- Emily Pilloton Discusses the Hippo Roller and other Designs for Humanity (Part One)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part Two)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part One)
- Andy Revkin - Climate in the Obama Age
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part Two)
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part One)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part Two)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part One)
Entries for September 2, 2007 - September 8, 2007
Total this week: 218
Solar Decathlon Saturday: NYIT
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 09. 8.07
We have already given you a sneak peak at this year's Solar Decathlon entries from the University of Illinois and the University of Cincinnati. This week, we are taking a look at the New York Institute of Technology's solar home - OPEN House. After taking home 5th place at the 2005 Solar Decathlon by showing off a "fully operational solar-hydrogen fuel cell home," the 2007 version of the Decathlon team is looking to turn the judges' heads with an electrical system consisting of an array of 35 solar panels feeding a battery storage system in the home. Heating and cooling is taken care of by a rooftop pool - which will replicate the work of a geothermal system - and a solar thermal system through evacuated tubes. ...
Mitsubishi Unveils All-Electric Car With Solar Roof
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 09. 8.07
Mitsubishi has unveiled this all-electric concept car called the i MIEV Sport. Besides being a zero-emission vehicle, the car incorporates a solar roof, two compact wind turbines built into the front grill, and a regenerative braking system. Additions like these will only modestly increase the range of the car, but they certainly contribute towards keeping the car's batteries charged. Solar roofs can add 20 miles per day the car's range (see this previous post). The i MIEV Sport is based on Mitsubishi's i MIEV electric car, which we featured previously. Like the i MIEV, the Sport uses a rear-midship layout with its lithium-ion batteries stored underneath the passenger floor. ...
The Bees Did It 3000 Years Ago
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 09. 8.07
Photo credit: netean
Just in time for the Jewish New Year, we find this little nugget of news reported on CNN: Archeologists from Hebrew University unearthed what they believe are 3000-year-old beekeeping hives. They have found remnants of ancient honeycombs, beeswax and what are reported to be the oldest intact beehives ever found.
We have followed the honey bee scare in the US and elsewhere here on TreeHugger and marvel that an advanced honey industry already existed in the Holy Land in biblical times. Beekeeping, continues the CNN piece, was widely practiced in the ancient world, where honey was used for medicinal and religious purposes as well as for food; and beeswax was used to make molds for metal and to create surfaces to write on......
Building Green: Energy Efficiency and Aesthetics From The Same Materials (Part 20)
by Ted Owens, New Mexico, USA on 09. 8.07
Last time I talked about preparing the walls for plastering. This included installing the baseboard where the walls meet the floor. Now it is time to install window seats and window shelves.
A straw bale wall is approximately eighteen inches thick, which, when recessed, offers good opportunities for creating additional useable space. (Small homes need to take advantage of every square inch.) By creating seating areas below windows, the home becomes more functional and aesthetically pleasing. A window seat set into a thick wall creates a visual transition to the outdoors. It also acts as a light reflector, which helps to create a pleasant glow within the room. In the winter, the window seats not only absorb solar energy, they also help to reflect some of this radiant energy to the inner walls.
The window seats in the entry hall of my home are used constantly. Not only do they serve the same purpose as chairs, they are also very useful for placing items I will be taking with me when I go out the door—and my two dachshunds love to lie there so they can look out the window and enjoy the warmth of the sun. The window seats make the entry hall seem much larger, since they increase the width of what would have been a relatively narrow passage. With the seats in place, the entry hall takes on the feeling of a separate room. ...
A Clean, Green, Killing Machine? Special Operations Units Test Electric Vehicles
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 8.07
We’re into electric vehicles here at Treehugger, but even with the likes of the Tesla Roadster and the Vectrix beginning to appear, there is still a preconception among many that they are, well, a little bit like sexed-up golf buggies. That doesn’t seem to bother the Special Operations unit of the US Air Force, however, who according to a report over at Wired have just announced that they will be testing an extremely mean looking golf buggy known as the CERV (Clandestine Electric Reconnaissance Vehicle):
The requirement is for a serial hybrid capability for an all-electric plug-in vehicle with a combination of AEV proprietary battery components, power management and advanced recharging techniques, lightweight vehicle composites, and an integrated silent drive-train that are the intellectual property of AEV. There are currently no known mature alternatives to the CERV meeting availability within eight months; all-terrain capable with a steady range in excess of 200 miles with a full battery pack at a minimum of 40mph. The CERV incorporates the latest technology to improve weight trade off and battery capability, both in materials and in software management, to further increase performance and range. The hybrid vehicle will be compatible with current and future renewable recharging methods and can be modified to add a generator/fuel cell technology to remotely recharge in the event that commercial power is not available. The CERV will also meet size requirements to be air-transported on AFSOC’s CV-22. Vehicle will carry up to 4 personnel....
Global Warming Could Double Heat Fatalities within 50 Years
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 8.07
If you thought this summer's heat couldn't possibly get any worse, you ain't seen nothing yet: according to a new study by Laurence S. Kalkstein, a climatologist at the University of Miami, global warming could cause the number of heat-related deaths in Baltimore and 20 other U.S. cities to more than double within the next 50 years.
In Baltimore alone, the number of days with temperatures above 101°F is estimated to rise from 6 a year to more than 16 by mid-century. This, in turn, will lead to more people dying from the additional heat — from the 48 a year in the Baltimore area currently to approximately 141 a year (or 2,232 more deaths by 2050). Using the same metrics, global warming could cause as many as 3,888 additional deaths in New York City, 3,528 in Philadelphia and 3,192 in Chicago....
23% of Brits Would Rather Drive
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09. 8.07
What Car recently conducted a survey on the travel habits of Brits, and I have to say that I'm disappointed at how lazy they seem to be. I can only assume that the survey was conducted only amongst their own readers, who will obviously be more biased towards taking car journeys rather than walking. Anyway, the results show that 23% would choose to drive a distance of 1,000 meters, rather than walk it....
Taipei's Ghost Festival Goes Virtual
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 8.07
Old habits die hard: although Taiwan has risen over the past few decades to become one of Asia's most modern and technologically advanced countries, folk religion and superstition have continued to remain integral components of the culture. Every year, during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, many Taiwanese citizens — both young and old — give offerings to the souls of the dead who, according to traditional beliefs, return to roam the world of the living. The Ghost Festival has become a surprisingly large source of air pollution due the massive amounts of paper money burned throughout the month.
The paper slips — which resemble actual bank notes and are gilded on one side generate a significant amount of pollution both during the manufacturing process and during consumption and have prompted concerns amongst local authorities about people's health and the environment. In Taipei County alone, the government estimates that 2,000 tons of the paper money are burned by approximately 3.7m residents. “That creates 2,000 tons of CO2, and benzol, toluene and other carcinogens are released in the process,” said Lin Sung-chin, part of Taipei's environmental protection bureau....
Windspire: 1 kW Wind Turbine for Your Backyard
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 8.07
With its sleek, bladeless design and capacity to produce nearly 2000 kilowatt hours per year, the Windspire might just inspire some YIMBYism -- that's Yes, In My BackYard -- about wind power. At 30 feet tall and 2 feet wide, the propeller-less design is bird-safe, relatively quiet -- it produces about 25 decibels of noise at five feet, roughly equivalent to the average noise of a residential neighborhood at night -- and doesn't take much breeze to get it spinning; it fires up at 8 mph, and is rated to survive 100 mph gusts. It comes with a wireless modem that connects to your computer, so you can sit back and watch the energy in action at any time.
At about $4,000, it ain't exactly cheap -- at 10 cents a kilowatt, it'll take about 20 years to get any return on your investment -- but it sure is cool and sure beats getting your energy from coal-fired power plants, which pretty much suck. Learn more about Windspire -- performance & installation specs, maintenance required (not much), test data, etc. -- over at Mariah Power's website. ::Windspire via ::Materialicious...
Ref-use Chair by Thomasson vs Edwards
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 8.07
Named for what it's made from (but also for it's attitude -- it refuses to be thrown away!) the Ref-use Chair by Thomasson vs. Edwards Design takes reclaimed plywood scraps and cobbles them into a pretty slick chair. In a style somewhat reminiscent of Scrapile's recycled designs, the Ref-use chair shows off its "recycled-ness" in a way that doesn't give it away; "It's cool to be recycled," it seems to say (and we agree). It comes in lots of fun colors; hit the jump to see it from the front. ::Thomasson vs. Edwards Design via ::MoCo Loco...
Quote of the Day: Thom Hartmann on Trees for Beef
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 8.07
Photo credit: arkntina
According to a 1996 report by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, funded by the World Bank and the United Nations, 72 acres of rainforest are destroyed every minute, mostly by impoverished people who are cutting and burning the forest to create agricultural or pasture lands to grow beef for export to the United States.
This 38 million-acres-per-year loss will wipe out the entire world’s rainforests in our children’s lifetimes if it continues at its current pace. ... ...
MDesigns Mcube
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 8.07
Inhabitat turns us on to Mcube, a steel framed design with what looks like KalWall insulated fiberglass panels. They say "The system is based on a translucent 10′-cube module which can be stacked in multiple floors and units for residential and commercial purposes. Made from concrete, steel, and luminous fiberglass daylighting wall panels, the system can be fully erected in 90 days at a cost starting at $100 per square foot! (Yes $100 a foot!). Considering how expensive most sleek SoCal prefab systems seem to be - this is a price tag that really got our attention."
The price gets my attention too.
...
Ontario Election 2007: How Toxic are the Leaders?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 8.07
I just can't wait to see all of the American presidential candidates pony up blood and urine samples to environmentalists to see how toxic they are, but that is what three of the leaders in the Ontario election did. They are so chock full of gender benders like phthalates and Bisphenol A, they should be wearing dresses. For some reasons they have higher levels than the population at large; ”It does make you wonder whether there is something about the politician's lifestyle that is particular and exposes them in unique ways to some of these chemicals,” said Rick Smith, Environmental Defence's executive director.
NDP leader Hampton thinks it might be that they are always in cars on the road and cannot control what they eat; it might also be the makeup they put on for TV.
No word on why there are no results from Green Party leader Frank de Jong; probably he is a vegetarian bicyclist drinking from Siggs while living in a vinyl-free yurt and came up clean. ::Globe and Mail...
One Year Ago in TH: Prius Fever, eGo Cycle Reviewed, Naked Energy + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 8.07
One year ago at TreeHugger, we had a touch of Prius fever, as the 2007 Touring Edition was on its way and we learned about a way to get a free Prius (but be sure to read the fine print). We also had the chance to hop aboard the electric eGo Cycle 2 and put it through its paces for a review, marked our calendars for An Inconvenient Truth on DVD, peeked in on The Naked Chef's naked energy and took a note of paper made from sheep poo.
We also had fashion and design on our minds, with our Umbrella Inside Out competition and London Design Week just over the horizon, and more stylish recycled designs to make your house a TreeHugging home. Every post we published the last time the calendar said September 8, below the fold....
The Future of Prefab? Move the Whole House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 8.07
A big limitation of conventional modular prefab is the limitations set by transportation- you have to get down the road and under bridges. But if you are a major builder and control the roads, you can ignore those restrictions and build the entire house inside.
That is what Mattamy Homes did in Milton, Ontario; they built a factory to supply a 1,000 unit subdivision, and have created a warm, secure working environment. "The chandeliers are hanging, the tiles are grouted, the hardwood is shined up," says Ron Cauchi, president of Mattamy's Stelumar operation....
Eco-Turf From Wildflower Farm
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 8.07
It looks like grass to me, but it isn't. It will be gracing the Solar Decathalon Competition as the green landscaping of choice. It is Eco-Lawn, a "specially designed blend of seven fine fescue grasses, grows to form a dense turf on loam, well drained clay and even in infertile, dry soils! Eco-Lawn thrives in full sun, part shade and even in deep shade conditions." It best installed in August and September- " nature has programmed fewer weeds to germinate in fall, so your new Eco-Lawn will establish more rapidly, with less weed competition." It needs no watering, no mowing and no fertilizer. Sounds like astroturf but it's real.
It was developed by Paul Jenkins and Miriam Goldberger, who also have a demonstration garden consisting of thousands of mature native wildflowers and native grasses.
Lazy green gardeners can find out more at ::Eco-Lawn...
Run Your Car Into The Ground: It's Cheaper
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 8.07
When Irv Gordon squeezes 2.5 million miles out of his old volvo, or Syl Schmid manages to get 562,000 miles from his VW Jetta, it just goes to prove that replacing your car for a newer model every few years is not the only way to go. While some may worry about the car depreciating in value, we have just learned from Consumer Reports (via CNN Money) that keeping hold of your old car can save a massive amount of cash in the long run:
"Calculating the costs involved in buying a new Honda Civic EX every five years for 15 years - including depreciation, taxes, fees and insurance - the magazine estimated it would cost $20,500 more than it would have cost to simply maintain one car for the same period. Added to that, the magazine factored in $10,300 in interest that could have been earned on that money, assuming a five percent interest rate and a three percent inflation rate, over that time."...
One to Watch: Basurama from Madrid
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09. 8.07
Eres lo que tiras"You are what you throw away". To illustrate this theme, Basurama installed a wall of trash at the FIBart '07. Guests at the exhibition contributed to the visualization of the detritus of their consumption. 185 tons of waste. Out of sight, out of mind is the philosophy Basurama aims to fight. We decided to google Basurama after reading about this group, which is based at the Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid. "Basura" is spanish for "trash" so naturally Basurama caught our eye. ...
Oh..Great - Our Access To Coal Is Only Limited By Imagination
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 8.07
"There's enough unleased coal on federal lands in the Powder River Basin to feed the United States' current appetite for coal for 493 years, according to federal figures released Wednesday. Roughly 89 percent of that coal can be mined under certain restrictions and about 11 percent is off-limits from leasing, said the report by three federal agencies."
"On federal land, Wyoming has about 510 billion tons of coal, while Montana has about 40 billion tons."
"According to estimates based on U.S. Geological Survey figures, 95 percent of the resource is too deep to mine by conventional methods."
So, apparently they want to develop the resources with "underground gasification." Wouldn't that be, err, a coal mine fire?
"John Wold, chairman and CEO of GasTech Inc., said his company is seeking to establish underground coal gasification in the Powder River Basin. "In America we have 28 percent of the world's known coal resource," Wold said. "We have shown very little imagination at the government level or private enterprise level for bringing this huge opportunity to fruition.""
Via:: The Billings Gazette and Caspar Star Tribune Image credit:: dog caught, A Railroad Blog...
Building Green: Energy Efficiency and Aesthetics From The Same Materials (Part 19)
by Ted Owens, New Mexico, USA on 09. 8.07
Slate comes in a wide variety of colors and can add visual interest to a natural home.
Designing and building a green home requires quiet time—time to remove yourself from the semi-chaos of the actual construction so that you can re- focus on the design itself. A home designed and built using only the mechanical drawings that were created before breaking ground (even if they include green-building elements) risks having its aesthetic "heart" getting lost in the engineering. In other words, the design process should continue throughout the construction process. ...
How to Choose Outdoor Solar-Powered Lights
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
Photo credit: mrclean
Not only do solar-powered outdoor lights save energy, but they also save you the hassle of digging ditches, laying wires, and connecting them to an electric grid. Solar lights use photovoltaic cells that harness the power of the sun to create energy, which is then stored by rechargeable batteries until it's called upon to power the LED bulbs at night (not unlike King Arthur reawakening in England's time of greatest need).
Mother Earth Living has the 411 on how to choose among the three kinds of garden solar lights available, depending on whether you just want standard path lights, something a little fancier, or spotlights that will give you focused lighting. ::Mother Earth Living
Difficulty level: Easy...
Flakeshake: An Online Game for Polar Bear Fans
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
It's about closing time here on the East Coast, so with mere minutes counting off to the start of the weekend, here's a simple and kid-friendly online game for you to goof off to. In Flakeshake, you help a polar bear refreeze his melting environment by blowing bubbles that magically turn water droplets into snowflakes.
Okay, so blowing spit bubbles with your keyboard isn't going to stop global warming, but you could still use this game to jump-start a conversation with your chilluns about climate change and why it's melting the ice in the first place. So play this game now while your boss isn't looking. You know, for the children. ::Flakeshake
See also: ::Polar Bears on Thin Ice...
gogo Kidz: Wheel Your Kids Around Without the Stroller
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 7.07
If strapping your kids into a car seat and wheeling them around instead of carrying them or making them walk sounds like your idea of fun, then have we got something for you. This thing, called "gogo Kidz", mates with a whole bunch of different toddler car seats to give them wheels and a handle, turning your kid's seat into a mobile unit handy for trucking around airports and maybe somewhere like the mall, instead of trucking along an extra stroller along with the car seat you need anyway.
It weighs about five pounds, making it pretty easy to haul around; as long as you don't mind hauling your kids around like luggage, you might be able to do without an extra stroller. If you're pondering going stroller-free (sort of like going car-free, in a way), you can pick these guys up at ::Baby Mine Store...
Iceland Calls the Whale Thing Off
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
Photo credit: findmelost
The government of Iceland announced last week that it is calling off its controversial whale hunt, not because of political pressure, but due to the lack of demand for whale meat and other whale products.
In 2006, the Icelandic government stated it would no longer respect an international ban on commercial whaling; it issued permits for the commercial hunting of nine endangered fin whales and 30 minke whales. (Seven minke whales and seven fin whales have been killed so far this year, as one lonely cash register kachinged in the distance.)...
AMD Open Architecture Challenge Selects Community Partners
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09. 7.07
We are excited to announce today that three community partners that have been selected for the AMD Open Architecture Challenge. This groundbreaking international design competition will be launched officially this coming Wednesday 12th September, in conjunction with the Open Architecture Network, Architecture For Humanity and AMD's 50x15 program, which aims to help connect 50% of the world to the Internet by 2015. The competition will ask for design proposals from professionals and students around the world for three individual projects on three continents!
In South America the Kallari Association, Ecuadorian organic chocolate + sustainable handcraft producers, has been selected for a fair trade exchange, chocolate production center and satellite rural technology points. In Africa the SIDAREC project to empower Kenyan youth through a media centre and recording studio has been selected. In Asia the Nyaya Health project has been selected, it proposes a tele-medicine center to allow Nepalese families access to health care from top physicians and medical professionals all over the world....
Whole Foods & Wild Oats: Done Deal
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
Photo credit: zizzy
And so two became one. After a protracted and very public struggle with the Federal Trade Commission over its $565 million purchase of Wild Oats Markets, Whole Foods bought 96.8 percent of its former rival's outstanding shares at $18.50 per share. Whole Foods will also be taking on Wild Oats' debts, while adding some debt of its own to help finance the deal.
Whole Foods also announced plans to close two Wild Oats outlets in southwest Portland, displacing about 99 employees who have been offered jobs at other Whole Foods stores.
What a long, strange trip down the shopping aisle it's been. ::Natural Products Insider and ::The Oregonian...
I SPY Nature Docs Showcase Child's-Eye View of Environment
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09. 7.07
What happens when you give children coming from a cross-section of society a video camera in places across Trinidad or Tobago and ask them to document what they see in the local environment through its lens? That’s what folks at the Greenlight Network set out to accomplish recently when they did just that, giving children ages 7-10 a camera and the guidance of local award-winning filmmaker Elspeth Duncan, enabling them to document nature from their point of view. The resulting shorts are expected to screen locally on the islands during the upcoming Trinidad and Tobago International Film Festival, and no doubt will leave a lasting impression on the way in which attendees view the world. After all, there are few things that cannot be viewed afresh by all of us through the lens of a child’s mind.
Via:: Greenlight Network
...
Not Tonight, Dear, I'm Down with Climate Change
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
Let's talk about sex, baby. And climate change. Several recent studies have found ties among sex, climate change, and environmental pollution. Here's the roundup:
1. Polar-bear penis bones are shrinking in Eastern Greenland, says Christian Sonne of the University of Aarhus in Denmark, possibly because of the high prevalence of pollutants such as PCBs and DDT. Tinier penises + difficulty finding food because of global warming = DOOM.
2. A new study by Paul Donald of the U.K. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has found one-third more male birds out there than females, despite the fact that just as many hatchlings of each sex are born. This is bad news for conservation efforts, which are likely overestimating the size of populations by extrapolating from the number of males. The researchers also found that the sex ratio was greater in threatened species. Shorter female lifespans = less horizontal mambo = less hatchlings = DOOM....
TH Forums Highlights: Disposable Crap Avalanche, Bamboo Forests + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 7.07
It's always Friday over at TreeHugger Forums...
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 tracylee is engaging in a heated discussion at work over the disposable crap -- pens, sticky notes, etc. -- that the company gives away at conferences. Rather than choosing between two evils, Tracy wonders if there can't be a great green solution to it all; fellow forums users have not disappointed. Rather than plastic and disposable, so far the suggestions have ranged from reusable canvas bags to heirloom tomato seeds. |
 | 2) User keoni has an interesting idea to grow more bamboo that doesn't have to be shipped from China: "Why not, in the US, in all the On and Off Ramps and Highway Medians plant bamboo. The roads create the perfect boundary for limiting the spread of bamboo. Lease out the harvesting of bamboo for generating state and federal revenue." So far, a few thumbs up and a few thumbs down; does something like bamboo make sense for all those miles of roads? |
 | 3) Forums user organicfoodlover is concerned that population growth will have an increasingly averse effect on the planet, especially when it comes to global warming. "Should we continue to resort to heroic efforts to keep people alive when they are critically ill no matter what the cost to the planet? I'm not sure I feel that it is always appropriate to 'do whatever it takes' to save human lives." This is a pretty controversial statement, to say the least; does the idea hold any water with you? |
Satsuma Spins Bamboo for Your Newborn
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 09. 7.07
If you want the best blend of comfort, health, and eco-friendliness for your newborn (and for some reason we think you do), you gotsta go with bamboo fiber. For this reason, Satsuma is starting their line with one and only one product: a 100% bamboo swaddling blanket. Easy to wash, naturally Sacramento: The Up and Coming Green City
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 09. 7.07
Buoyed by a directive from the Governator himself that all state office building achieve at least a silver LEED rating, California's capital city has quietly built itself a mini-empire of green buildings. Sacramento's 4.3 million square feet of LEED-certified office space places it only behind Chicago's 5.2 million square feet, and well ahead of fellow California cities San Francisco and Los Angeles. At the head of Sacramento's green building charge is the headquarters for the California EPA. The first LEED platinum office building in the United States, features indoor bike parking, waterless urinals and worm composting for lunch scraps. In addition to the large presence of LEED-certified state buildings, Sacramento is also requiring minimum silver LEED certification on city buildings. Said one Sacramento City Councilman, "Our goal is to become the most sustainable city in America." ::Via Planetizen and Sacramento Bee ...
YogaGurl Turns to Bamboo
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
Toronto-based YogaGurl dips a foot into sustainable yoga threads with its limited-edition 100 percent organic bamboo tee. Designed by the company's founder (and yoga teacher) Alexandra Leikermoser, the lightweight deep-V top, available in aqua for the summer, is naturally antibacterial and wicks away moisture.
You can toss it on top of strappy workout top before you head over to the gym or yoga studio, or show some skin by wearing it on its own. One caveat: pure bamboo fabrics, although remarkably soft, can be prone to pilling (as the sample we were sent started to, even before we could throw it in the wash) and some amount of shrinkage; they fare better when blended with organic cotton or another similar fiber. Another minor quibble: Since yoga is about personal growth, shouldn't it be "Find Time to Breathe"?
Leikermoser expects to convert her entire line to bamboo by spring 2008. ::YogaGurl
See also: ::Bamboo Fiber Sheets and ::Bamboosa: Bamboo Fiber Clothing...
Going Dutch with Design Cards
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 09. 7.07
World Changing has opened our life-cycle assessment hungry eyes with their inside scoop on this handy set of cards developed by Serge de Gheldere from Future Proof/ed, that help you use eco-indicators to analyze and compare the environmental impacts of commonly used materials and processes. The set is called Ecolizer Designwijzer and is an updated version of Eco-indicator 99, a Dutch impact assessment methodology that includes resource depletion, land-use, climate change, ionizing radiation, acidification/eutrophication and toxicity along with human health, ecosystem quality and resource damage categories.
Since the set of cards is only available in Dutch and only distributed through workshops we have yet to see a real live version; however the World Changing team tells us that it includes background information on the eco-indicators, an explanation of the card contents, a glossary and an example-based tutorial. They also say that the bulk of the guide consists of approximately 80 cards with several hundred eco-indicators that quantify the environmental impacts of production, use and disposal phases of materials and processes. It appears to be what a lot of designers have been waiting for and a useful tool for designing with the environment in mind. Let’s hope they translate it and distribute it at a larger scale soon. Read more details here. Image credit and via: World Changing.
...
Building Green: Energy Efficiency and Aesthetics From The Same Materials (Part 18)
by Ted Owens, New Mexico, USA on 09. 7.07
Cellulose insulation comes compressed and packaged in jumbo blocks. The cellulose is broken up into loose material during the blowing process.
In the last post I spoke about the process of insulating the roof. We opted to install the insulation ourselves, even though many people prefer to hire a contractor for a specialized task such as this.
One problem that faces the do-it-yourselfer is the seemingly endless number of decisions which have to be made during construction—when you build your own home, you are faced with many choices, both practical and aesthetic, every day. With the construction of a conventional house, you can usually get a lot of helpful input from contractors so you can make informed choices, but with green building, contractors may actually have less knowledge in this area than you do. ...
Grass-Covered Train Station
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09. 7.07
Here in Amsterdam, most train stations are full of grass, but this is different. This is Newcastle Central Station, where a PR stunt by train operator GNER saw a platform covered in artificial grass. It was conceived to encourage people to take the train rather than the plane, because of the smaller carbon footprint of train travel. According to GNER, a flight from Newcastle to London creates five times as much carbon emissions as a similar train journey....
Little Steps are Great, But Coal Stomps All Over Them
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
Yes, small steps are important. Big steps, like changing every single light bulb in the country to CFL would make a difference. However, The 2030 Challenge people point out that the CO2 emissions from just two medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year would negate this entire effort.
The 2030 Challenge to reduce energy consumption of all renovated buildings by 50% is a big deal. The CO2 emissions from just one 750 MW coal-fired power plant each year would negate this entire 2030 Challenge effort.
These facts are from a powerful ad by the 2030 Challenge that is running in the New Yorker. It should run everywhere. As Dave Roberts at Grist says, coal is the enemy of the human race; it certainly is the enemy of any attempt to do anything about global warming. ::2030 Challenge
...
Most Huggable: Greenest Photo Ever, The Woz’s Green Digs, The Sirenia Song, and More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 09. 7.07
DeSmogBlog is hosting a contest for the greenest photo ever. What does that mean? Whatever you want it to, my dear… Now that Steve Wozniak knows how fast a Prius can go, it’s time for the green home building to begin… Sirenia are a family of aquatic mammals, mentioned in the Bible, and now on the verge of vanishing… Net Impact profiles the green book man, Raz Godelnik, founder and CEO of Eco-Libris… Celsias wrangles up the highlights and dark spots from the eco-sphere in its Friday link fest… 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? ...
Building Green: Energy Efficiency and Aesthetics From The Same Materials (Part 17)
by Ted Owens, New Mexico, USA on 09. 7.07
Cellulose insulation in the hopper of the rented blowing unit. Cellulose is a recycled
material that is appropriate for green building.
Before I start to talk about insulating the ceiling, I want to make one additional comment on the windows. As a general rule, windows that are hinged on one side—and therefore open and close like a door—are better at preventing drafts and air leaks than windows that slide in a track. Sliding windows are more apt to let air leak in because the seal must be loose enough to allow the window to slide back and fourth easily, whereas hinged windows press against a gasket which creates a nice tight mechanical seal. ...
Shagadelic: Bamboo Area Shag Rug
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 7.07
We never thought you'd see these words on TreeHugger: check out this killer shag rug. Made by the Anji Mountain Bamboo Rug Co., the shagadelic rugs are 80% bamboo, 20% cotton. Despite the retro moniker, the rugs have a decidedly modern feel, and the shagginess gives it almost a faux-animal-skin-rug feel. Adding the bamboo is a nice touch; the same anti-microbial, anti-bacterial properties that benefit bamboo apparel are at work here, making it soft to the touch and a good option for floorcoverings. While we know that all bamboo is not created equal, it beats a lot of conventional alternatives. Plus, we just like that it's a shag rug that doesn't suck. ::Anji Mountain Bamboo Rug Co. via ::MoCo Loco...
Picture of the Day: Should've Been a Contractor
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
There is absolutely nothing green about this, but it was too good not to share. The yacht is called "Change Order" and the dinghy is named "Original Contract." Anyone who has ever built anything will get the joke. Thanks, ::ArchitectureMNP...
Green Drinks Kicks Off in Newport, RI
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09. 7.07
Many of you have been to Green Drinks around the world and we've had a blast at the ones we've attended. Not only is everyone so very nice but it's great to see that we're all out for the same cause. That was the inspiration behind starting Green Drinks right here in Newport, RI. For a small city, we knew we wouldn't get as many people as those that attend Green Drinks in New York City, but we wanted to get the word out there since Rhode Island is (ahem) so darn conservative. We are way behind the times compared to other states. So we were thrilled last night when about 40 people attended the kick-off event of Green Drinks in Newport at Fluke Wine Bar & Kitchen. With cork floors and yummies made with local ingredients, Jeff and Geremie Callahan, owners of Fluke, were kind enough to open their doors to the "green" community. Now we know that we're breaking the "every third Thursday" mold, but with Providence being so close we wanted our attendees to have the option of going to there as well. Heck, we want to go to that one too. Not only did the local papers pick up the story, but we even got the mayor there who bought us a drink. Not bad for a small, conservative New England city. Take the TreeHugger challenge - start one in your own city!...
Greenest Photo Ever Contest at DeSmogBlog
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
DeSmogBlog, a terrific "website dedicated to clearing the PR pollution that clouds climate change. We promote scientific facts about global warming, and aspire to debunk climate change deniers." is having a photo contest to "take the greenest photo ever. It can be literally a really green photo (but not of a green dress, that's cruel). Or it can be a metaphorically green photo, whether that's ecological or 'green with envy' or any other angle you can think of. In short, be creative!"
There are prizes too; a jury of eco-bloggers will choose the winner. Enter at Flickr: ::The Greenest Photo Ever Contest...
GladRags Sampler Pack
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
At TreeHugger, we never get squeamish about a woman's right to bleed and be cranky. We've yapped about reusable cotton pads, chlorine-free tampons, flushable pads, and even menstrual cups.
It's said, well, by people who make it their job to crunch these kinds of numbers, that the average woman uses nearly 12,000 disposable tampons and/or pads during her menstruating lifetime....
Bottle Purifies Water with Solar Power
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09. 7.07
The solar bottle is designed to get the maximum effect from a natural phenomenon that can purify disease-ridden water. Water in transparent PET bottles, left in direct sunlight, will be purified to a certain extent, due to heat and irradiation from UV-A rays. This bottle maximises that effect, and aims to create a cheap and simple way of providing clean water to developing countries....
Orbiting Space Power Systems Would Convert Sunlight into Laser Beams
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 7.07
While the rest of the world (save for the Indians) has been busy focusing on mainly terrestrial-based solar energy alternatives, the Japanese have been looking to the heavens to find a potential solution. Scientists from the Institute of Laser Engineering at Osaka University and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have just developed a new technology for converting sunlight into laser beams — a technology that could form the basis for JAXA's Space Solar Power Systems (SSPS) project.
The SSPS project seeks to put a prototype space-based power system in orbit — 22,400 mi (36,000 km) above the equator — with the goal of harnessing the sun's energy to produce laser beams that would generate electricity or hydrogen on Earth through the intermediary of a terrestrial power station. The lasers — using plates built from a ceramic material containing chromium, which can absorb sunlight, and neodymium, which converts it into laser beams — outperformed earlier technologies four times over, demonstrating a solar-to-laser energy conversion efficiency of 42%. ...
Forests Buffer Hurricanes' Wrath
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
Photo credit: druclimb
Hooray for trees: Two fierce storms that recently slammed ashore on the Caribbean coast of Mexico and Central America have demonstrated how important forests and mangrove swamps are in dampening the effect of hurricanes—and by extension, reducing the number of lives lost.
“The trees secure the ground and offer a buffer from the storms,” Rev. José Andrés Tamayo, a Roman Catholic priest and leading Honduran environmental advocate, tells The New York Times.
Environmental degradation such as illegal logging, however, is causing forested areas to shrink, particular in Central America, so that what would be considered a run-of-the-mill rainstorm elsewhere can cause deadly floods and mudslides here.
On Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Ann Snook, of the Nature Conservancy, said she was in her house in Bacalar on Aug. 21 when Hurricane Dean rampaged through. The forests helped weaken it, she said, potentially saving lives. ::The New York Times...
Averting "Livestock Meltdown": Biodiversity Key To Global Food Security
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 09. 7.07
In a U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report released earlier this week at a conference held in Interlaken, Switzerland, agricultural scientists warned that more robust and better-adapted local livestock breeds in developing countries were losing out to imported animals from industrialized nations. The report suggests that there could be serious effects on future food security worldwide, while also emphasizing the need to determine ways to slow what one researcher is calling a "livestock meltdown".
In its assessment of farm animals in 169 countries, the report found that 90 percent of cattle in the developed world originate from six tightly defined breeds – like the famous Holstein-Friesian dairy cow. ...
Beverly Hills: Where Bicyclists are Treated as Second-Class Citizens
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 7.07
Chances are that — unless you happen to live there — you've never heard of Beverly Hills' dubious reputation among bicycling enthusiasts. Yes, Beverly Hills, home to the swanky "Platinum Triangle" (cue elite, liberal stereotype), has earned the "distinction" of being ranked first in the state for the number of pedestrian deaths for a city its size. Just this past September, 3 pedestrians and a bicyclist were killed in a tragic hit and run incident that became known as "Bloody September."
Several weeks ago, a tussle between a driver (of an SUV, no less) and bicyclist — which had started when the former had tried to push the cyclist off the road while making a left turn — ended unceremoniously when a local police officer arrived to the scene and promptly declared the latter an "idiot." Long story short: the driver came off scot-free while the bicyclist ended up the recipient of a stern talking to and a ticket, to boot. Understandably, the bicyclist was slightly peeved by the officer's uncouth and biased treatment. ...
Survey: Are You a Retro-Progressive?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
Kate Tennier writes about becoming a "retro-progressive"-making cookies instead of buying them, using a clothesline instead of in a dryer. "The term is most often used to define a category of music, but it can just as easily apply to any behaviour that draws from past "best practices" to create a better life in the world we inhabit now: a retrieving of the baby from the proverbial bathwater, if you will.....There's a lot more than homemade cookies, air-dried clothes and free-range children that are making comebacks. Farmers' markets, car-free days, 100-mile diets and counter-consumer movements have all grown in popularity." ::Globe and Mail
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Coca-Cola to Step Up Recycling, Improve Image
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
Photo credit: pbo31
Coca-Cola appears to be taking pains to buff up its tarnished image—a controversy continues to brew in India over pesticides and other toxic chemicals found in its soda products. Already facing criticisms of human-rights violations, Coke's bottling operations have also made the company the target of at least two international water-rights campaigns, as the soft-drink giant continues to duke it out with villages in drought-stricken areas such as Kerala, India over potable-water rights. Then there was the matter of Coke requesting the Israeli government to suspend the mandatory deposit and return service on its bottles, leading at least one non-profit to accuse the company of waging a smear campaign to link bottle collection with deviant behavior.
(We pause here to let you catch your breath.)
With negative press looming overhead like its own personal storm cloud, Coke announced on Wednesday that it will open a massive recycling plant in Spartanburg, S.C. next year as part of its long-term goal to recycle or reuse all plastic bottles containing the company's products sold in the United States. The company says it already recaptures 20 percent of the plastic it puts into America's waste stream each year, but it now wants to attain the loftier aim of reusing or recycling 30 percent of its plastic by 2010....
Explore Design: The Design Education Fair
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
TreeHugger never shuts up about the importance of design as a key to sustainability. It touches everything- how we live, work and move, almost every part of our life. In North America kids don't learn much about it outside of a trip to IKEA, it is not part of our culture as it is in other parts of the world like Scandinavia. Paul Rowan, co-founder of Umbra, notes “Most parents think a career in design is a complete waste of time. It's important to address the parental issues."
That is why we are so excited to be part of Explore Design, essentially a design show and seminar for kids and parents, to show them that design is important, that designers are needed, and that it is a real career opportunity. As they say to the target market:
While it is easy to realize that your Playstation and your iPod have been designed to look as sleek and cool as possible this is only one aspect of design. Everything that surrounds us has been designed - whether it’s the clothes you wear, the spoon you use or the highlighter in your pencil case. It ranges from the artistic/theoretical (like couture fashion) to the practical (like architecture or software design). ...
Recipe of the Week - A Two Dollar Squash
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
My idyllic summer retreat ends tomorrow and I head back to the city. I'm leaving behind the loons, the family of mink that dash past my deck chair and the magnificent pileated woodpecker who dines a few feet from my window. Sadly, I am also leaving behind our vegetable lady and her fall harvest.
My husband does almost all of the shopping while we are here because he must go to town daily to work while I remain at the cottage and work my way through my stack of books. He has a standing order to buy anything that the vegetable lady has on offer so I never quite know what will be on the menu until he arrives home. This week, after making his purchases he noticed a pile of squash and when asking the price she said they were all different prices. Having two dollars left in his pocket he asked for a two dollar squash. She obliged with a vegetable that was pretty much the size and shape of a bowling ball. It was yellow and had a soft, slightly pebbly skin and soft flesh and that's about all I can tell you about it. I have no idea what kind of squash it was. As I had it on the board trying to figure out a plan of attack to cut it open, my husband opined that he should have bought a one dollar squash instead. ...
Lighting Africa: A Contest to Put Sub-Saharan Africa on the Map
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 7.07
In Sub-Saharan Africa, over 500 million people presently lack modern energy, with rural electricity access rates as low as 2%. Among the poor, lighting is often the most expensive item among their energy uses, typically accounting for 10-15% of total household income. Yet, while consuming a large share of scarce income, fuel-based lighting provides little in return.
Lighting Africa, a World Bank Group initiative, hopes to change that; the competition aims to find a design and implement the delivery of low-cost, green lighting products for low-income consumers in sub-Saharan Africa. Acronyms familiar to TreeHugger's audience, like CFL and LED, will play a big part, along with other forward-looking, off-grid technologies. Says the site, "With expenditures on fuel based lighting estimated at US$38 billion annually, the potential exists to engage the international lighting industry in this new market area, while serving consumers, bolstering local commerce, creating jobs, enhancing incomes, cleaning the air, and improving health, safety, and quality of life." The competition is looking for innovations from five different groups, from designs and manufacturers to governments and NGOs; check out their site for all the details. ::Lighting Africa via ::Core77...
Electronic Books: The Next Chapter
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
MP3 players have been around for a while; it took a visionary like Steve Jobs to design both the hardware and a delivery system that was elegant and simple to transform digitally stored music from geekdom to everyday use. Words are even more easily transmitted electronically than music; one would have thought that it would have been figured out first. Perhaps it is not the technology (the Sony Reader is supposed to be easy on the eyes) but the lack of a co-ordinated hardware and delivery system like iPod/iTunes.
Amazon is evidently trying to fix that with its new Kindle, being launched this October. Engadget got a sneak peek last year when Amazon filed an application to the FCC; when it comes to elegant design it ain't no iPod, more like a Trash 80/100 from 1985. ...
The TH Interview: Tomer DeVito of Green Power Generators
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 7.07
Tomer Devito, pictured here with business partner Alton Butler to his left, is a man on a mission to change Hollywood. After learning about the obscene levels of pollution created by the film business, he founded Green Power Generators, a company providing biodiesel-powered generators to the entertainment industry. But GP Generator’s work did not end with switching fuels, the company has also put considerable time into developing equipment and fuels that burn as cleanly and efficiently as possible. This approach seems to be paying off, with major contracts coming in from studios and TV networks alike. In this interview, we ask Tomer about the challenges involved in greening such an energy intensive industry, and we learn more about GP Generator’s efforts to maximize their sustainability credentials. For more from Tomer, check out his appearance on Treehugger Radio too.
TreeHugger: The entertainment industry is obviously a resource intensive business, yet a lot of people were surprised at figures showing just how much pollution Hollywood generates. Are the movers and shakers waking up to this not-so-glamorous reality, and is there the will to do something about it?
Tomer DeVito: I can tell you that the movers and shakers are well aware of the reality, but not all are actually ready to spend the time and money to do something just yet. There are companies like Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox that have taken major steps to lessen their impact on the environment and have received very positive press for doing so. I think the promotional benefits of going green are a major incentive for studios, and frankly who cares, as long as it’s happening?
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Honey Bee Mystery Solved?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 7.07
Photo credit: mezzoblue
So where did all the bees go? A group of genetic researchers say they may finally have at least part of the explanation for why honey bees around the United States are dying out in droves, a phenomenon that is sending waves of panic throughout the agricultural industry.
Describing their research on Science's Web site yesterday, scientists say they've isolated a particular virus, called Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV), in a large sample of bees affected by what has come to be known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). The virus, which has also made appearances in Israel and Australia, paralyzes the bees, usually outside their hives. ::Wired News
See also: ::No Tinfoil Hats for Bees, ::Unexpected Haven for Bees, and ::Sweet News: Organic Bees Are Thriving...
Titebond's GreenChoice: Glue Without the Gas
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 7.07
Products like construction, drywall and subfloor adhesive might not be the first things that jump to mind when you think "green building," but they're an important part of having good indoor air quality -- something we've learned can be 10 times worse than the air outside. Just like the paint on your walls, the stuff holding your house together can off-gas volatile organic compounds and other hazardous air pollutants that are not good for you, but you can avoid the headache (literally) of dealing with these with something like Titebond's GreenChoice. They have a bevy of products that are low-VOC or formaldehyde-free; as they say, green building can be as much about what isn't in these materials -- hazardous air pollutants and ozone depletors, in this case -- as what is. And that can help us all breathe a little easier. ::Titebond's GreenChoice via ::Materialicious
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No Comment Dept: The Cold Rush
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
Brian Gable, Globe and Mail...
Buy a Hummer, Save the Planet: Fergie's Unique Take on Going Green
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 7.07
The Brit’s have a popular misconception that Americans don’t understand irony. Singer Fergie, of Black Eyed Peas fame, seems determined to disprove this theory once and for all – we have just learned via AutoblogGreen that she is auctioning off her Hummer to raise money to save the planet:
"After performing at Live Earth and realizing everyone has a role to play in protecting the environment, Fergie decided to sell her HUMMER and donate all the proceeds to Global Green USA. The cynic may say that this is just transferring the negative effects of the vehicle to someone else, but in supporting Global Green USA, the charity is donating carbon emission credits for 10 years to offset the impact and in addition it is using the money to work on the important issue of climate change."...
Paul MacCready 1925-2007
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
While the news is full of spaceports and battery powered cars, pause to remember Paul MacCready, who created far more elegant and appropriate solutions for our times- human and then solar powered flight. At 15 he was winning model airplane competitions; as he got older the planes got bigger. In 1977 the Gossamer Condor, seventy pounds of mylar and piano wire, became the first human powered airplane. In 1979 a cyclist powered the Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel. In 1981 the Solar Challenger, "flying on sunbeams," flew 163 miles on 400 watts from photovoltaics. His solar powered car, the Sunraycer, crossed 2,000 miles of Australian desert.
At the time of his death MacCready was working on giant kites that would float at 1,000 feet and extract "huge energy" from high altitude winds. This is the kind of creativity and genius we need to survive the challenges ahead. ::Economist...
It's BP Time Again
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 7.07
BP had this summer been telling the City of Chicago that 'they didn't have enough room' to upgrade their nearby refinery's wastewater treatment plant (pictured). Right. Chicago ain't buyin' it either.
An environmental consulting company hired to evaluate the situation by Chicago concluded that:- "The expansion of the BP refinery in Whiting can move ahead with existing technology that would keep the pollution it dumps into Lake Michigan at current levels and would mean only a small increase in the cost of the project, according to environmentalists and a report commissioned for the city of Chicago."
"The report, prepared by Tetra Tech, a California-based engineering firm, concluded that BP could upgrade the Whiting refinery's wastewater treatment plant for less than $40 million. "We are confident that it can be done," said Joe Deal, an assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley."
See also these preceding posts: on the BP Air Permit, and re-visiting the issue, and fighting for Lake MI . Finally, stare into the black goey abyss here.
Via:: IndyStar.com," BP can upgrade plant for $40M, report concludes" Image credit:: Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune, in IndyStar.com...
Quote of the Day: Colin Beavan on The Power of One
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 7.07
Rugby World Cup Goes Green
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 7.07
Last year's World Cup Football competition set new standards for environmental initiatives. Today the Rugby World Cup 2007 is starting in France for six long weeks, and they too have risen to the green challenge. Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said "We want all sports and cultural events in France to be ecologically responsible. These events are celebrations but they also have to be celebrations of the planet." Organizers have commissioned a carbon audit of the event from an environmental energy agency. A series of energy-saving measures have been co-ordinated including rail transport between matches. There are good train connections between European countries and between the various cities in France holding events. But with 2.5M fans expected, including 30,000 Australian and New Zealand sportsfans flying in, not to mention Canadians and Japanese, cutting carbon emissions is a major challenge.
Teams will be shuttled between stadia by the TGV super-express train, rather than by plane or bus, and in the Paris region, team vehicles will use biofuels or a low-carbon form of diesel. Garbage will be recycled luckily, since it is expected that 778 tons of it will be thrown away. There will be recycled pitch-watering systems and fair trade snacks for half time. With ten different venues across the country, some 4.7 million kWh of electricity will be generated. Flood lighting systems have been over-hauled and 2,600 square meters of solar panels installed on the roof of the Saint Etienne stadium and a smaller solar power facility elsewhere. A major publicity campaign throughout France has also begun. :: ENN
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Cheapskate: What About Curb-Side Shopping?
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 09. 7.07
(Ornate metal curtain hangers my dad found in the garbage...perfect for the windows of this old Templar house in South Tel Aviv)
With all this back to school talk, we simply love the idea of students furnishing dorms and co-op houses with finds from thrift shops. But those living frugally by choice and who are well beyond the student years, can also enjoy previously-loved items and things found on the curb. And your house doesn't need to look like it belongs to a hobo! This is an especially good option for transient folk who want to travel where the wind takes them, but who still need the basics in furnishings to get by in life. We now take you through a tour of Karin’s last house in Tel Aviv, where most of her space was furnished with things she found in the trash. Sometimes praying for certain items helps......
Calls and Cheers for Green Chemistry
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 09. 7.07
The American Chemical Society (ACS) has praised the House passage of legislation to improve federal infrastructure and organization for furthering green chemistry. Similar legislation was past by the House in the previous two Congresses, but has not been acted on by the Senate.
“Green chemistry is the ultimate proof that environmental and economic benefits in chemistry can be optimized simultaneously. The technologies that spin out of this novel research are the seeds that can sustain small business ventures and green corporate practices,” said Catherine T. Hunt, Ph.D., ACS President. “From reducing and improving pharmaceutical processes, reinventing the home and construction business, to over-coming our climate and energy challenges, green chemistry is proving that economics and environment are not mutually exclusive.”Green chemistry has tremendous potential to alter how our everyday objects are created. Fundamental changes in process and manufacturing can literally change how we relate to nature. As the ACS points out, moving forward in green chemistry will be important not just for the environment, but for our economy and society. ::Eurekalert...
Fuez Blends Recycled Materials
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 6.07
Fuez, a fledgling company from Portland, Ore., recently introduced four surface-tile products, including one made by fusing concrete with recycled glass—similar to the countertops offered by the New York-based IceStone.
Comprising 41 to 77 percent recycled content, Fuez's tiles, countertops, and other surface materials are prefabricated to order, delivered to the job site, and then installed in two to three weeks, says Greg Martin, the company's president. Fuez's Web site is rather bare bones at the moment, but Martin says customers will be sample Fuez products at select Seattle retail outlets in the coming months, or if the suspense is simply killing you, by contacting the company directly. ::Fuez
[Via ::Sustainable Industries]...
Where Corn is King
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 6.07
Keri Smith + Little Otsu = Unscheduled Fun
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 6.07
Artist Keri Smith and the San Francisco-based Little Otsu have joined forces to create the Non-Planner Datebook. Smith admits in her blog that it almost sounds like a contradiction in terms. "It had occurred to me that at times all of my planning and life controlling and goal setting and to-do list making was making me a bit crazy," she says. "You see, I seem to be the kind of person who is simultaneously an overachiever (read: controlling) and also one of the laziest humans you have ever met, (I know some of you will find this hard to believe but you can ask those who are close to me, it is entirely true.) I flit between the extremes of these two things constantly."
The Non-Planner Datebook, Smith says, gives you permission to break out of the confines of rigid scheduling. Printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper using soy inks, journal pages are interspersed with monthly fill-in-the-date pages, along with spreads for made-up days (such as the Day of Wandering and the Day of Indecision) and semi-blank pages for you to customize. There's also a lucky elephant page. We'll leave that for you to discover on your own. ::Little Otsu...
Create a Greener Dorm Room
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 6.07
Photo credit: distinguish
How geared up is your dorm sweet dorm for this year's adventures in higher education? Okay, so you've finally found the sheets that will actually fit those extra-long cribs—you may even have come to terms with the staid regulation furniture you'll have to face for four whole years, but that doesn't mean you can't class up the joint a little, while adding some eco-friendly touches that will boost your mind, spirit, and possibly your GPA. After all, you want to feel ill after a late-night pizza-eating contest, not from the chemicals in your roommate's synthetic air freshener.
You'll probably sleep easier, for instance, knowing that your pillows and sheets aren't soaked in pesticides, formaldehyde, heavy metal dyes, and other toxic nastiness. And call us crazy, but we think you'd rather worry about whether your girlfriend has the hots for her T.A., rather than how our landfills are being swamped by billions of petroleum-based plastic bottles. (Tip: A sturdy water filter for your faucet will stand you in good stead. You're on your own with the girlfriend/T.A. thing, though.) ::Care2
Difficulty level: Easy...
EcoModa: Chicago's Sustainable Fashion Showcase, Sept. 27
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 6.07
Part of the Sustainable Convergence ’07 party (for all you hobnobbing types) being hosted by the non-profit Foresight Design Initiative, EcoModa will feature off-the-rack, environmentally forward, one-of-a-kind designer pieces, as well as accessories by Midwest and national designers and manufacturers, including Lara Miller and Nau. A do-it-yourself eco-fashion contest allows you to take to the runway, with members of the audience voting for the best outfit.
Where: The Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago
When: September 27, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Cost: $25 to $50, with proceeds benefiting Foresight
Register at the event's official Web site ::Sustainable Convergence...
Have a Backyard BBQ Wherever You Go: Folding Picnic Table
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 6.07
If you've got you're flat-folding BBQ or diminutive Grilliput, and are tired of sitting on the ground and using your clothes as a picnic blanket, then this folding picnic table is for you; heck, it'd even work well at your next tailgate party. Through some clever design, the full setup you see above folds into the slim box with a handle (on the left -- there's a carrying bag you can get, too), providing an instant picnic from something that you can stash in a closet at home (and almost slip under your door). TreeHugger loves smart designs that cut back on space and resources; it's just a pity that picnic season is almost over. ::Home Wetbar via ::Oh My That's Awesome!...
Regular People, Natural Heroes
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 6.07
Returning to public television for its third season this fall, Natural Heroes is a series of independently produced films that turns the spotlight on people who are actively helping to better their local communities and the global environment, whether they're positioned among coral reefs surrounding Papua New Guinea or urban compost piles in New York City.
Take a peek at the the promos for all 13 episodes on the show's Web site. "Power Shift," hosted by Cameron Diaz, for instance, examines the role energy plays in our daily lives and the bounty of possibilities offered by clean, renewable energy. "Texas Gold" profiles a mother of five with the chutzpah to use hunger strikes and civil disobedience to wage her own war against the petrochemical industry, while "South Central Farm: Oasis in a Concrete Desert" tracks celebrity activists such as Daryl Hannah, Joan Baez, Julia Butterfly Hill, Martin Sheen, and Willie Nelson as they stand shoulder to shoulder with everyday citizens in a struggle over the country's largest urban garden.
You can help the Emmy award-winning "eco film festival" make it on the air through an online system that lets you locate your local PBS station and submit a request. ::Natural Heroes...
West Coast Green Looking for Volunteers
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 6.07
Attention green building enthusiasts and sustainable lifestyle fans: West Coast Green, the annual residential green building conference and expo is looking for volunteers for this year's event held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on September 20th - 22nd. In return for your six hours of service (or more, if you like), you'll get a full conference pass (that would cost $575 if you bought it!) to check out the entire conference for free, giving you access to over 250 exhibitors of the latest innovative building materials, hear from the 220 leaders and visionaries in green building and experience how beautiful green can be firsthand by walking through the mkLotus show house by Michelle Kaufmann (who has gotten lots of love for her green architecture here at TreeHugger). If that's not enough, they'll sweeten the deal with a free West Coast Green t-shirt. Hit the jump for the full call for volunteers and more details about how to sign up. TreeHugger will be there; will you? ::West Coast Green...
The Umbrella Pot Waters Your Houseplants with Rainwater
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 6.07
If a WaterButt doesn't quite jive with your aesthetic -- or you don't want your neighbors to see you pouring water out of a plastic butt -- the Umbrella Pot might be a little more up your alley. Bringing rainwater harvesting down to the micro level, it's pretty ingenious; what else are you going to do with the water that collects on your umbrella? Plus, as long as you remember to put your umbrella away, you won't have to remember to water the plant growing in the base. With summer winding down and the rainy season (read: the next nine months) coming to the Pacific Northwest, this TreeHugger might be able to put one of these babies to good use. ::Kyouei via ::swissmiss...
Mexico Tries to Float Big Dams to Meet Renewables Goal
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 09. 6.07
Renewable energy has been low on the totem pole of priorities in Mexico, particularly because the nation remains an important oil-producer and relies on fossil fuels for 85 percent of its energy consumption. But Alfredo Elías Ayub, the head of Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission, or CFE, recently announced that country would increase its mix of renewables by 23 percent (up from 2 percent of the current mix) by the end of the current administration in 2012. There's a catch, however. The CFE wants to count its 53 big hydroelectric projects and a few others under construction as renewable energy.
Renewable energy advocates have pointed out that this is a questionable strategy. Until now, Mexico's big hydro projects have not been counted as renewable source of energy. And according to Ivan Zea, an analyst with Cambridge Energy Research Associates, nobody in the international renewable energy community counts big hydro because of its environmental impact....
CharityBuzz Presents the Fourth Annual Chevy Chase Green School Auction
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 6.07
Want to go hang out with Cameron Diaz on set for a day? How about having lunch with President Clinton and Chevy Chase? Or attending the premiere of Ben Stiller's "The Heartbreak Kid" in Los Angeles with the man himself? Of course you do, and you're in luck! Our pals at CharityBuzz are hosting the Fourth Annual Chevy Chase Green School Auction, a charity auction to benefit The Center for Environmental Education Online. Founded by Chevy and Jayni Chase, the center is celebrating its seventeenth year as a national resource center and clearinghouse for environmental education; the non-profit organization grew out of their long-held belief that if understanding and change are going to occur, it must begin with the education of our children.
Starting today, through September 20, you can bid on lots like the aforementioned a day on the set with Cameron Diaz, walking the red carpet with Ben Stiller at his new movie premiere and lunch with President Clinton and Chevy Chase -- you can also bid to get schooled on the tennis court by Chris Evert, and there's a bunch more great celeb-related items to bid on as well; hit the jump for the full release. ::The Center for Environmental Education Online and ::CharityBuzz...
Raw for 30 Days - Documentary On Healing Diabetes with Raw Foods
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 09. 6.07
Check out the trailer of a fascinating new documentary entitled Raw for 30 Days, a clever twist on the Super Size Me concept. The film chronicles six Americans with diabetes who typically subsist on junk food as they switch to a 30-day diet consisting entirely of vegan, organic, live, and raw foods. The hope is that they will be able to reverse their diabetes naturally without any medication.
We won't give away the end but the results are pretty interesting. No doubt this documentary will spur major controversy in the medical world when it hits theaters in spring 2008. ...
Volvo ReCharge
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 09. 6.07
So far we have had Chevy, Ford and Toyota showing off plug-in hybrids in various stages of production. Next up in the plug-in parade: Volvo. Volvo has already shown off its eco-chops with advances in fuel efficiency, creating a prototype that can run on five different fuels, and creating the world's first CO2-free auto plant. Volvo's ReCharge is the latest green car news from the company. Think of the ReCharge as an electric car first, and a hybrid second. For 60+ miles, the ReCharge will operate as a full electric vehicle, drawing power off the lithium-polymer battery. When the battery power lowers to 30%, the "four-cylinder Flexifuel engine" begins to charge the battery. ...
Fisher on the 100 Mile Diet
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 6.07
I have always been fond of Philip Street's comic strip "Fisher" in the Globe and Mail. The protagonist is a frustrated writer working in a job he hates at an advertising agency; sounds like a lot of people I know. He did a cute series on the 100 mile diet this summer, perhaps with a few too many Canadian references but still worth a look at, starting in the archives on August 11. ::Fisher...
Farm Aid – Homegrown to the Music
by Neil Chambers, New York City on 09. 6.07
Back in 1985, Bob Dylan made an off-the-cuff comment while performing at the Live Aid Concert…"Wouldn't it be great if we did something for our own farmers right here in America?" – the statement hit a chord with Willie Nelson , Neil Young and John Mellencamp , and six weeks later Farm Aid was born. Over the last two decades, Farm Aid has brought together an A-List of musicians, including Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Don Henley, Crosby Stills & Nash, Garth Brooks, Neville Brothers, Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms, John Conlee and Kris Kristofferson, to support the nonprofit’s mission of “keeping family farmers on their land” – the result: more than $30 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. ...
Reuse Your Greywater with the Take-Away Sink
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 6.07
Jessica Nebel's Take-Away Sink is just what it sounds like -- a sink that doubles as a bucket, so you can take it away with you. This double functionality serves a double purpose: you can use your sink as a bucket (which, of course, negates the need for you to have a random bucket lying around) and it helps contextualize your water use and makes it easy to reuse your greywater. We could even see watering your houseplants with the water you collect when brushing your teeth. More pics after the jump. ::Jessica Nebel via ::Design Spotter...
Greenwash Watch: Norway Says Cars are not "Green" or "Clean"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 6.07
You can't market a Prius as "green" in Norway; forget about calling your Tesla "clean"- it is all greenwashing to the Norwegian consumer ombudsman. "No car can be "green," "clean" or "environmentally friendly.Cars cannot do anything good for the environment except less damage than others" said Bente Oeverli, a senior official.
"If someone says their car is more 'green' or 'environmentally friendly' than others then they would have to be able to document it in every aspect from production, to emissions, to energy use, to recycling," she said.
"In practice that can't be done," she said of tougher guidelines entering into force in Norway from October 15. The guidelines distributed to carmakers said: "We ask that ... phrases such as 'environmentally friendly', 'green', 'clean', 'environmental car', 'natural' or similar descriptions not be used in marketing cars."
Bravo Norway. ::Reuters
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Make Your Own Minimalist Laptop Case
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 6.07
When I get my shiny new laptop I am going to put it in one of these- a homemade laptop sleeve from the greatest invention of the twentieth century, duct tape. I mean, computers and airplanes are important but if you can't hold them together, what good are they? Over at instructibles, zoundspandang shows us how, saying "I got tired of looking at the scratches and dents my MacBook suffered every time i tried to take it somewhere without throwing it in my rather large backpack. I needed something slim yet good looking. Something rugged yet inexpensive. I turned to my two best friends cardboard and duct tape! In this instructable I'll show you exactly how to make one of your own." He finished it with smart racing stripes. A neat project that even I can probably do without cutting myself. ::Instructables via ::Lifehacker
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Shipping Containers Get Bamboo Floors
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 6.07
Lo-Tek and Adam Kalkin will be chasing these: Eco-containers with bamboo floors. We have noted previously the toxicity of conventional container floors, which are often made with tropical wood. French shipping company now has 37,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of "eco-containers", saving 10,000 cubic metres of tropical wood.
“Expanding our eco-container fleet has a dual objective. First, we want to make use of modern eco-design ideas and limit the use of tropical wood because this resource is disappearing. We also want to improve the technical performance of our own containers to ensure that we provide customers with the service they expect,” declares Alexis Michel, senior VP of Container Logistics. As Katie at Earth2Tech says: " Hmm, good for the planet and the bottom line? Sounds like smooth sailing." ::CMA VGM via ::Earth2Tech
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Pee Powered Battery Now Available
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 6.07
When we last looked at pee powered batteries, they were still experimental; now they are on the shelves in AA and AAA sizes in Japan. It can be recharged with a variety of liquids including urine and other precious bodily fluids, is supposed to last 10 years, and pumps out 500 milliamp-hours (mAh), which is equivalent to zinc-carbon batteries but a third of what an alkaline does.
Commenter Nick had a good idea in the last post: Imagine a Tesla filled with these. "Pile the family in, hook everyone up, and go. Oh, and cancel the old mantra of every parent, "Go before you go." Now, you'll load the kids up with as much kool aid as possible so that you'll be able to go." ::Splurch
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Climate Change Will Break Your Heart
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 6.07
Photo credit: yoshimov
Melting glaciers, driving polar bears onto land, and devouring human flesh apparently weren't enough for global warming. Doctors now warn that it could also affect your heart.
"If it really is a few degrees warmer in the next 50 years, we could definitely have more cardiovascular disease," Dr. Karin Schenck-Gustafsson, of the department of cardiology at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, tells the Associated Press.
The 2003 European heat wave took an estimated 35,000 deaths above expected levels in the first two weeks. of August. In France alone, soaring temperatures caused 15,000 extra people to die, with experts saying that much of that was due to heart problems in the elderly made worse by the extreme heat. ...
Noble Home: Mid-Century Modern Green Prefab
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 6.07
Nobody draws anymore, we all use computers. I can't conceive of setting up a perspective by hand, that's why we have Sketchup. Thus I was immediately attracted to the Noble Home prefab, with its seductive mid-century modern drawings. The designs by Noah Grunberg and Jason Silverman of JASONOAH are evocative of this period of great experimentation, when the designer's goal was to develop a clean, modern, small and efficient home that was easy to build. Frank Lloyd Wright tried this with the Usonian Homes; Noah and Jason met while attending Taliesin, so it is a natural progression. They are also fans of Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio: "Mockbee felt that anyone, especially the bottom of society financially, is entitled to beautiful spaces" says Silverman. "We want to find ways of building affordable homes which are architecturally interesting, environmentally sensitive, and affordable to people on average incomes."
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Climate Change in Africa May Have Driven Early Human Evolution
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 6.07
We've known now for a long time that humanity's earliest roots could be traced back to Africa. Indeed, it is thought that around 70,000 years ago early human populations first began to expand and leave the African continent to spread out across the world. Up until now, scientists had believed that these migrations and population fluxes were driven by the rise and collapse of high-latitude ice sheets. An international team of scientists has put forth a new hypothesis — suggesting that a wetter climate prompted by a dramatic rise in African lake levels may have propelled early human evolution.
In a recently published study, the researchers hypothesize that a transition from a long period of droughts to a wetter, more stable climate could have helped early human populations grow and migrate to other continents. "Previously it was thought that the migrations and population changes of early modern humans were driven by the growth and collapse of high-latitude ice sheets. Our research suggests that instead, prior to 70,000 years ago, wet-dry cycles in Africa were driven by shifts in the Earth's orbit around the sun," said Christopher A. Scholz, a professor of earth sciences at Syracuse University and the study's lead author....
Alaskan Senator Claims Worst is Already Over When it Comes to Global Warming
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 6.07
Alaskan Senator and noted climate "expert" Ted Stevens (he of the "series of tubes" speech) has confidently asserted that — with regards to the effects of global warming — it's all downhill from here. Over the course of a recent news broadcast focusing on the impact of climate change on Shishmaref, a small village in Alaska, Stevens predicted the end of the adverse weather patterns was nigh:
"We're at the end of a long, long term of warming. 700 to 900 years of increased temperature, a very slow increase. We think we're close to the end of that. If we're close to the end of that, that means that we'll starting getting cooler gradually, not very rapidly, but cooler once again and stability might come to this region for a period of another 900 years."This came as news to Deborah Williams, the president of Alaska Conservation Solutions, who deemed the senator's theory a "new one" that contradicted all previous findings of scientists studying global warming. "I have not heard of any credible climatologist who believes that the earth is going to cool. That the Earth would warm over three to seven degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century," she explained. ...
Night Owl Paper Goods' Wooden Postcards
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 6.07
Electronic missives may be waste-free, but some occasions call for something a little more visceral, with warm or cool intentions conveyed through the indelible strokes of a pen against a tangible surface. ("Dear So and so, you suck," has so much more gravity when you're using your best penmanship.)
For those moments, Night Owl Paper Goods has crafted a fetching series of veneer postcards thinly sliced from sustainably harvested wood and varying in wood tint and grain. As a result, say the designers, very little power and no water is used in the process. All that's left for you to decide is whether dotting your "i"s with hearts makes you look like you're trying too hard. (Our consensus: yes.)
More pictures below. ::Night Owl Paper Goods...
Iron Prefab For Sale, £175,000
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 6.07
As noted in our earlier post on tin tabernacles, in 19th century Britain corrugated iron flatpack houses were a proud product of the industrial revolution. According to the Independent, corrugated iron was exported all over the world to make buildings of every size. While others were putting up corrugated iron churches or civic centres, the staff of William Cooper Limited, based in London's Old Kent Road, cornered the market in cheap, prefabricated agricultural buildings, including the Ballintomb Cottage. A local farmer ordered it from the catalogue of a London company and had it delivered by steam train, then horse and cart, to a site near the village of Dulnain Bridge in Strathspey. He assembled it by hand, so he could move his family in during the summer while he rented out his farmhouse to wealthy holidaymakers. It cost just £425. Now, offers of more than £175,000 are being invited but the selling price could reach as much as £250,000. ::Independent...
TreeHugger Radio: Climate Talks Advance Sans US, The Lightning of Climate Change, and Mexico City’s Plan Verde
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 09. 6.07
The expiration of the Kyoto Protocol is still a few years off, but recent talks in Vienna helped lay the groundwork for a major upcoming climate summit in Bali. And as the climate continues to rapidly shift gears, new NOAA research tries to tease out the exact extent of the human impact from other hectic activity like El Nino. The human hand, needless to say, weighs heavy. Also, while most storm studies examine big events like hurricanes, the pioneering work of a NASA scientist is looking at thunderstorms and the new shape they’re taking. And from Mexico City, TreeHugger correspondent Eliza Barclay reports on the mayor’s new green plan and the controversy it has sparked. Listen to 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). ...
ConAgra & Others Dropping Butter Flavoring Agent, Diacetyl, After USEPA Consumer-Exposure Study Reviewed
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 6.07
The reason "microwave popcorn" in a bag typically does not contain actual butter is because butter is expensive and might go rancid. Until now, manufacturers have added some fat or oil, salt, a preservative, and synthetic diacetyl, the latter being the factory-made version of what gives butter its "buttery" taste. In recent years, there have been serious adverse health impacts reported for those workers most exposed to diacetyl while processing microwave popcorn and other buttery flavored foods, opening up the question of whether consumer exposure to diacetyl vapor emanating from a freshly-opened, hot bag presents an unacceptable exposure. (This would be affected by consumer proximity to the bag, a preference to inhale the smells when opening, and frequency of consumption, of course.)...
Quote of the Day: Jeff Goodell on Coal
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 6.07
Photo credit: davipt
The coal industry is very good at touting new technology and less good at actually doing anything about it. There is new technology that's available now, called IGCC, integrated gasification combined cycle, a kind of gasification of coal. But the industry has resisted building these plants. They prefer to tout these plants that are ten or twenty years down the road and continue building the same old thing.
The fact is that carbon dioxide from coal plants has gone up about twenty-seven percent since 1990, and they're continuing to go up. And global warming is an increasing, very urgent problem We need to cut emissions, most scientists agree, by fifty percent or more by the year 2050. And the coal industry is going in the opposite direction ... The fact is that coal can only be considered clean by the narrowest of definitions. It's true that the levels of air pollution of sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxide that Joe [Lucas, executive director of Americans for Balanced Energy Choices] have fallen. But one of the things he doesn't mention is that the coal industry fought tooth and nail against all of those laws that required those reductions during the '70s and '80s and '90s, spent millions of dollars lobbying against them."
—Jeff Goodell, Big Coal, The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future (2006, Houghton Mifflin)...
TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09. 6.07
Ecorazzi: Bill Clinton, Oprah and Kiva - Changing The World One Loan At A Time by Paige Davis. "Kiva.org is no stranger when it comes to receiving celebrity support. The innovative microlending model has changed the way of giving by allowing individuals to loan to entrepreneurs in developing countries . From Adrien Grenier hosting Kiva awareness parties to now Bill Clinton featuring the nonprofit in his book, the Kiva dream is about to be realized exponentially."
Green Options: Five Simple Steps for Going Green in College by Kelli Best-Oliver
"The college years are an exciting transitional time for young people. Many are off on their own for the first time, and they’re faced with responsibility for their own actions and their own well-being. For some teens, college is the first time they experience autonomy, and the variety of choices they’re faced with can be overwhelming, and the pressure of making green choices might just be too much to handle."...
Ontario Election 2007: The Parties
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 6.07
I was going to write a post per day on the parties in the Ontario election but our hatchet-wielding editor questioned whether the rest of the world could keep their heads up through this, so I have condensed it into one post. Read about the Liberal Party here.
Frank de Jong and the Green Party of Ontario
What's not to like about the Green Party?
Energy Policy: "Instead of squandering billions of tax dollars on expensive, heavily subsidized nuclear energy, or allowing coal-fired plants to continue to pollute the air we breathe, the Green Party believes Ontario can build a sustainable energy future through a combination of conservation, efficiency and renewable energy programs."
Sustainability:"we can restore the health and vitality of our communities by supporting each other through simple everyday actions: by buying locally produced food and other goods; by walking, cycling or riding public transit instead of driving short distances; by working in the communities where we live; and by conserving energy and resources wherever possible."...
Offshore Windpower Will Rule
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 6.07
The US, which has so far lagged Europe by several years in the addition of offshore wind farms, will eventually be focused on offshore wind farms as well. Here's the example.
"...a new Dutch wind farm is being built so far out to sea that it is barely visible on the horizon, reducing the visual impact of its 60 turbines to virtually nil while at the same time harnessing higher offshore wind speeds."
"Offshore wind farms are likely to appear more and more frequently off European coastlines as governments seek to increase their use of renewable energy without angering their citizens by placing giant turbines on their doorsteps."...
Flower Show on the St. Lawrence
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 6.07
Back to Montreal to check out the second year of International Flora, Le Festival de Jardins de Montreal. Located on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, with crumbling grain elevators as the backdrop, it's a flower show with Quebec attitude. And a twist--it's planted in June and is on view until September so gardens can mature and become well-established, rather than being uprooted after a week, as at most shows. There is an autumnal feel to the show, with lots of echinacea and grasses blowing in the wind. Some of the gardens have remained in place since last summer and are doing very well--particularly the roof garden which is quite lush now.
Of the new gardens, My Gourmet Garden (pictured) was particularly striking. Climbing edible plants such as broad beans, cucumbers and gourds are grown over large lattice structures. They make a distinctive entrance to the rich and bounteous display of herbs. Visitors are hit by the smell of basil, in red and green, thyme, rosemary, all interspersed with marigolds to keep away the bugs. The focal point of another garden was a red Muskoka Chair made out of recycled yoghurt containers which should become a must-have item for every cottage. ...
Not Quite The College Dorm You Remember
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09. 6.07
While it’s become apparent recently that college students’ have been turning to thrift stores in drastically increasing numbers as a way to save both cash and the environment, some at Pitzer College in Southern California have been hard at work along with members of the faculty and administration to plan and see through the construction of their new, eco-friendly dorms.
The dorm itself, according to one student, “looks like a resort”, with muted colors to help it blend in with the mountains behind it, organic gardens run by students, a cactus landscape to conserve water, and rooftop gardens to help conserve energy and reduce runoff. They’ve also chosen to include a solar energy system to both create electricity and heat the pool, low-flow shower heads, dual-flush toilets, and even windows that include an automatic shut-off that cuts the hi-efficiency heating and cooling systems when the windows open.
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Willie Nelson Rocks Times Square for the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 6.07
We’ve covered the rapidly forming Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance before here and here. Now we see from their website that they are having a party, and no ordinary party – on the 10th of September, Hard Rock Café New York will be hosting an evening with Willie Nelson and Friends, hosted by Woody Harrelson and Daryl Hannah, to raise money for this fledgling organization:
“He told your mammas not to let you grow up and be cowboys. He starred as the “Historian Smoker” in Half Baked. And now he’s taking his stance on gas prices and the environment to Times Square as part of the Ambassadors of Rock Tour.”...
Mod Green Pod Sprouts New Fabrics
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.07
Fresh from the sister-in-law duo of Mod GreenPod comes an elegant—and intelligent—new line of hand-silkscreened organic-cotton home textiles. The aptly named Sprout collection comprises patterns, available in a variety of colorways, named for the designers' own children: Lisa Mims' newborn Adelaide and Nancy Mims' six-year-old daughter Clara and newborn Atticus. (If the fabrics were people, you can just tell that Atticus loves to lose himself in recursive equations and that Clara is feeling giddy from a touch too much bubbly.)
Like all its other fabrics, Mod Green Pod uses 100 percent organic cotton that is completely grown, milled, printed, and finished in the United States. ::Mod Green Pod...
Fair Indigo Introduces Fair Trade Organic Denim
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.07
For its fall collection, Fair Indigo is introducing a line of fair-trade, organic cotton denim togs in four different styles: a stretch blazer and a seamed skirt, along with Authentic Fit and Slim Fit jeans. (Prices start at $69.)
The company, which was formed by four former Lands' End execs, says all its pieces are manufactured in a fair-trade factory in San Jose, Costa Rica, using 100 percent organic cotton grown in the United States and woven in North Carolina.
"Customers loved our jeans last fall. Being able to provide the same great fit while taking better care of our planet just seemed like the right thing to do," says Elizabeth Ragone a Fair Indigo co-founder and the firm's style director, in a press release,. "We believe so strongly in this that our entire denim collection this fall is not just fair trade, but also organic."
For a company that has built its platform entirely on worker rights, we'd say it was about time. ::Fair Indigo
See also: ::How to Green Your Wardrobe...
U.K. District Gets Solar Parking Meters
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.07
Photo credit: sampanalbum
More than 50 new parking meters are being installed in the Mendip District of Somerset in southwest England—and half of them will be solar powered.
The meters are part of a £170,000 investment by the local council after vociferous public demand for more user-friendly machines. (Some of the current parking meters are a good two decades old.)
Britain's first solar-powered meters were installed in Nottingham in 2001, but the machines were plagued by gloomy weather, which often resulted in drivers getting away with free parking. Yay, technology! ::BBC News and ::The Telegraph
See also: ::Seen In New York: Solar Powered Parking Meters...
Fish Lips Recycled Wrapping Paper
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.07
While recycled-wrapping-paper options have tended toward the rustic, California-based Fish Lips Paper Designs breaks with tradition to reveal a trove of bold, modern patterns saturated with color. Each 22x33.75-inch sheet is designed and printed in the United States on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper using soy-based inks
The woman-owned biz also has a seasonal collection of holiday designs, plus an assortment of reuse ideas, so your bestowal can be the gift wrap that keeps on giving. ::Fish Lips Paper Designs
See also: ::Mapwrap Re-Purposed Giftwrap, ::Lucky Crow Gift Bags, and :: Book Review: Danny Seo's Simply Green Giving...
Multitask with Baking Soda
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.07
Photo credit: iamthebestartist
There's more to baking soda than unclogging drains and fluffing up cakes and muffins. (Mmm, cakes and muffins.) Strange but true: More than 100 tons of the popular refrigerator deodorizer were used to clean the Statue of Liberty's inner copper walls during its 1986 restoration, primarily because of baking soda's ability to attack grease by turning it into, well, soap.
Some of the white powder's more-unexpected applications: exfoliating your skin, fighting fires, cleaning up grease spills, and curing nasty bouts of indigestion. ::Real Simple
Difficulty level: Easy
See also: ::62 Uses for Vinegar...
Make Stuff Last, Save a Bundle
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.07
Photo credit: lhoon
Here's a surefire way of making sure you don't fritter away your hard-earned clams, say the experts at Consumer Reports: Spend less. Taking care of what you already own—and postponing the bank-account-draining day you'll have to replace them—makes your money stretch further, which is almost as good as making more, with the added bonus that Uncle Sam doesn't get to partake of your theoretical riches.
Regular maintenance checks on appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators go a long way to extending their lives, as does good ol' fashioned common sense. (Don't stow your phone in your car's glove compartment during warm weather, for instance, because the battery could overheat and damage your phone.)
Periodically cleaning out filters and coils, and emptying traps and ducts also help you stay on frugal straight-and-narrow. Help yourself remember by marking these "appointments" ahead of time on your calendar or using an online scheduler that e-mails you nagging reminders. ::Greener Choices
Difficulty level: Easy...
Getting Students to Walk It Out
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 09. 5.07
Want a sure sign of our growing auto dependency over the last 30 years? Look at how many kids now walk to school. A 2003 study by the Surface Transportation Policy Project showed that although 71 percent of parents with school-aged children walked to school themselves, only 18 percent of their children do, while 53 percent are driven to school. This coincides with a tripling of the percent of school-aged child obesity over the last 20 years. Luckily, some U.S. states are starting to use federal transportation money to urge students to walk or bike to school again. For instance, Wisconsin is putting a $4 million federal grant towards bicycle and walking safety in an effort to get parents and students to reverse the trend. ...
How to Pack an Eco-Friendly School Lunch
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.07
Photo credit: e_hmm
Using reusable containers, instead of single-use disposable brown bags, of course, is a garbage-reducing no-brainer, especially considering that U.S. residents, businesses, and institutions produced more than 245 million tons of trash in 2005 alone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Just be sure to avoid lead-containing vinyl lunch boxes.
If you want to give your future honors student a real head start, forget the mini-packs of Cheetos and Doritos. Apples, oranges, bananas, and other fruit are heathful, waste-free snackables that come with their own compostable wrapping. For extra credit, instead of throwing out enough plastic zippered baggies to smother a herd of rhinos, consider a reusable option such as the Wrap-n-Mat, which you can easily wipe down or toss into the wash. ::Gaylord Herald
Difficulty level: Easy
See also: ::TreeHugger Goes Back to School...
Barbie, Don't Blame China
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
Poor Barbie is disconsolate as her dream house is emptied and her furniture recalled by Mattel for lead paint remediation. We hope that when she refurnishes she will do it with a bit more style and shop local. She will find it a bit more expensive, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to go minimal and try living with less. And don't go blaming the Chinese for the required makeover; Professor Shih-Fen S. Chen of the Richard Ivey School of Business notes that:
The reality is that U.S. importers have failed to install a quality control system and reject any outsourced product that does not meet the benchmarks. We are not talking about a few random errors in production that escape the eyes of quality control managers, but about a colossal failure of the outsourcing firm that let 19 million pieces of unsafe toys slip into the marketplace....
domino Magazine's Decorating Contest: We Say "Go Green!"
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 5.07
Our pals over at domino magazine are holding their first-ever decorating contest this month, and they want you to show off your decorating chops by uploading a photo of the best-decorated room in your home. If you've cobbled together a fab room with vintage finds (and maybe splashed some no-VOC paint on an accent wall) or otherwise incorporated some modern, green interior design, here's your chance to show the world that green can be sexy, too; if you've been meaning to update your look, here's a great opportunity to put a little green bounce in your step and add a few green touches to your home. Check out their slideshow of entries for some inspiration (yours could be there soon!), and take a peek at our collaboration for "The Green List" in domino's March 2007 issue if you're looking to source some new green decorating tips, materials or products. ::domino magazine's Decorating Contest...
TH Forums Highlights: Going Green at School, Green Flooring in the Basement + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 5.07
Flowing fast and furious through a series of tubes, right to your desktop, here are some highlights from TreeHugger Forums...
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) Now that forums user atheos13 is back at school, it's time to get the 'Student for a Better Earth' club rolling. So far, the list of objectives includes school-wide recycling, biodiesel in the buses, a garden for the cafeteria, increased energy efficiency (like with energy-saving lightbulbs and computer equipment) and much more. " I would love some feedback from the TH community on what I, and others, can do to green their schools." Lots of good ideas here; anyone else?
2) User citizenkahn wonders, "What are the good environmentally friendly options for basement floors that I can use in a slightly musty basement?" Recycled rubber, cork, salvaged lumber and palm wood are in as a possibility, and bamboo is out -- dampness and moisture are a necessary consideration here. So far, it looks like recycled rubber and no additional flooring at all -- with maybe a few coats of sealant -- are leading the way.
3) Forums user ed is looking for an affordable solar trailer to be designed, so we can get away from grid power and the seemingly endless cycle of replacing batteries that provide portable power. The thread notes that this has implications far beyond just hand-held portable power, as they could potentially replace portable generators that are thrust in to action when the grid gets overloaded and goes down. Solar power on the go is a great idea; anyone know how to help make it work?
Most Huggable: Iceland’s Call on Whales, Places to See Before They’re Gone, Swimming the N. Pole, and More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 09. 5.07
A sigh of relief comes from Iceland’s blowholes. The country announced it won’t issue any more quotas for whaling… If you love something... LighterFootstep muses over the graceful art of giving stuff away… Office Depot cut back its emissions by 10%, without the use of offsets or fancy solar panels… Kilimanjaro, the Amazon, and lemurs in Madagascar. These are some of the things to see before they’re gone. But tread lightly, my son… The new ice-free North Pole has created plenty of new opportunities, including space for a leisurely swim in the name of global warming… 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? ...
Wired Home Installation Live on Webcam
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
Steve Glenn is letting it all hang out in public again, with webcams so that we can all watch the installation of the Wired Home by Living Homes modern prefab. Last time we tried to count the people without hard hats in places where they shouldn't be; what excitement will happen this time? Tune in at ::Living Homes webcam (sometimes watching paint dry is more exciting but then some big module flies in front of the camera.) More on ::Wired Home by Living Homes...
City Running Tours: See the Town Carbon Free
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
A lot of travellers wake up early and hit the pavement, whether out of excitement, habit or jet lag. But where to go? Here is a terrific idea: Guided running tours.
"Ideal for the business traveler who is tired of on the hotel treadmill, the marathon runner who is training for a race and is looking to continue or spice up their regular routine, or the recreational runner who wants to explore new and interesting routes, City Runners Tours offers both set tours as well as customized runs to accommodate any athletic ability, style, training regimen or specific landmarks."
Founded by Michael Gazaleh in Washington DC: "A health, sports and exercise enthusiast his entire life and an avid runner for over 10 years, he wanted to bring his love of running and his passion for his native home to visitors." It has now expanded to New York, San Diego and Chicago with more cities coming soon. ::City Running Tours via ::Springwise...
Hey Members of Congress: No More Leasing Gas-Guzzlers
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 5.07
Although it went largely unnoticed in the broader tussle over the energy bill, an amendment authored by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver — that was approved right before the Congress' summer recess by a 218-196 vote — would allow congressmen to only lease eco-friendly cars. The Missouri Democrat estimates that the new provision will only affect about 100 of his colleagues — those who have been spending upwards of $1 million in taxpayer money every year to lease ginormous, gas-guzzling luxury cars. Cleaver himself leases a big van retrofitted to run on used cooking oil.
"If we are going to declare that we are moving toward energy independence, then the members of Congress using taxpayer dollars ought to be willing to give up big Cadillacs in order to lease an energy-efficient car," he said....
Holy Ceiling Fan, Batman!
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 5.07
We've known for awhile that ceiling fans are a great way to maximize the energy efficiency in your home (remember, using them is one of our 25 Ways to Save the Planet), and they can save you some cash since they operate at a fraction of central and window air-conditioning units (and they can work great in tandem with your A/C if global warming has you sweating it out). As Energy Star reminds us, ceiling fans help keep you cool (rather than cooling the entire room), but we've never seen a fan that can help keep you cool in more ways than one quite like this one can. Gives new meaning to being a "Batman fan," doesn't it?
As an aside, just because summer is ending doesn't mean you have to quit using it. Setting it at low speeds during the cool fall and winter months can help keep the warm air coming from your heater down where you can better appreciate it. Plus, it'll draw more attention to your bad-ass bat-wing ceiling fan, too. Available from ::Etsy via ::Boing Boing Gadgets...
Nuclear, Tech and Solar Duke It Out for Rare Metals
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 09. 5.07
Metal scarcity is pushing some of the world's biggest industries into a regular Battle Royale, as they struggle to obtain enough raw materials to continue operations. Metals are chemical elements, and prized for their unique properties; usually no synthetic replacement can be developed. New Scientist magazine reports that the world is running out of several rare metals used to form key components in high-tech devices, including cell phones and semiconductors. The article mentions that supplies of indium, used in liquid-crystal displays, and of hafnium, a critical element for next-generation semiconductors, could be exhausted by 2017. ...
Fight Global Warming and Get a Big Mac
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
As Jasmin noted earlier, "Your average quarter pounder, siphons 600 gallons of water, 1.2 pounds of feed grain, and 6 square feet of former prairie land—plus the loss of five times the patty's weight in topsoil—even before it gets slapped on a grill." Collin noted that a cheeseburger has a carbon footprint of about 6.5 pounds of emissions.
So what are they doing in Japan? The Environment Ministry and McDonalds are giving half-price Big Macs to people who pledge to fight global warming. So many people took up the offer that the website crashed.
Reminds us of the Eco-Center raffling off a Hummer, sort of sending mixed messages. ::Yahoo News
...
No More Arctic Ice Cap by 2030?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 5.07
Just how bad has the situation in the Arctic gotten? In the past week alone, scientists estimate that an area almost twice the size of Britain disappeared as a result of the unprecedented heat. So much ice has now melted, in fact, that the Northwest Passage has become fully navigable for the first time in history, and the Northeast Passage — which straddles Russia's Arctic coast — could follow suit by the end of this month.
If present trends continue, scientists predict that the Arctic could become ice-free within 23 years. To put that into context, it took the last 30 years for it to lose almost a third of its ice. "It's amazing. It's simply fallen off a cliff and we're still losing ice. If you asked me a couple of years ago when the Arctic could lose all of its ice, then I would have said 2100, or 2070 maybe," said Mark Serreze, an Arctic expert at the University of Denver's National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). ...
Back to School with Wrap-n-Mats
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09. 5.07
With all the kids returning to school over the past week, we found this great idea and wanted to share. Adding on to Jasmin’s “Back to School” ideas, these alternative baggies, called Wrap-n-Mats, are well worth the money. They are compact and fold up easily to fit in your child’s lunchbox. Simply place the sandwich or other snack foods in the center of the wrap and fold left to right, top to bottom and close the hook and loop fasteners. Added bonus: they are reusable and machine washable as well. Not to mention they are a great education tool for your child and their friends! $4.99-$6.50 each. Via ::iVillage ::Wrap-n-Mat...
An Early Green Roof. With Houses.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
During World War II there was some concern that the Japanese might attack the Lockheed Burbank Aircraft plant, so they decided to camouflage it- by turning it into a subdivision. It looks quite bucolic, with streets, cars and houses. ::Core77 calls it "largest trompe l'oeil ever made. It's Christo meets Carpaccio...meets G.I. Joe."
Enough with just building green roofs, let's put housing, trees and playgrounds on factory roofs everywhere- this looks quite charming. ::eatliver via ::Core77...
How to Become a Vegetarian
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.07
Photo credit: paolavelasquez
Vegetarianism is a highly emotionally charged issue, no matter which side of the fence you're on.
Soy production has its problems, too, but the fact remains that the cost of mass producing cattle, poultry, sheep, and pigs is highly unsustainable due to our inefficient use of freshwater and land, along with soil erosion and heavy pollution from livestock waste. Your average quarter pounder, according to one Cornell University study, siphons 600 gallons of water, 1.2 pounds of feed grain, and 6 square feet of former prairie land—plus the loss of five times the patty's weight in topsoil—even before it gets slapped on a grill.
Becoming vegetarian, like the Shingles vaccine or Scientology, isn't for everyone. But if it's something you've considered, this step-by-step guide on weaning yourself off meat could be what you're looking for. But whether you view a heifer as something with hopes and dreams, or really tasty chow, be mindful of the Golden Rule: Don't be a jerk about it, either way. :: Zen Habits
Difficulty Level: Moderate...
Quote of the Day: Colin Beavan on Using Less
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
I think that the climate crisis—not to mention the planet’s numerous other environmental problems—calls for us to use less. Use less power, use less oil, use less stuff. As I write, it’s dark out. There is one100-watt equivalent, solar-powered LED light on in the living room of our apartment. There are no other lights. When we want to read in bed, we’ll move the light in there. There’s a beeswax candle in the bathroom for tooth brushing. No TV is blaring. No video game is bleeping. No air conditioner is humming. Last month, we got a nearly $400 rebate from the electric company—they finally got around to reading our meter after sending us estimated bills for a few months. We have radically reduced our resource use over the last year. It’s not so bad at all. In fact, as I've written, in some ways it's better. I’m not saying that the whole United States should live like our No Impact household. What I am saying is that, if my little family can be relatively comfortable using so much less, then it really is possible for our culture to be comfortable and happy making the more modest reductions that may well be required, in addition to improvements in technology, to help our sickened planet.::No Impact Man...
Chefs, Cassava and Cows Down on 'The New Farm'
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 5.07
Here are just three of the many thought provoking stories we spotted, a bit late, in the August rendering of New Farm‘s online offerings.
According to a survey of 1,000 U.S. chefs by the National Restaurant Association locally grown produce ranked second on their list of ‘hot items.’ Organic produce came in third. Both were beaten for first place by bite-sized desserts. Apparently 71% of U.S. adults told survey collectors that they were trying to eat healthier when eating out....
Just What We Needed Dept.: A $499 LED Flashlight
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
OK, it is pretty and we do love our LEDs. It is an "Ultra compact (pinky-sized), mini flashlight that establishes a whole new class of illumination tools: luxury flashlights. The Titan is the world's only fully variable-output flashlight, with an operating range from zero to 65 lumens and all points in between. No preset levels; just total, seamless control—over 1,000 possible output levels. The Titan features an all-titanium body with an elegant satin finish, a no-look control bezel for precision operation, a virtually indestructible LED, a scratch-resistant sapphire window, an Acme-threaded tailcap, and a quick-connect/disconnect interface that easily attaches to its included lanyard or key ring."
But five hundred bucks? ::Surefire via ::ProductDose...
We Can't Make This Stuff Up Dept: Recycled Airplane Trolley Kitchen Cart
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 5.07
We already know how to recycle a 747 (sort of), but if you've got a small (maybe even round) house, you'll have a need for extra storage. Enter German company Bordbar, who recycles actual airplane trolleys -- they have the dings from when the "fasten seatbelt sign" should have been on to prove it -- into home storage on wheels. Choose from tons of patterns and colors to adorn your new kitchen cart, and wow your guests when you serve them Ginger Ale and pretzels at your next party.
Okay, so this one falls into the "when weird implementations happen to good ideas" file (just like this wacky bedside table), but recycling those carts into something people can use certainly beats tossing them. And we're willing to bet that there are more than a few people who'd pick up a damask-decorated cart for their home; if that's you, check out ::Bordbar via ::Apartment Therapy: Los Angeles...
Contradiction in Terms Dept.: a LEED Certified Spaceport
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
Foster+Partners have won the competition to build the world's first private spaceport in New Mexico. Tourists and passengers will drive into the middle of the desert, where Richard Branson and others will literally burn rubber, mixed with nitrous oxide, to fire people into space for seven minutes at $ 200,000 a pop.
And guess what? It is designed to be LEED Platinum. To be "both sustainable and sensitive to its surroundings." What an oxymoronic gesture. Next thing you know we will have LEED certified coal fired power plants. ...
Build a Green-Roofed Dog Veranda
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 5.07
Provide a shaded spot for Fido to chill with his homies in the backyard, while supplying some real estate for a bee- and butterfly-friendly garden. "My dogs are spoiled rotten and sleep in bed with my wife and I," says the Instructable writer. "This is a spot for them to rest when playing in the yard, it is not designed for a dog to live in." Arf! ::Instructables
Difficulty level: Moderate...
Eurostar vs. Planes: It's Not Just About the Green
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 5.07
Eurostar, the operator running trains between London and Paris, and London and Brussels, is increasingly painting itself as the green alternative to flying. We’ve previously written about their study claiming 90% fewer emissions than equivalent flights, and we’ve also featured their ambitious goal of reducing these already meager emissions by a further 25% and offsetting the rest. Now it seems that they are competing with airlines on more than just greenness. Trains on the newly upgraded line look set to come in with a 20 minute shorter journey time than before, and they are even aiming to compete on price with their airborne counterparts. This from the BBC:...
Patagonia Mixes Its Drinks: Reviewing their Rum & Cola
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 5.07
Many moons ago, when this TreeHugger used to sell hiking boots he was often asked, "which brand do you recommend?" The response: “The one that fits the best.” Advice gleaned from enduring many long, blister-filled days in the hills. Recently we were lucky enough to test drive some new Patagonia footwear to see where they stood.
At first glance we found the Rum & Cola clunky looking, and a little heavy, but shrugging that off, we pulled them on and subjected them to days of stomping around at our day job, and on walks in the bush to determine comfort levels. Conclusion: Just like wearing a pair of slippers. For this testers feet, anyhow. Very comfy, surprisingly so. Equally at home leaping about on rocks and logs, or cycling to the commuter train. And they squish flat for travelling.
What about their green credentials? Materialwise, the outsole is 70% natural rubber latex. A lot of rubber these days has a synthetic origin. The foam footbed is recycled EVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) and the foot-frame recycled (and instep strap) are from recycled TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). The upper is leather, but more on that later....
GreenKnickers: Now With Official Fair Trade Logo
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 5.07
Some time back we posted on London-based designer Sarah Lucy Smith’s sassy GreenKnickers project, and have since brought you news when these handcrafted, ethically produced undergarments have gone on sale. Well the GreenKnickers concept has continued to go from strength to strength. We have just heard, for example, that some of the company’s collections can now carry the much coveted Fair Trade logo – no mean feat for a small enterprise such as this, as the GreenKnickers newsletter explains:
...
Get 'Em Started Early with InModern's EcoTots
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 5.07
Parents: want a quick 'n easy way to help turn your kids in to TreeHuggers? Help 'em learn their ABC's ("FSC stands for 'Forest Stewardship Council'") and botany and forestry ("Birch trees grow for 30 years before they're harvested sustainably") with InModern's EcoTots furniture. The diminutive, modern furniture follows the same model as the rest of InModern's collection: FSC-certified SmartWood with a 100% non-toxic water-based finish is assembled without tools and is constructed with only three pieces of wood, keep materials and shipping (since they flat-pack) low.
We love to see examples of better materials and smart manufacturing combined with sustainable design; when it can help the youngsters become Junior TreeHuggers, then everybody wins. Available at ::Vitamin D(esign) -- ::InModern via ::Design Milk...
"Killacycle" Heats Up The Pavement
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 5.07
We mentioned the Killacycle, a hot new custom electric motorcycle, back in April, after encountering it on another blog. Here's an update based on newspaper coverage: an indication that rad green tech is catching on. "As Scotty Pollacheck, a 38-year-old pro racer from Medford, Ore., heated the KillaCycle's tires on the track before he ran, he disappeared in an acrid, white cloud of scalded rubber. The bike sounded like a blender crushing ice, and it shot from the starting gate like a bullet fired without a bang. The track's fence birds hooted their approval."
"While it was the fastest bike at Bandimere on Saturday, the KillaCycle is not the fastest of all. The electric bike at 8.16 seconds and 157 mph on the quarter-mile stretch is just 2 seconds from all-time record set by a motorcycle running on nitromethane. A123 Systems will soon release a battery pack that doubles the KillaCycle's horsepower, Dubé said, putting that record within reach."...
Reducing the Tourism Footprint: Kayak and TreeHugger Team Up
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 5.07
TreeHugger is no stranger to discussions on how best to travel lightly on this earth. While we’ve posted on alternatives to flying before, we are aware that many folks will continue to travel by air for the foreseeable future. We were delighted, then, when the folks from online-travel site Kayak contacted us asking for tips to help their customers travel greener [they’ve already published details of some top eco-tourism destinations]. Here’s what we put together for them:...
Open House London: Architecture in the Flesh
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 5.07
Get on your running shoes and get going: it's that crazy weekend again. On September 15 and 16, hundreds of private and public buildings across every London borough will be open to the public for two short days. Figuring out where to go first and what to see is a major logistical challenge since the queues are long--especially for those achingly minimalist private homes. This year several houses have been identified as "green sustainable" houses, including one by David Cameron's ever-so fashionable green architect Alex Michaelis--watch for a special th report. There are also two special eco-tours organized by Sponge, a group of young professionals with an interest in sustainability. Then there is the special lecture series on "The Greening of the Capital's Homes" with talks by an architect on solid timber building and two homeowners on transforming their victorian house into a sustainable one.
London has a number of major developments which will change the face of some formerly tacky parts of town. At King's Cross, massive redevelopment is underway, including the new train station for the Eurostar. London 2012 Olympic Park, the site for the games is also on display, with the project team on site. Public art, on hoardings and done in collaboration with architects is also be featured, in tours and in lectures. Lots to see and read about. :: Open House...
Kegger Time in Bradburn Village
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
Bradburn residents wheel their portable keg cart to one of their weekly park parties
In New Urbanist communities, garages are at the rear, the houses are close to the street and they all have big, usable front porches. We have found in our old Toronto neighbourhood that it really does encourage social interaction among neighbours, including partying together occasionally; In Bradburn Village in Westminster, Colorado, they do it every week. Sober reporting from Fermentarium notes:
Standard suburban design, with housing separated from retail and office uses, forces people to drive for their every need, no matter how small. One glass of wine in a nice establishment involves a minimum 10 minute car ride in most of suburbia, and any more to drink requires the presence of a designated driver. But things are changing, a neighborhood planning movement called new urbanism is creating communities all across the U.S. with design features that reduce the risk of drunk driving, so you can live in the suburbs and drink your beer too!...
Ontario Election 2007: And They Are Off
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
Do voters really care about the environment? In Ontario, Canada it is the official start of the first fixed-date election. Until now, the Government got to pick the date and drop the writ whenever they felt they had the biggest advantage; then they passed a law fixing the date every four years, which takes away a big advantage for the ruling party. Ontario is big, with almost 40% of Canada's population and 52% of its manufacturing, and Provinces have more power than States do, controlling, among other things, their own energy resources. Another difference in a parliamentary system is that the leader is a sitting member of the house, unlike a Governor who runs on a separate ballot, so citizens don't get to vote for the leader, they have to vote for their local member of Parliament. So much for civics, lets look at the parties- they are all claiming to be green and driving biofueled buses, who is the greenest of them all? Fair and Balanced coverage follows:
Dalton McGuinty and the Liberal Party...
Water: Measure It; DO It
by Danielle Carpenter Sprungli, WCSBD on 09. 5.07
Welcome to the Global Water Tool. Developed by the World Business Council For Sustainable Development, the Water Tool allows companies and organizations to map their water use and assess their impact on the availability of water.
Although penned over 200 years ago, Coleridge’s “Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink” could well describe the global situation today; and all the more so if we consider the rainfall that drenched much of Northern Europe and South Asia this summer, leaving many places under a meter of water and without freshwater supplies.
The world is not “running out of water”, but water is not always available when and where people need it. There’s either too little of it, too much of it, or it’s too polluted.
More and more parts of the globe are becoming water-stressed. The global freshwater supply is under pressure from population increase, growing domestic consumption, increasing agricultural use and burgeoning industrial and energy demands. At the same time, the quality of freshwater is being compromised by domestic waste, industrial pollution and increased use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. ...
Survey: Would You Pay A Premium To Go Green?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 5.07
In a review of former Treasury Secretary Robert Reich's new book Supercapitalism, Stephen Kotkin of the New York Times writes that we are hypocrites. "One of the book’s examples of consumers’ hypocrisy has to do with canned tuna. J. W. Connolly, former president of Heinz U.S.A., which was the parent company of StarKist, explains that “consumers wanted a dolphin-safe product,” but “if there was a dolphin-safe can of tuna next to a regular can, people chose the cheaper product. Even if the difference was a penny.” The company terminated its higher-cost effort to protect dolphins. After all, it’s a business, beholden to consumers and shareholders." BoingBoing asks, "Are we as a species unable to rectify higher personal cost for an ultimate societal benefit?"
...
The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09. 5.07
With kids across America heading back to school, The Down-to-Earth Guide To Global Warming is hot off the presses and ready to roll into classrooms and school libraries everywhere. But how do you take a relatively difficult subject area and make it so kids can understand it without being overwhelmed? Easy… Just make it fun, factual, irreverent, and even a bit entertaining to read. Then pack it with boatloads of great photos and diagrams, ideas on how kids can actually get involved in the fight, and even a few inspiring examples of people who’ve already taken steps to make a difference…
Of course you may encounter a student or two who’s been reading the likes of “The Sky’s Not Falling!” to ease their way into sleepy wonderland, but I doubt there will be many. Most kids I’ve met are very much aware of the problem and really would prefer to stop talking about it and actually do something.
How about having them create Shoes of Hope once they’ve gone home and done some of the simple things like changed their lightbulbs?
...
Picnick: NYC's New Sustainable Food Stand
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 4.07
Downtown Manhattanites with a case of the lunchtime munchies can mosey down to Battery Park for a bite at Picknick, a new sustainable food kiosk that considers itself a "mini-model of consumer and eco-conscious food service."
Serving a medley of sandwiches, salads, and sweets, Picknick sources most of its ingredients from small farms and local businesses, while any global vendors must meet social-responsibility standards. A percentage of the company's profits is piped back into the Battery Conservancy gardens surrounding New York Harbor, famed for their views of the Statue of Liberty and assemblage of imitation-Rolex peddlers.
Takeout containers, cutlery, and cups are made from biodegradable bioplastics. Even the kiosk's menu boards are made from Richlite, a fiber composite manufactured using Forestry Stewardship Council-certified paper. ::Picnick
[via ::Core 77]...
Palm Cancels the Foleo
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
I so wanted a Foleo. I have been a Palm fan since they started, and loved the idea of a light notebook that tied into my Treo. Everyone thought I was nuts; one commenter said "If you buy one of these its like carrying a big I'm an idiot sign". I thought low power, linux, what could be wrong? I said "All of the Gizmodo and Engadget geeks trashing this thing don't understand that we are entering an era where low power, long life and no moving parts are going to be huge advantages."
Well, clearly they know more about computers than I do; Palm pulled the plug on it today. Palm says that they are working on a new operating system and the Foleo is a distraction: "after careful deliberation, I have decided to cancel the Foleo mobile companion product in its current configuration and focus all our energies on delivering our next generation platform and the first smartphones that will bring this platform to market. " From now on you can get all of your green computing information from Mark, I am outta this department. Full release below the fold....
You Must Learn to Fold the Recumbent Bicycle, Young GrassHopper
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 4.07
My oh my, how TreeHugger loves folding bikes; when they come in the more comfortable (according to some) recumbent variety, the world's most efficient vehicle gets even better. So, fans of the recumbent folding bicycle, feast your eyes on the GrassHopper, a slick folder that goes from a lean, mean, recumbent machine to a neatly folded package for storage and transport (to a size of about 38" x 28" x 24") in under 60 seconds. If you aren't convinced by that, here's what Paul Hollants, CEO of HP Velotechnik, has to say about it, "Imagine you get off your bike after a long sporty riding day and the only ache you're feeling is a tingling in your thighs. You can simply relax about an aching bottom, numb private parts, aching intervertebral discs or a stiff neck." And nobody wants that. ::HP Velotechnik via ::Yanko Design...
Number of the Day: 1/3
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 4.07
1/3 -- the number out of all US farms that are actually within metropolitan areas, approximately (more than you thought, wasn't it?), representing 18% of the total farmland in this country, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
In the same vein, only 3.5 cents of every dollar goes to the farmer when food is purchased at the grocery store, according to the Sustain AgriFood Network [pdf] versus the 80 to 90 cents on the dollar that goes to the farmer when food is purchased at a farmer's market.
Go to Local Harvest to learn more about where you can get local food in your neck of the woods....
TreeHugger Picks: Afternoon Movie Matinee with Free Range Studios
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 4.07
The folks at Free Range Studios have been entertaining and educating (entercating? edutaining? hmm...) for years with their clever flash-animation and live action vids about the intricacies of agro-politics and industrial agriculture. Check out Foodfight!, their latest about the Farm Bill, and check out some of our other favorites from the past few years.
...
 | 1) The Meatrix and its sequel taught us about the evils of factory farming through the eyes of Moopheus the cow, Leo the pig and the team of family-farm boosting animals. Factory farming is hard to stomach on film; a bit of flash animation makes it go down a whole lot easier. |
 | 2) Who killed the polar bear? It is up to Sophie Minnow and Robert Penguin to solve in The Daveristy Code. It turns out that the decline of biodiversity is killing us all. Climate change, overdevelopment, human beings are conspiring to destroy the priory and web of life. It's not always easy to contextualize the connection between biodiversity and our daily lives; this flick provides a good first step. |
 | 3) Not so long ago in a supermarket not far away was Store Wars, the tale of Cuke Skywalker, Obi Wan Cannoli, Princess Lettuce and Chewbroccoli battling against Darth Tater and the Dark Side of the Farm. Don't worry, no vegetables were harmed in the production of this film. The Declaration of Indigestion and a backwards hamburger, after the jump... |
Warmer Summers Mean Changing Cheese
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 09. 4.07
Story after story has shown global warming's effects on everything from flowers to rivers to...kittens. However, this is the last straw - you don't mess with a man's cheese. NPR reports that many regional cheeses are changing in quality and taste as weather patterns have started to shift in cheese-making regions such as Vermont in North America and the French Alps in Europe. For cheesemakers, changing temperatures can cause changing diets for their cows:
The flora in the Alps is slowing changing, too. Pelletier is seeing plants native to the south of France seeking refuge in his own mountainous backyard. And a change in flora, he says, might someday change the taste of alpine cheese.Maybe its time to visit your local cheesemaker (or make that trip to France) before the weather turns everything into cheddar. ::Via NPR ...
Excess Nightime Energy Could Fuel Over 158 Million Plug-in Hybrids
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 09. 4.07
One common critique of an electric car revolution is that the increased energy demand might just lead to the generation of new power plants, negating some of the cars' positive environmental benefits. Well, according to a new study by the U.S. Department of Energy, those critiques are misguided. The study shows 84% of the 198 million cars, light trucks and SUVs on America's roads could be fueled by the existing energy infrastructure if switched to plug-in hybrid vehicles. When you add vans and other vehicles in the "light duty fleet," 73% of the 217 million vehicles could be powered with the power plants we have in place today. In switching from 6.5 million barrels of oil every day to electric cars fueled by off-peak power production, the study estimates a reduction of greenhouse gases by 27%. ...
Fall Fashion 07: Twice Shy
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 4.07
We asked Jen McCormack, co-founder and creative director of Vancouver-based Twice Shy, to share some of her favorite picks from the organic apparel company's fall line.
Twice Shy's signature screen prints are at play once more for leaf-raking weather; autumnal tones of chocolate and mellow rose contrast against bold teal and defiant ochre, while classic lines are punched up by subtle details: a handkerchief hem on a dress, puffed sleeves on a blouse, or ruffles on a skirt.
And transitional-weather clothing is all about mix-and-match versatility. "The women’s criss-cross dress (third photo, below) can be layered over a long sleeve or tee," says McCormack. "and the babydoll (above left) can be worn over jeans for the cooler climates."
More pictures below. ::Twice Shy...
For the Space-Conscious Gourmand: "Liberty Island" Fold-Out Stove
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 4.07
If your kitchen suffers from a lack of prep and counter space, you feel like your stove is hogging too much space, and the Fold Flat BBQ won't do it for you, then we present another space-saving concept: ALNO's "Liberty Island" mobile cooking unit.
Use it as a table or island when not cooking, and it just flips up when you're ready to unleash your inner Iron Chef. At 32 inches wide and 16 inches deep, it's fairly compact, but it still provides a four-zone electric induction cooktop and even has a glass backsplash to prevent splattering onto your table.
Sadly, this is still but a concept, so, if you've already started dragging the oven out of your kitchen, you probably ought to put it back. ::ALNO via ::SciFI Tech...
It Slices, It Dices: Two For the Price of One with John Pawson's Sofadesk
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 4.07
TreeHugger loves multi-functional, multi-tasking furniture and design, because if it can do two things, that's one less piece of furniture, one less thing, that you need cluttering up your house.
Take, for example, John Pawson's Sofadesk, which is exactly what it sounds like: a combination sofa and desk. Unless you're a lazy blogger, you aren't lounging on a sofa while working, or kicking up your heels and relaxing while on the job.
Since you only use one at a time, why not just combine the two? We aren't exactly sure of how the mechanics of this particular model work out, but it sure is a good idea. ::John Pawson via ::Crib Candy...
UnTreeHugger: Onion Goggles
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 4.07
This pair of goggles, which promises no more tears when you chop onions, made us want to cry. The $18 glorified swim goggles have a seal foam seal to keep tear-inducing onion vapors from irritating your corneas.
Some easy alternatives that won't cost you a cent: Chill onions before peeling, or peel them under running water and then toss them into a food processor. You can also burn a candle next to the cutting board so the onion vapors are drawn to the heat source. Using a good, sharp knife also helps because it allows less of the tear-causing compounds to be released.
Plus, you won't end up looking like a space cadet. ::Art of Cooking...
LED Candles Blow Out Like the Real Thing
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
We have not covered a lame and useless LED candle for a while, but this one looks interesting. Safely reconstruct the candle scene from Bull Durham with these LED candles that a) are made with real wax, b) "feature a natural-looking, flickering light just like normal candles," c) toggle through blue or yellow, and best of all, d) you turn it on or off by blowing on it.
Mash it together with our beloved sun jar so that it doesn't need batteries and it will be perfect- romantic candlelight without fire or crap in the air. Fifteen bucks at ::Think Geek, via ::Cube Me...
More New Jerseyans Digging Compost
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 4.07
Photo credit: rachelandrew
An increasing number of New Jersey residents are catching the compost bug, especially when they realize that cutting the amount of household trash in landfills plays a large role in going green.
Bergen County has experienced a surge in sales of composting bins, while at least 12 local schools have received grants to start their own composting programs this fall.
You don't even need a high-maintenance setup—or even a backyard—to get in on the action. "People think you find all the composting in rural areas, but that's not necessarily the case," says Lori Russo, a solid waste education and technical adviser at the Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA). "I'm a city girl and I keep a bin full of worms."...
Living with Less: First, Hide the Bed
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
The New York Times has a wonderful monthly feature called Sketch Pad, which "focuses on an apartment, house, loft or shack now for sale that has unrealized potential. Each month, a different architect or designer is asked to create a vision of what the place might look like"
Yen Ha and Michi Yanagishita of New York's Front Studio redesigned a 380 square foot straight-line studio for an imaginary client. It is full of great ideas for small spaces; I loved the idea of the trundle bed sliding under the platform. (in most murphy beds, one has to make the bed, remove the clothes on it, and fasten a strap. Here you have the works in a drawer, just push it all under when the doorbell rings)...
Seattle Councilman Wants Goats Recognized as Pets
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 4.07
Photo credit: The_Brit2
Does Seattle Councilman Richard Conlin's latest proposal stand a goat of a chance?
Conlin wants to give Seattleites the right to keep miniature goats as pets, a move he bills as one step for sustainability. Pygmy goats, says the councilman, can act as environmentally friendly lawnmowers and weed whackers, while supplying a bounty of milk, cheese, and all-natural fertilizer.
Under current Seattle land-use codes, farm animals cannot be kept on lots smaller than 20,000 square feet. Conlin's proposal would reclassify pygmy goats as small animals, requiring only that they be licensed (just like dogs and cats) and for them to be confined to their owner's property. "We're not going to have goat off-leash areas," says Phyllis Shulman, Conlin's legislative assistant.
Conlin plans to butt heads over his proposal at a public hearing Sept. 18. ::King5.com
See also: ::L.A. Demands Fire-Fighting Goats...
Southern California Edison Sets Peak Energy Use Record
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 4.07
For residents of Southern California, Labor Day will have marked the fifth day of the year's longest heat wave to date. The oppressive heat, which brought with it a number of thunderstorms and lightning-sparked fires, has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a series of alerts — flash-flood warnings in regions affected by storm runoff and fire warnings in drier areas such as the Inland Empire.
Southern California Edison — which supplies close to 4.8 million customers — was forced to up its peak energy supply to 23,303 MW this past Friday, breaking its previous record of 22,889 set July 25, 2006. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power came close to breaking its usage record of 6,165 MW, set on July 24, 2006, two days in a row — reaching 6,039 MW on Thursday and 6,107 MW on Friday. ...
Adam Gopnik on Eating Local in New York
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
Photograph by Josef Astor, New Yorker
Adam Gopnik and his kids are learning to forage in Central Park from "Wildman" Steve Brill.
“This is lamb’s-quarter,” Steve was saying, clearing a path to what, to the unknowing eye, looked just like the desultory weeds where the softball ends up after the fat kid with glasses you’ve stowed in right field watches it go by. Lamb’s-quarter turned out to be a matte-green plant with arrow-shaped leaves.
Only a great writer like Gopnik could put that together, (read Through the Children's Gate and weep) so I loved his article about "Eating the fruits of the five boroughs" in the New Yorker this week, which they have made available online.
Tom Philpott of Maverick Farms and Grist, who knows a lot more about the subject than just about anyone else, is far more critical. He calls it "a disappointing performance -- an exercise in glibness over depth -- by a prominent writer in what's probably our most influential magazine." ::Grist
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Bus Uses Real Life Horse-Power
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09. 4.07
A Dubai-based company called Fleethorse has designed several horse-powered vehicles, including the NaturBus above. The range is powered by horses running on a treadmill, supplemented with electric motors, and they claim that it's the greenest transportation possible. I really hope that this is a hoax.
The conveyor belt apparently starts to move, which encourages the horses to start walking. That walking movement is then harnessed to power the vehicle. The electric motors would be used when going up hill in order to avoid any undue strain on the animals. The waste product is of course, excrement, which is collected at the back of the belt as it drops off. Have a look after the link for the weirdest marketing video you are ever likely to see....
Post-Labor Day: What's Up, Congress?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 4.07
Photo credit: Elliot Pesut
With Labor Day behind us, here's a list of some of the legislation in Congress affecting workers and businesses:
H.R. 2, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. This act was passed by both the House and the Senate. It incrementally raises the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour, with the final stage taking place in July 2009.
S.367, the Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act. This act prohibits the "import, export, and sale of goods made with sweatshop labor"
S.766, the Paycheck Fairness Act, "to provide more effective remedies of victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex"
H.R. 2442, the Rural America Job Assistance and Creation Act, "To provide job creation and assistance"
H.R. 2132, the Small Business Health Plans Act of 2007
H.R. 1012, the Small Business Growth Act of 2007
The Beauty of CFLs: Jason Bruges at 100% Light
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
100% Light is a UK trade show "dedicated to showing the vary latest and best in contemporary, decorative and architectural Lighting." Greenpeace UK has commissioned designer Jason Bruges to design an installation as part of its campaign to "champion efficient lighting and replace incandescent light bulbs. It will showcase a groundbreaking Varilight CFL bulb which can be used with household dimmer switches, busting many of the current negative myths often used as an excuse for not using this efficient technology."
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One Week to Go in Current TV's Ecospot Contest
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 4.07
Is Global Warming Changing Fashion Trends?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 4.07
Photo credit: micahe
Wearing white after Labor Day may not be the crime against fashion it used to be. In fact, with the exception of "heavy winter coats and flimsy sundresses," says the Wall Street Journal, climate change may have given seasonal dressing the boot all together.
"There are less extreme differentials between seasons," says Radley Horton, a climatologist at Columbia University's Center for Climate Systems Research. Spring is sneaking upon us earlier by seven to 10 days, while fall is getting delayed by about a week.
Our indoor, sedentary lifestyles also mean less of a need for bulky sweaters and tweedy woolens. So what will become of fashion, a multibillion-dollar industry that thrives on frequent inventory turnover, seasonal switch-ups, and planned obsolescence?...
Tough Love: Disintegrating Polystyrene
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
Shanpu Ya and colleagues at the Polymer Science & Engineering College of Quingdao University of Science & Technology in China have applied for a patent on a biodegradable polystyrene. They embed water-absorbing resin particles which expand when in contact with water, reducing the polystyrene to powder that they say should then biodegrade.
They say it is actually cheaper than conventional foamed polystyrene, so it " should therefore be readily adopted by cost-conscious companies that also want to be environmentally responsible."
We suppose this is progress. However when we have to throw out this stuff we still have to deal with the volume it takes in our garbage bags, the waste of single use packaging that is still hydrocarbon based, and the cartage to the dump. They fact that it will eventually biodegrade is perhaps a good thing, But wouldn't it be better to design packaging so that the packing is recyclable or not needed at all? ::New Scientist...
Mexico City Launches "Green Plan"
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 09. 4.07
In yet another bold gesture demonstrating that he wants to emulate green mayors like Bogota's Enrique Peñalosa and London's Ken Livingstone, Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard recently unveiled a "Green Plan" for the metropolis.
"Today concludes the first stage in a long path that we should take to build the sustainable city that we want," said Ebrard on Friday.
The "Plan Verde" is divided into seven thematic actions: land conservation, public space, water, mobility, air, waste and climate change and energy.
One of the most controversial elements of the plan is an extension to the "Hoy No Circula" (Today Don't Drive) plan, a program where drivers are prohibited from using their vehicles one weekday a week based on their license plate numbers to reduce pollution. Beginning in 2008, Hoy No Circula will be extended to Saturday. One fifth of the city's 2.5 million registered vehicles will be restricted from circulating between 10 am to 6 pm. Plan Verde also includes rules on the provision of water to those who don't pay for the service, as well as the substitution of 100% of the city's official vehicle fleet for cleaner models.
Among the various environmental big wigs on the plan's advisory council is Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner, Mario Molina. ::Via La Jornada (Spanish link)...
Strong Chinese Demand Fueling Elimination of Myanmar's Wildlife
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 4.07
One of the few remaining hotbeds for endangered biodiversity in Southeast Asia — Myanmar — is slowly but surely being decimated by a resurgence in illegal wildlife trading. Once a refuge for wild macaques, cobras, Burmese star tortoises and pangolins, Myanmar's forests have become the new repository for flush Chinese tourists and the country's booming restaurant sector — an illicit black market worth billions of dollars. Amidst the displays of exotic fruits and vegetables, one can find a variety of different sized animal parts — including leopard skins, bear gall bladders and deer horn.
Many of the trafficked animals are listed on the IUCN's (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) "Red List" of critically endangered species. "Burma is being raped in terms of its natural resources -- trees, plants and animals. They've got to get a hold of the situation quickly before it becomes a barren ground," said Steven Galster, director of the Wildlife Alliance....
The Colbert Report on Cheap Sweaters, Chinese Goats and Environmental Ruin
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 09. 4.07
Thanks to the growing number of goats in Last year, the Chicago Tribune’s Evan Osnos wrote a fantastic series of articles entitled China's Great Grab, or “how China's exploding appetite for natural resources is reshaping the world,” including one on the effects of cashmere. (We covered it previously here, along with a brief solution guide.) For his work he won the Asia Society's Osborn Elliott Prize for distinguished journalism—and a spot on The Colbert Report. Check out the interview -- and Stephen Colbert's cashmere toilet seat -- after the jump....
Wretched Excess Dept: A 50,000 SF House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
Arnold Chase doesn't want any publicity about his new house in West Hartford, Connecticut, would not be interviewed and cited the photographer for trespassing. But he had to file public planning documents so everyone knows that his new house is larger than Bill Gates' and only 4,000 square feet smaller than the White House. It is a modest 17,000 square feet above grade, but what lies beneath is a two-level, 33,500-square-foot basement complex, complete with a 103-seat movie theater, ticket booth, concession stand, game room and music annex, that will make it New England's largest occupied single-family home. According to Gopal Ahluwalia of the National Home Builders Association: "It's the same thing as why people buy a $150,000 car when the same function can be performed by a $25,000 car," Ahluwalia said. "I can afford it. I can have it. I want to have the biggest house in the world. Things like that." ::AP/Yahoo
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Organic Authority Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 09. 4.07
This week is Carnival of the Green # 93 and it's being hosted by Organic Authority! So, head on over to this week's Carnival to check out a round up of last week's green news and events, submitted by other bloggers and green sites. To learn more about Carnival of the Green, where it will be and how to host (hurry, we're now booking into 2008 and less than 10 dates left!), please click here to link to our previous post....
Recycled Life - Documentary on Guatemala City Recyclers
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 09. 4.07
We don't get HBO in Mexico, but through September 12, you can watch the intriguing documentary "Recycled Life" on Cinemax on Demand and find out how a crew of "guajeros," or trash pickers, manage to reduce Guatemala's waste by one million pounds per day.
The 38-minute, Oscar®-nominated film explores the Guatemala City Garbage Dump through the eyes of the 1,700 workers who sort through the city's refuse, looking for items for resale.
Says director Leslie Iwerks: "Though these people are living and working in unspeakable and wretched conditions, their integrity and honor shine brighter than many people in first-world cultures and wealthier nations. Their reality raises profound questions about third-world governments and the ongoing cycle of poverty."
Check it out ::Recycled Life...
Quote of the Day: Daniel Imhoff on Obesity and the Farm Bill
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 4.07
As Farm Bill subsidies have lowered prices of commodity crops over the past thirty years, the food industry has invested heavily in an infrastructure that turns cheap materials into highly profitable "value-added" products.
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), not even commercially concocted before the 1970s, has rapidly become one of the Farm Bill's industrial workhorses. A liquid sweetener with six times the potency and far cheaper than cane sugar, HFCS can also be used to prolong shelf-life, resist freezer burn, create an oven-toasted effect, and other processing functions. Over the past three decades, U.S. consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has jumped 1,000 percent. Soybeans are almost as versatile, providing a cheap and abundant source of added fats in the form of hydrogenated oils that have almost invisibly worked their way into the makeup of nearly every nonproduce item in the modern industrial diet. Dairy and meat products, made from livestock raised in confinement conditions and fed rapid weight-gaining diets of corn and soybeans are also high in unhealthy fats. The utility and commercial desirability of these ingredients is obvious. Out of nearly 15,000 new food products introduced each year, 75 percent are candies, condiments, breakfast cereals, baked goods, beverages, or dairy novelties.
Along the way the average U.S. citizen's daily food intake has ballooned to nearly 3,900 calories—almost twice the maximum recommended by U.S. health officials. This includes, on average, 32 teaspoons of added caloric sweeteners per day and as high as 1,800 calories in fats."
—Daniel Imhoff, Food Fight: The Citizen's Guide to a Food and Farm Bill (2007, Watershed Media)...
Wayback Machine: Multitasking, 1935 Version
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
In an age where we have electric everything, we forget that things were not always so easy. This Oregon woman thought that pedalling her sewing machine was not an efficient use of her energy, so she "devised a plan whereby her sewing machine pedal could be made to do the work of several things at once.
One length of wood was fastened to the machine pedal, for the driving piston. Another length extending over a frame work fulcrum operated the two lengths of wood which served as connecting rods.
When all was ready, the baby’s cradle was attached to one connecting rod, and the churn to the other. Then as she sewed, the baby rocked, and as the baby rocked, the cream was churned. " ::Modern Mechanix...
Drawer Fridge Saves Energy, Protects Food
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
We keep saying "Small fridges make good cities" and keep looking for the perfect small fridge. When we wrote about the Norcool drawer fridge, we bemoaned the fact that it had open bottoms and all of the cold air would fall out of it. Commenter Fridgegirl informs us that there are other drawer fridge designs that specifically address this issue.
The FX series from Randell is designed for commercial installations but hits all of the issues. The drawer itself is insulated, and specifically designed to hold the cold. It is designed for safety first: "Whether operating as a refrigerator or freezer, this new technology provides individual units with 100% cooling within each insulated insert. Temperatures remain consistent and energy is conserved no matter how many times the unit is opened and closed. Since cold remains in the insulated insert, food remains refrigerated and safe from dangerous bacteria and cross contamination."...
Christian Aid Marches to Fight Climate Change
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 4.07
There was a time when international development and environmental organizations were seen as working on two separate, and sometimes even conflicting, issues. After all, what was more important, looking after people, or looking after the planet? Thankfully, it seems that many groups on both sides have moved on from this position, recognizing that a healthy environment is absolutely central to human well-being and, conversely, environmental protection is only likely to gain ground if human well-being is also taken into the equation. There is no doubt that the unfolding disaster that is human-induced climate change has been a core driver in this shift – development charities have been amazed by the impacts of floods and monsoons in Asia, and climate change-related drought has even been identified by some as a driving force behind the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Little wonder, then, that the development charity Christian Aid is raising its voice on the issue of climate change, orchestrating a march across Britain to raise awareness and to call on the government to do more to cut carbon dioxide emissions:
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2007 Organic Expo
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 4.07
After two very successful years in Sydney, the Australia Organic Expo has hit the road and headed for Melbourne. The harbour city shows were jam packed with wall-to-wall organic enthusiasts, many of whom were young families. We trust the expo can be as well received in Melbourne, and have no doubt it will, as that is a city which enjoys a strongly emerging sustainability culture.
Besides, this weekend Sydney is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, (or APEC) meeting, where half the city is cordoned off as a precaution against anything untoward befalling the gathered international heads of state, like one G. W. Bush.
So flying south for the Spring seems like a sensible notion. The 2007 Organic Expo will feature about 200 exhibitors, besieged by an anticipated 10,000 visitors, an organic farmers market display, an organic garden, vineyard and fashion show, plus a line-up of many guest presenters. And it seems that this year it will incorporate a new Natural & Ethical Show for environmentally based products. If not otherwise occupied then set yourself a date for 7 to 9 September 2007. ::2007 Organic Expo. ...
Cannondale Continues the Jacknife (R)evolution
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 4.07
One of our most linked-to bike posts has been the prototype Cannondale Jacknife, conceived by a couple of design students in Barcelona. What excited people about that bike was not only its cool looks, futuristic drive train, but also that it was envisaged as a full sized folding bicycle designed for urban adventures. Alas their concept bike was only made of foam—it couldn’t be ridden.
However, Cannondale obviously picked up on the vigourous vibe the Jacknife generated and decided to see if they could make it fly. The work of their in-house R&D team suggest the answer might just be in the affirmative The ‘On’ is a still a concept bike and not available for sale. But it can be ridden, employs a custom made drive train that although not hydraulics-based like the Jacknife, is at least innovatively enclosed and fitted to a single rear fork (Mmm, can you call it a fork if it only have one tine?). Although the wheel can apparently still be readily detached. Their skunkworks website has bucketloads of images on the R&D process, though we observe none that show the main frame folded up. So we include a sketch of how that part is suppose to be achieved. If such evolution continues the days of the classic diamond frame bike might truly be numbered. ::Cannondale On ,via Boing Boing....
Prius Envy? Honda to Battle Toyota on Green Performance, and Looks...
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 4.07
The term ‘Prius envy’ didn’t crop up in our guide on How to Green Your Sex Life, but maybe it should have. Actually, it has little to do with sex, but a lot to do with the perceived sexiness of your hybrid. According to a report in Newsweek, many hybrid Honda customers have been leaving the company in droves because their cars just don’t look ‘hybrid’ enough:
“Peter Kessner, a devout environmentalist, bought a Honda Civic hybrid four years ago to show everyone that he wants to save the planet. The only problem: no one noticed, since, other than the hybrid badge on the trunk, it looked like a regular Civic. So he traded it in for a Toyota Prius. Suddenly, strangers began stopping him on the street to ask about his hybrid, with its space-age styling and miserly mileage. "That's a big part of why I bought the Prius," says the Floral Park, N.Y., retiree. "It opens up conversations, and I push my theory that we've got to do our best to conserve." The Honda, on the other hand, didn't deliver what Kessner craved: green street cred. "If I'm driving a hybrid," he says, "I want people to know it."”...
The End of the Affair
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 4.07
Maybe it's time to take a break, see some other people... London has been having a love affair with the Campana brothers. These wild and crazy furniture designers from Brazil had a big show here which was extensively reported. Then in honour of their 150th anniversary, the Victoria & Albert Museum asked them to do a piece for the courtyard in the middle of the ornate victorian building. It is a large and busy place, with people eating, chatting, and children paddling around in the reflecting pond. And that's when the trouble started. It is hard to make an impact in such a bustling arena and the boys have come up with...not much.
Four large round stools made out of bits and ends of rubber fabrics, carpets, rubber mats, and rubber nets in beige, pale orange, pink and brown. The seats are quite hard and not very comfortable. Around them are bamboo poles on an angle, forming longish hallways, almost tee-pee like. The children were enjoying them, treating them as a toy to run around in. The seats are meant to recreate the feel of giant water lilies commonly found in the Brazilian Amazon. They are a new take on their older Vitoria Regia chair, which was, appropriately, named after Queen Victoria. Take a little time, to think it over... :: V & A Museum ...
SolarCentury Expands its Horizons Once More
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 4.07
SolarCentury, the company behind the recent installation of a huge solar tile array in East London, just keeps on growing. Not long ago it announced that it was opening offices in Spain, and now it looks like the company is set to expand further, having just completed a £13.5m (US$17m) round of financing to fund its product development and international expansion strategy. The new investment was led by Zouk Ventures, a European Cleantech investor, and co-led by Good Energies, a global investor in renewable energy. Samer Salty, CEO of Zouk Ventures, had this to say:...
Natural Collection Autumn '07
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09. 4.07
News of another Autumn collection has reached our TreeHugging ears. After being delighted by the simple beauty of the Doie Fall '07 collection, we are now gasping at the breadth of other extreme. The Natural Collection is the UK's leading online eco-retailer and it does everything! Clicking through their recently launched Autumn catalogue makes you yearn for eco things you never knew you wanted! The Eco Hemp & Organic Cotton Trench Coat in my case. Twice winner of the Observer Ethical Award for Best On-line Retailer the Natural Collection run the online equivalent of a multi-story department store: fashion, homeware, bodycare, eco-gadgets and green office supplies - it's all there! This season they have expanded even further by launching their own Fair Trade organic cotton fashion line in collaboration with Bishopston Trading. It is described as a 'design-led, ethical alternative' to the high street fashion. :: Natural Collection...
Big Steps In Building: Change Our Wiring to 12 Volt DC
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
Edison was right; direct current is better than alternating current. Tesla and Westinghouse won the current wars, because it was easy to transform into different voltages without electronics, and they needed high voltages, which travel longer distances in smaller wires than low voltage.
Our current system is based on big, central power plants like Niagara Falls shown above, that pump out high voltage (as much as 400,000 volts), step it down to 22 thousand volts for distribution at street level, then down to 110/220 for distribution to our houses. At every step, there are transmission losses; as much as 10% of the electricity transmitted by the power plant is lost on the way. The losses are higher in AC than in DC because it grounds so easily; according to the Economist, DC distribution is far more efficient. (Treehugger here)
And then we get to our homes and offices.......
Comparing The Cost Of New Nuclear v.s. "Clean Coal" Plant Generated Electricity
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 4.07
The President and CEO of American Electric Power, Mr. Micheal Morris (pictured) recently spoke of his firm's capacity-adding strategy of investing in coal gasification technology instead of building new nuclear generating stations. For perspective, AEP is a 36,000 Megawatt capacity provider.
"American Electric Power Co. isn't planning to build any new nuclear power plants because delays will push operational starts to 2020, CEO Michael Morris said Tuesday. The first permit to build and operate a new U.S. reactor would be delayed by a court challenge that will probably reach the Supreme Court, Morris told reporters in Washington, D.C. Builders would also have to queue for certain parts and face "realistic" costs of about $4,000 a kilowatt, he said."
"Power producers proposing to build reactors have suggested they could be operating by 2015 or 2016. About 20 percent of U.S. electricity is generated by nuclear power today. Proposals to build as many as 28 new reactors have come after Congress in 2005 offered billions in loan guarantees and tax credits to those building new nuclear power plants. Reactors produce no greenhouse emissions, which contribute to global warming."
"I'm not convinced we'll see a new nuclear station before probably the 2020 timeline," Morris said. Instead of nuclear plants, Columbus, Ohio-based AEP is proposing to build advanced coal-fired generation that would be able to capture carbon dioxide emissions....
Off the Grid Eco Lodge Turns to Biodiesel Powered Electricity
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 09. 4.07
Saying that an eco lodge runs on biodiesel electricity does sound odd. But what if you knew the venue is not only a tourism facility, but also a complete conservation project that will use that to replace the diesel it consumed to fulfill the little energy it consumes? In addition, what if you found the biodiesel is being sourced from recycled kitchen grease? The panorama changes, certainly. This is why we thought worth highlighting that Lapa Rios Eco Lodge, located in Costa Rica, has announced recently a transition to primarily biodiesel-powered electricity. Isolated from electrical systems, the lodge has so far produced the little energy it consumes (for laundry, refrigeration, lighting and low consuming artifacts like fans or guests’ computers) with regular diesel generators; but is now adjusting its electrical generation system to work with biodiesel. This friendlier fuel will be purchased from local company Energias Biodegradables, partially sourced from the lodge’s very own kitchen grease, and will mean a reduction of 75% in carbon emissions, the organization informs. Until the system is ready, the lodge is starting with a 5% mix of biodiesel with regular, and in three months will jump up to 60% blend. The lodge is also introducing a blend of 30% biodiesel in all its transportation services. Learn more about the lodge’s policies in the extended....
Norway's "Green" Bastoey Prison
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 4.07
"Bastoey Prison, located on the island of the same name, south of Oslo, has solar panels, heats its buildings with wood-waste rather than oil, operates a strict recycling policy and is almost self-sufficient in terms of food."
"If inmates at this prison do porridge, it is organic porridge. For it is not only recreational drugs that are banned, pesticides are too. All the potatoes, beans, grains and berries grown in the prison garden are 100 per cent organic. The prison receives grants from environmental groups, and any food that doesn't get used in its own kitchen is sold to other jails."
"To put some protein in their diet, the inmates also look after 200 chickens, 40 sheep and 20 cows as well as fishing in the waters of the Skagerrak Sea. "It's part of our way to make inmates take responsibility, by getting them to look after plants and animals," the prison's deputy governor, Per Eirik Lund, said yesterday."
Rather monastic sounding a destiny, is it not? For the junk food junkies, the sentence would be hell on earth.
Via:: Mathaba and MSNBC, Image credit:: Ecologie Positive...
The TH Interview: Brenda Brock of Farmaesthetics
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 4.07
Farmaesthetics' all-natural skincare line was founded by Brenda Brock, the daughter of a seventh-generation farming family from Texas. Now based in Portsmouth, RI, Brock makes her 100 percent chemical-free potions from organically grown herbs and flowers gathered from small American family farms—no nasty dyes, fillers, parabens, or other synthetic ingredients, thank you very much.
TreeHugger chatted with Brock about how she built her company out of her kitchen, what role the environment plays in her daily business decisions, and just what exactly we should avoid slathering on our bodies' largest organ....
Thrift Stores Become Eco-Hip Mecca for College Students
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09. 4.07
In what may be an unintended consequence of the growing green movement in America, thrift stores have become a fashionable way for college students who are environmentally aware to furnish dorm rooms around the country. Always a source of furniture and the like for a wide array of groups including the college-bound, they’re turning to them in increasingly large numbers as a way to recycle and reduce their eco-footprint while saving a buck at the same time. And let’s face it, college furniture goes through an untold litany of unseemly abuses, so if you’ve got to buy it anyway, why pay full price?
Take Trixie Encomienda, 17, and a freshman at the California Design College in downtown Los Angeles. While she’s stuck commuting her first year, she’s already picked up her bedroom set for next year’s apartment share including two Victorian side tables, a headboard and wardrobe, and as she puts it “I actually got the whole set for 80 bucks.”
Now she freely accepts the label of thrift-store junkie with pride, and cites pricing and the environmental benefits of reusing someone else’s goods as just cause… But there’s the added benefit that it's also a cool way to find something just a wee bit different from everybody else’s. As Encomienda says, "Sometimes you just get sick of what you see at the mall. The only way to find something unique is at a thrift store."
via:: USA Today...
Survey: Do SUVs Deserve to Exist?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 4.07
When Jasmin quoted Paul Roberts on Gas Guzzlers, "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" it drew a heated response. One commenter noted how he used for work. "I use the vehicles as designed for; No other options are viable for my needs; Just because yuppies drive them now, They are evil." And it is true, they were designed for work and some people carry loads that won't fit on a car. But another responded "The latter use makes up 95% of the use. Applications like yours are relatively rare."
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Autumnal Bamboo - Doie Fall '07
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 09. 4.07
New York based designer Sara Kirsner continues to expand her gorgeous Doie fashion line with the launch of her Fall '07 collection. We love the simple, elegant Doie style which combines soft bamboo jersey fabric with oriental silk. This formula is proving to be endlessly versatile, running from nightwear and sportswear to casual day and chic evening pieces. It is a testament to Kirsner's design talent that she can make each collection new and refreshing using only two fabrics types and some wonderful pattern cutting. This Shizen Collection is modelled again by a smoldering Summer Rayne Oakes and shows Kirsner introducing more colour with beautiful purple and turquoise pieces. We particularly love the Ponderosa dress (pictured above) where she has inverted the usual ratio of bamboo and silk, creating a fully patterned silk dress with plain bamboo jersey trim. You can see more images of the collection over the fold and on the Doie website. :: Doie Designs...
Citroen C-Cactus Concept Car
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09. 4.07
A new concept from Citroen uses some interesting new design ideas to minimize its environmental impact. There is as much duplication of parts as possible, in order to reduce production costs and waste - for example the front bumper and rear bumper are the same item. Another innovative feature is windows that don’t open – air conditioning makes in unnecessary, so the design can save further weight and cost by including simpler, lighter windows. Citroen will be unveiling the car at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. ...
What's the Most Wasteful Thing You've Ever Found?
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09. 4.07
In case you ever wondered, this is what a dumpster of fortune cookies looks like. Two photographers, who were driving around Downtown LA looking for interesting shots, came across these several dumpsters, entirely filled with the prophetic confectionary. Whether they were surplus to requirements, out of date or perhaps just too bleak in their predictions we don't know, but it seems like a terrible waste. But it's far from the worst that the web has to offer......
Helmet Head Resistance and New Tax Breaks For Bikers
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 09. 3.07
Biking, whether it is for leisure or getting to work, is becoming a heated debate in Israel. Bike-lovers demonstrated against the government recently in the hopes that a new helmet law will be struck down by the Powers-That-Be. We enjoy us some cruising around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on our little mean green cycling machine and agree that if we had to wear a helmet we might take the heel-toe express instead. If the cities in Israel constructed bike lanes or at the very least consistently fined all the jerks who parked on the sidewalks, fewer bike and pedestrian accidents might actually happen.
On a brighter note, employees who ride their bikes to work will be entitled to tax credits (and showers!) if a new bill is passed. (Hey and shower stalls in the office could give new meaning to hanky panky in the workplace.)
Member of parliament Dov Khenin, who chairs the environmental-social lobby in the Knesset is drafting the bill and touts all the pluses of riding to work in a recent Haaretz story (we don't need to point them out here). Khenin adds, "The state treats bicyclists as a public hazard, and the state government and most local authorities do nothing to increase use of bicycles in urban settings."
Among other things, reports the story, Khenin proposes special safety laws to protect cyclists and an advertising campaign and a national Transportation Ministry project to promote the use of bikes. This new proposal will require bicycle riders to wear helmets at all times and strange as it might sound, this rule would NOT apply to minors. Hey Israelis, now might be an auspicious time to check out some zexy TreeHugger helmets, here & here. ::Haaretz...
Book Review: 50 Ways to Save Our Oceans
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 3.07
Photo credit: openupmyhead
Whether it's read from cover to cover, or browsed a tip at a time in non-chronological order, 50 Ways to Save Our Oceans ($12.95, 2006, New World Library), by Blue Frontier founder David Helvarg is an optimistic, entertaining read for landlubbers and sea dogs, young and old, alike.
Accompanied by humorous illustrations by Jim Tooney, the creator of Sherman's Lagoon, 50 ways is packed with practical, effective, yet easy-to-do calls to action for protecting and restoring our seas, such as using less plastic, joining in a coastal cleanup, conserving water, and remembering that your storm drain isn't a toilet.
"Our oceans are in peril, and it is up to us to do something to save them," says Philipee Cousteau, president of EarthEcho International, in the foreword. "We cannot rely on some politician to fix the problem if we don't establish it as a fundamentally important issue." ::50 Ways to Save the Ocean...
How To Find Garage Sales Happening Near You
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 3.07
Despite the usefullness of resources like FreeCycle for extending the functional lives of our stuff, we think garage sales are still the kings of the hidden bargain, and a great way to find stuff you need but don't have, without buying something brand-new; they also help keep stuff out of the waste stream and are usually a great way to find gently-used stuff on the cheap. One caveat: they can be hard to find, or if you happen to stumble upon one in your neighborhood, all the good waffle irons might be gone.
To help connect the people with the sales, a new Google mash-up has been created; all you do is type in your address, and the map does the rest: all registered garage sales happening around you pop up. Get directions, add your own garage sale, and chat about your experience (and all the great stuff you saved from the landfill) in the forums.
It won't work for every city across the country just yet -- it looks like most of the action is concentrated in bigger cities -- but we expect its use to become more widespread over time. ::Garage Sale Tips & Maps via ::Apartment Therapy: Los Angeles...
UnTreeHugger: Spice Up Your Carbon Footprint
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 3.07
If you wanna be their lovers, you gotta score their friends some jets. Now that the erstwhile Spice Girls—Posh, Sporty, Ginger, Baby, and Scary—have announced plans for their globe-trotting reunion tour, we find out that Virgin Records is donating one Lear Jet for each spicy mama and her entourage.
Each Spice Girl, says the latest issue of the Natural Resources Defense Council's OnEarth, will earn $25 million, while all five jets will generate a whopping 47,500 tons of carbon dioxide. We don't know about you, but that's SO not girl power. ::OnEarth...
G-Wiz Gets Even Cheaper
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 3.07
Last time we wrote about the G-Wiz, it was the centre of some controversy after outspoken British motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson trashed it comprehensively. As we said at the time, many of Clarkson’s criticisms about the vehicle’s speed and size seemed a little off-base, given that it is intended purely as an inner-city commuter vehicle. While his worries about safety may be more significant, the folks at GoinGreen, the G-Wiz distributors, were quick to point out that the G-Wiz so far has an excellent safety record. Considering the amount of G-Wiz’s appearing on the streets of London (May and June saw record deliveries), it would appear that a significant proportion of the public are open to GoinGreen’s interpretation of the issue. And now this quirky-looking little vehicle is only likely to get even more popular – GoinGreen have just announced that the price on the improved-performance AC version has been dropped to £7,299 (US$14,600), while the older DC version has been discontinued completely:
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Are Switchgrass' Days Numbered?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 3.07
Move over, switchgrass: there are some new grasses in town gunning for your biofuel crown. Researchers at the University of Northern Iowa's Tallgrass Prairie Center (TPC) are looking at ways to use the state's mixed prairie plantings as a source of renewable energy — as biomass to produce ethanol or to burn for electricity. "When you hear about biomass, you usually hear only about switchgrass, but we're looking at using prairie plants including wildflowers," said Dave Williams, manager of TPC's Prairie Institute.
A study conducted this past year by David Tilman, an ecology professor at the University of Minnesota, had demonstrated the potential for polycultures of multiple grass, prairie and wildflower species to serve as an alternative to switchgrass in producing ethanol. Tilman and his colleagues found that, in addition to producing more than twice the biomass than single-species planting (not less than 238% more than switchgrass), multiple-species plantations restored biodiversity, grew on degraded land and — perhaps most importantly — could be carbon negative. Biofuels derived from this source could also store up to 51% more energy per acre than corn....
Quote of the Labor Day: Samuel Gompers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.07
It is a good day to remind you to buy Fair Trade, products, and help marginalised producers and workers move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. Fair Trade producers move from being poor farmers working alone to organized co-ops producing better quality, getting more money and living better lives. Why organize? Samuel Gompers listed some good reasons:
What does labor want? We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright....
How Green Is Your Beer?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.07
Ah, Labour Day, where the most work one wants to do is sit on a warm deck and lift a cold beer. But how to choose? Heidi Sopinka of the Globe and Mail tells us:
Hopped up on Pesticides: Farmers are estimated to spray hops 14 times a year with an average of 15 pesticides and fungicides. One of the two primary ingredients in most beers (the other is barley), hops constitute about 5 per cent of beer's total volume and account for at least 50 per cent of the taste. Organic beers should have organic hops.
Is Your Beer Vegan? Many beers are clarified with isinglass, which is not an elven village in Middle Earth but collagen made from the bladders of fish. (it is in wine too) See also Warren on organic beer here.
Sopinka also recommends bottles over cans, paint-on rather than paper labels and of course, support your local micro-brewery to minimize the fossil fuels needed to ship that beer to your fridge. ::Globe and Mail
And be sure to watch the very first TreeHugger video, starring Graham Hill when he was still young and cute, telling us to Save energy, Drink Local.
UPDATE: Vanessa at ::GreenasaThistle coincidentally makes a similar point today.
if you’re going to get blitzed, you might as well do it in as green a fashion as possible — drinking a pint of draught beer from a tap rather than out of a bottle is one way, as is buying wine in a two-litre jug rather than two separate one-litre bottles....
Educational Games for Kids: Proceed With Due Caution
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 09. 3.07
When I posted recently about an online game released in New Zealand ostensibly with the intent of teaching kids about responsible energy use and taking proper care of the environment, I pointed out that it appeared to be a great way to teach kids about the concept…. But an astute commenter pointed out that the sponsor of the game, a company called Genesis Energy, has been rated by Greenpeace as the worst offender in that country when it comes to polluting the environment. Within an hour our own Lloyd Alter popped me a quick email linking to yet another story on an “energy game” scheduled to be released this September, but this time by Chevron. The headline read “Chevron Promotes Petroleum… with Clean Energy Game,” and this time it appears that if you even try to create a future without fossil fuels you’ll get an error message that indicates that's just not possible…...
Return of the Scythe
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.07
Treehugger has noted that gas mowers put out as much smog as 40 new cars; we encourage the use of reel mowers and unpowered garden tools. Peter Vido goes even further, and as Alex Roslin of the Globe and Mail notes, uses a 1,000-year-old implement that is also handy for peasant uprisings or if you happen to be the Grim Reaper: the scythe. Vido is an organic farmer in New Brunswick, Canada, makes custom scythe handles and manages an international campaign to revive the scythe through his website, ::Scytheconnection
"The modern version of scything is very ergonomic," said David Patriquin, a biologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax who switched to a scythe and a reel mower for environmental reasons. "It's a lovely thing to do. [The scythe] is very pleasurable and a very, very precise tool."
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Quote of the Day: Chris Hume on Pleasure
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.07
Toronto Star Architectural critic Christopher Hume on embracing gratification in urban affairs:
As the late, great Jane Jacobs wrote in her seminal study, The Death And Life Of Great American Cities. "Dull, inert cities...contain the seeds of their own destruction. But lively, diverse, intense cities contain the seeds of their own regeneration, with energy enough to carry over for problems and needs outside themselves." Lively, diverse, intense...these are all code words for pleasure..... In our fixation on the home and the individual, we tend to overlook the communal pleasures so essential to the civic enterprise. And let's not forget that the public realm is the arena where these essential qualities are played out. Thus is the public realm essential not just to the health of a city but also its residents. Why else did Sao Paulo in Brazil recently ban billboards? The same principle applies to buildings. For example, when SAS built its Canadian headquarters two years ago, the initial intention was to produce a building that enhanced productivity. That included provision of fresh air, natural light, adequate workroom and lounge areas, all of which are pleasurable. It soon became apparent, however, that the qualities that would increase output also qualified the building for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. In other words, pleasure equals productivity and profit.::The Star ...
Rock and Ice’s Sprout Awards
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 3.07
Rock and Ice is a climber’s magazine, as its name might suggest. They recently scribed:
It’s no secret that the future could be hotter than a two-dollar pistol firing uphill unless we check up and start respecting Mother Earth. The next generation is facing new challenges brought on by our shortsighted use of resources. On the plus side, there’s a sea change occurring as individuals and companies address the imbalances affecting our planet and the people who live on it. Sure, there is a long way to go before we’ve solved the problems, and today’s solutions are simply the first steps toward sustainability.Like TreeHugger, Rock and Ice figured there was merit in giving credit to those companies making an effort to improve their planetary impact, either environmentally or socially. So they’ve established the Sprout Award. This ongoing award will acknowledge different forward thinkers each issue. To kick things off they gave the first gong to Climashield for their recycled insulation, which claims to be warmer, lighter and tougher than down. Not that they're the first to make that suggestion! [Climashield green is said to be used by Patagonia in their Micro Puff series, which also have shells of recycled polyester fabric. (pics after the jump).] You can see a long list of other green initiatives from the outdoor industry at the awards website. ::Rock and Ice Sprout Award....
Buns of Corn: SkirtSports and Sorona
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09. 3.07
If you’ve been reading about textiles fashioned from corn or PLA (polylactic acid) you’ve probably been hearing plenty about Cargill’s NatureWorks Ingeo.* It is about to joined by a newish product, that we hinted at around a year ago, is soon to be seen in women’s sportswear. It’s Dupont’s Sorona, also made with a corn feedstock. Dupont figure that using a renewable compared to their usual fossil fuel based nylon reduces greenhouse gas emissions 60% and uses 40% less energy, equating to an annual energy savings equivalent to 36 million gallons (~136 million litres) of petrol/gasoline. Skirtsports plan to release a Green Skirt in a 40% bio-blend of Sorona in the northern spring of 2008. SkirtSports make athletic skirts for sports oriented women.
We understand that currently Sorona is currently only 37% renewably sourced by weight, with the remainder being derived of petrochemicals. Specifically TPA or terephthalic acid, which is also a key component in the product of the polyester or PET (polyethylene terephthalate). In lay terms then Sorona might be considered a hybrid corn/polyester fibre. The way Dupont sell it, it’s the new nylon, but heaps better. SkirtSports, via OR Green Steps....
Wake Up to Organic
by Bonnie Alter, London on 09. 3.07
The theme of this year's Soil Association Organic Fortnight is "Wake up to an Organic Breakfast" and schools, restaurants, businesses and communities across the country are holding organic breakfasts and related events. Organic is big here; the annual Organic Market Report issued to coincide with the two week celebration of all things organic found that retail sales of organic products through organic box and mail order schemes and other direct routes increased from £95 million in 2005 to £146 million in 2006 - a 53% increase. Organic health and beauty products are booming too--there was a 30 per cent increase in the number of products licensed with the Soil Association. The biggest growth was in the popularity of box schemes (fruit and vegetables delivered to the home). Those sales increased by 53%, now that the supermarkets have gotten involved. In fact, supermarkets sell 75% of all organic products.
However all is not perfect. The amount of land in the UK used for growing organic has decreased for the third year in a row, and is now 22% less than in 2004. The price of cereals has risen due to more American farmers switching to grow biofuel crops. UK self-sufficiency in organic cereals is falling. A Soil Association director has said that "Prices will have to rise. There has been a substantial rise in the price of grain, soya and maize. It's leading to a shortage of organic cereals. Farmers are finding it harder to find the food for livestock. I am very nervous for [organic] pig and poultry farmers." Purchasing is still largely done by the relatively affluent, and nearly half of the people who bought organic last year thought it was too expensive. :: Soil Association...
Win a Trip to Tokyo With Your Climate Friendly Ideas
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 09. 3.07
It's hard to lose "green" in translation, especially in Japan, which is basically a country-sized treehugger. The Eco Business Creation Association, along with the awesome newsletter Japan for Sustainability and the telecom giant NTT, is calling for ideas from around the world for reducing CO2 emissions for their Cool the Earth contest. Better hurry though -- deadline's September 5th. The plan is for the best ideas to be turned into prototype projects in Japan and show the results of these projects to the global community in December at the Eco Products 2007 Exhibition, Japan's largest eco-related expo.
The first-prize winner gets an invitation to attend the exhibition in Tokyo. Enter here, and see some of last year's ideas here, including the Loopwing turbine.
To get an idea of what they're looking for, listen to judge and professor Fumikazu Masuda:
The theme of this contest sounds grand; however, it's more like consulting someone on how we can live our lives more respectably from now on... how can we change our stress-filled modern society, economy and culture? I have focused on the reduction of atmospheric CO2 concentration, an increasingly prevalent concern, as an indicator, simply because it is relatively simple to monitor the effects. However, I encourage you to propose new social and lifestyle choices, rather than technologies, to curb and eliminate CO2 emissions....
Emotional Ecology and Philosophy for Countrymen at LNR’s Green Special Issue
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 09. 3.07
Following a growing fashion on green-issues from major publications (which only has recently started in Argentina), La Nacion newspaper had its Sunday magazine (LNR) dedicated to environmental issues yesterday, under the line ‘Do we care about the planet?’. With a critical tone, the magazine took on eco-conscious celebrities, green-products consumption, global warming and endangered species; but it also had two interesting approaches to the subjects of the environment and responsibility. First was an interview with Merce Conangla and Jaume Soler on their concept of Emotional Ecology; and the other was a talk with philosopher Santiago Kovadloff about his upcoming speech in an agricultural related congress, where he will try to move countrymen to reflect over the use of the land. What do these people have to say about the environment? Keep reading.
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A Picture is Worth... Being Nice to Cyclists in Toronto
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 09. 3.07
Via ::Torontoist. Photo by Miles Storey....
Less is More: Instant Kitchen
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 2.07
Perfect for dorm rooms, big-city hideouts, and tiny hobbit holes: a $44.95 instant kitchen that comprises a time-controlled oven (complete with broiler tray), a four-cup coffee maker with a reusable filter, and a non-stick griddle. Although the three-in one measures only 9.4x16x8 (HWD) inches, mini gourmands can rest assured that it runs on more than a light bulb and a dream. ::Tiny Living
See also: ::Small is the New Big...
Sunday Lounging in the Aeron Chaise
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09. 2.07
As Homer Simpson would tell you, anything can be made better by lounging. Though they aren't saying it in so many words, that was sort of the inspiration behind Dutch design duo Sietze Kalkwijk and Joost van Brug's adaptation of the iconic task chair design (which got a nod in TreeHugger's list of Best Sustainable Designers). To hear them tell it, actually, "the design is targeted at the young digital generation, which has a reputation for living a rather sedentary and TV-filled existence. It takes the ergonomic office chair to the next level by making it a recliner-like lounger suitable for supine computing." We aren't sure if follows in the sustainable footsteps of other Herman Miller designs, but if it did, it might be the only chair we'd ever need. ::Coroflot via ::Core77...
Taking Green Baseball by Storm
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09. 2.07
Ahhh, summertime– longer days, the beach, the vacations and yes, baseball season! And the Lake Elsinore Storm is taking “greening baseball” by storm. On July 20, 2007 the team decided to add a “Going Green” night to its list of promotional events, which have included such wacky things as Tom Cruise bobble head couch night, Dr Seuss Night and even a sleepover! Lake Elsinorans were all for the green event, as over 4,000 people attended the event.
Aware of droughts, wildfires and polluted skies, which are problems with global warming and particularly prevalent in the Southern California area, the Storm decided to take action and do something to help the community. The evening included a green vendor fair, healthy food and hemp uniforms worn by the team. The mascot offered video tips on how kids in the crowd can get involved, and tips for adults and kids alike were offered throughout the night. At the end of the night there was a green fireworks display....
Global Gas Flaring Satellite Survey Reveals Oil's Hidden Costs
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 2.07
The first recently unveiled global satellite survey of gas flaring — a process commonly used to dispose of natural gas freed during oil production — has shown what many have now suspected for years: it is an extremely wasteful, costly problem that has helped contribute to global warming. Conducted over a 12-year period spanning 1995-2006, the survey, commissioned by the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Reduction partnership (GGFR), was carried out by a team of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Estimates produced for about 60 countries around the world revealed that gas flaring has remained largely stable over the last 12 years — in the range of 150-170 billion cubic meters annually — although 22 mostly lesser developed countries increased its use over that period (on the other hand, 16 other countries decreased its use). In 2006 alone, oil producing companies and countries burned close to 170 billion cubic meters of natural gas, equivalent to a whopping 27% of total U.S. natural gas consumption or 5.5% of total global production of natural gas. Flaring also emits around 400 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year....
Hudson River Environmental Monitoring Goes High-Tech
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09. 2.07
The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, a non-profit scientific research organization based in Beacon, NY, has teamed up with IBM and several other research groups to develop a high-tech environmental-monitoring system for the state's Hudson River that would transform its 315 miles into an interconnected network of sensors. These would collect data on the river's biology and chemistry and transmit them to a central location for further analysis by IBM's new system — which will take the information and create a virtual model of the river to simulate its ecosystem in real time. ...
Bucks County Pennsylvania, USA, To Get 16.5-Acre Solar Park
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09. 2.07
Bucks County Pennsylvania brings to mind horse-people estates intermixed with vinyl & stuccoed mansions owned by those who want a Manhattan commute from Penn's woods. But, like any other community, Bucks has a diversity of land uses and land covers. So, it's with a sense of sustainability that we see this proposed move to put a solar park next to a Bucks landfill (pictured). More like this please!
"A $20 million solar power project that can provide electricity to as many as 400 homes will be built next to a landfill in suburban Philadelphia, officials said Thursday. Epuron, a subsidiary of the Germany-based Conergy AG, will finance the project. The 16,500-panel facility, one of the largest in the country, will be designed by a Conergy sister company, SunTechnics Energy Systems Inc., on land leased from Waste Management Inc.
"Waste Management's G.R.O.W.S. Landfill in Morrisville will be a neighbor to the 16.5-acre solar project along the Delaware River. Chicago-based power company Exelon Corp., which owns the Philadelphia-based utility Peco Energy Inc., has agreed to buy power generated by the solar panels for 20 years."
Strategy note: nearly every County in the US has one or more landfills, some old and closed, some active. In many cases, there's an ongoing struggle over what land uses should be considered compatible. Often the surrounding land is of an industrial and commercial character, with transportation corridors nearby. A no-development buffer zone typically surrounds such sites to preclude methane intrusion and leachate hazards from developing. Now, extrapolate this Bucks County plan to all the other landfill sites and you get a glimpse of the Big Step that this single project represents.
Via::CBS Channel 3, Massive Solar Power Station Coming To Bucks Co. Image credit:: Google hybrid satellite/streets map....
Quote of the Day: Paul Brown on Extinction
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 2.07
Photo credit: wishymom
Because of population growth and increasing consumption, concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in our atmosphere are the highest in human history; as are global temperatures. This is not normal climate fluctuation, as fossil-fuel industry shills would have you believe. The rate of species extinction is comparable to mass extinctions that have occurred only five times before, and is likely to exceed those. The total decline of species since the Industrial Revolution will soon be worse than the mass extinction caused by the asteroid impact sixty-five million years ago off the Yucatan peninsula, which wiped out 83% of the species, including the dinosaurs.
Before we came along, species evolved and went extinct for billions of years, creating and filling a diversity of ecological niches. Organisms used energy from the sun to grow and reproduce, recycling the materials needed for life through an interdependent worldwide ecosystem. Mechanisms existed to maintain ecological stability, ensuring that the environment didn't change too fast for evolution to keep up. ...
Our species has flourished, but without realizing it, we've changed our environment too fast for other species to adapt. We're approaching a point where the world's ecosystem will change too fast for even us to adapt. We will become extinct [if we don't] take effective action very soon, before it's too late."
—Paul Brown, Notes from a Dying Planet, 2004-2006: One Scientist's Search for Solutions (2006, iUniverse)...
Two Years Ago In TreeHugger: Eco-fleece Hoodies and LED Pillows
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 2.07
Oh, and bamboo bedframes and recycled dolls. At exactly the same time, the world is reeling from images of the American south, a flooded New Orleans, a devastated Gulf Coast, an environmental disaster of unprecedented scale. In TreeHugger? Back to work Dresswear and bio-diesel fueled coffee roasters.
Knowing what was going on in America two years ago this week, TreeHugger's content of two years ago looks frivolous. We didn't know how to deal with Katrina; we had green lifestyle coverage down pat but couldn't cope with the real news.
We still do the lifestyle bit, probably give far too much space to $ 100,000 Tesla roadsters, and Paris Hilton was seen in TreeHugger twice this week. But in those thirty posts per day we now also try to act as a filter of important news and a generator of original content, expertise and opinion. Lifestyle is no longer about bamboo shirts; it is about how we will have to adapt to live in a changing world, and what we have to do individually and collectively to minimize that change.
We wouldn't let Katrina pass unnoticed today. I, and I think all of TreeHugger, apologize for doing it then.
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Axel Friedrich: VW Two-Faced on Emissions Efficiency
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 09. 2.07
Axel Friedrich, head of the Transport department in the German Federal Environmental Agency has laid it on the line: Volkswagen could do better. The company which has been lauded for the Polo Blue Motion and which has not shirked in the eco-commitments race is the target of Friedrich's most recent high-profile campaign. Friedrich enlisted engineers from German universities to make improvements to an existing VW Golf. Using techniques such as reducing weight, reducing wind resistance and optimizing motor operation, Friedrich's ploy succeeded in reducing emissions 25% with modifications completely within the scope of available technologies.
Volkswagen went on the defensive, claiming that Friedrich's VW won't sell: the light Recaro seats are too uncomfortable to climb in and out of. And options like cameras to display rear-view action and eliminate side-mirror drag would price the car out of the market. ...
Distant Village: Sustainable and Handmade Packaging Supplies
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09. 2.07
TreeHugger hates bad packaging – we even ran a competition for some of the worst examples. However, we also give credit where credit is due – take a look for example at our contest for the best eco-packaging ideas, or out praise for this fantastic light-bulb box that becomes a lampshade. But if you have a green product and are looking for green packaging, where do you go? One answer may be Distant Village – a specialist in hand-made and sustainable packaging that also supports fair trade crafts projects in the developing world. Packaging options range from bamboo canisters to tree-free paper boxes and bags, and the company is also known to design custom packaging to meet clients’ individual needs. Of course, when we posted on the Nepalese Paper Company a few days ago, one commenter suggested that we shouldn’t promote paper goods from far flung destinations because of the emissions involved in transport. However, as we said then, high value craft items such as these are in many ways the ideal product for international trade – they are sustainably produced at source, they support dignified, fairly paid jobs, and because of their high value they actually bring in a relatively high level of income to the artisans for each lb of product shipped. Of course they are also non-perishable, so they can be transported by sea, producing minimal emissions compared to air-freighted goods. ::Distant Village:: via site visit::
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Tesla Charging Stations in 3 Hyatt Hotels
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09. 2.07
Hyatt has installed Tesla charging stations in three of their hotels, so the lucky few to get their hands on one of the $100,000 Roadsters will be able to take them on a road-trip. The three hotels are Fisherman's Wharf, Sacramento and Incline Village, which means that the San Fransisco to Lake Tahoe drive will be well covered, making it the perfect weekend getaway for Silicon Valley residents. "The kind of customer who would buy a Tesla and stay at a Hyatt is one and the same," said Jordan Meisner, senior vice president for Hyatt.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, at an event where Mayor Gavin Newsom took a Tesla for a road-test. Newsom has placed an order for a Tesla, and also used to lease an EV1, "some people thought they were ugly looking cars and you looked foolish in them. Now you have a world-class car that looks like a world-class car."...
