Weekly Archive for August 26, 2007 : TreeHugger

All 162 school buses in Greece (That's the Greece Central School District in New York State) have been retrofitted with diesel oxidation catalysts and crankcase spiracle filters to reduce air pollution to which children are exposed. In the final installment of this Greek Trilogy, we just couldn't resist the punning. A project like this cost hundreds of thousands of dollars but the best part for the Greece Central School District and the taxpayers is that it was done at no cost to them. That's because this project was paid for by a grant from the EPA's Clean Bus USA Project....

While the Greek Church may be home to one of the greenest religious leaders, forest conservation measures provided for in the Greek Constitution may be backfiring. Earlier this month, before last weekend's fires in Greece threatened to engulf the ancient stadium of Olympia (birthplace of the Olympic Games), a senior researcher with Greece's Forest Research Institute explained to Spiegel Online that forest management policies in the country may actually promote arson since "forests don't vote." Forest protection is written into Greece's constitution, making it almost impossible for forest land to be re-zoned for development. But because there are no official maps delineating the boundaries of the forest areas, land at the edges of burned out forests are often claimed by developers after fires. "This is the heart of the problem," the researcher told Spiegel Online which notes that Athenians "have traditionally never been much moved by tree-hugger sensibilities."...

Since 1989, every September 1st (the beginning of the ecclesiastical calendar) has been designated as a day of prayer for "the protection of the environment" throughout the Eastern Orthodox Church consisting of some 300 million Christians worldwide. Instituted by the late Patriarch Dimitrios of the Greek Orthodox Church, the tradition has since been shepherded by his successor Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople who has been dubbed "The Green Patriarch." Some attribute the moniker to the European press, but my sources in the church credit the epithet to Al Gore during his tenure as Vice President. Bartholomew was the first major religious leader to have initiated since 1991 various events to promote environmental protection, and Grist puts him number one above the Dalai Lama on their recent list of 15 green religious leaders. Exercising his influence on the Catholic Pope, Bartholomew in 2002 orchestrated a coming together in joint environmental efforts that witnessed the first liturgy spoken by the Greek Patriarch in Italy for over 1,000 years since the Vatican and the Orthodox Churches excommunicated one another in the Great Schism of 1054....

This writer did a double-take on news that:- "Pope Benedict XVI (pictured) is taking a new step in the Vatican's environmental campaign, leading a youth festival this weekend where participants will use recycled prayer books, biodegradable plates and backpacks made from reused nylon. About 300,000 young Roman Catholics are expected to attend the festival in Loreto, home of Italy's most famous Marian shrine, in a run-up to next year's World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia." But then again, the Vatican already had it's carbon footprint reduction SPV and LED chops down. So why not invest in the next generations? "The festival coincides with the church's "Save Creation Day" and has a decidedly eco-friendly theme. Each participant will be given a knapsack made of recycled nylon containing a hand-cranked battery charger, three sets of biodegradable plates and three bags for recycling trash. Prayer books for Benedict's Sunday Mass are made of recycled paper, hydrogen cars will be on display and trees will be planted in areas of southern Italy recently devastated by forest fires to make up for the carbon-dioxide emissions generated by the festival, organizers said."" "...The head of the Italian bishops' conference, Monsignor Angelo Bagnasco, told Vatican Radio that it was the responsibility of the church to teach its young about caring for the planet." Via:: WTOP and Associated Press, and MSNBC. Image credits:: MSNBC and Wikipedia, "The Green Pope" - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople Speaking of those in vestments...what fabrics are used? Anyone know?...

The Öko-Institut (Eco-institute) reports that it would cost only 43 euros (57 US dollars) per ton of CO2 emissions saved if the government would pitch in to encourage Germans to replace refrigerators more than ten years old with the newest high efficiency appliances. The Öko-Institut proposes that a subsidy of €150 per purchase of a new high-efficiency appliance would reduce emissions by two main effects: better replacement and early replacement. Consumers will decide for the more efficient refrigerator over cheaper but less efficient models. And they will move to replace their older power-pigs more quickly. The study was commissioned by the industry association for producers of electrical and electronic equipment, so naturally we cast a suspicious eye on it. To the credit of the independent researchers, the study does include factors like the excess emissions which would be created by production of new appliances for the early replacement of still-functioning older models. A factor of 4/15 was applied to the emissions from manufacturing a new fridge, to reflect the average of 4 years of unused lifespan in the early replacement devices....

You'd think that a substance the EPA itself deems one of the most toxic ever released into the world's waters would've been outlawed a long time ago, right? Well, you'd be wrong: only now, several decades after its harmful effects had already been well established, is tributyltin (TBT) expected to be banned. Once the White House Office of Budget and Management clears it, the treaty will go to the United Nations, where it will be ratified by the full U.N. International Maritime Organization. Tributyltin, a type of biocide, is a cheap and powerful barnacle and algae killer that was once commonly used on most of the world's commercial ships. It is typically mixed into the bottom coating for hulls, where it helps keep the ship clear of barnacles and other similar species. TBT is highly prized by sailboat racers and yachtsmen who use it to make their hulls move more easily through the water and by certain environmentalists, who argue it can help prevent the spread of invasive species from one port to another. ...

From the "idea is better than the actual product" department, this chair answers the question, "Why get a desk and a chair when you can just get a chair-desk?" Even though it's not the sleekest implementation we've ever seen, we really like the concept; less stuff is better than more stuff, right? Conceived in Japan, where living space is at a premium, it might make sense for us bloggers, too; rather than hunching over our laptops on the couch or lounging in bed in our pajamas, this could be a major upgrade to the "home office." Looks like it's only available in Japan for now; we'll have to settle for the flexible Trey chair. ::Thanko Chair/Desk (site in Japanese) via ::TokyoMango...

Call it a lascivious attempt to get more hits: we call it a more titillating take on an otherwise dour topic. Courtesy of New Scientist, we have two new studies that connect the dots between global warming, pollution and sex — exploring their effects on the size of polar bear penis bones and on the potential for Australian central bearded dragons to "switch" their sex. Christian Sonne of the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and his colleagues found that polar bear penis bones in Eastern Greenland were shrinking, most likely due to the high prevalence of pollutants — such as PCBs and DDT — and the difficulty of finding food in a warming climate. An earlier study in 2004 had determined that polar bears and other carnivores living near the poles tended to have longer penis bones to make them more competitive. Polar bears in Eastern Greenland were less well "endowed" and, subsequently, competitive than were their cousins in Svalbard and the Canadian Arctic. ...

Ben Jervey is a freelance writer, environmental consultant, and ecopreneur who has been working towards a more sustainable life in New York City for years. He recently released a book to help others do the same--The Big Green Apple: Your Guide to Eco-Friendly Living in New York City. Mr. Jervey writes regularly about environmental issues for National Geographic's "The Green Guide," Good Magazine, NRDC's ItsYourNature.org, and Worldchanging, and has also contributed to Men's Journal, The New York Daily News, Men's Vogue, and many other online and print publications. Mr. Jervey is a founder of Evolvist.com, an online directory and resource for smarter, sustainable urban living. He works at times for Solar One, a non-profit renewable energy, arts and education center committed to inspiring New Yorkers to become more environmentally-aware urban citizens. Before moving to The Big Apple, he lived in Vermont, working in carpentry and lumber salvage after graduating from Middlebury College, where his interest in urban environmental issues began. He sat on the school's Environmental Council and studied Environmental Studies,Literature, and Geography, eventually presenting a thesis on Green Cities, a concern that brought him to Curitiba, Brazil-the "ecological capital of the world"-where he spent months researching and working with the municipal planning board, gathering urban ecological solutions and ideas from this model green city. A bicycle enthusiast, Ben has ridden across the United States and through much of Europe....

Now everyone dress properly, mind your manners, hold your pinky finger high and join Al Gore for high tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. According to the Globe and Mail, “It's going to be a ‘green tea' of sorts,” chuckled Justin Yorke, 20, who still can't believe their good fortune in securing the former U.S. vice-president for the Sept. 29 event. Six hundred guests will listen to Gore, participate in a question and answer session and enjoy tea and watercress sandwiches. While they were given the option of having Gore present his popular “Inconvenient Truth” slideshow, they decided on a more conversational approach. “Something (where) he can really just let loose and talk about what he really thinks about...how citizens and local businesses can help in the fight against climate change,” said Krepiakevich, adding that they anticipate it will be far more interesting than the slideshow because many people will have already seen the documentary. “It's a pretty green city,” said Jacobson, adding that appears to have tweaked Gore's interest.::Globe and Mail Note to Al: Victoria may say it is green but it isn't. it still pumps 129 litres of raw sewage straight into the ocean every day. ...

Iris Coates-Knoop - conservationist and freelance writer. I have worked in the environmental field for over 7 years carrying out various positions ranging from working in sea turtle conservation, on an organic farm, marine mammal rescue and responsible travel. I have completed an Environmental Studies degree at the Open University and did a feature writing course at the London School of Journalism. I regularly write about ethical travel related dilemmas....

A quick word of caution: the tech-savvy in the audience who demand the absolute best in performance from their video-playing gadgets — namely, the highest number of frames per second — may just want to skip over this next story. The rest of you (yes, even the non-iPhone crowd) may be interested in a relatively simple way researchers at the University of Maryland have found to conserve power (by as much as two-thirds) in these gadgets: reduce said frame rate by about 20%. According to Gang Qu, one of the lead scientists on the study, people are generally willing to accept some level of "execution failure." Most contemporary digital video, he estimates, plays at a rate of about 30 frames per second; in the past, that number was closer to 24 frames per second for old movies. In other words, he believes that while the quality of video has increased over the last few decades, the demands of typical users have not: "That's about 80 percent. If you can get 80 percent of the frames consistently correct, human beings will not be able to tell you've made mistakes."...

Photo credit: lauracchia80 Also spelled luffa, loufa, or loofa, the cylindrical sponge many of us use to slough off dead skin cells in the shower or bath doesn't come from the ocean, as some might assume, but can actually be grown in your own backyard. The luffa is a member of the gourd family, grown not for eating, but for its dense and fibrous internal skeleton. When the fruit has matured and dried in about 6 months, you peel off the skin and remove the seeds, leaving behind the familiar sponge-like fibers. Personal hygiene isn't the luffa's sole domain; you can also use it for scrubbing dishes, household chores, and washing your car. For more information, visit Luffa.info. You can also check out how Groovy Green harvested his homegrown shower sponge. ::World Ark (May/June 2007)...

The destruction of Deborah Dale's garden has drawn a lot of attention. She wrote to TreeHugger:

"Thank you for all your kind wishes! As for the "lazy gardener" comment...who ever said propagating, planting, rescuing, purchasing from ethical local sources was easy? I still had almost 50% of the front yard maintained as turf grass to allow access to the beds for weeding. The City is now threatening my backyard woodland garden...which was in the midst of having a stream/pond installed. It too contains a range of native plants..although confined to areas away from the hardscaping work...including bloodroot, blue cohosh, various ferns, wild ginger, tall coneflower, pagoda dogwood."

The Star says about the City employee who did the deed: He's been called a grass Nazi and a pompous bureaucrat who overstepped his authority and he's even been called a jerk, but Bill Blakes stands by the city's decision to raze a woman's front lawn garden in east Toronto.

"Honest to God, I have never – and I have dealt with some pretty controversial issues – never in my life have I had a reaction like this," Blakes, the Scarborough District manager for Municipal Licensing and Standards said yesterday. "Never. That's dealing with body rub parlous, strip clubs, lap dancing, smoking. Never."

...

Dark Roasted has compiled a gallery of some of the world's smallest cars. Some of them are cute, economical commuters, but some are a bit of joke - there is definitely a point where economical becomes just plain unsafe and scary. I'd love a bubble car for city driving, as the site says, "soccer moms will still need vans and macho fathers will still need a Hummer statement, but if you live in the urban area, where parking space could cost you as much as $250,000 - these little critters may be just for you. They certainly speak to our sense of esthetic and evoke a strong desire to hug them and pat them on the back." ::Dark Roasted...

The start of the school year is almost always preceded with a shopping trip. Uniforms have invariably been grown out of, or worn out, stationary is stocked up on, books are bought (and rarely read) and the current list of fads and fashions add to the burden as well. Matt Gribble, a student in biology and environmental economics at Stanford University, has written an interesting piece for the Guardian on how to stock up for school in a sustainable way. ...

Wendy Stueck of The Globe and Mail write about the swathe of destruction through British Columbia by the mountain pine beetle: At night, you can hear them moving in the trees. They've swept through parks and golf courses and ranchland and caught thermal currents to fly on the jet stream. They've colonized an area 1,200 kilometres long and 575 kilometres wide, nearly the size of Sweden. They're about the same size as a grain of rice but can kill a tree 10 storeys high. And perhaps scariest of all, they're stealthy. One day, a tree looks fine. The next, it's been hit by nature's version of a drive-by shooting, left with tiny drifts of sawdust at its base or looking as though it's been pelted by popcorn because “pitch tubes” – blobs of sap that are the tree's natural defence – have sprung up on its bark....

Photo credit: Rob Watkins

Americans were never content with the trend toward smaller, fuel-sipping cars. Many felt the smaller cars unsafe; others simply pined for the Camaros, Mustangs, and other muscular chariots from the automobile's glory days. ... Originally designed for work crews, residents of the snow country, and other folks who might actually have need for a vehicle that could travel off-road, SUVs have since become the car of choice for executives, sports stars, and gangster rappers, as well as house husbands, soccer moms, and tens of millions of others who will never intentionally leave the paved roads. ... The SUV represents the height of conspicuous consumption. The extra size, weight, and power of the vehicles are rarely justified by the way their owners drive them. Even though owners and carmakers counter that the SUV's greater size, weight, and capabilities provide an extra margin of safety, studies indicate that SUVs are not only more likely to kill people in cars they hit but, because they roll over more easily, are actually more dangerous to their occupants as well." —Paul Roberts, The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World (2005, Mariner Books)...

Buildings in Toronto were cheap in the 90's; not only was there a recession, but much of downtown's wonderful old buildings had very restrictive zoning, designed to keep office and residential uses out to preserve industrial jobs which were fleeing offshore and to the suburbs. However artists' studios were considered industrial so Margie Zeidler bought 401 Richmond and filled it with artists. Since then she has gone on to demonstrate that social action, green design and creative restoration can go together profitably. She tells John Bentley Mays:

The required reading in my first year included Jane Jacobs' Death and Life of Great American Cities. It blew me away, especially the chapter on old buildings — warehouses, factories, buildings that no longer served the purpose they once served. I'm not talking about museum-piece buildings, though they are beautiful and wonderful ingredients of any good city. I'm talking about old buildings whose owners are no longer worried about paying the mortgages, so they can provide cheap rents for people with low earning power — the writer, the inventor, the artist. These buildings are neat parts of the city. I remember reading that old ideas — banking, accounting and so on — can afford new buildings, but new ideas must use old buildings. Right away, I thought that could be a wonderful use for the old industrial buildings I love."

...

We certainly hope so. These pals have about as much in common as Al Gore and Donald Trump, though lately they’ve been spotted spending a good deal of time together. The green celeb-blog Ecorazzi is tracking the pair’s activities and has spotted them in some rather un-compromising positions: cruising in a Prius, attending ForestEthics premier of the 11th Hour, and scoping out a new eco-friendly home for Paris. The star of the hit HBO series Entourage, Adrian Grenier agrees with TH readers that celebs bringing attention to the green cause can help make a difference, telling Paris: “You're the most photographed woman in the world. Think what you could do if you used that attention to bring light to a cause.” Smart move working the ex-con heiress’s ego to move her in a more sustainable direction....

Just walking through the front doors of Migrate Home, you begin to feel better. Owner Lindy Boynton wants customers to know that you don’t have to sacrifice style to be green and therefore designed her studio to be comfortable and also environmental. Recently I sat down with Lindy to talk about the opening of her new store and all things fashionably green. The idea for an eco-boutique originally began when Lindy was working for several large fashion companies. ‘I was always the one asking “more” about the clothes we were purchasing and after awhile it became frustrating. Fashion is what I’m good at and so I decided that if this is what I’m doing for my career then I’m going to do something that I feel good about.’...

TreeHugger is no stranger to posts on greener ways to deal with death. We’ve looked at the recent decision by a UK crematorium to delay burning bodies in an effort to reduce CO2 emissions, we’ve covered more environmentally friendly funeral pyres in India, and we’ve written about efforts to set up a national standard for green burial. Heck, we’ve even covered the BBC’s Ethical Man’s ruminations on composting his own corpse, so it’s safe to say we’re not squeamish. Now we hear from the Orlando Sentinel that Dr Jan Garavaglia, star of Discovery Health’s Dr G: Medical Examiner show, is to get a brand new morgue, and it’s going to be green: ...

Oh, the fun we were having one year ago at TreeHugger. We made a list of what we were reading to prove that we weren't super eco-nerds all of the time, covering topics from green to business and cops and criminals to permaculture. When we weren't reading, we passed along another great video from MIT about the science and technology for a clean energy future. Speaking of clean energy, a certain company reported that solar costs would be cut in half by 2010, and, as more evidence that going green is awesome, found this electric Toyota RAV4 for sale on eBay. We also reported on Al Gore's newly minted status as bona fide eco-celeb, thanks to his slideshow performance at MTV's Video Music Awards, and wrapped our heads around the Smart Helmet, a slick device with a few tricks up its sleeve for helping you ride safe. After the jump: every post we published last September 1....

"A UN climate change conference began yesterday with a call from the most vulnerable developing nations for large and rapidly developing countries such as China and India to do more to tackle global warming. The group of the 48 least-developed countries plus a group of small island states has previously maintained a united front against what it perceives to be the lack of action from industrial nations which are responsible for the bulk of carbon dioxide emissions...But its call stopped short of demanding mandatory targets for developing nations." This bit of introductory news is Via:: The Guardian, "India and China urged to cut emissions" No matter that mandatory targets were not called for. China is not going to be tackling climate change seriously anytime soon. Better for us in the West to focus on "Big Steps" that industrialized nations can take on their own, not holding our breath for the serious changes in governance that must first come from within Chinese society. The following excerpts are from a lengthy analysis in the journal Foreign Affairs. Have a look for yourself. Full article is linked at the end. Warning: might spoil an otherwise nice day. "...as China declares itself open for environmentally friendly business, officials in the United States, the European Union, and Japan are asking not whether to invest but how much. Unfortunately, much of this enthusiasm stems from the widespread but misguided belief that what Beijing says goes. The central government sets the country's agenda, but it does not control all aspects of its implementation. In fact, local officials rarely heed Beijing's environmental mandates, preferring to concentrate their energies and resources on further advancing economic growth. The truth is that turning the environmental situation in China around will require something far more difficult than setting targets and spending money; it will require revolutionary bottom-up political and economic reforms."...

Photo credit: Trek Earth Over the past year we’ve heard of many networks looking to make their practices more sustainable. Now we have another to add to our list. The Weather Channel, as part of its “green initiatives,” has built a new high def studio which will be completed in February 2008. This studio is expected to earn the LEED certification with on-air production by April 2008. In addition, the network has a few other environmental plans, such as sorting more than half (why not all?) of all disposables and taking them to recycling centers, replacing Styrofoam cups in break rooms and switching to CFL’s. We’re wondering why they’re waiting five months to implement these smaller ideas. Weather Channel Executive Vice President and General Manager Wonya Lucas said, "Green is really the new black. We look at the world through the lens of weather, and now we're also looking at it through a lens of green." Kudos to the network, but being one of the most popular networks to report on our natural environment, they couldn’t come up with a better quote? Via ::Green Biz ::The Weather Channel...

Photo credit: Malingering We now know that chronic exposure to diacetyl, the artificial-flavoring chemical in microwavable popcorn, causes a debilitating and sometimes-fatal lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans, or "popcorn lungs." But what's an armchair cinephile with a jonesing for lightly puffed snacks to do? It actually couldn't be easier (or less inexpensive) to make your own at home, using popcorn kernels you might find in the bulk-foods section of your grocery store. Place a serving of kernels into a brown paper bag, smear some butter on the inside of the bag facing upward, fluff out the bag and fold it over thrice, and then nuke that baby in the microwave on high for 4 minutes. You can even reuse the bag if you slather on the butter after your popcorn is ready. ::Instructables...

Photo credit: MontanaRaven Soil erosion runs far deeper than we might think. In fact, we could be looking at a "silent global crisis"—one that is undermining food production and water availability, not to mention responsible for 30 percent of greenhouse gases. "We are overlooking soil as the foundation of all life on Earth," Andres Arnalds, assistant director of the Icelandic Soil Conservation Service, told IPS News. "Soil and vegetation is being lost at an alarming rate around the globe, which in turn has devastating effects on food production and accelerates climate change." Around 38,600 square miles (100,000 square kilometers) is stripped of its vegetarian or turns into desert. "Land degradation and desertification may be regarded as the silent crisis of the world, a genuine threat to the future of humankind," Arnalds said....

We believe in miracles, since you came along, you sexy TreeHugger Forums...

	1) Forums user saxon68 thinks (as TreeHugger does) that "biofuels, hailed by many as the green solution to offset a coming oil shortage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are not a cure-all solution," because, in part, they "require huge amounts of water, a resource that is already in short supply in many parts of the world." The difficulty (and irony) of having to trade one precious resource for another is not lost on this thread.
	2) In the same vein, user TheLibertarian takes note that Congressman Jon Porter (R - Nev.) has predicted gas prices to continue their skyward climb, reaching the $9 per gallon threshold here in the States before it's all said and done. "I don't care if he is accurate or not, let's presume for a moment he is. How many of you could handle a spike in prices of that magnitude?" Some good discussion follows, including some of the ramifications of such a situation that reach beyond fueling your car.
	3) Lastly, JiltedCitizen wants to know what's up with phone book recycling. "My curb side recycling does not recycle phone books for some reason. They do take magazines though. Any one know why? Or what to do with them?" Forums user lee thinks it's because the fibers are too short (because they make the pages so thin); several users also ponder what bliss life would be if we didn't have phone books at all...

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....

Photo credit: kingdesmond Quick fact: Recycling materials can take as little as 5 percent of the energy you'd wind up expending if you produced them from virgin sources, as is the case with aluminum, which means you not only conserve already-limited resources, but you also curtail potential atmosphere-warming carbon emissions—95 percent, in some cases. But almost one-quarter of American adults don't recycle, according to a new Harris Poll. And while you might think the young'uns might be more environmentally progressive, think again. About three in 10 respondents aged 18 to 30 don't separate their glass, aluminum, and paper from their garbage, compared with 19 percent of seniors aged 62 and older....

The car-free lifestyle is still far from trendy in this city of 20 million people where most people still yearn for a car but can't afford one. Yet traffic and poor air quality are increasingly determinants in the nascent but growing culture of walking and biking, despite the inherent danger in doing either. Those brave souls who opt to take Mexico City by foot face some of the most perilous streets in the world. An average of 9.4 out of every 100,000 inhabitants die in car accidents per year here, according to the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. In 2006, 861 pedestrians died in car accidents. The figure contrasts sharply with other megacities, like London (1.9 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 inhabitants), New York (2.2), Singapore (2.8), Hong Kong (3.8) and Bogota (4.1). Only Cape Town, South Africa has a higher rate than Mexico City with some 19.4 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the institute....

We showed a Canadian icebreaker in our earlier post on the battle for the melting north; here is the US Coast Guard Healy, which according to Robert Lee Hotz in the Wall Street Journal is "are gathering the data legally required to extend national territories across vast reaches of the mineral-rich seafloor usually blocked by Arctic ice. Fathom by fathom, multibeam sonar sensors mounted on the Healy's hull chart a submerged plateau called the Chukchi Cap, in a region that may contain 25% of the world's reserves of oil and natural gas." The Journal continues: "In an era of climate change, these frozen assets are up for grabs, as melting ice allows detailed mapping and, one day perhaps, drilling. Rising temperatures thinned the ice pack to a record low this month. If current trends continue, the Arctic could become ice-free in summer months by 2040, polar researchers say. ...

It is not surprising to find that vacation homes in Aspen use more energy when occupied than the average Aspen home of 3,272 square feet; what is really surprising is that they are vacant on average 277 days per year and still generate 43.8 tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with 32.4 tons by each full-time, single-family residence. "Many energy demands are unnecessary and egregious, such as driveway heating, roof-melt systems, hot tubs (and) towel-bar heaters," said Richard Heede, who did a study for the Sopris Foundation. He noted there are also necessities like cigar humidors and wine cellars, and the flicking on and off of 24/7 floodlights. "Rich people just don't care," said Howard Geller of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Program. "Financially, it just doesn't matter to them."...

Start with a bunch of flat sheets of aluminum, bend them "with love" and what do you have? If you're Swedish design firm "Form Us With Love," you might have a set of home and office accoutrements like the tabletop set pictured above. Aside from producing cleverly-designed, functional objects, the collection showcases the utility and efficiency of flat-pack design as you turn paper-sized aluminum sheets into stuff you can use every day. Some of their products come pre-bent, which takes some of the fun out of it, but it's still neat to think that they all started as simple, flat sheets. Now if they'd just use recycled aluminum... ::Form Us With Love via ::BoingBoing Gadgets...

Or as BoingBoing titled it, "Irony, Thy Name is Amazon." Nothing more need be said, but to fill out this space we can direct you to Mike testing a human powered lawn mower, Jasmin's How to green your gardening, and Bonnie's ten commandments of eco-gardening. ...

We have been told that genetically engineered (GE) material just disperses in nature, but in fact, it is remarkably permanent. Biologically engineered genes and DNA have been found to persist in soil organisms, in insects, pollen, and especially water, and have been found in agricultural ditches as much as a kilometer from the original site. The antibiotic-resistant marker genes used in the process have survived digestion by cattle and even bees, and therefore post a threat of increased antibiotic resistance up and down the food chain. This is one reason why the technology is under a de facto ban in Europe. The genes themselves are not confined to the original, patented plant, but can be spread by wind or pollen to other varieties of the same crop, and even to wild relatives. Canada is already having tremendous problems with genetically engineered canola, which has not only spread its herbicide-resistant trait to other canola, but is now affecting its many wild relatives, creating what are being termed "super weeds." The situation is so serious that one reason the Canadian Wheat Board is actively fighting the introduction of herbicide-resistant GE wheat, apart from market considerations, is that the species has many wild relatives that could forever become contaminated with herbicide resistance." —David Suzuki and Holly Dressel, Good News for a Change: How Everyday People are Helping the Planet (2003, Greystone Books)...

Tree hit free this week; several environmental groups (the Green Party, New Internationalist, Friends of the Earth International, and People and Planet) signed a statement with the Free Software Foundation (FSF) to promote their common interests. You may not have heard of the FSF but you are almost certainly affected by them; their products compose most of GNU/Linux, a popular alternative operating system used to host web servers and the like. The statement outlines a two point plan (1) reject Microsoft's Vista operating system, and (2) encourage the adoption and use of free software. From the E-standpoint, point one is obvious - the porcine hardware requirements of Microsoft Windows Vista are well known, with some surmising that a Vista upgrade layer will be visible in landfills in the year to come. Bad Vista? No question....

We do go on about how less is more, keep it simple, keep it minimal. Most of the modern designs we show have flat roofs, which are not simple. Sloping roofs are generally cheaper and last longer, and offer additional space within the rafters, but are not usually part of the modern kit of parts. (with perhaps the exception of Hugh Newell Jacobson). Justin found this simple, classic Porch House (Rodinný dům na louce) in Semily, Czech Republic, by Archteam. ...

On September 9, 2007, sixty United States mayors will converge on Sundance, Utah to attend the Sundance Summit . “The Sundance Summit combines the foremost tools and expertise with the influence of visionary local leaders to mitigate global warming, one of the greatest threats to the health and prosperity of communities today. Cities and citizens tangibly experience the impacts of global warming first—rising sea levels, shrinking snow packs, ravishing droughts, floods, and hurricanes. U.S. mayors are the political leaders closest to the solutions of climate change and cities taking action are boosting their economies along the way.” The summit has one major goal: to take action to protect the climate....

We certainly haven't been shy about criticizing GM for its gas-guzzling SUVs (our extensive Hummer post archive alone is worth browsing through) and for continually dragging its feet on improving fuel economy standards. That doesn't mean, however, that we can't also dole out some praise for its environmental initiatives when praise it deserves: in the areas of recycling and waste-to-energy conversion, for example, the company has made some measurable progress in lessening its carbon footprint by switching several of its facilities to landfill-free status. Its Baltimore plant, which will be responsible for manufacturing the new two-mode hybrid transmission, was just the latest to reach that landmark — joining the ranks of other zero-landfill facilities in Tonawanda, New York, Flint and Wixom, Michigan, Gunsan and Bupyeong, Korea and Kaiserslautern and Eisenach, Germany. "Landfill-free" essentially means that 100% of the waste generated during production operations will be either recycled, reused or converted to energy (i.e. not sent to landfills). The company claims that close to 97% of the waste materials will be recycled while 3% will be converted to energy at one of its waste-to-energy facilities. ...

This is how I got to work this morning: a Johnson 9.9 horsepower that was old when I got it 20 years ago. I don't use it very much so didn't give it much thought, until I learned this morning that : -Old two-strokes like this put out as much pollution in an hour as driving a modern car 5,000 miles; -40% of the oil and gas goes straight into the lake. Regulations on outboards are getting tighter all the time, but nobody gets rid of the old motors. "They are so dependable that people keep using them until they die" said a Ministry of Environment representative. "and I mean the people, not the motors, which go forever." There is talk that perhaps a moratorium on 2-strokes might be necessary to get rid of them. As for me, next year I will go electric. :::CBC Ontario Morning ...

Photo credit: manjithkaini Tis the season of the tomato: Plump, juicy sacs, in a myriad of ripening red and orange hues, are melting off their vines ready to be crunched, savored, and simmered. But you can also share summer's rich bounty with your skin, as well as your bellies. Packed with complexion-nourishing antioxidants (such as Lycopene), potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins A and C, the luscious fruit also contains natural acids that slough off dead cells, shrink pores, and tone skin. Here's a recipe for a homemade tomato skin cleanser, excerpted from Anti-Wrinkle Treatments for Perfect Skin, by Pierre Jean Cousin (2001, Storey Books), that is especially effective on oily skin. Just be sure to test the inside of your arm with a dab of the mixture first to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction....

What’s with the little flurry of outdoor gear posts, you might wondering. Well, the summer trade shows have now passed, and the detail of upcoming goodies is slowing seeping out into the world wide ether. The goss is that Green is big. And only going to get bigger. Take for example, the rush of recycled content sleeping bags that Alicia MacLeay of Trailspace spied at the Outdoor Retailer show. Big Agnes, of Colorado, will soon have some sleeping bags that are 97% by weight. The missing percentage is the zipper. So the insulation (Climashield HL Green), ripstop shell fabric, plus drawcords and stuffsack are said to all be 100% recycled content. Even the cordlock is 50% corn starch based PLA. Big Agnes are calling the line of bags their Re-Routt collection. Their blurb suggests the lightweight shell material is a recycled nylon. But that appears to be a typo, as most recycled fabrics currently tend to be polyester. (But more on that another day.) ...

Our reviewer Neil thought it packs a punch. Olivia says bring your kids. The directors say this isn’t about changing a light bulb anymore.

View MicroPollWeb SurveyFree Web Polls

...

Mosquito season has been a bit out of whack in Tel Aviv for the past few years. Instead of dying down, as they normally should, swarms of them are lingering on in bedrooms and come nightfall are attacking with a vengeance. Some locals report using high-speed fans or nets at night to keep the bloodsuckers at bay – others resort to nasty chemical sprays and plug-ins. Using integrated pest management and more specifically biological control, a suburb of Tel Aviv has enlisted an insectivorous bat population to do the dirty work of eating unwanted mosquitoes. In partnership with Tel Aviv University, the Ministry of the Environment and the city of Ramat Gan, the trio plan to create insectivorous bat habitat in residential areas to increase the number of predators who will chomp on the mosquitoes – each bat can eat up to 600 a night! Say goodbye to insecticides......

The Bioregional Development Group was already well known to many Treehuggers for its work on sustainable housing and community development – see our posts on BedZED, for example, or on their huge One Planet Living communities that are planned on five different continents around the planet. However, this week we’ve been looking at some less well-known aspects of this inspiring organization’s work, including their localized paper recycling ‘laundry’, their decentralized charcoal production network, their TreeStation for urban forestry management, and even their efforts at reviving the lavender-farming heritage of the suburbs of London. There is no doubt then, that the Bioregional vision of sustainability is as broad as it is deep. But how scalable are the approaches taken by this forward thinking group, and where can folks go to learn more? One of the first places to start might be checking out our interviews with founders Pooran Desai and Sue Riddlestone, or with Greg Searle of One Planet Living North America. Once you’ve done that though, we’d recommend you get into some serious reading, and fortunately Bioregional have an accessible, informative book available that outlines their approach in depth. Written by the aforementioned founders, Pooran Desai and Sue Riddlestone, Bioregional Solutions for Living on One Planet tells the story of many of the above projects, from lavender growing to the building of BedZED, and sets out the ecological footprinting models used to aim for true One Planet Living. While the book is slightly dated now, having been published in 2002, it still offers a wealth of information and inspiration on rethinking the way we supply everyday goods and services. For the more technically minded, Bioregional also offer a selection of toolkits, reports and case studies, some of which can be downloaded directly from their site. And for those who want more hands on experience, the group has also been known to offer training courses and seminars, so keep an eye on their website for more details. For now though, we’ll leave you with this quote from the group’s website as to why they do what they do: ...

This summer Barcelona, along with Berlin and Lisbon, has yet again added a unique experience to its party scene, this time with a green touch. What happens when you stack 275 reused water tanks on top of each other, put a separate light in each one and connect them to the DJ’s beats? You’ve got Kubik, an open-air nightclub currently pepping up the Forum Park, a so far fairly unused site in Barcelona, right under the massive solar panel. This lightroom installation has been designed by German Modulorbeat. With a view out on the sea and a cool breeze accompanying the best summer beats, Kubik is definitely one of the best places to take your dancing shoes (or flip-flops) to this summer. (If you don't believe us, check out the videos on YouTube!) This piece of temporary architecture will disappear at the end of September. For more green clubbing check out the Sustainable Dance Club. Thanks Lloyd for the tip! ::Kubik Barcelona ...

For the past six weeks we have been buying all of our vegetables from a woman down the road from our cottage. Her huge garden contains the crops familiar to generations of Ontarians, beets, potatoes, beans, carrots, onions, tomatoes. The standout crop for me this year has been her garlic. Most grocery store garlic now comes from Mexico and China and is cheap as dirt, but at $2.00 for 8 heads our local garlic is worth every penny. The environmental benefit is obvious, but the quality, freshness and taste are also far superior to anything you can get in the supermarket. With so much garlic on hand I have started tor roast it on the barbecue and use it for all kinds of recipes. I made a traditional pesto pasta with roasted garlic rather than raw garlic and it was a revelation. When my son Hugh invited a large group of friends to the cottage for a few days I made flatbread pizzas with the garlic slathered on as the base ingredient and it was delicious. Hugh mentioned that he had been making a pasta dish with roasted garlic and he would send it to me. This is what he emailed me: Roast garlic. Add cream, fresh thyme, salt and pepper to garlic. Add pasta to garlic sauce and rejoice. That's pretty much what I'm going to give you today, but I've fleshed it out just a little bit. It seems that most fresh herbs you have on hand would work. We've tried thyme, tarragon and basil with great results. This is a guideline rather than a tested recipe. As always, feel free to experiment. Just remember to rejoice. ...

Tennis is not something you see everyday here on TreeHugger. Okay, so we’ve had recycled tennis balls used for sound proofing in schools, old style tennis shoes made with hemp, and tennis stars as ‘ambassadors’ for the Global Water Foundation charity. But by-and-large its not a common occurrence. Revered tennis legend, Billy Jean King, would like to change that. On 28 August 2007 she launched an eco-sports initiative called GreenSlam, with the statement, “I’m challenging myself – the industry of sports, professional athletes and fans, to take positive action to help counter the negative effects of climate change. It’s simple, if the billions of people who live and love sports take just one single step – we can help win back our planet.” Though curiously GreenSlam’s first project seems to be adopt-a-highway litter campaign, which is a just tad removed from the global warming issue. However once the game gets underway, the program hopes to form a counsel of “greening experts” to establish GreenSlam ‘standards’ that might apply to sporting venues, events and products. “Ultimately, we hope to establish a Green Dream Team comprised of various global companies and launch an eco-friendly line of sporting goods equipment, apparel, shoes and accessories under the GreenSlam seal of approval,” King added. As she went on to observe that other sports leagues, including Baseball and US Football were already establishing green programs that tennis could learn from. ::GreenSlam, via media release....

We know a good deal about the devastating effects of China’s full-speed development, but the New York Times has assembled some excellent experts for an enlightening Q&A series at its “Choking on Growth” site, the centerpiece of which is this week's lengthy piece on the topic (there's also an audio slide show, a video on "Green GDP," an interactive map, and (wow) an mp3 summary of the article in Chinese). The gist: despite the efforts by some high-level officials to get more sustainable, the Middle Kingdom can’t stop its toxic rise, thanks largely to numbers-driven local officials, inefficient construction and industry, and a serious coal fix. But the public, which suffers most from pollution and which may be most capable of policing it, is becoming a stronger force than ever. For more on that, and on issues covered previously on Treehugger, like alternative energy (including hydroelectric), climate change, the role of a media censored by both the market and the government, environmental entrepreneurship, poor regulation, post-Kyoto scenarios, and the role of Western countries, check out the Q&A.

The answers are coming from some of the heavyweights of the Chinese environmental scene. Check out the interesting responses from China environmental journalist Orville Schell and Zhang Jingjing, the director of litigation at the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims in Beijing. Also on hand are Elizabeth C. Economy, the author of “The Great Leap Backward?” in the current issue of Foreign Affairs, Yang Fuqiang, the chief representative of the Beijing office of the Energy Foundation, Today, biodiversity expert Lu Zhi, head of the China office of Conservation International, enters the roundtable. Submit your comment or question for her here, and post your own questions, answers and thoughts in the comments below....

At least that is what his former friends and clients say. "To this day, they won't speak to me," says Adam Werbach, former wunderkind head of the Sierra Club at 25, who complained in 2004 that "If they [environmental groups] don't have a plan to activate the values we share [with] the majority of Americans, then they need to move on" which is exactly what he did- to Wal-Mart. Read Jacob's (pre-Wal-Mart) interview of Adam here, the ::Fast Company article online here. Is Wal-Mart succeeding at going green? Charles Fishman, author of the Wal-Mart effect (treehugger review here) answers with a maybe. Wal-Mart plans four energy-saving stores this year-and hundreds of conventional ones. All new stores have some energy saving features but they have not hit the targeted 30% reductions. ::How Green is Wal-Mart? ...

Theatres are by nature both green and not green. Green because they have little money, so they re-use costumes and props. Not green because they have huge power demands (lighting), travel requirements and throw-away programmes. But the times are changing. The Arcola Theatre has announced itself as the "world's first carbon neutral theatre". A small off-off "Broadway" venue, it is embarking on a new challenge "Arcola Energy". Plans include a biomass heating system which will burn wood pellets instead of gas, solar panels on the roof, and fuel cells that create electricity without noise or pollution. In addition they will be creating an “energy technology incubator” - a space for scientists and engineers to research initiatives to tackle climate change. The Young Vic Theatre (pictured) was recently renovated and the architect said that "green thinking was central to the redesign. Sustainability is about quality of life, about delight, poetry and optimism, not just about solar panels. The two aren't mutually exclusive. A well-designed, passively ventilated, carefully shaded building with well controlled sunlight is also an enjoyable place to be." The Barbican, a huge arts complex which includes 3 theatres and two art gallerys has taken some big steps towards making its operation more sustainable. They have a manifesto which includes extensive recycling, using green energy sources and special efficiency heating and cooling systems and a redesigned ventilation system. Future plans are to reduce the utilities bill by £100k in 2007/08 and a grey water reuse and rainwater harvesting system. ...

Well, it's a plan. Greenpeace didn't like it, and chained themselves to a bulk carrier bringing coal to Nanticoke in protest, painting on the side of the ship: "No coal," "No nuclear" and "Clean energy." (::The Star) But unlike other jurisdictions that shall remain nameless that are in the never-never land of carbon sequestration and hydrogen, it is a twenty year plan that includes ten billion dollars in incentives to conserve 6,300 megawatts, $15 billion for renewable energy and the number that scares us all, $26 billion for nukes. However most of the nuke money is for refurbishing existing CANDU plants that are in place but closed down for retubing. The plan also reaffirms the commitment to close all coal plants by 2014. (originally promised for 2007 and then 2009), all projected with just a 20% increase in electricity rates ...

Ford has published a Product Sustainability Index based on life cycle assessment studies carried out according to ISO 14040 Standards (life cycle assessment ). The report covers and compares the Ford Mondeo, Ford S-Max and Ford Galaxy. The company says that further models at Ford of Europe will be developed and designed using the same PSI criteria, including the 2007 Ford Mondeo. The report says that the models included have improved sustainability performance in environmental, social and economic performance over previous models. The PSI report looks at eight key sustainability elements of a vehicle: life cycle global warming potential, life cycle air quality potential, the use of sustainable materials, substance management, exterior noise impact, safety, mobility capability, and life cycle ownership costs. The report follows ISO and the LCAs also undergo external peer review as specified in the Standards. ...

With all of the very real concerns about the future of energy usage on the planet, Genesis Energy, an energy supplier and retailer in New Zealand has come up with a terrific way of hel

Latest TH Radio

Latest THTV

Latest TH Radio

Latest THTV

Entries for August 26, 2007 - September 1, 2007

Total this week: 226

by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 09. 1.07

by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 09. 1.07

by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 09. 1.07

by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 1.07

by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09. 1.07

by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 1.07

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 1.07

by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 1.07

by 1plus1 on 09. 1.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 1.07

by 1plus1 on 09. 1.07

by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 1.07

by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 1.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 1.07

by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09. 1.07

by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09. 1.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 1.07

by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 1.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 1.07

by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 09. 1.07

by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 09. 1.07

by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 1.07

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 1.07

by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 1.07

by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08.31.07

by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.31.07

by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.31.07

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.31.07

by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.31.07

by Eliza Barclay, Nomad on 08.31.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.31.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.31.07

by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.31.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.31.07

by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.31.07

by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 08.31.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.31.07

by Neil Chambers, New York City on 08.31.07

by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.31.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.31.07

by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.31.07

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.31.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.31.07

by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 08.31.07

by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.31.07

by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 08.31.07

by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 08.31.07

by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.31.07

by Alex Pasternack, Beijing, China on 08.31.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.31.07

by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.31.07

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.31.07

by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 08.31.07

by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 08.31.07