- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for 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, Helena, MT, USA 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...