- Emily Pilloton Discusses the Hippo Roller and other Designs for Humanity (Part One)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part Two)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part One)
- Andy Revkin - Climate in the Obama Age
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part Two)
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part One)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part Two)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part One)
Entries for 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, Ottawa, 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, Tel Aviv 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, Western Massachusetts 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 minidress with puffy sleeves(left), in white with a black band around the hem. The designers were delighted with the results. As Thakoon says: “What I was surprised by was that the quality is quite beautiful, for both the fabrics and the creation of the dress. I know they all wanted to do a good job on this, and it shows!” :: People Tree...
Solar Boat Arrives in NYC
by Eric Kane, New York, NY on 05.10.07
Earlier this week, the Swiss made solar boat, Sun21, reached New York, the final destination on the first-ever sun powered transatlantic journey. Sun21 sailed 13,000 kilometers from Chipiona in Spain to the island of Martinique and along the East Coast of the United States. The boat produced a reported 2,000 kilowatt-hours of solar energy that powered electric motors with surplus energy stored in batteries. This allowed Sun21 to travel a constant speed of 5 to 6 knots per hour throughout its voyage, which started in October 2006. As one of the crew members stated, this proves on a small scale what can be done globally to address the threat of climate change. See also ::Solar Powered Cat On Trans-Atlantic Crossing and ::Cheers: Sun 21 Crossed The Atlantic!...
HauteGREEN 2007 Sneak Peek: Stack Stool by Hivemindesign
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.10.07
Inspired in part by the gears and brightly painted turbines seen in hydroelectric generators, and constructed of scrap wood, the "stack stool" by hivemindesign is the latest in our series of posts that offer a sneak peek at some great (mostly) new sustainable designs coming to this year's HauteGREEN design exhibition (check out the rest of the series here). Designers Ruby Metzner and Sather Duke wanted to create something useful from what others throw away, and picked up small pieces of poplar and walnut to do so. The resulting stool has seven interchangeable parts that can be easily rearranged by the user (and replaced if broken or damaged, we suppose). The poplar pieces have been laminated into larger blocks that can be reused as raw material, and are finished and painted with a water-based, low-VOC finish, to give the castoff wood a more sleek, refined look. We like how the colors, finishes and textures of wood all work together; it's easy to see that there are different parts to the stool, but they don't look thrown together; the stool is more of a finished puzzle than anything. For a closer look, don't miss the HauteGREEN exhibition (May 19 - 22 at 33 W 19th Street in Manhattan) and the satellite installation at Design Within Reach at Flatiron 903 Broadway from May 17 - 21. ::hivemindesign and ::HauteGREEN...
UN Report on Sustainable Bioenergy Released
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.10.07
Poster from new Greenpeace UK campaign about Biofuels
We have been dumping on biofuels here at TreeHugger pretty consistently, and taken some criticism; The new UN report calls it a mixed bag. It points out many positive things about biofuels as a way to " provide clean energy services to millions of people who currently lack them," it concludes, "while generating income and creating jobs in poorer areas of the world." It notes that it could help eliminate the “kitchen killer” – smoke inhalation from cooking with fuelwood or traditional biomass, which is responsible for more fatalities each year than malaria.
However it points out that "in general, crops that require high fossil energy inputs (such as conventional fertilizer) and valuable (farm) land, and that have relatively low energy yields per hectare, should be avoided." IE: corn to ethanol is dumb.
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Solar Powered Floating Alligator
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.10.07
We are nuts for anything solar, so how could I pass on this useful device, designed as an "Environmentally-friendly deterrent that wards off fish-eating birds geese, herons, egrets, ducks and small animals without harm - day and night!"Evidently the solar panel on its nose charges up internal batteries and when the sun goes down its eyes glow like a live gator. Does it work with Canada Geese? If so, fill the Great Lakes with them! ::Sundance Solar via ::Ubereview...
Citigroup's $30bn Committment For Clean Energy + Tech
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.10.07
Citigroup has announced it is committed to providing $50bn (£25bn) to environmental projects during the next decade and will increase 10-fold to $10bn its planned investment to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions. The bank has also begun to advise borrowers about how to make their projects more environmentally sustainable "to reduce their risk from future environmental regulation." "As part of the group-wide plan, Citigroup’s markets and banking group expects to invest in and to finance more than $30bn in clean energy and alternative technology during the next 10 years..." Stepping outside the press box here for a minute: how good would it look to the bank's stockholders to be loaning to clients who are clueless or in denial about climate change? To be investing primarily in energy intensive and inefficient developments? We see this as one of the early entrants in a caravan of banks wanting to reduce their climate risk exposure. Next thing you know, the coal fired utilities who argued for exemption from new source performance standards will be left begging for good rates. Awww. Poor little babies. Via:: Financial Times....
Mix LED Reading Light from Luceplan
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.10.07
Milan based engineer Alberto Meda and architect Paolo Rizzatto took a new approach to the design of LED fixtures. "We tried to change the distribution of the components, as in urban planning. In the end we had a circuit that looked like a garden city" The new arrangement allows fro an ultra-slim head that houses the LED's, a control lens, a heat sink and a rotating filter that regulates colour temperature. When it is off, it softly glows with a blue light.
Luceplan calls it "A sophisticated reading lamp with a lightweight frame that uses the new LED Chip on Board technology. A series of multicolor diodes produce an intense, warm and pleasing lighting with very low consumption (only 5W) and an average duration of some 50,000 hours (against 2,000 hours of a normal halogen bulb)." ::Architectural Record (not yet online) and ::Luceplan...
New Threads: A Plethora in the Fora
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.10.07
Greening The New York State Governor's Mansion
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.10.07
"Silda Wall Spitzer, wife of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, wants to turn the governor's mansion built in 1875 into a modern model of energy efficiency, an inspiration for home and business owners to do the same, and a place for children to learn the benefits of environmental concern [see full press release here] ...She said the goal of the $650,000 effort _ $200,000 paid from state energy efficiency grants available to all New Yorkers _ will include cutting the current $86,000-a-year electric bill to less than $60,000 a year..." Sounds like a 12 year payback roughly. “Greening the Mansion” will cut its electrical energy consumption by 50% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by half. Highlights of the plan include: * Clean, Renewable Energy. Solar panels will be installed in three locations throughout the Executive Mansion’s property: the parking lot, a building canopy, and the roof of the pool-house. The solar panels in the parking lot will serve as carports, providing shade and eventually enabling electric vehicles to re-charge. Solar panels will also be built as a canopy outside the State Police building. A fuel cell system will be used to power a back-up generator, replacing an existing diesel generator....
Ask TreeHugger: How Much Pollution is Emitted from Yard Waste Fires?
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 05. 9.07
Question: Do you know of an research as to the amount of particulates released by burning yard waste? Branches, stumps etc.? I live in a beautiful rural county, and some of us are fed up with burn piles. I need some hard data.
Response: Open burning of yard waste includes any unenclosed burning of yard waste, which generally includes tree parts, leaves, and other biomass but may also include other household waste as well. Burning yard waste is typically regulated by local authorities. Open burning of yard waste is generally a source of concern due to its high pollutant emissions and to its increased fire and safety risks. Open burning is a substantial source of pollution, especially as compared to other municipal waste combustors or other closed burning, because it does not burn the waste efficiently or completely, as evidenced by the black or grey smoke coming from the open burn. This smoke is black from particles and soot produced by the inefficient burning. Of further concern is that open burns emit pollution at ground level and at specific times of the year. As a result, exposures to open burn-related pollutants may be more intense than would be experienced from other typical air pollutant sources. ...
Healing Anthropology: A Different Approach to Skincare
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 05. 9.07
When it comes to beauty treatments, we’re constantly looking for new products that will help manage our dry skin. It seems the key to this is to sample and use products that will hydrate yet not leave an oily residue. When we tried Healing Anthropology’s Rejuvenating Face Cream we were hooked. The wonderful smell of the organic green tea combined with Vitamin C left a sweet smell while the grape seed and jojoba oils hydrated our skin perfectly. Another favorite was the Purifying Clay Exfoliant mask made with organic blue cornmeal, herbs and rose petals. We tend to shy away from masks, fearing that our skin will be stripped from its moisture, but with this mask, the usual water mixture can be substituted with a few different ingredients for different results. For example, it’s recommended that for dry skin we mix the mask with warm honey and yogurt and we were delighted by our glowing skin. “Our products are unlike any others; ultra luxurious, effective and 100% natural. They are literally like food, but for your skin,” said president and founder Sabrina Posillico. Each of Healing Anthropology’s products are blended by hand in small batches and do not contain synthetic ingredients. All of the company’s products are shipped in BioBags (products aren’t boxed to cut down on waste), labels are printed with soy based inks and the marketing and press materials are enclosed in RePockets. Healing Anthropology also offers a Nurturing Baby Line formulated to be delicate and calming. ::Healing Anthropology...
Speak Out in the New Forums
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.07
Here is your chance to raise issues, get opinions, find answers and just generally waste more time online than you already do. New threads are popping up like a cat on an old sweater!
Sean has waxed eloquent about the green virtues of Cincinnati; what's happening in your burg? Are there enough TreeHuggers where you live to develop a local thread?
::Enter Forums Here!
Question: Having studied Latin in school, I always say that the plural of forum is fora, but it didn't sound right in the title. Which should it be?
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TreeHugger Welcomes Kimberley D. Mok
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 05. 9.07
Climate Registry Signs On 31 US States, 2 Canadian Provinces
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05. 9.07
Good metrics are a necessity for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from stationary sources. "Good" means everyone uses an agreed-to baseline year, to which all changes are compared, uniform methods for estimating emissions, and validation by third parties. With good metrics, plans for reduction, regardless of whether they are voluntary or mandatory, will be of higher value. The Climate Registry meets all these prerequisites. That's why the Climate Registry's newly increased scope is important. "Led by California, 31 states representing more than 70% of the U.S. population announced Tuesday that they would measure and jointly track greenhouse gas emissions by major industries…State officials, along with some industrial groups and environmentalists, say the registry is a crucial precursor to both mandatory and market-based regulation of industrial gases that contribute to warming. All agree that the most important part of the new registry is subjecting emissions statistics to third-party verification — unlike a Bush administration program that does not require verification…California registry officials worked closely with New England states to develop the system. The new registry will be based in Washington, D.C., and will have regional offices. It will begin tracking data in January. Two Canadian provinces, British Columbia and Manitoba, also have signed on." Reminds us of the internet. Data flows automatically route around damaged servers. Via Los Angeles Times. ...
China Power Plans Biggest Corporate Renewables Investment
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 05. 9.07
As China chases the US for the title of world’s biggest consumer for everything from timber to energy—and with “biggest CO2 producer” already in the bag—no one doubts the need for lots of renewable power. While the government’s been revving up its cleaner engines for a couple of years, state-run China Power International’s announcement on Monday of a 30 billion yuan (US$3.1-US$3.9 billion) investment in renewables heralds the country’s biggest single such investment by any company, Chinese or not. By 2010, it plans to put into operation 1,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity -- including wind, hydropower and biomass -- have another 1,000 MW under construction and have a further 1,000 MW in the pipeline. The company hopes to bankroll its investment, which beats those of Shell (an estimated $1.25 billion from 1996 to 2006) and BP ($900 million since 1999), by listing shares on the mainland's booming stock exchanges, Chief Executive Li Xiaolin told reporters on Monday. And it also anticipates benefiting from the government’s increasing affinity for clean energy, be it in the form of smarter regulation or financial incentives.
China has said it intends to spend an estimated US$200 billion on renewable energy over the next 15 years, partly to build hydropower, wind- and solar-powered plants to fuel its growth. Greatly boosting the country's renewable energy development, as the New York Times reports today and as we have reported previously, is Kyoto's Clean Development Mechanism. China gets about $3 billion of the $4.8 billion in yearly subsidies, but, it seems, to the detriment of clean energy in other developing nations.
: : Reuters via PlanetArk...
MTV Seeks Eco-Activists for TRUE LIFE Series
by Olivia Zaleski, New York City, USA on 05. 9.07
Believe it or not, MTV is seeking eco-activists for its award winning documentary series TRUE LIFE. The series is looking to cast young environmentalists taking on the issue of global climate change in their schools, towns, and greater communities.
If you "appear" to be between the ages of 17 and 28, and are a passionately fighting for an environmental cause, email them at: ecoactivist@mtvstaff.com with all the details of your story, your name, location, phone number and a photo. To learn more about this and other MTV casting calls visit their casting website.
Thanks for the tip, Remy C....
Wallpaper* Magazine: May 2007
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05. 9.07
Behind designer Marcel Wanders' limited edition cover of May's Wallpaper* magazine, there's an interesting array of TreeHugger-friendly coverage, starting with a closer look at the virtual Eco Edit design exhibition from Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Langmead. The head honcho devotes most of his Editor's Letter for Issue 99 (page 042) of the mag to chatting about the sensibility that led to an online design exhibition, involving cutting carbon footprints and using the 'net in favor of airplanes to bring everyone and each artifact together. In the spirit of resource efficiency and smart materials use, they hug Sarah Cihat's rehabilitated dishware; the designer and artist takes second-hand dishes and reglazes them with her own designs (we couldn't resist the rock 'n roll plate pictured above). Toyota's new Hybrid X (which we covered here and here) gets a nod (page 214) as a visually-compelling, updated hybrid for the design-conscious, planet-conscious driver. Worth reading, on page 227, is the story of Japanese architect Tomoyuki Utsumi's latest house, the Nested Box; built in stages with a do-it-yourself mentality, not only is the house engineered so well that it doesn't require air conditioning and just needs a stove for heat in the winter,but the interior is designed to be a blank canvas that the owner can update to best meet their needs. Need another bedroom? Just partition off a little more space in the corner. Want more open living space? Take down the divider in the middle...and so on. Really interesting stuff, and, as always, lots more eye candy in the expansive design mag. Pick it up and be sure not to miss Eco Edit online. ::Wallpaper* magazine...
Gary Harvey: Couture Fashion with a Conscience
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 05. 9.07
Image: Newspaper dress, made from 30 copies of the 'Financial Times'. Gary Harvey’s first collection showcased nine of his stunning dresses at the Estethica exhibition at the London Fashion Week (Feb 07). The collection creates a dramatic display designed to change people’s perception of second-hand clothing and create fashion with a conscience. Gary uses material he finds in places like secondhand clothing stores to avoid waste, he says of good quality second hand clothing, people "wear it one or two times then discard it because it's suddenly deemed aesthetically unimportant and out of date when there's years of life left in the garment." His collection "was a comment about thinking about the real cost of the garment that you buy, about that cost being natural resources, exploitation of labour, the biodegradable nature of garments."
Check out our previous post on London Fashion Week for more eco fashion....
HauteGREEN 2007 Sneak Peek: EVK Design
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05. 9.07
Designed by Elena Vilis and Vince Knudsen, EVK Design's coffee table was inspired by found materials on their way to the landfill, and the design of the table was inspired by a deck of cards. Made from offcuts of found materials that were left at job sites with a one-way ticket to the landfill and topped with a recycled piece of glass, the modular table (it's on casters) has a clever design to include storage without interrupting the lines or symmetry of the table. It's large without being blocky, intricate without being ornate, and we like the way the glass and wood work together. To get up close and personal with EVK's table, head on over to HauteGREEN starting at the end of next week, for this and other great examples of sustainable design; check out the rest of our sneak peek series for more quick peeks at what's coming to the show. ::EVK Design and ::HauteGREEN...
Gimnasio Ecológico Lumen
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05. 9.07
The Gimnasio Ecológico Lumen is an outdoor gym made of natural products. Branches and roughly cut wood make up the frame of most of the machines, and weights are improvised from recycled containers. The gym, based in Valdespino de Somoza, was built in 2005 and includes parts salvaged from bicycles and boats. This badly translated quote is from the gym's creator.
I made this work of totally artisan form: nothing electrical nor mechanic. My tools were the hammer, the axe, the large drills, the mountain range and the tip, in addition to my humble knowledge like professor of Physical education. I worked three years, crossing escombreras and asking for the citizen collaboration to obtain the elements that soon reciblé (...) This peculiar gymnasium, that was born of the nature, will return to her.If anyone has any more information, or can translate the quotes more intelligently, then please let us know in the comments. :: Flickr set of gym :: Edgargonzalez.com via :: Make ...
ICFF Design Blogfest '07
by Joey Roth, Brooklyn, USA on 05. 9.07
Mid-may is design season in New York, and we're kicking off ICFF/ Design Week with some of our favorite blogs next Friday, the 18th. Come party with our friends from MoCo Loco, Apartment Therapy, Cool Hunting, Notcot, Curbed, and Cribcandy from 6-9 PM at The Apartment in Soho. Really good rum and pressed sandwiches will make nerding out about design even more fun! RSVP to icff@theapt.com. See you there!...
'Days of Our Lives' Shows Eco-wedding
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05. 9.07
Green really does seem to be cropping up everywhere these days. We only posted our guide on How To Green Your Wedding a couple of weeks ago, and now we hear that Days of Our Lives, the popular US soap, recently featured an eco-wedding as characters Sami and Lucas said 'I do'. Now this author is not much of a TV watcher, and has never seen the show, but we're pleased to see that green is entering such a mainstream setting. The show's website is using this opportunity to spread the word among fans with green-minded tips, and is asking viewers to make donations to charity in lieu of gifts [Do people really send wedding gifts to soap characters!!!???]. We shan't get too excited - this is hardly the televized revolution, but it is another sign of the mainstreaming of green. As Lloyd noted here, small steps of the kind advocated by Days of Our Lives will not save the world, but they can lead to increased comprehension and greater political will to act. Now we just have to make sure sustainability really does become a paradigm shift, not just a novel storyline for TV soaps... ::Days of Our Lives:: Via PR Web::
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European Kids Track Polar Bears to Understand Global Warming
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05. 9.07
Well I'm betting that most kids won't ever get the chance to be as close to a polar bear as these kids are, and maybe they don't want to be either! But WWF International has teamed up with Canon to provide a website geared towards kids aged 7-11 that helps them understand global warming by seeing how it affects the polar bear. The website aims to be fun and engaging, and includes access to a polar bear tracker that can track live bears as they travel the arctic, helping kids see that these are living things with a real place on this planet. It also includes the aid of two animated polar bear cubs named Auro and Borea to help guide kids as they learn about threats to polar bears’ habitat, the challenges of climate change, their personal impact on the environment, and of course how they can make a difference in their own lives to help slow down global warming and save the polar bear. Hopefully it will inspire them to take action because the goal of the effort, as Paul Steele, WWF International’s chief operating officer puts it is, “...to be able to reach the hearts and minds of children so that future generations will have the knowledge and impetus to make the necessary changes in their lifestyles to help conserve the environment." Sounds like a plan to me!
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Microwave Popcorn: The Next Asbestos
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.07
We keep finding reasons for eating real, proper food that you make yourself. Last week it was adulterated food; this week it is perfectly legal diacetyl that is the artificial butter flavouring in microwave popcorn. It appears that workers making the stuff are coming down with bronchiolitis obliterans, a disease that causes the smaller bronchi to be filled up with masses of fibrous tissue. Says the Angrey Toxicologist, "It’s like sticking marbles into the networks of tubes in your lung that connect fresh air to the alveoli, the little sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged with the blood."
OSHA has been looking at this since 1999 and done little; David Michaels, assistant secretary of energy in the Clinton administration, accuses OSHA of "regulatory paralysis." "It's not some carcinogen where you get cancer 30 years from now or something. The people are dying right in front of you," Michaels said. "You can't wait until you have all the evidence. You have to regulate it." ::Angry Toxicologist and ::Washington Post
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Buy T-shirt, Build Home, Look Hot, House Families
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05. 9.07
That’s the simple premise behind this campaign. Cameron Sinclair, “lumberjack sized Brit”, author of Design Like You Give a Damn, and co-founder of Architecture for Humanity tells the story of meeting Natalie “Alabama” Chanin at a conference in Doha, Qatar earlier this year and jawing about Sam Mockbee and the like. He must have made an impression. because Alabama has set aside some of her artisan hand-sewn (with quilting/stitching techniques) organic cotton T’s to act as fundraisers. The dough goes to Architecture for Humanity’s work to help rebuild Biloxi, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Three homes are under construction, with another four due to commence soon. So, if you are a man or woman, sized XS to XL, you know what to do that spare $75 USD. Roofs are waiting for you. ::Alabama Builds....
Boxmaker Dell Stops Making Boxes
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 05. 9.07
A few weeks ago we posted an ecoGeek interview detailing Dell's environmental program. At that time, it seemed like Dell was in a holding pattern and there was little more to write until something new happened. Well, now there's a little more to write.
According to the Register, Dell recently revealed "project Multipack", a strategy to pack large numbers of systems in fewer boxes. Customers can now receive up to four 1U systems or 10 blades in a single box. As bonus, each box has a built-in corrugated pallet, which removes the need for a wooden one. And you only get one set of product manuals and CDs per box. All told, Dell thinks this plan will result in 2,000 tons of cardboard savings per year, plus a lot of other material savings.
The sardonic wit of the Register is well known; as they grind our forlorn, billion-dollar Dell to pieces, even they eventually acknowledge that "project Multipack" is a good idea. Albeit with a questionable name. But this TH is going farther; streamlining product delivery systems is not an easy task, and Dell surely invested a lot a people-hours and dollars to make this happen. Can we please reward the people who are doing the work. :: The Register...
Money is No Object(ion) to Going Green
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05. 9.07
Was trawling through the new TreeHugger Survey (What, you haven't penned your thoughts yet? Go on, maybe you'll win a Voltaic solar bag), and noticed a response, amongst the vast multitude, that struck a chord. Our question was: When it comes to saving the environment what area(s) do you need the most help in? This particular respondent said, “Money. If I had more of it, I could do more for the environment.” And while that might possibly be true, it is also accurate to suggest that a lack of money can indeed also look after the environment. ...
Global Mamas
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05. 9.07
These great looking summer dresses were designed in England and made in Ghana, as a result of an interesting international collaboration. The Ethical Fashion Forum teamed up with Tabeisa, to run a competition, Design4Life, to link young designers with producers in Ghana to create designs suitable for the British high street stores. The goal was to design a cotton dress in batik that would appeal to European tastes, but be produced in Ghana by Global Mamas. This is a Fair Trade umbrella organisation of 38 small businesses – mainly batik and tie-dying – that involves about 200 women. There were over 100 designs submitted and Annagret Affolderbach and Julia Smith were the winners. The two discussed their experiences at a recent session of the London College of Fashion’s Green is the New Black series. They said that it was such a thrill to go to Ghana and work with the women there to develop the styles. Annagret’s design (pictured left) was based on coffee beans, whilst Julia was inspired by fish scales. They spent two weeks in Ghana, observing the women working and learning a different pace and experience from these highly qualified and skilled crafts people. They had to teach them to finish the clothes to a higher level. They also had to bring over pins and scissors which were in short supply. Topshop loved the results so much that they bought up the 400 dresses which are now on sale in the store, as part of their push for more ethical fashion on the high street. The prize included a return trip to Ghana, when the two designers were able to show the women in the collective the articles and photos of the dresses in Vogue magazine and tell them about the great success. They were astonished and could hardly believe it. One of the women said, with a big smile: “Life has changed very very well”.
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Bringing Up Baby: E/The Environmental Magazine, May-June
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 05. 9.07
Bringing up a baby can be tough for treehugging parents in our mass-produced, disposable world, so the latest issue of E/The Environmental Magazine features a cover story on "Raising a Healthy Child in a TOXIC World." Writer Brita Belli's approach goes beyond buying greener baby furniture and washable diapers: rather, she notes that "It’s ... possible that raising a natural baby and minimizing one’s impact on the Earth has less to do with buying products than choosing not to engage quite so enthusiastically in the consumer culture." Among the ways to do this: "attachment parenting" (which Belli herself practices with her own child), diaper freedom, and homemade organic baby food. Products aren't completely out of the picture, though -- Belli gives (mostly) thumbs up to gDiapers, for instance. It's not all baby talk in this issue, though. Jim Montevalli takes a look at the energy and climate change initiatives wending through the new US Congress. William I. Lengman III covers a seeming contradiction in terms: organic fast food. Other departments focus on turtle egg poaching, utility grade solar power, and investing in exchange traded funds. The May-June issue of E is available at your favorite bookstore or newsstand; subscriptions (which give you access to all content online) are $14.95 for digital only, or $19.95 for the print version. ::E/The Environmental Magazine, May-June, 2007 Photo credits: E magazine and (from left) Britta Belli, Greg Nickson and Elizabeth Parise...
Toronto: A Bold Vision for a Green Future
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.07
Toronto sometimes gets it right, and they continue to pick great schemes for our waterfront redevelopment. The winner of the Lower Don competition (covered here earlier) :Michael Van Valkenburgh (New York), Behnisch Architects (Los Angeles) and Ken Greenberg (Toronto). The scheme had the most radical redesign of the Don River, parks, housing for up to 100,000 people, streetcars, all the makings of a dense, urban green community.
Years to go before we can move in, the political rivalries and turf wars are as toxic as the soil. But what a grand start. ::Chris Hume in the Star...
Parans Hybrid Fixture: Solar and Fluorescent Mashup
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.07
We were intrigued by the Parans light pipe luminaires when they first came out- they make so much sense, why pay for light when the sun makes it for free? Unfortunately, some of us have to work when the sun isn't shining, so artificial light is still necessary. Parans has an answer for this too- the hybrid fixture, with standard T5 fluorescent tubes that that dim automatically according to how much natural light that is emitted. When the sun comes out, the fixture is brighter and the colour balance changes so you know it is sunny and you are reconnected to the rhythms of the world outside your cube farm. With Vitamin D back in the news, perhaps these should be a legal requirement. ::Parans via ::Materialicio.us
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Laura Melling's Sustainable Bedroom
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.07
Steve Russell/Toronto Star
Fourth year OCAD student Laura Melling's bedroom is rather public- it is on display at OCAD's open house this weekend in Toronto. It is a demonstration of sustainability; according to Alwynne Gwilt of the Star: "As ambient, energy-saving bulbs illuminate your bedroom, you snuggle down into baby-soft soy sheets, silk-screened by hand with beautiful nature designs. Your bed frame, made of a reclaimed wood harvested in an eco-friendly manner, creaks slightly as your cheek brushes organic-cotton pillow cases."
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Bowl Made from Recycled Bike Chains
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.07
If you are in the habit of throwing crockery at your significant other, keep away from "This ingenious bowl is handmade in Oregon using real recycled bicycle chains. The perfect gift for the biker in your life, it holds anything from wallets and keys to potpourri." - it must weigh a ton. It appears to be from Resource Revival, covered by Warren way back at the dawn of time. They note: "Most of our products don't come with a disclaimer, but just to be clear: these bowls are not for food and may rust of they get wet. Also, they are metal and chain isn't smooth, so please do not place on easily scratched surfaces." Available at ::Elsewheres via ::Cribcandy
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Possum Death Spree
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05. 9.07
Ward Off Smog, Pollution With Nanotech Outfit
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05. 9.07
Airborne nasties, be warned: You can look but you can't touch. Featured at the Cornell Design League fashion show on April 21, the two-toned gold dress and metallic denim jacket pictured above are coated with nanoparticles that prevent colds and protect the wearer from noxious gases. These duds don't come cheap, however. Expect to shell around $10,000 for one square yard of nano-treated cotton.
Designer student Olivia Ong collaborated with fiber science assistant professor Juan Hinestroza and his postdoctoral researcher Hong Dong to create these high-tech garments. The fabrics were created by dipping them in solutions containing electrostatically charged nanoparticles synthesized in Hinestroza's lab. No dyes were necessary—the colors are the result of reflected particles, which also form a protective shield around the cotton fibers. "It's something really moving toward the future, and really advanced," said Ong in a press release. "I thought this could potentially be what fashion is moving toward."...
Portland Area Fish Behaving Nervously
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05. 9.07
Fair trade coffee won't help the poor nervous salmon settle down unless customers decide henceforth to join the pee-bucket brigade. 'Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey found Grande amounts of caffeine all over the bottom sediments of the Willamette and Tualatin rivers, Fanno Creek, and other Portland-area waterways. They also found pharmaceuticals galore, ranging from Prozac to Tagamet, as well as perfumes and cosmetics.' From the Portland Oregonian, via SOEJ....
Popular Science on Solar Power, 1934
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.07
I just love Modern Mechanix, finding gems like this from a 1934 Popular Science on solar power, as current as the next issue.
"SUNSHINE, our greatest source of potential power, is now largely wasted. It is highly probable, however, that a few years hence science will find a way to harness the mighty energy of the sun’s radiation. Solar engines and solar heating apparatus will then make it economically practicable for us to use at least a small portion of our now-wasted sunshine to run our factories, light our streets, cook our food, and warm our houses. In the United States we use, each year, something like a half billion tons of coal, a half billion barrels of oil, and fifty billion horsepower hours of water power for heat, light, and power.
If it were possible to convert all this energy into power—which of course it isn’t—it would produce seven trillion horsepower hours. If it were possible to convert completely into power all the solar energy that each year falls on the United States in the form of sunshine, it would amount to seven thousand trillion horsepower hours. Of course, some of the sunshine that comes to us through 93,000,000 miles of space is needed for the general heating of the earth and for the growing of plant life: but above those fundamental needs, solar radiation provides a potential supply of power many thousand times as great as the amount now supplied by other sources". ::Modern Mechanix
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International Contemporary Furniture Fair Gets NRG
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05. 9.07
Haute Green might be where the super duper eco stuff is at (sneak peeks here). But there is still some greenery in attendance at the 19th International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Over the fours days of 19-22 May 2007 New York’s Javits Convention Center some 23,000 interior designers, architects, retailers, designers, manufacturers, representatives, distributors, and developers will jostle elbows in the aisles, and gush about the state of design. We also trust that a large chunk of them will devote some time to the day long Metropolis Conference on the Monday 21st when the topic is - Design Entrepeneurs: Rethinking Energy. The line up of presenters is impressive and includes discussion on selecting energy conscious materials as well as buying locally sourced materials, repurposing buildings and still getting LEED silver ratings and how to convince clients to go green. This is a trade event, but the on the last day of the show the public can attend with a percentage (?) their entry fee going to a program of The Partnership for the Homeless, known as Furnish a Future. ::International Contemporary Furniture Fair....
The Onion on Child Labour
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.07
Big Ideas for a Small Planet - the Wear Episode
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05. 8.07
[Whoa, something went wrong with this posting and it somehow missed its timeslot. Sorry.] Sundance Channel’s Big Ideas for a Small Planet for its fourth installment (out of 13 total) moves through terrain very familiar to long term TreeHugger readers. Three regular visitors to our pixel space now get some TV time. Linda Loudermilk is an unlikely eco-activist. Instead of chaining herself to bulldozers she has taken her environmental convictions to the catwalks of high fashion. Patagonia’s apparel serves the other end of the spectrum, outdoor clothing for getting sweaty and grimy in. (Learn how they recycle old underwear into new long johns.) Swap-o-rama-rama doesn’t care where your clothes have been, just so long as you find a new home for them after they’ve satisfied your needs. Sundance’s The Green website has sneek peek clips. You can track down the previous episodes of ‘Fuel’, ‘Build’, and ‘Cities’ on Apples iTunes Store, from a link on the Big Ideas page. Or skoot over to the online Your Guide for Greener Living for other clothing living tips. But there is something very new . Our video mavern, Simran Sethi, will be hosting a online green clothing forum, via Second Life. Dress up as your best avatar and attend a virtual Q&A seminar, without even buying a bus ticket. No RSVP required, but the virtual doors open at 10pm tonight EST and 7pm PST. Still not sated with all this talk and vid on eco-threads? Boy. you are hard to please. Drop by the The Green Blog to see clips of Carson Kressley and Ali Hewson discuss how your purchasing choices in clothing can make for a better planet. ::Big Ideas for a Small Planet....
Most Huggable: Organic Tequila, 8-Speeds of Efficiency, The House Gets Climate Counsel
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 05. 8.07
At long last, the world has its first certified organic tequila… A House subcommittee has asked over 70 groups for input on climate legislation, and here’s the dish… Six-speed transmissions are so last year. An eight-speed gearbox can get even better efficiency, plus more power… Victoria E unearths another green fashion convert: Paper-Doll.com The US Climate Action Partnership doubles its membership and adds GE to the ranks… 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?...
The Parable of the Donkey and the Japanese eWaste
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 05. 8.07
There's is a funny Mexican proverb that goes like this; if one person calls you an ass, take no notice. If two do, be worried. And if three, buy a saddle.
Let's see if we can apply this logic to Japan, who has been suspected of trying to dump their eWaste in other countries as part of self-started 'economic development programs'. For starters, in March Hong Kong sent 131 tons of eWaste back into Japan; they probably were getting some arm twisting to take it. Japan did take it back, but that's one.
Now Basel Action Network (BAN) is announcing that the Philippines is accusing the Japanese of trying to start 'waste colonies' in their countries under the auspice of overseas trade development. That's two. Finally, India is accusing Japan of doing the same thing - dumping eWaste - except there it is under of the pretext of offering 'expertise in recycling' services. That's three; where's the tack shop?:: BAN :: India eNews
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Air Travel Treehugger Style?
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 05. 8.07
DayJet could change how you think of air travel - but that's the idea. Not only is DayJet a new paradigm in aviation, but it just might have the potential to be a greener way to move about the blue skies. The first oddity of the service is the schedule, or lack of one. Instead of the normal routine of a set number flights per day, DayJet is at the customers beck and call. Called 'per-seat, on-demand' service, when you want to fly, just give them a ring. DayJet then sets up a flight plan customized to your wishes. The next bit that boggles the mind is that they operate out of the local community and regional airports. Instead of driving to the hub, or even taking a connecting flight, DayJet keeps itself operating out of local places near the customer. But, my favorite part is the airplane itself. DayJet's fleet is composed of the worlds first Very Light Jet (VLJ), the eclipse 500. From the Eclipse Aviation website:
The Eclipse 500 is designed to make those outside the aircraft comfortable, too. Powered by twin turbofan engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada, the PW610F engine makes the Eclipse 500 the quietest jet in the world–a full 40 decibels lower than the FAA's Stage 4 noise requirements. And it's not only the noise emissions that are low; tests show that the PW610F engines register a smoke number (SN) of less than five–that's 10 times less than the regulatory limit....
Seattle Greendrinks: New Community-Building Website
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05. 8.07
Regular readers know that TreeHugger loves us some Green Drinks; it's a great way for environmental professionals and eco-minded folks to regularly meet up, have a beer and chat about their green work and green city. With active chapters in 223 cities across the world, chances are there's a monthly happening near you. For nearly four years now, there's been an increasingly powerful Green Drinks web growing across Seattle's environmental community; last week, they launched a new website that brings another dimension to the community, delivering some of the greatest aspects of Seattle Greendrinks to the online community: job postings, forums, member information, and more. In addition to providing info on the next meet up, which happens to be today (and every second Tuesday of the month, starting about 5:30), the site offers online community-building functionality; individuals are encouraged to register, sign in and create their own content to help Seattle's green community continue to grow. If you can't make it to the event tonight, hosted by Stewardship Partners and Conscious Choice, click on over to the site to get involved virtually. Cheers! ::Seattle Greendrinks...
Eco Worrier Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 05. 8.07
This week is Carnival of the Green # 76 and it's being hosted by Anna Shepard at Eco Worrier! So, head on over to this week's Carnival to check out a round up of last week's green news and events, submitted by other bloggers and green sites. To learn more about Carnival of the Green, where it will be and how to host (hurry, we're now booking into 2008!), please click here to link to our previous post. ...
Green Light Purifies Air
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05. 8.07
Haute Green 2007 is coming up, and Inhabitat has a sneak peek of one of the exhibits. This Green Light has been designed by Natalie Jeremijenko, Amelia Amon and Will Kavesh of the Experimental Design Lab. A solar panel provides electricity for an LED bulb, which provides light for a small hanging basket of plants. These provide oxygen for the room as they photosynethesise. The whole thing is virtually self-sustaining, although the occasional watering is obviously a good idea, and will make a room healthier and lighter. This is just the kind of innovative product you can expect to see plenty more of at the show, and TreeHugger will be bringing you more coverage of it all. The exhibit runs from May 19-21 at 33 W 19th Street, New York. :: Inhabitat
See also :: Haute Green 2006 Coverage :: Haute Green 2007 :: TreeHugger Haute Green 2007 Sneak Peaks...
HauteGREEN 2007 Sneak Peek: Solus Decor's The Grate Bench
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05. 8.07
“Y’know, it’s really hard to find a nice, modern garden bench…” So started the design process that led to Solus Decor's The Grate Bench, which was inspired by the need for an attractive, outdoor bench that will last a lifetime, does not “weather ugly”, will not pool water and can withstand harsh Canadian winters. Featured at this year's upcoming HauteGREEN design exhibition (check out the rest of our Sneak Peek series here), the bench's unique set of design ideals led to the use of a unique (for furniture) material: Litho Concrete, which uses high-volume post-industrial recycled content as a replacement for cement. Due to the strength of the material, the bench uses about 50% of the material of a comparably functional piece; the casting process uses precise quantities which minimizes material waste and utilizes reusable forms, and when it comes to moving it, the bench disassembles and flat-packs for transport. The bench’s strength and durability qualities (20,000 psi compressive strength and 100% freeze-thaw resistant, according to the designer) allow it to be used outdoors with zero maintenance in just about any climate on the planet. As such, it can outlast any comparable item made of wood, concrete, or plastic and should anyone want to dispose of it, it is homogeneous in composition with no reinforcing steel, so it can be readily crushed and reused as aggregate or fill. To see the real deal, and learn more about the design, head on over to HauteGREEN, May 19 - 22, in New York. ::Solus Decor and ::HauteGREEN 2007...
Reupholster with Ground-up Shoe Soles
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 05. 8.07
Let’s face it, that natty couch isn’t going to last another year. Looking for a green (abet non-vegan) upholstery option? With leather scraps normally tossed by the shoe industry, leather manufacturer Spinneybeck has created surfacing material Recycled. The 100 percent vegetable-tanned leather—a mix of ground-up shoe soles and a water-based binding agent—is both 100 percent recycled and 100 percent recyclable. Typically used for upholstery or wallcoverings, Recycled is available in natural or charcoal grey and can be applied both in the home or in large scale corporate projects. ::Spinneybeck via ::Interior Design...
Recycling Tires to Reduce Tire Noise
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05. 8.07
Traffic noise is an obvious issue for many people, particularly in high-density areas. Much of that noise comes not from engines, but from the vibrations caused by tires on the road. This can be demonstrated by the fact that, while a hybrid is notoriously silent in all-electric modes at slow speed, as soon as it speeds up (even when it remains in electric mode), the sound is not that different to any other modern, relatively efficient motor vehicle, at least to this author’s ears. Now researchers in Japan have come up with a new technology to significantly reduce traffic noise, possibly by as much as 90%, by using ‘elastic’ pavement made, appropriately enough, from old car tires. The researchers claim many other advantages also:
“This pavement has many additional features. One of these is resistance to ice formation, as the high elasticity allows the weight of the car to break the ice into pieces. In addition, as the high proportion of voids contributes to better drainage, slip-resistance and water-splash prevention can also be expected.”...
The TH/Slate Green Challenge Week Four
by Meaghan O'Neill, Newport, R.I. on 05. 8.07
This week marks the fourth the segment of the Green Challenge, and now we're peeking into your wardrobe. Whether you're a fashion victim or a prime candidate for the TV show What Not to Wear, the clothes hanging in your closet carry a CO2 price tag. When it comes to manufacturing our wardrobes, agriculture, industry, and commerce overlap, and that means our fashion choices make a statement about greenhouse gases as well as style. Traditional cotton is a fiber that's tough to grow, and so requires lots of energy-intensive, CO2-emitting chemicals and fertilizers. Polyester and other synthetic fabrics are typically derived from petroleum. Luckily, lots of stylish new duds made from bamboo, lyocell, and organic cotton, for example, are beginning to find their way onto store shelves, which can help you lose a few pounds on the CO2 scale. But even if you don't intend to overhaul your closet, there's plenty you can do to help save the planet when it comes to your closet. Click through to learn more. ::Green Challenge Clothing ::Green Challenge Clothing Quiz
Wondering what the heck the Green Challenge is? Click here to find out. ...
Study: Fewer Kids = Cooler Planet
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05. 8.07
In a study that's sure to stir up a fuss, a paper by the Optimum Population Trust in Britain indicates that having large families should be frowned upon as an environmental misdemeanour in the same way as taking frequent long-distance flights, driving an oversized vehicle and failing to reuse plastic bags. The study goes on to say that if couples had two children instead of three they could cut their family's carbon dioxide output equivalently to the amount of CO2 produced by 620 return flights a year between London and New York. Hmmmmm.... In a warming world it seems they may be on to something. John Guillebaud, co-chairman of OPT and emeritus professor of family planning at University College London, said that "The effect on the planet of having one child less is an order of magnitude greater than all these other things we might do, such as switching off lights. Then he goes on to point out that "The greatest thing anyone in Britain could do to help the future of the planet would be to have one less child." Now I'm betting that's not what a lot of people with large families want to hear, but the idea certainly is quite sound scientifically. And in a planet built to hold maybe a third of the current population comfortably it would seem to me that taking the whole concept of environmental sustainability into consideration when deciding whether to pursue personal parenthood on a grand scale has significant merit for us all.
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Keen Bags From Keen Shoes
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05. 8.07
The waste-not-want-not philosophy has found a recent adherent in Keen Footwear, a Bay Area-turned-Portland manufacturer of outdoor sandals and trail shoes distinguished by its line of rubber-toed "hybrid" sandals. To divert waste from the company's shoe manufacturing process, Keen's crack team of product designers came up with Hybrid Transport, a series of bags incorporating leftover aluminum and rubber materials.
“Rather than accept the idea that the excess material is pure waste, Keen started to think of ways to use the waste and to lessen the impact created by making footwear,” says Eric Groff, Keen’s national sales manager of bags and packs, in an interview with Sustainable Industries.
Also in the mix are recycled foam and polyester from outside sources. Keen's Hybrid Transport line currently contains 40 percent recycled materials, but the company has its sights on reaching a full 100 percent before long, according to Groff. We'd love to see that eco-savvy at work with Keen's still-less-than-sustainable shoes next. :: Sustainable Industries :: Keen Footwear
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Carbon Offsetting Helps American Native People
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.07
Anne Sherwood for The New York Times
The current rage is to dump on offsets- when I next meet the Pope I will ask him to take back the word "indulgences." Thus it was nice to read in the New York Times about the Nez Perce reservation in Lapwai, Idaho, where the native people are creating jobs and restoring their lands by planting trees as carbon offsets. “These forests are a carbon crop,” Brian Kummett, a forester for the Nez Perce tribal forestry division, said as he surveyed a vast field studded with recently planted ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and larch saplings. “We can sell the rights from the time the forest is planted to the time it’s harvested, 80 or 120 years down the road.”...
Sustainable Living Fabrics’ Leanwool
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05. 8.07
The US EPA believe that 21% of America’s methane output comes from what they lovingly refer to as ‘livestock enteric fermentation.’ We might call it burping. And ruminants, that is grass eaters like cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and camels, do a heap of it. So? Well, methane is 10 to 23 times more potent as a greenhouse gas, than that commonly discussed bogey, carbon dioxide. So when Sustainable Living Fabrics decided to go green they knew that not only did they have to find wool that was free of nasty toxins, they wanted a low methane version too. To do this they have apparently tracked down some specially breed sheep, which it appears generate about one third the pollution as normal sheep. Hence Leanwool. The company also offer recycled polyester in their upholstery and screen panelling fabrics as well as being carbon neutral (they plant 30,000 trees annually), while also offering a take-back program. ::Sustainable Living Fabrics....
Herbert Girardet: Reluctant Optimist
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05. 8.07
As part of the Royal Institute of British Architects series of lectures on Architecture and Climate Change, Herbert Girardet, environmentalist, urban philosopher and author spoke on "The Compelling Logic of Positive Action". Calling himself a "reluctant optimist", he presented a case for hope and survival in this century. He is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan and truly optimistic activist. He says we have 10 years to left to get serious about the environment. Using a range of excellent slides and references to new projects from across the world, he presented a scenario which emphasised the need to move quickly and showed how many places already were starting to do that. He said that we have to make linkages between where we live and our impact on the global environment—we are not a private species anymore, we are global. Reducing the urban footprint is a collective and individual responsibility. He is interested in the city’s relationship to the biosphere. Cities take up 3-4% of the world’s land surface, but use 80% of its resources. The move from villages to big cities in China has had a huge impact on the world. Fires in the Amazon affect North America.
As for nuclear power: he says we have no time for it: it takes at least ten years to build reactors and that’s all the time that we have left. Wind turbines are quicker and are a major transformation and success story. Solar is also becoming more widespread particularly in Germany and California. Retro-fitting, driven by legislation, is equally important. The low density American suburbs are utterly dependent on fossil fuels. By putting high density insulation on the outside of housing and using solar for panels and transport, they can become less dependent
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Bottom Trawling Banned in South Pacific
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05. 8.07
A fantastic deal has been struck by the South Pacific nations, to ban bottom-trawling in a huge section of sea. The area will include anywhere that vulnerable ecosystems are known to exist, as well as anywhere it is likely that they exist, and represents a quarter of the world’s oceans. It will take a very extensive analysis of a region to prove that this is not the case, before that area is allowed to be trawled. The delegation from New Zealand said, "because of the cost implications of the necessary research and assessment and observer requirements, it may even have the effect of putting an end to bottom-trawling."
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Carlos Levinton's Latest: Helping Hampaturi with PET
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 05. 8.07
Sometimes when we talk about recycling pet bottles or reusing plastic, the implementation on a high scale or at least in one that can really make a difference seems far-off. That’s probably why this project by Argentine architect Carlos Levinton (featured in TreeHugger here) is so interesting. Levinton, who has run several building projects with recycled materials (like the PET bricks covered here) and has a background as one of the pioneers in eco-building in Argentina, took his knowledge to Bolivia in order to put it to work for 25 poor communities from the rural District Hampaturi, near La Paz (Bolivia’s capital city). The goal: to provide them with systems that they can build with cheap (or free) materials to cook better, produce and keep hot water and prevent frosts in their cultivations. “It’s paradoxical that a region like Hampaturi, so potentially rich in natural and social resources, is so vulnerable”, explains Levinton presenting the case. “Right now, the vast amount of land doesn’t solve the 2300 families sustainability and many people are forced to migrate to find new means for survival, while having a great ecosystem for cultivations and cattle, energy, exceptional water resources and eco-tourism opportunities, due to its proximity to La Paz”, he continues.
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Jetstream Could Fill Global Energy Needs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.07
Treehugger readers will be familiar with some of the ideas shown above, like the Magenn and the flying rotors. They are both attempts at putting wind powered generators up in the jetstream, six miles up, where the wind blows all the time at up to 310 MPH. According to the San Francisco Chronicle:
By lofting generators into the upper atmosphere, scientists theorize they could capture the power of the jet stream and transmit the electricity along cables back to Earth.
A wind machine, floated into such a monstrous force, would transmit electricity on aluminum or copper cables -- or through invisible microwave beams -- down to power grids, where it would be distributed to homes and businesses. Unlike ground-based wind generators, the high-altitude devices would be too high to be heard and barely visible against the blue sky.
"My calculations show that if we could just tap into 1 percent of the energy in high-altitude winds, it would be enough to power all civilization. The whole planet!" said atmospheric scientist Ken Caldeira at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University.
There are still problems to be solved:
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Don't Rip Up Your Driveway in North York
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.07
We last visited Franke James when she decided to do the "hardest thing" and get rid of her car. Logically she doesn't need a big paved driveway to her garage any more so she determined to tear it up and replace it with a more environmentally benign material that would absorb water and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Wrong. Even though the City of North York was merged into Toronto nine years ago, its archaic old rules still apply, and every house must have a driveway paved with concrete, asphalt or brick. Even Turfstone and other permeable pavers are illegal, the municipality thinks them a tripping hazard.
Whenever we hear that Toronto wants to be considered a Green City, something like this pops up to demonstrate how sincere its commitment really is. The clock is running- how many years will it take to change this bylaw? Video at ::City TV
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New York Magazine Rates Green Buildings
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.07
Green condos and rental buildings are finally becoming common and people are beginning to pay a premium to live in them, both for the energy savings but most importantly, the air quality. New York Magazine looked at the recent crop and with help from experts including GreenHomeNYC, rated them on a "Green-o-Meter that runs from Dick Cheney to Laurie David"- a useful tool that we will blatantly steal.
Top of the crop goes to the Cesar Pelli designed Visionaire, which uses 35% less energy than conventional buildings, has integrated solar panels, filtered air and gray water recycling. New York says It’s the only residential building in the U.S. to achieve the LEED platinum rating. That requires “a lot of things that aren’t [even] cost-effective,” See them all at ::New York Magazine...
Alternate Uses For Cars With Big Battery Packs
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05. 8.07
When fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids get popular, what other uses for these vehicles will product hackers come up with? One pretty obvious use will for emergency power, like when the ice storm takes down the power grid and the furnace is, of course, off. A wire from the garage to the furnace, a plug, some current conditioning and you're good to heat for the night. For a more creative, if slightly paranoid adaptation, how about fending off a car-jacker with some serious Tesla effect? "Peter Terren’s corner of rural, western Australia doesn’t have much of a problem with car theft. But that hasn’t stopped him from building a deterrent that packs a real wallop. Visually, at least. Terren welded a long aluminum tube to a home-built 5-kilowatt Tesla coil, combined it with an old aircraft control motor, and mounted the whole thing atop a Hyundai. Sparks jump from the tip of the tube to the ground as it swings around the car about once every 10 seconds. (This photograph is a long exposure showing more than one rotation.)" Via: IEEE Spectrum. Image credit: IEEE/Peter Terren.
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Solar, Wind & Gardening Toys by Imaginarium
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 05. 8.07
The 3 Rs of eco design have become an inspiring concept for designers. There’s 3R Living, the R3project, the R4House and the Spanish toy company Imaginarium who have created their latest products around Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
Imaginarium are the sky blue stores with the little entrance door for little people in Europe as well as South and Central America, and Asia. They have strong social values integrated into their designs such as growing up happily (with love, security, attention, respect and health), switching the telly off and the imagination on, teaching good manners and loving the Earth as ones home.
Biohabitat 3r is a unique book for children between 4 and 8 that tells in a surprisingly fun way how to take care of our planet by following the 3 Rs. Fun illustrations, activities and startling information raise awareness, stimulate creativity and most importantly are fun. The book is fully recyclable, costs €7 and will be available soon.
Apart from the book, the following cool tools have been designed for kids to learn about saving energy and recycling materials. Six different alternative energy toys will be available in their shops and online, each one opting for a different energy source. ...
Fun in Forums
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.07
We are in the second day of our new forum feature and the postings are coming thick and fast. A great thread was started on earthbag construction and the eco-baby thread started by Rachel is bouncing happily. In the Non-green section, mdpdb, at this point our most prolific poster, wants to see : " Q and A thing you've started with Helen Suh MacIntosh expanded quite a bit, possibly with a number of experts specializing in their own categories."- what do you want to see? Tell us through the ::Forums.
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Rough Guides Quiz Politicians on Climate Change
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05. 8.07
A postscript to Celine’s earlier mention of Rough Guides tackling the issue of global warming. After the company put out a book on the topic late last year, founding editor Mark Ellingham sent off a copy to every British member of parliament and ask them for their thoughts on what the UK should do about the issue. Remarkably he elicited responses from 318 of them. And Rough Guide then published their replies online. Inspired by that feedback, Mark has decided to send copies to every US Senator, as well as to parliamentarians in Australia and New Zealand. And seems that plans are afoot to publish foreign language editions too, so elected officials in France, Germany, Italy and Spain should also prepare to answer the questions “How important a concern is climate change? What can this country do to make a difference? and What steps do you plan to take (or have you taken), in your constituency, and as an individual?" One of the British pollies, Richard Benyon, had this to say, “Climate Change is the defining issue of our age. Previous generations had to deal with the rise of Nazism or communism. This is the issue on which my generation of politicians will be judged. This is our Dunkirk.” In case your world history is a bit rusty, Dunkirk was when British troops had their backs to the wall (or the English Channel, more precisely) in the early days of WWII. Hopefully it is an apt analogy — from a position of despair Britain rallied and eventually saw off a challenge which threatened their well being. ::Rough Guide to Climate Change and also at Amazon USA....
Arctic Emissaries Head to Washington
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05. 7.07
Three Arctic emissaries from the IPCC summit journeyed to Washington recently, to explain how climate change is making their lives more difficult. Sarah James, from the Gwich'in nation, explained how previously non-native species such as black bears, beavers and cottonwood trees have begun to encroach on their land. She explained that wolves have also begun to prey on domestic dogs outside their homes, as they cannot hunt on the ground previously covered by snow, "the wolf, it's hard for them to run after caribou or rabbit for food because they can't run fast on hard ground because it tears up their skin under their paws." Olav Mathis Eira, a Norwegian reindeer herder, explains that local reindeer populations are under threat, "they were infected with a parasite that usually dies during a cold winter, but since the winter was so warm, it survived and infected the reindeers and they found about 70 reindeers that had died of that infection." Megan Alvanna-Stimpfle, from Alaska, explains that the changing climate has caused some Inuit to fall through the ice in previously safe places. We should look to these cautionary examples, because arctic locations are where we will see the effects of climate change most quickly. The impact has begun to have severe consequences there, whereas temperate areas have so far escaped relatively unscathed. :: ENN
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Dead Sea Rescue One Step Closer
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05. 7.07
The Dead Sea is shrinking. Every year, for the past 25 years, it has slid back to reveal another 3 feet of shore. At this rate it will be entirely gone by 2050, taking its unique ecosystem with it.
When Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994, they began investigating plans to reverse the process. One plan was to draw water from the Red Sea via an underground pipeline, but this was shelved when peace negotiations broke down.
The feasibility study for the project finally began this year though, but the pipeline will cost $1 billion, and full funding has not yet been found. Plans for a $1.5 billion plant to desalinate Red Sea waters for use by Jordan, Israel and the Palestinians are also being discussed.
"The Red-Dead project is very significant to Israel because the surrounding area is water-poor and in 10 or 15 years, there will be no water there," said Israeli Foreign Ministry official Jacob Keidar. :: ENN...
Asian Rice a Source of Greenhouse Gas
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 05. 7.07
Photo credit: Getty Images
Rice isn't just a staple food for much of the world or even our planet's most consumed cereal grain—it's also inexorably enmeshed in many a cultural identity. A report, however, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meeting last week in Bangkok further concluded that rice was one of the main culprits behind rising methane emissions in the 20th century.
Flooded rice paddies emit methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global-warming damage on a scale that eclipses coal-fired power plants, vehicular exhaust, and other sources of carbon dioxide. (A molecule of methane has 21 times the heat-trapping potency of a molecule of carbon dioxide.) Although carbon dioxide remains the Big Bad of climate change, comprising 70 percent of warming potential in the atmosphere, rising levels of methane now make up 23 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
"There is no other crop that is emitting such a large amount of greenhouse gases," said Reiner Wassmann, a climate-change specialist at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, quoted by CNN....
The TH Interview: Nasser Abufarha of Canaan Fair Trade and the Palestinian Fair Trade Association
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 05. 7.07
Photo credit: Chelsea Wills of The Change
I found myself ridiculously busy selling Kallari organic chocolate at The Green Festival in Chicago a couple of weeks ago, but whilst on a rare break I took the opportunity to wander over to the Canaan Fair Trade booth to have a nice chat with Nasser Abufarha about his views on organics and Fair Trade. You might think that Canaan Fair Trade selling olive oil from Palestine and Kallari selling organic chocolate from the Ecuadorian Amazon are worlds apart, and you‘d be right, but they are also united in their mission to help local people earn a sustainable income from their native produce. It was fascinating to hear Nasser’s points of view on how to ensure that Fair trade works and the importance of a product’s cultural context. ...
Black Google Saves Energy
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 05. 7.07
A few months ago, TreeHugger Mark Ontkush wrote a post on his blog EcoIron titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year. The post lays out the following train of thought. “An all white web page uses about 74 watts to display, while an all black page uses only 59 watts.” Google, which has a white background and gets about “200 million queries a day” could reduce global energy use by 750 Megawatt-hours a year by simply changing the color of its homepage to black. (For more detailed calculations and assumptions check out the original post here.)
In response to this post a black version of Google emerged called Blackle.com. According to Blackle’s homepage at publication time, 4,408.917 Watt hours have been saved by. The site encourages users to “make a difference today [by] … Blackling "energy saving tips" or visit[ing] treehugger.com a great blog dedicated to environmental awareness.” Nice ideas. But how does the search measure up? Very well indeed. Give it a whirl yourself and start saving energy one search at a time. :: Blackle.com ...
10 Reasons to Ditch the Car
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.07
It's like the David Letterman Show here today, with ten lists all over. This morning we had ten reasons to hate sprawl, and now we have 10 good reasons to ditch the car, from a personal finance advice website, yet, via thatswell at Hugg. None of the reasons have to do with global warming, fighting terrorism or improving urbanity (well, one does) ; they are far more straightforward:
No car payment
No car insurance:
No pain when gas prices increase
No car repair bills
Better health
Environmentally friendly
No gym membership
Better organization
Better organization
A much healthier bank account
Read the whole story by M Butler at ::Personal Finance Advice...
Delaware Debates Huge Offshore Wind Park
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 05. 7.07
The front page of today's Washington Post has an article about a proposed offshore wind park in Delaware. A company called Bluewater Wind, hopes to construct the 600-megawatt wind park in the waters just off Delaware's coast, near Rehoboth Beach. The wind park would provide power for 130,000 homes for over 20 years, at price cheaper than coal or gas, according to Bluewater Wind's founder Peter Mandelstam. His company has already built a wind farm in Montana that provides power to more than 45,000 homes. Polls show that offshore wind is overwhelmingly popular in Delaware. The state was graded a "F" for air pollution by the American Lung Association. Still, Bluewater Wind faces challenges in convincing Delaware officials with close ties to the coal and gas industries. See also: Maryland Faces The Wind....
Most Huggable: Ditching the Car, Equitable Fashion, An Eye for Sun
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 05. 7.07
Ditch your car and save! And it's not just gas you'll save. Ten reasons why one person went car-free… Seville’s mammoth solar tower (video)… The Solmetric SunEye evaluates the solar potential of any area… In her tireless search for equitable style, Victoria E discovers Equita… So it’s come to this. Possum Death Spree goes carbon neutral… 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? ...
Paperhand Puppet Intervention: A Call to the Wild in Raleigh, NC
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05. 7.07
When we interviewed Tim Toben, of Greenbridge Developments, and asked him what every TreeHugger could do to make a better, greener world, he suggested that people should “tell the story about the transformation from a world powered by fossil fuels to a world powered by renewable energy -- in poetry, music, art, dance. Make it real for people who can't imagine their way out of the hole we find ourselves in.” We may have just found the people to do this.
Paperhand Puppet Intervention is a North Carolina-based crew that has been creating inspiring and breath-taking shows since 1998 with the goal of supporting positive social change and environmental stewardship, as reflected in their mission statement:
“Our vision is inspired by our love for the earth and its creatures (including humans) as well as our belief in justice, equality, and peace. We are committed to creating multi-scaled and multi-disciplinary puppet performances that support this vision. Paperhand's mission is to make work that inspires people, promotes social change, and is deeply satisfying for everyone involved.”...
TreeHugger Picks: Landfill Gas, From Trash to Alternative Energy
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05. 7.07
Landfill gas (LFG) isn't quite as sexy as some other alternative energy sources like wind or solar; still, TreeHugger thinks its an important part of our collective renewable energy portfolio. Plus, it's cool that landfills (and the stuff that fills them) can do a little more than sit there and rot. Here are some of our picks for the things LFG can do.
1) This biodiesel plant was billed as the first "renewable energy plant to run on renewable energy".
2) FirmGreen is just one company helping turn gas into energy.
3) Capstone Turbine Corp. offer up an example of a smaller-scale alternative for places like farms and grocery stores.
4) Interface was the recipient of the US EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) "Energy Partner of the Year" award for their work to convert methane from a local landfill into renewable energy.
5) BMW is using LFG to power a paint plant, saving them upwards of $1 million per year. Not to be left out, GM now boasts the largest corporate use of landfill gas in the U.S....
China's Coal Industry: The Waste Has Us Gasping
by Rachel Wasser, Beijing, China on 05. 7.07
Image courtesy of The New York Times.
Turns out China's coal dependence not only fouls skies and waters at home and abroad, leads to deaths and injuries in mines, and pushes China ever closer to the World's #1 Greenhouse Gas Emitter spot - it's also appallingly inefficient. Last week, Xinhua News Agency called China's coal industry a story of "ghastly waste." The world's largest coal producer and consumer, China's "recovery rate" for coal resources is just 30% - less than half the world average. Via Xinhua: "Shanxi, China's largest coal producing province, is estimated to have consumed 20 billion tons of mineral resources since the late 1970s to produce only eight billion tons of coal... 1.2 billion tons of [already scarce] water resources [are] thrown away each year." After reading these figures, it's not just the smog that has us gasping for breath. ...
Plethora of Options for Green Web Hosting
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 05. 7.07
The number of green web hosting options has expanded quite a bit in recent months. Which one should you choose? Well, right now it appears that the primary discriminator is the method by which they power their operation. One group buys Renewable Energy Certificates; these insure that the power they use is generated in an ecofriendly manner. This is typically wind or solar, but it could also be biogas or geothermal as well. Dreamhost is in this category. The second group actually generates their own power directly from renewable energy; AISO, for example, is in this category; they are 100 percent powered by solar that they generate themselves. Treehugger Mike lists a bunch more in this group.
A few offer other deal sweeteners such as carbon offsetting, discounts to non profits, letting their employees telecommute, etc. Some, such as Acorn and ecoSky tout only free software for their hosts. And Green web host combines a bunch of them; they will plant a tree on your behalf, have solar powered offices, and are also paperless. Finally, let's not forget about the money; prices for green hosting services vary widely.
So, which one? It's a simple answer - any one. Because any of these guys are better than any web hoster that hasn't announced a program. Select a price point and options, and make the switch. :: Treehugger
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'The Legend Of Soccer Mom': One More Myth Of Inexhaustibility
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05. 7.07
In the 1890's, nearing the end of what has come to be known as the US' Robber Baron Era there arose a myth that natural resources in North America were so vast that they could never be adversely diminished. 'We'll never run out of trees, bison, silver, iron, oil, prime farmland, etc., etc..' Afterward, American children were read the folkloric tale of lumberjack legend "Paul Bunyan," a character that humorously romanticized America's first inexhaustibility myth, and its consequences. Now, a century later, in the face of serious climatic change, a returned myth of inexhaustibility holds a large segment of the US populace in its grip; constituting either the notion that the earth's atmosphere can assimilate every bit of carbon dioxide thrown at it or that the consequences will be somehow more acceptable than mitigating the emissions. "It's been fine up until now right?" This extension of the original US myth is in striking psychological parallel to the early chapters of the Paul Bunyan legend. 'Were it not for oil and coal, a stable, democractic society would not have developed, and without them, it may not last.'...
Opting Out Of Solar To Save Wildlife?
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 05. 7.07
Some forward thinking folks at Israel’s Environment of Environmental Protection have earned the TreeHugger of the day award. Well, we don’t actually have the award, but we think we should when we read news like this from the Haaretz: a massive solar energy project has been criticized for its potential to seriously endanger Israel’s precious wildlife.
In many countries the environment minister promotes clean energy projects from sources like the sun or wind, and demands large areas for this purpose. That is not the case in Israel, where this month Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra announced his opposition to the major solar energy project at Mishor Yamin near Dimona....
GoLoco: Share a Ride, Save a Buck, Save the Planet
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05. 7.07
TreeHugger is a big fan of ridesharing, carpooling and otherwise cutting back on the number of drivers on the road, and we dug a little deeper into how to do that here. The latest entry into the pool is GoLoco, an online service that helps arrange for carpools and rideshares for folks headed in the same direction. Like many of the other services we've seen, it's free to register and search for and post rides; it's up to individual drivers if they want to charge their riders to help defer the costs of gas or parking, and GoLoco handles all of the transactions online. "Seventy-five percent of all passenger cars on the road transport only one person at any given time, resulting in a vast waste of gasoline, money and time with friends," says GoLoco founder Robin Chase. "All those empty seats also represent a huge opportunity: Fill them with friends and save gas, money and the environment." GoLoco doesn't want you hitching a ride with total strangers, though; each user has their own profile with past ride ratings to give you an idea about your rider/driver before you buckle up. This isn't Chase's first foray into driving alternatives; she's also the founder of ZipCar. ::GoLoco via ::AutoblogGreen...
Pablo Looks at Carbon Footprint of Local Food
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.07
Pablo at Triplepundit wondered if worry about foodmiles was justified. Many point to a New Zealand study that found that "dairy and lamb production in New Zealand was more energy efficient than the British equivalent, even when the 12,000-mile trip to the UK was included." He notes:
"The macroeconomic concepts that drive globalization state that production of goods should occur in the country or region best suited to maximize the economic efficiency. But do these economic concepts take into account the impact of transportation? Probably not. The impact of transportation, primarily the climate change effects of the resulting greenhouses and security issues surrounding petroleum fuel, is typically externalized to society. That is, society pays for the poor environmental decision-making of the market."So he looked at a bowl of cherries. ...
Congress Drags Feet While Kids Breathe Polluted Air
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05. 7.07
Well, that's the results of studies done to analyze what precisely is being done to stop more than one third of the 390,000 diesel school busses in the U.S. that still need remediation from giving off toxic particulates that are making kids sick as they enter the bus through the doors windows, and occasional crack in its structure. In fact, a study done by the Clean Air Task Force in Boston that put electronic monitoring devices on kids backpacks before they got on the bus determined that the air inside can be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. And while some of the problems associated with it can be relatively minor such as wheezing, coughing, and headaches; other issues like an increased rate of asthma and lung cancer are most certainly not. And so what exactly is the holdup that's giving states such problems in getting the funding they need to actually retrofit the busses to make them safer? Well, it turns out that in 2005 the federal government passed a measurement ensuring $1Billion over 5 years to fix the problem, and they've yet to deliver. I say we take Congress on a "field trip" via school bus... Perchance the funding would magically appear soon after?
via:: CNN...
HauteGREEN 2007 Sneak Peek: Bambu
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05. 7.07
Astute readers will recall that bambu was also featured in HauteGREEN last year, with their clever "Give It a Rest" series. They're back in the show this year as well (check out the rest of our "Sneak Peek" series here), with the Chop, Scoop & Serve cutting board (above, left) and Spoontula (above, right). Both products, made with 100% organically-grown bamboo, are designed to do double duty: the elegant cutting boards have a handy scoop which allows its user to chop on one side and serve on the other; the Spoontula, as the name suggests, is a combination spoon and spatula, so you can reach for just one tool in the kitchen instead of two (for more on these designs, check out our coverage of them earlier this year). As with their entry last year, these designs from bambu prove that form can follow function, and that they deserve consideration any time we talk about the best in sustainable design. ::bambu and ::HauteGREEN 2007...
British Business Suffers From Global Warming
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05. 7.07
Traditional British weather is changing--no longer is this a wet and rainy country. Last summer there was a drought for months on end and this has been the hottest April since 1865. As a result, British camping outfitters are feeling the heat. Blacks, one of the big ones, has reported huge drops in profits and said that it is making changes to its inventory as a result of global warming. Their biggest problem is the warmer British weather. Sales of jackets and rainwear have plummeted and they are starting to carry lighter-weight summer fabrics and winter clothes that rely more on layers. Boots, the pharmacy, has reported an increase in sales of suntan lotion and hay fever pills. A large department store, John Lewis, said that people are buying fans and air conditioners much earlier in the season and they have seen a 60% increase in sales compared to last year. They are also stocking more shawls and lighter-weight coats rather than heavier knits. The effect of warmer weather has also affected energy companies. Shell had less demand from gas customers and is now accelerating its plans for its solar and wind businesses. British Gas has announced plans to sell solar panels, home energy surveys and more efficient boilers to make up for the fall in demand. Housing developers are increasingly building houses with additional insulation to keep summer heat out, rather than winter heat in. Even that quintessential British dish--fish and chips--has been affected: a combination of warmer seas and over-fishing has endangered the cod stocks. This is serious because the UK consumes 80% of European cod, and one third of global stocks--most in a batter with chips. :: Guardian...
Farmers Markets: Great, But Still Not Perfect
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05. 7.07
This author, diligent TreeHugger that he is, has just returned from his local farmers’ market. As always, there was an abundant array of delicious and beautiful local produce on display. However, we were also struck by two things – an awful lot of cars, and a ridiculous amount of plastic bags. Don’t get us wrong, buying local food and supporting local economies is probably one of the most beneficial things you can do, but it doesn’t end there. Even when we buy local, we need to make efforts to do it in the most responsible way. That means refusing those bags and taking your own, it means biking, busing or carpooling when possible, and it means asking questions about how your food was grown. In some ways this highlights one of the biggest, but perhaps most intangible, benefits of the farmers market – communication. Because we come face-to-face with the people producing our food, and often the people organizing the market, we can form real relationships, and communicate our values to them. It’s not so easy to do that at your local big box retailer. Of course, these thoughts are probably nothing new to the dedicated TreeHugger reader, but we just had to get that off our chests. And for those wanting more guidance on greening your food shopping, check out our handy guide to greening your meals.
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Kelly's Recipes Return: Spring Pea and Asparagus Soup
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 05. 7.07
Well, I'm back; after a hiatus I am restarting the recipe of the week. As before, I'm am going to provide you with quick, simple recipes that you can make for your family using fresh ingredients. I don't slavishly practice the 100 Mile Diet but I will always use ingredients grown locally when I can. Living in Toronto at this time of the year means that I can choose locally grown turnips, parsnips and mushrooms from the store. My spring crop is a few weeks away, but you might be able to get fresh asparagus and sugar snap peas in your area now, so I would like to offer a recipe that I have made in the past and am looking forward to making again soon. (be sure to go to the new forum on food and let us know what you can buy where you are!)
This is a recipe that came from my son, who took a cooking class at Dish Cooking Studio in Toronto with the well known chef Greg Couillard....
Recycling Plasterboard
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05. 7.07
Was reading about a New Zealand company, Winstone Wallboards, who were looking at the resource recovery of their waste plasterboard via compost into a soil conditioning product, and then remembered how an Australian building giant CSR were once recycling clean plasterboard from building sites for use in new production. And it got me to thinking, what is happening with this stuff. Plasterboard, also known variously as gypsum board, drywall or wallboard is basically powered gypsum minerals (calcium sulfate dihydrate) mixed in a water slurry, dried and stuck between two sheet of thick paper (often post-consumer, recycled newsprint.) It is used extensively for interior walls and ceiling. And we mean extensively. Over 80 billion square feet of the stuff per year globally, and roughly 30 billion square feet (2.8 billion square metres) of that manufactured annually in North America. Much of which is subsequently wasted. Depending on the style of house, plasterboard can make up 13% to 20% of new house construction waste. And according to some, “on an average day 40,000 tons of gypsum waste (equivalent to 40,000 cars) is being landfilled around the globe. Every day. 365 days a year.” Gypsum plasterboard is a pretty benign product environmentally (if one looks past the mining extraction and C02 emitted in transporting its heavy weight about the place), particularly with regard to toxins. But it seems this might change when it meets organic waste and rain in some landfill sites. Apparently tests have indicated that hydrogen sulfide gasses can then develop. To the point that landfill bans are being considered in the EU and Canada. But solutions may be at hand....
Recurseo's Accesories With Recovered Materials, from Peru
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 05. 7.07
Recurseo, which in Spanish means something like re orientation, is the name of a Peruvian group of designers, architects and artists whose aim is to give new life to discarded materials. “In Peru, Recurseo means ‘the vision required to use or adapt any kind of media to get what you want’, and we also chose it as a reference to other ‘res’ such as recycling, reuse, rethink and redo”, they explain. The group was born in 2005 to promote sustainable design in Peru, and it’s integrated by industrial designers Alvaro Chang-Say, Cecilia Aniya, Federico Otero and Ricardo Geldres, plastic artist Kareen Nishimura, graphic designer Sandra Tineo, architect Sebastián Bravo and interiors architect Valerie Doehler (last two from BA Interior, previously featured by us). “Recurseo groups these designers and provides marketing channels, but each of us develop our own products; the collective then qualifies them before incorporating them to its lines,” explains Sebastián Bravo. “Our parameters have to do with conditions such as materials (local, recycled, recyclable, certified), manufacture (low energetic consume, technology), functionality, durability and efficiency, or social function.” While testing their products in shops in Lima, Peru, they have recently inaugurated a new website. Their goal is to take them to Latin America, the USA and Europe. See the products we chose to feature in the extended. ::Recurseo
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Ten Things Wrong With Sprawl
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.07
Treehugger often says that cities are the most sustainable way to live. The converse is that suburban sprawl is probably the worst. Preston at Jetson Green points us to James M. McElfish of the Environmental Law Institute, who lists ten problems with sprawl:
1. Sprawl development contributes to a loss of support for public facilities and public menities.
2. Sprawl undermines effective maintenance of existing infrastructure.
3. Sprawl increases societal costs for transportation.
4. Sprawl consumes more resources than other development patterns.
5. Sprawl separates urban poor people from jobs.
6. Sprawl imposes a tax on time.
7. Sprawl degrades water and air quality.
8. Sprawl results in the permanent alteration and destruction of habitats.
9. Sprawl creates difficulty in maintaining community.
10. Sprawl offers the promise of choice while only delivering more of the same.
Free PDF download at ::Environmental Law Institute via :: Jetson Green...
Is it Work or Play?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.07
We talk often about cooking local food, making things ourselves, fixing things instead of buying new. Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, authors of Freakonomics, ask an interesting question in the New York Times- is it work or play?
Isn’t it puzzling that so many Americans are spending so much of their time and money performing menial labors when they don’t have to? Just as the radio and phonograph proved to be powerful substitutes for the piano, the forces of technology and capitalism have greatly eased the burden of feeding and clothing ourselves. So what’s with all the knitting, gardening and “cooking for fun”? Why do some forms of menial labor survive as hobbies while others have been killed off?...
Mushroom Spores: The Newest Green Insulation Material
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 05. 7.07
Materials ranging from hemp to recycled paper to used denim are all in use as alternatives to traditional fiberglass and foam building insulation. Now Eben Bayer, who will graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on May 19th, has added another material to the mix: mushroom spores. According to CCNews, A dual major in mechanical engineering and product design and innovation, Bayer has developed an environmentally friendly organic insulation. The patented combination of water, flour, minerals, and mushroom spores could replace conventional foam insulations, which are expensive to produce and harmful to the environment. “The insulation is created by pouring a mixture of insulating particles, hydrogen peroxide, starch, and water into a panel mold,” Bayer says. “Mushroom cells are then injected into the mold, where they digest the starch producing a tightly meshed network of insulating particles and mycelium. The end result is an organic composite board that has a competitive R-Value – a measurement of resistance to heat flow – and can serve as a firewall.”...
Downloading Designs: Home 3D Printing Coming Soon
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.07
Jamie Rector for The New York Times
Bill Gross of IdeaLab is at it again, and will soon be selling the Desktop Factory. In a disgraceful example of verbing, he said “We are Easy-Bake Ovening a 3-D model,” he said. “The really powerful thing about this idea is that the fundamental engineering allows us to make it for $300 in materials.” Some of the uses envisioned are useful: "IdeaLab hopes companies will sell three-dimensional designs over the Internet. This would allow people to print out replacements for a dishwasher rack at home." Others are frivolous: “You could go to Mattel.com, download Barbie, scan your Mom’s head, slap the head on Barbie and print it out,” suggests Joe Shenberger, the director of sales for Desktop Factory. “You could have a true custom one-off toy.”
Now the technology can only do simple, solid plastic forms, but Cornell University has made a machine that can print out in silicone, plaster, Cheez Whiz and Play-Doh. You can build it yourself from plans available here. Its developer, Professor Hod Lipson, foresees more complex devices:...
SpectraDécor Increases Recycled Hardware Line
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 05. 7.07
Hiding way back (2004) in our archive vault is a tiny story about SpectraDécor's recycled glass handles and knobs. They’ve grown since then, adding new ideas to their line of luxury cabinetry hardware. Cork, eco-resins and lead-free pewter now being some of the materials ultilised. Later this month, at the upcoming 19th Annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair, SpectraDécor’s founder and designer, Leilani Norman-Young, will officially launch the Fusion2 collection, which throws recycled aluminium from window frames and hub cabs to the mix. "Green-ness is now such an established factor in design that our expectations are very high. It's not enough for a product to be environmentally friendly. It has to be beautiful and innovative as well," says Leilani, echoing the theme song of TreeHugger. Seen above is an existing product, Pebble Beach. ::SpectraDécor, via Azobuild....
Forum Frenzy Starts Today!
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.07
You have been asking for it and here it is; the new Forum section. There are only two sections: Everything Green and Everything Else. I (Lloyd Alter, not Russell Crowe and we know, that is the Coliseum, not the Forum) will be your possibly immoderate moderator for the start, keeping it clean but otherwise trying to keep discussion going. I have started a few threads:
Everything about lighting since everyone has an opinion on CFLs
Food: How Local is Your Meal? moderated by Kelly Rossiter, back from her sabbatical and producing recipes again. We want to know where your food comes from, what you can buy, and map it all.
A new hybrid? or an old clunker? Keep your car and fix it or buy a new, fuel efficient one? What do you do to reduce fuel use or keep it clean?
Nukes or No Nukes? It is so controversial. Nuclear plants don't produce CO2 but building them and digging up uranium sure do.
High Tech Solutions to Global Warming? So many ideas out there from aerosols to making snow in the Arctic. What is your idea and what do you think of the others?
And, in the everything else:
What do you want to see in treehugger? If you were cavorting in the woods with Graham, What would you tell him? what do you like? What do you hate? What do you want to see?
You can join existing threads or propose your own. Come on in at ::TreeHugger Forums...
World Without Oil
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05. 6.07
World Without Oil is an alternate reality game funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and ITVS. It's an online game, with the premise that we have reached peak-oil. The site features a ‘reality dashboard’, which shows fictional gas prices, fuel shortages, and other metrics for chaos, suffering and economic impact for different parts of the country, updated every day. The aim is to investigate the many possible socio-economic outcomes of running out of oil, and to entertain at the same time.
If you want to get involved, then you are invited to write blog posts, create videos, take photos and use any other means necessary to document what life is like in this fictional post-oil world.
The idea is half-fiction, half investigative process - the game’s motto is, 'Play it, before you live it'. It launched on Monday, and people have already submitted hundreds of documents, which you can freely browse. There is also an official ‘back-story’, written by the game’s organisers which will be used to introduce new events and circumstances. For instance, the latest game updates include instructions on how to throw fuel-free parties. If all this sounds interesting, but slightly confusing, then don't worry - that's the idea. A post-oil world will be confusing. Sign up and get involved. :: World Without Oil...
Tiananmen Square Could Go From Red To Green
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05. 6.07
Tiananmen Square is best known in the West for the 1989 student protests, but most people are only aware of it from that iconic image above. It was built when China was a very different place, the perfect setting for military processions, but is used very little by Beijing residents now. One of the countries leading architects has hatched a plan to overwrite everything it once stood for, and to replace it with something altogether more useful. A symbol that is less red, and more green.
Ma Yansong believes the square should be turned into a landscaped forest, to highlight environmental issues and to provide a place that people can relax. "We want to transform this empty political square into something that can be enjoyed. Our aim is to propose not to criticize, to raise the issue of public space. The way we do our architecture is to show that we can come up with our own solutions. We don't just take orders. That is why we want to show this project to the public first"
A green belt was planned for Beijing in the 90’s, but China’s rapid growth and urban sprawl meant that the proposed land was swallowed up by new buildings. Only 2.8% of Beijing is now green but, despite the great need for more green space, it’s unlikely that the authorities will go ahead with these exciting plans - the Chinese media have been banned from publishing images of the concept. :: The Guardian...
Millets One Earth Camping Range
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 05. 6.07
About this time last year, as the sun came out, we got excited about eco-camping accessories from the Biome Lifestyle Store. This year we've found some more eco-friendly goodies to add to our camping kit. The UK outdoor store Millets is now stocking the One Earth range which includes wind up torches, wind up phone chargers, Solio chargers, waterproof jackets, organic cotton shirts, recycled PET fleeces and organic biodegradeble travel wash. Look out for the recycled PET sleeping bags and the organic cotton tents, which we can't find online, but which the Observer assures us do exist. Via: The Observer Magazine ::Millets...
Greenway Pedicabs: Tricycle Taxis for the Triangle
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05. 6.07
A few weeks ago, this Treehugger had his first experience of pedicabs. For the uninitiated, this is the hip, modern name for what is, essentially, a rickshaw, or tricycle taxi. They seem to be mushrooming everywhere. London is now full of them, thanks to the congestion charge, and they are also popular in New York, as we noted here. Our ride was courtesy of Greenway Pedicabs in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, in the Triangle region of North Carolina. The service operates, weather permitting, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings in the downtown area, and can be flagged down, or booked by phone, and rates start at $4, and then go up according to how many riders there are, and how long the journey is. Riders are also available for events and celebrations. ...
DIY: Socks to Sock Monkeys
by Kathreen Ricketson, Canberra, Australia on 05. 6.07
Sock monkeys are a classic do-it-yourself homemade toy. Traditionally they are made of red-heeled socks, in order to use the red heels for the luscious red lips. However changes are a happening and while the red-heeled socks still rule - sock monkeys are now coming in all shapes. The picture above is a Mr T sock dude, check out the life size anatomically correct sock monkey, the meditating pregnant sock monkey and the totally cool pirate sock dude.
The great thing about sock monkeys (apart from their classic styling) is the fact that they are supposed to made from 100% recycled re-purposed socks. Directions available online, you can use up your old socks or find some from a charity shop, of course if you are not into DIY you can always get online and buy someones handmade creation. Sock creatures have been called one of the top 50 greenest products ... not into cutting up odd socks, why not find an unusual way to stash them.
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Wedjaget That Bottled Water?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05. 6.07
We often write about bottled water. The continuous fascination stems from how convenience-driven the market is. Laying out logic can't overcome convenience, no matter how significant the environmental effects may be. The only recourse would be to point out the financial waste and absurdity of the situation, to think "outside the bottle". And it's happening. The Muskegon Chronicle let its readers know, for example, that:- "The label doesn't mention that the Aquafina sold in Michigan comes from the city of Detroit's water system...Detroit gets its water from the Detroit River and Lake Huron. The American Water Works Association last year rated Detroit's water the best-tasting municipal water in Michigan...The Dasani sold in Michigan is also Detroit city water; and the Propel sold in Michigan is flavored water from municipal water systems in Indianapolis and New Jersey, company officials said...Critics accuse companies like Pepsi (Aquafina) and Coke (Dasani) of hypocrisy by promoting bottled water as a healthier alternative to tap water when those products are, in fact, purified tap water."...
Not Excessive, But Gratuitous, Packaging
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05. 6.07
We're not fans of excessive packaging at TreeHugger. From an environmental perspective it's wasteful and energy-intensive, and from a personal point of view, it means I have to take out the trash more often. It's a lose-lose situation.
So it should come as no surprise that we're not very impressed by this product, Nothing, which consists of some molded plastic and card packaging with literally nothing inside. The idea on it's own is funny, and if it had been turned into a photo-shopped image instead of a real product then it would have been an intelligent and satirical cultural comment. However, as a real product, it's dumb.
We say that we're not impressed, but the fact that someone is actually making money from this is quite amazing. It would be better though, if people could cut out the middle man and just throw some of their money away, or even better, give it to charity. That way, they're still out of pocket, but the environment doesn't suffer. A fool and their money are easily parted. :: I Want One of Those
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Transatlantic 21: Solar Voyage Nears Completion
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05. 6.07
On 8 May 2007 at 14:45, the solar-powered catamaran Sun 21 is scheduled to pull into the North Cove Marina, Battery Park City, New York, ending its transatlantic journey. The boat left from Basel, Switzerland in October of last year to travel down the river Rhine to the North Sea. After visiting several ports of call along the European coast, Sun 21 cast off for open seas from Seville Spain on 4 December 2006. With stops planned to stock supplies and carry the message of alternative energy at several islands during the crossing, the Sun 21 charted a route along the sunny latitudes favorable to a solar voyage. Already on 11 December, the crew faced the first big storm, with winds up to force 7 on the Beaufort scale. The ship took refuge in Casablanca, as would sailors of any small vessel. But the important lesson learned was that the ship could weather a strong blow and bring its crew to safety. The arrival of the Sun 21 in the port of Martinique on 2 February 2007 (pictured above) marked its entry into the book of world records as the first motorized vehicle to cross the Atlantic without using any carbon-based fuel. ...
TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!
Here are a few recommended websites.
