Weekly Archive for April 8, 2007 : TreeHugger

We often hear statistics on the relative significance of the US building sector to the overall carbon dioxide footprint of the nation. Focusing in a bit more, might there be a big difference between large- and small-cities? Might that difference correlate with density, or building designs, or both? A just-completed inventory of City of New York greenhouse gas emissions indicates the answer could be "yes". The New York Times reports, based on a just released city-run inventory study that, per capita, New Yorkers have a carbon footprint only a third of the national average. Yet, "In sharp contrast to the national average of about 32 percent, the city’s buildings are responsible for 79 percent of the greenhouse gases produced by the city..." This is something that makes intuitive sense just looking at the city skyline. An important policy point is made especially clear by this inventory. The one-size-fits-all, top down approach to goal-setting may not be appropriate. Thinking ahead, making thoughtful comparisons to create acceptable emission reduction policies will become important not just between cities, but also between cities, regions, and industry sectors. For an extreme example, consider whether an aluminum company, headquartered in the US, should become responsible for meeting US-set goals on its overseas operations; or does it instead respond to each nation where its operating sites are based? If so, that could plausibly lead to restriction free zones or, conversely, to impossible targets that would force closure. It cuts both ways, in other words. And, this could happen whether implementation is voluntary or mandatory....

I often complain about Toronto being all talk and no action, particularly when it comes to bikes. The bike lanes are a tooth-rattling mess full of potholes and delivery trucks, and they let the bikeshare program die for want of $80,000 while they can blow $ 100,000 on a whiny advertising campaign. Then I find that perhaps it isn't all talk; things are happening. 1) People who get it are getting elected. City Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker lives in the outer reaches of the city but bicycles 42 km (26 miles) each way to work at Toronto City Hall, all year round, from a part of town where there are no bike lanes. He takes a circuitous route of residential streets to avoid the killer cement trucks. The Mayor from who we expected so much has promised1000 kilometers of lanes by 2012. Read Profile of Glenn's ride in ::The Star 2) Citizens are taking action. Some have started sending pictures to MyBikeLane, a website where you post pictures of cars and trucks in the lanes....

I pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing ... that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle pre-loved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. Take the pledge today. Everyone's doing it! Sewing is undergoing a big revival right now, the thrifty desire to recycle, concerns about sweatshop labour and over consumption, as well as a growing online 'craft' community have fueled sites like 'Wardrobe Refashion', a community blog, based in Australia, with participants worldwide. Wardrobe refashion community members have all taken a pledge not to purchase any new manufactured clothing for a set period, instead all clothing must be recycled, renovated, pre-loved, or handmade. All sentiments that we at TreeHugger applaud, check out some of our recent stories and DIY tips ont-shirt surgery, and refashioning the sweaters, check out (trash fashion and re-fashion then get sewing!...

Free in NYC? This ITAC-sponsored April 27th Green Building Workshop in New York looks like something other cities might want. It's designed for professionals in the building construction supply chain: those who design, make, and service "green" building materials, contract furniture, carpeting, paints, lighting fixtures and so on. Its purpose is to help them understand the opportunity to design and market products to the growing market for green buildings. Attendees get a LEED overview, followed by a discussion of five strategies that businesses can use to design greener products. The Curriculum reviews life cycle assessment and green marketing so attendees can learn how to make sure their products will be accepted by potential customers. Thanks to the sponsor, HSBC, the price is right! Pre-registration is required at this link....

Treehugger readers seem to love photos and posts about sexy underwear and bikinis--so let’s try this one--a solar powered bikini. Whilst lying in the sun and baking, you can charge up your cell phone, ipod and digital camera. It comes with a USB drinks cooler—once plugged in it will act as a chiller for your can of organic lemonade. The photovoltaic film panels allow a fashionable fit while supplying the 6.5 volts. Just in case you want to make your own here is how to do it: “the suit is a standard medium-sized bikini swimsuit retrofitted with 1" x 4" photovoltaic film strips sewn together in series with conductive thread. The cells terminate in a female USB connection and whatever circuitry necessary to ensure proper output voltage. (i.e. 5v voltage regulator)”. Not sure what happens when you want to take a dip in the sea… :: Hippy Shopper ...

Perhaps I drink too much beer. I have grown very comfortable with a system where I pay a dime deposit on a bottle and when I want more, I stick the empties in its handy Scarborough Suitcase and take it back to the same place I bought it from. The Beer Store therefore is able to refill 98% of the bottles it sells. When everyone's knickers were in a twist about mercury in CFLs, I wondered why they don't just put a 25 cent deposit on them and have people bring them back. People do have to replace them, just like the beer bottle, so what is the hassle? When I read that 350 million batteries are going into the trash in Canada alone, annually leaking "747 tonnes of lead, which is known to impair intelligence in children; 0.5 tonnes of mercury, which can damage the human nervous system; and 287 tonnes of nickel, 543 tonnes of zinc, and 3,501 tonnes of manganese," I wonder why we can't exchange a dead one for a new one and save the deposit. After all, you need to replace it so if you are careful, you only pay a deposit once. ::the Star...

Having just covered the Village Project in North Carolina, we were delighted to discover another community-oriented organization working towards livable communities, this time on the other side of the Atlantic. URBED (Urbanism Environment Design) is a co-operative regeneration consultancy that has transformed itself into a design practice. Based in Manchester, UK, the group is apparently committed to sustainable urban regeneration and lists its core principles as “urbanism, community, sustainability and design.” The group clearly thinks beyond the usual concerns of planning and design agencies, to include a view of towns as living systems, as evidenced by this piece in a recent newsletter of the Permaculture Association (Britain): ...

While citizens across America will "step-it-up" to urge Congress to take action on global warming, citizens of the Pammal municipality are celebrating the success of another type of waste initiative. Vermi-composting, or composting using worms, is the heartbeat of the "Zero Solid Waste Management Plan", allowing kitchen wastes collected by tricycle to be returned to local gardeners and farmers as fertilizer. Waste reduction also plays a part, as does identifying markets for the glass, plastic and other recyclables separated from the community wastes. M.B. Nirmal, founder of Exnora International, seems to be the force behind the initiative, which is now replicated successfully in several municipalities. The project also relies on Exnora Green Pammal, a voluntary organisation lead by Mangalam Balasubramaniam; Sri Sankara Magalir Mandram, a women's self-help group; and the financial support of a multi-national corporation. ...

Lulu.com, a DIY digital publisher, is calling for submissions for their Earth Day open source e-book, Green Goals: How to Make a Lulu of a Difference. Simply go to the Lulu.com Green Goals website and tell them in under 200 characters what your Earth Day resolution is. Not only will your entry be included in the Green Goals e-book, you will receive one free download of it when Green Goals is released on April 22nd. In addition, Lulu will be making a donation to the Earth Day Network in honor of the participants.
You can check up on what others are submitting by visiting Lulu's Earth Day blog. And, be sure to keep up with our own Earth Day Guide to keep up to date with other Earth Day activities and eco-tips. ...

A basic problem with solar panels is that they are almost always flat. In order to maintain maximum efficiency they have to be directly perpendicular to the sun. So, either we deal with sub-par efficiency through 95% of the day, or we build expensive motor-driven sun-trackers. Jud Ready, at the Georgia Tech Research Institute has come up with another solution. But building solar panels that are basically composed of millions of tiny photovoltaic skyscrapers on a conducting grid. Because the skyscrapers are oriented veritically with gaps between them, photons are readily absorbed and converted to electricity even when the hit the panel at an angle. This also makes the cells perfect for cloudy climates, when the amount of light is the same, but the clouds scatter the sunlight in lots of directions. The photovoltaic material being used in these 3D cells is currently cadmium, which is unfortunately toxic, and less efficient than some other materials, but Ready says that many other light-active substances could be used in the panels. They aren't sure how much the can boost efficiency compared to current panels, but millions of tiny skyscrapers can't be all wrong. ::Newswise...

Change your footprint in a whole other way by taking part in Asics' search for the next hot shoe. Its Fill the Box design competition is seeking innovative footwear designs for future production. The prizes aren't shabby, either: Besides getting to step out in his or her own shoe design and receiving a slew of media attention, the Grand Prix winner also gets €5,000. Two Excellence award winners will receive €500. While this competition doesn't have an ostensibly green angle, we'd love to see eco-friendly designs make the cut. Who knows? You might redefine the way one prominent shoemaker hoofs it in the future. :: Asics Design Competition...

Are you one of the thousands of Americans who will be crunching to do their taxes this weekend? Well don’t forget that this year only the IRS is giving a refund to all of us that had phone service between February 28, 2003 and August 1, 2006. If you’re wondering what it’s all about, check out Refunds for Good, a non-profit website that has an easy to understand, step-by-step instruction about the tax that was charged and how to receive the refund. Refunds for Good also encourages us to take this unexpected refund and donate it to a non-profit in need. With Ed Begley, Jr. and Martin Sheen as spokespeople, the website details a few of their favorites. So don’t forget to check the refund box this weekend and log on to Refunds for Good and put that money to a good cause. ::Refunds for Good...

Even though ours is a joke headline, we're not making this story up. It looks like a new political species, the "neo-climatons" are making a political evolutionary jump, now that Al Gore has everyone, including the Washington DC Beltway Pols, believing Climate Change is real. Via: Ottawa Citizen Online:- "Canadian water is on the table at trilateral talks between politicians, businessmen and academics from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. A series of private conferences for the North American Future 2025 Project will include the discussion of "water transfers" and diversions, according to the outline for the project, a trilateral effort to draft a "blueprint" on economic integration for the governments of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico." Go read the whole story; but we put some choice tidbits for you below the fold. Meanwhile, does this kind of talk done in private encourage free LeBatts for the southern neighbors? If so, nice. Finally, and as we've pointed out before, this water transfer scenario is highly implausible. Should a mega-drought hit the US, there won't be the time or the resources to pipe blue Canadian water to enough places in the US to sustain existing culture. What might plausibly happen is that dust-bowl style, plenty of thirsty dry jobless US citizens will be making their way north. We're just saying......

Organic food sales have whithered at Wal-Mart, now the giant is backing off… American drivers set a new gas consumption record for April… No clouds in space. The Pentagon is toying with the idea of generating solar power in orbit, and then sending it home… Elle magazine profiles budding greenie Orlando Bloom in the eco-issue… Back to the drawing board: Mercedes’ attempt at a clean diesel, the Bluetec E320, didn’t pass muster in five states… 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?...

Here is a politician doing something about climate change. Hillary Clinton has introduced the Zero-Emissions Building Act of 2007 which directs federal agencies to immediately require that all new federal buildings or major renovations reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent as compared to a 2003 baseline. In 2010, and every five years after that, the emissions reduction level would increase by 10 percent, until new federal buildings become "zero-emissions" buildings in 2030. The legislation would also apply to major renovations of existing federal buildings.

"This legislation sets an ambitious goal of making new federal buildings carbon neutral by 2030," said Senator Clinton. "Buildings account for 40 percent of global warming pollution in the United States, and the federal government should lead the way in developing building designs and technologies to reduce these emissions."

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San Francisco does it again. A few weeks ago the city banned the use of all plastic shopping bags other than biodegradable and recyclable ones. Now, effective June 1, 2007, the law will require San Francisco food vendors who sell prepared food to use compostable or recyclable to-go containers as well. “San Francisco food vendors may no longer use polystyrene foam otherwise known as Styrofoam™ and must use compostable or recyclable disposable food service ware or to-go containers unless there is no suitable product that is within 15% of the cost of non-compostable or non-recyclable alternatives,” an article said. Compostable products include coated and uncoated paper or other natural fiber products and plant-based plastic-like products that are clearly labeled. We know several restaurants, like Mixt Greens, who already uses the products, but we’re interested to see if more cities will take San Fran’s lead. ::SF Environment Related ::Eco-To-Go ::What to Do with Used Styrofoam...

AAANNND THEEEY'RE OFFFF! Eleven turtles, fresh from egg laying, are making a dash from Playa Grande, Costa Rica to their feeding grounds in the Galapagos. Outfitted with satellite tags for the 14-day race, which takes place between April 16 and 29, these intrepid leatherbacks are working a 100-million-year-old tradition. But keep your eye on the clock, sports fans, because this 600-mile sprint may be history in 10 years—90 percent of leatherback turtles have vanished from the Pacific Ocean, tripped up, as it were, by human pressures. Pick your favorite athlete—Purple Lightning, maybe? Or Stephanie Colburtle?—and track her progress towards the finish line via satellite. ...

150,000 tonnes of glass could be saved each year, in the UK alone, if the average food and drink container weight was reduced by 10%. The biggest demand for glass packaging in the UK is from the spirit alcohol industry, which uses over 500,000 tonnes of glass a year. Co-op have been investigating how to reduce the amount of packaging required for these spirit bottles, and are introducing a new, lightweight 298g bottle for it's own-brand whiskey. The design has been developed by Rockware, with funding from the Waste & Resources Action Programme. Bottle 'light-weighting' has been an area of focus for several years, motivated by cost reduction as well as environmental factors. As bottle walls are made thinner and lighter, they must be made relatively stronger at the the same time, as the thinner the bottle wall, the more likely it is to break. :: LOHAS...

Well, the folks in Bloomington, Indiana, are just one sweet example of what people are doing across the country tomorrow as part of Step It Up 2007. On the odd chance you haven't heard yet, Step It Up is a nationwide series of events held tomorrow to raise awareness of global warming and convince congress to cut U.S. carbon emissions 80% by the year 2050! And in Bloomington, they'll be teaming up with the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability to give away 300 CFL's as an opening for their "Change A Light, Bloomington!" initiative on April 14th. All told they'll be putting 40k FREE CFL's into their community, and tying it into the Mayor's Agreement to cut Bloomington's carbon emissions 10% by 2012. So if you're in Bloomington tomorrow, make sure to Step It Up and show up to take a FREE light to stop global warming... And as someone who has taken on his own campaign with CFL's, I can tell you that 40K is A TON of free CFL's... So nice job Bloomington! Please Note: I changed the photo due to an inadvertent mistake when I posted the original. That photo was apparently of a relatively famous piece of modern art located in Bloomington, Minneapolis. But as I recently mistook the giant statue of Balzac at MOMA for one of Chewbacca to the delight of those around me, I believe you can see that my limited experience with modern art probably led to my mistake... This photo is most definitely of Bloomington, Indiana. Enjoy. -k...

Matt James over at ecoGeek has a nice interview with Sean Donahue, spokeman for Dell, on their environmental program. There is some same old, same old here - Dell's Plant a Tree for Me program has been covered extensively - and there a quite a few 'forward looking statements' such as plans to integrate with EnergyStar 4 and moving towards 80 Plus power supplies. Ok, we're all doing that. But there also some fresh ideas. Dell is starting to offer GNU/Linux on factory installs, which will help reduce obsolescence, and there are also some specific recommendations for the most efficient systems that Dell has to offer. These come mainly from the Optiplex and PowerEdge lines. Also, virtualization, a big resource saver, also figures in prominently to their program. Matt remained undecided on their program at the end and fell back to the 'if you don't need it, don't buy it' argument. Barring something truly groundbreaking from a hardware vendor such as, say, six year warranties on all new machines, we will probably be in a holding pattern for some time to come. It's bar raising time....

Nissan and NEC announced today that they will form a joint venture to produce lithium-ion batteries to be used in hybrid and other electric cars. Lithium-ion batteries were once considered too unsafe for use in cars, but are now viewed as a key ingredient making hybrid and electric truly competitive with gasoline-powered cars. Lithium-ion batteries are both lighter and smaller than nickel-metal hydride batteries, which are used in almost all hybrid cars today. Nissan is losing its market share to Toyota and Honda, in the important U.S. market. If Nissan were to produce an breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology, it could become competitive as a "green" vehicle maker. Still, the venture will have stiff competition from companies like A123Systems and EEStor. :: See also: Nissan to Develop Own Hybrid Technology and EEStor Ultra Capacitors: The Science Explained :: Via ZDNET and Inside Green Tech...

Bread is a staple in most of our diets and everybody loves the smell of a freshly-baked loaf. It’s been around in some form since before recorded history. Around 7,500 years ago in the Stone Age, people made bread-like solid cakes from stone-crushed barley and wheat. Loaves and rolls were found in Egyptian tombs and according to a bread history website you can actually see loaves that are over 5000 years old in the Egyptian section at the British Museum! Bread was also linked to social class with darker breads indicating lower classes and lighter breads, made with more expensive white flours, for upper classes. But have you ever thought about the environmental impacts of your bread? Four researchers at the German-based Institute for Energy and Environment Research (IFEU) carried out a life cycle assessment of 8 different scenarios for the production of 1 kg of bread “considering different crop production methods (conventional, organic), different milling technologies (industrial mill, domestic mill) and different baking technologies (large bread factory, bakery, domestic bread maker).” Their findings conclude that the best option (environmentally-speaking) is organically grown wheat, that has gone through industrial milling and is produced in a large bread factory. ...

As Mike just noted, Sundance Channel is gearing up for the launch of The Green, TV's first all-green block of programming, which starts next Tuesday (April 17). To celebrate, they're offering a free iTunes download of the first episode of "Big Ideas for a Small Planet", all about green fuel options, until April 17, when the episode airs. After April 17, the episode (and each episode that follows) will go for US $1.99 (or you can get a season pass for $19.99). The free episode is here at iTunes; if you miss the free download, you can always tune in to the Sundance Channel next Tuesday at 9 pm to see the episode. ::The Green iTunes download and ::The Green at Sundance Channel...

Yesterday, we mentioned some tips for growing some of your own food, a process that can be tricky, especially if you don't have your own garden or a particularly green thumb. When it comes to strategies that help your garden grow, adding compost is a great way to mulch and add nutrients without using industrial fertilizers (not to mention a good use of food leftovers and other organic waste). Here are some tips and products that can help you compost and help the planet for Earth Day. 1) BluePlanetSMART's globe-shaped composter is faster and more functional thanks to its spherical shape, and is better-looking than a lot of composters we've seen. 2) The Stiga kitchen composting system allows you to inject your fresh kitchen scraps into the bottom of the pile using a lever ram system, which helps the new scraps get composting faster and keeps the stink down. 3) NatureMill's onboard computer controls the mixing and air flow, brewing up delicious compost about every two weeks without funky compost odors or having to hand-turn the mixture. 4) Compostadores is the first (and only, so far) company that we've seen that specializes in domestic composting in Europe. 5) New York City has its own map that shows you where to take your kitchen scraps and organic waste so it can be composted and naturally recycled into rich soil, with tips and tricks for starting compost yourself. 6) San Francisco has incorporated composting into its recycling system, taking food scraps from 2,000 restaurants to make compost, and the city is offering free classes in composting this weekend! 7) Vermiculture (composting using worms) has caught Martha Stewart's eye and you can do it, too, with this Can-O-Worms Condo. 8) Artist Amy Youngs' digestive table gives new meaning to the term "dining table," using worms to compost your leftovers right at the table. 9) The Happy Farmer Kitchen Composter is made from 70% recycled plastic and, according to a TH reader, doesn't smell at all. Happy composting! For more info on greener eating practices, check out TreeHugger's How to Green Your Meals guide and stay tuned for more tips in anticipation of Earth Day....

Sundance Channel premiered The Green in Hollywood. Guess who was there: our very own Simran Sethi (who you've seen on TreeHugger TV, but who has also been on Oprah, Martha Stewart and recently in Vanity Fair), of course. She will co-host The Green with Majora Carter (make sure you watch this TED video). "THE GREEN includes a 13-part series “Big Ideas for a Small Planet” which will help viewers with earth friendly solutions and innovations, as well as a programming featuring folks greening their lives and their businesses." Via ::Ecorazzi....

In summertime, linen is to Italian clothing as pasta is to Italian food - fundamental. This quickly makes sense in the intense heat of the Mezzogiorno – where the practical (brilliant wicking) nature of the fabric is nearly as valuable as its drape, form and style. Thanks to the Italian textile manufacturer Crespi 1797 Italians (and other flax fans) will be able to flaunt beautiful organic linen at the beach. The newly certified fabric will be made from organic fiber and will use heavy-metal free dyes. Establishing Italy’s first certified-organic flax line is not a surprising move for a company that also specializes in crafting hemp and bamboo fibers. Their mission goes beyond environmental sustainability to include economic sustainability for Italy – where they hope to establish the Bel Paese as a leader in the production and design of organic clothing.::Italy Magazine...

We've taken note of a number of solar car projects around the world, but none may be more interesting than the effort presented in New Farmer Films' YouTube video "Infinity Miles per Gallon: Art Haines and his Solar Car." Haines, a mechanical designer, and eight students from the local high school conceived, designed and built a two-speed solar-electric vehicle that carries two people, covers a 15-20 mile range, and achieves speeds of 25-30 mph. And if you think you recognize that shape, you should: the students decided that the Hummer should serve as the model for their car's outward appearance. While the concept probably isn't practical for most drivers, the fact that this working vehicle was even built raises a question asked by the video's producers: if Haines and a group of high school kids can do this, why not major automobile manufacturers? ::YouTube via stilgar at Hugg ...

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Carbon boom is what we mean. Environment California yesterday released a C02 emissions inventory report which compares California to national and regional trends. Many of the conclusions are familiar; but here it is, laid out in one handy resource. An excellent starting point for policy making, going forward. A few excerpts from the executive summary:- "This report examines trends in U.S. global warming pollution nationally and by state and concludes that the failure to limit emissions nationwide has allowed global warming pollution to grow out of control." Carbon dioxide pollution is on the rise....

Wow, our calendars are chock a block with green events across the States over the next two weekends, what with Step It Up's National Day of Climate Action this Saturday 14th and Earth Day taking place next Sunday 22nd - see our special TH Earth Day Guide. We hope all of you, wherever you are, will be getting involved somehow. For those of you in the Chicago area next weekend you are spoilt for choice! Not only are there several Earth Day events going on around the city, but there's also the Green Apple Fest and the first Green Festival of 2007. On it's first visit to Chicago the Green Festival is looking to beat the enormous attendance numbers it saw in Washington DC and San Francisco last year, 25 000 and 36 000 people respectively. With over 300 listed exhibits there'll certainly be no shortage of things to see, buy, listen to and learn about. ...

One would think twice about setting a building next to an abandoned mine shaft, but the Zollverein School of Management and Design takes advantage of it. There is a lot of hot water in the mine that used to be dumped into the River Emscher in the Ruhr Valley. Now the 30 degree C (90F) water is pumped up a thousand metres, put through a heat exchanger, and then circulated through pipes cast the concrete walls, which have no insulation inside or out. Why bother when the heat is free? Designed by SANAA architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, winners of a 2002 international competition. ::Azure Magazine Christine gives tips for visiting the area here...

You have heard of guerrilla gardeners, well now there are guerrilla benchers. Their goal is the same: to improve neglected spaces and add something positive to public life. Only these guys say it with benches. Why? Because London's benches are disappearing. As Agent Bristly Pioneer (as they are called in the movement) says "Once London's streets were lined with them and you could plonk yourself down for a well-earned rest after slogging round the shops. We've found that there is just nowhere to put your feet up anymore". It's partly because of repairs, but more likely because municipalities want to discourage homeless people from sleeping on them or sitting and drinking on them. The stealthy guerrillas decided to take matters into their own hands. They dress up in bright green jackets so that they look like Council employees, drill some holes in the ground, put the benches in, and then sit down and have a cup of tea. The agents are restoring something to community life: a place where where old ladies can sit and chat, workers have their lunch and mothers can rest with the stroller. Watch for them in your neighbourhood, or better still, become a guerrilla too. :: Guerrilla Benching Via :: Time Out...

The river may be so polluted that you can’t let your dog swim in it; the park may be littered with garbage after a weekend or holiday, but for Tel Avivians, Park Hayarkon is their Central Park and a breath of fresh air from the cement and chaos of the city. Despite a decision of Israel’s Interior Ministry to limit construction in the park, reports Haaretz, the Municipality of Tel Aviv has other plans in store: some 155 dunams of land (38 acres) are now being zoned for new projects -- one of which will include public offices. Trees will be cut down, the river will be widened and in total, about 14% of the park’s open space will be gobbled up (dare we say) probably forever. ...

Our head is spinning from all the rotating buildings. Architect Rolf Disch built his own home as a test bed for solar systems. The house tracks the sun, so that its triple-glazed front can face the warming sun in winter and show its well insulated back in summer. The balcony rail is a solar vacuum tube to heat water. Photovoltaics on the roof rotate independently to track the sun, generating four to six times the energy needed for the house, making it beyond zero energy and into "das Plusenergiehaus" or a "Plus-energy House." If that is not enough, there is on-site composting, chemical free sewage treatment and rainwater catchment. The house has been the personal residence of the Architect since 1994. ::Azure Magazine Green Revolution Issue ...

Its hot in Dubai, and everyone wants water view- so Glenn Howells is building "an eco-friendly sustainable design, using solar power to revolve the cylindrical form and recycling water to irrigate the landscaped gardens. The concept for the façade design has evolved through the use of intricate layers and textures that also help to address the extreme heat conditions in Dubai, while providing the residents with energy efficient control of their internal environment. The dual-skin breathing façade creates a dynamic appearance and adds depth to the building with interesting materials including high performance glass with neutral coating and gold screens." We like the line in the advertising: "Awake one day to see panoramic lake views and another day to see beautiful landscapes and the worlds biggest shopping mall" ::Time Residences via ::architechnophilia and ::Dezeen ...

Ben and Jerry’s have teamed up with one of the UK’s leading suppliers of green energy, Ecotricity, to encourage their customers to fight global warming. In an effort to help build more ‘global cooling machines’, the nice folks at Ben and Jerry’s are offering £15 (approx. US$30) in ice cream vouchers to anyone signing up to electricity from Ecotricity. It’s not all pure altruism however, as Ben and Jerry’s have a vested interest in keeping the temperatures down: 'Take it from a couple of ice cream guys, if it's melted, it's ruined!' For details of some of Ecotricity’s high-profile turbine projects, check out our previous post here. ...

This fascinating "trail tree" site contains photos of other trees similar to the malformed one pictured here. When I was a kid we called these things 'outhouse trees.' When I was older and sought less humorous explanations, I thought they might be the result of disease or grazing or of a wind felled tree leaning over a sapling. Now comes this report of an amazing group of people using GPS coordinates and digital camera uploads to network an investigation into whether such "Trail Trees" might be relics of Native American navigational systems. Via The Gainsville Georgia Times:- "Mountain Stewards, based in Pickens County, has embarked on a quest to map all of these "trail trees" in North America, and they're looking for volunteers to report sightings throughout Georgia. "This is a story that has been here for hundreds of years but has never been told," said Don Wells, president of Mountain Stewards...Wells began recording the GPS coordinates of the "trail trees" he encountered. Then he took a compass and began drawing lines between them on a map. "I found that in many cases they formed a route," he said. One such path follows along ridge lines, roughly paralleling the current Appalachian Trail...American Indians would take a sapling, usually a white oak, and cut off the primary stem just above one of the branches so that the branch would become the new trunk." A coring study is underway to age the trees. Maybe they are outhouse trees and the joke is on us. Or maybe not. Check it out some more at the Trail Tree Blog. The full project description is linked from the stewards site. Image credit:- the Hazelwood Trail Tree, in State of Georgia USA ...

It used to be, if you had money you could spend it any way you wanted and people might think you were ostentatious or vulgar, but you could do what you like and say "Because I'm worth it !®". Now, with concerns about climate change, people flip birds at hummers, monster houses, excessive lighting and patio heaters, which spew excess carbon dioxide into our shared atmosphere. In the UK, companies voluntarily take CO2 spewing products like the patio heater off the market, yet in America the suggestion that the Toyota Tundra might not be appropriate for the times brought the response "you can not repeal the laws of supply and demand." or "Toyota, like most any other business, produces things for which there is a proven demand."

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How a 90 year company making organic bedding has managed to avoid the TH radar for so long is a mystery. But it did. Vivetique, although based in Los Angeles are using Earth Day and New York’s 1800mattress.com to launch their new EcoDream mattress. It seems this will make them the first New York City retailer to carry an organic mattress. From the press release it looks like the EcoDream is made from two types of natural latex, wrapped in unbleached, un-dyed and certified organic cotton. All perched upon an “eco-friendly: wood foundation, though we’re unsure what eco-friendly refers to exactly. We did ascertain however that they also offer comforters from what they call Sonoma County Pure Grow Wool. Which apparently means the wool is grown according to organic agricultural practices… “no pesticides on the pasture, no chemicals in the animal feed, use a biodegradable soap for lanolin removal, allow the wash house to recycle the lanolin, and use a land management system for low impact on the environment.” Oh, and the price of the EcoDream in a queen size? $5,000 USD. ::Vivétique, via PR Wire....

The other week we noted, in passing, that Patagonia were playing with more environmentally benign wetsuits. We should’ve linked to their dedicated page, where you can learn more. Like how the neoprene outer is of 80% non-petroleum based ingredients. (Fortune Mag reckoned it was made with crushed limestone but the Patagonia site is coy on that aspect.) The inner lining is a chloride-free merino wool grid bonded to recycled polyester. Kneepads are PVC-free and are said to be more durable and grippier. Coming for both men and women in 2mm and 3mm versions, to span water temps from 48 to 65°F (9 to 18°C). Long and shortie styles, although limited availability just now. ::Patagonia Wetsuits....

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Via MSNBC: -TOKYO - China said Wednesday it will take part in negotiations on a framework for limiting global warming after 2012, when the Kyoto climate treaty expires. In the statement issued after a meeting between visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the two sides expressed "political will" to work towards resolving the climate change issue through international cooperation. "The two sides will ... actively participate in the process on building an effective framework from 2013 and beyond," they said in the document. Image credit: NASA; Chinese dust storm heads into Sea of Japan...

In an effort to urge college students to become part of the movement to stop global warming, this week marked the kick-off of the “Stop Global Warming College Tour” with Laurie David and Sheryl Crow. As we mentioned last month the tour, which began in Texas on Monday, will continue over the next few weeks ending in Washington, DC on Earth Day, April 22nd. David and Crow will visit 10 universities in the Southeastern U.S. and will be giving a 90-minute presentation which will include remarks by David, a short performance by Crow, clips from An Inconvenient Truth, humorous clips from top comedians, and a dialogue with students. Touring in a bio-diesel bus, the pair has already visited Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, Texas A&M in College Station, Texas and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. The other stops on the tour include: visits will include: 4/12 - Loyola University, New Orleans, LA; 4/13 - University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; 4/16 - University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; 4/17 - Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN; 4/18 - Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; 4/19 - University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, Charlottesville; 4/21 - University of Maryland, College Park, MD and ; 4/22 - George Washington University, Washington, DC. ::Stop Global Warming College Tour Photo Courtesy ::MSN ...

Will six dollars for a gallon of gas turn people off? Maybe, maybe not… City waste streams are getting flooded with disposable cups, and nobody knows quite what to do… Hybrids powering up the grid? PG&E calls it the first-ever demo of grid/automobile energy interchange… Ready for a green office? Well, that’s just great. Here are some simple tips to get things going… San Francisco did it; now Los Angeles is thinking about running plastic bags out of town… 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? ...

The latest buzz: The week of June 24 through June 30, 2007 has been designated National Pollinator Week, thanks to the efforts of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) and its successful lobbying with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Senate. As part of a national campaign to publicize the rapid and marked decline of pollinating insects and mammals, the NAPPC has also convinced the U.S. Postal Service to issue a series of four pollination-themed stamps this summer, depicting a Morrison's bumble bee, a calliope hummingbird, a lesser long-nosed bat, and a Southern dogface butterfly....

Here's your chance to be famous... In New Zealand. Joanne Mitchell of Television New Zealand Ltd contacted us with a request, and here's what she's looking for: GREEN WEDDINGS: The traditional blushing bride dressed in white seems to be turning green. White weddings may have been the dream of fashionable brides of old, but now the trendiest weddings are seeking to give back to the environment. The 'green' wedding means everything from recycled wedding dresses and guests arriving by bicycle to home grown flowers and locally-produced food. SUNDAY, Television New Zealand’s primetime current affairs programme, would love to profile some couples about to embark on an eco-friendly wedding, for a television documentary. Please contact Joanne Mitchell, Researcher, if you are interested, by email joanne.mitchell@tvnz.co.nz or phone +64 9 916 7227. See also: ::Plan Your "Green Wedding" with Green Elegance Weddings, ::More for your Green Wedding: Flower Petal Confetti, ::Wholly Jo's Ethically Made Wedding Dresses, ::'Nice day for a Green Wedding', ::TreeHugger Picks: Tips for a Green Wedding...

This week’s podcast is an interview with the remarkable Martha Marks, the co-founder of president of Republicans for Environmental Protection, nature photographer, and inspiring optimist. In 1995, along with a small group of women, Marks decided it was high time to revive the spirit of conservation in the Republican Party. She speaks with Simran this week about how political labels have been turned topsy-turvy, how environmental history will judge Bush, and what the business world has to say about global warming. Also, stay tuned for the full-length podcast of this powerful interview. Catch TreeHugger Radio each week on Air America’s EcoTalk, here on TreeHugger.com, or juice up your iPod on iTunes. (listen/right click to download) ::TreeHugger Radio
(Interview conducted by Simran Sethi, produced by Jacob Gordon)...

Imagine discovering a Roman newspaper from, say, 23 August 410 AD. On that day, the Goths had the city under siege. They had already demanded, and had been given, five thousand pounds of gold, thirty thousand pounds of silver, four thousand silken tunics, three thousand scarlet-dyed hides, and three thousand pounds of pepper. Statues were melted down to pay off the barbarians, but the Goths wanted more. In short, it was a difficult spot for the Romans. The very existence of the city, and certainly their way of life, was at stake. So you’d expect their newspapers to betray a bit of uneasiness. That is, you might be surprised to find sections of the paper devoted to winners of the chariot races, or recipes for larks’ tongues, speculation on the next season’s most promising colors. The Goths sacked the city the next day, bringing to an end a seemingly invincible civilization....

British beekeepers are seeing an alarming amount of a disease that is wiping out 50%-75% of some hives in the US and Europe. The condition has been called Colony Collapse Disorder, and DEFRA have described the symptoms as "the total collapse of bee colonies, with a complete absence of bees or only a few remaining in the hive". The disease has been a growing problem in the US and Europe, but until now has not been seen in the UK. Contrary to the claims of keepers, Defra claim that "there is no evidence in the UK right now of colony collapse disorder." Although the causes are unknown, there are many theories, including environmental stress, malnutrition, antibiotic use, pesticides and GM crops. Although the loss of hives is tragic for keepers, the implications for farmers and consumers could also be considerable. Bees are currently used to pollinate crops, and a large reduction in the population could cause crops to fail. ::Guardian...

Bloomberg reports that California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the Global Environment Conference at Washington's Georgetown University had a message for US carmakers: "I say, Arnold to Michigan: get off your butt and join us. California may be doing more to save U.S. automakers than anyone else. We are pushing them to make changes. If they don't change someone else will, the Japanese will, the Chinese will, the South Koreans will." Of course, Detroit wasn't too happy about that. A US representative from Michigan said that California's fuel economy standards would cost the automakers $85 billion (but, even if that number is correct and not just a scare tactic, how much will it cost them not to become more efficient?), and a spokesman for DaimlerChrysler said that they have been innovating like "never before". Clearly they are not very receptive....

Take California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, MTV's "Pimp My Ride" and an 800 horsepower 1965 Chevy Impala and put them all in the same place, at the same time: what do you get? Did anyone come up with "An Earth Day showcase for green(er) transportation and a hip hop/Governator/green mash-up"? That's right, as part of a very special Earth Day episode airing April 22nd at 1 pm ET/PT, Governor Schwarzenegger visits Xzibit, Mad Mike and the entire "Pimp My Ride" crew at G.A.S. (Galpin Auto Sports), as they transform a '65 Chevy Impala into a mean, clean machine. The old ride will get a new diesel engine, allowing the show an opportunity to highlight alternative fuels and, more specifically, biodiesel; the finished product will showcase to the ability of power, performance and alternative, non-petroleum fuels to work together, and that there is something that every person can't do to help promote green practices and ideas. The special episode will air as part of the thinkMTV year long, 12-step "Break The Addiction" campaign, engaging, empowering, and educating millions of young people to make smart, everyday choices that both improve their life and help curb the impact of climate change and preserve the environment. The episode will also air on MTV2 and MTV Tr3s, and appear on MTV as the kick-off of a "Pimp My Ride" Sneak Peek marathon....

Well, green seems to be the color of the month over at Habbo, a social networking site for kids not so unlike 2nd Life, the massively popular online experience that recently experienced the effects of global warming… First I hear that they’re teaming up with the Earth Day Network on operation Green Teen to educate kids about the environment and sell them eco-friendly furniture, and then when I get there I realize they’ve also decided to sell Crocs as pets! Seems you can be certain to help keep your Croc happy by purchasing some T-Bones (sold individually or in value packages of six), a Crocodile basket because they tend to get “snappy in the morning”, and even a “Marzipan Man”, so just in case your Croc is unusually well behaved you can reward them with a tasty treat shaped like a real man! What will they think of next? I’m not so certain… But I’m definitely excited by the prospects of them selling eco-furniture to kids. Let’s face it, how many kids ever even think of buying a sustainable product in the real world? And how many are truly aware of what the term even means? So the prospect of introducing kids to sustainable furniture online definitely gets me excited… While they’re networking away online, the ones who are picking up their eco-furniture for Earth Day will most certainly be sending the message to everyone else that TreeHugging is cool! Now, of course you’ll have to actually PAY for that eco-furniture, even if it is virtual, so 10% of all eco-furniture purchases go to the Earth Day Network, just in time for Earth Day. And with all of this crazy green stuff going on over at Habbo, I’ve got just one question…. How does a pet croc mix with anyone’s furniture, sustainable or not? ...

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Health care workers know that the workplace procedures and regulations are unique among commercial workspaces: intense might be a fair characterization. An adaptation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System® (LEED®) has therefore been created to accommodate the health care industry's special needs. The latest Green Guide for Health Care is a best practices guide for healthy and sustainable building design, construction, and operations for the health care industry. This publication, Version 2.2, marks the end of the pilot program. Like all voluntary standards, they had supporters (as pictured). Excerpted from the GGHC press release:- "Today, the Green Guide for Health Care, the first and only sustainable design toolkit tailored to the health care industry, launched a new updated version that includes more tips and tools for adding healing design features, energy and water efficiency strategies, and safer materials to the health care setting. To date, more than 10,500 people have downloaded the Green Guide and 115 projects have registered in the Green Guide Pilot Program. The Pilot projects represent more than 30 million square feet of construction by 100 health organizations in 31 states, four Canadian provinces, and China, Guatemala, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Poland. These facilities are integrating the Green Guide’s enhanced environmental and health principles and practices into their planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance. The Green Guide is a voluntary, self-certifying best practices toolkit based on an organizational structure borrowed by agreement from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System® (LEED®). ...

Moving generally ranks right up there with a trip to the dentist as far as activities we dread. For a treehugger, that dread may be compounded by the seemingly inevitable amount of waste created: the cardboard boxes, wadded-up newspaper, packing peanuts and/or bubble wrap all tend to go straight to the curb or dumpster once they've served their purpose. Springwise highlights a Southern California company, Earth Friendly Moving, that's trying to lessen the waste created by offering clients a range of "zero-waste" moving products designed either for reuse or eco-friendly disposal. At the heart of EFM's system is the RecoPack, a reusable container made from "...all of those hard-to-recycle colorful plastic bottles from under your kitchen sink, laundry room and garage shelves." They come in a variety of sizes, rent for $1 a week, and the company even delivers them to clients in trucks powered by a combination of biofuel and vegetable oil. Those trucks also double as a "paper mill": the vehicle's engines power an alternator that creates electricity for making the company's Geami Packing Paper at the site of the delivery. Other elements of the Earth Friendly Move include biodegradable Recocube packing pellets and Poopy Pallets made from recycled disposable diapers....

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Fears of water and ground pollution from waste are justified, but concerns about the world being buried under garbage seem a bit excessive, no? Perhaps not if you live amongst the stuff. A recent survey of Chinese citizens by China Youth Daily found that 75 percent of those people polled feared that one day the world will be covered in trash. No wonder: for 23 percent of those surveyed, garbage hills can be seen everywhere in the places they are living. China’s cities generate an average of 120 million tons of garbage annually, a number growing at a rate of 8 percent a year. Garbage fees are not the only answer. Fortunately, consumer awareness-raising campaigns (like Global Village Beijing's new Plastic Bag Reduction Network) are becoming more common. But the trash problem, especially in rural areas, is set to get worse before it gets better. Along the east coast, in recycling meccas like Guiyu (above), much of the trash pile is made up of our shiny stuff (iPods and Powerbooks and phones), sent back to its country of origin in the form of toxic-tinged computer waste. ...

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Entries for April 8, 2007 - April 14, 2007

Total this week: 157

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