- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for May 6, 2007 - May 12, 2007
Total this week: 153
Toyota Completely Hybrid by 2020?
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05.12.07
Toyota’s Masatami Takimoto has said that the company has seen some success in reducing the cost of the electrical components used in it's hybrid powertrains. Toyota ultimately aim to sell one million hybrids a year, and Takimoto claims that by the time this goal is reached he will, “expect margins to be equal to gasoline cars”. Interestingly, Takimoto also said that by 2020, all Toyotas will be hybrid. Is this an actual goal for Toyota, or is this an enthusiastic hybrid supporter speaking on his own personal vision for the company? :: Motor Authority
See also ::Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid Selling like Hotcakes...
Trend Day in Second Life: the Eco Way to Travel
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05.12.07
CoreCon Convention Center. The Twelfth Annual Trend Day: Karma Capitalism
What could be more appropriate for attending a conference about the driving trends in society than teleporting directly to the conference with no use of fossil fuels? Of course in the green future, your computer and the SL servers are powered off-grid or with renewables, so your Second Life Avatar can just pop right in to the Convention Center of Alternative Reality, CoreCon, carbon dioxide-free. (Commenters: please don't point out all the minor deficiencies in this scenario, let's just play with it a bit!)
The Trend Büro in Hamburg gathered people in the flesh to hear speakers ranging from Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to Director of the Eco-city Dongtan Project, Peter Head (pictured). But savvy Second Lifers could spare themselves the €850 admission fee and join the virtual conference. The experience was a thrill in and of itself: an introduction to the virtual alternative reality for newbies and an opportunity to see what great horizons virtual reality can offer...and where improvements could make the experience even larger than life.
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Eco Friendly Yarn
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 05.12.07
The resurgence in knitting has created great demand for eco friendly yarns for those knitters who who want to reduce their eco footprint. Green options says: synthetic yarns are also bad for the earth, since they are made from petroleum. Vegans object to using wool, and, although great for many heirloom projects, are just not as sustainable as some of the newer options. Industrially-produced cotton brings with it a slew of environmental problems, including water and soil pollution. TreeHugger has highlighted a few eco yarn options, such as repreve, yarn recycled from post industrial waste, green yarn from Alpaca and recycled saris, hip knitting options, yarn made from corn, and bamboo yarn.
Soysilk is another renewable yarn made from the residue of soybeans from tofu manufacturing, the process is 100 percent natural and free of petrochemicals, soy is a completely renewable and biodegradable resource. (check out the tofu bear made from soysilk mentioned in this previous TreeHugger post). ::via The Arizona Republic ::soy silk...
Cameron Sinclair Wows Toronto
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.12.07
Or at least a small portion of it. Cameron Sinclair deserves better than this lousy photograph (hey, he was backlit!) because he talked for an hour and a half like they did in that old BBC radio show: without hesitation, repetition or deviation, to architects there for mandatory professional development points. I doubt more than 10% knew who he was when they signed up, but they certainly did when they left.
Cameron's Architecture for Humanity is certainly my favourite cause, because they make architecture relevant to the billions of people who we do not normally serve, they respect the talents and skills of the architects who contribute, and they have built the world's largest architecture firm with 4500 designers, all working to arm communities with expertise, technology and social capital. They don't just build quickie shelters but work to build communities based on sustainable prosperity.
Cameron Sinclair shouldn't have been a Saturday morning top-up the schedule with a hung over audience of 100, he should have been the headline speaker, he is that good, and his work is that important. visit and contribute to ::Architecture for Humanity read ::Design Like You Give A damn and join the ::Open Source Architecture Network...
How a Toronto Hotel Welcomes Bicycling Guests
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.12.07
I bicycled to Toronto's Sheraton Centre to attend the Architects Convention, (title: Healthy Buildings Healthy Communities) where the Escalades and Lexi are lined up under the lights at the entrance. Over to the side: this, the most disgusting bike rack I have ever seen, replete with a years worth of cigarette butts and almost no room to park a bike for all of the stripped wrecks. Is this the message that a major convention centre and tourist hotel in a supposedly bike friendly city wants to give to its visitors to a conference on healthy cities? Evidently.
Are bicyclists treated better or worse where you live? Send us a picture, either to lloyd (at) treehugger.com or flickr tagged as treehuggerbikerack....
The Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.12.07
We love community gardens. And we love city farms. It pretty much goes without saying then, that we love the UK-based Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens. Describing itself as "the representative body for city farms, community gardens and similar community-led organisations in the UK", the FCFCG offers a wide range of services, advice and support to the estimated 59 city farms and 1000 community gardens that can be found in the UK. The group also offers help and advice to new groups just starting up, and acts as an advocacy group at the local, national and regional levels. The organization is involved in a huge range of projects, including Every Action Counts, the Allotments Regeneration Initiative, and The School Farms Network.
For more city farm and community garden stories, check out the eviction, and possible resurrection, of South Central Farm in LA, or the efforts of North Carolina-based SEEDS. You can also read about TreeHugger Karin's local community garden in Jerusalem. ...
Coconut Oil Fueling Pacific Islands
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.12.07
The coconut palm is not really a tree. But it looks like one. And island governments, and construction companies like Pacific International, Inc. are reported to be switching diesel powered equipment over to primarily coconut oil. Varying blends with petro-diesel, and kerosene are reported, averaging about 64% plant oil. Throughout the Pacific islands,there are great opportunities to use coconut oil as a fuel, where "according to Jan Cloin of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission. “Coconut oil can be blended with diesel fuel, and under certain conditions totally replace it. Coconut oil in Pacific islands countries is increasingly used in both transport and electricity generation through its lower local cost. Other benefits include the support to local agro-industries and a decrease in emissions.”" See the full story over at PeopleAndPlanet.net for details. Image credit:People and Planet....
World Fair Trade Day: May 12
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.12.07
Today is World Fair Trade Day and this year's theme is "Kids and Fair Trade". This drawing was done by a child in a Bangladeshi school supported by Fair Trade organisations and is entitled “small change, big difference, fair trade.” Children in developing countries need Fair Trade for the simple reason that their parents are paid substandard wages. This often means that children have to work rather than go to school. The International Labour Organization estimates that 126 million children aged 5–14 work in dangerous and illegal conditions worldwide – 73 million of them younger than ten years old. Coffee, cocoa (chocolate), bananas, oranges and sugar are among the food sectors that most exploit child labour as do cotton and textiles, carpets and rugs, jewellery and sports balls. Most children do not get health care when they need it--on average 30,000 die of poverty every day; often victims of malnutrition and easily treatable diseases like measles. Every time we buy Fair Trade we can improve a child’s life because Fair Trade helps poor families earn a decent living and it improves communities by giving them resources. It can mean that families earn enough money to send their children to school. There are numerous heart-warming examples of womens' co-operatives set up that now have the resources to provide health care and support to their families. Seeing this empowerment changes a child's outlook and understanding of the possibilities that the world has to offer. As one teenage daughter said: "At school I have started my own co-operative for girls only. We think that it is not fair that the girls have to do all the housework while the boys can ride around the village on their bicycles and play football. We think the work should be equal between the girls and the boys." Do your bit: buy Fair Trade. :: World Fair Trade Day ...
Down On Eco-Boulevard
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.12.07
To promote its Engineering an Empire series, the History Channel "recently gave select architects in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles seven days to come up with a design for their city 100 years from now, something that “like the marvels of past civilizations, would have the staying power to endure for centuries to come.”" The response from UrbanLab, is nothing short of astounding. Olmsted would be stunned. These designers are so far out of the Loop someone may have to remind them where it is. But that's what makes their submission marvelous. To fully understand the proposal -- called Growing Water: Chicago in 2106 -- it helps to have lived in the Chicago metro area or have studied its development. You can get a pretty good idea of the depth and elegance by reading the detailed coverage given it in The Chicago Reader. See below for an excerpt from the excellent Reader story! As for Toronto's green plan, dream on. The 'City of Big Shoulders' and Green River does green design with panache....
Chinese Water: A Picture is Worth... [Updated]
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.11.07
"water samples collected by Wu Yilong from Chinese urban rivers and lakes."
Photo credit: Teh Eng Koon/AFP/Getty Images
Via: ::The Guardian
Update: See also ::Isn't It Ironic? China Calls For Citizen Activism, Detains Environmentalist, ::China's Green Revolution: How Far Will It (Not) Go?, ::China Wakes Up Thirsty and Worried, ::Dark Cloud Over China's Water...
Nokia add Energy Saving Alerts
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05.11.07
Nokia have released a new feature to alert users to unplug their phone from the charger once the battery is full. Nokia claim that it could save enough power to supply 85,000 homes, as phone chargers waste power when they remain plugged in.
The feature is being introduced with the Nokia 1200, 1208 and 1650, but the company plan to make it universal across the whole product range. This is a wonderful example of how technology needs to adapt to save power. It's not a simple case of making devices more efficient, but technology needs to alter behaviour. By providing gentle reminders and hints, technology can provide encouragement and steer people towards greener behaviour. If a device is sitting there, plugged in, wasting power, then it should alert it's owner. If a device sits inactive for a certain period of time, then it should shut itself down. :: Nokia See also :: Please unplug your phone charger now...
L.A. Demands Fire-Fighting Goats
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.11.07
Photo credit: dashananda
These goats are headed to the Hollywood Hills to chew clover and kick ass.
And they're all out of clover.
But that's only if the good citizens of Los Angeles get their way. They're crying out for a herd of four-hoofed firefighters in the wake of a series of wildfires that devastated wide swaths of urban wilderness, killing or displacing thousands of animals and endangering nearby homes.
No ifs or...heh....butts about it: L.A. wants goats....
Gravity Skateboards Designs a Green Ride
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 05.11.07
Last year, TreeHugger TV featured Comet Skateboards, a sustainable skateboard company that uses bamboo as the main material in their products. When we were recently thumbing through Men’s Journal we came across their “MJ List” which featured another skateboard company called Gravity. Their new “Gravity V-Lam” skateboard is the company’s “greenest model ever” and made in California from recycled scrap birch. We couldn’t find much about the company on their website, but we do know that the V-Lam is available in the 27-inch Mini (their smallest board) as well as the 42-inch Spoon Nose. Via ::Men's Journal ::Gravity Skateboards...
New LCA Chair Announced in Montreal
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 05.11.07
On May 8th CIRAIG, Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique Interuniversity Research Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services, announced the official launch of the International Industrial Chair in LCA methodology. The initial budget for the project totals $4.5 million over five years. Funding will be provided by industrial and financial partners such as Alcan, Bell Canada, Cascades, le Mouvement des caisses Desjardins, Hydro-Québec, and Johnson & Johnson, as well as Arcelor-Mittal, Électricité de France / Gaz de France, Total, and Veolia Environnement, which will each invest $450,000. ...
Help Re-Name Glacier National Park
by EcoGeek.org on 05.11.07
Today, Glacier National Park turns 97. Unfortunately, it's looking like this year might be one of the last years in which a birthday celebration at Glacier National Park actually has glaciers present. In 1850 there were over 150 glaciers in the park, today there are a couple dozen.
Experts estimate that the final glacier will melt from the park in the next twenty to thirty years. So the National Environmental Trust is asking residents of Montana (and the world) what we will call the park when that day comes.
Anna Swanson, who represents the National Environmental Trust from Montana says, “Glacier National Park is Montana’s icon and our nation’s crown of the continent. If Congress doesn’t act soon to address global warming, we’re going to have to rename Glacier.” ...
TreeHugger Picks: The Grass is Greener...
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.11.07
Even casual readers of TreeHugger could probably guess our favorite color. There's an awful lot of green around here, for sure, for good reason: not only does it represent the general tenet of our work, pushing sustainability into the mainstream, but also matches the hue of some important TreeHugger materials. Inspired by the National Theatreliterally going green, today, we'll take a look at some of our picks for green, green grass projects and ideas.
1) The Grass Chair is the ultimate grow-your-own and the answer to some design problems -- where to put the garden chairs, what kind to buy, will they get rusty, be comfortable, be green, look good…
2) Julian Lwin's BioBench is created from recycled cardboard cylinders embedded with seeds using a cellulose liquid; as the grass grows, the bench is designed specifically to biodegrade into ‘a rich mulch layer’ and turn into an ‘instant garden.’
3) The Wall Grass proves grass can be used for more than crazy seating ideas, as it helps humidify and purify the air inside and even out in your garden.
4) Ukranian fashion designer Andre Tan took the idea that grass is meant to be walked on pretty literally when he designed these sandals.
5) If your weekend plans call for cutting grass, be sure to leave the clippings behind. When done properly, clippings quickly decompose and return the nutrients to the soil naturally; we recommend a reel mower (they really work!) or maybe the Enviromower Eco 500....
Most Huggable: The Encyclopedia of Life, Denmark’s Windy Plan, and Carbon Neutral Clothing
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 05.11.07
Says Lester Brown, a shift to compact fluorescents could replace 270 coal-fired plants… “From Aardvark to Zinnia,” the Encyclopedia of Life will be a searchable database of the Earth’s species… Denmark has its eye on gleaning 75% of its power needs from offshore wind… Tell mosquitoes to buzz off—without pesticides… The Carbon Neutral Clothing label certifies that a garment’s impacts are being accounted for… Most Huggable is a daily roundup of some of the top stories from Hugg.com, TreeHugger’s user-generated green news site. Why not submit your own green news?...
Virgin or EasyJet?
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05.11.07
EasyJet have gone to the UK Advertising Standards Authority to complain about a recent Virgin Trains campaign. The adverts claimed that a train journey emits three-quarters less carbon dioxide than traveling by air. The low-cost airline claim that Virgin massaged their passenger figures to make themselves seem a little more efficient than they actually are. This seems very hypocritical coming from a company that was caught out earlier this year for having "inaccurately portrayed" the environmental benefits of its new aircraft.
A Virgin Train spokesman said, "this really smacks of desperation. If an airline really thinks it can challenge a train company on these figures it is barking up the wrong tree. We stand by these figures and we will continue to advertise them."
In the UK it's completely possible to take the train anywhere you need to go, there are very few journeys long enough to warrant an internal flight. The only problem is the cost, which is usually far higher for train journeys than similar plane trips. I regularly travel between London and Amsterdam, and always take the ferry/train option over flying. As well as the reduced emissions, there are other benefits like travelling directly into the centre of cities, rather than 20 miles out, and less of those annoying security checks. This week I am travelling to Switzerland by train, and I will board, sleep 8 hours and wake up in the morning exactly where I need to be. That beats flying in so many ways.:: The Guardian See also :: Take the train :: Environmentalist's travel guide...
Illegal Ivory Trade Increases
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05.11.07
Trade in illegal ivory is growing, according to the monitoring group, Traffic. The group blame East Asian organised crime for the increase, who gather ivory in Africa to smuggle back to Asia. Little of the material is shipped to the West, with most being sold in China. Traffic claim that seizures have doubled, and there are now around 3 per day.
Sue Lieberman, director of the global species programme at the WWF, said, "The Asian market is the key. It is thriving again in Thailand, and a lot of Chinese businesses have moved into Africa, for example timber companies, which means more ivory is coming out."
Unfortunately, for certain war-torn countries in Africa, ivory is not a priority, making it relatively easy for poachers and smugglers, "With myriad conflicts, central Africa is currently haemorrhaging ivory," said Tom Milliken of Traffic. :: BBC
See also :: Elephant dung paper :: China's tiger trade ban...
Time to Vote: Sundance Channel's "What's the Big Idea?" Contest
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.11.07
The Sundance Channel's "What's the Big Idea?" contest (you may remember that we mentioned it here and here) has narrowed the field of entries to the 25 finalists, and it's time to vote! You can vote once per day until Thursday, May 31; from the public vote, a panel of judges will choose the winner from the top 5 finalists. So, will it be "The Sexiest Cloth Bag Contest" or "Poop to Power"? How about "Beyond the Lawn"? Or maybe "The Grocery Vest" or "Silent Revolution" -- your votes will help decide. Go watch the videos and vote for your favorite, and while you're there, why not take a gander at the The Green Guide or the TreeHugger blog for some more green goodness. Remember: you can vote once a day from now until May 31, and your vote helps decide who gets to lease a Lexus hybrid for a year and get $10,000 to make their big idea a reality. Vote early and vote often! ::Sundance Channel's "What's the Big Idea?" Contest...
HauteGREEN 2007 Sneak Peek: Eco Collection by In2green
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.11.07
Today's entry into the HauteGREEN 2007 Sneak Peek series seeks to reevaluate and re-brand the notion of "recycled". The "Eco Collection" from In2green is a series of throw and yoga blankets made from "eco2cotton", yarns made from pre-consumer clippings that are salvaged from large cut & sew manufactures. Says designer Lori Slater, "As an interior designer I felt that there was a void in the 'eco-home furnishing' market place. I think that people understand "organic" but have a misconception when it comes to recycled.
When people think of recycled they tend to think of used or worn. This collection reflects how we can incorporate beautiful, environmentally-responsible, recycled items into our home." As intended, the designs (there are four in the collection) belie the traditional notion of what "recycled" looks like: they're all colorful and modern, and if everything TreeHugger saw that was recycled looked this good, we'd be happy campers. The Eco Collection will be at both the main and satellite (at Design Within Reach) exhibitions, and since each blanket is knit, they're really worth seeing up close to get a look at the detail and intricacies of each. Pics of all four designs are after the jump! ::HauteGREEN 2007 and ::In2green...
MTV Seeks Eco – Activists Clichés: Is Casting Call for “Eco-Activists” Call for Eco-Stereotypes?
by Olivia Zaleski, New York City, USA on 05.11.07
Wednesday, I posted a casting call for MTVs TRUE LIFE: I’m Stopping Global Warming, an episode highlighting “young environmentalists taking action” and “making change happen.” But what does “taking action” really mean to MTV?
One TH reader, claims she contacted MTV with her story, but was quickly dismissed for not being an “in-your-face angry-protester stereotype of environmentalists.” Curious, I had to investigate and contacted MTV casting.
“We want to inspire kids and students to take action,” said MTV’s casting researcher. “We’re looking for those kids sleeping in the woods so the endangered forest doesn’t get cut down.” Don’t get me wrong . . . it’s great that MTV is drawing mainstream attention to environmental issues, but please, let’s avoid these useless clichés. ...
China Goes Car-Free - For A Day
by Rachel Wasser, Beijing, China on 05.11.07
Good news for anyone struggling to breathe China's urban air! You can look forward to next September 22nd, when for a day the Middle Kingdom will put the brakes on its love affair with the automobile. For the first time, the national government is getting behind World Carfree Day. In proper Chinese fashion, China's first official urban car-free day will be big: more than 100 Chinese cities are slated to take part, including Beijing and (recent auto show host) Shanghai. Officials will be made to trade their trademark black sedans for public transport, and some roads will be closed to private cars....
Cost of Mitigating Global Warming: $10/Person?
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 05.11.07
Last week's report by Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claimed that the cost of stabilizing CO2 emissions would be .12% of the annual gross domestic product. On it's face, that doesn't sound like much, but what does it actually mean in terms of dollars and cents? Our friends at DeSmogBlog did some calculating. Writer Kevin Grandia offers the following figures:
GDP of the world economy: US$60 trillion .12% of $60 trillion: $70 billion Total population of the earth: 6.5 billion Cost per person to significantly reduce heat-trapping gas worldwide: $10 a year Cost of saving the planet from droughts, famine, mass flooding, species extinction and rising sea levels: priceless. ... Here's the math: $60 trillion/.0012/6.5 billion = 10 (rounded figures)Not bad, huh? Obviously, no government or entity will be sending out bills for $10 to every person on the planet, but that figure serves the very useful purpose of countering arguments that claim climate change mitigation would wreck developed economies. Given the economic damage that could occur from rising sea levels, more severe weather events, and crop failures, this seems like a genuine bargain. We're almost certain you have thoughts on this... ::DeSmogBlog Image source: DeSmogBlog...
Fair Shares, Fair Choice: Voluntary Carbon Rationing for Contraction and Convergence
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.11.07
We've written about voluntary carbon rationing before. Now we've come across another effort that seeks to encourage individuals and businesses to work towards greatly reduced carbon footprints. Fair Shares, Fair Choice is a new movement, based in the South West of England, that is advocating personal and societal moves in support of 'contraction and convergence.' Contraction and convergence is basically the concept of the developed world agreeing to reduce it's CO2 emissions year-on-year, while developing countries agree to limit their increases in emissions as they grow their economies - the ultimate goal being that the countries converge at a mutually agreed sustainable level of global emissions. Members join the movement by agreeing to live within a 'fair share' of carbon emissions, and this fair share is gradually reduced year-on-year. It doesn't end there, however, as the movement offers coaching and advice to help people reach their targets both at home, at work, at school or in the wider community. The website also offers an online community of like-minded souls, where folks can share their stories of success and failure, and learn from each other. Fair Shares, Fair Choice is clearly thinking beyond the impact of each individual's action as it seeks to show government and decision makers that widespread support for carbon rationing is possible:
"Joining the FSFC movement is a way to show your support for the principle of living within a globally fair and safe share of CO2 emissions (it isn't for anyone who feels that they will benefit from catastrophic climate change!)."::Fair Shares, Fair Choice:: ...
Teens Help Low-Income Families Go Green With RelightNY
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05.11.07
That’s right, led by Avery Hairston the founder of RelightNY they headed on over to the Genesis RFK apartments in NYC last Saturday to deliver their first shipment of CFL’s to low income families. What’s it like to live in the Genesis RFK apartments? Well, they're actually a project of HELP USA for families who often used to be homeless; providing services like medical services, employment services, alcohol and narcotics anonymous meetings on site, GED classes, parenting classes, on-site security and even classes for kids too that can help them raise their level of skill in any number of areas. Let’s face it, being homeless is probably one of the most difficult challenges anyone can face, and having taught a couple of homeless students in my career I can say for sure that an environment like this is one they all could benefit from. Thankfully the families at this oasis now get the chance to go green right along with the rest of us. And that’s important, because if we’re going to succeed in making this planet sustainable the reality is that we all have to be able to go green, and not just those who we like to think can afford to do it on their own. Now where are the teens running RelightNY heading next? Who knows, but with a dedication to educating low-income families about CFL’s and a focus on corporate fundraising to make it happen I’m certain they’ll succeed.
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Transformer Furniture: Dan Sunaga's ItoMaki Table
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.07
Google translator doesn't do Swedish, so I can't tell you much about Dan Sunaga's expanding base table. When pushed inward, the web of interlocking wood pieces rise to the appropriate height; when pulled outward it widens and lowers to a coffee table. ::Karl Andersson & Söner via ::Architectural Record (not online)
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Hire Things (and Cahooting): Extracting More Usefulness
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.11.07
Hire Things started out in October last year as Let Use It, changing its name in response to user feedback. It takes the middle ground between eBay (for sale) and Freecycle (for free), offering goods for hire. Instead of owning goods outright you only pay for the time you need to use them. A classic product service system (PSS), but rather than the items belonging to a business, in the typical rental model, they are owned by the average you and me. Currently operating in New Zealand, the founders have plans to expand into other markets like Australia and the UK in the next couple of years. They may find the British market a little competitive as there are already similar services on offer there. One is Cahooting, whose mission is to “help make the world become a more fun and sustainable place, by reducing unnecessary production and pollution !” (Whereas Hire Things seems to have a slightly less altruistic philosophy. “Use it as an excuse to buy that thing you’ve always wanted because you can make your money back hiring it out to others!”) Another British model is called Anything for Hire, where you can get what you’ve always dreamed of since being a kid: castles and even dragons. Hire Things, via Springwise (see also their related trendspotting article on Transumers.)...
New carbon emission-reducing projects approved in Israel
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 05.11.07
If you sit on Azza Street in Jerusalem sipping a latte in The Coffee Shop beside Bibi Netanyahu’s bodyguards (he lives up the street), it’s hard to believe that Israel is still classified as a developing nation. Using the definition to its advantage, Israel is making use of guidelines laid down in the Kyoto Protocol, which Israel signed and that allows industrialized countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment to invest in emission reducing projects in developing countries. Israel has decided to implement the Clean Development Mechanism [CDM] worldwide standard, the Jerusalem Post, reports and last month approved three new projects to reduce greenhouse gases....
Irresidence: Off grid Downloadable Design
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.07
There is a confluence of ideas happening that will generate the efficient, green house of the future. Prefab offers the promise of replication of proven, tested designs with factory controlled quality; digital driving of CNC machines offers tighter tolerances, more effective use of materials and less waste; easy prototyping through 3D fabbing makes housing design more like industrial design, where casting a model can lead to saving a nickel per unit, useless on a single house but huge on a million unit product run. That is why housing is so inefficient, it is all one-offs.
That is why with a dozen green options at the Ontario Association of Architects convention in Toronto, I attended the presentations on "Managing Digital Fabrication: Improving the Dialogue of Design from Idea to Manufacture" to see the future, and what a promising future it is. ...
National Theatre Grows Green
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.11.07
British artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey love grass. A few years ago they grew it all over the floor, ceiling and walls of a deconsecrated church and they have invented a way of using photosynthesis so that they can make faces and images on it. They are even growing it on the wall of their dining room. For their latest creation, they are covering the fly tower of the National Theatre. The fly tower is a very prominent part of this important 1970's building, flying high above its severe concrete monolithic base (see the before). Now here is the after, covered with vivid grass on two sides. It has become "a beacon of green" in the area; it almost looks like a blanket or, dare we say it--astro-turf! The artists say it is "a reminder of rolling fields in the midst of the city." Working with a crew of twenty, the artists hauled two and a half tons of clay up 10 storeys of scaffolding and smeared it across the concrete to a thickness of four or five millimetres. Then they had to push the seedlings into the damp clay. Gradually the green grass will grow longer, as it is watered by rain and gardeners, and ultimately it will yellow and die. This is a comment on growth, decay and global warming. Calling their work "perverse horticulture", the artists are very concerned with the environment and their art shows it. They were part of the Natural History Museum's exhibition of climate change in the Arctic--their piece was a whale's skeleton which they froze and then covered with crystals. Future projects include designing a wind turbine and a carbon neutral house. :: National Theatre...
Ontario Green Plan Stomps Federal Canadian Plan
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.07
Ontario is like California in the States- big, rich and powerful and able to set its own standards no matter what the feds do. Two days ago I was ready to trash Ontario Environment Minister Laurel Broten for her half-assed plan to reduce the use of plastic bags by 50% in five years, and her abysmal radio performance on CBC where she outdid Dilbert's pointy-haired boss by proposing "an impactful multifaceted approach. We have all hands on deck to build a lesser footprint and incentivize the public"
However notwithstanding her fondness for jargon, she has now proposed a solid plan for cutting emissions, closing coal burning power plants (better late than never) and burning biomass,supporting development of small-scale wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric projects; banning incandescent bulbs, promoting LEED buildings, and upping the credits for buying efficient cars. It isn't perfect but it is a laudable start.
A pile of different initiatives but Premier McGuinty (shown above with Laurel Broton) says small steps accumulate: "Somebody recently said that when it comes to dealing with climate change and environmental issues generally, it would be a mistake to look for a silver bullet and we should be deploying silver buckshot." ::Tyler Hamilton in the Star...
Picture worth 1000 Words Dept: Chinese Trawlers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.07
Mike just did a picture of Chinese water yesterday, and now we see this- trawlers vacuuming the bottom of the ocean off the mouth of the Yangtse. We covered shrimp production earlier: ""one of the most destructive means by which humans produce food." Now we see these satellite images that fisheries scientist Daniel Pauly says: “What was not known before was that you could see these mud trails from space. I was flabbergasted by it.” and “They lift up huge quantities of mud. Basically the implications are terrifying,” said Mr. Pauly. “Trawling is destroying bottom habitat.” He continues: “The one from China blew everyone's mind,” said Mr. Pauly, who has shared it with his colleagues around the world. “This really shows the impact of trolling is like agriculture on land. There is no chance for wild animals to live there. “All the [ocean] shelves on Earth are being trawled. The damage being done is enormous." ::Globe and Mail and ::Telegraph...
Bauwerk Colour Lime Paints
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.11.07
Contrary to the German sounding name Bauwerk Colour paints come from Western Australia. What is European about them is the tradition of using hydrated rock lime to provide natural adhesion to masonry surfaces (stone, render, brick, concrete, plasterboard, fibro-cement, etc). Although not suited to timber or metal, these paints are ideal where you have a mineral based surface that you need a durable finish to bond with. To the lime Bauwerk mix over 120 mostly earthen and mineral pigments (though some synthetic ones are used) to achieve a wide variety of colours. According to the company’s website their paint is also free of glycol ethers, heavy metals, ozone-depleting substances, hydrocarbon solvent, toxic dispersal agents (alkylphenol ethoxylates or APEOs), any known or suspected carcinogenic substances (those that cause cancer) and they contain less than 1g/L of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Aside from these interior and exterior paints they also offer a line called Savon Noir (french for Black Soap). This is apparently made from the hulls of black olives and has an “ability to aid carbonisation in curing lime renders and to make them watertight”, which makes it suitable for terracotta tiles and floors with absorbent surfaces. Plus they have a anti-graffiti surface treatment based on plant starch that when applied to stone, tiles, painted walls and metal is said to protect them from “penetration by oil and acrylic paints, inks and markers for up to five years.” ::Bauwerk. ...
Breastfeeding is Eco-Friendly
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.10.07
Photo credit: Coastal Birth
Score another one for the breast-is-best brigade. Breastfeeding is eco-friendly. (Or is this a d'oh moment for all you tree-hugging parental types?)
Says Jessica Gunsch from BellaOnline:
The use of formula makes a huge negative impact on the planet by consuming energy, taking up space in landfills as well as polluting the air, water and ground. The production of formula uses hundreds of resources to create the final product including paper, metal, ink, pesticides, land, fertilizers, animals, water, fuel, crops, etc....
Zen Blaster
by Joey Roth, Brooklyn, USA on 05.10.07
Inspired by traditional bucket-and-bamboo water carriers, Designer Waikit Chung created this digital boombox for monks. While Wakit's design might be slow to market (the Zen Buddhist/ loud music crossover market is definitely niche) the blaster is a great example of design that fits seamlessly within the cultural and natural ecology of its intended users. It seems almost a reaction to the iPod and its ilk, fostering community rather than headphone-assisted isolation....
Bad News: Climate Change Faster Than Expected
by Tim McGee, Helena, MT, USA on 05.10.07
A brevia in this weeks edition of the journal Science (subscription) points out the climate is changing faster than we expected. The IPCC scenario's for climate change begin in the year 1990, and predict the expected changes into the future based on our best understanding of Earth's climate system. The brevia compared our observations over the past 16 years with the predictions from the IPCC. Some of this weeks findings include:
1. CO2 levels match expected levels- but we got the details wrong of why this is the case, miscalculating our sink and sources. Better lucky than good?
2. Global Mean Surface Temperature Increase is at the high end of expected levels. The warming trend is happening quicker than most expectations, for unknown reasons.
3. Sea Level Rise is faster than expected. 2mm/year was expected but we have been getting our feet wet at 3.3mm/year (+/- 0.4).
Put together, the past 16 years have exceeded our expectations for change. This doesn't mean rapid change will continue to happen, but we could call these results a 'trend'. The IPCC has been criticized for exaggerating climate change scenario's- but in light of the past 16 years- it looks like the IPCC might have been too conservative. ::Science...
Breathe Easy: The Filter Scarf
by Joey Roth, Brooklyn, USA on 05.10.07
Here's a filter you might want to wear whether or not you're breathing urban air. Designed by Carl Hagerling, Claes Nellestam and Martin Pråme, this minimal gray scarf is lined with a flexible carbon filter that cleans all you inhale. It's also equipped with an air quality sensor that let's you know when to scarf up. Although personal-protection-turned-fashion is sad comment on the air quality of cities, this could also be a great way to prevent the spread of colds during the winter. ...
Monsanto’s Monopoly Challenged in Munich -- Final Verdict
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 05.10.07
[This is a guest-post by the ETC Group. The first part of this two part post is here -Ed.]
We just defeated Monsanto! (or at least their patent!). We just had amazing news through from Hope Shand and our legal team in Munich opposing Monsanto’s Soybean patent. The European patent office has just ruled that the patent is revoked! This comes after a 13 year battle trying to challenge this patent which had conferred Monsanto a species-wide monopoly on soybeans.
Daniel Alexander and Tim Roberts (ETC Group’s lawyers) made brilliant arguments. the patent’s claim to novelty and sufficiency were knocked down and the entire patent unraveled afterwards. The tragedy, of course, is that it took 13 years to kill this immoral patent — which was ultimately revoked on technical merits. In addition to ETC Group and Greenpeace, Syngenta also made oral arguments opposing the patent.
One of the key arguments that won the day was using Monsanto’s original 1994 opposition statement - -the famous Hinchee Declaration. Monsanto originally opposed the patent when it wasgranted to Agracetus. they then dropped their opposition when they bought Agracetus and have since used it to bully farmers, grain traders and even countries. It is the most delicious irony that Monsanto’s own arguments against the patent (1994) were key in defeating it ultimately. More here....
Delaying Tactics Put U.S. Wildlife in Hot Water
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05.10.07
Like my beleaguered husband likes to tell me in the morning—as he gives me a swift kick in the direction of the shower—it's time to "put it on fast speed." Just substitute the U.S. Endangered Species Act for a somnolent but potentially hostile word wrangler, and you'll catch my analogous drift.
Such is the situation with U.S. wildlife officials, who apparently also need some extreme caffeination to snap out of whatever reverie they're in. A rare plant known as the Hawaiian Haha went extinct while it stood in line waiting to be placed on the Endangered Species list. But the Haha's untimely demise is symptomatic of larger problems at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which administers programs aimed at protecting threatened species, according to a report released yesterday by the Center for Biological Diversity.
The organization crunched out some startling—yet at the same time unsurprising—numbers: The Bush administration has listed 57 species as protected since 2001, a sharp downturn from the 512 species listed in the Clinton Administration, and less than the 234 species listed during the four-year presidency of the current president's father.
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ScrapEden: Recycled Public Art
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 05.10.07
In the tradition of their recycled architecture as art masterpiece, the Scrap House, the interactive public art pioneers at Black Rock Arts Foundation are set to again create art from recycled and reclaimed materials. For three months starting in early June, Black Rock Arts Foundation is teaming with local park groups and artists to create ScrapEden, a plan to reuse common landfill materials in San Francisco into three area park art installations. Casa de la Imagainacion, a children's play area made from discarded construction materials, milk cartons and bicycle tires, Sol Flor, a mosaic made with found materials, and the Panhandle Bandshell (artist's rendering above), a performance stage made primarily from car hoods, all aim to raise public awareness about waste, consumption and reuse. ...
Cut Back on Energy Use from Your Dryer
by Union of Concerned Scientists on 05.10.07
Electric dryers are often among the top energy-uses in a home, right behind refrigerators, lighting and water heaters. Because the average dryer uses 875 killowatt hours of electricity a year, it's a prime target for reducing global warming pollution and saving money on your utility bill.
The best way to cut dryer use is to hang clothes to dry whenever possible, either outdoors or in the home. However, there are other ways to operate a dryer more efficiently that can cut its total energy use:...
Burning Methane Could Improve Hydro-Electric Power
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05.10.07
Hydro-electric dams can often cause significant damage to the environment by releasing methane into the atmosphere. Bacteria break down organic matter on the bottom of lakes and reservoirs, producing the natural gas. When intake pipes for hydro-electric plants suck this methane rich water or matter up, they release the gas into the air. It’s the reason for much controversy surrounding what is often thought of as a green source of power. In fact, some critics believe that certain dams contribute more to climate change than a fossil fuel plant would....
TreeHugger Looking for a Bookkeeper
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 05.10.07
TreeHugger is growing fast and we are hiring. We need a bookkeeper / administrative manager to maintain our financial records and run our other administrative systems. This is a full time position approximately half the time would be bookkeeping, the rest general administration.
Primary responsibilities would include:
* Maintenance of accounting records using Quickbooks
* Bank reconciliations, bill payment, payroll management
* Coordination with our accountant to manage the accounting system and provide required tax filing and other information.
* Ongoing interaction with advertisers including preparation of quotes, billing and collection.
* General administrative responsibilities.
This person should be motivated by a concern for the environment. We are looking for someone with good organizational, communication and interpersonal skills. The position is virtual, but will ideally include face to face contact about once a week in either Manhattan or Northern New Jersey. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working from home and have high speed access and computer equipment. Computer literacy, familiarity with Quickbooks and understanding of general accounting concepts are a must.
Compensation flexible and commensurate with experience.
Please send resumes to: shayne at treehugger.com ...
TreeHugger Radio: Simulating a World Without Oil, The Power of Passing Cars, and a Biofuel Breakdown
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 05.10.07
This week, correspondent Jeff McIntire Strasburg sheds some light on the murky question of ethanol versus biodiesel. We speak with Mark Oberholzer, a runner-up in the 2006 Metropolis Next Generation Design Competition, whose plan for roadside turbines aims at getting something back from the flow of traffic. We also speak with the designer of World Without Oil, an online alternate reality game that simulates a world in the throes of an oil shock. Listen to TreeHugger Radio every Friday on Air America’s EcoTalk, here at TreeHugger.com, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. (listen/right click to download) ::TreeHugger Radio (TreeHugger Radio is written by Simran Sethi and produced by Jacob Gordon) ...
£200 Charge to Drive in London
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05.10.07
The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is outlining plans for a low-emission zone (LEZ) in the capital. Under the plan, highly polluting commercial vehicles like buses and lorries could be charged up to £200 ($400) a day to drive in the city. Currently there is an £8-a-day charge to drive a car in Central London, but under the plans the most polluting cars will pay £25 a day to enter the zone, which will be extended to include all 33 boroughs. Penalties will also be increased, with a bill of up to £1,000 if caught without having paid the charge. ...
Inspired for change
by Ron Dembo, Zerofootprint on 05.10.07
This week, Ron Dembo’s daughter, Justine, is writing in his place. Justine is a medical student at the University of Toronto.
On May 3, 2007 I attended an inspirational forum lead by Australian activist and “Deep Ecologist” John Seed. It was hosted by the Sustainability Network, which is a Toronto company that works to enrich nonprofit environmental agencies by providing management assistance and training. The focus of this forum, which was part of Mr. Seed’s five-month international tour, was on “despair and empowerment” in the current climate change movement; the intent was to inspire individual and political action toward supporting the movement.
I came out of the forum feeling more inspired than I have in months, and so I wanted to share some of this inspiration with members of Zerofootprint. In the beginning, Mr. Seed discussed some interesting facts: Australia is the world’s most prominent exporter of coal, and this coal then contributes to over 1% of today’s greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, Australia is a major producer of methane gas, through its farming of ruminant animals. And yet, according to Mr. Seed, Australians are working to reduce their impact on the environment through legislating power usage, air pollution, and everything else except for these above two issues. This is ironic, given the dire situation in which Australians are finding themselves – including severe droughts and impending fresh water shortages – as a result of global warming. ...
Mark Morford on the "Honeybee Apocalypse"
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 05.10.07
We've written about "colony collapse disorder" and the massive decline in honeybee populations a number of times here at Treehugger. Yesterday, SFGate.com and San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mark Morford offered his two cents on this disturbing development, and we thought it was worth a nod. According to Morford,
What's killing all the bees? Is it some sort of new, ultra-resilient parasite? Is it pesticides? Overbreeding? Stress? Pollution and genetic diddering and cell phone towers? Is it Ashlee Simpson? No one has a clue. Check that: A few smart people have a clue or two (it's a newfangled parasite! says the guy who helped find the cause of SARS), but at this point they're basically just guessing. Most say it's likely some complicated tangle of causes, some mishmash problem that won't be so easy to decipher. I know what you're thinking. And yes, chances are very good we'll figure it all out before the Great Pomegranate Wars of 2010. Surely we'll manage to finagle and wend and sneak our way out of yet another calamitous man-made (or at the very least, man-assisted) natural catastrophe because, well, this is what we do. We're a scrappy species. We have science and money and brains that deduce. Surely we'll find a way to seduce the bees back to life and it's entirely possible you've already read about and then forgotten this disturbing story entirely because, well, what the hell can you really do about it?Doom and gloom? Perhaps. Morford's Swiftian approach may put some off, but there's also a glimmer of hope here that we can respond to this "karmic bitch-slap" and see the "honeybee apocalypse" as a canary in the mine moment that spurs us to action. At the very least, we can laugh... ::SFGate.com...
Design Can Change: Encouraging Sustainability in the Design Field
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.10.07
About three years ago, Canadian design firm smashLab decided they wanted to be more sustainable and cut back on energy use. After doing some research and learning more -- not just about energy efficiency for the firm, but about global warming -- they decided that other designers could benefit from their research and knowledge. A few twists and turns aside, the result is Design Can Change, an online portal for graphics and other paper-based designers to learn more about global warming: the issue, potential for change, actions to take, the community building around it, and resources for further learning. The premise for the entire project is that designers play a large role at the beginning of lots of different projects and businesses; by educating them on how to design with more sustainable practices, they can make more positive proactive change rather than waiting to band-aid the problem later.
::Design Can Change and ::smashLab via ::PingMag...
A Green Pediatric Hospital Grows in Pittsburgh
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05.10.07
There’s news out of Pittsburgh that the Heinz Endowments have awarded $5 Million to the Children’s Hospital there to be utilized in the establishment of an environmentally friendly hospital that treats environmental diseases. Specifically, the grant will be used to create the Pediatric Environmental Medicine Center inside of the new $575 Million “green” hospital being built, and that in and of itself sounds like quite a bright idea to me. Let’s face it, why shouldn’t all hospitals be as green as they can be? But this new Children’s Hospital will be one of the first in the nation incorporating environmentally “green” technology into it’s infrastructure; including things like air filtration systems that lower emissions, water fixtures that reduce water use and waste management that reduces the amount of solid waste in landfills. Not enough? How about even more great stuff like easy access to public transportation, availability of bike racks and showers, recycling water when appropriate, preferred parking for those who carpool, and even the use of recycled materials when constructing the building itself. And they’re realizing it makes business sense too because research shows that environmentally sustainable buildings contribute to the improved health, comfort, and productivity of their residents through the use of more natural light and the promotion better air quality. That means patients and staff will have an easier time focusing on improving healthcare and recovery, and less time feeling like they’re spending time in a cold, dark hospital. And in this new, environmentally friendly pediatric center their first order of business will be to develop new ways to prevent and treat asthma. I’m thinking that given its extraordinarily high rate of incidence among children in this country they probably couldn’t have made a better choice for an initial focus. via::centredaily.com...
The Selective Flush - "If It's Yellow..."
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.10.07
A few weeks back we posted on the water-saving technique known as the Navy Shower. At the time, we briefly wondered whether the topic was right for TreeHugger, given many of our readers' interests in high-end, design-oriented sustainability solutions. The response, however, was huge - it seems many of you are also interested in those simple lifestyle changes that can shave so much off of your eco-footprint. It is in this spirit, then, that we now post on another simple action which can greatly reduce water shortage, and which will be familiar to many of you. Unlike the Navy Shower, this one doesn't appear to have a name, so, for now, we'll call it the Selective Flush (we'd be happy to hear some more imaginitive suggestions). The technique is probably best known by the phrase "If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down." That's right - we are talking about the simple act of refraining from flushing the toilet each time you pee. In our experience, this habit tends to provoke strong oppinions, either for or against. Some see it as absolutely second nature, and argue that peeing in drinking water is a little obscene anyway, meanwhile others are inclined to find it revolting. A little while back Ken Livingstone, the always controversial Mayor of London, attracted strong criticism for advocating that Londoners should think before they flush. The Conservative Party's Spokesperson for the Environment argued at the time that the Mayor was going too far:
"Water use is clearly an important issue but the Mayor is being a tad alarmist with his request that Londoners do not flush the toilet unless it is absolutely necessary. If the issue of water usage is so great that we have to consider such unappealing solutions then why has the Mayor waited so long to act."...
Televisions Will Consume More Energy Than a Fridge
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05.10.07
Once visited a new friend’s apartment to find a ginormous plasma television dominating the living room. Maybe noticing the arc of my eyebrows, she swiftly disowned it, “It’s not mine. I’m minding it for a friend.” I’ve always been bemused how, on one hand we want to ‘go out’ for a coffee or a meal, but on the other feel some burning need to bring the cinema experience home. Was therefore happy to have my prejudges reinforced recently when encountering this quote: "By 2012, it will be safe to say that televisions will use more power than the average refrigerator in an average household." So said Keith Jones of Digital CEnergy Australia, who consults to the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) and was once the General Manager of Panasonic TV (Australia). He goes further, saying that early generation plasmas can be four times as energy hungry as the venerable CRT (cathode ray tube) tellies. We do note that the AGO reckon fridges contribute 9% to an average households greenhouse gas emissions, so having your TV rank alongside such a hefty figure is significant. If you are going to have one of these behemoths in your home, then it seems that rear projection units are currently the best bet, followed by modulating backlight LCD models. But whatever your television, turning it off at the wall is always a positive option. See some of Keith’s papers on the TV power consumption at the US EPA site. Quote was found at ::Renovation Nation.
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People Tree Goes Designer
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.10.07
Even though we all know that eco-fashion does not consist of hemp bags and tie-dyed shirts, some people still persist in this obsolete view. People Tree has been key in moving green, Fair Trade fashion into the forefront. Now they have taken it a step further by working with Japanese Vogue and 4 international fashion designers, Thakoon, Richard Nicoll, Bora Aksu and Foundation Addict to create exclusive Fair Trade fashion pieces bearing their names. The limited edition collection--only 100 pieces per style will be available in the UK--will appear in the June 2007 issue of Japanese Vogue modelled by supermodels, Helena Christensen, Lily Cole, Shalom Harlow and Anne Watanabe. Now that’s high fashion. People Tree and Vogue Japan approached the designers a year ago to ask if they would be willing to participate in this experimental and challenging project. These designers would have to modify their patterns so that the tailors and dressmakers in the third world countries would be able to make them, since skill development is a key component of Fair Trade and many of the designs required new and different tailoring and finishing techniques. They worked with Fair Trade producers familiar to People Tree in Bangladesh and India. Bora Aksu, who is Turkish,chose an organic cotton jersey fabric in summery colours for his layered dress (right), with a simple belt made from vintage sari fabric. Thakoon chose a sweet minidre