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