- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for July 8, 2007 - July 14, 2007
Total this week: 180
Smart Metering - Utilities Net-Linked To Your Home Thermostat
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.14.07
Nothing fires up the anti-government crowd like an energy tax. Even if the revenues are for developing more reliable energy sources, the reaction is fury. We're making an analogy here. How will people react to proposals to hook the internet up to their home appliances, enabling electricity distributors to control the air conditioners of entire populations? And home pool pumps? Ovens? There's a few among us who'll buy window air conditioners and solar-powered pumps just to avoid succumbing to this hippie designed UN world governance plot. (Next project - programing minds to automatically hear early Frank Zappa compositions, exclusively.) But what about the rest of us? Especially the ones who want to avert blackouts and curtail demand growth so as not to have add more coal-fired generating capacity? Tell us. Would you want a smart meter hooked-up to your air conditioner? Under what conditions? What other appliances? Details below....
Saving the Bees
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.14.07
The case of the disappearing bees (i.e. the "colony collapse disorder") has become one of this year's most buzzed about science stories. We've already covered it several times in the past few months, and though we were happy to recently report that organic bees are apparently thriving, little else in terms of progress has been made in isolating the underlying cause(s) of these massive losses. Under pressure from both farmers and the Congress, the Agriculture Department has finally decided to get in on the act and is mobilizing to devote a slew of new resources to protect the remaining honey bees and study CCD.
Citing the obvious, Agriculture Undersecretary Gale Buchanan warned that: "There were enough honey bees to provide pollination for U.S. agriculture this year, but beekeepers could face a serious problem next year and beyond." Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.), who, as chair of the House Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee, organized the first congressional hearing earlier this year to discuss this phenomenon, said: "Colony collapse disorder is a looming disaster on the horizon. We must continue to devote significant resources to understanding and treating the disorder."...
Bob Geldof Lends Support to African Renewable Energy Projects
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.14.07
Having made little effort to hide his disdain for the Live Earth concerts, Bob Geldof has instead decided to take on climate change by throwing his considerable weight behind several renewable energy projects in Africa. In doing so, Geldof has joined forces with a British energy company, Helius Energy, which is pinning its hopes on the jatropha curcas plant's oil-rich seeds.
The jatropha plant, an ancient bush that grows all across the continent, makes seeds that, once dried and crushed, yield an oil that can be used to run diesel engines. "Power through renewable energies is and will be a major tool for developing countries, particularly for rural populations," said Geldof at a recent news conference. "The potential is enormous, i think it will be extraordinary if the model is replicated in other parts of Africa, it will have life-changing effects."...
One Year Ago in TH: Mr. Entertainment - Al Gore, Sofa Brick & The Most Efficient Modern House?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 07.14.07
A year is a long time, and a lot can happen over the course of one lap around the sun. Since we know we can't get where we're going without knowing where we've been, here's what was on TreeHugger, one year ago.- Al Gore graced the cover of "Entertainment Weekly".
- Marks & Spencers were trying out a new PET recycling program.
- Better Thinking's quest for the perfect t-shirt was updated to include a report on impacts of the textile dyeing.
- Green Mountain Coffee unveiled a new Ecotainer cup.
- We peeked at The Sofa Brick, a crazy wall/floor/sofa made from cork.
- The Mobile Landscape Intervention Unit hit the streets, designed to rehab ecologically degraded landscapes.
- We reported on the Dell Winston School Solar Car Challenge.
- The Energy Information Administration reported that (surprise, surprise) energy-related carbon dioxide emissions were on the rise.
Melting Coral Epidemic Sparked by Warming Oceans
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.14.07
Soft corals, unlike their hard coral brethren, lack a stony outer skeleton. As a result, when they die, they simply disappear, or "melt" away, leaving behind no remnants of their existence. According to marine biologist Hudi Benayahu, global warming has drastically accelerated this process and caused soft coral communities to vanish in large numbers by increasing the frequency and intensity of bleaching events.
"I have observed sites before and after bleaching in Okinawa, Japan, and it was remarkable to see a massive disappearance of soft corals," said Benayahu, the head of the Porter School of Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University. "You can't imagine this was the same site. Just two years passed and the entire area was deserted, lifeless."...
FLOR and Martha Stewart: A Match Made in Heaven
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 07.14.07
images courtesy Stylephile
Circle Sunday, July 15 (that's tomorrow!) on your calendars. Domestic diva Martha Stewart, who knows a bit about being green (and vermiculture), is teaming up with TH fave Flor (whom we've hugged more times than we can count) to release a special collection of sustainable, modular carpet tiles. Available exclusively online, the tiles will be available in nine colorways in a variety of patterns and textures and will go for $12.99-17.50 per tile. Two of the new styles are above; another is after the jump. ::Martha Stewart & FLOR via ::Apartment Therapy: San Francisco...
Sued for Being Sustainable
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 07.14.07
Michael Mercurio was paying $340 per month for gas and electricity, but managed to cut that down to only $114 per year - less than a thirtieth of the previous cost. He did it by installing a 35 foot tall wind turbine at his home, which unfortunately hasn't pleased his neighbors.
Mercurio owns a company that installs wind turbines, and is obviously a passionate advocate of wind power, "It just makes sense. This is a clean, renewable source of energy.” Unfortunately though, his neighbors have filed a lawsuit against him because the turbine is 8 feet taller than is allowed. He was granted permission to erect it, but it seems that the authorities made a mistake when they agreed to the plan. His neighbors dislike the look of the turbine, as well as the noise it makes. ...
Second Life: Cutting up Houses
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.14.07
Canadian TV design star Kimberley Seldon wanted to build her own dream home but her existing cute little house was in the way. So she found someone who wanted it and moved it. We have complained before about moving houses and the loss of the context for which they were designed, and small touristy towns like Creemore, Ontario have their wonderful character because they are full of "sweet, little country clapboards" and not McMansions.
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Don't Spike the Punch
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.14.07
John notes that the Great Lakes mayors and governors are getting serious about protecting this priceless resource; In addition to making certain that it isn't all piped to Las Vegas we also have to keep it clean. Many cities are on "closed loop" systems where waste goes into and drinking water comes out of the same water. We have noted before that antibiotics and gender-bender hormones are being dumped in huge quantities and that the water treatment plants can't remove them; besides what goes through our bodies, people also dump expired or unneeded medications down the toilet.
The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) has put together a terrific resource for communities that want to look at medicine collection programs. There is a good explanation of the issue, materials for public outreach, a good bibliography, and even a powerpoint overview of the issue. Get your community's water off its meds at ::Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
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Survey: How do you BBQ?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.14.07
It is a burning issue; Is the barbeque bad for the planet? Heidi Sopinka of the Globe and Mail makes some interesting points (read article here) that we missed in our earlier posts on this subject. Canadian barbecue champ Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuck goes for hardwood and concedes that he is using trees and producing greenhouse gases but advocates: Buy a Prius. Take the bus, Do anything you can to help preserve your right to cook outdoors. We were not born with an SUV steering wheel in our hands, but I think that one of the primordial, defining characteristics of mankind is to cook over fire....
Barr Mansions: An Event Venue in a Deeper Shade of Green
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07.14.07
Not so long ago we published our guide on How to Green Your Wedding, and soon after that we posted details of this TreeHugger’s own green nuptuals. These posts lead the folks from Barr Mansions in Austin, Texas to get in touch with us and tell us about their awesome-looking green wedding and event venue. Not only are these guys the first special events venue in the country (as far as they can ascertain) to be certified as serving all organic ingredients, but they have also worked hard at reducing the impact of all aspects of their operations, from sourcing local food and organic flowers, to using green cleaning products and soy candles. They've even built a ballroom using largely recycled materials. It really looks like Barr Mansions are walking their talk:
“We garden organically. We recycle everything we can. We compost all our kitchen scraps. We use 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper. We use organically grown flowers in all our arrangements. Our food service is certified organic by Oregon Tilth and the USDA. We are members of the Green Restaurant Association and take at least three environmental action steps each year. We cool and heat our building with geothermal power. The Mansion has a 75-year concrete roof and the ballroom has a 75-year thatched roof.”...
United Great Lakes City Mayors Vow 15% Water Consumption Cutback
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.14.07
"A coalition of U.S. and Canadian cities along the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River, including Toronto and Chicago, vowed on Thursday to cut water consumption 15 percent by 2015. The 20 Canadian and nine U.S. communities, members of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, have agreed to cut water consumption by 15 percent below their 2000 level and to then set a target for further reductions by 2025.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River hold about 20 percent of the world's surface fresh water and supply drinking water to more than 40 million people in Canada and the United States, according to the group."
This move is a strategically critical prelude to future refusals of water withdrawal requests. Several US states have ignored warnings of climate change while squandering their own water resources with unsustainable practices, such as withdrawing irrigation water from the collapsing western aquifers to irrigate corn for fuel. They'll be the first to howl about "greedy conservationists" in the Midwest and Canada withholding an "American Resource."...
Lush Goes Naked to Protest Packaging
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07.14.07
"Cheeky!" "No ifs just butts" "Baring a Message" This week, Lush staff went naked to get the message out: packaging is waste. As employee Wendy Reiding of Wimbledon points out, "the main bits were covered." Staff wore a white apron with the words "Ask me why I'm naked" as they plied the streets drawing stares and in some cases being shooed back inside by the local constabulary.
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has made waves in innovative marketing before, but this week they set a new standard in drawing headlines without spending a single cent on advertising. OK, points given for a good message, cleverly delivered.
But the campaign does leave questions open: for example, why hand out leaflets in a campaign against waste? And is naked the new marketing trend?...
Color My World, But Make It Forest-Friendly
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 07.13.07
Who doesn't love color pencils? Well, unless you're dead inside. The folks who brought us Forestry Stewardship Council-certified pencils are brightening up our bookbags with equally forest-friendly color pencils made from sustainably harvested California cedar. Use the set of 12 to color inside or outside the lines. Unscented except for the aroma of all-natural cedar. :: Fred Flare and :: ForestChoice
See also: :: ForestChoice Pencils: Aromatic and Sustainable, :: Smencils–Gourmet Scented Pencils, and :: Recycled Denim Pencils...
TH Forums Highlights: Is Organic Better, Slow Food and More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 07.13.07
TreeHugger Forums is nearing 1,000 green topics, the good, bad and ugly aspects of the green world continue to come out, in an increasingly diverse range of ideas and thoughts. To add your own flavor to the green goodness that's brewing, register for free and log in today. Here are some of the recent highlights...
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 | 1) river-runner say, "Joseph Newman as far as I am concerned is probably one of the most important ideologists of our future. He has been kicked in the arse by the fed, humiliated by corporate America, and has the nuts to keep on going. This bloke has (many years ago) invented a way of providing energy with close to 0 electrical power". He's been a hot topic in the forums lately; why doesn't the rest of the world know him? |
 | 2) Forum user mglass ponders whether eating organic might actually be bad for the environment. "According to a recent article in The Economist, this might be true. Read more about it here and voice your opinion!" |
| 3) As long as we're talking food, forum user gizzigoo says, "I'm not sure if any of you have heard of slow food, but in Australia it is very linked to organic local growers and it is also a social thing, about enjoying our foods and an appreciation of what we have. A firm defence of quiet material pleasure is the only way to oppose the universal folly of Fast Life." More good discussion after the jump... |
Pilgrims' Plague Destroying Himalayas
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 07.13.07
Image credit: Radified.com
If one could write a book on it, it would be called “By the River Ganges I Sat Down and Wept.” Each year, hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims travel by foot, train, car and bus to holy sites in the Himalayas, believed to be the dwelling of the god Shiva and the mountainous source of many of India’s largest rivers, including the Ganges River.
Unfortunately, the rather unholy environmental impact of these pilgrimages are hastening the destruction of these once-unspoiled areas with development, pollution and waste – not to mention melting the Himalayan glaciers....
NYT Newsweek Looking for Hybrid Drivers
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 07.13.07
Bears Climbing Up Utility Poles?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.13.07
Humans aren't the only ones who've been burned by this summer's record heat: a wide variety of animals, ranging from deer to bears, have been forced to flee their natural habitats as temperatures have hit new highs, sometimes rising into the triple digits. As a result, they've often been showing up in some rather unexpected areas.
Rattlesnakes have been appearing everywhere: under porches, in back decks, on playgrounds, basically anywhere they can find shade (and food). Deer and coyotes coming down from the hills have been sighted on and alongside roads and wandering around neighborhood streets. One clearly confused bear was even found climbing up a utility pole to escape the blazing heat. ...
Best of The Panelist
by The Panelist, USA on 07.13.07
The backlash on the green trend has finally arrived, and the question now is if the current wave of environmentalism has staying power. Our favorite recent article for clarity and wisdom comes from an article in the New York Review of Books about tobacco companies, which hints that, like smokers in the 1950's, what eco-conscious people really want is meaning and identity.
How close is $80-a-barrel oil? That's the question that seems to be on the minds of oil traders and stock investors alike. Just four years ago, crude oil was going for around $20-a-barrel. Now it's up over $70 and continues to rise. Some take the view that rising crude oil prices will cut into Big Oil profits, but another way to look at this is in terms of rising gas prices driving a demand for alternative energy.
Last week, Germany’s Environment Ministry recommended a shift in subsidies from solar energy installations to offshore wind farms. With Germany's impressive track record of renewable energy legislation, we have to wonder if the future will cause fickle investors to flock to wind now that solar subsidies have been cut in Germany. On the surface, this might look like a victory for wind power, but if you do a bit of digging, a different picture emerges....
A Well-Rounded, Dome-estic Wine with Fuller Aspirations
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.13.07
Richard Pim gives new meaning to the word upcycling with his 11 foot high dome with four concrete arches, built from 3,000 wine bottles, each cemented with the bottom facing out.
"One day I was sat in the garden drinking a glass of wine and as I held the bottle up to the sun it made an amazing sparkly effect. I thought 'that's it, I will make it out of wine bottles'." he said archly. "I had no problems getting hold of bottles. Most of Herefordshire knew what I was doing so I have had lots of donations. I have also drunk a good few myself."
The retired geologist opens his garden to the pubic; it's in Pembridge, near Leominster, Herefordshire. ::Mirror via ::Splurch
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Rejuvenating Your Life Cycle at Scandic Hotels
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 07.13.07
A couple years back Sami took a trip to Finland and told us about his great green hotel experience. At the time, the Scandic chain of hotels, which operates all over Scandinavia and the Baltic States didn’t have much to offer on their website about their environmental policy. Well, now it is all there, screaming at you in little videos with cute animations and a loop of flute music that can become a bit annoying if you spend too much time navigating through their environmental info.
Nonetheless, the site is an interesting read and what we want to point out is that the hotel has gone above-and-beyond when it come to incorporating life cycle thinking into their daily operations. The LCA-Center in Denmark neatly sums it up on their website. They tell us that in 1995 Scandic introduced the environmentally friendly room based on life cycle thinking: looking at the impacts of something over the course of its entire life cycle or from “cradle to grave”. They use eco-labelled wood, all-natural materials and fabrics and they avoid the use of plastic and metals. On top of that 97% of the room can be recycled and unsorted waste was reduced by 40%! They consume less energy and cleaning products during their life time, while compact fluorescents are used to light these dreamy, modern rooms. All of the new rooms at Scandic are built with life cycle thinking and the older rooms that are rebuilt each year are converted into environmentally friendly rooms. They report that this creates a reduction in the annual consumption of non-renewable resources of approximately 15 tons of metal and 90 tons of plastic. Impressive. Once again, Scandic is leading the way when it comes to hotel design and eco-friendly vacationing. Make yourself a reservation if you are in their neck of the woods. Image Credit: Trip Advisor....
The Grass is Greener When it's Organic
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.13.07
There are people who don't give a damn about the environment (or don't believe the environmentalists) and just want a perfect lawn. "I don't want those weeds -- that's the bottom line," says a woman who doses her garden with herbicides three times a year and doesn't like the trend of neighbours telling her what she can do on her own property. The alternative, going organic is a lot of work and it is not perfect: "We used to accept a few weeds," says Jay Feldman, director of Beyond Pesticides, a nonprofit group that runs the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns. Now, uniform swaths of green, weedless grass are the standard. The rise of pesticides, says Mr. Feldman, "redefined our aesthetics."
Wall Street Journal reporter Gwendolyn Bounds spent the last year converting to organic gardening and ended up with the greenest, lushest lawn on her block. (instructions below) She describes the conflicts across the nation: "As the organic lawn movement grows, so are tensions in some communities. The latest front is over whether lawn-care methods are the horticultural equivalent of secondhand smoke: a choice that affects the whole community." ::Wall Street Journal...
Quakers' Green Washington Headquarters
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.13.07
We show a lot of new green buildings, but what about the existing stock of offices and housing? There is a lot more of it than the new stuff and much of it is well built, but how do you make it green? The Quakers Peace lobby in Washington, the FCNL, had a civil war era historic building in a great location, but it was literally falling down.
The FCNL is a strong supporter of environmental measures (read their interesting eco-bulletin.) Gina Baker, one of the architects says “My favorite part of working on the FCNL project was that our client was as dedicated to green design as we are, and we don’t find many clients like that.”
The Quakers say “This building is a metaphor for our work. FCNL has to rebuild another house—a house of democracy, which is threatened and falling down. We need architects to build that house of democracy back so that it is safe, secure, and strong, but also so that it reflects all the values of America in the way we tried to do this building.”...
Flawed U.S. Senate Climate Bill Making the Rounds
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.13.07
Offering up one of its first attempts to seriously deal with the issue of climate change, the U.S. Senate unveiled the industry-backed Low Carbon Economy Act of 2007 this Wednesday to much fanfare. Much of it unwarranted, as it so happens. Although the bill, sponsored by a motley assemblage of labor unions and electric utilities and a bipartisan group of senators led by Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), would effectively set mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions beginning in 2012 through a cap-and-trade system, it comes with a huge caveat: a "safety valve."
The so-called "safety valve," which would allow industry to purchase an unlimited amount of emissions credits at a pre-set price ($12 per ton in this case), was necessary, Bingaman and Specter insisted, to ensure that energy companies would "go along" with the legislation (i.e. not lobby it to death). Casting aside the senators' argument, there are many reasons why establishing a "safety valve" is simply bad policy. One that they should seriously consider removing. ...
Zerofootprint Guides: Offsetting, Part 3 - The Problem Of Permanence
by Ron Dembo, Zerofootprint on 07.13.07
Something that worries many people about offsetting emissions with trees is how can you guarantee that they will last long enough? Trees take time to absorb carbon, extracting it slowly from the atmosphere as they grow. But saplings are vulnerable to bad weather, neglect and damage by animals. Older woodlands and forests face the risk of fire, pests and disease, which could release the carbon back into the atmosphere. And how can we be sure even if a forest is protected now, it won't be logged or cleared at some point in the future?
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Human Brain Enzyme Used for Carbon Capture
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.13.07
Now that's using your noggin': Michael Trachtenberg, the founder and CEO of Carbozyme and a former neuroscientist, wants to employ an enzyme commonly found in the brain as the basis for a technology that would remove carbon dioxide from various gas mixtures having energy or environmental significance. Carbonic anhydrase, an enzyme that allows the brain to process carbon dioxide, would be used in a scaleable liquid membrane permeator to catalyze the conversion of captured carbon dioxide to bicarbonate ions, which could then easily be disposed or reused in another capacity.
The membrane-based permeator relies on a very energy-efficient gas separation technology that effectively selects against other gases in the feed stream to ensure that only carbon dioxide is captured. It employs no hazardous chemicals and can operate at a moderate temperature and pressure. According to Trachtenberg, the technology could be applied to treat fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas or be used for a variety of other functions listed here....
New Ways to Destroy the Earth: The Humdinga
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.13.07
And it is a Humdinga of a vehicle, going 0 to sixty in 9.2 seconds on land, and getting up on a plane in the water in less than 10 seconds. It goes 100MPH on land and 40mph on water, kicking up a wake that is disrupting shoreline habitat for miles. " It took us 8 years, a million man-hours and tens of millions of pounds to develop HSA technology. With this latest vehicle, I'm sure that the technology's potential is clear for all to see.", comments Alan Gibbs, Chairman of Gibbs Technologies: Chew up landscape and help reach peak oil fast in both the military and civilian versions. No information on cost or miles per gallon, or if they are going to make a hydrogen powered version for Arnold. Warning on video below fold: Guy in the back has a gun. ::Gibbstech via ::Trendhunter
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Recipe of the Week: Better than borscht - Spaghetti with Rubies
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 07.13.07
Once again this week I found myself at the farmer's market loading up on everything I could carry without thinking about what do with all this produce. As I cooked my way through my haul I kept looking at the two bunches of baby sized beets and wondering what would make an interesting main course, rather than using them as the traditional side vegetable. I remembered a cover photograph from an Italian cookbook that I haven't looked at in ages and there it was - Spaghetti with Rubies. This dish was so easy, so delicious and so appealing to the eye that I am adding this recipe to my regular summer repertoire. The recipe calls for baking the beets in the oven and peeling them after, but I peeled them first and then barbequed them in a foil packet with a bit of olive oil. Either way would be fine. I used small, early harvest beets which were sweet and cooked quickly, but you could use any size. If you have good beet greens toss them into the skillet as well. I'm looking forward to making a huge bowl of this for company - I bet it's great cold too. ...
Nomadic Lamp: Lighting Your Way with LEDs, Wherever You Go
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 07.13.07
If you've ever wanted to just pick up your lamp and take it with you, have we got something for you: the Nomadic Lamp. Designed by Dorota Kulawik, the slick, clever little semi-transparent rings contain a gaggle of LEDs and can be taken with you, wherever you go, indoors or out. Sort of a candle or kerosene lantern for the 21st century, the ultra-flexible functionality make it a handy light source that could go on the wall, on a shelf, on the floor or even around your arm. Two brightness settings allow for both source and (when the time is right...) mood lighting. A full charge gets you 10 hours of illumination; after the fold, check out two more pics of the system, up close. ::Symbioza via ::Yanko Design...
Florida's Climate Summit - Live!
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.13.07
The way Florida's Governor Crist is acting, hosting a bi-partisan,green political celebrity-attended event, you'd think Florida was sticking out like a thumb in the hurricane zone... and running out of fresh water. Oh...wait. It is. "On Thursday, July 12th and Friday, July 13th, Governor Charlie Crist hosts the Florida Summit on Global Climate Change. The goal of the summit is to bring together state, national and international leaders, along with prominent members of the business and environmental communities, to explore opportunities for advancing the global climate change agenda and for adopting specific climate action plans." You can watch today's proceedings via webcast if you have MS Windows Media Player by clicking here. Guests over the two day summit include:- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; and Theodore Roosevelt V, the great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt. Governor Crist said Thursday "Florida will pursue global solar energy sources. After all, we are the Sunshine State." Sounds like an independent party caucus. Climate Party anyone? Via:: WFSU, The Florida Channel...
Survey: What do You Look For When You Shop?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.13.07
Jerry Stifelman noted in his post: "Organic jeans look just like regular jeans. Fair Trade, Shade Grown coffee can taste just like conventional coffee. FSC-certified wood looks exactly like wood that's been poached from the rain forest." and "being sustainable in a non-sustainable world is expensive."
So it all looks the same, the original high fashion item, the knockoff, the organic or the cheapo made with "Pesticides, particulate pollution, toxic runoff, industrial waste and shoddy labor practices."
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Eco-Myth: Smog Makes Beautiful Sunsets
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.13.07
Sunset in Key West: Everybody mellows out on the pier and looks out over the Gulf of Mexico and when the sun hits the water, applauds. But has the sunset been enhanced by pollution? Scientific American notes that "according to urban legend, air pollution enhances the beauty of a sunset." We quote from the article:
The traditional explanation of the red sky at sunset is that as the sunlight travels a longer path from the horizon to the pier, "most of the blue has been scattered out of that beam" explains Stephen Corfidi, a meteorologist at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). What remains are the warmer hues of yellow, orange and red, which blend into a yellowish-orange sunset.
But how red? "In an atmosphere with no junk at anytime, you'll never get a sunset that would make someone with normal color vision say, 'Wow that's red!'" says Craig Bohren, professor emeritus of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University. "It is certainly true that the 'pollution' results in redder sunsets."...
WISE: Retraining a Generation for a Low Carbon Future
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07.13.07
We touched on the building of WISE – the Wales Institute for Sustainable Education when we interviewed Paul Allen, development director of the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) (Europe's leading eco-center which we also featured here ). WISE is to be built on the site of CAT, and is being billed as one of the most innovative green building projects in the UK. The building itself will include cutting-edge features such as low embodied-energy construction materials including earth and hemp; energy efficient glazing for maximum natural day lighting and passive heat gain; solar water heating integrated into a district heating system; and semi-transparent PV technologies used to provide both energy and shading.
Ultimately though, the centre will be about much more than just these high-tech green building methods. WISE’s self-proclaimed goal is to re-train a generation for a low carbon future. CAT already runs a dizzying array of courses, from organic gardening to renewable energy and green architecture, and this program is only likely to be stepped up once WISE opens its doors in 2008. The centre is also likely to become a hub for important conferences on all aspects of sustainability:
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Toxic Travelling: Lead's Vicious Circle
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.13.07
Edward Burtynsky: Circuit Boards, Guiyu, Guangdong Province, 2004
The US has ordered recalls of cheap jewelery from China, much of it marketed to teenagers and children, because it is made from toxic lead. According to the Wall Street Journal, lead alloy remains a favored material for costume-jewelry makers; It is plentiful and cheap, often selling for half the price of zinc alloy, the other metal mixture commonly used to make costume jewelry. Lead has a relatively low melting point, which makes it easier to work with, and lends heft to inexpensive jewelry. While China sets limits on lead content in toys (hah!) , there is no regulation of jewelery.
That is bad enough; two recent studies indicate that the lead comes from e-waste, or scrap electronics shipped from the US; there are serious miles on these earrings.
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Israeli Diplomats Go Hybrid In The US
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 07.13.07
There has been some news brewing for a while that Israel may partner with Jordan to build a hybrid car factory. This week we heard that Israeli diplomats in the US will this fall be driving a fleet of hybrid cars in the US. It’s probably a political move – like partnering with Jordan – but we ask, is that necessarily a bad thing? This week The Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC announced that it will significantly reduce the petroleum consumption of its senior diplomats in the US by switching to hybrid-electric vehicles, reports Israel21c.
Expect to see Israeli embassy staff based in Washington, at nine consulates around the US and at UN posts to be driving hybrid cars. Said Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Sallai Meridor: "Reducing oil dependence and protecting the environment are key factors in improving international security. We are proud to be among the first countries to take this small but symbolic step. Our hope is that many small steps taken together will lead to major policy action around the world that will address one of the most critical strategic and environmental issues facing our common future." ...
Some Parents of Large Families Strike Back at Critics
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 07.13.07
Not too long ago we featured the fact that parents of large families have come under fire for having so many kids and the impact that has on the environment. Let’s face it, the more children one has, the more people there are to consume resources and put a strain on the planet. But The Guardian has an interesting article interviewing several large families in the UK about their situation, and I thought it was interesting to see where they’re coming from…
Take the Corbet family for example, they grow their own vegetables, they compost their waste, they're avid freecyclers, most of their clothes are second-hand, and to reduce their carbon footprint they don't drive anywhere on Fridays. In almost every way, the Corbets are a model green family, but as mom Angie puts it "We've got five kids." She goes on to point out, “And as far as some people are concerned, that completely negates everything else you do to reduce your impact on the planet's resources." She also resents the fact that
she's persona non grata in the green circles around her home in Wimborne, Dorset, arguing that “…when people reach a certain level of education they tend to choose to have fewer children. And since that means some people in our society are choosing to have fewer than two per couple, that means there's the scope for some people to have more." She says that larger families have to live more frugally than the couple next door with two kids who spend like crazy on all kinds of items, many of which are completely unnecessary and bad for the planet.
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Sara Wigglesworth's Straw House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.13.07
Sarah Wigglesworth and Jeremy Till experimented on themselves; their home/office in Islington is a catalogue of green building materials. It is a self-build (UK term for be your own contractor) "intended to encourage others toward experimentation." The architects used simple, easy-to-learn techniques to "challenge the notion of expert. Materials were selected on the basis of a set of criteria including embodied energy, recyclability, transportation distances and toxicity."
It all looks pretty expert to me.
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The TH Interview: Maddy Harland of Permaculture Magazine, part two
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07.13.07
Maddy Harland is the editor of UK-based Permaculture Magazine (PM), solutions for sustainable living (previously featured on TreeHugger here), which she founded with her partner Tim in 1992. PM has an international focus and covers all aspects of sustainable living, from permaculture gardening and small scale sustainable agriculture to green building, low-impact transport and community action. The magazine has 100,000 readers world wide, and has been successfully distributed in the USA since 2003. It is now also available through a network of international wholesalers in many other countries, including Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, New Zealand and Australia.
Maddy is also a co-founder with her partner, Tim, of Permanent Publications, a company dedicated to publishing environmental books, and she was cited for a ‘Special Commendation’ at the Triodos Bank Women’s Ethical Business Awards at the Globe Theatre, London. She is also a founder member of Gaia Education, an international team of educators developing curricula and courses on the Sustainable Development of Urban and Rural Settlements, and she helped found the Sustainability Centre in Hampshire, UK.
In the first part of this two-part interview, Maddy discussed the origins of Permaculture Magazine, the recent upsurge of interest in sustainability, and she gave her own personal definition of permaculture. She also discussed what makes the magazine so popular, and revealed the ways in which they try to keep their operations sustainable. In part two, Maddy talks about the diversity of approaches to permaculture that exist, the emotional aspects of environmental activism, and the future of Permaculture Magazine. As usual, we also ask Maddy about her top tips for creating a better, greener world.
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TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week.
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 07.13.07
Eco-Chick: Melissa Etheridge’s Call to Action by Starre Vartan
"For all y’all who didn’t watch Live Earth, you missed this inspiring speech by Ms. Etheridge made right in the middle of one of her songs. She is definitely an artist who knows how to work a crowd and her passion show right through the crappy YouTube recording. A Must-Watch for all you jaded folks out there."
Ester Republic: Carnival of the Green #85 by Deirdre Helfferich
"Yes, it's that time once again! The Carnival of the Green appears for the second time on the Ester Republic blog. I first hosted this compendium of sustainable blogginess back on July 10, 2006, with Carnival of the Green #35." ...
An Inconvenient Turbine
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.13.07
"
"In neighborhoods across the country, there's a battle brewing: the environmentalists vs. the aesthetes." We saw it with Al Gore; it took him eight months of appeals, redesigns and inspections before he could get solar panels installed on his house. According to the Wall Street Journal, homeowners looking to add solar panels, turbines or new high efficiency windows are fighting with neighbours, zoning boards and historical societies who think they will look ugly and hurt property values.
Sometimes they are right; "The worst things you can do to a historic building, besides arson, is take out historic windows," says Concord, Mass. town planner Carol Kowalski. We might add that in terms of bang for the buck, changing windows has a really poor rate of return and there are lots of ways to restore old windows, add interior storm windows so that one does not wreck the look of the house.
Other times it is just NIMBY silliness, particularly when there are products that blend in like solar roof tiles (TreeHugger here) or the neat, nearly invisible panel on an 1899 chimney cap shown in the picture (cute idea but not much electricity will flow from that) California, New Jersey and and Arizona now all have legislation that restricts homeowners associations from blocking solar panel installations; where are the rest of the States? ::Wall Street Journal...
"In neighborhoods across the country, there's a battle brewing: the environmentalists vs. the aesthetes." We saw it with Al Gore; it took him eight months of appeals, redesigns and inspections before he could get solar panels installed on his house. According to the Wall Street Journal, homeowners looking to add solar panels, turbines or new high efficiency windows are fighting with neighbours, zoning boards and historical societies who think they will look ugly and hurt property values.
Sometimes they are right; "The worst things you can do to a historic building, besides arson, is take out historic windows," says Concord, Mass. town planner Carol Kowalski. We might add that in terms of bang for the buck, changing windows has a really poor rate of return and there are lots of ways to restore old windows, add interior storm windows so that one does not wreck the look of the house.
Other times it is just NIMBY silliness, particularly when there are products that blend in like solar roof tiles (TreeHugger here) or the neat, nearly invisible panel on an 1899 chimney cap shown in the picture (cute idea but not much electricity will flow from that) California, New Jersey and and Arizona now all have legislation that restricts homeowners associations from blocking solar panel installations; where are the rest of the States? ::Wall Street Journal...
How to Green Your Carbon Offsets
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 07.13.07
What’s the Big Deal?
Newspapers, radio, television, magazines, blogs, podcasts, in fact any media you can think of, has awoken to the issue of Climate Change or Global Warming. When mainstream publications, the likes of Sports Illustrated and Vanity Fair, cover the topic you know there is something going on. Not to mention that a documentary full of graphs, statistics and grainy photos of glaciers can scoop an Oscar. And thousands of eminent scientists, the world over, sign a document concurring that there was 90% certainty that the planet has a temperature and it is a human induced fever. To reduce the patient’s prognosis of increased convulsions; such as hurricanes, droughts, floods, heat waves, etc; experimental treatments are underway.
One of these is carbon offsets. Carbon dioxide, a significant greenhouse gas, is emitted into the atmosphere as a result our intensive use of fossil fuels like oil and coal. In simplistic terms this is ‘bad’. One means of doing ‘good’ is by paying to balance (or offset) the equation, by funding projects that reduce our emissions of carbon (and other greenhouse gases). If only it were as simple as it sounds.
Plug-in Hybrids a Better Use of Coal = -25% Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Coal-to-Liquids = -6% or +60%
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 07.13.07
John went over this here, but we wanted to put into stark relief the findings of this recent study from the Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center (CEIC). It concludes that while enacting policies to subsidize the production of coal-to-liquids (CTL) transportation fuel would enhance national security by lowering oil imports, encouraging plug-in hybrids (PHEV) powered by coal-generated electricity is a less costly policy that also reduces oil imports and does more to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Gasoline derived from CTL plants with no CCS could increase GHG emissions from vehicles by almost 60%. If CCS is available, then a reduction of less than 6% could be obtained. It is important to note, once again, that in this best-case CTL scenario, not only is there CCS at the CTL plant, but also a low-carbon electricity source is used for CTL production. This might not be a very realistic assumption, but is presented here to show that at best we could only obtain a very small reduction in GHG emissions following a path of increased CTL production. Plug-in hybrids look more promising as a pathway for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Even if coal electricity without carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is used, plug-in hybrids could lead to a GHG emissions reduction of almost 25%. This demonstrates the worst case for plug-in hybrids, as GHGs would be further reduced with a low-carbon electricity portfolio.That portfolio including renewables such as solar and wind. ...
More Top Ethical Heroes
by Bonnie Alter, London on 07.13.07
What is it about the British and lists? Every day there seems to be a new one; best songs, best beaches, green lists and now the top 100 ethical heroes. The newconsumer magazine has taken a slight different slant and widened the net dramatically ( Sienna Miller is #78 because she wears ethical clothes with style). In its list Katharine Hamnett is number one, and an interesting choice. She has had a great influence on the fashion industry with her strong social conscience. Anita Roddick, formerly of the Body Shop is number 2, Harriet Lamb, director of the Fairtrade Foundation is third and guess who (Al Gore) is fourth.
In the food area: two rival boxed vegetable companies: Abel and Cole(67) and Riverford Organics (69), along with Planet Organics(71), the first modern health foods shop here. More food: booja-booja (delicious)chocolate (97) and Innocent Drinks (29) and Divine Chocolate (21). Two politicians: Caroline Lucas (8) of the Green Party, and David Cameron (84) of the Conservatives....what, no Labour? If nothing else, these lists are a great way to find about new and worthy ventures that people are involved in creating. :: newconsumer...
Welcome American Rivers Council - And 'Tear Down That Iron Gate'
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.13.07
Please give a warm welcome to Ms. Rebecca Wodder, President of American Rivers and our newest guest poster. We met Rebecca via the Letters to the Editor page of the Wall Street Journal and immediately emailed her, asking if she'd like to do an encore or so with us. She agreed; and it looks like it's going to be a Class V rapids of ideas from now on. Rebecca says:-
"There’s something about environmental ideas that seems to drive a certain segment of the right wing just a little bit nuts.
How else to explain when they toss overboard all of their free-market principles, fiscal discipline, science, economics, and even their treasured skepticism about global warming, all to come to the full-throated defense of a handful of obsolete dams?
A notable example of the genre is Shika Dalmia’s opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, which the Reason Foundation helpfully spirits out from behind the Journal’s subscription-only firewall here. She argues that those of us who believe that some of America’s most outmoded dams should be removed ought to be ashamed, as we apparently don’t care enough about global warming. ...
Solar Cells for Giants
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 07.13.07
We reported the plans a few months ago, and now it's happened. The San Fransisco Giants' stadium has just been fitted with 590 solar panels, produced by Sharp, that are outputting up to 120-kilowatts of electricity. Sports fields are perfect locations for solar panels; they have huge roof areas.
They also have unusual power consumption habits - they consume huge amounts of power once or twice a week, but then sit almost idle the rest of the time. These fluctuations are also yearly seasonal, because out of season the parks aren't used as much.
This means that a large solar array is best used to feed power back into the grid, making money which can be used to pay for the huge power bills from the peaks. The cells won't provide any power to the club at all - it will all be used by other consumers.::Engadget
See also ::Baseball Stadium Goes Nuclear ::San Francisco Giants to Install Solar Panels...
Wind Machine Collects Water from Air
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 07.13.07
Max Water is a machine that uses wind-power to extract water from the air. We've covered it before, but it was recently featured on ABC, so we have a little more information and an interview on video now. Apparently, the unit can take 10,000 liters a day from the surrounding air, using a condensing system to cool air and collect dew. It was invented by Max Whisson, an Australian inventor. Australia seems to be the home to a few alternative energy researchers at the moment, producing things like this new wind-turbine design....
Verizon Gets Out of The Copper Business
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 07.12.07
Copper hit $3.66 a pound today on the COMEX exchange - that's a lot. Copper is denser than iron, and the weight really adds up quickly. For example, it only takes 146 pre-1982 pennies to make a pound. Yes, that means you can make $2.20/lb. by melting down your pennies. Except, of course, it is explicitly illegal to do so. At current rates, A cubic inch of copper is worth a little over a dollar; a cubic foot is (get this) worth over $2000.
It's not just copper; aluminum, zinc, bronze and stainless steel are all commanding high prices these days. These may seem like novel facts until one more novel fact is added; that is, a lot of public infrastructure is made out of these metals. Enterprising folks are literally ripping off anything that isn't nailed down - bleachers for example. Beer kegs aren't being returned, and some police departments can't get ammunition. Fortune, for all its glory, printed a veritable how-to guide on how to pick and choose the Choice items in publo-sphere. And some big companies, like Verizon, are taking big hits....
Jay Leno Drives the Tesla
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 07.12.07
Jay Leno is a massive car fan, and also has more than a little influence in the media. That's why he gets to drive the Tesla before we do, and that's why the Times asked him to write up a review of the electric roadster. But we're not bitter.
Previous electric cars hadn't impressed Leno, "The problem with electric cars up to this point is what I call the veggie burger syndrome. When they came out with the veggie burger they made it look like a hamburger, which was disappointing because it doesn’t taste anything like a hamburger. It had been the same with electric cars until this point."...
Biodiesel: How It's Made, Environmental Impact, Where to Find a Fueling Station, and More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 07.12.07
Ed. note: This is the first post in a series TreeHugger is writing to provide basic information about important ideas, materials and technologies for new greenies (or those who just need a quick refresher). This entry is about biodiesel; read on and stay tuned!
What is biodiesel made from?
Usually derived from vegetable oils -- soy is very popular these days, but animal fats can also be used -- biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification which essentially splits the oil into two parts: alkyl esters and glycerine; the esters are the fuel, while the leftover glycerine is often used to make soap and other beauty products. Both virgin and waste oil (often collected from restaurants) can be used in this process with equally good results. The fuel can be produced domestically, from seed to pump, and is non-toxic and biodegradable. Biodiesel typically produces about 60% less net carbon dioxide emissions than petroleum-based diesel, as it is itself (partially, at least) produced from atmospheric carbon dioxide via photosynthesis in plants....
Ask the EcoGeek: The Power Cost of Solar
by EcoGeek.org on 07.12.07
Dear Mr. EcoGeek,
I've heard that it takes more energy to produce photovoltaic cells than the cells will ever produce throughout their lifetime. Is there any truth to that, or are those naysayers just saying nay?
David
Spokane, WA
Short Answer:
Those naysayers are just saying nay! But that doesn't mean there's not more to this story.
Long Answer:
This myth was probably perpetuated by studying solar panels created for NASA. If you need something extremely efficient for use in outer-space, yes, then it doesn't matter how much energy you use to create the panel. But for use hear on Earth, it's ridiculous for anyone to say that solar panels consume more energy than they produce....
10 Fast, Easy Tips To Cool Your Company - From Sun Microsystems
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.12.07
Dave Douglas, VP of Eco Responsibility at Sun Microsystems, whom we interviewed earlier, sends these ten tips along. He reminds us that many company leaders and employees do not realize the role they can play in easing the strain on our power grids. "One of the most important things to remember is that energy conservation shouldn't end at home. Many office workers' habits change dramatically once they get to work. They tend to stop doing simple things they do at home to save energy, such as turning off lights when they leave the room and shutting down computers and monitors. Businesses don't cut power consumption -- people do! Bring those good habits into the office with you and you will help your employer avoid black-outs, save money and be kinder to the planet"...
Video: It's A Chair, A Bench, A Table & A Shelf (and More), All in One
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 07.12.07
Flat Pack Magic: Emergency Stool 5 by d e s furniture
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 07.12.07
Designed by d.e. Sellers (remember him?) to "transcend function and question furniture as object, art, or image", the Emergency Stool is a clever, laser-cut piece that packs flat (for easy shipping, and it'll slide right under a really big door upon delivery) into a single, mobile sheet of plywood (that would make a pretty interesting wall-hanging) but comes apart to create a handy bench. The laser-etched, international instructions (see 'em on the big piece in the middle) make it a "snap" to put together, as it requires no tools or fasteners. Hit the jump to see it put together. ::des furniture via ::Yatzer.com...
Who Is China Really Trying To Kill?
by Alex Pasternack, Beijing, China on 07.12.07
Even in a country estimated to kill thousands of people per year, the execution this week of China's corrupt food and drug chief was unusual, a powerful statement that signaled that China means business when it comes to fixing its problems, and a symbol of the power the government can wield when it wants to. (If only the U.S. did something similar to its corrupt officials, some half-joked.) But a symbol won't address the deeper problems that China must if it is to have, say, non-toxic toothpaste or breathable air.
That Zheng Xiaoyu's sentencing took place on the same day that China announced its first regulation on the recall of food, amidst widespread global concern over nearly everything "Made in China," proved that the government is concerned as well. Not only is the country's image an issue for its leaders, just over a year before it hosts the Olympics (for which it has just announced food safety measures), but so is its stability. Next to land grabs carried out by local officials, tainted food and water is a top worry for the country's millions of rural residents, whose protests signal arguably the biggest threat to China's government.
But that Zheng's execution took place the same week that the China Development Brief -- an indispensable Western-run newsletter/blog for information on the country's social issues -- was killed by the authorities proves that China isn't serious about improving food safety or much else.
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Introducing TreeHugger Personal Shopper
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 07.12.07
Face it, even the most ascetic of environmentalists needs a pair of jeans now and then. Or a new countertop for an aging kitchen. Or a gift for your decidedly non-hippie Great-aunt Millie, who wouldn't be amused if you dedicated an entire grove of saplings to her.
When scouring your local flea markets and thrift stores—or your parents' garage—for used goods doesn't work out, we're here to help you navigate TreeHugger's archives and the rest of the World Wide Web for new, sustainable options that will, whether it's an eco-friendly wedding dress or ecologically an