- 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 August 19, 2007 - August 25, 2007
Total this week: 215
Solar Decathlon Saturday: University of Cincinnati
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 08.25.07
With the 2007 Solar Decathlon rapidly approaching, TreeHugger is highlighting some of this year's competitors. Lloyd already gave us a sneak peak at the University of Illinois' entry, and today we are taking a look at the work of the University of Cincinnati team. Cincinnati's re[form] house is an attempt to "transform the way that people think about dwelling and energy efficiency ... inform, through abstract and subtle means, how its energy systems work ... [and] perform as a work of art." The team is tackling re[form]'s energy needs from all sides, using both tried and true technologies (like PV panels) alongside newer innovations such as evacuated tubes (EVT) for heating and absorption chillers for cooling. ...
Assessing Climate Change Below the Surface
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.25.07
Sure, we've heard of the effects of global warming on the oceans, atmosphere and the planet's surface but what about on soil and groundwater systems? While we may still be a ways from understanding just what the ramifications of intensified climate change will be on Earth's vast sub-surface, a team of scientists from the USDA and Australia's CSIRO have come up with an effective method to make projections about the impacts on groundwater — simulating interactions between soils and plants.
Using daily weather pattern data and predicted climate data — taking into account a doubling of current carbon dioxide levels — they created a soil-water-vegetation model that represented a number of variables, including soil absorbed water, water flow and deep drainage below the roots of plants that becomes groundwater recharge. Their results indicated that changes in global average temperatures and rainfall would affect the growth rates and leaf size of plants, with likely effects on groundwater recharge....
Canadian House & Home: Less is More, Now in Digital Goodness
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.25.07
"Great and Small," the September issue of Canadian House & Home magazine is out now; as the title suggests, it's all about space-saving, space-efficient, less-is-more home design. Among other goodies is a feature on six totally functional, totally small interiors; they average 690 square feet in size, with 950 at the top and a diminutive 180 square feet on the small end. If you're looking for tips, advice, or inspiration on how to maximize your minimal space, this is it.
What's that, you say? You're not a subscriber? Not a problem; they now have a slick electronic version of the magazine (easier on the trees that way), and, as an added bonus, they're offering a free preview, online right now. Turn pages at the click of the mouse, zoom in for closer looks the spreads. Like the content of the magazine, the digital version helps you do more with less. ::Canadian House & Home via ::Apartment Therapy...
Sundarbans Arms Itself Against Global Warming
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.25.07
Photo credit: Frances Voon
The residents of the Sundabarans, an alluvial archipelago spread across Bangladesh and West Bengal in India, harbor not a single doubt in their minds that climate change is real and is happening. They've seen it for themselves: In the past two decades alone, four of their islands have sunk into the sea, displacing 6,000 families from their villages.
Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, cyclones, mangrove destruction, and coastal flooding have created thousands of environmental refugees in the area. In response, the people have decided to form a united front against global warming.
Over 40,000 students have sowed saplings along the river embankment, besides dumping one bucket of soil each on the natural dam in the dense mangrove forests.
"We have seen how some islands have been submerged by the rising water levels and how some mangrove forests were destroyed by coastal flooding. Earlier we didn't know the exact reason of this natural disaster but now we can understand it very well," said Sanatan Dolui, a senior school student, as he and his entire family planted mangrove tree, eucalyptus and mango saplings ."If we have to survive on the land of our forefathers, we have to protect it in a natural way."...
Paying Poorer Countries to Cut Emissions so We Don't Have to
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.25.07
What started out as an ambitious, global scheme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — a concept known as "Contraction and Convergence," whose goal was to equalize per capita emissions around the world by requiring developed nations to cut down on overall emissions much faster than developing ones — has now descended into a pale glimmer of its former self (some might say a charade). During a meeting this past week, Yvo de Boer, the head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, issued a new proposal that — in his words — better reflected the realities of the current climate situation.
"We have been reducing emissions and making energy use more efficient in industrialised countries for a long time. So it is quite expensive in these nations to reduce emissions any more. But in developing nations, less has been done to reduce emissions and less has been done to address energy efficiency. So it actually becomes economically quite attractive for a company, for example in the UK, that has a target to achieve this goal by reducing emissions in China."...
DriWater: Time-Release Water for Irrigation
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.25.07
It sounds counter-intuitive (dry water?), but Sonoma-based DriWater's innovative product — a gelatinous substance consisting of 98% purified water and 2% cellulose gum — does just that: provide an irrigation solution that delivers a reliable source of moisture directly to a plant's roots, when needed, without requiring a permanent water source.
When placed in the ground, the DriWater gels are inserted into tubes buried next to the roots of a young plant. Enzymes naturally produced by the bacteria found in the soil then begin to break down the cellulose holding the gels together — resulting in the gel converting to liquid and being released directly to the plant's root zone. Each gel tube provides about 2-3 months' worth of moisture for the plant — each quart of the product is equivalent to approximately 6-8 quarts of liquid water because of the minute amount lost to evaporation or runoff....
Quote of the Day: Jonathan Schell on the Fate of the Earth
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.25.07
Photo credit: Gare and Kitty
At present most of us do nothing. We look away. We remain calm. We are silent. We take refuge in the hope that the holocaust won’t happen, and turn back to our individual concerns. We deny the truth that is all around us. Indifferent to the future of our kind, we grow indifferent to one another. We drift apart. We grow cold. We drowse our way to the end of the world. But if once we shook off our lethargy and fatigue and began to act, the climate would change. Just as inertia produces despair—a despair often so deep it does not know itself as despair—arousal and action would give us access to hope, and life would start to mend: not just life in its entirety but daily life, every individual life. At that point we would begin to withdraw from our role as both the victims and the perpetrators. …
We would no longer be the destroyers of mankind, but rather, a gateway through which the future generations would enter the world. Then the passion and will that we need to save ourselves would flood into our lives. The walls of indifference, inertia, and coldness that now isolate each of us from others, and all of us from the past and future generations, would melt, like snow in spring. …"
—Jonathan Schell, The Fate of the Earth...
TXU To Add 3000 MW Of Wind Energy With Compressed Air Storage
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.25.07
"TXU Energy of Texas has proposed a plan to build 3,000 MW of new wind energy in Texas...Because wind in Texas blows mostly at night and energy-intensive air conditioner use rises with the triple-digit temperature during the day, TXU, in conjunction with Shell, had to find a way to store energy for use when it is most needed..."
"Nighttime electricity from TXU's wind turbines will be used to run air compressors that fill huge chambers dug under the Texas scrub brush,... During the heat of the day this air will be released, spinning turbines that resemble those used in natural gas generators."
For background on the compressed air energy storage technology, see this early TreeHugger post titled "Compressed Air Underground Battery for Wind Farms"
See also: article in Star Telegram
Via:: Power Engineering. Image credit and second reference credit:: WattHead...
Earthquake and Fire Proof Floating Houses Coming to Los Angeles
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.07
According to the usually reliable Weekly World News:
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Due to the recent fires at Griffith Park and the ongoing threat of earthquakes and even tsunamis, city developers have been planning the next phase of urban expansion with safety in mind.
“We’re going to zone the skies above Los Angeles for floating buildings,” said city planning spokesperson Z. Rowe Gees. “These structures, called Strat-Houses, will be modeled after the old dirigibles, over a thousand feet long. Unlike zeppelins such as the Hindenburg, they will not be carried aloft by explosive hydrogen. The Strat-Houses will be supported by nacelles filled with helium.” ...
Prefab Rehab Plugin LED Less is More Hotel
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.07
How many buttons does this push at once? Cubi is a hotel concept where 74 square foot prefab plug-in units are inserted into a long-empty office building in Amsterdam to create an instant hotel. Each unit has a Hästens hand-made bed, (we suspect not the $ 50,000 version), Philippe Starck bathroom, LCD TV and as a final touch, LED lighting that you can adjust the colour of to your taste. Quality stuff but in a very small space, so rates start at only €39.00 per night.
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Climate Care Delivers One Million Tonnes of Offsets
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.25.07
The UK’s leading carbon offset provider Climate Care, who earlier this week became the focus of protesters from climate camp, has released a statement announcing a major milestone – 1 million tonnes of offsets sold. That, says the company’s founder Mike Mason, is like taking 300,000 cars off the road for a year. He also used the opportunity to respond to critics of offsets:
"This highlights the real impact that voluntary funding of credible carbon offsets can have in delivering actual emissions reductions. If we are in a hurry to tackle climate change, and we need to make real reductions quickly, voluntary offsets need to be recognised as a core part of everyone’s reductions strategy. However, the huge contribution that this market can make to both reducing global warming and to improving the lives of millions in the third world, is now under threat from a combination of insensitive regulation by government and persistent negative media. For many, the concern has been that buying offsets achieves nothing more than clear consciences, which our delivery milestone clearly shows is not the case. This landmark achievement is simply the beginning, with next years sales expected to fund reductions equivalent to an impressive 1% of the entire UK's annual carbon footprint.”...
Single Hauz by front architects
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.07
We talk often about treading lightly on the landscape, and fret about the impact of foundations; Geoff at BldgBlog shows us Single Hauz by Poland's front architects. He calls it an "inhabitable billboard" and asks "Could you use the mast-and-cantilever model for other types of architectural structures, whether those are single-family houses – whole cul-de-sacs lined with modernist billboard homes! – or even restaurants and public libraries?" Of course, there are a lot of places where billboards aren't particularly welcome; the image of the two units in front of the rock face is disturbing.:: Front Architects via ::BuildingBlog...
One Year Ago in TH: Michael Crichton, Water, Crocs
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.25.07
A year ago today in TreeHugger, we took note of the winner of a book prize created by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists; here's a hint...it wasn't to anyone telling them to stop looking for oil. Meanwhile, a new voice piped up in the debate over wind power, and there was (finally!) a departure from the stereotype of radical environmentalists vs. self-centered NIMBYs. We also discovered Hydro-dis, a “water disinfection technology [that] will allow businesses and everyday families to clean and reuse water again and again without the use of external chemicals.” Sounds pretty good; does it really work?
TreeHugger was also dabbling in the art of weaving, trying Crocs on for size and taking a closer look at the final act that is green burial. A list of everything we covered last August 25, after the jump....
(The First) Wind Farm Planned For Lake Erie
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.25.07
Lake Erie is on average relatively shallow and has one of the most productive and popular Great Lakes sport fisheries. When it comes to walleye (the best eating freshwater fish that ever existed) and yellow perch, Erie is "hot". So hot, that this Lake Erie based wind farm proposal could make the Cape Wind project proposal look like a playground scuffle, unless the sponsors properly look after any fish and aquatic life issues early on. Because this is the first of many wind farms that will be proposed for Erie, we can be sure.
"A German company that knows how to harness wind power is the best candidate to judge whether Lake Erie breezes can spin off power and jobs, Cuyahoga County commissioners say. Commissioners voted Thursday to select a team led by juwi International to do a yearlong feasibility study of building wind turbines on the lake and establishing a wind-energy research center nearby."...
Right to Dry for Apartment Dwellers
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.25.07
Are you living in an apartment, dorm, anyplace without the space to hang a clothesline? Then you probably read Fight for Your Right to Dry a bit skeptically. After all, what can you do? You don't own a backyard!
But wait! There is a better way! The drying rack, a device which folds compactly out of the way when not in use, allows anyone to dry their clothing naturally. The modern drying racks add a design element to your green living, a big improvement over the unstable, old accordion-racks. A couple options are shown over the fold, with some tips and hints on how rack drying can make your laundry-life better....
California Developers Making Solar Roofing A Standard Item
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.25.07
It's another California trend, which, as with so many other positive environmental developments that emanate from there with San Andreas-like shocking power, we fully expect will ripple outward to other US states. "One of the central San Joaquin Valley's largest home builders is taking the alternative-energy movement a significant step forward with the announcement that it will make solar energy standard on all its new houses.
Officials at Lennar Homes said they will begin with 258 houses at their Chateau at Cathedral project in Clovis and Orchard Estates II in Reedley, and then spread the program to other projects as they come on line. Each house comes with a rooftop solar electric power system as standard equipment. The 2.3-kilowatt system, which would cost between $15,000 and $20,000 to install on an existing house, is expected to cut energy bills 40% to 60%, said Charles Schein, ma keting manager. Home buyers also get a one-time tax credit of $2,000. Lennar officials said they are not increasing the prices of the houses to absorb the additional cost but do get a break by purchasing the systems in bulk."
"...The California Building Industry Association estimates that 1,500 new solar-powered houses were built last year for about 2% of total construction." A much as 5% of new construction this year is expected to have solar power as a built in feature."...
Urban Renewal by Mari Santos
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.24.07
We're usually kinda "meh" about most T-shirt surgeries because we're just can't get into the hack'em, slash'em sartorial school of thought. Toronto-based Mari Santos, on the other hand, is such a genius with a pair of scissors we want to hitchhike across the border, kidnap her, head back south, and then set her to work against her will on the oversize T-shirts we seem to get for free by the pound. Except that it would probably be illegal. Which is kind of a bummer.
Her ethos: "Taking something old, frumpy and ill fitting and making it into something new." Santos will be joining some 20 other designers to work on Urban Outfitter's Urban Renewal line.
More pictures below the fold. ::Urban Renewal
[Via ::NotCot]...
Make a Hydroponic Bog Garden
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.24.07
The grand-prize winner of the TreeHugger/Popular Science/Instructables Go Green! contest presented an innovative solution to the evergreen problem of conserving water: A hydroponic bog garden that recycles the water from a sewage tank and produces a water effluent clean enough to discharge into surrounded ponds, ditches, and waterways—or even for irrigation.
An essential component of the bog is alfagrog, a highly porous volcanic rock with plenty of surface area, that houses colonies of bacteria that are responsible for filtering and cleaning any water that passes through. (Koi keepers love this rock because it keeps their fish happy, which means that they're happy. You wouldn't expect all that happiness to come from a humble rock but you see, it happens.)...
TH Forums Highlights: Tankless Water Heaters, Greening the Gym and More...
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.24.07
Some highlights from TreeHugger Forums to get you thinking over the weekend...
Round-ups of the best conversations in TreeHugger Forums appear several times a week here at TreeHugger; register for free and login to become part of the conversation for a greener future today....
 | 1) Forums user PatriciaW iw pondering a switch to a tankless water heater, but has been getting tripped up: "I can't decide which is best long term: gas which is non renewable or electricity which is renewable (I buy my electricity from Bullfrog power which uses wind turbines.) However, an electrical heater requires 220V and would require an electrician to install the wires (and probably reorganizing my existing wiring since I do not have any spare breakers.) A gas heater would require 110V for electronic ignition which could be added onto an existing circuit." Gas is definitely more efficient at heating the water, but does wind power make a difference? |
 | 2) In a thread started waaaay back in May, Forums user kathreen is wondering about tips on eco-effective things you can do for your new baby. Some new life has been breathed into the thread (after a few users suggesting keeping babies out of the equation altogether, if you want to be really green) by DIY cloth-diapering and co-sleeping, to reduce or eliminate the need for a separate nursery, more space, and more stuff. |
 | 3) Lastly, user PatriciaW is back with "a bit of a rant" about how un-green (brown?) the local gym is: "Lights, equipment, TVs etc. are left on all the time. Refrigerators are ancient and the rubber gaskets are falling apart so they ice up," and the list goes on and on. Management shot down the idea of posting signs about ways to be more efficient; what to do? Ideas so far: an exposé in the local paper and showing them the money (as in, the money the could save with more efficient energy use). Anyone else? |
More People, More Diseases
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.24.07
Photo credit: forklift
We always had a sneaking suspicion that the human race was a raging cesspool. (Some people we know prove this theory more than others.) Apparently, the experts agree: Explosive population growth, intensive agricultural practices, and changes in sexual behavior are a breeding ground for an "unprecedented number" of emerging diseases, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
A new disease is rearing its ugly head every year, according to the U.N. health agency. We've already encountered 39 new pathogens that were unknown only a generation ago, including HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and severe acute respiratory syndrome, better known as SARS. And with an estimated 2.1 billion air passengers jetsetting across the globe in the past year alone, infectious diseases are spreading faster than before. An outbreak or epidemic in one part of the world is only hours away from being a threat in another.
But hang on, couldn't advances in science account for the new pathogen discoveries?...
Fight For Your Right... to Dry
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 08.24.07
First is was the slow food movement. Next it was slow fashion and slow furniture. Could the glamorous world of laundry be the next slow revolution? As people look for ways to decrease their energy consumption, clotheslines are steadily returning to the American landscape. However, this return to one of the original forms of solar power is being hampered (gotta love laundry puns) in some places. Some local municipalities and many homeowners associations prohibit the use of outdoor clotheslines citing aesthetic and property value concerns. Thankfully, state governments are getting involved in the "Right to Dry" movement. North Carolina recently passed a law that may override the ability for homeowners associations and municipalities to ban clotheslines - and in Vermont and New Hampshire, movements are under way to do the same. ...
TreeHugger Radio: The Fight to Keep Climate Science in the White House (Oh Yes, and Giant iPhone Bills)
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 08.24.07
This week we speak with a lead attorney from Center for Biological Diversity, one of three groups to sue the White House over its refusal to update critical climate reports. The Secretary of Transportation confidently declares that bicycles aren’t actually a form of transportation. We also hear from our tech correspondent about a new self-fueled technology with the power to turn chicken droppings into bio oil. Also, New York becomes the second state to approve climate impact stickers for new cars. Plus, while the iPhone may be sleek and efficient, there’s nothing sleek about a paper phone bill hundreds of pages long. Pick up TreeHugger Radio on iTunes or listen/right click to download. ::TreeHugger Radio (TreeHugger Radio is written and produced by Jacob Gordon and hosted by Simran Sethi). ...
Would David Suzuki Dig Your Garden?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.24.07
Photo credit: GeordieMac
Hey Canadian green fingers, environmental activist (and TreeHugger eco-hero) David Suzuki wants to find Canada's best pesticide-free lawns and gardens, plus your story, in 100 words or less, about how you made everything flourish sans chemicals.
Photos and stories will be posted on his Web site; judges will pick the finalists and site visitors will then vote for a winner. If you win, you get a prize package that includes a "David Suzuki Digs My Garden" T-shirt and a $30 gift certificate for heritage seeds from Saltspring Seeds.
You have until Sept. 14 to mail your photos or upload them to the David Suzuki Foundation Flickr photo group....
Volvo Improve Mileage with Common Sense
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 08.24.07
We often feature advances in motoring technology here on Treehugger - electric, solar, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen and all sorts of things designed to improve mileage. However, cars still aren't as efficient as they should be. We've talked about the reasons why before, and it seems that Volvo must have listened. They've announced that their new C30 will have far better fuel efficiency, all thanks to a few common sense, low-tech design features....
MTV's "The Real World: Hollywood" Starts Getting Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08.24.07
It seems that seven strangers on the upcoming season of "The Real World: Hollywood" will have their lives taped and will be "going green" according to a press release. MTV intends to incorporate eco-friendly lifestyle choices and household items into the 20th season in hopes that the fans will begin to do the same. The release states: "'The Real World' house will include everything from solar energy solutions to bamboo flooring, recycled glass counters, some sustainable furniture and recycled vintage décor, energy star appliances, a solar heated swimming pool and energy efficient lighting. Additionally, Bunim-Murray Productions has taken measures to reduce its environmental impact by adopting more environmentally-sound production practices on set. They also are working towards making the production and show carbon-neutral by offsetting remaining carbon emissions after these carbon reducing measures are applied. Eco-friendly elements will be added on a regular basis throughout production and within the show, including products seen with the cast and around the house." There are 24 episodes slated for the upcoming season. Shooting is going to begin this Fall and will be airing at the beginning of 2008. We lost interest a few seasons ago (when it seemed to be non-stop drunkeness) but might have to tune in. I mean, you have to wonder what kind of job they'll have? Via ::Ecorazzi ::MTV...
When Good Ideas Go Bad: Toshiba's Washing Machine/Air Conditioner
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.24.07
Regular readers know that TreeHugger is fond of the gadget mash-up. Combine a sink and a toilet or a lamp and a broom, and we're (usually) happy as clams; it makes sense to us to double up on functionality, reduce materials and cut back on stuff, all at once. Toshiba has taken this idea and run with it, but no one told them where to run (they may have missed the starting gun) and they came up with this: a combination washing machine/air conditioner.
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Chicago Climate Futures ExchangeTM to Launch Certified Emission Reductions (CERs)
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.24.07
Chicago Climate Futures Exchange-TM (CCFE-TM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chicago Climate Exchange® Inc. (CCX®) is launching a futures contract on Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) today, Friday, August 24, 20071. The launch of CCFE CER futures contracts marks the first time that hedging tools for CERs, a Kyoto compliant emissions instrument, are offered on an exchange-traded platform in North America.
"CERs are tradable instruments, issued under the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism, for approved and verified greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction and sequestration projects undertaken in developing countries. The Kyoto Protocol allows national and corporate GHG reduction goals to be met through the use of CERs. These instruments are fast emerging as the international currency in the global markets for reducing GHG emissions."
"The CCFE CER futures contracts are cash settled instruments priced in US dollars. This structure allows market participants to efficiently hedge and manage risk from CER price fluctuations in the absence of a delivery mechanism. Various U.S. carbon cap-and-trade legislative proposals explicitly include linkage with international markets. CERs are expected to play a pivotal role in linking various domestic carbon markets." Via:: CCX, a pdf file...
Quote of the Day: Wangari Maathai Speaks for the Trees
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.24.07
Well, I don’t only think that the biosphere is in trouble, I know it is. I just have to look around in the environment, in which I live.
In my own part of the part of the world, I keep telling people, let us not cut trees irresponsibly. Let us not destroy especially the forested mountains. Because if you destroy the forests on these mountains, the rivers will stop flowing and the rains will become irregular and the crops will fail and you will die of hunger and starvation. Now the problem is, people don’t make those linkages.
—Wangari Maathai in The 11th Hour...
Hybrid Test Drive - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 08.24.07
Canadian Driver has posted a review of Nissan's first hybrid, the 2007 Altima. Nissan have previously claimed that they can sell 50,000 of this model a year. It's a full hybrid, so can run on 100% electric power at times, and uses technology licensed from Toyota. Overall the impression was very good, and it seems to be a very capable and practical hybrid. One problem they found though, was that the 245-volt nickel metal hydride battery pack that lives behind the rear seat stole about 40% of the trunk space, when compared to the non-hyvrid Altima....
One Watt Wonder - The New CPU From VIA
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 08.24.07
VIA seems to be the rear to watch as they continue to lead the pack in cranking out energy-efficient computing parts. We reviewed this tiny motherboard a while ago and came out grinning. They also have a decent clean computing initiative which has been in place for some time. Now, they have developed the unthinkable - a new fanless processor that chugs along at 500MHz, and only requires 1 watt of electricity to run. And that's when the chip is active; when it's idle, the processor will sip a mere tenth of a watt. Exclamation point.
Who's the market - it's mostly corp-to-corp, to firms that design and engineer embedded systems which require low power consumption and are looking for an eco-friendly design. Near future, VIA envisions producing 1GHz and 1.5GHz versions that consume 3.5 and 7.5 watts respectively. As always, penetration into the consumer market will require a little clock-watching, but for the leaders the future is here today. :: Ubergizmo
...
TreeHugger Goes Back to School
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.24.07
Already we can hear the groans of millions of schoolchildren all across America as they trudge back across the schoolyard. What are the future leaders of tomorrow packing in their book bags? If you're looking to give your kids the head start they deserve, here's how they can score an A in Environment before the bell rings for first period.
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1) Keen's Hybrid Transport backpacks incorporate leftover aluminum and rubber materials from their shoe-manufacturing process, along with recycled polyester and foam from outside sources. If you're looking for something a little different, here's a selection of other eco-friendly book bags we like. |
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2) Save trees one Smencil at a time and smell delicious while you're at it. Comprising a No. 2 graphite core wrapped tightly with layers of newspaper soaked in eco-friendly fragrances, then topped off with a biodegradable eraser, each Smencil is guaranteed to keep its scent for two years. If the scent of natural cedar is more your sniffer's speed, check out ForestChoice's au natural pencils crafted from sustainably harvested cedar. You can even choose pencils made from recycled denim. |
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3) Made from corn starch, these biodegradable pens are produced by Industries for the Blind, an organization staffed by the visually impaired. You can also get refills so you can reuse the same pen casing over and over again. Another option: Pilot's BeGreen pens made from 65 percent recycled materials. |
5 Green Laptops from Toshiba
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 08.24.07
Toshiba now have more Gold rated notebooks than any other manufacturer, according to the Green Electronics Council's Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool. EPEAT is a benchmark for green electronic devices, and gold status requires meeting certain environmental requirements in eight categories; reduction or elimination of environmentally sensitive materials, materials selection, end-of-life design, product longevity/life cycle extension, energy conservation, end-of-life management, packaging and corporate performance.
...
LEDs Grow on Trees: Nick Foley's Pear Light
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.24.07
Though we've seen things like Candela and Cafe Au LED portable rechargeable LED lights before, none have been quite this tasty. Nick Foley's Pear Tree LED lights use the clever combination of a fruit tree and energy-efficient lighting to create something pretty unique. Each pear is magnetically attached to the tree, and contains 10 LEDs that charge when they're "growing" on the branch; "harvest" them for a good hour or so of pear-ly light -- just don't try to poach them in honey and wine. We're glad to see that LEDs are getting popular enough that they now grow on trees. More pics of the tree, in various seasons, below the fold. ::Nick Foley on Coroflot via ::Product Dose...
Guardian's Top 10 Eco-Friendly Gadgets
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.24.07
Many of us love gadgets — though we'd prefer to do without their growing energy consumption and oft less than eco-friendly components. Thanks to this helpful list of eco-friendly gadgets drawn up by Guardian's Adam Vaughan, however, you need not sacrifice your green ethos for your lust for the latest in technology.
Many of the devices he showcases we've commented on before — including Wattson, a home energy usage monitor, and Horizon's H-Racer, the smallest fuel cell car in existence — but some we hadn't heard of and found neat included Tefal's Quick Cup (for you eco-conscious tea lovers out there) and Roberts' Wanderer, a wind-up FM radio. You'll probably have to pony up a little extra for some of these because of the green value but, hey, it's worth it, right?
Via ::Guardian Unlimited: Top 10 green gadgets (news website)...
Ecojot Eco-Chic Stationery
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.24.07
Mirage Paper has launched a line of journals, notebooks, sketchbooks, and notepads made from 100 percent post-consumer paper waste. The acid- and chlorine-free paper and boards are also certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council. Made in Canada, the nature-inspired Ecojot uses biodegradable vegetable-based dyes and inks.
And if that's not crunchy enough for you, the paper mill runs on landfill gas; plus a percentage of Ecojot's profits go toward environmental causes. More pictures below. ::Ecojot...
Most Huggable: Chinese Farmers Fight the Desert, Stupidest Climate Fixes, Compost Kung Fu, and More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 08.24.07
Chinese farmers struggle to adapt their ways in the face of desertification across the countryside… “Don't think of it as autumn. Think of it as nature's little hint to get composting…” Man-made volcanic eruptions, energy for nothing, and carbon offsets: Environmental Graffiti prods the year’s stupidest climate fixes… Researchers are finding Scotland’s cliffs disturbingly silent: a disastrous year for seabirds… Looking for some hot energy stocks? Deep digging reveals promising geothermal investments… Hugg 2.0 is in effect and hotter than ever. Most Huggable is a daily roundup of some of the top stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
The Race to Mine the Moon's Helium
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.24.07
While much attention has been focused of late on the scramble by several countries to claim the Arctic floor and its rich supply of natural resources, a broader, more consequential race for resources may be looming on the horizon. Many of the world's leading powers, including the U.S., Russia, China and India, are setting their sights on the moon — specifically on its vast supply of helium-3, a substance rarely found on Earth that some believe could hold the key to fusion reaction.
NASA's Vision for Space Exploration is making plans to send astronauts to the moon in 2020 and on erecting a permanent base there by 2024 while Russia has set the more ambitious goal of building its first base by 2015 - 2020 — for the explicit purpose of extracting helium-3. China, for its part, will be orbiting a satellite around the moon in the coming months and hopes to land an unmanned vehicle in 2011; India, not to be left out, will send out a probe, named Chandrayaan-1, next year and a surface rover in 2010 or 2011. ...
Coccoina Eco-Friendly Glue
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.24.07
Just in time for the back-to-school crew, See Jane Work bring in Cocoina's Almond Scented Paste. Nontoxic, non-solvent, and acid-free, it even tastes of marzipan for the paste-eater in your life.
Used in schools in Italy since the 1930s, the $8 imported paste comes in a vintage-style silver tin and includes a stiff bristle. You can also get it in the form of a $3 glue stick for handy toting about. ::See Jane Work...
Build Your Own Solar Powered Toys: You Know, For the Kids
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.24.07
As we've seen with gadgets like the H-Racer, toys are a great way to get kids of any age excited about a green future. They get to play with toys, and parents get to sneak in a little education about renewable energy, sustainable technology, whatever. Courtesy of Ecogadget comes a collection of eight solar-powered toys and gadgets that you build yourself. Though they all encourage you to behold the power of the sun, it's quite a disparate list, from a helicopter to an amphibious vehicle to a windmill (what? Aren't those supposed to be wind-powered?!?), and a collection of kits and labs dealing with solar science and physics that have experiments and kits to teach kids about solar collection, heat, parabolic reflection and more. Each is available for purchase online; get more details at ::Ecogadget via ::Hugg...
Heat-Seeking Bacteria Could Hold Key to Better Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.24.07
TMO Renewables, a British company specializing in the production of cellulosic ethanol, is claiming an early victory over its U.S. competitors in the race to create the best replacement for gasoline in cars. "We believe what we've found is not far from the silver bullet, and our demonstration plant will be about showing that. We have the organism people have dreamt of -- it eats nearly anything and it makes ethanol really quickly," said Hamish Curran, the company's CEO, showing off TMO's secret weapon — several bubbling vats of bacteria — in its group laboratories during a recent visit by reporters.
After about two years' worth of painstaking research and genetic manipulation, company scientists discovered and refined the organism they are using to drive the production of their cellulosic ethanol — a heat-seeking rod-shaped bacterium of the geobacillus family. TM242, as they've dubbed it, is a thermophile — a species that thrives in high temperature conditions — that has a high metabolic rate. It is also 300 times more effective at making ethanol than its wild strain counterpart. ...
It's Hard to be Green When You're Rich
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.24.07
I mean, look at those numbers. The mega-yacht pumps our 2.3 tons of CO2 per hour; the modest 150 horse only .04 tons. The Gulfstream G400 puts out a ton per passenger per hour; the seat in first class on the Boing 777 only .06. What is a billionaire to do? According to the Wall Street Journal there are now 10,000 private jets swarming the American skies, and builders can't keep up with demand for big boats. Some are buying offsets, but "Others say the efforts are little more than window-dressing, designed to ease the guilt of the wealthy or boost their status among an increasingly green elite. Environmentalists say that if the rich really wanted to help the environment, they would stop flying on private jets, live in smaller homes, and buy kayaks instead of yachts."
Right. Time for carbon rationing, anyone? ::Wall Street Journal
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Long Island Sound Wind Farm Project Canceled On Cost Issues
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.24.07
Back in 2005 we posted about a celeb endorsement of the proposed Long Island Sound wind farm project. The Chairman of Long Island Power Authority, Mr. Kevin Law (pictured) has announced cancellation of the wind farm plans. Apparently, changing cost projections for the wind farm were only reluctantly made public over the last two years. Celebrity endorsements won't help and may hinder a project managed in that fashion. The 'freedom from foreign oil card,' as played in the endorsements did not help either, given that oil has almost nothing to do with electricity generation. Projects that would go up in a public space (in Long Island Sound for example) have to fly on their economic merits and go forward with an open planning process or stakeholders will harden their opposition from the get go.
'Long Island Power Authority Chairman Kevin Law Wednesday said he will "terminate" a controversial project to install 40 wind turbines off the coast of Jones Beach, dealing a fatal blow to a plan alternately portrayed as an environmental necessity and an economic boondoggle.'
'The decision follows review of a recently completed independent report on the economics of the project showed its costs to be "significantly" higher than traditional forms of energy generation.' Project cost estimates reported in the media range from $700 million to one billion dollars. We have no idea which figure is reliable - that may be part of the problem . Via:: Boston Herald, and Industrial Wind Action Group and Newsday and Cape Cod Times Image credit::LIPA, Chairman Kevin Law...
Transformer Clothing: Maternity Edition
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.24.07
Mamas-to-be can get in on the convertible-clothing action with Jessica Scott's Strapless in Seattle dress/skirt/cape combo. Made from Lyocell, a fiber derived from wood-pulp cellulose, this versatile number has a stretchy waist and bust that adjust to changing pregnancy and post-pregnancy figures. The capelet can also provide privacy for nursing moms.
The outfit pictured above in Watermelon costs $95; a mini version, shown below the fold in Lime, is $15 less. ::Jessica Scott...
George Saves the World: New Green Books for Kids
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 08.24.07
There’s a couple of new books out for kids that have just been released by the Eden Project, gotten some great reviews, and may be a terrific addition to a school library or home collection. After all, what better than a classroom or bedtime story with a positive message about protecting the environment?
The first is George Saves the World by Lunchtime, by Jo Readman and Ley Honor Roberts which features a boy named George, his sister, dog, and grandfather. The message to kids being that yes, you can help save the world through simple everyday actions such as repairing items that are broken and recycling regularly as his grandfather teaches him throughout the book.
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Help Judge the Best Solar Cooker
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.24.07
Hot Dog! It's Judgement Day for solar cookers at the Go Green contest we're doing with PopSci and Instructables. Weissensteinburg on the left says "we're using math to cook hot dogs" -the properties of parabolas. Iwilltry on the right notes "It makes a great science project. Unlike most, you'll actually get some use out of it afterwards." Read more in Jasmin's earlier post.
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Beeline Beauty Boasts Better Bees
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 08.24.07
Never mind not-so-natural nostrums made with weirdly wonton wonders that benefit already bountiful bosses. Beeline honey-based beauty products are made with lots of luscious golden honey untampered by preservatives like paraben and formaldehyde. Instead, these products are able to offer the full benefits of the sweet stuff (antioxidant, moisturizing, healing) because they do not contain synthetic ingredients that prevent honey’s beneficial compounds from being absorbed into the skin. Organic? you ask. Probably not, as the honey comes from city bees that likely visit conventionally grown flower gardens. Raised by participants in the social purpose business Sweet Beginnings, the little buzzers gather nectar from urban blossoms that may give the final product a sweeter taste due to the diversity and frequency of blooms. Sweet Beginnings employs residents of the North Lawndale community of Chicago who are often locked out of the traditional labor market due to past criminal records and other barriers to employment. The enterprise provides men and women who are re-entering the community from prison opportunities to establish a work history, learn work habits, and gain skills as a stepping stone to further employment.
TreeHuggers will truly treasure these terrific topicals! Thank you for the tip Maureen! Sweet Beginnings, LLC...
Tim Flannery - Treehugging Across the Digital Divide
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.24.07
Our boy, Tim, has been getting himself a bit of extra exposure in the past few days. Now the 2007 Australian of the Year, and acclaimed author of The Weather Makers, has a plan to stop the deforestation of Papua New Guinea through the miracle of the web. He has an affinity for PNG, having undertaken much of his early scientific work there, tracking down tree kangaroos. Basically he wants to see villages connected to forest life also connect to internet. He’s looking to set a direct connection between well off westerners and the onsite stewards of the trees. We buy trees from the PNG people, and they confirm the trees aren’t being logged . We get carbon credits and they get income. (And an intact supportive ecosystem, to boot.) He sees technology from the realm of satellites and Google Earth bought to bear as monitoring, to keep it all fair dinkum (genuine.) would help both parties monitor area covered under the agreement.
It is not an idea, without precedence. While the eBay like element might a new twist, Farmers in Queensland are already being paid to keep forest intact on their land, for which they have clearing rights. It's estimated that annually 20 to 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions result from clearing tropical rainforests. And a WWF conservation strategist in PNG says that less than 1 per cent of forestry in the country is currently sustainably managed. (The Australian government has set aside $200 million AUD to assist Indonesia and others in the region to help improve management and protection of tropical forests.)...
Thomas Friedman Discovers Efficiency
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.24.07
Mr. "World is Flat" is late to the party again, discovering that the best new source of energy is efficiency. He quotes Jim Rogers of Duke Energy (the third largest emitter of CO2 in the country) saying "“The most environmentally sound, inexpensive and reliable power plant is the one we don’t have to build because we’ve helped our customers save energy.” Duke is proposing a "save-a-watt" system which rewards utilities for helping their customers conserve and increase energy efficiency.“Energy efficiency is the ‘fifth fuel’ — after coal, gas, renewables and nuclear,” said Mr. Rogers. “Today, it is the lowest-cost alternative and is emissions-free. It should be our first choice in meeting our growing demand for electricity, as well as in solving the climate challenge.”
Nice thought but perhaps he has the order wrong....
UK Conservative Party Gets Grouchy Over 'Pay-As-You-Throw'
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.24.07
A while back we brought news of a report that discussed the possibility of ‘pay-as-you-throw’ schemes being introduced in the UK. Essentially, ‘pay-as-you-throw’ is a term used for systems that charge households for trash collection according to the amount they throw out. Such schemes are already in place in a number of other European countries, where recycling rates have increased considerably as a result. The logic of charging wasteful households more than thrifty ones makes sense on paper at lease, but would the public support such a move? If the results of a recently published survey are anything to go by, then it appears they would. Apparently as many as two-thirds of Britain’s households would be in favour of wasteful households being charged more, while less wasteful ones would be offered a council tax rebate. The Conservative Party, the main parliamentary opposition, are not convinced however that such schemes would lead to lower taxation. This from the Guardian:
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Larry Tells Us About His Fair Trade Beans
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 08.24.07
The Woz on Green Design
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.24.07
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, 1976
It's Woz week on TreeHugger; we know how he drives, now we learn how he builds. He discussed design with ECNmag: The term "energy efficient" is rather vague. At some level it implies some form of conservation. I have great reservations with that concept as well. One aspect of conservation is to use less so that there is more to go around, either to more people or for a longer time. I disagree with this concept pretty strongly.While that statement is certainly open to argument, he follows up with: ...
Confronting Our Waste
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.24.07
PSFK asks: Can transparency make us better citizens? They suggest that "these recycling bins in Tokyo's Shibuya Station force passers-by to acknowledge the amount of waste they and others are contributing, bringing the idea (and guilt) of over-consumption into public consciousness." Original source Future Perfect asks "to what extent is a consumer less likely to buy products with a social stigma such as a dirty magazine or more virtuous products when the act of consumption and disposal is transparent?"
I think they are reading way too much into this. In Toronto they changed the garbage receptacles to clear plastic bags for security reasons and they have the same amount and type of crap that they always did. In public places, nothing changes; now home recycling boxes, visible to your neighbours, that would be another story.... ::Future Perfect via ::PSFK...
Get Drunk Guilt-Free
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.24.07
It's summer and beer-drinking time so why not make it organic? They taste just as good and benefit the environment. Since there are no artificial fertilisers or pesticides used in the grain production, that means it is healthier and better for the farmland. And if the beer is local there are less food miles too. Duchy Originals, Prince Charles' brand, makes an organic ale with a rare breed of organic barley that is grown on the Prince's own estate.
Freedom Organic beer is brewed in Germany and Organic Life Magazine recently gave it 4 stars out of 5 in a 'taste test' of organic lagers, describing it as "Malty and drinkable, distinctive bite, free your taste buds! This one is hoppy and light." Fullers Honey Dew organic ale is brewed with a dash of organic honey to give a dry refreshing taste. They have won the Beer of the Year award five times. And good old Marks & Spencer Organic Beer has a malty taste and comes from a brewery on the Scottish borders. Cheers. :: Time Out...
The Environmental Impact of Art?
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 08.24.07
Inspired by Israel’s harsh desert and mix of cultures, Aussie sculptor Andrew Rogers worked with local architects and masons to build massive land sculptures in Israel’s Arava desert. Click here to see the YouTube video. Found in ancient cultures throughout the history of civilization, these “geoglyphs” of Rogers are to make a statement about the relationships between art and the environment. Rogers' stones are kind of pretty and surprising especially when you see them while you are a mile high in an airplane, but this jury is “out” on environmental art. On one hand it draws attention to features of the natural landscape, on the other it seems like loads of make-up on a naturally beautiful woman. (Look at those wonderful hues of pink in the video's background). Related: What Is Environmental Art? John Dahlsen, An Environmental Artist. ::Andrew Rogers...
Saaaaab Prommmottes Grrrrrreen
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.24.07
Saab have doing some interesting stuff in the automotive field. These was the biopower vehicle some time again, and then they started a bit of push with the concept of a bio-hybrid. Fingers crossed that their innovative thinking rubs off on parent company, General Motors.
Early this year Saab Australia touted themselves as the first 'carbon neutral' car brand in the country. Largely on the back of an arrangement they had with Greenfleet, who plant 17 trees for every new or demonstration Saab car sold. On the website Saab suggest that this number of trees is equal to the first years driving. This is calculated as 4.36 tonnes of CO2 for the average car with 1,650 litres of fuel used over 14,100kms. Regular TH readers would be aware of our healthy scepticism of tree-planting carbon offsets, so we are pleased to observe that the early promotion, at least, also acknowledged “trees will also help tackle salinity, improve water quality and provide essential habitat for native species.”
But the concept must be doing something for Saab, because they currently have massive great billboards around Sydney, and I assume other cities, pushing it. Intriguing to see ‘green’ used to sell cars, when more usually it would be testosterone charged scenes of silver blurs hurtling around a winding mountain road, or scantily clad women looking on admiringly that get the job. Sometimes both. ::Saab Green Offer....
Microbe Power: 10 Fold Energy Increase
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 08.24.07
Oregon State University researchers have designed a new air cathode microbial fuel cell that produces 10 times more energy than previously possible from the same size fuel cell. Biological or microbial fuel cells consist of bacteria that consume pollutants, and in the process shed electrons which flow through a circuit to generate electricity.
The team, led by Hong Liu, an assistant professor in the OSU Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering, was recently able to produce 1,500 watts per cubic meter of reactor volume. Because the reactor cleans water, as well as produces electricity it has the potential to function not only in permanent treatment facilities, smart homes, and bioremediation sites, but also as a portable center for energy generation and water treatment.
“Our research results are very promising. There is a real future here, and I hope we can make a small contribution to the world.” Says Liu.::OSU News...
Organic Cotton: For Clothing, Baby, Bedding and More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.23.07
Ed. note: This is now the seventh post in the Green Basics series of posts that TreeHugger is writing to provide basic information about important ideas, materials and technologies for new greenies (or those who just need a quick refresher). Read on and stay tuned!
What is organic cotton?
Organic cotton is the version of its conventional counterpart grown without pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers or any other chemicals, and that makes it hugely different, especially considering that cotton (organic or otherwise) provides about half of all the world's fiber needs. Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops, sucking up 10 percent of all agricultural chemicals and 25 percent of insecticides on 3 percent of our arable land; that's more than any other crop per unit. That adds up to 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to produce enough cotton for a t-shirt, and 3/4 of a pound for a pair of jeans. And that's just not bad for the planet; 20,000 deaths occur each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of these from cotton farming, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)....
Whole Foods Bags Its Banners
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.23.07
Finally, news about Whole Foods that doesn't have us clutching our heads like stunned monkeys. The natural-foods chain has partnered with Alchemy Goods to transform retired Whole Foods' marketing banners into reusable totes.
Handmade in Seattle, each bag features straps from reused seat belts, as well as handles from old bicycle inner tubes. We hear that these bags are very limited edition and will only be made available in stores in Northern California, Washington and Oregon when they're released into the wild in a few weeks.
Pricing hasn't been determined, but expect each bag to retail for around $25. ::Whole Foods...
California Freeways Get Trashed
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.23.07
Photo credit: tswartz
The erstwhile Golden State may have lost some of its eco-conscious gleam: A story in Press-Telegram reports that freeway garbage in Los Angeles and Ventura counties rose nearly 30 percent to about 50,000 cubic yards in 2006, enough to fill about 6,300 dump trucks. (We're assuming that this number is a comparison with data from 2005; the reporter isn't clear about this.)
Northern California experienced a 34 percent rise in freeway trash—everything from used tissues to couches—along the region's roadways, according to the California Department of Transport, better known as Caltrans. San Diego and Imperial counties, meanwhile, saw a 12 percent increase....
Chickens Diet for Delaware
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.23.07
Photo credit: riverseal
Millions of chickens in Delaware are pulling their weight for the environment and the health of the state's waterways—by watching what they eat.
Delaware chickens now digest more of the phosphorus in their feed, the result of adding a natural enzyme known as phytase. As a result, the output of their feathered bowels contains 23 percent less phosphorus than before. When poultry litter is used to fertilize a farm field, a lot less phosphorus is available to potentially leach from the soil or be carried off in storm water to a river or bay, where it contributes to massive blooms of algae and fish kills....
TreeHugger Picks: Bicycle Storage Options
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.23.07
TreeHugger loves to ride our bicycles, but doesn't like to let them get in the way when not in use. Inspired by The Leonardo that we saw earlier today, here are some of our picks for ways to keep your bike handy but get it out of the way.
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| 1) The cute and curious Cycloc is essentially a plastic bucket that has two opposing "lips" that use your bicycle’s own weight to hold it in place. The void in the middle of the Cycloc keeps your gloves, pants clips, etc, close to hand, while holes in the cylinder allow you to fix a cable lock as well. |
| 2) Got lots of bikes? Something like the Cyclepod might be what you need. It provides eight secure spaces for parking your bikes, storing the bikes upright, and the front wheel and frame can both be locked in place. More good news: Cyclepod is made from 95% recycled aluminum. |
 | 3) The New York Times helped us out with a conglomeration of handy bike storage options, along with an accompanying slideshow, to show how easy it is to get your bike off the ground. No more “I get sweaty” or “the roads are too dangerous, have you seen what drivers do out there?” excuses for not riding! Two more picks, below the fold... |
Girl Scouts Teach Classmates About Climate Change
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.23.07
Photo by Carina
While us grownups are still duking it out with one another over the validity of climate change, a troop of girl scouts decided to cut through the muck and educate their fellow Grade 6 students about global warming, the importance of acting now, and how to slow down its effects.
Using a mix of cartoons, DVD clips, and humor, Junior Girl Scout Troup 1092 from Eisenhower Intermediate School in Bridgewater, New Jersey, told the assembly that global warming was their problem.
The scouts are not unfamiliar with community-based projects. In 2000, when they were only Brownies, they created a wildlife garden and bird sanctuary on Beach Street near Bradley Gardens School.
Do kids do the darndest things or what? ::NJ.com
See also: ::Mapping, Art, Kids, and Carbon?, ::European Kids Track Polar Bears to Understand Global Warming, and ::Kids in Silicon Valley With a Great Green Dream!...
DIY Solar Oven Death Match
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.23.07
We're in the judging lap of the Go Green contest that we tag-teamed with Popular Science and Instructables, and perusing all your great, green hacks has been inspiring, educational, and humbling. (Why didn't we think of that?). And color us unsurprised when we received two different build-your-own solar cookers, both based on the simple physics of a parabolic curve.
While both cookers focused on roasting a hot dog, the materials each participant utilized were different. One used tinfoil, poster board, and foam board, while his rival used plywood and silvered mylar.
Now barring bringing both of them in for a mano-a-mano hot-dog cook-off, which did you think was more successful? And which more green? Both examples offer step-by-step instructions on how to make your own. ::Oven 1 and ::Oven 2
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The Success Of “Small is Beautiful” In Nepal
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 08.23.07
One wouldn’t necessarily associate successful, small-scale sustainability projects with the small country of Nepal, but a quiet revolution to improve the lives of Nepalis is now underway in the Himalayan nation, from forestry and to power generation.
“Small is beautiful” not a new idea, but in combining traditional skills and knowledge with new technologies in localized and smaller-scaled initiatives supported by the government, Nepalis have been able to demonstrate that anticipating the future does not require constructing massive and environmentally-impactful infrastructure – a lesson that could be applied to other larger, neighbouring nations such as India and China.
People like Akal Man Nakarmi are a prime example of this new partnership between old and new: as traditionally-trained metal-smiths, Akal’s predecessors were once restricted to crafting conventional statues and copperware. ...
Airwash Waterless Washing Machine: Another Notch in the Bedpost
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.23.07
When we first spotted the Airwash laundry concept back in 2005 (it was fresh off a ElectroLux Design Lab 2005 Award win), we had high hopes for the waterless washing system. Using negative ions and compressed air, it cleans clothes without the universal solvent, which is a pretty great idea. We weren't the only ones to be impressed; it's back in the news as a winner of an Index: Award as a prototype (produced by Electrolux), a step up from concept but still not something the rest of us can use. They say it's the "washing machine for the home of 2020" but we hope we don't have to wait that long to try it out. ::Index: Awards via ::Apartment Therapy: Green Home...
One Bulb to Rule Them All
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.23.07
UK Government Does Shoddy Job of Protecting Marine Mammals
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.23.07
Somebody sign the U.K. government up for remedial tuition in cetacean conservation. Britain's powers that be scored a rueful 1 out of 10 in its efforts to protect whales and dolphins, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS).
The international non-profit has released a new 122-page report about the growing dangers the U.K.'s whales and dolphins face—including ensnarement as fishing bycatch, ingestion of marine litter, and chemical and noise pollution—as well as recommendations for improving a critical and worsening situation....
Brake Lights and Indicators for Cyclists - Reactiv Jacket
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 08.23.07
Biking in cities can be dangerous, especially if people don't see you. This can be solved by using lots of lights, but it's still hard to tell what a cyclist is planning on doing - unlike a car which has brake lights and indicators. The Reactiv cycling jacket is intended to bring this extra safety to cyclists, by giving them indicators and brake lights too.
LEDs are built into the back and sleeves of the jacket, powered by a battery pack. The rider’s back lights up green when they are accelerating or going at a constant speed and red when they brake. There are also indicator lights built into each sleeve which are triggered when the rider raises their arm to indicate. ...
Bamboo Crash Helmet from Roof
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 08.23.07
We've featured a few different bamboo bikes here on TreeHugger before, and even bamboo clothing, but this combines both. The Roof R06 Bamboo is a motorcycle helmet made from bamboo slivers, that passes all the European E22/05 safety requirements for use on the road.
It's a special edition, so if you want to grab yourself a sustainable brain-protector, perhaps to go with your new hybrid Vespa, then you'd better move quickly. They should costs £189 when they come out later this month, which is a bargain for something that will possibly save your life as well as the environment. ::Motorcycle News...
Woz Caught Doing 104mph in Prius
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 08.23.07
First Al Gore III was caught doing over 100mph in his Prius, and now Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak, has too. The hybrid fan, who has owned eight Prii since their launch, was pulled over for doing 104mph on the I-5 in California. I certainly wouldn’t recommend buying a second hand one from him after this news. I'm torn between criticising them both for reckless driving, and congratulating them for showing that driving a Prius doesn't necessarily mean trundling around at 30mph. ...
Water Tower Converted into Residence
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
Justin at materialicious is at it again, finding the most remarkable houses. Talk about recycling buildings; this is a conversion of a water tower into a residence in Soest, Utrecht, Netherlands in 2004. It is by zecc arcitechten of Utrecht, Netherlands....
For the Workaholic in You: Telescoping Portable Workstation
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.23.07
While the word "laptop" hints at a spot where you can use the thing, on your lap isn't always the most convenient place to whip it out to do some computing. For the times when you're on the go and need a bit of workspace -- or for the true workaholic -- there's the Table Tote Worktable, a diminutive desk with telescoping legs and an expanding table top that includes a little shelf for a mouse and a document holder. While we bloggers tend to prefer pajamas and lounge chairs to any "real" working environment, this might be handy for blogging on the go, or for any regularly-traveling laptop user. The telescoping, expanding desk is available for about $60 from ::Improvements Catalog via ::Product Dose...
The TH Interview: Michael Kieschnick, President of Working Assets
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.23.07
Back before it was considered hip or socially responsible to allow consumers to guide a firm's green investments by voting with their wallets, Working Assets - a progressive company based in San Francisco, CA - was leading the way with its innovative "green" credit card. The company pledges to donate 10¢ to tree planting and alternative energy groups - such as the Union of Concerned Scientists, Bluewater Network and Rocky Mountain Institute - every time you buy gas with the card and will donate a further 10¢ to nonprofit organizations for all other purchases. Doesn't sound like much? Last year alone its members helped raise almost $5 million for various nonprofit groups, and the company has donated $50 million since its inception in 1985 - including close to $10 million to environmental groups.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the card is its unlikely source of inspiration – a little known story Michael Kieschnick, Working Assets’ president, was only too happy to share with us when we sat down for an interview a few days ago. He and fellow Working Assets co-founder Peter Barnes first came up with the idea a few years ago after seeing Lee Iacocca – the former chairman of Chrysler Corp. – hawking an American Express card as part of an extensive ad blitz the company had just rolled out, pledging to donate a portion of its proceeds (about one thousandth on every cent) to the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. As he recounted it, the first thought that occurred to both he and Barnes upon seeing the ad was: "We can do better."...
Green Power Generators: Bringing Biodiesel to Tinsel Town
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.23.07
We have already covered the incredible amount of pollution created by the movie industry in Hollywood. Now, one enterprising company is looking to change all that. Green Power Generators is specializing in custom built generators that can be run on biodiesel – releasing, they claim, up to 70% less carbom monoxide, and 40% less nitrogen oxides. The idea, says Green Power Generators’ co-founder Tomer DeVito, is to help the entertainment industry move beyond the dirty diesel generators that are apparently the biggest polluters on most film sets:
“We hope to pioneer a change in the way we do things in Hollywood, and beyond. We have already been embraced by several environmental non-profits who will help us encourage all large scale productions to use clean burning fuel.”...
The Leonardo: Sleek, Simple Bike Storage
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.23.07
Bike storage is something TreeHugger has mentioned a time or two; though it's perhaps our favorite way to get around, when not in use, bicycles can be a bit cumbersome and difficult to get out of the way. If you are out of space in your garage (or don't have one), and locking it up on the street isn't a safe option, we recommend something like the Leonardo single bike hook. It gets your bike up off the floor with a minimum of material, eschewing an elaborate pulley system in favor of a single hook. The tire tray option helps keeps tire marks off the wall, and the whole thing is sleek enough not to be an eyesore when the bike isn't there. $19.99 gets you both the hook and the tire tray; you can knock five bucks off if you don't care about skid marks on the wall. ::Delta Design via ::swissmiss...
Safeway Switching Truck Fleet to Biodiesel in Arizona
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.23.07
Hot off the heels of British counterpart Tesco's recent move to invest in a fleet of electric vans for home delivery, Safeway Inc. has just announced its decision to switch its truck fleet to run on B20 biodiesel in Arizona. Its fleet of 79 trucks has been retrofitted to now run on a 20% biodiesel blend made from domestically produced virgin soybean oil.
According to Nikki Daly, a Safeway spokeswoman, the conversion should reduce the company's carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 3,603 metric tons — or what she equates to the yearly carbon output of 780 cars. The company will also sell biodiesel at two converted diesel fuel stations in Tucson. Now how about making that fleet conversion a national move?
Via ::Arizona Daily Star: Safeway trucks switch to biodiesel fuel (newspaper), ::Green Car Congress: Safeway to Run Trucks on B20 (blog)
See also: ::Safeway Agrees to Remove Carbon Monoxide Treated Meat
Image courtesy of didbygraham via flickr...
Eugene Kates 1914-2007
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
For 73 years, generations of kids have had learned to love the environment through their summers at Camp Arowhon in Ontario's Algonquin Park. Founded by his mom and now run by his daughter, Eugene Kates ran it with an iron hand from the time he returned from WW2 until he handed it over to Joanne, after which he ran Arowhon Pines (and made it green). I wanted to say something about how important these experiences were to so many, how anyone who is privileged to spend time in Algonquin Park is changed by it, but Seth Godin is a better writer. ::Seth Godin
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TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 08.23.07
Eco-Chick: The 11th Hour, A.K.A. Leo’s Movie! by Starre Vartan
"Going beyond global warming, the film documents and explains species’ extinction, the oceans crisis, deforestation and rainforest destruction, and how these are all connected to not just saving the planet, but ultimately saving us."
emPivot: NOW "Willie Nelson on Biodiesel" by PBS
"Country music legend Willie Nelson talks about what attracted him to biodiesel, his commitment to American farms and small towns... Introducing emPivot, the first network where you can watch and share green-related media. With our diverse community of users and a strong search engine you can find and watch green from every angle."...
Evolo Skyscraper Competition Results
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
The eVolo architecture competition invited "participants to explore, rethink, speculate and experiment in new ideas that would change the conception and redefine the term skyscraper. A journey into the unknown that defies the logic of the present, formulates new questions, and perhaps gives the society a new type of building"
It is an ideas competition without a specific site or program, so the entries are varied. The presentation is too small to get anything but an impression, but there are some stunning drawings to be seen if you can figure out how to navigate on a site design that is the inevitable result of giving architects access to Flash. ::Evolo...
Bush Admin Expands Mountaintop Coal Mining
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
Mountaintop coal mining at Hale Gap, Va. Michael Temchine for The New York Times
The quick and dirty way to get coal out of the Appalachian mountains is simply to blast the tops off mountains and dump the rubble into valleys and streams. Streams and valleys are obliterated and contaminated. According to John Broder of the New York Times, the practice has been used in Appalachian coal country for 20 years under a cloud of legal and regulatory confusion. No more; the new rules will allow it to continue and expand. Environmental activists say the rule change will lead to accelerated pillage of vast tracts and the obliteration of hundreds of miles of streams in central Appalachia.
“This is a parting gift to the coal industry from this administration,” said Joe Lovett, executive director of the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment in Lewisburg, W.Va. “What is at stake is the future of Appalachia. This is an attempt to make legal what has long been illegal.” ::New York Times...
Angelina Accoutrements
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.23.07
Recycled cashmere: all of the luxury of the natural fiber, but without the guilt of contributing to desertification in China from one too many goats having an attack of the munchies.
Angelina Accoutrements restyles vintage cashmere into wraps, sweaters, and scarves in muted earth tones. "Working with vintage cashmeres is something I truly love and enjoy every moment of," says designer Angelina Sertl. "I hand-select each sweater based on quality (2-ply or more), style, and color. I find it invigorating to work with each vintage piece as each has inherent flaws to work around and with. It is a challenge I look forward to each time I pick one up."...
The Bicycle Booms in Berlin
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 08.23.07
When less than half the residents of a city own a car, there’s got to be folks looking for another alternative to hoofing it… And that’s precisely what’s happened with the bicycle in Berlin over the last twenty years, as it has become completely common for the average resident to ride a bicycle every day of the week. In fact, they’ve come to dominate the flow of traffic at intersections, as cars now even yield to bikes in that city!
And while it’s true that the city has invested a significant amount of energy in cycling lanes and the like to make it as bike-friendly as possible, the trend toward cycling has also meant there’s now safety in numbers. As filmmaker Ted White and bike designer George Bliss noted while spending time filming in China, at certain unmarked intersections cars just completely ignore cyclists on the side of the road waiting to cross until a certain “critical mass” of them accumulate. That critical number seems to make it safe for all of them to cross, as the motorized vehicles come to a stop and let them all head safely to the other side without a fight
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Best of The Panelist
by The Panelist, USA on 08.23.07
Whole Foods defines and labels "locally grown" as, "Only produce that has traveled less than a day (7 or fewer hours) from the farm to our facility." But even organic produce has a carbon footprint. So what is a “localvore” to do when Whole Foods can’t even measure up? Eat local. As in meats and vegetables produced within 100 miles of your kitchen. This is no easy feat, but local-eating proponents say that even just spending $10 a week on local choices can make a big impact.
One of the puzzling things about today's energy climate is why the U.S. is so content to continue its course, allowing Big Oil to call the shots. Indeed, the big question is, why aren't we investing more in alternative energy? If you are looking for alternative energy investment, it might be time to look to Japan. There are already potential plans in development, backdating from 2050, so that the steps to reaching a better energy goal can be made starting now. If Japan can make an affluent and sustainable society, why can't we?...
More Weird Beasties Discovered on Deep Sea "Mountain Range"
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.23.07
Over the course of a five-week expedition, an international team of 31 scientists — led by the University of Aberdeen's Monty Priede — found a plethora of new and rare species on a deep-sea mountain range near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Some of the more exciting discoveries included a glass squid (seen above), a seed shrimp (new to science) and a "spiral poo worm" (really, that's its name) — known for depositing spiral-shaped feces, some of which have been found in fossils dating back hundreds of millions of years....
Bike Safety Tips From MP Olivia Chow
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
Survey: How Do You Shave?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
Yikes! So many sharp and edgy comments to Jasmin's post on Braun's new electric greenwashing razor. Energy Star is nice, but it is still electric. But then there is all the hot water used with wet shaving. Or the disposal of blades. Perhaps the greenest way to shave is how Captain William Bligh did on his 4162 mile rowing trip after the mutiny on the Bounty; refusing to look un-captain-like before his men, he shaved every day with an unsharpened straight razor using only seawater. It evidently hurt a lot.
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Africa wages war on scourge of plastic bags
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
And we think we have a plastic bag problem. According to Andrew Cawthorne of Reuters, they've become as much a symbol of Africa's landscape as the stereotypical lions and plains. Discarded plastic bags -- in the billions -- flutter from thorn-bushes across the continent, and clog up cities from Cape Town to Casablanca.
"They're an eyesore across Africa, but there are damaging health and environment ... too," said the U.N. Environment Programme's (UNEP) Africa industry officer Desta Mebratu.
Produced -- and then strewn -- en masse in most countries, the flimsy bags block drains and sewage systems and can kill livestock who nibble and digest them. They spread malaria by holding mini-pools of warm water for mosquitoes to breed in. They choke soil and plants, and leak color additives into food.
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The Carbon Footprint of Pepper Spray
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
George Bush and Felipe Calderon joined Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a few days at Montebello, Quebec to talk about trade, global warming, and according to Linda McQuaig, secret plans to divert Canadian water to the States. Of course, the protesters are out in force, and the Mounties have surrounded the joint. Brian Gable of the Globe got it right in his clever editorial cartoon. ::Globe and Mail...
Outstanding in the Field In The Local Food Era
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
Two years ago Erin wrote about Outstanding in the Field- "is a restaurant on wheels, touring the country to discover and highlight awesome regional cuisines. Jim Denevan, founder of Outstanding in the Field, says the group's mission is to raise awareness about where food comes from and the people who grow it." Now, as the Hundred Mile Diet and local food are all the rage, Outstanding in the Field has grown into an institution, with fifteen dinners stretched across North America. In Vancouver last week, 134 people dined at a 130 foot long table. Alexandra Gill notes that it is perhaps becoming a bit of a fad. "It used to be hippie, now it's trendy," one regular attendee laments, rolling her eyes at the thriving crop of Chanel sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags rotating through the opening reception....
Made With Hands
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.23.07
They are young, hip, and sell their wares from market stalls. These hand-knit delights are the product of twin sisters who are dedicated to "creating simple hand-made pieces using only 100% natural fibres and nothing else." Their aesthetic is nouveau hippie with attitude. The rainbow coloured, hand-made felt placemats are a true throwback to the '60's. Their knitting is big and chunky, with scarves that wrap around and around the neck for a damp day and the adorable cosmetic bag (pictured) for the purse. The crotcheted hats look street enough for any guy, while the crotcheted headbands and mohair caps are charmingly naive for the girls. Some of the patterns are on-line and easy to make. They even have a pastel-coloured, knitted cover for your lap-top that will really surprise them at the office.
It's great to follow young eco-designers just starting out in their careers. This year, the sunday markets, and who knows, they may be in London Fashion Week in the future. :: made with hands Via :: Daily Candy...
Chef Whips Up Solar Supper
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.23.07
Toronto chef Brook Kavanagh serves local produce and meats in his restaurant, La Palette, so carbon-free cooking was the next logical step. "There is really not much limit to it," says Mr. Kavanagh, who has used a solar cooker to prepare duck confit and crème caramel. "The food tastes the same. The benefit is that it's not using any electricity or gas." Sarah Elton writes in the Globe and Mail that he and a small, growing number of urban dwellers are turning to solar grills and ovens to whip up carbon-free meals at home.
Kavanagh sees limitations in a restaurant kitchen, which has to deal with large quantities of food, but he has developed solar-cooker recipes and as his next project, would like to build a solar cooker to mount on his roof at home. "When the sun is shining, why not use it?" he says. ::Globe and Mail and to see that dinosaurs still roam the earth, read the comments.
Earlier post on the ::SOS cooker here
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Let Bravery and Unity Convert The Doubters
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.23.07
The eight states that make up the Western Climate Initiative have agreed to establish a regional goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the West to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.
The Initiative was created earlier this year by the governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington with a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to establish a goal by August. Each state also will participate in a multi-state emissions registry and work to design a multi-sector, market-based mechanism, such as a load-based cap-and-trade program, by August 2008.
Since February, Utah and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba have joined the Initiative. In addition, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada and Wyoming, as well as Canadian provinces Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan and the Mexican state of Sonora are participating in the effort as observers of the Western Climate Initiative's deliberations. Gov. Bill Richardson said the group's goal is to solve, not just debate, climate change.
For a look at what each of the US states are up to, see the Center For Climate Strategies interactive map here (as pictured above).
Via:: New Mexico Business Weekly and the Oregon Environmental Council....
Last Stand, the Story of George Bird Grinnell, the Battle to Save the Buffalo, and the Birth of the New West.
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.23.07
Last Stand…, a newly published book by Michael Punke, documents the history of America during settlement of the West, framed by the predatory relationships of businesses and settlers with the American Bison. Uniquely, Punke explains the back door political intrigues behind what every American school child knows about the near-extermination of the Bison and the conservation effort which saved them "in the knick of time.” His historical research penetrates like a Sharps Rifle into the flesh that lived on grass.
Last Stand gave me a visceral reaction by defining the supply chain that fed off the Bison, and by explaining the role of railroad and coal interests in nearly extirpating them. The similarity of this progression to the modern day drama of climate change became increasingly obvious by the half-way point. That two of the most exploitative interests are identical in both situations (coal and railroad interests) was a spine chilling insight.
How close the Bison came to disappearing, and how their survival was so dependent on the life of single person, George Bird Grinnell, is not widely-appreciated. Punke’s work brought that drama to life without pretense. (The image of Al Gore fascinating over climate change through much of his adult life kept popping into my mind as I read of Grinnell’s three-decade, lonely struggle to understand and then protect the Bufs.)...
Green or Not?: Braun's Energy Star Shavers
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.22.07
Proctor & Gamble's Braun division has been touting its line of Energy Star-certified shaver chargers—a world's first.
The Smart Plugs use 64 percent less energy than standard shavers and, according to the company, will save over 12 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year, or the equivalent of removing 1,073 cars from the road, planting 1,526 acres of forest, or lighting 5,861 homes for a year.
Bully for Braun, but here's a sharper idea that will slash even more emissions: A straight razor. Or are we just splitting hairs? You tell us. ::IndustryWeek
See also: ::The Razor Shaver: Sharpen Your Used Razors and ::Q&A: The Close Shave...
Chopsticks - The new Biofuel? Japan Thinks So
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.22.07
Yup, crazy at it may seem, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is looking to introduce recycling bins to begin collection the country’s hearty supply of disposable chopsticks. It appears, that on average, each of that nations 127 million souls discards 200 sets annually. The resulting 90,000 tons of wood can, apparently, be converted to a biofuel, though those details are little sketchy. Ministry officials believe they’ll still come out in front, even after factoring in the “greenhouse gas emissions, of the process of collecting the chopsticks, carrying them to facilities and then producing the biofuel." Strikes us as an end-of-pipe ‘solution,’ particularly as it is touted as a way of reducing Japan's reliance on imported oil, especially given that 90% of the chopsticks are imported anyhow. Maybe a levy, such as China imposed, would help reduce the waste in the first instance. Via ::Physorg. Pic by Greg Baker / AP
We’ve covered the chopstick issue many times before, such as here, and here, for instance. ...
TH Forums Highlights: Bike to Work, Boycott Beef, Talk to Strangers and More...
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.22.07
More lively discussions are engaging every minute over in TreeHugger Forums. Here are some highlights...
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 | 1) Forums user rationalist has a story for fellow users: "I got laughed at yesterday for riding my bike to and from work. I happen to know the woman who laughed at me is a generally mean-spirited person, but the fact is that she is someone who dresses very well and drives a brand-new car to the office, so I'm thinking this snobbery is partly financially related." So, does biking or using other forms of alternative transportation stick you with a socio-economic rather than TreeHugging label? |
 | 2) User anielogue wonders: where's (the boycott for) the beef? "A UN report states that beef production/consumption is a major factor in global warming due to forest destruction, gas from the cows and the tremendous amount of water and grain it takes to raise beef. Why isn't Treehugger discussing this?" Interesting points about this, including cost/benefit analysis, the efficacy of finger-shaking and just cutting back on meat all follow. |
 | 3) Forums user butterbean is curious about whether your mother was right about not talking to strangers, at least when it comes to converting them to greener behavior. "I'm sure there are tactful ways of saying things, but I'm at a loss both about whether and what to say. On the one hand I wish I could be an evangelist, but on the other hand I think it's none of my damn business." Compact fluorescent lightbulbs and a poll about Beijing 2008, below the fold... |
Rare Condor Dies From Lead Poisoning
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.22.07
Photo credit: molas
Oh Condor #245, we hardly knew ye: One of only 145 free-flying condors in the world died following treatment for dangerously high blood levels at the Los Angeles Zoo.
“The passing of Condor #245 is tragic,” says Glenn Olson, executive director of Audubon California. “Lead poisoning is a tremendous threat to these remarkable birds. With only 300 condors in the world, to lose even one bird is a setback for this important conservation program and a severe threat to the entire species.”...
Sustainabizarre Design: Michael Whitney Studio
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.22.07
Blurring the line between art and furniture, Brooklyn-based Michael Whitney Studio has created a clever collection of furniture, clocks, lamps and mirrors from rather disparate reclaimed items that probably wouldn't be mated up otherwise. Side view mirrors from a Volvo and an old wooden chair. A dodge ball and a stool. "One Way" street signs and the frame of a chair. A "3-legged cooking part" and a glass globe. These sometimes ironic, always unique combinations prove that there isn't anything that can't be salvaged and repurposed into something far different but equally or more functional than its original design. Above is "One Way Pair" and "UFO Lamp" -- check out "Paranoid Chair," "Mirror Chair," "Dodgeball Stool" and "Scrubbing Bubble Lamp" below the fold. ::Michael Whitney Studio via ::Apartment Therapy ...
Saving the Everglades
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.22.07
After the United Nations decided to drop the Florida Everglades like a cheating ex from its list of threatened World Heritage Sites, the U.S. Congress rather gallantly stepped into the breach. Three major Florida water projects that will help restore what writer Michael Grunwald calls "the ecological equivalent of motherhood and apple pie," are now part of a $21 billion national water bill that made it through House and Senate negotiations.
The White House isn't enthused about picking up the potential tab, but political analysts say there might be enough Senate votes in favor of the bill to override a Presidential veto. ...
Accidental Sustainability: Paul Isabella's Burly Man Chair
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.22.07
Designer (technically still a student designer, at SCAD) Paul Isabella has an ambitious and pretty impressive portfolio, especially for someone still in school. He's recently updated his site with some fresh new designs, and they look pretty awesome. We like the "Burly Man" chair, a tasty piece of design utilizing our friend bent plywood, the resource-efficient material that can cut back on the use of wood up to 10 times when compared to more traditional furniture-making techniques. Though Isabella doesn't make any overtures about being green or employing sustainable practices in anything he designs, he managed to make it part of the way down the highway to the sustainable zone. Imagine what he could do if he was trying to be green. Get up close and personal with Burly Man, and check out something called "Modfather," after the jump. ::Paul Isabella via ::Josh Spear...
Sneak Peek: Ryan Frank's New "Strata" Collection
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.22.07
Ryan Frank, he of the Sunday Morning chair, Zilka clothes hangers and Shanty lighting, is adding more sustainable goodness to his stable of design. To debut at TentLondon, starting September 20 in London, "Strata" is a new line of furniture partially "built from the waste wood of old, battered office desks." 60 to 70 percent of the material for Strata comes from these waste sources; the rest is FSC-certified plywood, necessary to provide structural strength. UK-based charity and social enterprise GreenWorks will help provide the waste material; about the project, the charity's design manager, Patrick Bek says, "This is a fantastic example of how salvaged materials can effectively re-enter the industry, this is exactly what we are trying to achieve with Greenworks."
The designer enjoys being able to put his own stamp and reimagine something that had a previous life, saying, "I love the fact that I am able to build a new piece of furniture which already has a history of its own." Look for Frank and his new designs at Stand A35 at TentLondon next month. ::Ryan Frank via ::New Consumer...
Get Hip, Get Green, and Bring Your Own Bag
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.22.07
We can't think of anything less chic than trashing the environment. Or toting a disposable plastic bag, for that matter. Designer Lisa Leija thought so too when she created Get Hip, Get Green, a line of attention-grabbing reusable bags made from 100 percent non-woven polypropylene with partially recycled materials, and printed with water-based inks. ($24.90 gets you five bags; a portion of the sales go to The Green Ambassadors, a youth environmental group.)
Our review unit passed TreeHugger's patented 10-pound-cat test and Leija says that five bags will hold the contents of a completely filled grocery cart. (A few of the seams on our bag came loose, though we're unsure if it was just a fluke with ours.) We naturally balked at the "Made in China" label we found on our bag's interior, but Leija assures us that the factory conditions are sound and that she is still looking for a vendor Stateside.
Look out for bags made of 100 percent recycled PET, the same material soda bottles are made of, as well as soy inks in future editions. Seriously, Anya Hindmarch, who? ::Get Hip, Get Green...
Bumbershoot Festival Goes Beyond Offsets
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 08.22.07
With every festival and its mama buying carbon offsets these days, it takes a little more to get TreeHugger props. Well, this year's Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival in Seattle has earned it. Bumbershoot realized that a "carbon neutral" festival that generates mountains of trash and tons of CO2 from attendees transportation still isn't very green. So, in addition to going carbon neutral, they are taking steps to make sure the festival has as little of an impact as possible. This starts with the festival-goers, who are given incentives to carpool, ride their bikes, or use public transportation. A "bike-specific" parking area will be available with room for 500 bicycles will be provided, with cyclists receiving a (TreeHugger favorite) Clif Bar and Camelbak water bottle. Carpoolers will receive discounted parking at the festival, and a festival-specific bus will be in operation (in addition to the Seattle Monorail service). ...
Participate! Runner-Up: Hydrasol
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 08.22.07
Last week, we revealed the winner for our Participate! contest, Vinay Gupta's Hexayurt Project. This week, we are profiling two more great entries, the Participate! runners-up. Yesterday, we showed you easy to assemble, 100 percent recycled plastic Forever Furniture. Today, it's Mohammed Abubakr's open-source idea to bring water desalination to the third world through solar power, the Hydrasol.
The idea is for a water desalination unit for third world countries where water purity is a major concern. The unit will work by using a parabolic solar dish to heat a focal point containing salt or brackish water to above boiling point and for the steam to then be collected as clean water. The unit does not require any mechanical pieces and is produced from recycled materials.Mohammed is looking for help with developing his idea. Can you help? Leave a comment to help push this open-source idea along. ...
Global Warming: Still Happening
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.22.07
Photo credit: Mixmaster
Sorry to bust in on your party, climate-change deniers. Even though NASA has admitted that its estimates of average temperatures in the United States needed recalibrating, it doesn't change the fact that the planet is heating up at a frenetic, unnatural pace.
The corrected data shows that the hottest year in the United States on record was 1934, not 1998, as previously thought. NASA's recalculation reduced global average temperatures since 2000, however, by a whopping one-thousandth of a degree, which means that a clear warming trend still exists.
In fact, looking at the five-year period from 2002 to 2006 was still the hottest in the last century, warmer than the same period from 1930 to 1934....
Cars Are A Scourge on the Face of the Planet Dept: Park Avenue Before and After
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.22.07
We learn from No Impact Man why Park Avenue in New York is so named; it once was. He asks Imagine the city as one big park! Don't believe me? Look at the pictures of New York's Park Avenue below. Which do you like? New York with cars or New York without?...
Most Huggable: “I AM a Plastic Bag,” Blog Enviro-Action, an Ad-Free Sao Paolo, and More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 08.22.07
Blog Action Day is coming. On October 15th, leading sites like LifeHacker, Zenhabits, and Problogger will paint the day green… Sao Paulo is freeing itself from advertising. Environmental Graffiti has been keeping tabs on the progress… Eco-Libris and Textbookflix have linked up to plant a tree for every textbook rented (Yeah, rented)… The plastic bag industry didn’t much like the “I’m not a plastic…” bag, and has answered in kind… Under the fear that some Olympic games will be postponed due to pollution, a surge of green hotels is being kindled in Beijing… Hugg 2.0 is in effect! Most Huggable is a daily roundup of some of the top stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Disposable Office: A More Permanent Use for Paper
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.22.07
Paper's worth is often determined by the relative value of the information on it; money is an obvious example, but other things, like important, legal stuff at work is most often "put in writing" and printed on paper. Once that information is no longer worth anything, it's usually shredded, recycled or otherwise disposed of. In an attempt to help re-brand paper as a less disposable resources, Robert Buss of PUSH> came up with "Disposable Office," a small workplace designed almost exclusively with recycled paper.
While we've seen other paper furniture and cardboard furniture before, we really like the way Disposable Office takes the most common material of workplace communication and transforms it into the workplace itself. Clever names don't hurt either: Security Documents Chair, Menu Table, or Bank Statements Shelving lend some fun to punching the clock -- hit the jump for another pic. Kinda gives new meaning to the words "office paper," no? ::PUSH> via ::Transmaterial...
Green Your Desk With A USB Powered Greenhouse
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.22.07
What with our USB powered necktie fan D'Light and our typing orb, we are running out of USB ports. However something's gotta go to make room for this USB powered mini greenhouse. It " features an adjustable growth light and an easy view window that offers maximum plant protection! It comes with a computer interface that monitors growth rate, and includes calendar, wallpaper and bookmark settings so you can take care and grow your own desktop plants" and comes with marigold seeds and artificial soil to get you started. If I put a food crop in I may never have to leave my computer again. Twenty bucks at ::Geeks.com via ::Ecofriend...
Climate Change Called Security Issue
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.22.07
Here is a way to get America interested in climate change: wrap it in a flag and call it a security issue. That is what British climate change ambassador John Ashton wants to do; he said global warming should be recast as a security issue, such as war or terrorism, to help mobilize support for tougher global action to cut emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.
"The Cold War was the last big problem the world faced on so many fronts -- economic, political, industrial," he said. According to Alister Doyle of Yahoo News, other experts at the talks, among 40 scientists from 13 nations at an Arctic scientific research base in Alesund, Norway, also said there was too much focus on costs of cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, rather than on risks of rising seas, droughts or floods projected by U.N. studies.
Global warming "should be looked at as a totally different type of challenge instead of asking 'what does it cost?'," said Joergen Randers, a leading Norwegian economist. Casting global warming as a security issue could make it easier to confront. ::Yahoo News
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Appel & Frank Goes Green on Sept. 27
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.22.07
Click here for a bigger image
Introduce your unrepentantly shopaholic friends to green living, in a language they'll understand, by luring them to Appel & Frank's first Eco-Chic Shopping Event. (Baby steps, people. Baby steps.)
Penciled in for Thursday, Sept. 27 from 5 to 9:30 p.m., at the Regency Center in San Francisco, the evening of eco-friendly shopping will feature 65 independent designers, including TreeHugger favorites Anna Cohen, Del Forte, and Wildlife Works.
Another highlight for conscious consumers: A sustainable café lounge equipped with furniture made from salvaged and found materials. Shoppers can rest their weary feet and sip free organic, fair-trade coffee from take-home travel mugs, while picking up a few pointers on how to reduce their carbon footprints....
Bullwinkle and Climate Change
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.22.07
It's not just cows; Bullwinkle's Norwegian relatives are being blamed for climate change too. Researchers say that moose emit 2,100 kilos of carbon dioxide a year through its belching and farting. Not only that, they have bacteria in their stomachs that create methane gas, an even worse greenhouse gas. A moose emits as much greenhouse gas in a year as a car driving 13,000 kilometers. ::Spiegel
Which is a real shame, because Tim Haab quotes Bullwinkle, who was a serious environmentalist:
Rocky: But Bullwinkle, there aren't any more woods.
Bullwinkle: You don't have to tell me, I'm the Chairman for the Frostbite Falls Society of Wildlife Conversation.
Rocky: You mean "wildlife conSERVation."
Bullwinkle: What'd I say?
Rocky: You said "wildlife conVERSation."
Bullwinkle: Well, somebody's gonna have to start talking about these things. ::Environmental Economics...
EcoGeek of the Week: Gavin D.J. Harper
by EcoGeek.org on 08.22.07
A year ago when we saw an article at MAKE: on how to make a fuel cell out of a band aid we knew we had to get in touch with this guy. Gavin D.J. Harper is a frequent contributor to EcoGeek and has written several books in McGraw Hill's "Evil Genius" series.
Most recently, Gavin completed "50 Solar Power Projects for the Evil Genius." The book, filled with projects on how to harness the sun for your own personal gain was forwarded by Willie Nelson and has been sitting on my nightstand for the last few days. We're happy to have Gavin as this week's ecogeek of the week.
EcoGeek: When I think of evil geniuses, I don't generally thing of solar power. That's more for benevolent geniuses. Where do evil geniuses fit with solar?
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Get Outside and Play
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.22.07
Perhaps one reason that the environment is so unimportant to Americans is that they never see it, they are always working. According to Walter Kirn in the New York Times, the USA is a nation of remarkably productive, often well-paid workers who are becoming increasingly reluctant to pause from their labors and refresh their souls — a nation whose cash-drenched corporate employers typically don’t pay for much time off (less than two weeks annually, on average), a nation whose globe-gripping federal government is the only one in the whole industrialized world not to legally require generous periods of paid kick-back-and-hang time — is a nation that’s socially screwed up, particularly in comparison with European countries like France, which orders its citizens outside to play for the entire month of August and a few other weeks spread through the year.::New York Times...
Hack Your Toilet and Save Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.22.07
iPhone User Receives a Bill - 300 Pages!
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08.22.07
Is the Skyscraper an Anachronism?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.22.07
I would have thought the answer was "yes"- they are huge energy hogs and the higher they go, the more elevators they need and less efficient they become. "Such buildings are utterly contrary to the requirements of times of increasingly insecure and dwindling oil supplies, in which even the United States must one day embrace the quest for more sustainable lifestyles and forms of development."Peter Buchanan thinks otherwise, and writes in the Harvard Design Magazine:Reaching up into fresh air and abundant daylight, tall buildings cry out to be naturally lit and ventilated, bringing energy savings, healthier conditions, and more personal environmental control. Touching tall buildings is abundant ambient energy in the form of sunlight and wind, only a little of which needs to be harvested to serve all their energy needs.He then describes a few European green towers like the Swiss Re Gherkin, and concludes with "Sustainability requires not only that we lessen our ecological impacts, but also that we create the urban and cultural frameworks in which we can attain full humanity, in contact with self, others, and nature." A long and thoughtful article at ::Harvard Design Magazine...
President Bush Ordered to Release Overdue Global-Warming Plan
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.22.07
Uh oh, it looks like the Bush administration has some 'splainin to do. The U.S. government has violated federal law by failing to produce a study on the impact on global warming, now nearly two years overdue, a federal judge ruled.
Judge Saundra B. Armstrong of Federal District Court in Oakland Calif., said the administration has "unlawfully withheld action'' required under the Global Change Research Act of 1990 to update a research plan and scientific assessment of climate change and its effects on the environment, including land, water, air, plant and animal life, and human health....
Rising Temperatures Hindering the Growth of Tropical Trees
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.22.07
The global rise in temperatures spurred by the intensifying impact of climate change may be stunting the growth of rainforest trees — disrupting their ability to store carbon dioxide — according to a new study. Kenneth Feeley, a professor at Harvard University, and his colleagues found that large numbers of plant species in Malaysia and Panama — as many as 95% and 71% of species, respectively — showed significant decreases in their growth rates over a period of 24 years.
Over the study period, the researchers measured steady rises in daily minimum temperatures and in cloud cover — in one case, the minimum nightly temperature on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, increased by more than 1°C over the past 2 decades. They attribute the stunted growth rates to these warmer temperatures — theorizing that they may be slowing the process of photosynthesis, limiting the trees' ability to absorb carbon dioxide, and speeding up respiration, causing the trees to release more carbon dioxide. "We are only able to state that the slowing in growth that we observed is consistent with the hypothesis that increases in temperature will cause decreases in tree growth," explained Joseph Wright, a researcher at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama....
Online Gamers’ World Reveals Unexpected Secrets of Next Epidemic
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 08.22.07
There’s a plague that was recently carried around the world by travelers, pets and curious teenagers, and I’ll bet you didn’t even notice. In fact, it took out large segments of the population inside the World of Warcraft, and indicates that experts have not taken everything into account when planning for the next epidemic, researcher Nina Fefferman of Princeton University pointed out recently.
While the outbreak of the virulent and contagious virtual plague known as “Corrupted Blood” was an accidental consequence of a software challenge added to the World of Warcraft game in 2005, Fefferman indicated that “It really looked quite a bit like a real disease,” which included generally stupid behavior on the part of some, near-instant international travel, and infection by pets as well.
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EcoUnique: Indie, Handmade, One of a Kind
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.22.07
Made with organic and sustainable fabrics such as hemp and tencel, Jess Fraley's line of made-to-order and one-of-a-kind clothing is sewn by Fraley herself, in her home state of Oregon. Her pieces have clean, classic lines, but are sumptuously earthy at the same time, without becoming hippy dippy. (No tie-dyes here, dudes and dudettes.)
Although EcoUnique's most-affordable garment is $110, you'll have the peace of mind that you're not purchasing disposable, pesticide-soaked togs that were mass-produced by exploited labor in a third-world sweatshop somewhere. Yeah, that was a mouthful, but we've encouraged you to know your farmer before; maybe it's time we got acquainted with the person behind the sewing machine. ::EcoUnique...
New York City is Greener than Hastings, NE
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.22.07
The metabolic efficiency of animals is directly proportional to body mass. Cities are the same.
Yahoo may have named Hastings, NE the greenest city in America, but a new study proves them wrong;. bucolic little towns like Hastings or Bedford Falls or Grover's Corners are less green that good old New York City. It appears that cities are like mammals, conforming to the phenomenon of "biological scaling"- the larger the organism, the more efficiently it uses energy. The elephant is far more efficient than the mouse.
Analyzing various data including electrical use, gas consumption, and lengths of roads, Geoffrey West and his team at the Santa Fe Institute found that “regardless of size and location, cities conform to certain universal dynamics—just like biological organisms.”
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Ecologic Designs: Cool Materials Reuse, for Sports Gear
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.22.07
We’ve seen umpteen recycled vinyl billboards repurposed into hand and shoulder bags before, but rarely on this scale. Models large enough to fit your surfboard or snowboard into. We’ve seen recycled inner tubes converted to wallets and bags too, but not so many snow google straps. (Can be fitted to existing goggles as well as coming on some from Zeal Optics.) Pleasing to see others pushing that envelope out a teeny weeny bit. Ecologic Designs hails from Boulder, Colorado, where they dream up such ideas to fit with their lines of hemp, reused vinyl and preloved rubber. They also do a small line of apparel. ::Ecologic Design
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Cricket Goes Green
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.22.07
Cricket is a quintessentially British and colonial sport; it is almost impossible for the uninitiated to understand, the test match is played over 5 days--and they stop for tea breaks. Cricket is played on a pitch and herein the story lies.... The Cricket Board has decided to conduct a ‘green audit’ of the sport and review energy use and water consumption at the UK’s seven Test match grounds, including Lord's (pictured). Whilst most of the clubs do have their own environmental initiatives, the aim is to help them reduce their carbon emissions by at least 10 per cent by spring next year; which represents 800 tons fewer CO2 emissions. Presently Test match grounds have a collective annual energy consumption of over 25 million kWh. Npower, a major energy supplier and cricket sponsor, will be advising on how they can save energy, reduce costs, buy ‘green’ energy and - in the long-term - produce energy through a variety of micro-generation technologies. Once they have achieved their 10% target, they plan to spread the word in the form of a new green manual to the 11 smaller county grounds and then to the 6500 cricket clubs across the country (whew!). So next time you say the words "sticky wicket"..... :: England and Wales Cricket Board...
Beyond Lower Bills: The Economics of Solar
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.22.07
Anyone reading yesterday's post on the latest challenges to attempts to support the UK renewable energy market would be forgiven for feeling pessimistic. Nevertheless, there is still an increasing amount of attention being paid to renewable energies within the mainstream press. Back in May, Guardian columnist Ashley Seager did some interesting math to determine whether investing in solar power was a better option, purely financially speaking, than putting money in the bank. Now a rival British newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, is also looking at the numbers, and profiling some very happy owners of solar PV systems. While the Telegraph doesn’t specifically compare solar ownership to other investments, it does highlight some important benefits of solar arrays that go way beyond the reduction in heating bills:
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When The Truth Fits In China, US Consumers Will Pay
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.22.07
From truth can come change for the better. US consumers and business leaders have just gotten a big dose of it from Wall Street Journal. In a lengthy report, the Journal has thoughtfully explained the role of US consumers in causing the severe environmental impacts stemming from contract textile making in China. After several decades of blaming US retailers for the problem, its time for we 'greens' to face the facts. Performance auditing by US branded companies has not driven Chinese textile and clothing factories to sufficiently invest in pollution prevention and advanced wastewater treatment technology. Management systems just aren't in place. Only a Chinese version of what the US calls the "Clean Water Act," and tailored Best Practicable Treatment definitions, backed by a legion of black belt enforcers and extensive technology transfer programs, can bring that about. The article makes clear that the upshot of that scenario would be increased cost of Chinese export manufacturing, much of which would deservedly be passed on to US consumers.
We often wonder if the Chinese government and local officials are up to the task. Equally important is the question of whether US corporations have the lobbying power and will to support such positive change; whether US consumers would be willing to pay the long term price increases; and, whether the US government is willing to help the Chinese fashion an effective regulatory regime. After the repeated gutting of USEPA budgets and loss of senior staff in recent years, the latter seems unlikely. That leaves more of the issue, from the US end, in corporate hands. ...
New York to Require Climate Change Bumper Stickers
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 08.22.07
Well, actually, it's not what you think: It's something better. Last week, New York State became the second state after California to enact legislation requiring that car manufacturers include "climate index" stickers warning customers of the projected greenhouse gas emissions of the vehicle. The law becomes active with model year 2010 vehicles, and covers only cars and light trucks under 8,500 pounds (which apparently excludes Hummers)....
Mother Jones Presents Ocean Voyager
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.21.07
From one mother for another: The Mother Jones-produced Ocean Voyager is a web-based five-part adventure that whisks you to different ocean hot spots around the globe, whether it's chasing fish pirates off the coast of Africa or tracking a mother polar bear across the Arctic.
You'll learn how our oceans are under siege by man-made forces, and more important, how to use the supplied online tools to help preserve and protect the ocean. When you sign up for Ocean Voyager, you'll receive a series of five weekly e-mail episodes that include videos, audio interviews with experts, Web cams, and links to additional resources on the Internet.
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TreeHugger Picks: Surfs Up, Green Dudes!
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.21.07
Surfing and TreeHugging go hand in hand much of the time; the surfer's credo to not wreck the ocean and TreeHugger's endeavors to help folks keep the world clean are quite complementary, so it follows that surfing would be well-received at TH HQ. Here are some of our picks for hanging ten, green-style.
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 | 1) If women are going to be on top, they’re gonna want to do it naturally. If you’ve ever been suspicious of rubbing down your deck with Sex Wax, there’s now a Cradle to Cradle option for ya. Wet Women surf wax is certified as a biological nutrient under MBDC’s Cradle to Cradle program, meaning that it can safely return to the ecosystem with no adverse effects or compromises. |
 | 2) Before you wax, you'll need a board; luckily there are lots of options. OceanGreen's EcoFoil and this bamboo option are just a few. Remember, staying away from fiberglass and polyurethane and polystyrene will get you a long way toward a sustainable board. |
 | 3) When it comes to surfing gear, we like Loose Fit, the world's first carbon-neutral bike shop, who also plant a tree for every surfboard sold and have signed onto a GreenPower scheme with their electricity utility. Online, there's also the EcoSurfStore, whose profits go to help the EcoSurf Project; both can help you get board waxes, wax removers, sun creams, hemp soaps, lip balms, wallets and other surfing accoutrements. Two more picks, are after the jump... |
Field Guide to Eco-Friendly, Efficient, Effective Print
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.21.07
Design like you give a damn with the second edition of Monadnock Paper Mills' how-to guide for creating more-sustainable print materials. A Field Guide: Eco-Friendly, Efficient and Effective Print, accompanied by luscious illustrations by the inimitable Charley Harper, is available for free as an online PDF. (You can also order a print version of the guide that uses Monadnock's Astrolite PC 100, a 100 percent uncoated post-consumer, chlorine-free paper.)
Design, says the New Hampshire-based family-owned paper mill, can be "cost-efficient, environmentally sensitive, and beautiful." ::Monadnock Paper Mills...
Trey Chair: A Desk Chair for Work and for Play
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.21.07
It looks like a regular office chair; it reclines, and you can adjust the height. But with the push of a button hidden underneath, the Trey Chair springs in to action and transforms into one of many different configurations. The base can be removed from the portion where you park it, allowing for any number of alternate configurations more suited to lounging and relaxing than working diligently (though, judging from the picture above, there are a few configurations for that, too). Trey isn't Cradle to Cradle certified like some of its ergonomic brethren, but it would be dang handy for small apartment dwellers or anyone else who wants their desk chair to do more than just help them work at a desk. After the jump, check out more pics of Trey and work and at play; the chair can be had for $239 - $299, and Ars Technica has a review, if you want to know how it works in the real world. Trey Chair via ::Apartment Therapy: Los Angeles...
Three Utensils in One: "Spork" from Light My Fire
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.21.07
We know that there's a burgeoning movement in Asia to bring your own chopsticks, and we've seen some other versions of that stateside, with a couple sporks and an all-in-one cutlery set, but this "spork" from Light My Fire takes it up a notch. It adds a serrated knife blade to the mix, which makes it more of a "sporknife" or "knispork" (though it's probably best to stick with spork, for brevity's sake) and allows you to have all three pieces of cutlery in one. Its utility is matched by the sleek, Scandinavian design of Joachim Nordwall, making it a lovely addition for a picnic basket or lunchbox. It's dishwasher safe and quite durable, according to their site; we'd love to see it in bioplastic. They travel in packs, beneath the fold. ::Light My Fire via ::Apartment Therapy...
Eco-Friendly Ship Embraces Environment
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.21.07
Its name is Hawaiian for "embracing the sea," and, true to its moniker, the Hi'ialakai has been dubbed the most environmentally friendly ship he's been on by Allen Gary, its chief steward.
"I've been sailing quite a awhile and I've seen the evolution of the old sailors who dumped everything and now we're to a point where we need to be concerned about Mother Earth," Gary tells KHNL.
The only thing that gets tossed overboard on the H'ialakai: Its "wet" garbage, food scraps from meals....
Maple Pillbox Hat Hard Drive from Suissa Computers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
Leopard skins are no longer TreeHugger correct, so we paraphrase Dylan: Well, I see you got your brand new maple pill-box hat hard drive from Suissa, whose stunning handmade wood computers wowed us last year. Shadow is an external hard drive that is beautiful enough to have a place of honour on any desk. “Shadow is designed for comfort, and provides convenient ports for all those technologies we connect to our computers,” says Howard Suissa. “Consumers are purchasing peripherals to collect and store memories and experiences. They therefore require more hard drive space and more USB connections. As people age, eyesight and mobility make it difficult to fiddle with small plugs at the back of a system, under the desk. Combining these factors is logical.”
So is making beautiful objects out of what is normally plastic and banal. This lovely wood hatbox of an external drive is made from sustainably harvested maple, cheap at C$ 715 at ::Suissa Computers...
Vespa Go Green Video Challenge
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 08.21.07
Who wouldn't want to win a new Vespa? At 65+mpg, not only would you feel like you were traversing the roads of Rome, you could feel good about sipping, not guzzling gas. In fact, according to the Vespa USA website, if Americans switched only 10% of their total driving to scooters, ever day we could cut consumption of gas by 14 million gallons and cut carbon emissions by 324 pounds. Well, Vespa is giving a chance to win one of 3 scooters to help you reduce your commuting carbon footprint. All you have to do is head on over to Vespa's Go Green Challenge and create a video about the economic and environmental benefits of scootering. Head on over, create a video, and make your fellow TreeHuggers proud.
See also ::Vespa Unveils Hybrid Scooters
::Go Green Vespa Video Challenge
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Track, Hear From Migrating Marine Animals
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.21.07
The redesigned Web site for Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) is a veritable undersea trove for enthusiasts of marine life. Not only can you learn more about predators such as the Salmon Shark, Blue Whale, and Humboldt Squid, but you can also keep track of their real-world migration routes, thanks to electronic tags that communicate with Argos, a polar-orbiting satellite.
You can even add an animated widget on your MySpace page or blog to follow the animals' movements. And you know the familiar gripe about everyone and their grandmother's poodle having a blog? Well these guys all have one, too. (Between you and us, White Shark is a kind of a drama queen.)
TOPP began in 2000 as one of 17 projects of the Census of Marine Life, a massive 10-year, 80-nation project to assess the diversity and abundance of life in the oceans. As of 2007, TOPP researchers from eight countries have tagged more than 2,000 animals, including elephant seals, white sharks, leatherback turtles, squid, albatross and sooty shearwaters. ::TOPP...
Groovy Green Picks Five Crazy Cool Eco Spaces
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
Everyone is doing top fives today; we had Jetson Greenearlier and now Groovy Green wants to find the perfect eco-hideout, "the type of place I can wander through backyard woods or across a field in the middle of nowhere to get to. The type of place where you can hunker down for a few weeks at a time and not worry about looking like Tom Hanks halfway through Castaway. Modern, earth-friendly, and cozy — with all the high-tech renewable energy systems and gizmos I can cram into it. Think Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond but with an Xbox360, skylights, and solar panels." He includes our beloved miniHome, the EcoHab shown above, Ecospace, miniJot and a hobbit house. Less never was so more. ::Groovy Green
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Weekend Movies in Review: Superbad and The 11th Hour
by Neil Chambers, New York City on 08.21.07
So if you’re anything like me, you’ve been waiting as patiently as you could for Aug 17. Last Friday was the opening weekend for two highly anticipated films: Superbad starring Jonah Hill, Michael Cera & Seth Rogen, and The 11th Hour directed by Nadia Conners and Leila Conners Petersen and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
The 11th Hour packs a punch. As a friend said to me after seeing the film – it’s got everything An Inconvenient Truth was missing…solutions. It should be regarded as the crown jewel for the kid movie star turned environmentist, Leonardo DiCaprio, as an engaging review of what the global community is facing due to environmental decay and what we can do about it. ...
Participate! Runner-Up: Forever Furniture
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 08.21.07
Last week, we revealed the winner for our Participate! contest, Vinay Gupta's Hexayurt Project. This week, we are profiling two more great entries, the Participate! runners-up. First up is Forever Furniture (working name) from Sunshine at Playatech. Forever Furniture is a plan to take Playatech's current open-source plywood furniture ideas and create easy-to-assemble (and disassemble) fastener-free furniture from 100% recycled plastic.
Users will save landfills and discarded water bottle moop when they buy it, and it will be very low cost plus ten times easier to assemble than that IKEA stuff. Perhaps more importantly, when it is “used up”, the pieces can all be recycled again into more furniture - forever!Unfortunately, a prototype for Forever Furniture will not be ready by this year's Burning Man, although you can still check out Playatech's current line of open-source furniture. However, IKEA should still watch their back - Forever Furniture's easily transportable, easy-to-assemble, open-source and eco-friendly indoor/outdoor furniture should not only appeal to those at Burning Man, but certainly college students everywhere. ...
Social Condenser By Blank Studio
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
We like the idea of a "social condenser"; every town should have one. This one, by Blank Studio, is in Superior, Arizona, an old mining town. It is described as a “ public house”. The project is envisioned to be "the living room of the community; a place to congregate, socialize, view work of provincial artists and enjoy the breathtaking landscape vistas that envelop the region."
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World's Largest Solar Stadium By Kyocera
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.21.07
"The world's largest stadium-integrated photovoltaic system went into operation this week on the STADE DE SUISSE Wankdorf Bern. After the additional installation of 2,808 solar modules, the stadium now has 7,930 modules from the Japanese technology company Kyocera, providing an overall output of 1,346.774 kWp. The expanded system will produce 1,134,045 kWh per year and save on the emission of 630 tons of CO2 annually.
With this expansion, the stadium of the Swiss first league soccer club BSC Young Boys Bern has the world’s largest stadium-integrated photovoltaic system on its roof."
When this comes to the USA, if there's ever a team owner or City with with vision like the Swiss, we can imagine the crowd singing 'Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack, please don't let dirty coal lights come back.'
See also: Kyocera Solar Grove post; and Google "Solar Trees" post.
Via:: Kyocera Solar, Inc....
Bait and Switchgrass
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
The LA Times has a terrific article outlining the problems with ethanol, whether from corn or cellulosic from plants like switchgrass. "Alcohol is best taken in moderation, and that applies to cars as much as people. Ethanol isn't all hype -- it's a promising alternative fuel that could stretch gasoline supplies and cut emissions. But as politicians try to outdo one another by approving ever-bigger ethanol subsidies, production mandates and research grants, few are considering the environmental and economic effects of a massive, rapid rise in ethanol production. These are so severe that unless the mania ends soon, they could far outweigh any gains."::LA Times photograph by Robert Wellman Campbell...
A Picture is Worth ... Logging Pattern
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.21.07
We can't tell if this rather incredible—not to mention spooky—image was Photoshopped or not, but the caption on the Web site we found it on says the shape of the logged area was unintentional. You think the planet is trying to tell us something? ::SFU
[Via ::Reddit]...
Back to School: Become A Green School Advocate
by Olivia Zaleski, New York City, USA on 08.21.07
Green schools are inarguably the right decision for our children and the environment. Though up-front costs are higher, green buildings save enough in operation and maintenance expenses to pay for their original construction in a matter of months. The money saved on energy bills (the annual energy savings from a single green school is generally in the 6-digit range) can be reallocated to pay for important school initiatives, additional teachers, better computers, or thousands of textbooks. Green schools also prevent the unnecessary production of millions of tons of CO2; buildings are the largest contributors to US CO2 production, while renovations and new school erection represent the largest construction sector in the U.S.—$80 billion in 2006-2008, about 27% of the US construction market (source: McGraw-Hill).
Given the enormous financial and environmental benefits, green schools seem an obvious choice, but red tape, laws, and up-front costs often prevent their construction. The highly localized nature of school budgets creates a bureaucratic disconnect between capital funds (used for construction) and operating funds (used for utility bills). The difference in funding sources makes it difficult for schools to realize the potential operating-cost savings of a green building investment. ...
Variety is the Spice of Life: Six Part Vintage Coffee Table
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.21.07
TreeHugger loves it when one thoughtful design can take the place of many less functional pieces. Such is the case with Peter Hvidt and Olga Molgaard-Nielsen's vintage coffee table; the piece built in sextuplicate is up to just about any decorating challenge. All together, the pieces form a coffee table that's a pinwheel of fun; separately, they combine to build snaky side tables, nesting end tables, or up to six separate (but matching) tables that could be scattered about for a party and then joined up again for a glass of wine in front of the TV. Hit the jump to see just a few of the sleek possibilities offered by such a design. ::1stDibs via ::Design Milk...
Hey, Kids! Here's The New, Cool Drink: Bottled Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
Having TreeHugger, church groups and politicians going medieval on them doesn't stop the bottled water industry from fighting back with new ways to keep pumping and bottling. Nestle is learning from the cereal makers that you should get'em while they are young. It has introduced Aquapod, aimed at children 6 to 12 years old, part of a campaign to increase consumption of smaller, more profitable bottles. According to Brand Week, "It's a big land rush now that carbonated soft drinks are getting the boot from schools," said Gerry Khermouch, editor at Beverage Business Insights, West Nyack, N.Y. "What's tricky is there's a dual target: you want to offer something kids want to be seen with while also getting past moms." ::Brand Week and ::Aquapod...
Great Green Granny: An Eco-Hero Meets the Road
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 08.21.07
That’s right folks, at an age when many are looking for a comfortable place to sit and relax, 72 year-old grandmother of fifteen and great-grandmother of seven Marjorie Mead is just picking up the pace and the trash… She’s decided to make it her personal mission in life to clean up the roads near her home in Pennsylvania for free, and even with a smile despite the fact that the site of roadside trash littered about makes her blood boil. As she says, “It just made me angry to see all the garbage out there,” because “We have such a beautiful country. It’s a shame people think they can throw trash out the window.”
Now you might expect the dog days of August to keep even the greenest and most active granny down, but this one was out there on a recent morning with the thermometer topping out around 90, working away at what she calls a hobby. Dressed in pants and her pink blouse, along with a canary-yellow vest to increase her visibility to drivers, plenty of trash bags, and armed with a long claw-like grab stick to help her get to pieces stuck in places that are often hard to reach.
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Exporting Pollution as Well as Jobs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
Whole Foods/Wild Oats Merger: Deal or No Deal?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.21.07
Photo credit: Mark Pritchard
Another day, another setback for Wacky Mackey's organically grown empire.
On Thursday, Judge Paul L. Friedman of the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C. gave Whole Foods the go-ahead to snap up Wild Oats Markets, its next-biggest competitor in the natural-foods biz, for a cool $565 million.
Not so fast, said the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which then filed a motion to stall the deal pending the outcome of its appeal of Judge Friedman's ruling.
But the FTC made an oopsie of its own, even as it tries to squash the merger on the grounds that it would "create a monopoly in the operation of premium natural and organic supermarkets." Federal regulators inadvertently let fly dozens of trade secrets in public court documents, including Whole Foods' plans to close 30 or more Wild Oats stores to double its own revenue....
Top Five Super Green Modern Homes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
PROJECT7TEN
Preston at Jetson Green picks his "top five super green modern homes," most of which will be known to TreeHugger readers. "They're ultra-stylish and ultra-green." One trend we like is that they are getting smaller and more urban; modern green design is no longer just the preserve of the very rich, but is becoming accessible to the moderately rich- not too many people can afford a ::Living Home but Michelle Kaufmann's new MKLotus is reasonably sized, and ::5IVE is not excessive.
With housing starts in the USA at their lowest point in ten years and the mortgage crisis expanding, the cost of construction should begin to drop as demand for construction labour and building materials falls. Perhaps the premium for good green design will fall as well. ::Jetson Green...
Surfing Magazine Launches "2nd Annual Green Issue" & Announces Carbon Neutrality
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08.21.07
Hitting newsstands today is Surfing Magazine's "2nd Annual Green Issue," the first initiative of a yearlong commitment by the magazine to diminish their carbon footprint.
Chock-full of tips and stories, special editorial features include: "How Sick Is Your Break", an article that focuses on ocean water quality; "ISD3", featuring coverage from the Third Annual International Surfing Day which took place on June 21st, and; "Being Green", a portrait of CEOs from the four biggest public companies in the surf industry and what they're doing to protect their surfing and business futures.
“The first Green Issue focused on global warming and what that will mean for surfers,” said Evan Slater, renowned big-wave surfer and Editor of Surfing Magazine. “This year, in addition to expanding our coverage of ocean-awareness-related issues, we wanted to make the magazine itself more accountable.”
In addition to the "Green Issue", Surfing's next initiative is purchasing carbon offsets in the form of mangrove reforestation projects in India to minimize the impact of their business.
Beginning with the October issue, the magazine will be working with Carbonfund.org to calculate the CO2 emissions produced by the production, distribution and printing of the magazine. “We have an obligation to protect the resources that give us so much joy,” said Publisher Ross Garrett. ::Surfing Magazine
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David Duchovny Sets Green Example
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 08.21.07
Star of the new sex-tacular Showtime series Californication, David Duchovny is not just your run of the mill dreamy green celeb (i.e. check mark next to “hybrid”). Nope – this man is the real deal – the once and future Agent Mulder powers his home with the sun and his ride with the grid.
Duchovny’s happy to do his part but finds it a little frustrating that going super-green is often a luxury. Says Duchovny; “We try to set an example. Unfortunately, you have to have the means to be green. That's what has to change in this world. It should be cheaper to be green. I can afford to put solar energy in and I can afford to drive an electric car because I can also have a gas car if I need to drive more than eighty miles in a day. So that's too bad.” Via::Crave Online...
Young Chinese: Cars First, Then Sustainable Consumption
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.21.07
Photo credit: BusinessWeek
The young people of China may think the planet is worth saving, but not if it means giving up a smokin' set of wheels. Around 84 percent of young Chinese want to buy a car, one of the leading causes of urban air pollution, despite the fact that 80 percent of them are concerned about global warming, a survey has found.
Only 0.4 percent of young Chinese said they were unaware of the problem caused by vehicular emissions, according to the survey of awareness of sustainable consumption, jointly conducted by a China daily and The British Council.
The survey, which polled 2,500 people averaging 30.1 years in age and mostly living in large or medium-size cities in 31 provinces, found that 76 percent said they "did what they could" to save energy and electricity....
Using 'Shrooms to Grow Biodiesel
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.21.07
Fungi have really become the go-to organisms in biotechnology circles: we've seen them used as a form of insulation and have seen several potential applications for biofuel production. Notch yet another one to the latter category: a team of scientists at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology have discovered a better way to make biodiesel using a fungus-derived enzyme.
To make biodiesel, methanol is typically mixed with a blend of lye and vegetable oil and heated for several hours. The main downside to this process is the length of the heating process — which generates a lot of wasted energy. Fortunately, the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae possesses large amounts of a key enzyme — lipase — which can link the methanol to the oils without the need for extra heating. The scientists just need to pass oil and methanol through a bed of pellet-sized amounts of the fungi to produce the biodiesel. Who says biofuel production can't be both simple and green?
Via ::Wired Science: Fungi Make Biodiesel Efficiently at Room Temperature (blog)
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Greening Your House? We Want to Talk to You!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.21.07
Journalist Eric V. Copage is looking for people to interview:
"Today's Focus, a magazine published by Time, Inc., is looking to interview people who are or who have recently greened or plan to green their homes who are "greening" their homes in ways that help economize on their utility bills.
Today's Focus is looking for "normal" people -- secretaries, college professors, bus drivers, as opposed to architects, authors or other people with a professional interest in the eco-industry.
Questions would include — why did you decide to go green, what influenced you to make the decision, what were your priorities and how did you pursue them, what obstacles did you face, what do your friends think of your decision. . .Etc., etc.
The interview would be conducted by phone and take between 10 and 20 minutes.
The magazine is trying to line up people so that they can be interviewed between this Thursday, Aug. 23rd and Saturday, Aug 25th.
If you are interested, please contact Eric V. Copage at copage@mac.com"
That's not actually a photo of Eric. We just thought it worked with this post....
We've All Been Eating Mutant Rice!
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.21.07
But, don't worry: it's perfectly safe. Yes, according to a team of researchers at Cornell University, close to 97.9% of all white rice is derived from a mutation in a gene originating in the Japonica subspecies which occurred about 10,000 years ago. The mutation produces a shortened version of a protein normally responsible for activating the molecular pathway leading to color in rice grains. They believe it was allowed to spread around the world by early farmers who favored the white rice over other grain varieties.
Not only did the white rice varieties cook faster, the researchers also theorize that their hulls were much easier to remove compared to red rice and that disease and insects were more visible amid the grains. The women who shucked the rice thousands of years ago may have picked out specific panicles — grain clusters on the stems — for planting and breeding purposes....
Architects Aren't Ready for an Urbanized Planet
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
Favela Morumbi, Sao Paulo
We talk so much about the importance of planning and architecture in the fight against global warming, yet according to Amelia Gentleman in the International Herald Tribune, the United Nations estimates that only 5 percent of the building work under way in the world's expanding cities is actually planned; in many Asian cities, 70 percent of residents are thought to be living in unplanned areas. These are usually the poorest inhabitants, who find themselves in badly built urban sprawls, with poor access to electricity, water and drainage.
The architects are also in the wrong place. "Seventy percent of architects come from the developed world but 70 percent of the work is in the developing word. There is a total mismatch," said Gaétan Siew, president of the International Union of Architects. "A lot of the architects who come into the business want to build monuments; they want to become star architects or rich planners. We have to re-educate them so they realize that they are agents of social change."
"We need to highlight that architecture is not just Frank Gehry and Renzo Piano," Siew added. "It's not just about beautiful houses. It is all about everyday people's lives."
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Why We Love Downloads
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
25 years ago, on August 17th, 1982, the first Compact Disk (ABBA's the Visitors) came off the assembly line; 200 billion followed it. James Brentano writes in earth2tech that every month in the United States some 100,000 pounds of CDs become outdated, useless or unwanted. Every year, more than 5.5 million software packages go to landfills and incinerators. He notes studies that calculate that a kilogram of greenhouse gases are generated for each CD produced, packaged and delivered. About half of this comes from the production of the CD and half from transportation.
In the software biz, every $100,000 spent on commercial software reproduction creates the global warming potential of approximately 29 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents as well as 38 kilograms of toxic waste. We would add that most of
the software on CD's is obsolete and in need of updates as soon as it hits the shelves.
So happy birthday, compact disk; we hope you enjoy your retirement. ::Earth2Tech...
Sustainable Table's Eat Well Guided Tour
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.21.07
Well that's one way to get to Farm Aid 2007: Sustainable Table is taking the scenic route in a biofueled bus across the country to Randall's Island, New York City in search of the best pie in America, and making stops at some of the nation's most sustainable farms and restaurants in over 25 states.
Now over two weeks into their 38-day journey across the good ol' US of A, the passengers on the cross-country "Eat Well Guided Tour of America" have broken bread with a family that has been crafting cheese by hand since the 1930s, partaken in the bounties of local farmers' markets that take as much care in growing community as they do tasty cuisine, and seen Oakland's City Slicker Farms, which offers produce based upon the size of your wallet....
Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: The Book
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.21.07
Sustainable Fashion and Textiles is the bold, oxymoronic title of an upcoming book from Kate Fletcher in the UK. It’s due out around January 2008 and may quickly become the bible on this slippery subject. For two reasons. One being that Kate, whom we noted was involved in the Perfect T-shirt project, is a very well regarded researcher, and importantly long time practitioner in the greening of the rag trade. Secondly the industry has a dearth of relevant publications, unlike say, graphic, architecture or industrial design.
(The few that were printed are no longer readily available, like the European Design Centre’s cute little booklet, Textiles and the Environment, or Guideline: A Handbook on the Environment for the Textile and Fashion Industry, by the Sustainable Solution Design Association. Though fortunately you can still get Organic cotton: from field to final product from Pan UK. And there is SRO’s S4, sustainability trends in fashion magazine.)
Kate’s publishers say her 256 page book “not only defines the field, it also challenges it, and uses design ideas to help shape more sustainable products and promote social change. Each chapter combines long- and short-term solutions that deal with making changes to industry as it exists today, whilst articulating a new vision for the sector based on sustainability principles.” It will cover the gamut of material cultivation/extraction; production; use; disposal; service design, localism, speed and user involvement. We look forward to seeing it help to change hearts and minds in an incredible wasteful industry. Discounted pre-orders are now being taken. ::Sustainable Fashion and Textiles....
Survey: Is This Good Design?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.07
We know, amphibians are our friends and we shouldn't step on them. What kind of lesson are we teaching our children if we tell them to reduce their recycling volume by squishing one? Is this a good thing? Is anthropomorphizing recycling hardware into cute froggies good design? ::Cataloger via ::Ubergizmo
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Brazilian Studio Bossa’s LED Lamps Designs
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 08.21.07
Studio Bossa describes itself as a “laboratory of conceptual and ecological design”. Based in Brazil, the studio works with recycled and natural materials, and has several products giving new life and uses to LED lamps. You know these small lamps last approximately 100,000 hours and consume 80% less energy than regular ones, but are not as available in commercial or design lamps yet, even though the offer is growing. For example, Studio Bossa has come up with Bardot, a lamp/flower pot made with recovered incandescent bulbs and LEDs. They also have Anaua (picture): a lamp made with repurposed cotton flowers that each holds LED lamps, combining organic leftovers and technology. Iracema, another one of Studio Bossa’s products, is made with dried pumpkins and LEDs and has a strong decorative shape. Finally, Packlight is a recovered can that transforms into a lamp via some elements like a modern platform. Studio Bossa is formed by designer Thiago de Souza, specialized in LED lighting; and Marina Perelló, photographer and investigator for cultural and historical aspects of materials. They will be presenting their work in Diseño con Acento fair this week and Designmart Tokyo (October 31st to November 4th). More pictures in the extended. ::Studio Bossa...
Zero Waste Office
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.21.07
Well, kinda sorta. It’s the office fitout of Zero Waste SA (The SA standing for South Australia), which picked up a commendation from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) Sustainable Architecture category of the 2006 Architects Award, announced the other month. They add this to their equal first at the South Australian Design Awards. It is always intriguing to see what happens when a enterprise with lofty ideals meets the real world head on. And while their fitout was not zero waste, the organisation is at least pretty transparent about the choices they made. They even have a list of alternative suppliers that they considered before making their final selection of materials and fittings. Read through their open reporting a few unusual items pop up.
One favourite is the strawbale feature wall. A rendered strawbale wall right inside an government office block! “In terms of sustainability, straw bale walls: have low embodied energy in terms of fabrication and transportation, provide good thermal and acoustic insulation, are light and can be constructed quickly and easily, require less trades people in their construction (which can facilitate savings in time, cost and energy).” Such an endorsement must music to the ears of home builders still having to convince local councils that strawbale is a legitimate construction material....
Another UK Renewable Target Under Threat
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.21.07
The UK seems to be having a tough time with it’s carbon reduction targets of late. Only last week the news was leaked that the government was trying to wriggle out of its commitment to 20% renewable energy by 2020. Now we hear from the BBC that the national government plan’s to adopt another renewable target, the so-called ‘Merton Rule’, is under threat. The Merton rule, which started out as a local initiative in Merton, Greater London, but which has spread to over 150 councils nationwide, stipulates that all major new building developments must find ways to meet 10% of their energy needs through onsite renewables. The government had suggested that it was ready to incorporate the rule into national law, but according to a report on the BBC this is being strongly challenged by house builders:
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The TH Interview: Zoe Tryon - Anthropologist and All-round Amazonian Woman
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 08.21.07
I met fellow Brit Zoe Tryon whilst we were both working in Ecuador during the first half of this year. We share a passion for working with indigenous cultures, sustainable development and communicating other people's stories. Zoe's background in anthropology led her to the Amazon jungle where she spent a month living in a remote Achuar community. It is thought that Zoe is the first western woman to live with the Achuar people for a significant period of time. During her time in Ecuador she also worked for the Pachamama Alliance at the Kapawi Eco-Lodge, guided David de Rothschild's Mission Toxico team into Achuar territory and accompanied Daryl Hannah on her 'Toxic Tour' with Amazon Watch. I spent some time talking with Zoe about what inspired her to go so deep into the Rainforest and what she hopes to accomplish there....
Last Call for Sunscreen
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.21.07
With Labour Day coming up and the last blast of summer sun, get that sunscreen out and put it on thick. We all know now how necessary it is to keep covered, wear a hat and not stay out too long. And we are aware of all the weird chemicals that are in the suntan lotion itself. But since we can't quite give up that golden look; at least pick some good, safe(!) lotion for those beach days. The Times rated five of the top natural ones and gave the best marks to Aloe Vera ESI Solar, Yaoh organic hemp seed oil (it's vegan), Lavera Sun and Green People sun lotion. Despite all of them claiming to be natural, they do contain some chemicals, along with the organic bits. The next category down included Dr. Hauschka, Weleda, and Aloe Pura.
All of which is quite confusing because last year Ethical Consumer did a rating and put Hauschka and Weleda at the top of its list. However everyone seems to agree that the commercial, big names such as Nivea, Piz Bruin, and Ambre Solaire contain too many chemicals for comfort. :: The Times...
Produce Perfectionism: An American Obscession
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.21.07
These days TV chefs have a good chance at becoming celebrities with with"brand identity". Hollywood notables visit their food shows to share in the kitchen glow. Leveraging decades of pesticide use and plant breeding, these celebrity-cultivating broadcasts amplify the notion of perfect produce. Ingredients too must be fabulous for the camera.
Reinforcement is everywhere. Grocery produce aisles are lit like art galleries, with white-aproned department managers on hand to weed out the blemishes and offer apologies for Mr Wormy's presence. There's been so much techno-sifting and hard-labor winnowing to achieve this perfection, the embodied energy of produce probably doubled over the last few decades.
By the end of August, the leaves of my red-stemmed Swiss Chard and Perennial Spinach, as pictured above, are made holy by descending hordes of Japanese Beetles. No amount of spraying or bagging could possibly subdue them. Resigned to their predations, I simply ignore the chew holes, wash the leaves three times, and chop in preparation for cooking, as shown below....
The Laptop Lunchbox Reduces Waste, Saves You Cash
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 08.21.07
This kid certainly seems to be having a great time mugging for the camera, but the laptop lunchbox he’s showing off can really make a difference in waste reduction at lunchtime this school year. Essentially, it’s a lunchbox that doesn’t require paper or plastic bags to hold food at all, as it consists of a whole group of separate compartments inside of a main, laptop-shaped box that can each hold one part of lunch. Presumably, the child will be returning home with it at the end of the day, allowing it to be refilled the next with something reasonably healthy in a virtuous cycle of reduced waste and improved eating habits.
Of course there’s no guarantee that your charming wunderkind will actually remember to bring it home each day, or that it won’t meet an untimely end some rather bleak February morning beneath the wheels of a lurching school bus… But the product itself does seem destined to help reduce waste significantly. In fact, current estimates suggest that the average child creates upwards of 60 pounds of waste per year from using a disposable lunch at school; and with most parents I know at least beginning to engage in the relatively nightmarish ritual of back to school shopping this may be one purchase that can also wind up saving you money by eliminating the costs of all that extra packaging throughout the school year too.
Happy shopping!
Via:: Nature Moms
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What Color Foods Should You Eat?
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 08.21.07
Ditch the greens and start reaching for those eggplants, red cabbage, elderberries, and bilberries. According to a scientific study released last weekend, vegetables in rich red, purple or blue color are the most powerful anti-cancer agents. The results were shown in new laboratory tests conducted by a team led by Monica Giusti, an expert in plant nutrients at Ohio State University....
Solar Cell Innovation: Silicon Nanoparticles Improve Performance
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 08.21.07
Solar is booming, as it should. Third generation solar cells are seeing rapid growth, organic solar is breaking records, and the solar power bikini is the latest rage. But don't count plain old silicon out of the game just yet. Munir Nayfeh (pictured), a physicist at the University of Illinois, has developed a process that harnesses more out of a sunny day in the sand.
"Integrating a high-quality film of silicon nanoparticles 1 nanometer in size directly onto silicon solar cells improves power performance by 60 percent in the ultraviolet range of the spectrum." Says Nayfeh.Furthermore, it was found that particles of 2.8 nanometers show an enhancement of around 67 percent in the ultraviolet range, and 10 percent in the visible spectrum. The improved performance highlights the importance of charge transport assisted by the nanostructured design created by the film of silicon nanoparticles....
Face Your Elephant!
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 08.21.07
TreeHugger welcomes Mark Powell
by 1plus1 on 08.20.07
Solar Roadways: Energy-Generating Roads Made Out of Glass and Solar Cells
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.20.07
Try following along with Scott Brusaw's series of convoluted calculations — premised, of course, on his own conservative assumptions — and you should come away agreeing with his basic argument: that a series of roads built out of solar panels could supply all of our country's energy needs several times over. At least that's what Brusaw, the founder of Solar Roadways — a company based out of his house in Idaho — is hoping to make policymakers and industry leaders see.
He has high hopes for his series of electric roads — in fact, he believes that they may very well hold the key to solving global warming. Going off of an estimate made by Caltech solar energy expert Nate Lewis — who estimated that covering 1.7% of the U.S.' land surface with 10%-efficient solar energy converters would supply our current energy demand — Brusaw theorized that paving the country's interstate highway system (which incidentally covers close to 1.7% of the nation's land surface) with glass panels that could collect and distribute solar energy would accomplish that goal. The solar cells would create enough energy to light the road at night, heat it in the winter and power buildings — each mile could supply as many as 500 homes, according to Brusaw. ...
TH Forums Highlights: Global Warming Fights, Disposable Fashion, Tiny House and More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.20.07
Here are some of the recent highlights from TreeHugger Forums...
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 | 1) Forums user mpopovi helps the Forums' polling functionality flex its muscles with the question "Could Global Warming Lead To War For Scarce Resources?" While the results are decidedly one-sided so far, it causes several users to wonder if we aren't in such a predicament already, and if history has a chance of repeating itself. Would the fear of war over the implications of a warming globe be enough to inspire some people to action? |
 | 2) User lamarguerite says, "This is for all the other green girl wannabes like me, who want to do good, but can't resist fashion's calls. I am especially vulnerable to Target and its new designer collections. The latest one, Libertine was most potent. Two jackets, two pairs of pants, one blouse joined my already full closet. So much consumption can't be good for the environment, and I doubt very much that Target has sustainability high on their list when selecting their new designers." By the look of the responses, she isn't the only one who is struggling to balance consumption with eco-ethics. |
 | 3) Forums user sverrir says, "One of the issues Treehugger very often addresses is the size of new residential housing. The critique is usually against McMansions. In true contrarian style some sort of mini home pod is usually put up against the McMansion. But this always presumes that people need to live in single family, detached houses. I know this is the norm in the US. But isn´t that a big part of the problem?" That begs the question: are apartment complexes generally greener than small houses? Greenwashed advertising and biodegradable paints, after the jump... |
Top 10 Threats to Oceans and Coasts in South America
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.20.07
Photo credit: Barbara Dieu
A new report by The Nature Conservancy checks off the top 10 threats to marine conservation in South America. The No. 1 villain: Overfishing, but developmental pressures and myriad environmental challenges are no slouches either.
The coastal waters south of the border could face permanent, irrevocable damage if sustainability and conservation issues are allowed to fall by the wayside. “Overfishing in South American waters is widespread. Demand for seafood both from domestic and foreign markets is driving economic activities in the region, and it could cause irreversible damage,” says Dr. Anthony Chatwin, an oceanographer and lead author of "Priorities for Coastal and Marine Conservation in South America," a report that represents the findings of more than 300 experts from 85 different South American governmental agencies, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations....
Little Pink Houses Painted Green?
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 08.20.07
Well ain’t that Israel... after more than a year writing about the environment climate over here in the Middle East, we were pleased to see green residential projects are taking root in these parts ...well that’s what the title of an article we read in today’s Haaretz promised: “Green Thinking Starts At Home”. As we flitted through the article, we can still see the all-too obvious divide between the definition of green in Israel and what our US-based TreeHuggers are reporting.
A survey by Ambassador Real Estate when marketing a project found that most potential homebuyers have no idea what green building means: 86 percent of the respondents rejected the idea of paying more for such an apartment. The rest agreed to pay 5 percent more than a regular one would cost....
Profitable Precycling of 12V Batteries
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 08.20.07
Kinderherd & Kinderspüle: Kids' Toys and Furniture by Hase Weiss
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.20.07
Particularly timely in the wake of the difficulties in the Chinese toy manufacturing industry (and related fall-out), Berlin-based Hase Weiss specializes in wooden toys and children’s furniture that'll give molded plastic a run for its money. Made up of modular boxes that come as shelves, drawers and benches, the toys and furniture can be put together as you like, ad nauseum. This allows for an imaginative approach to construction and continued re-imaging of its function; that it probably won't go the way of Thomas and Friends is a definite bonus. More of their simple, colorful designs are below the fold. ::Hase Weiss (site in German) via ::MoCo Loco ...
Taste the Garden State on Sept. 8
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.20.07
Hello my fellow New Jerseyians, New Jerseyites, New Jersey gangstas, Slow Food Northern NJ and Buy Fresh Buy Local, along with The Foodshed Alliance, NOFA NJ, and Whole Foods, are organizing the 2nd Annual Farm and Food Open House on Sept. 8. (Don't forget to zip on over the mighty Hudson to New York City the next day for Farm Aid 2007.)
The event will involve a day of tours and tastings at 13 local Northwest NJ farms, culminating in a cook-out dinner—at Donaldson Farms in Hackettstown, an hour from the Holland Tunnel—highlighting food grown and raised by local farmers.
Farm-tour tickets are $10 for an adult and $5 for a child under 13, while cookout-dinner tickets are $25 for an adult and $10 for a child under 13. All tickets are available via Brown Paper Tickets. Visit Slow Food Northern NJ's Web site for details. ::Slow Food NNJ...
We Can't Make This Stuff Up Dept: "Safe Bedside Table"
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.20.07
File this one under "When weird implementations happen to good ideas." The "Safe Bedside Table" goes from bedside table to home intruder protection system in two quick steps, so you can make that would-be burglar sorry they tried to invade your space by just rolling out of bed. We think most transforming furniture is a good idea -- stuff that performs multiple functions with minimal materials makes us smile -- but this might only be useful to the more paranoid light sleepers among us. After the jump: the last thing your burglar might ever see. ::James McAdam via ::Spluch...
Study Proves 2.7% of Drivers Are Stupid Jerks
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.20.07
The highway from Port Rowan to Long Point, Ontario connects two wetlands, and researcher Paul Ashley of the Canadian Wildlife Service and Scott Petrie of Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund were suspicious about the amount of roadkill. They wondered if it was random or if drivers were actually aiming for them.
According to the Windsor Star, they alternated between placing a plastic turtle, a rubber snake, a white cup and a grease control line on the centre of the road. The grease line helped researchers know how many drivers passed over the centre line by mistake. They hid in the bushes and watched 1900 cars, and found that 2.7% of drivers swerved onto the centre line specifically to run over the reptiles.
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US Secretary of Transportation says Bikes "are not transportation"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.20.07
Interviewed on NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters said that instead of raising taxes on gasoline to renew the nation's sagging infrastructure, Congress should examine its spending priorities -- including investments in bike paths and trails, which, Peters said, "are not transportation."
Quotes provided by Streetsblog:
"There are museums that are being built with that money, bike paths, trails, repairing lighthouses. Those are some of the kind of things that that money is being spent on, as opposed to our infrastructure."
"Well, there's about probably some 10 percent to 20 percent of the current spending that is going to projects that really are not transportation, directly transportation-related. Some of that money is being spent on things, as I said earlier, like bike paths or trails." Read the full transcript or video at ::PBS via ::Streetsblog...
Need a Green Job? Check Out Act Now
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.20.07
Following the logic that more green people doing more green jobs to gets more green work done, TreeHugger has mentioned some tips and tricks for getting a green job (a
few times, actually). We recommend that green job seekers keep a close eye on TreeHugger's job board, and today we bring you a special treat: green job announcements, from San Francisco-based Act Now. CEO Adam Werbach (that's right, the same guy who was the youngest President of the Sierra Club ever) says, "Our Creative Agency needs candidates with deep agency experience to help us reach the scale our projects are demanding. Our Outreach team needs people with Human Resources Engagement expertise. Our Operations division needs a Senior Finance Manager that can keep up with our rate of growth." Several more positions are currently available; go to their site to learn more, and get more details about the jobs after the jump. ::Act Now...
New Drywall From Serious Materials Saves Serious Energy
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.20.07
Drywall is boring, but it the stuff that houses are made of; 50 billion square feet of it gets produced each year. Its production consumes almost one percent of all US energy, creating 51 million tons of greenhouse gases in the process. Green building material startup Serious Materials wants to change that; CEO Kevin Surace says "Drywall is the third largest producer of greenhouse gases among building materials. It's behind cement and steel."
His company has developed EcoRock, a new board that is produced without heat, saving 90% of the embodied energy. According to Michael Kanellos at Cnet, "EcoRock actually costs less to make than regular drywall, but the raw materials cost more. In the end, a 4x10-foot sheet of EcoRock drywall might sell for around $20, while standard drywall can range in price from $20 down to $10. The price on EcoRock, however, will decline with mass production, while traditional drywall will likely go up with increases in fuel price."
This is a commodity product that needs a big factory, so they are out trying to raise fifty million bucks. We hope they get it; such a product would make a serious difference. ::Serious Materials via ::Earth2tech...
Mice Can Sniff Out CO2 in the Air
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.20.07
Photo credit: Sean Dreilinger
The sight of a prowling kitty isn't the only thing that sends a mouse's defense mechanisms spinning into overdrive—the presence of carbon dioxide also signals danger, whether it's because too many animals are breathing in too cramped a space or a hungry predator is about to exhale down its furry neck.
Mice have a special set of olfactory neurons in their nasal cavities that can detect carbon dioxide, according to new research from Rockefeller University. The finding, which was published in the August 17 issue of the journal Science, may have implications for how predicted upticks in atmospheric carbon dioxide may affect animal behavior....
Swiss Against Climate Change
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.20.07
It's the big chill, for real. In -10 degree weather, six hundred dedicated Swiss posed nude on a melting glacier in Switzerland. And committed they were: participating meant a day’s travel followed by chairlift rides and a two-hour’s hike to the glacier. They did it to draw attention to global warming and the shrinking glaciers, which are predicted to disappear by 2080. The Aletsch glacier (pictured) receded by 115m between 2005 and 2006. Spencer Tunick, a New York artist famous for pictures of nude gatherings in public places, set this photo shoot up in collaboration with Greenpeace. He said that he wanted to emphasise human vulnerability: 'I want my images to go more than skin-deep. I want the viewers to feel the vulnerability of their existence and how it relates closely to the sensitivity of the world's glaciers." His last exhibit was 18,000 Mexicans stripping in Mexico City.
But some are questioning the impact of these gimmicks. We are so used to being bombarded with naked bodies that the historic links between nudity and purity (think Garden of Eden, Greeks and Romans, Michelangelo's David) no longer exist. And except for Janet Jackson's nipple, there is little surprise factor. Greenpeace is planning to use Tunick’s photographs for a campaign on the “naked truth” about climate change. :: Globe and Mail
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Green Options Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08.20.07
This week is Carnival of the Green # 91 and it's being hosted by Green Options! 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 and have less than 15 dates left!), please click here to link to our previous post....
Reminder: Current TV's Ecospot Contest Rolls On
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.20.07
Poultry Droppings Make for a Great Fuel
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.20.07
You can't stop progress: turning chicken droppings into electricity is one thing, but developing transportable pyrolysis units to convert poultry droppings into bio-oil on-the-go? A team of scientists from Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is working with a coalition of poultry growers to test a transportable unit that would convert poultry litter — a mixture of manure, feathers, bedding and spilled feed — into bio-oil (or pyrodiesel), producer gas and fertilizer.
It would do so by first heating the litter until it vaporized; the vapor would then be condensed to make the bio-oil. At the same time, a form of slow release fertilizer could be recovered from the pyrolysis unit. The main advantage of this system is its self-sufficiency: the vapor generated by heating the biomass can be used to power the unit. "The self-contained transportable pyrolsis unit will allow poultry producers to process the litter on site rather than having to haul the litter to a separate location. In addition, the thermochemical process destroys the microorganisms reducing the likelihood of the transmission of disease to other locations," said Foster Agblevor, the lead researcher on the project....
Toy Boxes Overflow as Playgrounds and Wallets Empty
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 08.20.07
If you live in the U.S. and have a life experience similar to mine, you’ve probably spent at least a bit of time in a house or two where the children’s toys have literally taken over the entire place.
Overflowing from the toy chest out onto the floor long before the first child ever reached the ripe old age of one, and subsequently sprawling out to every nook and cranny of the home in a tremendous avalanche of toy products, which have often been marketed with the “education” of those who play with them featured prominently on the box.
Of course, that doesn’t keep them from being thrown in a heap with the rest of the stuff, waiting the liberation of the next yard sale or trip to the local charity for donation. And as grandparents, close family, friends, and assorted relations continually bring over heaping mounds of new ones to engage and entertain the youngsters for various holidays, Howard Chudacoff’s new book Children at Play: An American History makes some interesting assertions....
A Greener Ganesh
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.20.07
Photo credit: Fredo Alvarez
An age-old tradition of molding Ganesh idols out of clay is being revived just in time for Ganesh Chaturthi, or the Ganesh Festival, which takes place on Sept. 15 this year.
A company known as eCoexist, based in the western Indian city of Pune, has crafted biodegradable Ganesh idols made from shaadu, or natural clay. Hand-sculpted by traditional artisans from Pen village, the idols are painted with natural dyes such as turmeric, multani mitti, and geroo....
Farming Solutions - the Future of Agriculture
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.20.07
“Farming Solutions brings examples of successful, environmentally responsible farming systems to life from all over the world, illustrating how farmers can protect the environment while at the same time increasing food supply where it is most needed.” So begins the intro for a fascinating site.
Winnowing information from all around the globe, it shines a light on both the issues, and some of the solutions that are being developed or rediscovered. For instance the site profiles,Tony Vidler of Australia, who promoted a microbial-based natural nitrogen, which can product a 20% better yield of tomato crops with a reduced chemical use.
Seemingly, it is possible to get 160% yields in some soils, with a chemical reduction of 50% chemical nitrogen. Success stories like this abound on the site. ...
House Builders Urged to Consider Wildlife
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.20.07
Photo credit: notflic
Planning authorities in the U.K. are increasingly uttering a familiar refrain: Can't we all just get along? This growing consideration for the impact a development has on wildlife has led to the emergence of a new breed of environmentally aware developers and consultants, says BBC News.
Last year, the government published Planning Policy Statement 9, which some people interpret as nothing short of groundbreaking. "A planner who interprets it as we would could theoretically reject a development proposal that did no ecological harm whatsoever on the grounds that it did no ecological good," says Mike Wells from the consultancy Biodiversity by Design. "It is no longer acceptable not to be bad—you have to compete on being good."...
Timber Tandem - The Baum Bike
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.20.07
As the image above shows, (when you look closely), here be yet another wooden bicycle. We’ve had a few of these in our time (Likeabike, Xylon, Jano and the Waldmeister spring to mind).
This particular rendition includes a completely functional prototype that took 400 hours of woodwork to craft (see detailed pic after the jump), so we doubt that translates into cheapie commercial product.
Much of that labour was in carving away 10kg (22 lb) of laminated beech plywood, to arrive at a finished frame-only weight of 27.5kg (61 lb), though 52lb is quoted elsewhere. Fully specced out, the bike weighs in at a rather hefty 52 kg (114 pounds) Not exactly lightweight, even considering it is a tandem for two riders. ...
Greening The Heartland: Wind Energy On Show At The Iowa State Fair
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.20.07
"Towering above Expo Hill on the fairgrounds, the State Fair's wind turbine is a symbol of what some state leaders want Iowa to be known for: renewable energy. "It's a tremendous educational program to help further renewable energy thinking," said Gary Slater, manager and CEO of the State Fair. The wind turbine is expected to produce 0.5 megawatts of power a year. That would equal about one-quarter of the total energy used on the fairgrounds each year. One megawatt can power 1,000 homes for a year. The energy produced by the turbine does not directly power the fairgrounds. It's sent to a power grid just outside the fair... In the past decade, more than 1 million people have attended the fair each year. Both MidAmerican and State Fair officials hope that will provide a large audience eager to learn about wind energy."
No wonder Iowa is interested in promoting wind energy. It's a great spot for it.
Via:: Omaha WORLD-HERALD Image credit:: Travel Iowa, Iowa State Fair...
Offset Companies Targetted Again
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.20.07
[Update: See end of post for Climate Care's response]
It looks like the UK’s offset companies are again being targeted by climate change protesters. The Climate Camp, which disbanded yesterday, and which we covered here, here and here, has now spread out to continue its direct action against what they describe as ‘the root causes of climate change’. In addition to blockading the offices of the British Airport Authority, BP, and a private equity firm funding the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport, two groups of protesters dressed as red herrings have simultaneously also occupied the offices of Climate Care and the Carbon Neutral Company (whose offices were previously occupied by protesters back in February). Protesters explained their choice of targets as follows:
"Carbon offsets are ineffective, based on dubious science and lead people to believe they are helping when they are not - the concept and the practice are a con," said Sophie Nathan, who is taking part in the Carbon Neutral Company invasion. "Real climate action involves taking direct responsibility for personal emissions levels as well as engaging in political organisation for wider change."...
Giddyup, Beer Box Cowboy
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.20.07
With the last leg of summer upon us, Northern Hemisphere types shouldn't be ditching the sunscreen or doffing off their hats just yet. We think this piece of headgear speaks for itself—or it would, if it weren't attempting to belch out the alphabet.
Crafted in the United States from actual beer boxes made with specially coated moisture-resistant cardboard, the Beer Box Cowboy Hat has an elastic band on the inside to accommodate different-size heads. A cool $25.99 lets you choose your calorie-conscious poison: Coors Light or Miller Light. Because nobody likes a fat head. ::After 5
See also: ::Don't Forget the Sunscreen and Your Hat, ::Tilley Endurables—Hemp Hats Made With Persnicketiness, and ::More for your night on the town: LED hats
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Jigsaws are Us
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.20.07
There is something so satisfying about watching a child play with a jigsaw puzzle; the way they hold the pieces and look at them--you can almost hear them thinking. And this one will teach them the names of all the states whilst they are at it. Made of sustainable wood and painted with non-toxic paint, it comes with a cotton draw string bag for storage. There are maps of the world, and Europe (no Canada, mind you) or you can branch out to animals, with a letter of the alphabet on each piece, or numbers on each, or Noah's ark. Some are even three-dimensional. Other puzzles are a mosaic of beautiful colours and look like a Klee painting or a pentagon that can be put together in different patterns to challenge young precision skills. Perfect for the next rainy day--treat yourself and a favourite child. :: Alphabet Jigsaws...
Big Steps in Building: Ban Demolition
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.20.07
Walnut Hall, Toronto
TreeHugger defends the little steps that we all have to take to address the problems that face us, but we have to consider the big steps too, the initiatives that have to be legislated. Buildings consume 76% of electricity generated; they create 48% of our greenhouse gases; a quarter of our waste in landfills comes from construction. This series of big steps will deal with ideas for reducing that footprint. Big Step One:
Ban Demolition.
Robert Shipley and Jason Kovac write in ::Alternatives: “Every brick in building required the burning of fossil fuel in its manufacture, and every piece of lumber was cut and transported using energy. As long as the building stands, that energy is there, serving a useful purpose. Trash a building and you trash its embodied energy too.”How much embodied energy?...
Daniel and His Electric Car, Children's Storybook from the DoE
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 08.20.07
The Department of Energy has a children's story-book on it's website, designed to teach children about alternative fuel transport. Whether it will create a generation of electric-friendly motorists or not is open for debate, but it's a good step.
The story follows a father and son looking for a new car, and obviously features an electric car as one option. It's not presented as a perfect choice, and the flaws of EVs are explained as well as the advantages. The high cost of electricity is mentioned, as well as the fact that charging at night will reduce the running costs. It is definitely a good way of explaining electric cars to children, in a fairly objective manner.
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Green Mortgage to Promote Sustainable Building in Mexico
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 08.20.07
The Mexican National Fund for Workers’ Dwelling (Infonavit) has recently launched and is promoting loans and special mortgages for people who acquire properties with green features, specially those related to energy saving. This institute is an organization founded in 1972 whose main function is to give workers credit for home acquisition. The ‘Green Mortgage’ program was launched last January and has had its first beneficiaries a few days ago in Yucatan province (picture). “We want to encourage developers to build homes with energy saving materials in walls, windows, doors; and when a person buys that home, we’ll give them a better mortgage because they will have savings that will derive in higher buying power”, said Ernesto Gonzalez Gallardo, technical sub-director, Infonavit, when the plan was launched. The increase in the financing the Infonavit gives to the families goes from six to eight thousand pesos, which equal about 720 US dollars but the institute says can represent an extra bedroom or a more spacious house. The benefits are also for developers: according to the institute, the ones who aim to build projects with these characteristics have easier city hall paper work. The ‘Green Mortgage’ plan was inspired by all the initiatives that have took place in the United States, Canada or Australia, and aims to encourage green building in the country. These days, only ten out for four thousand registered firms have started projects with plans to install energy saving devices, the institute informed.
Via Diario de Yucatan...
Can a Fractional Be Green?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.20.07
I have never understood the attraction of fractional ownership, the modern name for timeshares; they seem to be a way to get three times as much money out of buyers as you would if you sold the whole thing to one person, and I suspect that most of them are going to end up like the timeshares of the seventies did, with remorseful buyers who were pressured into buying overpriced crap. But perhaps some are different.
White Water Village is on the upper Ottawa River, and advertised as "24 sustainable log homes, designed to be greenhouse gas neutral." The developer is Jonathan Westeinde of Windmill Developments, a leading green developer, and the land is owned by Joe Kowalski, founder of Wilderness Tours, a whitewater company that invests in land trusts to preserve the shoreline habitat, and runs a mean river raft.
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Survey: What Will You Accept in Your Backyard?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.20.07
We have done surveys on Nuclear Power before, but this one is about choice; Commenter AJ said in a post about coal, "I for one would take a nuclear power plant in my backyard over a coal one any day." David Suzuki would happily accept a wind farm; Ted Kennedy famously doesn't. Toronto's east enders certainly don't want an urban natural gas generating plant. Other wind projects are delayed for "community requests for a higher-level scrutiny of the project" by people who would prefer nukes or coal plants somewhere else rather than a change in the view from their hot tub.
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Will Ferrell gets first BMW Hydrogen 7
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 08.19.07
BMW has built the first of their Hydrogen 7 cars for public use, and handed the first set of keys over to US funny-man, Will Ferrell. 25 of the first 100 cars will be handed out to celebrities in order to promote their hydrogen cars in a predictable PR stunt that we just walked straight into. Another 25 will be used for evaluation purposes and testing.
Other lucky celebrities include Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori, Richard Gere, Sharon Stone and An Inconvenient Truth producer, Davis Guggenheim, as well as more unusual names like German Federal Minister for Economy and Technology, Günter Verheugen.
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British Retailer Tesco Deploying MODEC Electric Vans
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.19.07
When we last encountered MODEC's sleek line of EV vans, they had just been introduced in Britain and were being trumpeted for their "economically, ergonomically, and environmentally friendly" technology. Now it seems as though they're finally seeing some real action on the road as part of British supermarket-chain extraordinaire Tesco's home delivery fleet.
As the first major company to invest in MODEC's vans, Laura Wade-Gery — the CEO of the chain's online presence — didn't pull any punches in boasting of Tesco's bold green step forward: "Tesco has made a commitment to significantly reduce CO2 emissions throughout the business, and we’re very proud to be the first company to invest in this new van technology, helping to create a low-carbon society." According to MODEC, its zero-emission vans will each save 21 tons of carbon dioxide a year — a figure they equate with driving 51,000 miles in a standard car....
Prototype Sony Product Take-Back Scheme Announced
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.19.07
"Sony Electronics announced a new national recycling program for consumer electronics, called the Sony Take Back Recycling Program, which allows consumers to recycle all Sony-branded products for no fee at 75 Waste Management (WM) Recycle America eCycling drop-off centers throughout the U.S (PDF)."
We're calling it a prototype because the first 75 centers cover only a select few states.
Nice that "Sony and WM Recycle America are also working towards the goal of having enough drop-off locations in all 50 states so there is a recycling center within 20 miles of 95 percent of the U.S. population."
However, even if that 20-mile goal were reached tomorrow, we think it would be counter-productive, C02 emission-wise, to put that Walkman or TV in the family car for a 40 mile+ round-trip drive. Sony better get a more fuel efficient and convenient collection scheme together immediately, or this goes into the file where we put all the other corporate attempts to resist mandatory take-back programs by press release.
Because we try to keep a positive outlook, here's a suggestion for Sony. Try pulling in one or more of the private pick-up services like "Got Junk." These types of haul-off by appointment business are in a position to get a full load before heading down the highway. And they can come by appointment, making it far more convenient for consumers. Might be a good idea to use a life cycle inventory based emission tradeoff analysis for setting the pickup boundaries, too. Via:: DailyTech Image credit:: Ray Cox, art by Peter Nelson, St. Olaf College (2005). ...
Global Warming Rapidly Changing Lake Tahoe
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.19.07
Good, but not good enough: that seems to be the main conclusion drawn from a report conducted by a team of UC Davis scientists looking into efforts to restore Lake Tahoe over the past decade. A collection of meteorological data and tens of thousands of observations on water conditions and aquatic life dating back to the 1960s — the report indicates that efforts to restore the lake need to accelerate dramatically if we are to help it cope with the growing influence of global warming. Already, the researchers found that rain is starting to replace snow, water temperatures are rising (setting a new record of 78°F in July 2006), invasive species are spreading and days and nights are getting warmer.
"The lake's ecosystem is at a point where it is changing rapidly. We can't stop climate change, but we can account for it. Business as usual won't bring us to where we need to be," said Geoff Schladow, director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and the study's lead author....
When Monster Jellyfish Attack
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.19.07
First, it was the attack of the giant squids — and now this: the invasion of the monster Australian jellyfish that are threatening to devour the Gulf of Mexico's native fish. Just how big can they get? Well, according to Monty Graham of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab: "In their native waters, they tend to be fist-sized. Here in the Gulf, they can be a big as dinner plates.” Not to mention they can weight up to 25 pounds.
While they don't pose a direct threat to humans, these Australian spotted jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctata) have a tendency to foul trawling nets and gulp down large quantities of fish eggs and larvae. They were originally discovered in the Gulf in 2000 — though in small numbers — and have since extended their range up to several mid-Atlantic states. “We just started getting reports of Phyllorhiza appearing on the east coast of Florida and as far up as North Carolina this year," said Graham. Local authorities are encouraging anyone who sees jellyfish to report the sightings to the Sea Lab's website.
Via ::LiveScience: Monster Jellyfish Invade Gulf of Mexico (news website)
See also: ::"All Aboard" - Two New Invasive Species Per Year Entering US/Canadian Great Lakes...
Bill Grierson Does Green Roof. In 1960.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.19.07
The late Bill Grierson was a talented architect, teacher and great fun at a party; He also appears to have been well ahead of his time with green design. He designed a 1500 square foot cottage built from stacked and mortared logs, to blend into the hillside like a large, grass-covered boulder, for Molly Ferguson and her late husband south of Haliburton, Ontario. Over the years she has been selling off pieces of the property, but under strict covenants: no jet skis or intrusive watercraft, cottages must be built at least 99 feet from the shoreline, and trees cannot be cut down.
"I feel very strongly about the environment," she says. "There's a way to balance conservation and development." New houses are mostly off grid with solar or wind.
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A Greener Nuclear Plant; Or, A Wolf In Cow Crap Clothing?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.19.07
This is about a proposal being made in Idaho, USA, to use the waste heat from a planned nuclear generating station to generate and sell methane (natural gas) made from locally produced cow manure, while commensurately reducing future cooling water impacts on local surface waters. We think public reaction will depend on where folks stand already on the need to protect traditional agricultural values, conserve local surface water resources, and/or better manage manure. Climate Change mitigation doesn't seem like it would be the major factor. But, there's so much going on at once, it's impossible to boil it down to the usual talking points and convey fully what is at stake. Although the pros and cons certainly will try that. See what you think.
In Bruneau Idaho, USA a company plans to build the state's first commercial nuclear power plant with the support of the local dairy industry. "Alternate Energy Holdings, which plans to build a $3.5 billion nuclear power plant in Owyhee County, says it's working on an agreement with dairymen to buy their manure for methane gas production. If the plant is built - and the dairy deal goes through - the project could reduce dairy waste, produce the main component for lucrative natural gas and lessen the amount of water needed to cool the reactor." The gas produced would be sold on the open market....
Flight To Quality: European Toy Makers Fill the Void
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.19.07
It's happening in the financial markets right now; in food, and now in toys; in times of crisis there is a flight to quality. Suddenly the sales of the expensive but high quality toys from Brio, Haba and Playmobile are exploding. "It's scary. First cat food and dog food, and now the kids' toys," said Whitney Settle, of Petroleum, W.Va. "I have a 2-year-old boy who chews on everything. I doubt I am going to buy [Mattel] anymore -- or it's going to make me look twice."
And, while they cost a lot more, these toys last forever. Brio train sets just don't break, and Haba? Handmade and beautiful, but money is no object. "We are not interested in the mass market," said Christian Vollmer, who is responsible for Haba sales to the US market. "That is not our clientele."
::Associated Press via ::Boston Globe
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Two Years Ago in TreeHugger: Prefabs and Lifestraw
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.19.07
It was a big week for prefabs; Justin noted two that have gone places since: the Micro-Compact House, in production and was installed at the Technical University of Munich. It was intended that the students live there for one term but they all loved it so much that they asked to stay for the full academic year. In less than 100 square feet.
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The Nitty Gritty of Sustainable Biodiesel
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.19.07
Image credit: Dervaes Institute
We reported on the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance before here. While their website still reads ‘coming soon’, it would appear that deep and far ranging discussions are under way as to what exactly constitutes sustainable biodiesel in the first place. For an insider’s view, we checked out Lyle Estill’s informative and irreverent Energy Blog over at Piedmont Biofuels. It certainly sounds like there is an awful lot of ground to be covered, if his posts here and here are anything to go by. Here’s what Lyle had to say about appropriate disposal of glycerin:
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Africa, the World Leader in Sustainable Tech
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 08.19.07
From the eco-tech perspective, the most interesting continent is Africa. Ill-equipped for the profligate consumption of nearly every resource, Africa is a study in efficiency, where leadership and ingenuity seem to naturally spring forth; witness, et. al., the solar and pedal-powered phones for Uganda, the South African phase out of incandescent bulbs started over a year ago, the Design for Africa movement.
In a society where the work being done by every electron is compared carefully to the sweat-of-brow alternative, it's interesting to review what tech gadgetry is accepted. And, what is not. This is particularly so when one realizes that there are a billion Africans to support, with only 4 percent of the world's electricity supply. So, what is appropriate; cell phones seem to be, as nearly every African that wants one has one. And with the exception of South Africa, used computers seem to be accepted as well. This seems strange, as these are typically power guzzlers; could be just a good idea, but perhaps some basic human needs are involved.
Unlike more developed counties, where one finds justification for a new 3D operating system or shortened hardware/upgrade cycle under every rock, it's refreshing to explore a model where the rubber on road translates directly into real world solutions in short order. Watch for more bright lights from the dark continent. :: All Africa :: Economist
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Follow Me to Eurobike 2007...
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.19.07
...if you can keep up with my Storck Fascenario 0.8, that is! The stiffer and shinier successor to the world's lightest bicycle (Fascenario 0.7) is one of the many novelties that will be premiered at the Eurobike 2007 International Bike Convention, starting Thursday 30 August in Friedrichshafen, Germany....
