness but as a metaphor for life's events, disasters, love and memory.
His previous work, constructions of welded found metal objects, commented on environmental energies wreaking havoc and leaving debris in their wake. More recent work is part of a memento mori, using found materials to signify nostalgia. In this current work the pitted, scratched, abraded, and pocked surfaces tell of lived history. [extract from exhibition catalogue essay]
Image: Peter Quinn, 19. Speed Chair No Roundabouts, 603 Road signs, aluminium More images after the jump...
Solar-Powered Air Conditioner About To Be Released
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.21.07
After 4 years of development, California based company SoCool will launch the Millennia version 4 hybrid solar air conditioner. The air conditioner runs on solar panels, or a wall socket, or batteries. It's designed to cool a large room while substantially lowering electricity costs according to the company. The unit operates at a maximum of 500 watts, which is much than half what typical air conditioning units use. If using batteries, the unit can last up to 24 hours depending on battery size. Priced between $2,600 and $3,000 before installation (approximately $500), the SoCool Millennia includes two-gallon water tank to store cooled water. See also: SolCool: A Solar Air Conditioner :: Via News.Com...
IT Freebies Could Be Toxic Junk
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.21.07
O'Reilly (the name comes from Tim O'Reilly, not Bill) has come down hard on the doling out of the schwag at tech conferences. Dale Dougerty, the author, freely admits that he only kept the bag, and who can blame him; the stuff within is mostly junk. Coincidentally, Green Business News is having their own problems, being inundated with ridiculous items such as giant paperclips and giant calculators, the latter which are particularly difficult to throw away because it's subject to WEEE. They can't just be whipped in the trash, because they are toxic....
Bringin’ Sexy Back on Campus
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.21.07
That’s the message that students at the University of Washington are looking to put out there as they seek to make saving the environment a hot topic by handing out stickers with the slogan “Sustainability is Sexy”. As Kendra Howe of Grist points out, “Sex sells no matter what you’re selling.” So by adding spice to the effort of asking their peers to bring a coffee mug to campus instead of using the paper ones like the UW currently scoffs up at the rate of about 5,000 per day they’re hoping to encourage their peers to come to the realization that it’s cool to think sustainably and live the green life. As Nicholas Fusso, a University of Washington senior and member of the Young Democrats, a group sponsoring the campaign points out, "You don't have to be a pony-tailed hippy to be that type of person. It can be everyone, and it should be everyone."
The campus is also offering incentives to help encourage the reduction in waste. If you’re now a coffee drinker who brings their own cup to campus coffee stands you’ll pay just $1 for drip coffee or receive a 10-cent discount on espresso. Who knows, with more coffee shops than anyone around maybe Starbucks will realize the difference they can make, then pick up the trend and offer some kind of discount too…
Via: Seattle Post-Intelligencer; GreenOptions...
Solar Powered Wii: Go Outside and Play
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.07
Gaming consoles use a lot of power; another reason to tell the kids to go play outside. Here is a way to kill a couple of birds with one stone: Send them outside with a solar powered Wii.
The kids at Tom's Hardware Guide built this prototype; Rob Wright says "It's a simple invention on many levels. For one, it didn't cost much at all to find a battery, power converter and appropriately-sized solar power panel. And the station itself is just wood with a couple of wheels and a coat of blue paint slapped on. For this purposes of this experiment, we decided to keep the costs low and create a repeatable formula in case anyone else wanted to try something similar."
It only has a 20 watt panel while the Wii and Monitor together draw 180 watts, so it needs a lot of time in the sun before the action begins. They also run the power through an inverter to get it to 120 AC which then goes through power bricks to go back to low voltage DC, which wastes a lot of juice; it is not hard to find 12 volt displays and sound systems. Fully charged, the battery will run the works for eight hours; with a bigger solar panel, perhaps a pop-up wind turbine, and a microwave oven for popcorn, they could go all night. ::TwitchGuru and ::Toms Hardware via ::Trendhunter...
CA Boom Prefab: Marmol Radziner
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.07
As the CA Boom extravaganza approaches, we thought we would look at who is in the Prefab Zone. First up is our beloved Marmol Radziner Prefab. They burst onto the scene at Dwell Magazine's Prefab Now fifteen months ago with their stunning desert house, still perhaps the most beautiful prefab on this continent. Now we can see the Utah house shown above, renderings for 13 custom prefabs in the works, a subdivision in Joshua Tree and who knows how many standard models. What a track record in such a short time.
Marmol Radziner is unusual among architects in that it had a factory to do millwork and detailing, so it was a natural step to expand to do complete buildings. Green aspects of their buildings: use of responsible woods, SIPs, solar panels, natural cooling and recycled steel construction, and of course, efficient factory built construction. ::CA Boom Prefab Zone...
Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute: A Learning Model for Green Living
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.21.07
A little while back we reported on Greenbridge, a new high-density LEED Gold certified development that will be going up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in the near future. While Greenbridge is certainly at the more luxurious end of the green living spectrum, it turns out that Tim Toben, one of the main players behind the scheme, also has an interest in the more experimental, grass-roots end of sustainability. Having bought 500 acres of land near Chapel Hill a number of years ago, and built a home for his family there, Toben turned over about a third of it to a conservation easement. The rest of the land has been dedicated for green building, and for Pickards Mountain Eco-institute, a hands-on community of residents, volunteers, interns and paid workers experimenting in green building, alternative energy, and permaculture gardening. The project shares its knowledge with educational facilities, and with government and community leaders, with the hope of serving as a learning model for the surrounding area. The website also features a number of slide-shows, giving a step-by-step view of some of the building projects that have so far been undertaken....
House & Garden April 2007
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.21.07
This month, House & Garden is celebrating Spring with a fresh new design and re-launch of houseandgarden.com. All of the great content from the old is still there (like TreeHugger's blog on green design, plus some fun new features, including a whole section on living green. The print mag starts off with a bang, with an impassioned plea from Editor Dominique Browning to wake up, change our ways and do something about climate change, which is great to see in a magazine generally dedicated to "design for the well-lived life". Should we tire from all the climate campaigning during April (it is Earth Month, after all), there's a nice feature about the importance of choosing a planet-friendly mattress (page 58). It includes tips for avoiding toxic flame retardants (like PBDEs), a handmade mattress that you can sleep on for the rest of your life (no pun intended) and ideas for staying away from common mattress allergens. The best thing they found about a green mattress, though, is an idea that TreeHugger likes a lot: longevity; most are guaranteed for at least 20 years, so you won't have to go shopping again anytime soon. The new site also offers some good online support for the piece, with a selection of TreeHugger-friendly sheets, pajamas and calming teas, all to help you get your beauty rest. We spend nearly 1/3 of our lives in bed; might as well make it as green as possible. Lots more in this months mag; take a tour of the new site for more. ::House & Garden magazine...
Mobile Design: The Cube Chair
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.07
We love mobile design, furniture that moves and adapts. This chair uses rock band roadie industrial case hardware to pack into a solid, easy to move cube, which is actually a fabulous idea, if a bit pricey in this iteration. Wood, aluminium, leather, Perfect for students and people on the move, and only 3,900 Swiss Francs, or US $ 5,192 at ::Heinz Julien.
For those who are handy and want to try to build this themselves, you can get all the parts you need at ::TCH Sales, purveyors of fine case hardware for rock bands everywhere, and ancestor of ::Umbra ...
Thomas Homer-Dixon Chooses His Carbon Offsets
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.07
When Thomas Homer-Dixon hit the road for his book tour of The Upside of Down, he wanted buy carbon offsets for the trip and studied his options carefully. According to Richard Blackwell in the Globe and Mail:
He selected Toronto green energy retailer Bullfrog Power Inc. to inject electricity from renewable sources into the energy grid to balance the power used in the tour. And he got offset firm Zerofootprint Inc. of Toronto to counteract greenhouse gas emissions from air and ground travel by putting money into the Kettles Hill wind farm in Alberta.
Prof. Homer-Dixon says it's important that people begin to think about offsetting their carbon emissions, even if the process is still far from perfect.
"For me, as much as anything else, this is symbolic," he said. "I desperately want to be able to do more, and I want to make sure it works and it's right, but I figured I had to do my best to do something." ...
Harry Potter and the Almost Recycled Doorstop
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.07
When Harry Potter last hit the shelves Canadians got it printed on 100% recycled paper but according to Mike's post, "The American version, printed by Scholastic, it said to contain "some recycled paper", but the company won't say how much and it certainly is not 100%."
This time round, Scholastic has committed to "making sure 65 percent of the 16,700 tons of paper used is FSC-certified, which means the paper comes from forestlands that are managed in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Totaling nearly 22 million pounds, this is the largest purchase of FSC-certified paper to be used in a single book printing to date. Moreover, all the paper used in the printing will contain at least 30 percent post-consumer waste fiber, with much of that verified by FSC standards as well."
The Rainforest Alliance loves it: "This is a major milestone for environmental and social responsibility in the publishing industry"
Is it? We wonder why Scholastic cannot meet the standard set in Canada and the UK and go 100% recycled. And don't forget that the greenest book is the library book!
UPDATE: We learn from CNN that A "deluxe" edition of the new book, which has a first printing of 100,000, will be printed on paper that contains "100 percent post-consumer waste fiber." And that while I might be churlish, others are not: "It's great news that Ms. Rowling's American readers can enjoy the final installment of Harry Potter while playing a part in responsible forest management," said Greenpeace forest campaign coordinator Scott Paul. ::CNN
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Cornish Flower Train
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.21.07
For more than a hundred years, every spring, the "flower train" from Penzance, Cornwall, sped through the night to Paddington train station, delivering violets, anemones and bluebells to London. The delivery of these flowers was the first sign of spring as the little posies of Cornwall violets appeared in the flower sellers' stands on every street corner. Fifteen years ago the trains were privatised and come no more. And the globalisation of the flower trade has meant that there is no longer any season for flowers. As for the Cornish flower trade, their businesses were under-cut by the cheap flowers from the tropics as well as the fact that their flowers are so very seasonal. Hence the wonderful display kicking off an effort to market the farmers and their flowers. Present at the train station were two farmers from Cornwall whose family farms have been in the flower business for 150 years. They grow more local varieties than anyone else. Global warming has changed their growing season. Since there is not so much frost and cold any longer, they can grow more kinds of flowers outside and more easily. For example, their blue iris bulbs keep coming up every year now, whereas formerly they had to plant new ones annually. The kind of flowers that they grow has also changed; but more because florists want big, bold flowers, not sweet, delicate violets. :: Arts Council England
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Business Plea For A National Climate Program
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.21.07
Via: Financial Times:- A lobby group called Investors and Business for US Climate Action, made up of US financial investors and some of the US' largest companies "urged Capitol Hill to follow Europe by setting mandatory targets to reduce US carbon emissions". The group, organized by Ceres and its Investor Network of Climate Risk, representing dozens of institutional investors managing $4.4 trillion in assets, said "Washington should end investor uncertainty by establishing "size-able, sensible long-term cuts" to US carbon emissions". The CERES letter states: "As fiduciaries and leaders in the business and investment communities, we come together now to declare that we stand ready to partner with the U.S. government and others to establish a national policy to address this problem. Specifically, we need:"...
Outside Magazine: The Green Issue
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.07
We have been reading Outside Magazine forever and often find green tidbits, but the April issue is all green from front to back, almost all hits. Perhaps there might have been a better choice for the cover out of two dozen green giants featured inside, but that is a quibble when you can also read a long feature on Chip and Dave of Grist (wasn't there a Disney cartoon about them?) and other articles on subjects like water-"A global water crisis is devastating people, creatures, rivers, lakes, oceans—in short, nearly everything that keeps us happy and alive. But don't let that sink your spirits. Activists are on the case, and each of us can play a part in restoring our liquid assets." China- "Is red the new green? Not just yet. With its massive economy and populace, China is the country environmentalists will watch in the 21st century." Zero Carbon Bicycle teams, and much more.
Worth buying in paper- a full dollar goes to the Conservation Alliance from each copy sold. Not much on line yet at ::Outside but you can read about Chip and Dave at ::Grist...
Al Gore's Goal To Drum Up 500,000 For Immediate Action On Climate
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 03.20.07
Tomorrow, Al Gore will testify to congress, and would like to go in with 500,000 messages demanding immediate action to solve the climate crisis. As of yesterday he had over 400,000. If you agree that immediate action is needed, then follow this link to be part of the solution.
From Al's Letter:
"By the way, maybe this goes without saying, but please reach out to Republican and Independent, as well as Democratic friends. One of our goals must be to make this issue one that transcends partisanship. While many of the solutions to the climate crisis will be found within the political system, there should be bipartisan and transpartisan agreement on the basic nature of the crisis and the sense of urgency that is appropriate for us to solve it."::Algore.com...
Casting Call: Interior Designers and Carpenters
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 03.20.07
[This is a guest post by Mary Beth Anderson of Banyan Productions. Those interested should hurry up because this is GE's $100 Million LED Gamble
by EcoGeek.org on 03.20.07
For those of us who don't know, LEDs (light emitting diodes) are a wonderful little way to convert electricity into photons. And while incandescents did it well for a hundred years, and compact fluorescents are doing it well now, LEDs might very well be taking over in the future.
LEDs are long-lasting, efficient, and can be built without toxic substances. Unfortunately, they're currently either expensive or dim. In a call earlier this week General Electric told TreeHugger that they are committed to being leaders in LED technology. While the price point is higher, GE is already selling LED lighting systems to commercial customers. One of the biggest buyers is Wal-Mart who decked out over 500 stores with commercial refrigerators that use LEDs instead of fluorescents....
ZAP Truck PK
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 03.20.07
ZAP, the electric car company that has its hand in everything from microcars to dirtbikes to high-performance vehicles, has added another notch to its manufacturing belt - the ZAP Truck PK. With the ability to be used as a pickup truck, dumptruck or a flatbed, the PK serves triple duty to help transport some of the larger and bulkier items that most cars can't. With a top-speed of 40mph, you won't find yourself on the freeway, but the PK should be useful for both city streets and rural areas. The other major limitation for the PK is its small range, only 25 miles per charge and about 40 miles per day, so this is certainly not for long-distance hauling. However, if you want the opportunity to transport larger items without having to succumb to a noisy, dirty gasoline pick-up, this ZAP is a relative bargain at just over $10,000.
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Sea of People's Call to Action
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.20.07
Mark April 14th on your calendar, clear your schedule for the day, and head down to Battery Park in New York City for what could very well be the largest environmental-activist event since Earth Day 1970. Thousands of participants, all dressed in blue, are expected to show up for Sea of People, a mass rally and "interactive artistic installation" that will stretch north from the Battery, in two columns, along the projected eastern and western 10-foot waterlines of a future lower Manhattan—one that might find much of itself underwater.
The organizers' goal is 5,000 people, plus another 200 volunteers to help coordinate the ebb and flow, so to speak.
Sea Of People is a part of Step It Up 2007, a nationwide campaign that wants to send a "clear and powerful" message to Congress to cut global-warming pollution by 80 percent by 2050.
Participating organizations include the Natural Resources Defense Council, Solar One, and the Battery Conservancy. [via Ben Jervey] ::Sea of People...
Biodiesel from Algae and the Biofuels Discussion in Argentina
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.20.07
An Argentine company called Oil Fox announced recently that they would produce biodiesel from algae oil for commercial use. According to the website SciDev.Net, the company has signed an agreement with the government of Chubut province (located in Patagonia, Argentina) to grow four species of algae in “secret” pools around the province (to avoid industrial espionage, they claim). The whole project would involve 19 million US dollars investments -from German capitals-, and is supposed to result in 240 thousand tons of biodiesel. This is the latest of a series of announcements related to biofuels that have been taking place in the country in the last year, and specially after the launch of a biodiesel law by Argentine government and the US president George Bush’s visit to the region (in which he signed an agreement to promote a market for ethanol with Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva). As a result of that, in the last weeks biofuels have been getting big headlines in the country’s biggest newspapers and projects have flourished everywhere. According to Clarin newspaper, “13 biodiesel projects have been announced, with investments over 300 millions US dollars in plants, that will start functioning by the end of the year in provinces like Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, Tucumán and Rio Negro”. Even though most countrymen support the initiatives (mostly for the economic revenues they mean to them), some scientists and groups have been making interesting points about how the theme is being (mis)treated in Argentina.
Picture: soy and corn plantations and algae in Chubut, Argentina....
William McDonough Takes on First Healthcare Facility
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 03.20.07
Hospitals should be healthy places, so its nice to know sustainable design firm William McDonough + Partners has a hand in the UCSF Medical Center University of California on the rise in San Francisco. Designed in partnership with Anshen + Allen, the hospital complex carries a $1.3 billion price tag and will include a 183-bed children's hospital, a 36-bed women's treatment center, and a 70-bed cancer facility. No details on the design yet. “Teaming with an award-winning firm that specializes in healthcare facilities like A+A makes it doubly exciting to explore the synergies between human health and cradle-to-cradle design in our first-ever assignment to design a healthcare facility,” William McDonough + Partners notes in recent press material. ::William McDonough + Partners ...
What Can You Take Out of Your Fridge?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.20.07
TreeHugger knows that appliances use accounts for something like 20 percent of your home energy use, and that the refrigerator is one of the biggest consumers (insert fridge-running joke here). While refrigeration is a useful innovation, too much can be detrimental to your energy bill, your home's carbon footprint and even some foods; the taste and quality of things like avocados, bananas and tomatoes all suffer from chilly fridge temperatures. Salon has an interesting article about the items that are unnecessarily kept in many of our fridges, asking the question, "Is it ignorance, obliviousness, marketing or simply our overly electrified, easily panicked American DNA that makes us squander electricity keeping ingredients cold that could survive just fine at room temperature?" Things like mustard, soy sauce and vinegar (the original preservative) are found in many a chill chest, causing who-knows-how-much energy to be wasted from repeated opening and shutting to retrieve the needlessly chilled items. Sure, a full fridge operates more efficiently than an empty one, but an overstuffed one cuts back on necessary air circulation, and the bottom line is that we've all got stuff in our fridges that doesn't need to be there. So the next time you open the door, take a peek and think about what doesn't have to be there; just don't leave the door open too long. This TreeHugger was surprised to see all the things that could live just as comfortably in the pantry. What can you take out of your fridge? More at ::Salon...
Virtualization - The Foedus Interview
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.20.07
You probably know that most companies use computers to provide a variety of business-centric services that are critical to their success. These machines are known as 'servers'. Each server usually performs a single, specific duty; there's the email server, the accounting server, the print server, etc. Oftentimes each server runs on its own separate hardware, and is controlled and managed as a single unit. IT personnel really like this, as it makes each application far easier to troubleshoot and maintain than if everything was lumped together on one box.
A lot of that is beginning to change with a new technology that allows for several of these machines to be consolidated and run off a single computer. This process, known as virtualization, is still in its infancy, but will have tremendous ramifications for the environment. Foedus, a three year old Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based company, specializes in this process. Mike Reilly, CEO of Foedus, was happy to fill in the details for this exclusive interview....
New Solar-Powered Phone Unveiled
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.20.07
At CeBIT 2007, Chinese electronics maker, HTW, introduced a cell phone that can be charged by the sun. It gets 25 minutes of talk time from just 40 minutes of charging in sunlight, it can be charged with indoor light when no direct sunshine is available and even candlelight. Called the 'Light-Energy Mobile Phone', it is a relatively slender clamshell with an 84 x 47.6 x 0.8mm solar panel built into the flip side. As for the practicalities of putting such a handset on the market, Hi-Tech says the panel is encased in toughened glass and would stand up to all the rigors of a regular mobile. :: Via: Trusted Reviews...
Wind Tunnel Footbridge
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.20.07
From the man who brought you the Wind Shaped Pavilion and the Transformation House, comes the Wind Tunnel Footbridge. It's a design proposal by Michael Jantzen for a new kind of wind activated footbridge made of steel and aluminum. As the wind blows, the five wind turbine wheels turn at different speeds around the people who are walking through to reach the other side. Three of the five wheels turn in one direction while the other two turn in the opposite direction. As the wind driven wheels turn in different directions and at different speeds, they can produce different electronic corresponding sounds. The Wind tunnel Footbridge was designed to be constructed in various types of public venues as an architectural attraction. The wheels also produce and store electrical energy much like a windmill. :: Wind Tunnel Footbridge...
Turning Radioactive Waste Into Clean Fuel
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 03.20.07
Last week at a press conference, we sat apprehensively beside a piece of shiny, lava-like stone wondering if it really was as inert as the company investors and president claimed. There we met with Israeli company Environmental Energy Resources (EER) which unveiled for the first time results of its industrial waste reactor in Israel’s north – where the company has been demonstrating how it “plasma-sizes” huge quantities of undesirable waste into a pile of black rocks. Garbage in. Garbage out. Right? In EER’s case – garbage goes in and clean energy, water and glass goes out. Sound too good to be true? The Ukrainian Government doesn’t seem to think so. In 2004 it contracted EER to build a waste reactor, which is in operation similar to the one in Israel; the government most recently contracted the company to begin handling clean-up of low-radioactive waste resulting from the Chernobyl explosion.
Suited for low-radioactive, medical and industrial waste – EER provides the cheapest and most environmentally friendly solution for waste transformation, says the company. They also claim that their technology: plasma melting gasification (PGM) produces its own energy – 30% of which can be used for other purposes. "We are not burning. This is the key word," said Itschak Shrem from the investment house managing EER in an interview with Israel21c. "When you burn you produce dioxin. Instead, we vacuum out the oxygen to prevent combustion...In effect, we are combining two of the most exciting markets in the US - the environment and clean energy...We also reduce the carbon footprint." ::Israel21c...
Carpé Diem: Ethical UK Restaurant from Top to Bottom
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.20.07
From the food to the furniture to the source of electricity, just about everything in Carpé Diem restaurant in Bristol (UK) has been selected with the environment and the welfare of its inhabitants in mind. Working closely with their suppliers, the restaurant strives to source more than 50% of their menu from within 50 miles, going with organic produce (whenever possible) and free-range and ethically raised meat and dairy; their ethical stance also keeps veal and Foie Gras off the menu. For something hot to drink, they serve fair trade tea and coffee from rainforest-friendly sources, but the food is just the beginning, though. Their furniture is made from wood sourced from sustainable forests, and they plant four trees for every one used. They use water-saving toilets, fastidiously recycle as much glass, cardboard, paper, and waste oil as possible and plan to run the shop on solar energy. Restaurateur Roger Chandre believes, "If you are going to have an ethical business then you need to think about every detail – everything you buy, everything you use and everything you throw away. I want to show other companies that an ethical business can still be sustainable and profitable and that it doesn’t need to cost the earth to save the earth." Sounds like this restaurant has really seized the day, without endangering our ability to do the same tomorrow. ::Carpé Diem via ::New Consumer...
GE Explains (Almost) All about the Future of Incandescent
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.07
We have not been kind to GE since it announced its new improved incandescent bulb plans that will possibly yield a bulb with the efficiency of CFLs at some point in the future. We thought the timing of the announcement was designed to undercut the launch of 18seconds.org. and that it was an attempt to cut replacement programs like Mr. Luna's Bright Idea off at the knees. We thought that it would give an excuse to a lot of people to wait three years to change their bulbs when should be doing so now.
We were invited to talk to a few senior people at GE about this and listened to Earl Jones, a senior counsel for General Electric who deals with government relations. He said that GE is not trying to undercut demand for CFL's as they are one of the biggest manufacturers and sell millions of them. Their press release was a response to the California legislation proposed to ban the incandescent by 2012. According to Jones :"to promote innovation you need a standard that is technology neutral rather than a technology ban."...
Japan: Land of the Micro-Homes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.07
In Japan, there have always been very small homes; land is expensive and scarce. Land assemblies are difficult because of ownership patterns, and many plots have tiny footprints. People who want to live inside the Yamanote line (a Tokyo ring line that defines the central area) in a house have always had to think small. Now architects are designing houses on sites that are barely larger than western parking spots. "Recently, an increasing number of people, especially in their 30s and early 40s, desire to live in central Tokyo," says Shigeru Kimura, an independent real estate agent who specializes in micro-homes. "And more people are thinking of how to live on a small plot of land."
The house pictured is on a 344 square foot lot for Mayumi Takayanagi. "The thought of leaving her lively and thriving downtown neighborhood with her parents for cheaper and far more spacious housing in the soulless, strip-mall-festooned outlying suburbs of Tokyo just wasn't an option. So she turned to architect Satoshi Kurosaki, 36, to design a new home for no more than $170,000 on a plot that measured only 32 square meters (or 344 sq. ft.). "I'd worked on compact houses before, but this was the tiniest," says Kurosaki. Read ::Business Week and watch the whole ::slide show....
Treehugger Can Reveal Labour's Green Budget
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.20.07
The British have a quaint way of presenting their budgets to the nation. The Chancellor prepares it and then leaks it to the press a week or so before the budget day so that by the time it becomes reality, everyone already knows more or less what is in it. This budget, to be revealed on Wednesday, is a key one for Gordon Brown, Chancellor, because he is competing, well in advance of an election, with the leader of the Conservative party, David Cameron, to prove who is greener. According to confidential sources (i.e. every newspaper in town) Mr. Brown will encourage people to install solar panels, wind turbines and other carbon-free sources of energy by exempting any money made by selling the excess power back to the national grid from income tax . He will also increase road taxes on gas-guzzlers such as 4X4's to about £400 over the next two years. Owners of many other cars are expected to face a modest above-inflation rise but owners of the least polluting cars will enjoy tax reductions, it is believed. He will also announce that he is lobbying the European Union to cut the tax on energy efficient goods in the home. That would include double-glazing of windows, low energy light bulbs and insulation. As for airplane travel, the British public’s passion (aka binge flying)—he has already doubled the duty, but it remains to be seen whether he has the nerve to do more. Watch for Wednesday’s report to see whether the insiders got it right. :: Guardian...
Harper's Bazaar: Canadian Budget Tosses A Few Green Goodies
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.07
There was something for everyone in the pre-election budget released by Stephen Harper's so-called Conservative government. The biggest item of interest to TreeHuggers is the new Hummer Tax, stolen from the Green Party Handbook- gas guzzlers like the Grand Cherokee, Hummer or BMW M5 get hit with a $ 4,000 surcharge, while little sippers like a Yaris or Mini Cooper get a bonus of a grand and a Prius or Honda Hybrid get two grand from the feds and in combination with other grants, up to $ 4,000 off list. To keep from offending the rural voter, pickups are exempt, so we will see a lot more of those on the road.
Corn Cob Bob is happy; ethanol got a two billion dollar boost. Others less so: Aaron Freeman of Environmental Defence says "If you want to subsidize corn producers thats fine, but it is barely an environmental program." The oil companies are happy; a tax break they were afraid would be withdrawn does not go until 2010, and is being replaced with a new break for investment in carbon capture and storage projects.
All round, something for everyone unless you were hoping for a carbon tax or greater incentives to reach Kyoto targets. Off to buy my Smart Car! ($2,000 discount!) ...
New York Times, Are We On the Same Planet?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.07
In the UK the Government is giving big tax breaks for households to go green. Builders in Scotland are going zero carbon. Green projects are popping up everywhere. Yet when the New York Times brings out an entire magazine section on real estate, there is exactly one article taking up one page about composting toilets and waterless urinals.
It is an important point: "For homeowners interested in going green, the lowly water closet turns out to be a big player. Americans flush away 4.8 billion gallons of water every day — nearly 40 percent of our total indoor water consumption. Cleaning the sewage stream requires vast amounts of energy and chemicals and is often flawed."
However one article in an entire magazine section seems light. Surely there is greater interest in green real estate than this. ::New York Times...
Ask TreeHugger: Pets and Allergies
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 03.20.07
Question: Do you have any advice on reducing pet hair and dander (in addition to vacuuming) in a home where people suffer from allergies?
Response: Pets allergies can be a significant problem not only for people living with the pets but also for their visitors. Short of finding your pet another home, pet allergies can be best reduced by removing exposures to pet dander, loose skin flakes, hair, urine, and saliva --the main causes of pet allergies. This basically means that you have to get rid of all pet produced allergens (or allergy-causing pet products) -- a difficult and if not impossible task, especially for cats, which have particularly "sticky" dander.
The reason that it is so difficult to get rid of all pet allergens is that pets produce these allergens constantly and that once produced, these allergens (especially from cats) can be carried everywhere. As a result, your house can only be kept clean of pet allergens if you clean your home constantly....
EMF Output Of Wireless Handhelds: Measuring The Data Love Experience
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.20.07
Why is it we can’t stop ourselves from looking at celebrities? One look at the girl on the screen with the PDA on her head and we’re deer in the headlights. It’s the same sort of captivation that follows a car accident in the opposite lane, causing a mile-long “gapers block” on both sides of the highway. One more example pertinent to our subject: the popular “Blackberry” brand PDA is described as “addictive” by friends and relatives of dedicated owners. In other words, the world of technology is a psychology experiment and we are the rats. Interestingly, we came across a potential explanation for why, hypothetically speaking, the young male executive can’t resist the urge to cradle his PDA upon his gonads, craning his neck toward it in the posture of an ancient one, or a female user, to balance the PDA on her gorgeous head. And that explanation, Dear PDA User (or Abuser) comes from a recent study of the electromagnetic output of several such devices, from which from inferences can be made as to why their extended use is not just behaviorally, but also physically addictive. A recent study of hand held wireless devices (Sage, Johansson, & Sage, Bioelectromagnetics, 2007) reported measurements of the extra-low electromagnetic frequencies emitted when PDAs are sending or receiving data streams. Peak emissions up to 975 milligauss were recorded. During email send and receive functions, the PDAs commonly had spikes of 30 to 60 milligauss. (Full abstract of the study is presented below the fold). Now we move on to human response to EMF exposure. When that heartthrob shows up at the party, and he or she is leaning up against the microwave while it’s running and also thumbing away at a PDA, this may be a person with his or her brain’s endogenous opioid system on full tilt boogey. (See second abstract below the fold for explanation) Something to consider in this circumstance: is it hug time or tin foil hat time? ...
Take your mobile off the grid…
by Nicholas Moore Eisenberger, New York City on 03.20.07
One of the things that give me the most hope about the future is that we really haven’t begun to tap the potential for reducing the amount of energy we consume in our lives. Even though nearly every major popular magazine in the last few months has published their top 10, 101, or 269 ways to go green, they’re still just scratching the surface of what can be achieved with a little ingenuity. So I am going to add one to the list that I haven’t seen yet. Take your mobile phone off the grid…
It might seem trivial, but it’s not. There are already nearly two billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide. And ninety percent of the world’s population is expected to live in an area with mobile phone coverage by 2010. While individual mobile phones do not consume a great deal of energy, most of us consume more energy than is necessary by leaving our phone chargers plugged in. On average, only 5% of the power consumed by phone chargers is in fact used to charge phones, while the other 95% is consumed by the charger when no phone is plugged in. ...
Lose Unsightly Fat and Save Money Too: Live with Less
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.07
Justin showed us theTumbleweed Tiny House Company before, but listen to The Environment Report on living in one. The show interviews Tumbleweed's Jay Shafer, and also Gregory Johnson, who lives in a 140 square foot Tumbleweed house. Gregory is an example of how living with less can change your life:
"He [Jay] showed this little hole I was supposed to crawl through, the passageway to the upstairs to the loft and I thought I might have to lose some weight to get up in there (laughs)."
Johnson says he started really scaling back. He realized if he had a refrigerator, he'd just fill it up with ice cream and pizza. Things he really didn't need. So to save energy, he doesn't have a fridge at all. He started eating nuts and grains and fruit. By shrinking his life down to match his house he lost 100 pounds. :: The Environment Report...
Survey: Quality vs Price?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.07
Yesterday we posted about the tradeoff between cheap but disposable and expensive but higher quality. We learn from the Wall Street Journal that in general, appliances are dying more quickly than they did when last studied in 1993. They point out that many appliances are more complex: "in 1993, few refrigerators had built-in ice dispensers, much less television screens." They also suggest that fashion has something to do with it: " consumers have become more style-conscious about appliances than they used to be, and more willing to chuck them when they go on the blink, rather than getting them repaired. So manufacturers have less incentive to make them durable."
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Today is Climate Crisis Action Day!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.20.07
There are literally thousands of activists from across america converging on the Capitol building in Washington D.C. today to create awareness of the need to confront the climate crisis and to provide permanent protection for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It all starts off at 11 AM with a lineup of speakers that includes celebrities, well known US representatives and senators, and leaders from faith organizations, labor groups, sporting and business organizations, and conservation groups. What are they asking for from the newest session of Congress? Well, as they put it on their website "Sensible solutions to global warming, a path to a clean energy future, and permanent protections for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – a land perpetually threatened by a warming planet." I guess we can all agree on that one! And as we well know, with temperatures rising across the globe the impacts are devastating, so if you're not among those gathered in D.C. today then please take the time to fire off an email to your representatives, and urge them to support the Arctic Wilderness Act and legislation that will combat global warming and support clean energy!
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WASTE, Sexy Beanbags From Barcelona
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 03.20.07
After recycled material for construction and the ever-growing recycled PVC fashion Barcelona is addicted to, a new waste product has been saved from the trash can: car textile. Benjamin Mordoh, from the company WASTE, is the designer behind these luxurious beanbags made from discarded automotive upholstery. These very comfy and durable poufs are his way of reducing industrial waste. Benjamin is outraged by the amount of (high-quality!) waste that comes out of the car industry and so has committed himself to ‘transforming the reality of waste into something positive’. The beanbags are locally produced, hand-made and hence, limited editions. ...
Incentive Based Recycling by RecycleBank
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 03.19.07
We are all familiar with the old adage “one mans trash another mans treasure.” RecycleBank is trying to change that. They say your trash is your own treasure, ‘cause we’re going to pay you for it. The concept, called Incentive Based Recycling, is to increase recycling rates by providing a direct financial incentive for people to go through the trouble of sorting their garbage. Participating customers receive a 35, 64, or 96 gallon RecycleBank container which has a barcode that identifies their home. As the truck collects the recycling it scans the barcode on the container and translates the value of the recycled items into a dollar amount - up to $35 Recyclebank Dollars a month - that can be redeemed though shopping coupons at participating businesses. Participants use an online interface to choose which coupons suit them best, order the coupons and receive them by mail. Alternatively participants can choose to donate their Recyclebank Dollars to charity. ...
The Goode Life Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.19.07
This week is Carnival of the Green #69 and it's being hosted by The Goode Life! 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....
Bicycles, Vegetables, Bikinis, and the Ditty Bops
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.19.07
I first met The Ditty Bops a couple years back when they were working a booth selling produce at the Santa Monica farmers market. This musical duo has since then been getting a lot of well deserved attention for their artfully crafted songs, unconventional touring methods, and high marks on the sustainability scale. Ditty Bops are fantastic musicians and their recordings are artfully done and full of flair. Daryl Hannah appropriately chose one of their songs to open each of her DH Lovelife vlog entries. The Bops are also tireless advocates of bike culture, in LA, no less. But as if it wasn’t enough fighting to dispel the myth that nobody rides bikes in Los Angeles, the Ditty Bops toured the US in 2006, coast to coast, by bicycle. And in case the world hadn’t noticed that girls on bikes is one of the sexiest things imaginable, last year the duo put out the Bicycle Bikini calendar. For 2007 it’s the Vegetable Bikini calendar. I’m proud to have this beautiful artifact in a place of honor on my fridge. (This month is all about mushrooms, including recipes and medicinal properties.) Ride your bike, eat your veggies, listen to the Ditty Bops. ::The Ditty Bops ...
Most Huggable: Gold Green Backs, Toshiba Takes it Back, the NREL Back in Business
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.19.07
TreeHugger said that wider use of the $1 coin is a win win for sustainability, but don’t put your money on it, says LighterFootstep.com… The Sietch Blog reports on the 2007 NESEA conference and the challenge to the building community to make a radical shift… The National Renewable Energy Lab gets back the funding that had been cut by the President; a 50% budget increase… Take that back, Toshiba! Another computer-maker offers to a take back program for outdated electronics… Chipping in: neighbors are banding together to buy solar panels, bringing down the price and spreading the power around… 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?...
Video Explains How A Solar Tower Works
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.19.07
The Message and the Medium
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 03.19.07
There's a witty yarn in transportation engineering concerning traffic jams. When asked to how to reduce congestion and commuting times, the sagely planner responds "stop moving things around so much". It's good advice, especially when it comes to email.
Because according to Postini's last communication intelligence report, about 94 percent of all email is spam. Spam increased 147 percent in 2006 and caused a 334 percent increase in processing requirements for corporate email. Some systems are simply melting down under the pressure - too many messages for the medium to handle. And when you figure in the massive amount of hardware and energy to keep the global electronic mail system afloat, a six percent 'success rate' is just unacceptable.
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Tiny, Plastic Wind Turbines Suitable for City Dwellers
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.19.07
Like many places in the world, Hong Kong does not have strong wind speeds, so wind turbines have not been widely installed there. But now engineers at the University of Hong Kong and a private renewable energy company have developed a new micro wind turbine that can generate electricity even if wind speeds are as low as two meters per second. Lucien Gambarota, the main inventor of the technology, says the small turbines are ideal for crowded cities such as Hong Kong because they can be installed on rooftops and balconies. Their design is simple: plastic gearwheels, each about 25 centimeters in diameter, are linked to one another and turn, moved by the wind. Groups of gearwheels can be arranged in an array of shapes and sizes, ranging from about two up to thousands of square meters, depending on how much energy is needed and how much space is available. ...
How Does Pollution Affect Cyclists?
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 03.19.07
By cycling instead of driving or taking public transport, you are doing your part to keep the air clean. The problem is that you have to cycle through all the pollution created by people who aren't making any effort.
Pollution has been linked to heart and lung disease, and people often complain of other less serious reactions such as sore-throats, coughs and stinging eyes. I have often noticed that if I cycle a few miles in London in a white t shirt, it picks up lots of black particulates.
It's impossible to quantify the pollution level for a city in any simple way, because the level of pollution varies from area to area, and will change over time. The type of contaminants found in a certain area can also vary, and each one causes different health problems. Weather and temperature also affect how much of an effect pollution will have. On windy, cold days, a certain road will be safer to bike through than on a still, warm day. This is probably a good thing, because we have a lot of windy, cold days in London....
TreeHugger Picks: Green Countertops
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.19.07
Green remodeling and home improvement have been a pretty hot topic here at TreeHugger for awhile now, with good reason. Investing in a greener abode is a great way to make your home's interior healthier, as well as more valuable upon resale. Though just a small piece of the remodel puzzle, there are still lots of green options when it comes to countertops with a lighter footprint.
1) EnviroGLAS' Terrazzo is made with 100% post consumer recycled glass from bottles, plate glass, mirrors and car windshields.
2) Richlite is a paper-based countertop material made by treating FSC-certified paper with a phenolic resin, and then baking it to create solid sheets.
3) Icestone made of 75% recycled glass and 17–18% white Portland cement, resulting in a material that's nearly as strong and heat resistant as granite and less porous than marble.
4) Alkemi is made from "post-industrial scrap aluminum" cast into resin.
5) Green countertops can be part of a real-life kitchen renovation on a budget, as detailed by the Washington Post....
Recycled Paper to Write Home About
by Union of Concerned Scientists on 03.19.07
The benefits of producing paper from recycled fibers are many: fewer trees cut down, less water and energy consumed, less pollution generated. But more than 90 percent of printing and writing paper still comes from virgin tree fiber. To help expand the market for recycled paper while meeting your needs and budget, here are some things to look out for when buying paper:
Paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer content is the best choice. If packaging doesn’t show the percentage, contact the manufacturer.
If you can’t buy a paper product that is 100 percent recycled, look for the Forest Stewardship Council certification label. This paper comes from forests managed in an environmentally responsible manner.
Paper doesn’t have to come from wood pulp; fibers from hemp, kenaf, flax, cotton, banana stalks, and other plant-based materials can be used to produce paper with fewer chemicals and less energy. Tree-free paper is generally more expensive, but is available from a variety of companies.
Papers (even tree-free ones) are often bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives that form dioxin—a known carcinogen—and other compounds that pollute local air and water supplies. Look for products labeled either processed chlorine free (PCF) or totally chlorine free (TCF).
For a full guide to recycled paper, check out Conservatree’s database of recycled paper products....
Building Energy 2007: Accessorize Your PowerPod
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 03.19.07
Attendees of NESEA’s BuildingEnergy07 show in Boston this week had the chance to walk through the new “healthy, hip, affordable” PowerPod prefab home. Designed by Lawrence, Massachusetts based PowerHouse, the PowerPod was transported on two trailers and assembled inside the Seaport World Trade Center.
The PowerPod incorporates many energy-efficient and green design choices, most visibly a solar butterfly roof that collects rainwater and includes an active solar array for electricity and hot water.
Measuring a svelte 480 square feet, the floor plan highlights an open living/dining/kitchen area that opens onto a front porch. Many visitors remarked that the high ceiling provided a surprising sense of spaciousness. A bedroom, bathroom, and utility closet are in the rear....
Wal-Mart Announces Plans to Evaluate Sustainability of Consumer Electronics
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.19.07
Long the bane of corporate social and environmental watchdogs (and not without good reason), Wal-Mart has been increasingly in the news over the past couple of years for making green strides, from selling 100 million compact fluorescent lightbulbs to offering organic food and introducing a packaging scorecard. Along those same lines, the mega-company announced last week that they have plans to evaluate consumer electronics suppliers on the environmental sustainability of their products. Beginning in 2008, Wal-Mart will ask suppliers to fill out the scorecard, giving customers the option to use the scorecard results to influence their purchasing decisions. The scorecard will evaluate electronics on energy efficiency, durability, upgradability, end-of- life solutions, and the size of the package containing the product. Products will also be evaluated on their ability to use innovative materials that reduce the amount of hazardous substances, such as lead and cadmium, contained in the product....
Screen Made from Old Traffic Signals
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.07
As traffic signals are replaced with LEDs, Vancouver firm Industrial Artifacts collects the old lexan lenses and incorporates them into room dividers. The artists "transform a variety of industrial materials into unique furniture and decorative accessories. These materials include a huge range of Industrial items rescued from: mines; mills; machine shops, foundries, ships and hospitals."::Industrial Artifacts via ::Apartment Therapy...
Greening Toronto's Concrete Slabs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.07
Over a thousand of them were built in the sixties and seventies: monstrous twenty-five storey slab apartment buildings. And where TreeHugger usually says that high-density living is the most energy efficient, (and on a per-capita basis it probably is) these buildings are huge energy hogs, each building contributing more than a thousand tons of carbon dioxide per year. They have minimal insulation, exposed slab edges and balconies, single glazing and primitive heating. Welcome to Moscow on the Humber.
There is a bright side: two University of Toronto Architecture profs have studied the buildings and figured out that they may be the most cost-effective ways to reduce CO2 emissions in the City. (see some of their ideas below the fold) This has happened all over Europe and the former Soviet states; Tower block restoration is Bratislava, Slovakia's single largest environmental initiative. Unfortunately in Toronto these buildings are all in private hands, and no government in an election cycle is going to give its green subsidies to rich urban landowners. ::Reading Toronto
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Composting with Worms in Martha Stewart Living
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.19.07
We already know that vermiculture (composting with worms) can help dispose of and "reuse" your garbage and fight climate change; this month, Martha Stewart is helping show that it can be part of anyone's gardening regiment. The domestic diva helps dispel the rumors that composting and vermiculture smells bad, offers a handy troubleshooting chart and shows us how to do it ourselves with an under-the-counter compost bin (with pictures). It's a good place to start for anyone who hasn't previously considered composting as a viable way to manufacture gardening nutrients (and cut back on organic garbage), and lists a handful of books and online resources for further worm-related enrichment. Not available online, unfortunately, the article appears in the print version of March's Martha Stewart Living; we'll have to chat her up about it the next time TreeHugger stops in to see her. ::Martha Stewart Living via ::Apartment Therapy...
The Googling Gourmet
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.19.07
We've heard of many university cafeterias featuring ethnic and vegetarian dishes, made with locally produced and/or organic ingredients. With newly hired grads bringing this experience with them into the job market, it only makes sense that successful and growing corporations would follow suit. Via the San Francisco Chronicle:- "If Cafe 150 had opened in Berkeley or along Valencia Street in San Francisco's Mission District, it would be seen as another expression of our eclectic, edgy and politically entwined food scene. But Cafe 150 is located in Mountain View on the high-tech campus of Internet giant Google. It's the newest and bravest frontier of fine dining, where the Bay Area culinary trinity of sustainable/local/organic has passed to the corporate cafeteria". And it looks like there might be a positive productivity benefit from sustainable eats, with driving away for lunch a forgone habit. "We serve 125 percent of the population," says Dickman [Food Services Director], explaining that guests and visitors account for a number higher than 100 percent". How will this translate to the rest of corporate America? Very slowly, mainly with the executive suite we'd guess . The talent base and supply chains aren't ready for scale up. Perhaps the most difficult chore is overcoming the traditional role of the corporate cafeteria: usually a steam table affair where executives mingle only briefly under pressure from Human Resources to sit with the "folks." The truth is that really good food in the corporate world is a "perk.". Turning that on end the way Google has done is just not likely to happen elsewhere. The whole article is a fun read, including some terrific looking recipes. ...
Hiker Sit-Down Tricycle
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.07
Hidden among the ATV's at the Sportsmans Show was an actual human powered device. Mechanical Engineer Stephen Coates thought that traditional bikes have limitations when it came to balance, comfort, storage and joint-friendly leg action. He has developed the hiker, and says that he " has done away with the inefficiencies of both traditional bicycles and recumbent bicycles/tricycles. For starters, the seat is at standard chair height and does not require a complicated movement to get onto and off of. The revolutionary tangent lever design abolishes circular pedal travel in favor of a simple leg extension for forward movement. Due to the versatility of this design, all that is required is a simple internal 3-speed hub to ensure optimal gearing with minimal changes. As for steering, all that’s required is an intuitive lean, thanks to the new center-pivot steering ."
I found the "tangent lever design" to be the most intriguing feature; like in rowing, the large muscles of the thighs are directly applied without the circular motion of a normal bike. I have also been on adult tricycles which are almost impossible to turn, and loved the center-pivot steering. I look forward to a road test! Hiker from ::BetterMotionGroup...
Can't See the Goods for All the New Labels in UK
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.07
British retailer Marks and Spencers is now labelling food that has been imported by air. Over 20 products, including beans, mangoes and strawberries are now marked, and it is expected that by the end of the year over 150 will be.
Guy Farrant, Director of Food, Marks & Spencer said 'our customers want to know more about how food is transported into the UK. We already label all our food with its country of origin, and in many cases we also include the name of the farmer on pack. We’re putting an aeroplane symbol on the small amount of food we transport by air because we know this is something our customers increasingly care about.' ::New Consumer
Meanwhile, the Carbon Trust is offering labels that show how much carbon was emitted in the manufacture and transport of the goods.
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International Symposium on Sustainable Design in Curitiba, Brazil
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.19.07
In August 2006, during the 7th Brazilian Conference on Design Research & Development organized in Curitiba by the Parana Federal University (UFPR), “sustainable design” was one of the three most popular topics among all 650 papers published on the proceedings. Because of that, one of the conclusions of the conference was the clear need of dedicating more efforts to develop strategies that actually promote changes in lifestyles. Simultaneously, in Europe, researchers and practitioners had already realized the importance of this issue and, with the support of UNEP/CSCP, had implemented the SCORE Network, which discusses key questions on Sustainable Consumption and Production. Now these two organizations have coordinated efforts to put together the 1st Brazilian Symposium on Sustainable Design, whose purpose is to bring together researches and practitioners in order to discuss strategies to promote sustainable lifestyles through design, both on emerging and developing economies. The event will take place on September 4th, 5th and 6th, 2007 in Curitiba, Brazil. Confirmed speakers include Ezio Manzini, Carlo Vezzoli, Jenz Großhans, Christian Ullman, Eugênio Andrés Diaz Merino, Martin Charter and Arnold Tukker (read extended for bios). ...
Chris Jordan Plays the Number Game
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.19.07
Chris Jordan is a photographer/artist with a strong social message. His work is concerned with the depiction and comprehension of statistics and showing what they really mean. Through the medium of intricately detailed prints, assembled from thousands of smaller photographs, he is making serious political statements. For example, the seemingly familiar painting of Cans Seurat (left,above) is in fact, the depiction of 106,000 aluminum cans (right, above--a detail), the number used in the United States every thirty seconds. Another, which is a "picture" of Benjamin Franklin, is actually comprised of minute pictures of 125,000 one-hundred dollar bills ($12.5 million), the amount the American government spends every hour on the war in Iraq. Yet another one depicts 60,000 plastic bags, the number used in America every five seconds. He is trying to make us understand the sense of unreality about the magnitude of numbers. A photo which looks like five black columns is really 3.6 million tire valve caps, one for each new SUV sold in 2004. :: Chris Jordan Via :: Cool Hunting...
Interfaith Walk for Climate Rescue Kicks Off in Northampton, MA
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 03.19.07
We've taken note of numerous efforts by faith communities to address the moral dimensions of environmental challenges. On Friday, March 16th, a group of 131 people representing a diverse array of religious belief -- Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Catholics and Protestants -- joined in an interfaith service in Northampton, Massachusetts to kick off the Interfaith Walk for Climate Rescue. Sponsored by Religious Witness for the Earth, the walk is a week-long event that will move across the state, and end in Boston with the celebration of Climate Rescue Day on March 24th. Organizers expect that the Copley Square rally will draw over a thousand people to support the main goal of the Step It Up 2007 event: a commitment by the federal government to an 80% reduction of global warming pollution by 2050.
The walkers that started the march on Friday had their conviction tested as the year's biggest winter storm was moving into the Northeastern United States. Undeterred, the group completed the first leg of the journey, an eight-mile hike from Northampton to Amherst's Grace Church, where parishioners waited with hot soup and cornbread. Over the seven-day period, the march will average thirteen miles a day, and although many participants will join in for only a portion of the walk, twenty-four people have committed to make the entire journey from one side of the state to the other. By the time you read this, the group will have started on one of the walk's longest legs, the sixteen miles between Ware and Spencer (a map of the entire route, along with the Daily Schedule, is available here)....
What Can You Say About a Three Year Old Coffee Grinder that Died?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.07
It used to be, if your appliance broke down, you could take it in and get it fixed. Now that most are cheap, you just throw it away and replace it. According to a study of the yellow pages, between 1998 and 2006, the number of listings for appliance repair shops has dropped by 62%. According to Normand Tetreault of Personal Edge, a Quebec company that specializes in the sales and service of small electric appliances- "many products are now made in China and it can be hard to get parts". He says also that appliances are less robust, with a lot more plastic.
Our three year old seventy-five dollar Cuisinart coffee grinder just died, and I am pretty handy and thought I would look inside. I opened it up and found- a circuit board. Why are there electronics in a coffee grinder? I knew there were three switches in it, but could only get at one without buying an extra long screwdriver, and what would I do when I got to it? they are all moulded into the casing and there is no way I could replace the part.
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The Hexayurt: Efficient Emergency Shelter
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03.18.07
Two Yurt articles on Treehugger in one day? On the heels of Lloyd's admittal that Yurt design is an impressive achievement, we have to bring you the Hexayurt. A Hexayurt is an emergency structure which is cheap, self-contained and easily packed for transportation. Hexayurts cost only$200-500 plus another $100 to add a utility package for water decontamination, communal composting toilets and solar power. Based on work done at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Hexayurt village is intended to replace all the infrastructure which might be damaged after a major disaster such as an earthquake or flood--in other words, it is an autonomous building suitable for a family....
Can You Imagine the Future of Our Civilization?
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.18.07
That’s the question being posed to high school students across America as part of The Foresight Project’s signature program Imagining Tomorrow: Alternate Energy Futures. Mary Essary, the founder and visionary of this nationwide contest points out that writing and the creation of video can be powerful tools to help shape students minds, and that science-fiction can be a great way to get them thinking about many of the ways in which we can ensure our future on this planet. In essence, it’s a way to get students to look around in their own backyards and see the realities of the issues we face, while encouraging them to unleash their creativity and envision how we might solve them. ...
G8 Nations Hit Brick Wall On Climate
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.18.07
Via BBC:- "Germany's environment minister, Sigmar Gabriel, says the United States has blocked progress on two key issues to protect the global environment. He was speaking after a two-day meeting of environment ministers in the German city of Potsdam. The issues were carbon emissions trading and rewarding developing nations for protecting their natural assets, he said." Present were Ministers from United States, Canada, France, UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, Russia, Brazil, India, China Mexico and South Africa. The simple truth is that the US will resist strongly all international climate protection steps until at least three underlying conditions are satisfied. One is that US energy companies, which make extensive campaign donations to both political parties, must demand proactive change of the candidates they support. Two is that the US State Department, US Commerce Department, and Environmental Protection Agency must be encouraged to speak openly and act as change agents for climate protection. Three is that a majority of US voters must clearly express their support for a foreign policy leadership role, as espoused in a winning Presidential campaign platform. Obviously, these conditions can be met no sooner than 2009. Until then, global progress is blocked by the brick wall of reality. Inside the US, positive governmental leadership happens at the State and local levels. That leaves plenty of good things to work on. ...
Toshiba E-Core LED Fixture
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.07
Toshiba has introduced a 265 lumen output potlight (comparable to the output of a 40 watt incandescent) that gets 50 lumens per watt and uses only 5.3 watts of power. It looks good, has good colour balance and costs under two hundred bucks, which is great for a built-in fixture with a projected 40,000 hour lifespan. It is designed at 3" in diameter so that it can retrofit into traditional potlight holes. Available in Japan this summer.
Watch a movie about it from ::diginfo and the translated page at ::Toshiba
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Redefine Travel: Kicking Gas Through Smarter Living
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.18.07
Treehugger regularly gets excited about the latest developments in greener cars and other transport options. Yet while the Tesla, the Plug-in Prius, the Vectrix, or the G-Whiz may well prove to be useful tools in reaching a more sustainable future, we should not forget that the easiest option, in many cases, is to design your life in a way that reduces dependence on the car. This is why we are so encouraged by Redefine Travel, a campaign designed ‘by students, for students’ in the Triangle area of North Carolina to increase awareness, and use, of alternative transport options like biking, busing or carpooling. Not only does the site include handy tips for road safety, and for using the local bus system, but it also includes maps and links to the local transit authority’s trip planner. And it doesn’t end there, Redefine Travel even includes a handy apartment finder, encouraging students to factor in transport considerations when choosing their accommodation. The tag line? “Does Your Apartment Kick Gas?”
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Yurts. Not Just for Hippies Anymore
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.07
I am going to get in so much trouble for this post. First, I go off to the Sportsman's Show, which is all about huntin' and fishin' and ATVs and big motors and guns and ammo and what do I find there? A yurt, the ultimate dwelling for hippies in rancid ponchos. And the company selling it was called Groovyyurts. This was wrong in so many ways.
Then I started talking to Yves Ballenegger, who loves driving trucks and founded Globetrucker, a non-profit that brings school supplies to the children of Mongolia. Instead of driving back empty, he filled it with yurts, furniture and other handicrafts.
As an architect I have often joked about yurts but had never actually been in one. I was shocked at the sophistication of the structure and the degree of comfort.
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