- 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 30, 2007 - October 6, 2007
Total this week: 208
A Picture is Worth... Intricacies of a Small World
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 6.07
WIRED is currently featuring a stunning set of images as part of Nikon's yearly "Small World" competition held at New York's Explorer's Club. The above shot (of a diatom) by Charles Krebs of Issaquah, Washington, is but one of a dozen that capture what the magazine calls "something both strange and alien that could almost be sold as the first glimpses of extraterrestrial life." Neat.
Via ::WIRED: Nikon's Small World Contest: A Gallery of Beautiful Tiny Things (news website)
See also: ::A Picture is Worth...Implications of Global Warming, ::A Picture is Worth... Being Nice to Cyclists in Toronto...
Next Up in Ethanol Innovation: Orange Peels
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 10. 6.07
The price of ethanol is plummeting and corn-based ethanol skeptics are gaining increasing traction in casting a dark shadow over its potential. But the biofuel revolution continues to spur innovation and researchers around the world are uncovering alternatives to corn and sugarcane from which to produce ethanol. In Mexico, the newest discovery is ethanol derived from orange peel, which a group of students from the University of Guadalajara's science and engineering division happened upon while researching essential oils.
The study was presented at the 42nd annual Mexican Chemistry Congress this week and demonstrated the possibility of using the fermented sugars from orange peel to produce ethanol. According to the students, orange peel adds oxygen to fuel, which helps to neutralize the carbon monoxide emissions. So far it's unclear whether orange-based ethanol would drive up the price of the world's favorite citrus fruit, but at the least the Mexican government is likely to fund more research to find out. ::Via Reforma (Spanish link and subscription required)
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Quote of the Day: Phillipe Starck on the Role of Design
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 6.07
Designers should define their role broadly as agents of good in the world, and limit their work to 'legitimate' products: those that are needed, and those that can be made without damage to nature or -- through the unethical actions of manufacturers and investors -- damage to people.
-- Industrial designer Phillipe Starck, on the purpose of design...
London Greener Car Sales to Reach £1.2 Billion Next Year
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 6.07
We’ve certainly had plenty of coverage of the London congestion charge here on TreeHugger. We’ve covered protests by angry residents opposed to its geographical expansion, we’ve seen signs that other cities like New York and Manchester may follow London’s lead, and we’ve already seen how the levy is boosting the sales of hybrids, which are exempt from payment. Now we hear from the London Evening Standard that the capital is set to see a huge boom in sales of greener vehicles, as experts predict purchases of hybrids, electric cars and other environmentally friendly vehicles by Londoners to reach £1.2 billion (US$2.4 billion) next year. If this speculation turns out to be correct, that would make these cleaner machines more popular than SUVs, or the infamous Chelsea Tractors as they are known in the UK. ::London Evening Standard::via GoinGreen::...
Juicing Up Your Cell Phone with Microbial Fuel Cells
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 6.07
Given the sheer amount of toys and gizmos we use on a daily basis, it becomes very easy to take something like a cell phone or MP3 player charger for granted. In poor, developing countries like Uganda, however, even using a charger can be a struggle due to the difficulty inherent in accessing an electrical grid - by some estimates, more than 99% of rural households in the African nation are cut off from a reliable source of electricity.
In an effort to help resolve this long-standing problem, a group of MIT students has devised a microbial fuel cell (MFC) that runs entirely on plant waste. The students' BioVolt MFC prototypes use electrons released by cellulose-munching bacteria to generate electricity. Because the technology has already been around for a few years, the main challenge for the students was to develop a cheap, yet efficient, device - one they tackled in part by making use of a non-platinum catalyst, which allowed them to keep manufacturing costs to a minimum. ...
Biofuel Coop Creates CSA
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 6.07
Anyone who has been reading TreeHugger for a while will know that we love Piedmont Biofuels, the Pittsboro NC based biodiesel cooperative, and not just because they create locally brewed, sustainably sourced biodiesel. As we saw in our interview with co-founder Lyle Estill here, here and here, the organization is also painfully aware of the limitations of biofuels, stressing the need for massive conservation and localization before plant-based fuels can ever meet our energy needs. We were delighted then to see, when we checked in on their site today, that they have just announced the opening of their CSA, providing the community with locally grown crops from the Biofarm which sits next to their biofuel complex. We were going to say we look forward to the day when Exxon opens its own CSA, but on second thoughts… ::Piedmont Biofuels::via site visit::
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Saving Extra Wind Energy Underground for Later
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 6.07
Seemingly taking a page out of carbon sequestration's playbook, a coalition of local facilities in Iowa are working out a scheme to store surplus wind energy by placing it underground. The idea being to keep it safely locked up when demand is low so it can then be uncorked at a later date when demand - and, consequently, prices - are higher.
The utilities plan on building a system that will rely on a gigantic air compressor (as seen in the diagram) to pump air into porous layers of sandstone. In essence, the layers of sandstone will act as a giant balloon, allowing for wind energy to be stored until a later time when demand is high - at which point the flow will be reversed, unleashing a large amount of air into a natural gas-fired turbine. This 268-MW compressed air energy storage (CAES) system is on track to be completed by 2011....
Core77's Next One Hour Design Competition: Ban the Plastic Bag
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 6.07
The good folks over at Core77 have launched another of their One Hour Design Competitions (where you spend an hour conceiving, sketching and rendering a world-saving design concept -- we've mentioned them before) and this one's all about a subject close to TreeHugger's heart: ban the plastic bag.
The deadline is looming -- this Monday, October 8 -- but it only takes an hour, and you win a shiny new iPod nano (without a bag) for your efforts; submit your entries here. The challenge: "come up with innovative ways to get rid of the ubiquitous plastic bag. 60,000 of these things are used every 5 seconds in the U.S. alone (that totals, if you can believe it, to 43 million bags used during your one hour of design challenge. World-wide, the number of plastic bags used each year is a staggering 4,000,000,000,000). Better get to it." Hit the jump to see a few of the entries already received, and good luck! ::Core77 One Hour Design Competition: Ban the Plastic Bag...
Reconstituting Mona Lisa with... Recycled Train Tickets
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 6.07
How cool is this: employees at a department store in Osaka, Japan, built a 2.3 x 1.6 meters rendition of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa painting with nothing more than old train tickets - several hundred thousand of them. Close to 300 workers spent about 3 months to recreate these masterpieces - which also included Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "Bal au Moulin de la Galette, Montmartre" and the "Birth of Venus" - by meticulously overlapping the eponymous black and white tickets.
Via ::Pink Tentacle: Mona Lisa from recycled train tickets (blog)
See also: ::ScrapEden: Recycled Public Art, ::Drap-Art International Creative Recycling Festival, ::PET Project: Recycled Plastic Art by Miwa Koizumi...
One Year Ago in TH: Water on the Brain
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 6.07
One year ago in TreeHugger, we had water on the brain. New York had some plans to go from renewable energy to renewable-er energy, with hydropower to hydrogen in a $21 project near Niagara Falls. Check out what San Francisco would look like underwater, should global warming melt ice caps as many climate models have suggested (hint: it's not pretty). A bit of good news in the world of water: a new (at the time) commercial project, called Advanced Coral Propagating Technology, that has successfully cultivated coral reefs in artificial pools.
We also took a look at some ways a TreeHugger can get a drink (but not water), pondered increased tax breaks for hybrid owners, did a little shopping for work at The Green Office and reviewed Swap-o-Rama-Rama in NYC.
Check out the rest of TreeHugger on October 6, 2006 here....
Ontario Election Update: Green Party Policies
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 6.07
Our coverage of this election has been a trifle one-sided; I keep writing about the Green Party. On the other hand, the mainstream media are, if not ignoring it, certainly not giving it the coverage it deserves. The NDP is working hard to staunch the loss of votes to the greens; a canvasser had me on the phone for half an hour explaining how the NDP could win this riding, how the Greens are not so green with economic policies that are almost libertarian, with, heaven forbid, a bias towards consumption taxes instead of income taxes! (Yes, I know they are disproportionately hard on the poor, but what do we talk about all day if not "live with less" and why not have a tax system that encourages it?) Furthermore, what TreeHugger would not support almost every single platform proposal listed below?
The Green Party deserves to be heard, and the mainstream media have failed it and all of us in their shoddy and sparse coverage. ...
Duke Power's Save-A-Watt Expansion Proposal
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 6.07
Duke Energy Corporation's CEO Jim Rogers wants to expand the firm's save-a-watt program -- an approach to energy efficiency that would allow the utility to make money by persuading customers to use less electricity.
"Under the save-a-watt model, utilities would pay for programs designed to help customers buy energy efficient appliances, weatherize their homes and install special circuit breakers to cycle appliances on and off depending on the time of day. The cost would be passed on to customers through higher rates. Duke would charge customers 90 percent of what it would have cost to provide the electricity that was saved. Duke says that's a 10 percent savings. The utility only gets paid if the programs work. The power savings would be tracked by a third party."
Jasmin previousl covered the Clinton Global Initiative commitment for the Save-A-Watt plan.
"...Customers' bills would fluctuate depending on how many efficiency programs they were using. Even with the added fee, a customer might end up saving up to 6 percent. If customers don't take ad antage of the program, their bill could increase by 4 percent, estimates Ted Schultz, Duke's vice president for energy efficiency."
For background, see also: this earlier coverage as well as this one. Download the Duke fact sheet on Save-A-Watt here.
Via::Trading Markets Stock News, Image credit:: Duke Energy Hanging Rock, Stellar Power...
Variety Comes Back to the Supermarket
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 6.07
In Michael Pollan's Botany of Desire, we learned how apples are propagated, and how the formerly Delicious apple came to have its absolutely uniform beauty and be absolutely devoid of flavour. Yet in most stores, that is all you can find, or perhaps a mackintosh. When I visited Toronto's Fiesta Farms I was amazed to see all kinds of varieties of apples grown right here in Ontario, so yesterday we had a lunch of apples. I am no Robert Parker or Alice Waters, but three of us tasted eight different varieties, including empire (mild, unexciting) Mackintosh (um, tasted like an apple, it is the standard) Gala, (sweet, nice texture, real sugar rush) Spy (astringent, dense) Crispin (boring) Russet (that's not an apple, it tastes like a pear) Honeycrisp (great crunch, earthy, undertones of cider) and Courtland (tart, weird texture, juicy).
Who knew one could have such fun in a supermarket. Try it!...
Ecological Debt Day, 6 October 2007
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 10. 6.07
Experts at the Global Footprint Network calculate that 19 December 1987 was the first time that humanity used up a year's allotment of the earth's resources before a year finished. Each year, this date is moving earlier. Today we pass the threshold of the planet's capacity, equalling a need for 1.3 planets to sustainably support our current consumption....
TH Forums Highlights: Green Skepticism, Solar Laptops + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 5.07
Cruise into the weekend with 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 jamesrocket isn't quite convinced that going green is a good thing to do. "How do you know that we need to do anything about the environment? Could it not just be the cycle of the earth? The science does support it but some people do present persuasive arguements to the contrary... So how do you know and what makes you act on your belief in the environmental issues?" Interesting question; what motivates you to green your life? |
 | 2) Let's talk solar laptops with user lotuseater, who has plans to pick up a new, green laptop, and wants to power it with the sun, if possible. "i'm wondering if anyone knows of a viable solar powered laptop on the market. or of a solar powered charger that will at least allow me to run my laptop on solar power. short of the above, does anyone have ideas about what kind of laptop is the most environmentally sound? which company has the best track record?" There are a surprising number of considerations here... |
 | 3) Lastly, Forums user dave87325is is wondering about how to figure out how much rain can be collected using permeable paving -- there's surely some math equation and number crunching that can be done, no? It seems to be a slightly different game than collecting rainwater from the roof, anybody know how to cash in on pouring water on permeable paving? Discuss... |
Ask TreeHugger: How Do I Test My Toys for Lead?
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 10. 5.07
Question: I have three young children and they have many painted toys. I am worried that these toys have lead in them, especially because I don’t know where they were made. Is it dangerous to have my kids play with them? How do I test my kids’ toys for lead? Do the home testing kits work?
Answer:
The recent recalls of lead-containing toys have raised many concerns about the safety of our products. Although lead is a naturally occurring metal that can be found practically everywhere – in the earth’s crust, batteries, water pipes, pencils (okay, not pencils -- I meant crayons), and even food -- its levels are generally declining in our products and in our environment. Lead was used for decades in gasoline, paints, and other household products, with its use steadily phased out since the 1970s in the United States, Canada, Western Europe and elsewhere. This phase out is the direct result of lead’s health risks, which may be particularly large for babies and young children who are growing so quickly. These risks include blood and brain function damage and growth slowing, with these risks increasing with the amount of lead exposure. ...
Get FIT: Flat Packing "Friction in Tension" Table
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 5.07
A great companion to your new flat pack shelving, the FIT table fits together without screws, nails, hardware or tools. It's another great candidate for downloadable design, breaking down into six flat or nearly-flat pieces that can be easily customized with fun designs and patterns on the table top. The FIT table (that's Friction in Tension) starts as one solid piece of composite, so it uses a very minimal volume of materials, and is also easy to customize.
Prototypes can be had here, and there's more to learn at the designer's website. ::MAPractice via ::Design Milk...
Product Update: Juice Bags
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 10. 5.07
Remember, dear longtime readers, when we first brought you Juice Bags from Rewear a few years ago? We mentioned that they were similar to the Voltaic bags, in that you can charge your portable electronic devices via the built in solar panel. Well we just learned that Rewear is now making daypacks and messenger bags from recycled soda bottles as well and each bag keeps about eight soda bottles out of the landfill. The material is as rugged as nylon but apparently soft to the touch. Another added bonus – the solar panel is waterproof so you won’t have to worry when those west winds begin to blow. Via ::AMC Outdoors ::Reware...
World's Largest Windfarm Gets Approval
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 10. 5.07
A new wind farm, 90 square miles large, has been approved for construction off the coast of the UK. If built, it will become the largest offshore wind farm in the world, which should make all UK Tree Huggers proud.
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TreeHugger Radio: It’s Green Design Contest Season
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 10. 5.07
This week we recap the events of the Clinton Global Initiative, plus take a look at the plethora of green design competitions that are budding this fall. The city of New York is granting prizes for designers who can envision a hurricane escape plan. Metropolis Magazine’s Next Generation design competition is ramping up for its fifth year, focusing on water. Electrolux’s Design Lab contest is helping appliance users change their habits. And Google and Specialized are cranking out design submissions to their Innovate or Die contest. Listen to TreeHugger Radio on iTunes or listen/right click to download. ::TreeHugger Radio ...
Bend it Like Piegato: Flat Pack Shelving
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 5.07
Made from just a single sheet of laser-cut steel, and requiring just two screws to mount it on the wall, Piegato shelves are a great way to add storage using minimal space and materials. You get to decide how its configured -- the shelves can be packed flat as a piece of paper and shipped in a big envelope -- and thanks to some pretty thoughtful design (the bottom braces that keep the individual shelves from folding like a taco), the shelves can hold a surprising amount of weight; we're surprised to see lots of books on the shelves, but the designer swears it's true.
Because the shelf system is a single piece of steel, this baby is also highly recyclable, if/when you decide it's useful life is through; we could definitely see this in the downloadable design realm. Check out more at ::Piegato via ::MoCo Loco...
People Tree, Ecover + Ecotricity Get It Together
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 10. 5.07
At TreeHugger we're firm believers that several heads are better than one, just look at how many of us are bringing you green news everyday! So when we heard that three great pioneers of sustainability are starting to work together in the UK we just knew that progress was being made. The collaboration between People Tree - eco-friendly and ethical fashion, Ecover - eco-cleaning products, and Ecotricity - green electricity, shows some pretty smart and creative thinkers taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture of our wardrobe's life cycle.
You may remember that the wash and care of a t-shirt can account for 80% of its carbon footprint. So it makes sense for People Tree, who are working hard on sustainability at the start of the garment's life by using Fair Trade organic cotton, to team up with Ecover and Ecotricity, who can help us take care of the rest of our garment's life. While each of these companies individually are making advancements in the greening of their sectors, together they can take even bigger steps to create awareness. "They plan to work together on a long-term basis to educate consumers about their role in minimising the carbon footprint of their clothing."...
Survey: How Do You Phone?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 5.07
Cell Phones are expensive and create a huge amount of e-waste; according to photographer Chris Jordan, Last year Americans retired 130 million cellphones, many of which will wind up in landfills, where their toxic lead, mercury and cadmium components will leach into the ground. Yet some people don't even have good old dependable land lines any more and rely on their cell for all their oral communication.
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Harnessing Car Engines' Lost Energy for Electricity Production
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 5.07
The concept of waste-to-energy technology is certainly nothing new: we've covered it many times on TreeHugger over the past few years (see here and here for some examples) and continually see it be touted as one of the "next big things" in alternative energy production. And while the jury is still out (and will likely remain so) on that latter point, there is no denying that, when done right, there is a place for these technologies in a more sustainable, resource-conscious society - especially if it can be accomplished on the scale Clemson University physicist Terry Tritt is envisioning.
In an address to the NanoTX conference this year, Tritt argued that energy lost from hot engines - by some accounts more than 60% of the automotive combustion cycle's output - could be captured and converted into electricity with the help of thermoelectric devices. “Thermoelectric generators are currently used in NASA’s deep-space probes to convert the heat of radioactive elements to electrical energy, powering these systems for over 30 years,” he explained....
How To Reuse Your Old Electronics
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 5.07
Avi at Dark Roasted Blend somehow finds extraordinary pictures to make endless posts on ludicrous subjects, like this one. He says "Given the Moore's law that the power of computers doubles every 24 months, we end up with a lot of useless devices and obsolete hardware, that you sure can recycle in a normal way, but it's much more fun to recycle it in a wild and unusual ways! Let's see how to give a new life to the computing zombies of yesteryear." See much, much more at ::Dark Roasted Blend
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Scientist Wins IgNobel Extracting Vanillin From Cow Dung
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 5.07
The Ig Nobel Chemistry Prize was awarded on October 4 to Mayu Yamamoto, a former researcher at the International Medical Center of Japan, for her pioneering work in extracting a useful product, vanillin, from cow dung. According to Pink Tentacle, Yamamoto says that widespread adoption of her method could help the environment because companies would make greater use of cow dung, which arguably contributes to global warming.
As a bonus prize, Toscanini’s Ice Cream in Cambridge, Massachusetts has invented a new flavor — Yum-A-Moto Vanilla Twist — to honor Yamamoto, and is offering a free public tasting to its customers on October 5. Other winners below the fold ::Pink Tentacle
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The Pantry is Back
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 5.07
Kitchen cabinets are expensive, particularly if you buy them formaldehyde free with a green counter. Yet storage is at a premium if you plan on canning fruits and vegetables or laying in supplies of root vegetables for the winter. According to Paula Robinson of the Telegraph, "The pantry is definitely making a comeback as interest in healthy, organic eating grows. It is essential to making the most of your crop if you have a vegetable garden or an allotment." She continues "The location of your walk-in pantry is important. Tradition and practicality call for a dry, cool and dark place so, unfortunately, it can't do double duty as the utility room. Site it well away from the oven, fridge freezer, or washing machine, and ensure that it has a solid door that seals shut."
It doesn't have to be doilied up and made so cutesy-pie as the one shown- it is a closet for food rather than a cabinet. We no longer have armoires for our clothes but have put them in closets; why not do the same with food, so that we can store lots of it cheaply in a more controlled environment and can just walk in and see what we have? ::Telegraph
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Bookcase Into a Bed: A New Take on the Murphy Bed
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 5.07
Here's an interesting take on the folding Murphy bed idea: instead of folding into the wall, this concept jigsaw-puzzles together to become part of the wall. The bookcase/bed combination works together to help maximize space and give your walls a little extra pop of color; when it's bedtime, just take down your bookcase and you've got a bed.
We like that the bookcases remain on the wall, so you don't have to take stuff off the shelves when it's time to go to bed, but we see a few tricky spots in the day to day operation as well; you'd have to make the bed every night (unless it came with a puzzle-shaped fitted sheet) and it might be a little weird sleeping with a puzzle-shaped crease in the middle. Still, it's a great idea (if the implementation leaves a little to be desired) so we'll hope that some of the kinks will get worked out for Puzzle-Bed 2.0. via ::Yanko Design...
Kerala's Fisherwomen Challenge Coastal Tourism's Onslaught
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 10. 5.07
September 27th marked World Tourism Day and a group of fisherwomen in the South Indian state of Kerala made their concerns known in front of the state secretariat by gagging themselves and wearing sloganed headbands. Kerala is a well-known tourist destination for foreigners and Indians alike and is famous for its lush green treescapes, villages and fishing boats on beautiful backwaters and beaches. Politically left-standing and culturally rich, tourism is one of the biggest sectors in Kerala, but in recent years has become more and more commercialized, much to the chagrin of locals who claim that it is harming their livelihoods and the environment. "Tourism in the state is increasingly challenging our livelihoods, environment and culture," said Magline Peter, a leader of the Coastal Women's Front that led the demonstration. Recently, they rallied with the Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation against a government initiative to alter coastal environmental guidelines that would have allowed more resorts and industries to extend along the coast. ...
Green Festival in Washington DC
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 5.07
It's the Green Festival travelling road show-"party with a purpose" and "a celebration of what’s working in our communities– for people, for businesses and for the environment." It starts in Washington DC at the Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 6&7. TreeHugger is there- in the Planet Green booth, and on the podium, with our own Graham Hill on the very first panel- (can he get up that early?) discussing the "Media’s Impact on the Green Lifestyle Movement." Other heavyweights who have appeared in TreeHugger include Bill McKibben, Francis Moore Lappe and Bill McDonough.
The lecture titles are fascinating: What's the Economy for, Anyway?, The Walmart-ing of America, The Clean Energy Vision, or Building the Green Economy: Success Stories from the Grassroots. ::Greenfestival Washington
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Offscreen Expedition Helps Youth Educate, Inspire Via Art
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10. 5.07
With miscommunication between inhabitants of the Western and Arab world’s one of the biggest problems we face on the planet, it stands to reason that 9 British students heading off on an expedition to help translate across the cultural divide might make a difference. In fact, they got a chance to relate a bit about the environment in the Middle East as well. Visiting Dubai and Oman to demonstrate how humans there have adapted in various ways to the harsh desert conditions.
It’s all part of the Offscreen Education Programme, using the creative power of art to educate and inspire youth via the web. Just one of the places they visited that fascinated me was the vacant Bedouin homes, built by the government to house that part of their local population. While spacious and apparently well built, they double as a monument to classic miscommunication between cultures, as the Bedouin were unwilling to actually move into them. That decision was based on the lack of distance between them and apparently difficult access to water supplies as well.
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Recipe of the Week: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Garlic Dressing
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 10. 5.07
It's Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend, and for us that means heading to the cottage for the final weekend of the year. A number of years ago our cottage neighbours generously invited us to their family Thanksgiving at the last minute after hearing that we were going to sit down to a bowl of pasta. It has turned into a bit of a tradition now, one that I look forward to for months. Last year the weather was so warm a table for 20 was laid on the dock. We ate by candlelight as the autumn leaves gently fell onto the glass-like surface of the lake. It was one of those magical dinners that you always remember. So it's perhaps a bit disingenuous to offer up a Thanksgiving recipe when I don't have to cook the dinner myself, but it's a good recipe anyway.
I really wanted to have a dinner that included pumpkin. Of course, traditionally pumpkin would appear on the Thanksgiving menu in the form of pie, but that doesn't preclude having it in a savoury dish first. This is a great side dish because it is just about as easy as it gets, and that's a plus if you are feeding a crowd and have a lot to do. Take the list of vegetables as a guideline, any root vegetables will do. I used mini blue potatoes rather than sweet potatoes and beets rather than fennel bulbs, just because that was what I had. Carrots or other winter squash would also work as well. The recipe says to bake for 35 minutes, but I found it was closer to 45 minutes....
Get a Green Job: GreenCareers by MonsterTRAK
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 5.07
According to a recent study by MonsterTRAK, the division of job-hunting megasite Monster for college students and recent graduates, 80 percent of young professionals are interested in securing a job that impacts the environment in a positive way, and 92 percent give preference to working for a company that is environmentally friendly. If you find yourself at the green jobs crossroads, and you've exhausted your search over at TreeHugger's Job Board, then MonsterTRAK has something for you: yesterday, MonsterTRAK, in alliance with ecoAmerica (full disclosure: Bob Perkowitz, President of ecoAmerica, is a member of TreeHugger's Board of Advisors), announced GreenCareers by MonsterTRAK, the first environmentally responsible recruitment service for college students and recent graduates....
Make Your Own Keyboard
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 10. 5.07
File this one under the Keatsian department of "a thing of beauty is a joy forever." Much like these wondrous Russian computer cases, Hacoa is now soon-to-be-offering a do-it-yourself keyboard kit to the masses. The kit allows the purchaser to cut the keys from a plank of wood and assemble the pieces themselves; it's $300.
Till now, Hacoa has typically crafted each keyboard by hand, churning out the sum total of one keyboard per day. But in an effort to lighten the company’s labor load, boost production, and probably increase profits, they are going to let the purchaser do some of the cutting and assembling at home. The kits come in maple or walnut, and include a USB keyboard base, a wooden plank with the beginnings of keys hard-carved into it, connectors for attaching the finished keys to the keyboard base, a saw, sandpaper and other tools.
Available online around October 18. Much like the bamboo mice and monitors, we are talking statement here; get it, build it, and pop it in your place of business, along with (of course) a framed plaque detailing the process: Pink Tentacle...
Strange Waters: From Under the Sea and Out of the Amazonian Rainforest
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 5.07
It has been a while since we looked at some of the strange bottled waters that people are peddling; one would think that with all of the controversy over bottled water that businesspeople would look askance at investing in such ventures. Clearly, however, suckers are still being born every minute because here are two new candidates:
Equa: Bottled Water from the Amazonian Rainforest
Florida businessman Jeff Moats tells Business Week that the rainforest is "probably the last place on Earth that holds boundless mystery and mystique." While working on another failed Brazilian business venture 10 years ago, he "he stumbled on a spring near the equator that is now Equa's source. Moats found the water so pure he claims, "Science will be rewritten based on the natural purity of this artesian spring."
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IDeAs New Zero Energy, Zero Carbon Headquarters
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 5.07
It's nice to see firms practice what they preach; Electrical and lighting engineering firm IDeAs believes "that we change the world through our sustainable designs, one building at a time" and today are opening their conversion of a dead sixties era bank branch into a net zero energy, zero carbon emission headquarters for the firm. It has a "fully integrated, grid-tied, net-metering, photovoltaic system sized to provide 100% of the net energy requirements, allowing it to make zero contribution to global warming." They call it Z-squared.
They have put together an interactive website for the project where one can look at each of the technologies and interventions in detail- there is a lot of stuff to see under that low-key exterior....
Quote of the Day: Akkiko Busch on Consumption
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 5.07
So as substance abusers in the most literal sense, we seem to do what most other addicts do when faced with the obvious: We go into denial. We spin. Often, that spin involves redefining excess as less. And for all the dangers implicit in the cycle of consumption and waste, I would venture to say that the cycle of indulgence and denial is even more dangerous, because it involves a level of self-deception, along with convoluted arguments of justification that allow us to do whatever we want."
And the money quote: "Make less, buy less, use less, throw away less."
::Business Week via ::Core77...
Hope that Corals Will Withstand Global Warming's Impact
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 5.07
Could coral reefs stand a fighting chance against the onslaught of global warming after all? While most previous reports had painted a bleak (or even bleaker) picture of their future outlook, a new study from researchers at the Polish Academy of Sciences' Institute of Paleobiology has intimated that they may in fact be able to adapt in time. Jaroslaw Stolarski and his colleagues found that ancient corals were able to alter the way they built their aragonite skeletons to adjust to their increasingly acidic surroundings - opening the door to the possibility that modern corals could do the same under similar conditions.
The fossilized corals they studied - belonging to the genus Coelosmilia, which were commonly found during the Cretaceous period - had calcite skeletons, a form of calcium carbonate less susceptible to the corrosive effects of a lower pH (as opposed to aragonite). "We now have many different arguments to prove that these corals were actually made originally out of calcite—and not just aragonite that was transformed after the coral died and become fossilized ... There was great biological variability among the corals, and some of them adjusted perfectly to the prevailing geochemical situation," said Stolarski....
Love to Knit
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10. 5.07
We discovered Bronwyn Lowenthal's hand-knit berets and scarves at London Fashion Week. Made out of UK low carbon alpaca, they are cozy, warm and feminine--a good combo for a winter's day. As she says: ‘We spent a lot of time sourcing quality yarn from UK reared animals which is spun here and will be hand-knitted here. I am committing to delivering all London orders by bicycle from our Brixton studio in the spirit of the range.’ Knitting is her first love and now she has written a book on knitting--it has 25 products to make and wear, including bow gloves, lacy socks, streetsmart beanies, retro leg warmers and chunky scarfs. They offer a modern and stylish take on traditional accessories and are purposely made easy enough for beginners and novices to understand.
She has just begun to design dresses made of organic cotton, some with crotcheted sleeves, and matching crocheted beret, and scarf. The organic cotton range is made on knitting machines and is a mixture of very traditional designs and some pretty outrageous stuff too. There is a hot pink strapless dress that yearns to see the night life. Making use of colourful silk vintage scarves, she recycles them as bags and belts that would enliven any outfit. :: ilovelowie Via :: London Fashion Week...
CI Desk: Mini Transformer Laptop Workstation
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 5.07
For any of you who don't think you have room for a home office, the folks at Creative Industrial Objects beg to differ. The CI Desk expands and unfolds, adjusting and adapting to make maximum use of minimal materials and space. "A multi-functional home office on wheels, in its handy size and elegant shape, adapting to the flexible working habits of the individual at home or in the office. Through a 180-degree turn of its top, it unfolds into a small workstation for laptop users."
If you're tired of sweaty legs, and don't have a bamboo laptop yet (and who does?), something like this lil' mini desk might make your home office life much more bearable. It's mini, transforms for better functionality and rolls away when you don't need it. We like. ::Creative Industrial Objects via ::Apartment Therapy...
Wrap Yourself Around Transformer-Like Organic Cottons from Israel
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 10. 5.07
In the meantime if you are interested in perusing their online catalogue, you’ll have to have a good grasp of Hebrew – otherwise meander through the website of Cotton, one of Israel’s first organic clothing designers. Much of their wear looks like the transformer designs Jasmin has been reporting on lately (here & here) – handy for the intensity that comes with living in Israel. Israelis like to work, party and play hard and it looks like clothes from Cotton could fit the bill. Israelis also tend to dress down rather than up – don’t be surprised to find them wearing jeans to a wedding or flip-flops in a business meeting.
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Nulethics EcoVerse
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 10. 5.07
Now it’s somewhat akin to ‘the pot to be calling the kettle black’ for me, of all people, to be pointing out spelling mistakes and typos (after all, my indiscretions in this regard are legendary), but the Nulethics’ website prose is rife with them. Putting that aside we find another sports company taking to the environmental high road. Their claim to have the “industry's first high performance eco-friendly sportswear line” could be hotly contested, but as we are often saying, the more on board this bandwagon the merrier.
Their compact little range employs a fabrication the company terms ‘EcoVerse.’ It takes renewable, fast growing bamboo, well, a heated, pulverised version of it and bonds it to polyester fibres, 46% of which is derived from recycled drink bottles and the like. Nulethics suggest that their recycled polyester “uses 80% less energy and chemicals during the dye process.” This is not your usual bamboo fabric, rather nano sized bamboo particles that have been said to improve absorption of moisture and body odour. Not unlike how charcoal carbon is used in water filters to collect the nasties.
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Moira & Obbie - Clothes with a Longer Life
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 10. 5.07
Today we bring you some life cycle “extenders”: Moira & Obbie. In what looks like Indiana, one designer is extending the life of old clothes by making them into new ones. The work that Vanessa creates is from 95% reclaimed fibers which she deconstructs to “then rebuild into something new taking inspiration from the story or use the item may have previously had to inform what it will become.” She uses everything from men’s business shirts, sweaters, t-shirts and old kitchen curtains to make her handcrafted, one of a kind designs. Vanessa’s work is inspired by her grandparents, not coincidentally named, Moira and Obbie. The history tab on the site explains that they were the first people she knew who recycled:...
Transition Towns Reach Australia: Another Community Prepares for Peak Oil
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 5.07
It was only yesterday that we were posting on oil executives’ warnings about the consequences of peak oil, and looking at the solutions that are out there. Today we hear that Transition Towns, already strong in the UK, have spread to the other side of the world with the launch of the first official Australian Transition Town in Sunshine Coast. This initiative, which is part of the Sunshine Coast Energy Action Centre, is the first official Transition Town to be recognized outside the UK or Ireland and marks a major milestone on the road towards a cleaner energy future. Rob Hopkins, the founder of the Transition Towns concept (who we interviewed here) , publishes a more detailed description of the inspiration behind the Sunshine Coast project from Sonya Wallace, one of the organizers, here:
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Alternative Economy Needed for Biodiversity?
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 10. 5.07
Biodiversity is the term used to describe the variation of life within a given ecosystem. It is often used as a measure of environmental health. Research has shown that a diverse range of organisms results in an ecosystem that is resilient to change. As our environment changes, an ecosystems ability to continue to provide ecosystem functions becomes increasingly important. Perhaps one of the most vulnerable, yet important ecosystems on earth is the Amazon. Marina Silva, Brazil's environment minister, believes that wealthy countries should help pay the burden of maintaining Amazonian biodiversity....
San Francisco Moves Towards Bike-Sharing
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 10. 4.07
Although a few cities are scaling down bike-sharing programs, many cities are exploring the option for their citizens. Copenhagen, for example has 2,000 bikes at 110 stations through the city. Paris? Ten times that many bikes and slightly more than ten times the stations. And, with many of the advantages of car-sharing, such as not needing a personal vehicle, and the eco-cred of zipping around the city with human power, it's no wonder. So who's next to jump on the bike-sharing bandwagon? It looks like it could be San Francisco. The best part might be the cost to the city - close to nothing. Take that budget cuts! ...
Paris Pledges Emissions Cuts by 2020
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 10. 4.07
Image: Flickr - markhillary
While many cities around the world are plagued by infighting when it comes to cutting carbon emissions, Parisians from all ends of the spectrum are coming together to create a green plan for the city. The city's new plan calls for a 30 percent reduction in energy usage and emissions from public buildings by the year 2020. In conjunction, Paris is taking steps to cut emissions in other city services.
Paris city authorities have already taken steps to reduce their environmental impact, using "clean" vehicles and recycled paper, and ensuring that all new public housing answers to high environmental standards....
Pemex to Cut Carbon Emissions Via Clean Development Mechanism
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 10. 4.07
Mexico's state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, has identified 21 opportunities to cut greenhouse gas emissions and get paid for it under the Clean Development Mechanism, a pollutant trading system mandated under the Kyoto Protocol.
The system, which is administered by the United Nations, has inspired companies around the world to invest in environmentally friendly projects in the developing world in exchange for carbon credits. Businesses in the developed world looking to meet pollution reduction targets buy those credits, and the intermediaries, like EcoSecurities, help implement pollution-control technologies and renewable energy projects in the developing world where they are cheaper.
Pemex's 21 CDM projects in its production and exploration, gas, refining and petrochemical divisions could reduce Mexico's carbon dioxide emissions by 2.6 million metric tons. As many as 12 projects are expected to begin operation in 2008 but the rest require funds that have not been approved as part Pemex's budget, according to the company.
There are now more than 600 CDM projects around the world, and about 40% are in Latin America. :: Via Reforma (Spanish link and subscription required)...
Greenwash Watch: Loblaws: Something Can Must Be Done
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 4.07
Canada's biggest grocery chain has been struggling of late, and has been trying to paint itself green with its shopping bags and its tag line "something must be done". When Galen Weston Jr. took over he promised local food; we visited in July and were disappointed, as we noted here. We visited the Christie and Dupont store after our shop at Fiesta farms to check out progress. As promised, there was a stand in the store with a flag over saying "Ontario Grown-picked at its peak." In front of the stand: a few laquered ornamental pumpkins. Filling the stand: cranberries, which I thought were a late harvest product so I looked more closely:
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TreeHugger Picks: Baseball Getting Greener
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 4.07
America's favorite pastime has entered its second season after making some big green strides during the past year. Here are some of the ways that going green on the diamond is becoming more synonymous with apple pie.
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 | 1) The Cincinatti Reds started the season off on a green foot, making their season opener against the Chicago Cubs carbon neutral. They picked up 96 tons worth of carbon offsets that will help fund wind and solar power including the financing of an 11 MW wind farm in India. |
 | 2) This season's All-Star game earned some green cred by giving All-Star MVP Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners the keys to a 2008 hybrid Chevy Tahoe for his performance, rather than the appropriately huge sounding Chevy Avalanche given to last year's MVP. |
 | 3) The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies both put up pretty good-sized solar arrays, which makes a lot of sense: you play baseball in the summer, when the sun shines a lot, right? Could that be the reason the Rockies made the playoffs? Can't hurt. Two more picks, after the jump... |
India To Add More Ethanol From Sugarcane By 2008
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 10. 4.07
After meeting with state government officials on Wednesday, India’s farm minister Sharad Pawar has announced that an agreement has been reached where by October 2008, there will be a mandatory 10 percent blending of ethanol with petrol. The state governments are also in support of moving towards deregulating Indian sugar mills and allowing them to directly produce the ethanol from sugarcane juice.
India now allows a five percent mixing of molasses-derived ethanol with petrol and the new agreement will double this figure. In addition, Pawar said that any obstacles to the free movement of denatured ethanol and local taxes should be eliminated.
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FishPhone: Get Your Sustainable Seafood Report On the Go
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 4.07
So let's say you're out for a night on the town, getting ready to order dinner, but aren't sure if you should eat the shrimp or not. You check your wallet, but the handy Monterey Bay Acquarium Seafood Watch isn't there; oh no! What to do? Now you don't have to worry, as the guide is available as a text-messaging service aptly named FishPhone.
Just text 30644 on your cell phone with the message "FISH" and the fish you want to know about; a matter of seconds later, you'll have an answer about the relative sustainability of your potential meal. If mobile web-browsing is more your game, FishPhone has you covered, as does the Monterey Bay Acquarium. Now you just have to figure out how much fish it's okay to eat. ::FishPhone and ::Monterey Bay Acquarium Mobile Seafood Guide via ::Gristmill...
Trevor O'Neil's Salvaged Sustainable Designs
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 4.07
Designer Trevor O'Neil took advantage of a building being gutted next door to salvage a bunch of materials into a pretty interesting collection of furniture. Not least of these is this funky, ultra-modern couch made from salvaged cork; we love that it's a sustainable material, and we love that it's already have a previous life as something else. O'Neil is no one trick pony; in addition to his furniture (more pics after the jump), he makes jewelry out of salvaged wood scraps, along with sculptures and paintings. ::Trevor O'Neil via ::Apartment Therapy: Chicago...
Most Huggable: Paris’ Accords, More NASA Swiftboating, ‘The New Black,’ and More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 10. 4.07
Paris adopts a climate plan to slash greenhouse emissions 30% by the year 2020… NASA scientist James Hansen finds himself swept up in another episode of Swiftboating… Irish researchers are putting a bacterium to work digesting Styrofoam waste into biodegradable plastics… Massive ice sheets in northern Canada are splitting far faster than expected, one of them going more than 60 miles in a week… Tasmin Blanchard speaks with Eco-Libris about her new book, Green is the New Black… Hugg is now image activated! Check out all the new functions on Hugg 2.0. Happy happy joy joy! Why not submit your own green news? ...
Tainted Meat? USDA Will Tell You. Some Day.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 4.07
One more reason to look your butcher in the face: nobody is out there protecting you from tainted meat.
On September 25, the UD Department of Agriculture recalled 331,000 pounds of hamburger from the Topps Meat Company; last week they expanded the recall to 21.7 million pounds, because of contamination of E coli bacteria, which can cause kidney failure and death. First victim? July 5. Next? August 17. Link to Topps meat: September 7. First time the USDA gets together to discuss? September 25, 18 days later. Nothing like jumping into action to protect America's food supply.
"We gather information from various sources, including our public health partners in the states," said David Goldman, assistant administrator of the Office of Public Health at USDA's inspection service. "Once we have enough information that we have a basis for taking action, then we convene a group of people here in the agency to consider taking that action—in this case, take it to the company and request a recall. "There are many steps along the way to get to that point."
Except, according to the Chicago Tribune, all of those steps were taken weeks earlier. ...
Oil Execs to World - We Must Cut Consumption
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 4.07
Image borrowed from Raise the Hammer - Image credit Trevor Shaw
Peak Oil, or the inevitable peaking and then decline of global oil supply, has become such a topic of conversation in environmental circles that it almost rivals climate change. As Lester Brown noted on TreeHugger, there is no doubt that it is coming, and that it will be a “seismic economic event”. It is amazing then, that we do not hear more in the mainstream media or business world about how to prepare for the coming challenges. All that, however, may be starting to change. As David Strahan notes over at The Guardian, even leading oil executives are starting to acknowledge the problem. Some are actually talking about the need for reduced consumption:
For many years, the idea that global oil production will soon start to fall, with potentially catastrophic economic consequences, has languished on the fringes of the environmental debate, with nothing like the recognition of climate change, and shunned by the industry itself. But when the history is written, 2007 is likely to go down as the year the issue of peak oil production went mainstream. In Cork, the former US energy secretary, James Schlesinger, used his keynote speech to tell delegates that they were no longer a tiny minority crying in the wilderness: "You can declare victory . . . and prepare to take yes for an answer."...
Book Review: The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 4.07
Anyone with even the most passing interest in what goes on your platter needs to seize hold of Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food: Notes lessons, and Recipes From a Delicious Revolution (2007, Clarkson Potter), the first book the famed chef and slow-food champion has written for the home cook.
Filled with 19 lessons for learning core culinary principles—including cutting techniques, if you can't tell your mince from your julienne—as well as more than 200 recipes running the full gamut of sauces, pastas, breads and grains, vegetables, seafood, poultry, and desserts. ...
Local Food: The New Competitive Edge
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 4.07
It sure doesn't look like much from the outside, and although we have lived in the neighbourhood for over 20 years we had never set foot in Fiesta Farms, usually going to the local Loblaws instead. Then we learned that Fiesta Farms is the first big store in Ontario to sign on with Local Food Plus, (previously covered in TreeHugger as Local Flavour Plus), a non-profit that certifies food as "sustainable" which means it was produced in Ontario in a way that's gentle on the environment and strict on worker and animal rights. According to Catherine Porter in the Star, it's ethical food. "We're not looking at just where it comes from or just the production system, either. This is a broader package," said Local Food Plus vice-president Mike Schreiner. (see LFP's ten guiding principles here)
Fiesta Farms owner Joseph Virgona notes: "I'm surrounded by corporate chains. We had to do something totally different." While local strawberries once rotted on his shelves, this summer they were scooped up instantly, he said. "It's become a tidal wave."
So we visited, and it was fabulous. Six different kinds of Ontario apples (didn't know there were so many!), dozens of different vegetables, local and organic food and everything from Ontario clearly labelled. We just found a new place to shop. ::The Star...
David Byrne Talks Cycling
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 10. 4.07
The New Yorker festival is being held this weekend, and Matt Seaton, the Guardian's resident cyclist, had the good fortune to run into David Byrne and ask him about cycling in New York. Byrne was there to host an evening that claimed to be "dedicated to the advancement of bicycling". ...
Broadcast Your Non-Profit Cause
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 4.07
At this year's Clinton Global Initiative, YouTube pledged $20 million over two years to kick into gear the YouTube Non-Profit Program, an initiative to encourage non-profit organizations to design and create "brand channels" to build communities, while raising awareness for their cause in a attention-deficit-plagued, media-obsessed world. (Are you still reading this?)
This dedicated area on YouTube's site will provide non-profits with a personalized channel with an embedded Google checkout donation widget. Google will be processing donations through its Checkout for Non-Profits for free, at least through the end of 2008, so 100 percent of contributions collected through the widget will go directly into the non-profit's coffers.
And if you're one of the first 300 non-profits to sign up, you also get a video camera from Casio or PureDigital. ::YouTube...
REI To Open New Prototype Green Store in Boulder
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 10. 4.07
The green team at the outdoor gear co-op, REI (Recreational Equipment Inc,) can’t be getting much sleep of late. They seem to be rolling our some new eco-endeavour every month. In August it was their Eco-Sensitive product labelling. Last month we learnt they were pledging a $100,000 USD grant to the Bikes Belong Foundation to make US cities more cyclist friendly. And now in October, with barely time to draw breath, they are about to unveil their long anticipated green prototype store in the Boulder, Colorado.
This new retail store, opening tomorrow has been constructed achieve a Silver certification as accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. It’s not the first time REI have put energy into designing better stores. We’ve reported over the past three years on their work in locations such as Portland and Pittsburg. Read after the jump how the Boulder shop has managed to reduce its electricity, etc, by 20% and its water by 30% against industry standards....
Sassy & Sustainable : Ink & Wit Postcards
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 4.07
We're bowled over by Ink & Wit's striking and modern postcards, which designer Tara Hogan has been transitioning over to 100 percent post-consumer paper stock and soy inks—including the two attention-drawing designs above.
Hogan swapped her original notecards for postcards to save save paper and stamp money, so you can express more with less on occasions when digitally printed words on a computer screen just won't do. ::Ink & Wit...
Debate Over Seafood and Pregnancy Rages On
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10. 4.07
According to the Washington Post, a coalition of top scientists from private groups and federal agencies plans to declare today that pregnant and breast-feeding women should eat at least 12 ounces of fish and seafood per week to ensure their babies' optimal brain development.
And that, of course, is a major break with current U.S. health advice that the women in question should eat no more than 12 ounces per week due to concerns about mercury contamination.
The debate over fish and pregnant mothers has deepened over the last several years, and at its core is the tension between the brain-bolstering nutrients in seafood and concern over exposure to mercury, which builds up in the tissue of many marine species and is toxic to nerve tissue.
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The Coming Diatom Economy
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 4.07
British scientists are betting that diatoms - a group of unicellular, eukaryotic algae found (mostly) in the open oceans - could provide the ideal solution for making the manufacture a variety of consumer products, including cosmetics and fabrics, more cost-effective and eco-friendly. The plentiful phytoplankton possess a characteristic silica shell, known as a frustule, that is capable of displaying a stunning array of colors that fluctuates depending on its orientation towards light - similar to the effect produced by having light reflected from a thin layer of oil on water.
The team of researchers from the University of Oxford has found a very cost-effective way of growing the miniature organisms in controlled lab conditions (using a special culture medium), laying the groundwork for industrial-scale production. They envision the frustules being incorporated into everything from paints and clothing to credit card holograms and other polymers. Adopting this technology would eschew what has typically been a high impact, resource intensive process to build artificial reflectors - growing diatoms only requires standard conditions, including normal room temperature and pressure, and, under the right circumstances, has the advantage of being extremely speedy....
Divine Chocolate's Hungry to Change the World Recipe Contest
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 4.07
Divine Chocolate is celebrating Fair Trade Month with a contest to find the tastiest fair-trade chocolate recipe in America. The catch? At least one ingredient has to be Divine Chocolate, but you smartypants probably figured that out already. You also have to submit a statement on "why you are hungry to change the world through fair trade." (Note: Although TransFair U.S.A.'s fair-trade certification accounts for sustainable practices, we wish Divine were also organic-certified.)
For complete rules and regulations, as well as details on how to submit your entry, click on over to the official contest site. ::Divine Chocolate
A couple of recipes to inspire you fair-trade-loving gourmands: ::Chocolate Fallen Souffle Cake and ::Chocolate Cake...
TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 10. 4.07
Asia Is Green: Staying Alive Forever, Islam and Environmental Conservation by Eugene. "This article was first published in the Apr-Jun 07 edition of NADi by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). We find the article enlightening and it gave us more insights on how the teachings of Islam promote environmental consciousness and protection. We think that more people should be exposed to the relationship between the environment and religion. So we have republished the article below (in 2 parts) with kind permission from MUIS."
Green Daily: The dirty dozen of fruits and veggies by Patricia Mayville-Cox
"If you would like to start moving into buying organic food slowly, the Environmental Working Group has come up with a list of fruits and vegetables that are best to buy from organic sources if possible. They call them The Dirty Dozen, because the group found that their counterparts tended to have the highest pesticide residues."...
Ohio Turning Tobacco Settlement Money Into Greener Schools
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10. 4.07
At least that’s the plan, since they’re securitizing their $18 Billion share of tobacco settlement money, and taking the $5 Billion proceeds today rather than the entire settlement over the course of the next 40 years. A genuinely bright idea, though it does break the promise made by his predecessors back in 1998 that a significant amount of the cash would go to prevent tobacco use, particularly among children.
So how will they turn the windfall into greener schools? Well, since the Ohio School Facilities Commission recently adopted the LEED for Schools Rating System as part of its school design standards it looks like they’ll be using it to incorporate green LEED building principles into schools throughout the state by renovating existing structures and incorporating those same principles into new schools under construction.
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Greenest. Business Card. Ever.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 4.07
The designer was at a party just after graduating. "As the evening progressed cards were exchanged back and forth while a stack of white card stock grew in my left blazer pocket. As my own reserve began to diminish, a sense of panic set in....I reached into my left pocket and began scratching out business cards and adding my own details..." ...which probably offended half of the people at the party as they get their own business cards handed back to them with somebody else's information on it, but randomly put together and distributed by a third party, so to speak, is an interesting way to reuse and recycle.
Now you can buy pre-scratched cards complete with a vinyl (we have already recommended changing that) holder and pen. "Impress clients/associates while adding your own distinct spark to the professional world." at ::Up To You...
Quote of the Day: David Suzuki on Biofuels
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 4.07
Photo credit: Lynn L. Walters/The New York Times
Proponents of biofuels, which are often made from plants such as corn or sugar cane, often point to their many advantages over fossil fuels like gasoline. Biofuels are less toxic or non-toxic in comparison to fossil fuels. They are a renewable resource, whereas once fossil fuels are gone, they're gone. And biofuels can be grown just about anywhere you can grow crops, reducing the need for giant pipelines or oil tankers, and potentially helping to reduce conflicts in areas like the Middle East.
So far so good. But things start to get complicated when you look more closely. Much has already been debated about the energy requirements to produce some biofuels, especially corn-based ethanol. Ethanol made from corn only contains marginally more energy than what is needed to produce it. ... Many people argue that making corn-based ethanol is more of an agricultural subsidy for farmers than it is a sound environmental policy....
US Department Of Energy Announces A "Three For One"
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 4.07
Just announced: high voltage power line corridors can be constructed over the objections of State and local government, over-running natural areas and parks, and delivering more coal-generated electricity to urban areas, just in time to prevent switching to cleaner alternatives.
"Huge transmission lines could soon skirt Civil War battlegrounds, historic districts, and the Appalachian Trail following a federal order that designates national corridors in two key regions of the United States with fast-growing electricity needs."
"The corridors are designed to make it easier for utilities to get approval for power lines in areas where the electric grid is congested. They allow the US Energy Department – not states – to be the final arbiter of where the lines are built."...
Lifehacker Tip: Buy the Right Size TV
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 4.07
One of the few things I didn't like in my tour of the Tridel Eco-suite was the monster LCD TV in the living room. It was considered green because it used "20% less power than a CRT TV and 30% less than a plasma" but was still huge.
I also wondered about how good the picture would be if one was sitting that close; even with HDTV or HDVD there has to be a limit. Lifehacker to the rescue: they found a table with recommended minimum and maximum distances for the size of the monitor. So if you are in a small room, don't drop the megabucks on a megascreen, even if it's megagreen. ::HDTV world via ::Lifehacker...
Protect Your iPod nano with Recycled Cassette Tapes
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 4.07
If you secretly preferred cassette tapes to vinyl (but have made the jump to digital music via the trusty iPod), then this lil' gadget is for you. Brought to you by the same folks who dreamed up the iPod cases from old 45s, these create similar utility for old cassettes; if you aren't still listening to them, you might as well use 'em for something, right?
They're built to fit 1st and 2nd generation iPod nanos (and are working on updating to the new, wider 3rd generation version) -- sorry, iPod Classic owners; you'll have to stick with the vinyl cases, for now. If protecting your music with old music media doesn't really do it for you, check out our picks for other iPod accessories. ::Contexture via ::45 iPod Cases...
Happy 160.944 Kilometer Canadian Thanksgiving
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 4.07
The Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is coming up and everyone is planning for the big dinner on Sunday or Monday. It is a harvest celebration, with the date bouncing around October and November until the Canadian Parliament declared in 1957 "A Day of General Thanksgiving... for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October."
So if you are going to celebrate a bountiful harvest, why not make it a local one? Have a look at the menus of the five finalists for last year's TreeHugger (American) 100 Mile Thanksgiving Dinner Contest for some neat ideas- ::100 Mile Thanksgiving Dinner
Also look at Alisa and James' 100 Mile Diet website where which has a big Thanksgiving section at ::100 Mile Thanksgiving Happy Dining!...
Toshiba Fuel-Cell PMP to Launch in 2008
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 4.07
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more ardent advocate of fuel cell technology in the world of electronics and high-end gadgetry than Toshiba. Having already announced the creation of a line of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) concept audio devices a few years back, the Japanese company has now introduced a prototype PMP (portable media player) that integrates the fuel cell block with the device. Previous models had separated the player from the fuel cell block.
Company officials claim the cell runs on nearly 100% methanol, and that users will be able to refill it from the side face. With the fuel cell block, they estimate the player will last for about 10 hours - assuming continuous 1 seg playback. The vapor produced during playback will be evaporated "naturally" with the help of a filtration system - similar to the one designed by scientists from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University. The device is expected to ship in mid- to late 2008. Now if only they can find a way to make this work for vehicles...
Via ::Engadget: Toshiba crams a fuel cell into PMP concept (blog)
See also: ::Toshiba's Laptop Fuel Cell: Patience is a Virtue...
ReForm School Hugs Trees
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 4.07
The freshly relaunched ReForm School—which we discovered through the freshly relaunched, and as always, lovely-to-behold Design Sponge—has a healthy selection of earth-loving goods, including the above treehugging offerings from their featured artists of the month.
Camilla Engman's $35 limited-edition "Save a Tree for Me" prints (only 100 have been made) were made using 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper and soy-based inks. Meanwhile, Ryan Jacob Smith's $29 "Grow" tees, also limited edition, were hand-screened by Smith himself and printed onto 100 percent organic cotton shirts. ::Reform School...
EPA Petitioned to Limited CO2 Emissions from Ships
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 4.07
As TreeHugger has noted here and here, transport by ship is not exactly CO2 free. According to the New York Times, the 90,000 ocean-going container ships, tankers and cruise ships emit more CO2 than all but the six largest polluting nations, equal to the amount emitted by all of the cars in the USA.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown, with environmental group Earthjustice, on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth and Oceana, have asked the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt standards for carbon dioxide. ''If the U.S. is to do its part in reducing the threat of global climate disruption, then EPA must limit the global warming emissions from ships that enter the ports of the United States,'' Brown said. ...
New Coal Pier Proposed For South Shore Of Lake Ontario
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 4.07
Shifting Great Lakes area coal shipments from trains to barges must be driven by significant cost savings.
"AES Corp. plans to build a $25 million dock reaching into Lake Ontario to receive ships carrying coal and limestone to supply its power plant in Somerset in Niagara County...The 3,200-foot-long dock also will be made available to other companies in Western New York that want to use freighters to import cargo by way of the Great Lakes."
"There are five such piers on northern shore of Lake Ontario in Canada, but this would be the first on American side."
"Currently, AES receives 2.2 million tons of coal and limestone a year via rail. Freight trains from across the United States pull directly onto the property. Crushed limestone is used to extract sulfur from the gas generated in the coal burning process."
Wondering where the coal comes from? Pennsylvania, via Lake Erie apparently. See the table below for indications....
Climate Paranoia Strikes Deep
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 4.07
"Australia must populate its undeveloped tropical north or face invasion by Asian refugees driven south by climate change, an outspoken Government MP has warned."
"Northern Australia, which unlike the south of the continent enjoys an annual wet season and has plenty of water, could be coveted if temperature rises leave parts of Asia short of food and water. Rising sea levels could make millions of Asian people homeless and drive them to seek sanctuary elsewhere, Heffernan believes."
"Nearly 40 per cent of Asia's four billion population live within 70km of the sea, with low-lying cities such as Bangkok particularly vulnerable to a surge in sea levels. An Oxford University study claimed that 73 million Chinese could lose their homes as a result of rising sea levels."
This thinking is from a government that has, for years, busied itself with climate denial, backing US-grown obfuscations. When denial collapses, paranoia fills the gap. A perfect distraction from the work of mitigating against climate disaster.
What lyrics harken from the 1960's?
Via::New Zealand Herald Image credit::Remote Sensing Tutorial, North Coast of Australia...
Lawyers, Not TreeHuggers
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 4.07
We've talked about LNG vs Coal and Conservation. Interstate, underwater territorial conflicts, however, were not one of the tradeoffs we had in mind when we summed up all under the title, Real Treehuggers Support Adding LNG Terminals.
"The U.S. Supreme Court should reject New Jersey's attempts to carve away a chunk of Delaware [bottom center of picture] to benefit energy giant BP's plans for a liquefied natural gas import pier on the Delaware River, attorneys for Delaware argued in an interstate boundary dispute document made public Monday."
"In a final written brief before the high court hears oral arguments, Delaware's lawyers argued that New Jersey claimed an exclusive right to land under the Delaware River only after BP "convinced them to reverse New Jersey's decades-long policy of cooperation" on boundary-straddling projects along the Delaware River."
"...The company wants to build a large terminal to receive two to three huge LNG import ships on land in Logan Township, across from Claymont, that straddles the Delaware-New Jersey border. Delaware, however, ruled in early 2005 that the pier would violate its Coastal Zone Act ban on new bulk-delivery terminals or heavy industries in or alongside the waterway."
"BP's proposed terminal would send out enough natural gas to meet the daily energy needs of about 5 million homes. Each arriving ship could carry more than three times that amount in the form of super-chilled, liquid fuel."
Offshore wind farms by Delaware are nice; but they won't do much good while coal remains the single cost effective solution. This is what happens from watching too much local news: fear of fire rules.
Via::Delaware Online, Image credit::Delaware Online, via GlobeXplorer.com
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Origin The London Craft Fair
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10. 4.07
Origin, The London Craft Fair is an extravaganza of craft; with 150 exhibitors showing their wares this week, and another group next week. All the work must be approved by a jury so the quality and workmanship is very high. These exquisite "Map Shoes" (pictured left) were made from vintage maps, with a button trim. Jennifer Collier also makes little girls' dresses, suitable for framing, not wearing, out of old stamps or sheet music pages and machine embroidery. The clothing is symbolic, making us think about the fragility of the human body, and the transience of the things that we buy. Also from recycled paper, Magie Hollingworth's collection of spoons moulded out of pages from children's story books.
Louise Loder's "tools for building sandcastles" are displayed in a small sandbox. Made out of sterling silver (pictured right), driftwood and found beach objects and incorporating domestic items such as cups and vessels.; she shapes them into achingly beautiful implements for pushing the sand around in your own executive sand box. At the other extreme, Min-Ji Cho makes earrings and necklaces out of recycled rubber gloves. She cuts off the finger tips of the gloves and strings them on silver interspersed with semi-precious stones and pearls to make a very wild looking necklace.
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INDEX: Design to Improve Life, the 2007 Winners
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 10. 4.07
In 2005 it was the Lifestraw and Architecture for Humanity who, amongst others, received the world's biggest design price of 100 000€ each, awarded by INDEX:. INDEX: is a non-profit network organization, based in Copenhagen, that focuses on Design to Improve Life worldwide. This time around, they have yet again chosen 5 winners in each of their categories.
The Tongue Sucker took first price in the category WORK. This clever little device allows even untrained people to open the airway of an unconscious person in a quick and effective way in case of an accident. Squeeze the bulb, place over the tongue and release. Suction brings the tongue back out of the throat and allows for breathing and CPR performance. The Tongue Sucker is inexpensive, one size fits all and requires to training to apply....
Mister Miser: The Amazing Folding Urinal
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 3.07
In an example of what has be the perfect companion to the Dream Door fold-out bed, we present Mister Miser, the magical folding urinal that requires a scant 10 ounces of water per flush. TreeHugger loves space-efficient, folding design and water efficiency (though it doesn't hold a candle to this flushless wonder); we just never thought we'd see the two put together in this truly weird invention.
If saving water and space is your thing, and discreet, folding urinals fit your aesthetic, this baby can be had here. Learn more about its miserly ways at ::Mister Miser via ::Gizmodo...
DIY: Make Your Own Shoe Rack
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 3.07
Our pals over at domino magazine have a trifecta of DIY projects for the shoe enthusiast; the do-it-yourself shoe racks come in beginner, intermediate and advanced varieties -- enough assortment to fit anyone's inventory.
While none of the instructions are explicitly "green" in nature, we really like DIY projects because they allow you to go as green as you want. When you need a modified bookcase, go second hand; when they call for paint, go low- or no-VOC, and you'll be greener for your efforts.
Having so many shoes that you need a separate shoe rack ain't that green, but if you're going to need one, might as well make it as green as possible. Pictured above is the "beginner" repurposed bookcase; hit the jump to see the intermediate and advanced varieties. ::domino magazine DIY: Build Your Own Shoe Rack...
table 433: Recycled Venetian Blind Coffee Table
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 3.07
In a piece somewhat reminiscent of Scrapile's work, designer Stefan Hoelldobler of collective die fabrik took offcasts from the venetian blind industry and laminated them together to create the stunning table 433. Named for the number of pieces (that's right, 433 offcuts), the table is highly customizable and pretty darn great looking. ::die fabrik via ::Design Spotter...
India's Barefoot College Revolution: Hands-On, Bottom-Up & Community-Driven
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 10. 3.07
Above: Bhanwar Gopal, an artist from the Barefoot College, prepares traditional Rajasthani masks for plays and puppet shows with material from recycled World Bank reports. "We keep getting these reports that no one reads, so we decided to put them to some use," founder Bunker Roy says. [Image: BBC]
A quiet but sure revolution in sustainable development has been underway for the last 35 years in India’s desert state of Rajasthan, where a new model of rural empowerment and education has taken form in the so-called Barefoot College, an alternative, community-based learning centre that trains rural citizens in the practical training programs for solar engineering, rainwater harvesting, computer programming, midwifery and even photography.
Founded in Tilonia, Rajasthan in 1972, the driving idea behind Barefoot College is to demonstrate that the key to alleviating rural poverty lies within communities themselves and do not necessarily come from urban professionals, government intervention or big foreign aid packages – it is grassroots and cooperative innovation at its finest. Already, the Barefoot model has been brought to other places such as Africa, Afghanistan and other far-flung places in India where “western” development models have a hard time taking root. In India alone there are already 20 such independent centres modeled on the original....
Americans Want Climate Change Leadership ... Or Do They?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 3.07
Oh lookie here, another poll: A Yale University survey found that 40 percent of Americans say that a presidential candidate's position on climate change will strongly influence how they vote.
One of the most surprising findings was the growing sense of urgency,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change and the study’s principal investigator. “Nearly half of Americans now believe that global warming is either already having dangerous impacts on people around the world or will in the next 10 years—a 20-percentage-point increase since 2004. These results indicate a sea change in public opinion.”
Although if you look at it another way, 60 percent of Americans still don't give a rodent's posterior about whether climate change is on the next president's agenda. What that spells for the country (and the rest of the world) is too horrible to contemplate....
Lights Out San Francisco
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 10. 3.07
Photo: J. Bach
Many times, all it takes is a small act to get folks thinking about a big problem. Something as simple as turning off your lights for one hour on a Saturday night can symbolize the large amount of wasted energy most of us use every year. When thousands of your friends and neighbors do it with you? That's called a movement.
On October 20th, residents and businesses in San Francisco will turn off all non-essential lights from 8pm to 9pm. The event, called "Lights Out San Francisco" aims to draw attention to carbon emissions produced from wasted energy. ...
How Toxic is Your City?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 3.07
In a slide show by BusinessWeek, America's most toxic cities are placed front and center. Contaminated sites are plagued by calamities-in-the-making such as man-made chemicals seeping into the soil, rupturing underground petroleum-storage tanks, pesticide application, or the direct discharge of industrial wastes into the soil.
Baltimore, Milwaukee, and Portland, Ore., are three of the biggest offenders when it comes to number of contaminated sites per capita, according to Environmental Data Resources (EDR), a provider of environmental risk information services based in Milford, Conn., although it says that this doesn't automatically mean the cities aren't safe. Um, that's reassuring....
TH Forums Highlights: Green Fashion, Goat Mowers + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 3.07
 | 1) Let's talk fashion with Forums user Louisevissen, a fashion photography student who's curious about the way that green fashion is marketed to us green consumers. "I believe that it could become a strong point in magazines such as Vogue and be marketed in just as glamourous a way, and be able to help the environment." Can green fashion bring the sexy back? Discuss. |
 | 2) User megsmind is looking to replace a riding lawn mower that's gone to the big green field in the sky. Not with another riding mower, mind you, but with a goat or two. "We have 7 acres (with extremely little grass or brush because of the dry climate), and besides the fact that I don't want to spend the $1500, it doesn't seem environmentally friendly to have a big old mower when a sweet smelly and annoying goat could do the trick." We know they're wanted in Seattle; what about elsewhere? |
 | 3) Lastly, Forums user lee is a bit confused about a water filter's (greenwashed?) claim: "I just don't understand what they are saying... They claim that these are "continuous ionized electrolysis water filters" so basically they are saying that they not only filter the water, that they then toss in all these "positive ions" and then also that they electrolyze the water so that it also contains hydrogen(!)" Wha? |
The Mobile Track Apartment
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 3.07
We love transformable designs, ideas for small spaces, multifunctional space. We also love looking at the new designs on Yanko and show a lot of them. This design by Setmund Leung Kam Biu has been shown everywhere in the last few days, but we didn't show this one. Why not? Perhaps it is the copy:
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Green Halloween: Ghostly Lights
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 3.07
Photo credit: samatt
Stave away ghoulish creatures with the radiant glow of candelight. If the thought of carving giant pumpkins again this year makes you howl, here are some of the lesser-known green 'ween ideas we've gathered:
1. Floating pumpkin candles
Trace the bottom of a pure beeswax or soy votive candle on the top of a miniature pumpkin. Cut the out circle carefully with a sharp blade and then pop the candle snugly within. Rinse, repeat. Fill a glass bowl with water and float your pumpkin candles on the surface. ...
Herbert Muschamp Dead at 59
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 3.07
Those of us who write about architecture and design have read a great deal of Herbert Muschamp, former architecture critic for the New York Times. He was at times accused of "iconoclasm and obscurantism and unapologetic dilettantism" (observer) but his "wildly ranging, often deeply personal reviews made him one of the most influential architecture critics of his generation."
Nicolae Ouroussoff, the current critic, writes: Mr. Muschamp seemed as interested in the ideas that pushed architecture forward as he was in the successes and failures of buildings themselves. He was also known for weaving together seemingly unrelated themes in an arch, self-deprecating way that helped break down the image of the critic as an all-knowing figure who wrote from atop a pedestal.
Mr. Muschamp’s reviews could also be devastating, and maddening to readers who took exception to his quirky — and, some argued, self-indulgent — voice. “Herbert’s criticism was full of passion — too much for some readers,” said Joseph Lelyveld, the former executive editor of The Times who hired Mr. Muschamp. “But that passion lit up his writing and the world of architecture. One of his great themes was that New York deserved real architecture, for our times — not what developers often try to pass off.”
Herbert Muschamp, dead of lung cancer at 59. ::New York Times...
Dream Door: Open It Up, Have Sweet Dreams
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 3.07
How's this for a "less is more" concept: "Dream Door" takes the Murphy bed concept a step or two further, just folding down out of the wall and using about as much space as a sideways door.
It's a little too submarine-y for most real-life applications, but the idea is solid: you don't need a bed while you're awake, and you don't need wall space while you're asleep. Most adults would probably find the Dream Door a bit confining, but its diminutive size and virtually non-existent footprint might fit well in a kids room; plus, there's nowhere for monsters to hide under the bed. ::Dream Door via ::pan-dan...
Electric vehicles dangerous for the blind?
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 10. 3.07
It's a topic that's been recycled so many times; that hybrid and electric vehicles are silent, which may mean that people step out in front of them without seeing them. Some say that it's a danger; others say that people will simply learn to be more vigilant. However, if you can't see, then you can't check to see if something's coming. Some people have to rely on noise to hear traffic approaching.
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Local Farms Want Fair Trade Certification, Too
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 3.07
Photo credit: sms467
A group of farmers is calling out for what it has dubbed "agricultural justice." And to bring the international fair-trade movement—the same one that lobbies for worker equity and sustainability across the globe—home to the Midwest.
“Coffee was the originator of the fair trade movement,” Liz Haywood, general manager of Bluff Country Co-op in Winona, Minn., tells the Winona Daily News. “Domestic fair trade is the new frontier.”
In 2001, members of the Local Fair Trade Network (LFTN) kickstarted discussions on how to reconnect growers, sellers, and consumers in the upper Midwest, while promoting standards for fair food prices and livable wages for workers. ...
The TH Interview: Wendy Reed, Energy Star's Change a Light, Change the World Campaign Manager
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 3.07
Starting today, Energy Star's Change a Light, Change the World campaign is hitting the road, touring the country (see the full schedule here) by bus to spread the good word about the difference we all can make in the fight against global warming by changing our light bulbs to energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (see TreeHugger's earlier coverage of the tour here).
TreeHugger recently had the chance to chat with Energy Star Campaign Manager Wendy Reed about the tour, the campaign, and what it's like to be a part of the Environment Protection Agency's first grassroots campaign.
TreeHugger: What made you choose visiting schools and high-profile events like football games to spread the word about CFLs? How do you expect people to react to your message at those events?
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Quote of the Day: Danny Seo on the Little Things
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 3.07
Try this: Think about every time you throw something away and how it got to this point in becoming trash. How many times have you gone to the ATM to withdraw cash and hit the "yes" button to get a printed receipt only to throw it immediately away? We usually press the "yes" button out of habit. It's time to break this wasteful habit.
How many times have you tossed a used coffee cup onto an overflowing trash can, carefully placing your cup on top of an already teetering pile of trash? there a very good chance the cup (along with others) will fall over and litter the streets. You see, the litter you see on the streets isn't put there by gross, trash-tossing, mean people—it's because the wind blow around whatever isn't securely discarded. The crazy-crazy solution? Carry the empty cup to a different trash can that isn't full! Better yet, why not bring a reusable, stainless-steel cup with you to Starbucks and use it over and over again?...
Thermal Insulating Nano-Paint Generates Electricity
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 3.07
As far as alternative energy schemes go, this one almost sounds too good to be true: Industrial Nanotech has just unveiled its nanotech-based line of thermal insulating paint, Nansulate, which - when properly applied inside of a structure's walls - promises to effectively generate electricity. The thin sheets of thermal insulation would use the temperature differential between the interior and exterior of the building to produce a near constant supply of electricity, since - as company CEO Stuart Burchill argues - "there is almost always, day or night and anywhere in the world, a difference between the temperature inside a building and outside a building gives us an almost constant source of energy generation to tap into."
It remains to be seen how well this technology works in practice; even if Burchill's claims only hold partially true, however, it could prove to be a big step forward in alternative energy production. We'll be eager to see the results.
Via ::SCI FI Tech: Paint: It keeps your lights on now, too (blog)
See also: ::Paint-on Solar Cells, ::Kelp Phlorotannins: Sunscreen and Boat Paint, ::Texcote - Solar Reflective Paint
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Etsy's Handmade Halloween Costume Contest
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 3.07
Calling all crafty ghouls and goblins: Get your monster mash on and enter Etsy's Handmade Halloween Costume Contest, and you could scare up over $2,000 worth of spooktacular goodies and prizes.
TreeHugger (that's us) will be helping Etsy pick a winner from the Green category, so put all your sustainable, upcycled, and eco-friendly costumes up for sale at your Etsy shop no later than 11.59 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 26. The first-place winner will get a $150 Etsy gift certificate, plus a $100 donation in their name to Conservation International.
For a full list of categories, prizes, judges, as well as rules and regulations, creep, slink, or gnash your way over to Etsy's contest site. ::Etsy...
Make Your Own Baby Shoes
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 3.07
Photo credit: Heather Bailey
You don't have to settle for sweatshop-produced booties fresh off a pollutant-spewing container ship from China—with a bit of stitchery know-how you can have your wee one shod in custom-fitted, handmade slip-ons made from felted sweaters, fabric remnants, and other salvaged bits and bobs.
There's Martha Stewart's how-to, of course, but your options don't end there. Fabric designer Heather Bailey offers instructions on how to make her Bitty Booties (above) on her Web site, gratis. Stardust Shoes has a free pattern you can download (PDF) to make tiny cloth booties out of fabric, interfacing, and some elastic. And the blog On Pins and Needles has another equally lovely version for fabric lovers.
If you're able to get your mitts on some leather scraps, or have the heart to tear apart a used leather purse from a thrift store, you can try your hand at piecing together a sharp-looking pair of leather baby shoes. (Svenska-speakers can check out this leather-shoe tutorial, as well.)
Difficulty level: Moderate, but depends on sewing skills...
There's Plenty of Grey Area in Living Green
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 3.07
We have been following Vanessa Farquharson's website Green as a a thistle, where she has been writing about the challenge that she took on in March: " Each day, for an entire calendar year, doing one thing that betters the environment. The idea is that everything I do, I keep doing (so if I switch brands, it's a permanent switch; if I turn down my thermostat, I keep it down), so that by day 365, I'll be living as green a lifestyle as it gets." It started off easy but she is up to day 217 and notes on the blog that it isn't always so much fun. She writes about her experiences to date in the National Post: The first move was a simple one -- switching to recycled paper towels -- but gradually, the environmentalist in me came out of the closet and started getting a little extreme. Within the first few months, I had sold my car, unplugged the fridge, turned off the oven, constructed a compost bin for my balcony, traded Kleenex for handkerchiefs, began following the "If it's yellow, let it mellow" rule and so on....
Transformers: Overlapping Culture and Technology
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 3.07
Renault Unveils Logan Eco² Concept
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 3.07
French carmaker Renault is hoping to score big at this year's Challenge Bibendum in Shanghai, China, with its just introduced Logan eco² Concept. With an estimated carbon dioxide emissions rating of 97 g/km (equivalent to about 3.8 liters/100 km), the experimental car is powered by a B30-compatible 1.5 dCi diesel engine and features a host of other optimizations - including modified pistons, a more effective injection system and new gearbox ratios.
The car's dashboard is equipped with a gearshift indicator that allows the driver to optimize its fuel consumption and lower its emissions - potentially making it possible to take the Logan below its 97 g/km rating. The Logan is just the latest to join Renault's established line of eco² vehicles - whose models can be found in 40% of its range.
Via ::Green Car Congress: Renault Introduces B30 Logan eco2 Concept; Headed for Challenge Bibendum (blog)
See also: ::Under $3000: The Race To Build Really Cheap Cars
Image courtesy of Hubert Vincent...
Can Big Kitchens Be Green?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 3.07
Donald Chong: Small Fridges Make Good Cities
We have often stated that it is hard to call big houses green, but can big kitchens be considered green? We were asked by Kitchen and Bath Business Green- a trade publication serving "the business of building eco-friendly kitchens and baths" (there truly is a magazine for everything!) Read the edited version here or the full version below.
KBBGreen: Are big, open kitchen layouts environmentally friendly, and how so or how not?
LA: In an era of global warming and peak oil, we have to think about using fewer resources both in building and operating. Even the greenest of materials have embodied energy so the bigger a kitchen, the less environmentally friendly it is. The key to our future is to live with less, and the best way to live with less is to design things well....
Microsoft Creates EcoDrive to Educate Drivers, Reduce C02 Emissions
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10. 3.07
As part of a bid to get their software into vehicles around the world, Microsoft is taking the initiative to help drivers be more eco-conscious through an onboard computerized system that provides personalized feedback to help educate drivers about their C02 emissions. They’re calling it the EcoDrive system, and developed in conjunction with Fiat and their Blue & Me system, it collects data on a vehicle’s efficiency which can be downloaded from a dashboard socket to the PC via a USB key.
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Wired LivingHome Tickets on Sale Oct. 8
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 3.07
Tickets to Wired's Brentwood Calif.-based LivingHome go on sale in five days—so green-building and prefab lovers should get 'em while they're hot.
The $4 million LEED-certified modernist home—"where luxury and the environment live in luxury" as the mag oft repeats—will be open to the public for tours on Oct. 27 to Nov. 11 and will host educational programming and a series of exclusive invite-only events with eco movers and shakers.
A percentage of ticket sales will benefit Global Green and Enterprise Community. Tickets are available online for $35 and include complimentary parking and a one-year subscription to Wired. ::Wired...
There's Only So Much Water to Go Around - Just Ask This Fish
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 3.07
Permaculture Association UK
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 3.07
Yesterday we brought you news of two important green tourism initiatives, the budget St Athans Hotel in central London and the Earthship France project that is creating an innovative new type of vacation rental in Normandy. Given that we read about both of these in the newsletter of the Permaculture Association UK, we thought it was about time that we acknowledged this grassroots environmental organization in a bit more detail [disclosure: this author has been a member for many years]. The Leeds-based organization is involved in a huge range of projects, some of which are overtly permaculture oriented, and others that are more generally geared towards sustainable living. For those who are still not clear about what permaculture actually is, you can check our our post (and a mini-movie) here, or you can go to the association’s more in-depth explanation here. The following is a small taster to get you started:...
Survey: Et Tu, Toyota?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 3.07
When Treehugger has called Toyota hypocritical for wrapping itself in green and then introducing the Tundra, commenters were outraged, suggesting that Toyota was just responding to market demand. Now Tom Friedman points out that Toyota is joined the big three American auto makers to lobby against tougher mileage standards in the Senate to keep mileage room to build giant pickups. Rep. Ed Martkey told Friedman “a lot of people have bought Priuses or Camry hybrids to fight global warming and reduce our dependence on foreign oil” and “they would be shocked to find out” that Toyota is lobbying against the highest m.p.g. standards for America.
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Don't Worry, Sonny and Rico, Your Boat Can Run on Orange Peels
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 3.07
Crockett and Tubbs will still be able to speed in their stingers and drive their Ferraris in Florida; the new governor Charlie Christ, who is purported to be an environmentalist, says that they can keep them going with sugar cane and orange peels as fuel. According to Reuters:
"I don't think they're going to have to change at all. I just think they're going to have to change what they use to power it, like ethanol," said Crist, a Republican who took over Florida's governorship in January from Jeb Bush, the younger brother of President George W. Bush.
"My desire is that we would be able to develop more ethanol production from sugar cane, and frankly from citrus waste as well," he said in a telephone interview from Tallahassee during a Reuters Global Environment summit.
"I think Florida can be such a great leader with ethanol that people can continue to enjoy the lifestyle they're accustomed to but we can do it in concert with a responsible approach," said Crist, citing his own ethanol-powered sport utility vehicle.
"You don't have to necessarily feel like you have to compromise or sacrifice or suffer in order to do good if you can do good and enjoy yourself simultaneously." ::Reuters
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Structured Nano-Technology Membrane Developed To Concentrate CO2 From Power Plant Emissions
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 3.07
"A new type of membrane has been internationally patented by researchers at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. The membrane is made from a plastic material that has been structured by means of nano technology. It catches CO2 while other waste gases pass freely."
"The technology is effective, inexpensive and eco-friendly, and can be used for practically all types of CO2 removal from other gases. Its effectiveness increases proportionally to the concentration of CO2 in the gas."
"The agent helps so that the CO2 molecules in combination with moisture form the chemical formula HCO3 (bicarbonate), which is then quickly transported through the membrane. In this manner, the CO2 is released while the other gases are retained by the membrane."
This method is called facilitated transport and is comparable to the way our lungs get rid of CO2 when we breathe: it is a complex but effective mechanism. Unfortunately this is a solution only half way there. Assuming that the economics work out for potential customers, the other half - as yet not answered seriously even by oil companies - is what to do with the C02 once captured.
For details on the research from NTNU look here (pdf download)
Via:: AlphaGalileo
Image credit::Membrane Research - Gas Applications MEMFO R&D group; Dept. of Chem.Eng., NTNU...
Tom Friedman on Toyota's Duplicity
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 3.07
Tom Friedman of the New York Times is on a roll of late; while we have been critical of his views on coal and energy, his article last week on 9/12 was on the button, and today he exoriates Toyota for supporting the American auto makers in their efforts to water down efforts by Congress to legislate improved mileage standards.
"Now why would Toyota, which has used the Prius to brand itself as the greenest car company, pull such a stunt? Is it because Toyota wants to slow down innovation in Detroit on more energy efficient vehicles, which Toyota already dominates, while also keeping mileage room to build giant pickup trucks, like the Toyota Tundra, at the gas-guzzler end of the U.S. market?
“Toyota wants to keep its green halo and beat G.M. in the big trucks, too,” said Deron Lovaas, vehicles expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “As the world’s largest automaker and inventor of the best-selling hybrid car, Toyota has a responsibility to lead, follow or get out of the way as Congress debates the first substantial fuel-economy boost in decades. Shamefully, Toyota has joined forces with older automakers that are getting their lunch handed to them in the marketplace, in part because they’ve consistently shunned fuel efficiency.” ::New York Times
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Coal Released Mercury Ruins Fishing and Duck Hunting
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 3.07
Perhaps half the residents of the US still think climate change is no big deal. Fishermen and hunters are learning the hard way, though, that heavy reliance on coal has an impact on the fun part of their lives. Burn too much coal and the odds increase you can't eat what you catch or shoot because of mercury contamination. The US State of Utah, where coal provides 93% of the electricity consumed, is emblematic of the problem.
Fishing was once one of America's most popular pastimes. Its popularity slipped over recent decades, as rural people moved to metropolitan areas. City-fishing is rebounding, however, because so many urban waters have had point source pollution sources cleaned up - the fish are back. Thanks EPA. Thanks bi-partisan Congress Of Old.
Nationwide, according to USA Today:- "The estimated number of adults in the USA who fish: 34.1 million, about 16% of the population, according to Fish & Wildlife. The percentage of the population who have tried fishing at least once: 88%, according to the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation. And these people spend more than $36 billion a year on fishing, according to the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation."
In Utah, The Salt Lake Tribune offers a cautionary tale of what can happen from eating mercury laden fish. It's a state wide problem, too. "Fish consumption advisories are in effect in seven locations in Utah, where officials suggest that eating too many can be harmful, especially to children and women of childbearing age. People also are urged not to eat any of three species of Great Salt Lake ducks - the common goldeneye, the cinnamon teal and the northern shoveller - because of high mercury."
"Utah's mercury problems shot to the forefront three years ago, after scientists reported they had found mercury levels in the Great Salt Lake that were higher than those found in any other lakes. Ever since, the state has been scrambling to understand the extent of the contamination and what that means to Utahns and their environment."
Here's a clue. There's no mystery. The more coal gets burned, the more mercury is released into the environment. Utah is a big coal state. Mines a lot. Exports a lot. Burns a lot. Those who like fishing and hunting might just as well file the barbs off their hooks and take up photography: if we keep adding coal fired generation capacity you too will end up with a pie diagram like this one (pictured). Those scrap books won't have any more pictures of the "big one" that didn't get away. They'll picture the ones let go, or the hunting trip not taken. ...
Chair Survey: London Design Festival
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10. 3.07
What is it about design and chairs--there were so many chairs by so many different designers all over the London Design Festival. We loved the toilet paper chair, or loo paper chair as they would call it in the UK, made of wood and you know what by a Japanese designer....his email, masako_sugar@hotmail.com, came on a piece of loo paper too. He creates furniture " to make the audience sparkle and grin".
The brightly coloured blue "Meltdown Chair" was created by heating and pressing a seat-shaped former into a ball of rope. The rope liquifies as it comes into contact with the heat and then hardens. A variation of this theme is made by heating a the seat-shaped form onto a stack of common plumbing tubes. The ends of the tubes melt and fuse together leaving a pattern of holes on the surface of the moulded seat....
Kelp Takes Our Breath Away
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 10. 3.07
Andrea Ottesen, a botanist and molecular ecologist at the University of Maryland, College Park, won first place (tie) for the fifth annual Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge. The fractal otherworldly image is of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), a common seaweed species on the Atlantic coast. This particular specimen was captured off Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, while cataloging the use of kelp products as fertilizers for a sustainable agriculture experiment. As we have seen before, kelp is showing up as an intriguing product that literally harvests itself by washing up on shore. Used in everything from shampoo to energy generation, kelp literally takes our breath away by fixing CO2.
This year the competition received 200 entries from 34 states and 23 countries. The idea of the competition is to bring excitement, awe, and a broad appreciation to scientific information. See the other incredible winners by following the link.
::2007 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge...
Dropping In On Finisterre: Eco-Technical Surfwear
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 10. 2.07
When we first encountered Finisterre in February we said we’d be back after their even greener collection hit the shelves. Well, this Cornish eco-apparel-for-surfers company has been busy unpacking deliveries the past few weeks, so here we are again. The news is that they aren’t manufacturing in China any more, have introduced beeswax impregnated poly-cotton fabrics, garments of traceable merino wool, and embraced recycled polyester fabrics, whilst simultaneously dropping laminated waterproofs in favour of what they see as a biomimetric alternative. No, not the much vaunted lotus leaf fabric, instead they take their cue from animal fur. After the fold we chew the fat in an extended interview with the guys from Finisterre as they explain in detail just how this all works....
Envirofit, Shell Battle 'Silent Killer In The Kitchen'
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
Photo credit: allspaw
It's been a red-letter week for Envirofit International. Besides retrofitting two-strokes in the Philippines, the environmental non-profit will also be collaborating with the U.K.-based Shell Foundation to reduce the number of global deaths caused by indoor air pollution—or more precisely, the smoke the billows forth from traditional fires and stoves used in homes in developing countries—by distributing cleaner-burning cook stoves.
More than 3 billion people cook in their homes burning biomass fuels such as wood, dung, and crop waste, notes Envirofit in a press release, producing "lethal flames" from these cooking fires. It cites a World Health Organization statistic that indoor air pollution causes the deaths of 1.5 million people across the globe per year, or one person every 20 seconds....
Ethanol Boom? What Ethanol Boom?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
The biofuel goldrush may be petering out, says The New York Times, along with hopes of a new future for rural America.
Companies and farm co-ops have built so many distilleries so quickly that the ethanol market is facing a glut, in part because the means to distribute it have not kept pace with production. The average national ethanol price has plunged 30 percent since May, with the decline escalating sharply in the last few weeks of September.
"While generous government support is expected to keep the output of ethanol fuel growing," writes NYT's Clifford Krause, "the poorly planned overexpansion of the industry raises questions about its ability to fulfill the hopes of President Bush and other policy makers to serve as a serious antidote to the nation’s heavy reliance on foreign oil." ::The New York Times...
Mexico to Fire Up ONIL Stoves in 2008
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 10. 2.07
The first plant to manufacture efficient, wood-fired stoves called ONIL, named for Don O'Neal, an engineer with HELPS International, an Christian, U.S.-based NGO, will be located in Mexico, according to the organization.
For centuries Mayan Indians in Mexico and Guatemala have cooked their meals using an indoor fire pit located on the house floor called a "three stone fire." Indoor wood-fired stoves can cause respiratory problems and burns, and the high demand for fuel to supply them can contribute to deforestation.
To eliminate smoke in the combustion process, the ONIL stove converts energy in the wood to hot gases, including oil vapor, which normally would be emitted as smoke. The fire is contained in an insulated combustion chamber to allow the fire to get hot enough to consume the oil vapor.
The ONIL stoves, which cost between $83-125, can reduce smoke emissions from within the dwelling by 99%, and reduce fuel consumption by 60-70%.
Helps International initially tested its ecological stove in Guatemala, where 41,000 stoves have been distributed. Helps aims to eventually distribute up to one million stoves in Guatemala and more in Mexico, with the support of companies and NGOs like Shell, the Ronald McDonald Foundation, Fundación Pantaleón, Cementos Progreso and Disagro, among others. Helps is still looking for investors to finance the Mexico plant, but hopes to begin construction next year.:: Via Reforma (Spanish link)
Watch the stove assembly video here
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Number of the Day: 80
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 2.07
80 -- percent of the global market share for solar hot water owned by China.
80 million cubic meters -- the amount produced in China each year.
1 in 10 -- the number of Chinese households who have solar hot water heaters.
via ::CNN International; for $5, you can make your own solar water heater....
Happy Trails: Take the National Solar Tour
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
Solar homes across America will be throwing open their doors this Saturday as part of the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour. Find out more about home-scale renewable energy systems as homeowners share their own personal experiences rigging up solar panels or installing wind turbines.
The official 2007 tour date is Saturday, Oct. 6, although some tours may take place as early as September or as late as November. Tours are scheduled in dozens of locations in 46 states and Puerto Rico. You can view the full list here. ::Mother Earth Living...
Get Involved in International Cleanup Weekend
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
Google is proclaiming October 13 and 14 International Cleanup Weekend, with Google employees and people they've managed to strongarm into joining them heading out to parks, beaches, and other natural spots all over the world to pick up litter and other polluting trash.
To start your own cleanup project, Google suggests grabbing some friends and picking a spot first. Then, create a map (using Google maps, naturally) to organize your cleanup route. Submit your map to get added to the company's global cleanup map. And when you're done with your project, you can post photos and videos to your map for bragging rights. ::Google
Difficulty level: Moderate
See also: ::Book Review: 50 Ways to Save the Ocean...
Sea Change: Alaska's Shishmaref Village Tumbles into the Water
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
In a chilling photo essay by Julia Whitty and Robert Knoth of Mother Jones, the plight of a remote Alaskan village is underscored by images of buildings falling into the sea.
With what was once terra firma melting beneath Shishmaref, a village of 600 Inupiaq on the fragile barrier island of Sarichef, two houses have already slipped into the water, while another 18 have been moved back from the "encroaching ocean." The $10 million spent on seawalls has only been in vain, and residents have concluded that permanent resettlement is their only recourse.
Shishmaref is only one of 184 Native Alaskan villages battling floods and erosions; Alaska will require $6.1 billion to repair the damage climate change has wrought, says one assessment. Unless we do something now, this could be the beginning of the end for the rest of us. ::Mother Jones...
Designer Emulation Kits: Flatpack Homage to Classic Modern Lighting
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 2.07
Created by designer Mark McKenna as a homage to modern lighting design, these Designer Emulation Kits are a great example of why TreeHugger loves flatpack design. Stamped from a single sheet of metal (that could fit in an envelope for easy shipping), the classic designs come to life with a few bends from the flat sheet. Once assembled, they're powered by a single (rechargeable, of course) 9V battery. It won't light your living room, but that's not really the point; they'd make a fun desk lamp, and show that real function and structure can come from a simple sheet of stamped metal. Another fun example is below the fold. ::Designer Emulation Kits via ::2modern Design Talk...
Kohl's Department Stores Catch Some Rays
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
With its Laguna Niguel, Calif. store now running partly on sun juice, Kohl's is well on its way to completing its switch to rooftop solar energy. The store chain is installing solar electric systems at 63 of its 80 California locations, which at completion, will represent 15 percent of the state's photovoltaic setups, to date.
At 25 megawatts, the total projected capacity of Kohl's solar arrays will outstrip that of the top five largest completed photovoltaic systems in the United States combined, says Clean Edge News.
Once completed in 2008, Kohl's estimated 138,000 solar panels will generate more than 35 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per year, or the equivalent of powering roughly 3,087 California homes, while offsetting over 28 million pounds of carbon dioxide in its first year alone. ::Clean Edge News
See also: ::Safeway Sold on Solar...
The Miniature Earth
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
Percentages rarely hit home—they're statistics, not real people. But what would the planet look like if we reduced the entire population of Earth into a small community of 100 people, while maintaining the same proportions we have today? (Well, besides appearing a lot more verdant and unravaged, anyway. And more inbred.)
Just think about it: Although 12 of you would own a PC, only three of that elite group would be hooked up with the necessary Internet connection to even read these words. This global village would have spent $1.2 trillion on military expenditures and only $100 billion on developmental aid. And if you have a bank account, you're one of the 30 wealthiest people in the world.
The text that originated with the brief flash movie that reimagines the planet was published in May 29, 1990, with the title "State of the Village Report," written by the late Donella Meadows. ::Miniature Earth
[via ::Clean Edge]...
The Indoor Fabric Garden - JAM + Ted Baker
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 10. 2.07
This installation at 100% Design in London was a refreshing change from the plethora of overly sleek and shiney products that surrounded it. We loved the curvaceous forms and textured fabrics, not to mention the concept of an indoor rockery and hanging garden. This collaboration between British brand consultants JAM and the fashion label Ted Baker "began as a quest to reinvent the quintessential British ‘hanging basket’".
We're told that, "JAM and Ted had been having exploratory conversations for a while about new and different ways of doing things... In one of those conversations Ted let on to JAM about their archive of exclusive fabrics from previous and upcoming collections...Reluctant to throw any of it away, it took no time at all for JAM and Ted to agree to collaborate on this project and show the fruits of their early efforts at 100%Design."
Ansel and Joe Hunter of Vexed Design worked with JAM on the development of this design installation and The Flower Council of Holland also partnered JAM + Ted Baker for this project as part of their "Plants for People" international initiative spreading knowledge of the benefit of plants in a working environment. :: 100% Design...
Good Design Awards 2007: Solar Rules!
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 2.07
For anyone looking for proof that design can make a positive difference and point us toward a greener world, look no further than the Good Design Awards 2007. After culling a list of over 1,000 entrants, the awards and accompanying "G-Mark" have been bestowed on 15 of the best, including several noteworthy sustainable designs.
Nominated for the Grand Prize (to be chosen later this month) is the Eneloop Solar Charger, above right, featured here on TreeHugger. The handy device uses the power of the sun to charge a lithium-ion battery pack, which can then be used to recharge your AAs or other such rechargeable batteries; the slick design allows the panels to catch sunlight from different angles as the sun moves across the sky throughout the day, maximizing solar exposure.
Hit the jump for more details on this charger, plus info the solar roof system pictured above....
Lateral Architects Present the Deployable Condo Unit
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.07
Lola Sheppard and Mason White of lateral architecture developed the A.I.R. unit, conceived with artist Sara Graham and her Canard Development Group installation, the A.I.R. unit is exactly what the condominium-crazed city has been craving ... a deployable condo unit ... that is light as air. They have real estate marketing 101 down pat: An exciting new freehold residential unit from Canard Development Group offering spectacular value and breathtaking views, and constructed to BuiltGreenTM specifications, A.I.R. represents cutting-edge technology in residential planning-a portable unit that can be attached to any building....
Call for Entries: Metropolis 2008 Next Generation Design Competition
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 2.07
Designers, listen up: it's time for the Metropolis 2008 Next Generation Design Competition. The 5th annual competition (we've covered previous years here and here) is focusing on one of the world's most precious resources: water.
"With up to one third of the global population living without reliable access to clean water, we need better design solutions that account for potable water, gray water, black water -- its uses, re-uses, controls, management, efficiency, and conservation. We call on your innovative design solutions at all scales and sizes—products, interiors, buildings, landscapes, communication systems, or anything else you’ve dreamed up—for handling this most precious and most threatened natural resource. The time for new thinking on water is now."
Indeed. Read up on the rules, FAQ, judges and resources before filling out an application. Deadline for entry is January 4, 2008; check out this Metropolis piece for some inspiration. ::Metropolis 2008 Next Generation Design Competition...
Most Huggable: NGOs that Use Your Money Best, CFL Recycling, Hairy-Nosed Wombats, and More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 10. 2.07
CFLs rock the socket, but what about when they’re dead? Here’s five ways to recycle that little swirly… When’s the last time you saw a northern hairy-nosed wombat? That’s what we thought. Here are the ten rarest animals left standing… Fundraiser Insight looks at top environmental groups and tells you which use your money best… Eco-Libris dishes out an unofficial guide to the People’s Choice Award for Green Biz of the Year… Microsoft has a green Xbox for your car…well not really. The new monitoring software will keep tabs on emissions trip by trip… Hugg 2.0 is better than ever. Most Huggable is a daily roundup of some of the top stories. Why not submit your own green news? ...
Post A Phone by Priestman Goode
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.07
When it comes to phone technology, North Americans are still in the stone age. In Europe, many people don't have land lines anymore, so what happens if your cellphone dies? Quick, reach for your post A phone. Designed by Priestman Goode, It is a "new product concept, Post A Phone, to supply a simple and cheap landline phone, made from recyclable materials that can be sent in the post.(mail)"
From the press release:
Post A Phone is made from recyclable cardboard or plastic and pops out of a A5 envelope, just 4mm deep. If your wireless phone breaks down, you can have Post A Phone sent to you, knowing that it will fit through your letterbox, ensuring you don’t need to stay in and wait for a courier. You take it out of its envelope, plug it into the socket in the wall and you’re ready to make and receive calls."
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Clinton Global Initiative 2007: Overall Impact
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
Now in its third year, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) managed to collect 245 commitments over its recent three-day annual meeting, adding to the more than $10 billion in pledges pooled toward world causes in its first two conferences.
Heads of state, public officials, and businesses that don't fulfill their pledges have their CGI membership refunded and their invites withdrawn, according to CGI spokesman Ben Yarrow in a press conference last Wednesday. He noted that there were five people this year who weren't invited back, although he declined to "out" them, saying that the organization wasn't "the philanthropy police."...
Absolut Downloads: Shirley Pui-Yu Cheung's Laptop Table
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.07
Over at Absolut Downloads, another great laptop table from Shirley Pui-Yu Cheung : An occasional side table that functions like a study or laptop table with an extra height space for a glass of juice or a book. When not in use as a laptop table it can be easily transported by grabbing on to the oval cutouts. Not only is it multifunctional but its non-conventional form makes doing work more fun!
You can download miniatures of them all as a demonstration of how downloadable designs will work when, as Bruce Sterling says, "The future will see a new kind of object — we have the primitive forms of them now in our pockets and briefcases: user-alterable, baroquely multi-featured, and programmable — that will be sustainable, enhanceable, and uniquely identifiable." ::In An Absolut World Everything is Downloadable...
Keen's ‘Modernature’ Art Event in NYC, Oct. 19
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
"Plastic Bottles" by Chris Jordan depicts two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the United States every five minutes
Keen Footwear is launching an art exhibit, held in conjunction with the company's Hybrid. STAND campaign, that will showcase artists whose work focuses on environmental and social issues, including TreeHugger perennial Chris Jordan, as well as Jason Lascu, Barbrara Yontz, Lucretia Troncoso, Marcus Kenney, McKay Otto, Vadis Turner, Mary Sue Kern, Nick Butcher, Gina Binkley, Bill Miller, Lisa Franke, John and Lynn Whipple, Laura Levine, Kevin Dresser, and Stephanie Cook.
Christened "Modernature," the event brings together the works of artists who use found, sustainable, or renewable materials or create environmental images to generate awareness about sustainability issues. Details for the reception are below the fold. ::Keen Footwear...
Quote of the Day: William McDonough on Design Humility
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 2.07
How sophisticated are we as designers? If we think about humility and design, it is unfortunate that the word humble and the word architect have not appeared together since The Fountainhead.
But, I think if anybody here has trouble with the concepts of design humility; just reflect on the fact that it took us 5,000 years to put wheels on our luggage. We are not that smart. And we have a big job ahead of us here....
HOK's Bill Valentine on Using Less Stuff
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.07
We covered Cameron Sinclair's appearance at HOK Canada's tenth anniversary event earlier; the next night I heard HOK chairman Bill Valentine speak. As head of such a big, corporate firm, I did not expect much, thinking it a courtesy to the chairman before the panel discussion; in fact is was the highlight of the evening. His major message was that we should be more efficient; he told John Bentley Mays in an interview: :"I'm really interested in using less stuff - less drywall, less steel, less concrete," Mr. Valentine said. "We waste [materials] like there was an endless supply of everything." In his speech he noted with a slide "Do the Math"-
Amount of steel in a six storey office building: 12lbs/SF x 200 sf/person=2,400 lbs/person.
amount of steel in a 70 storey office building: 35 lbs/SF x 275 sf/person=9,625 lbs/person
Lesson: our preoccupation with tall and sexy towers is inefficient and wasteful. ...
Earthships Cross the English Channel: Unusual Vacation Rental in Northern France
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 2.07
Earthships have been around for some time. While some comments on our first post suggested there is something a little cult-like about the movement, they still seem to be cropping up everywhere, having now crossed the Atlantic to Brighton, UK. But the spread doesn’t end there – reading the latest newsletter of the Permaculture Association UK we learned that there is now an Earth Ship Normandy project, taking the concept to the northern shores of mainland Europe too. The Earthship, which by the sounds of things is nearing completion, will be available soon for vacation rentals (the site says September, but no rates or availability info is posted just yet):
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St Athans Hotel: London on a Budget Can Still be Green
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 2.07
Eco-tourism seems to be all the rage these days, with everywhere from Mexico to even Libya getting in on the act. More often than not though, the eco-tourism sector tends to be geared up towards the wealthier end of the market. Here’s a nice sign of the times though, St Athans Hotel, a family run B&B in central London, is looking to go green - and not just because they can price themselves up into the luxury market. The following is from a recent article in the newsletter of the Permaculture Association UK:
“Just how green do we go? This is a question worth pondering. Do we aim for organic cotton bed linen and price ourselves into a different market, like some boutique hotels have done, reserved for the few? I’m not so sure. Is it possible to have the same hotel run on sustainable lines while still being the cheapest in the area? If we can tell people what we are doing and how we do it, and show that it is the only logical way forward, it will be part of the normalisation process that will make people ask: “Why aren’t I doing it?”...
To Go Green, Live Closer to Work
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.07
flanneurs on the Toronto Psychogeopgraphic Walk
A new study by the Urban Land Institute called "Growing Cooler: Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change" confirms what many TreeHuggers already knew: compact development -- mixing housing and businesses in denser patterns, with walkable neighborhoods -- could do as much to lower emissions as fuel economy increases and other measures now being contemplated. The report notes that the expected 59% increase in the number of miles Americans drive between 2005 and 2030 will outpace any reduction in greenhouse gases from better fuel efficiency of cars and trucks.
"We can no longer afford to ignore land use," said Steve Winkelman, director of the Transportation Program at the Center for Clean Air Policy, and one of the report's authors. "Urban development is both a key contributor to climate change and an essential factor in combating it."...
Toxie the Cat Now Speaks Spanish, Still Educates Kids About Home Environment
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10. 2.07
If you’ve ever spent time in my classroom as a student you’ll know exactly why I kept clicking on the cat, but this charming feline has apparently, and mysteriously, learned to speak Spanish! In fact, Toxie may be a great way to get students in your class thinking about their own homes and observing the things that go on in them through a whole new set of furry sunglasses.
That’s because ToxMystery is a brief, fun, and educational game for kids from the National Library of Medicine that takes them through an entire house with their entertaining host, Toxie, locating all the things that are creating an environmental hazard while answering questions about their impact on the health of its inhabitants. And although it’s been designed for children from age 7 to 10, I’ve got to admit it’s a bit amusing to watch the cat dance around once they’ve correctly identified all of the problems in a room. At the end, they get to print out a personalized certificate of completion, letting the world know they’ve learned a bit about protecting the environment in their own homes too.
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World is Green Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 10. 2.07
This week is Carnival of the Green # 97 and it's being hosted by World is Green! 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 (we are now booking into 2009!), please click here to link to our previous post....
Fair Trade Coffee In Bloom
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.07
Lalo de Almeida for The New York Times
Fair Trade coffee is everywhere now; according to the New York Times, Sam's Club, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonalds and yes, Starbucks. . Not everyone approves; some say that fair trade coffee is as exploitive as the conventional kind, especially in countries that produce the highest-quality beans — like Colombia, Ethiopia and Guatemala. Others note that it works for co-operatives but shuts out employers and landowners who treat their workers and their coffee right but can't be considered fair trade.
But farmers are getting more money, using fewer pesticides, improving their farming techniques and even have to show that their children are going to school. Good introduction to Fair Trade coffee in the ::New York Times
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Following Crude's Incredible Journey
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 2.07
How much do you really know about oil? Sure, we're all familiar with the concept of "peak oil," its contribution to anthropogenic global warming and fuel alternatives, but what about its history? The reason why it is usually found in deserts or Arctic regions and its impact on anoxic ocean events? Well, even if you can answer all these questions, you owe it to yourself to check out ABC TV's excellent "Crude - The incredible journey of oil".
Directed by award-winning Australian filmmaker Richard Smith, this 90 minute documentary covers the 160 million year-history of oil and features interviews with several leading scientific and economic experts - including Columbia University's Wallace S. Broecker and Penn State University's Lee Kump. "When I first started getting interested in oil, I was amazed to find that not only did most people not really have a good idea what this stuff was, but it was hard to find a really definitive explanation from the experts on how it formed. Clearly, the science of oil was lagging behind the exploitation. The deeper I dug into the latest research on the subject, the more incredible links in the story began to drop into place," he explained in a recent interview. It's more than you ever wanted to know about the black stuff.
Via ::ABC Science: Crude - the incredible journey of oil (documentary)
See also: ::A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (Movie Review)...
2017: The Workplace- Missing the Boat?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.07
We were intrigued by some of the press we were reading about this conference at the University of Waterloo starting October 14. Interesting concept: "The rapid growth of the knowledge economy, globalization, changing demographics, new technologies, increasing worker mobility and the millennial generation have created significant challenges in the world of work." Interesting speakers: Richard Florida, Malcolm Gladwell, Roger Martin, Daniel Pink. Interesting quotes: "Peter Drucker once asked, "Why would any company pay (in salary and time) to transport a 190-pound body when all it needed was the body's three-pound brain?"
Yet while going through pages about technology and blackberries and mobility, not a peep anywhere about carbon and energy, the two monster elephants in the room. Not a word about how people will get to work, how they will feed themselves, how they will pay for this greater mobility. It seems like an awfully big hole in any discussion of how we will be working in ten years. ::2017 The Workplace and ::Globe and Mail...
WhatGreenCar?'s Top 10 Gas Guzzlers
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 2.07
Those of you shocked not to see GM's Hummer featured front and center based on the title of this post can rest easy: though it (easily) made the list, we thought we'd showcase a different gas guzzler for variety's sake. Put together by Ben Lane, WGC?'s director, the list includes several of the newest entries to the "coveted" gas guzzler category - arranged by vehicle class and total environmental impact. The latter measure is expressed as a score between 0 and 100 - the lower it is, the more eco-friendly the car (though, for the sake of this list, Lane made an exception to the rule).
While the list features newer models of many of the usual suspects, including the aforementioned Hummer, it also has a few surprises - including the convertible version of the Mini Cooper S (score = 56) and Mazda's 3 2.3 Turbo (score = 62). Care to make a guess as to which vehicles topped 100? If you guessed "Hummer," you'd actually be wrong: the two cars to boast the worst ratings included Cadillac's SRX 4.6 V8, with a score of 105, and Lamborghini's Murcielago 147 Coupe, with a (whopping) score of 132. Hard to believe, but - by comparison - you'd actually be doing the environment a favor if you opted for a Hummer over these two beasts (not that you should, of course)....
Young Marketing Whiz Creates Lemonade for Chimp Aid
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10. 2.07
When you’ve got a great slogan and greater cause good things will happen… At least that’s the lesson 9 year-old Amanda Ketterer learned recently, inspired to whip up a batch of seven gallons of lemonade and spend the next six and a half hours working feverishly in the hot sun to sell it in support of chimpanzees.
It was certainly no small effort, and she was inspired by none other than Dr. Jane Goodall to step up to the plate and make a difference. In fact, she points out that Goodall “…automatically became my hero,” after learning about her in kindergarten. Now, three years later she came up with the terrific slogan “Lemonade for Chimp Aid” and set to work. As she says about the idea “It just popped right into my mind.”
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EPA To Rebuild Supreme Court Building To Green Standards
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 2.07
Just kidding about the headline. USEPA has produced a green building tool that works for commercial projects of any sort. (But, a metaphor is there for you politicos.) Given this Administration's demonstrated reluctance to take climate issues seriously, we hope the team that added C02 as a design variable to Portfolio Manager does not find this to have been a career limiting move (CLM).
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added greenhouse gas emissions factors to its online energy rating tool for commercial buildings."
"This allows building owners and managers to compare the amount of emissions their buildings are likely producing compared to others in the same area."
"The tool, Portfolio Manager, already helps building managers and owners streamline energy and water data and track key factors, such as consumption, performance and costs. For instance, owners can benchmark their facilities against past performance and track multiple energy and water meters."
"The EPA added the data for carbon dioxide emissions from its Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database. This allows users to compare the emissions generated from their buildings with other buildings in the same area. "
Via::Greener Buildings Image credit:: Energy Star website....
Can a Flat Panel TV be Green?
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 10. 2.07
A murky question...but if nothing else, the market is changing. The most recent news is from Philips. This electronic manufacturer has launched a “Green” campaign that offers “environmentally friendly" screens. The flagship 37PFL9732D model sports an LED system which slashes energy consumption by 40 percent (offering about 80 percent of the brightness.) Another bonus? It doesn’t contain environmentally hazardous mercury. ...
Denver Colorado Airport Adding 2 Megawatt Solar System
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 2.07
"WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp., developer and marketer of proprietary high-power solar systems, today announced it will engineer and construct a 2 Megawatt solar system at Denver International Airport (DIA). MMA Renewable Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Municipal Mortgage & Equity will finance the installation through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). WorldWater will begin construction of the project immediately for completion in 2008. MMA Renewable Ventures will own and operate the system under a long-term PPA contract."
"Operated by the City and County of Denver, DIA is the fifth busiest international airport in the U.S. and served nearly 50 million passengers in 2006. WorldWater's photovoltaic system of ground mounted tracking solar arrays will be located at the entrance to the main terminal. It is expected to generate 3.5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity annually."
Via:: Yahoo Finance, "WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp. to Build 2 Megawatt Solar System at Denver International Airport" Image credit:: Yahoo (digital rendering of solar system design)....
Clean-Tech Jobs are Getting Hot
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 2.07
In the last housing and construction downturn, if an architect asked you a question, you answered "big mac and fries." This time the answer may well be "gallium indium phosphide, with a germanium topping." It appears that all kinds of engineers, scientists and architects are jumping into the green economy. According to Newsweek: ...With oil prices near record highs and more companies concerned about their carbon footprints, workers are finding job opportunities in the emerging green economy. Companies are hiring scientists to work on renewable-energy technology and business people to market earth-friendly products. Even if some of these nascent companies falter, there's widespread conviction that this sector will become one of the country's hottest employers. "This is the challenge of the 21st century ... and it's not going away," says Kevin Doyle, founder of the consulting firm Green Economy....
Clean Up Your Front Yard
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10. 2.07
We are making use of the front yards of our houses in different ways now. It used to be a space to demonstrate respectability: grass, pathway, hedges. Now we have to accommodate multiple recycling bins, garbage cans, bicycles, car and a garden. The Front Yard Company aims to provide some order to front yards with well-designed and functional furniture. The PlantLock is a metal planter with locking bars, accommodating two bicycles that can be secured by using any lock of choice. It's heavy, so that it can't be easily stolen and comes in green or red. Any kind of plant can be grown in it--herbs and vegetables or flowers and shrubs. It can be "parked" in back gardens, balconies, or along the side of the house.
Another public minded creation that addresses the problem of where to store the garbage cans is the BoxDock. Made out of European Oak which has good outdoor durability, it is a simple and tidy looking container for recycling boxes and wheelie bins. Since it is wooden and has slats it is easy to keep clean and won't smell. It provides a well-crafted and modern looking solution to an urban issue--which is what the best of design should do. And, it is made in a manufacturing plant that uses all its woodwaste to generate power and heat, so it's almost a carbon-neutral manufacturing process. :: Front Yard Company Via :: London Design Festival...
Specialists Call for Political Action on Conservation in Latin America
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 10. 2.07
With the goal of analyzing the state of green spaces in the region, the II Latin American Congress on National Parks and Other Protected areas is taking place in Bariloche, a popular touristic city about 1600 kilometers south from Buenos Aires. Some of the themes being discussed so far are sustainable development of tourism, conservation vs. development and economic resources, but most specially the issue about national politics around protected spaces. According to the Program of United Nations for the Environment (Pnuma), there have been some improvements with a growth in the amount of protected areas, but it is not enough: there are 300 million hectares of protected spaces, but every year around seven million hectares of woods are taken down, La Nacion newspaper informs. As a mater of fact, at this moment there is a huge deforestation going on in the north of Argentina in hands of producers who want to use the soil for soy cultivation (which sells big in the international market). Therefore, many delegates accused local governments of lacking protective policies and working against the well being of the region: “Latin America is growing at a rate of 5 to 6% annually, but by means of a model that does not respond to local needs, but to the global demand, and which has a strong impact in the geography of the region”, Robert Hofstede, director of the South American office of the World Union for Nature (UICN) told Inter Press Service news agency. “None of the regional governments is conscious about basing development in the sustainable management of natural resources”, added Hofstede....
Ingle & Rhode -No Blood Diamonds, but Ethical Jewellery
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 10. 2.07
After David Rhode struggled to find his fiancée an ethical engagement ring, he not only proposed to her, but also to Tim Ingle to set up a luxury ethical jewellery company. Tim said yes and together they launched Ingle & Rhode last month in the UK.
All their jewellery is procured and produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Now what does that mean in an industry where exploitation of Earth and people is almost conventional? It means Ingle & Rhode are tackling the three main problems in the jewellery industry: human exploitation, conflict (or blood) diamonds and environmental damage. The key lies in having created, through careful investigation, a supply chain where the origin of each metal or gemstone can be traced. ...
Carlo Giovani's 3D Paper Forest
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
We can't tell if the paper sculptures were made from recycled fibers, but you gotta admit, it's a brilliant and impressive tableau. And like William McDonough has pointed out so often, nature doesn't know waste, so why must we?
Sign us up for less waste and more nature. ::Carlo Giovani...
Pomme Recycled Bag
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
Tonight's cool autumn breeze reminds us that apple-picking season is just around the bend. This hand-sewn tote, made in the South of France, is perfect for filling with the crisp red and yellow fruit. Made from linen and recycled denim, the bag is lined with blue-and-white non-organic (alas) cotton ticking and comes with one large interior pocket for stashing stray acorns and loose change.
Heavy recycled canvas form the handles; you get your choice of three different handle colors. ::Three Potato Four...
Wal-Mart to Sell Only Concentrated Laundry Detergent Category by 2008
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
Photo credit: crawfishpie
So what was Wal-Mart's big ol' Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) commitment? Well kids, CEO H. Lee Scott's gang has pledged to sell only concentrated laundry detergent in all of its U.S. stores by early May 2008. More than that, the company is going to "be a catalyst for the transformation of the entire liquid laundry detergent category across the retail industry and save vast amounts of natural resources," according to a press release. (We have no idea what that means, but it sure sounds fancy.)
"People expect businesses to step up and work together to help solve the big challenges facing the world," Scott told the audience at CGI's opening plenary session. "What we have done is work with suppliers to take water—one of our most precious natural resources—out of the liquid laundry detergent on our shelves. We simply don't want our customers to have to choose between a product they can afford and an environmentally friendly product."...
A Picture is Worth...Implications of Global Warming
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 1.07
Check out this brilliant ad campaign from Italy's Cayenne agency: stop global warming...or else. Hit the jump to see what happens when pigs and corn enter this equation. ::Eternally Cool via ::Notcot.org...
Wangari Maathai "Unbowed" and Unbroken
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
You'll find nothing easier than growing a tree, Dr. Wangari Maathai told a rapt audience at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City last Tuesday. "Just dig a hole, plant the seed, the Lord provides the rain, and lo and behold!"
Maathai was in town promoting her memoir, Unbowed—which we've been told has climbed to the No. 27 spot on the New York Times bestseller list for the week of Oct. 7—and, of course, to speak of her favorite subject: trees, which are more vital to our existence than many of us may realize. "I learned in Japan that in order to stay alive, each of us needs 10 trees," she said. "So I encourage you to learn where your 10 trees are. So you don't suffocate in your own carbon dioxide." Word to the wise.
Don't wait for government to do the big things, she also urged. "We, as citizens of the planet can do something."
Even if that something is planting a single seed. :: The Green Belt Movement...
Splat: Flat-Packing Hideaway Dish Rack
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 1.07
Perfect for this mini-kitchen, this one, or any smallish cooking space, the Splat Dish Rack collapses flat for easy storage and to get out of the way when your dishes are dry; it also can be punched from a single, flat sheet of material. Flat pack may be so two weeks ago, but it's still awesomely space-saving and quite functional for the less-is-more-enthusiast. Hit the jump for pics of the rack in action. ::Jill Davis Design via ::Yanko Design ...
TH Forums Highlights: Kitty Litter, Green Limos + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 1.07
Shake off that case of the Monday's 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 megsmind wants to get down and dirty with kitty litter: "I'm currently using corn-cob cat litter. It's ungodly expensive and doesn't seem to mask oder at all... is it any better/worse then traditional clay litter? Is there another litter I should try?" Newspaper, pine pellets and wheat-based have been added to the discussion; anyone else? |
 | 2) User hurleylimo is trying to green his company, a limousine service based in New Jersey. They've gotten as far as adding hybrids to the fleet, but how to promote it? "We provide door to door service for the Northeast seaboard. We have strived to 'go Green' we have a fleet of Toyota Prius Hybrid vehicles and I'm at a loss as to how best to advertise them." Do limo clients care about green? How can we make them? |
 | 3) Lastly, user doncorneo wonders about a piece about a TreeHugger piece (over at MSN) about fuel efficiency and safety: "The point was that the auto makers said that greener (more fuel efficient) cars would be unsafe because they will have to be lighter. Greener cars can be built safely, but the technology that will allow this is not usable because of U.S. Patents. Gas engines can get twice the milage from a tank of gas if our leaders revoke a 50+ year old Patent amongst others." Yikes; how do we get around this and prove we can make fuel-efficient and safe cars? Weigh in here. |
TreeHugger Mom Says, It's In The Bin!
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 10. 1.07
U.S. Navy Barracks' Swastika Formation to be Camouflaged
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
The U.S. Navy has budgeted $600,000 to obscure the fact that one of its building complexes resembles the infamous Nazi symbol from the air.
The amphibious base at Coronado, Calif., constructed in the late '60s, serves as barracks for Seabees. From ground level and inside nearby buildings, the controversial shape cannot be seen. Neither are there any civilian or military landing patterns to provide such a view to airline passengers. But Google Earth changed all that when satellite images how much the configuration of four L-shape buildings looked like a swastika.
Additional walkways, "camouflage" landscaping, and rooftop photovoltaic cells are now being drafted to change how the building looks from overhead. The base already gets 3 percent of its power from solar energy and has been looking to increase that percentage, so smudging out a Nazi symbol is probably as good a reason as any.
And while you're up there, may we also suggest green roofs? ::Chicago Tribune...
Mexican Mega Developer to Build Ecological Houses
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 10. 1.07
The housing market is shifting green even in Mexico and one of the country's largest developers has introduced a new scheme to build more ecological housing and cities. Geo, which builds more than 50,000 houses in Mexico a year, many of them small and low-cost for first-time buyers, says that features like more gardens and energy efficient technology will improve the quality of life of residents in its communities.
Part of the plan is to offer green mortgages that would provide home buyers with financial incentives to build green.
"We now have houses with solar panels, passive solar water heaters and we plan to increase the number of developments with them," said Eduardo Muñiz Urquiza, Geo's director of investor relations. ::Via Milenio
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I Can Do That, Too! Climate Cleverer Spoof
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 10. 1.07
Graham & Brown Eco-wallpaper
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 10. 1.07
Five new hip eco-friendly wallpaper patterns are the result of a design challenge given to 22 students at Central St. Martins University in London. Wallpaper/wall art company Graham & Brown asked the students to design fashion-conscious sustainable wallpaper to add to the company's line. The five designs chosen from the competition will now go into production.
The final wallpaper uses materials sourced from sustainable forests in Finland and keeps packaging to a minimum by removing the need for any tape or plastic. The company even recycles heat given off by furnaces, reduces drainage to prevent local flooding problems, and uses vegetable oil within tractor hydraulics so as not to contaminate forest floors.And, if you find yourself lusting after chic green wallpaper like this, remember - that glue you buy at the store can be nasty stuff. It's easy to just make your own non-toxic wallpaper paste at home. :: Via Inhabitat...
International Treaty or Choose-Your-Own Climate-Change Plan?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
Photo credit: mhaithaca
Despite his truancy at the United Nations high-level event on climate change last week, President George W. Bush wants you to know that he is very, very serious about climate change. So serious, in fact, that the commander in chief held his own climate klatch of 16 major carbon-emitting nations in Washington last week, ostensibly to explore a new "process" for moving forward—one that would not commit countries to mandatory targets for capping carbon-dioxide emissions. (It's his party and he'll cap if he wants to.)
But heads of state and public officials attending the United Nations high-level event on climate change, as well as the Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting last week overwhelmingly championed a binding international treaty on climate change that included all major emitters, with many stressing that global problems begot global solutions. ...
K-Bench: Expanding Furniture You Can Take Outside
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 1.07
Taking the honeycomb-accordion design strategy outside, K-Bench is a new take on the bee-hive-structured, extendable bench. Similar to FlexibleLove, the Newspaper Extendable Bench and Paper SoftSeating, this bench takes the utility created by such versatile benches a step further; made from polypropelene instead of paper, the accordion-like benches can be folded up to a mere 16 cm (about six inches) and taken outside for all-weather use.
We aren't crazy about plastic as a material, but it would be much more durable and versatile than its paper counterparts. Plus, you gotta love the electric orange color; make it from bioplastics and we're totally sold. ::K-Bench via ::David Report...
Envirofit Receives Funding at the Clinton Global Initiative
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
Electrolux Design Lab 2007: And The Finalists Are...
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 1.07
As we noted a few months back, this year's Electrolux Design Lab competition is all about sustainable design. The competition, featured in 2006 and 2005 on TreeHugger, was searching for household products that go beyond efficient use of materials and resources; the objects should be designed to encourage the users themselves to adopt more sustainable behaviors. Now that's what sustainable design is all about!
The top 8 finalists have been announced for the 2007 competition; among them, a solar cooker, water-saving shower, automatic food composter and solar-powered air filter. Hit the jump for more details on all eight, and stay tuned for the winner, announced after the final judging in Paris on November 28. ::Electrolux Design Lab via ::MoCo Loco...
New Proposal for Fishing Subsidies at WTO Doha Talks
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
Suggesting a compromise between development and sustainability, Brazil and Argentina proposed new international trade rules last Monday that would allow developing countries to subsidize their fishing industries, but only as long as fish stocks were conserved, according to trade diplomats.
The joint proposal, raised during the Doha Development Agenda negotiations on a new global trade agreement at the World Trade Organization (WTO), rallied support from developing countries such as China and India, plus a "guarded welcome" from the United States and Australia, according to Reuters.
According to one recent report from the University of British Columbia, governments pay out an estimated $30 to $34 billion dollars per year to the fishing industry, with around $20 billion of these subsidies supporting boat construction, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous operational costs. Overfishing and destructive fishing practices, say conservation groups, as well as an industry on the brink of going belly up, are the calamitous (and clammy) result. ::Reuters...
Ethanol Cocktail Set from Chloe Coulson
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
We have had some sport with the ethanol boom, suggesting that it is better served cold in a martini glass rather than in our cars. The market evidently agrees; according to the Wall Street Journal, the prices are in the tank as well.
Chloe Coulson of notanotherdesigner has some fun with it too, producing the ehtanol cocktail set from off-the-shelf parts. "Chemistry with its language of mixing and measuring lends itself to the art of cocktail making in the Ethanol cocktail set. Test tubes for shots, a conical flask for shaking, beakers for longer drinks, a jug for longer drinks and petri dishes for citrus wedges and salt, there's even an excercise book to record your favourite formulae experiments."...
Energy Star's Change a Light, Change the World Campaign Hits the Road This Week
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 1.07
TreeHugger has known for a while now how much difference changing your incandescent light bulbs in favor of CFLs can make (answer: a lot!). To help spread this message beyond those who read TreeHugger, the folks at Energy Star are reaching out to a whole new audience by taking CFLs on the road with their Change a Light, Change the World campaign.
The 20-day, 10-city tour starts in Disneyland on Wednesday, October 3, and winds up in New York City on October 23 with a residential high-rise CFL change out (stay tuned to TreeHugger for more details and information on this event, coming later this week). The Change a Light bus will drive cross-country, visiting the San Francisco Bay Area, Denver, Des Moines, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, New Jersey and Boston. The bus will stop at schools, sporting events (NFL football games in Denver and Atlanta) and high-profile public centers (Navy Pier in Chicago, Fanueil Square in Boston). At the schools, students will be recognized for their outstanding pledge campaigns and energy sciences projects, as well as get a chance to learn about energy and tour the bus' interactive education center.
This is an interesting approach for Energy Star, representing the first time that the EPA (who administers the Energy Star program) is taking a grassroots approach to solving an environmental problem; by taking the message to the streets, they're hoping to reach folks in a personal, meaningful way that couldn't be accomplished with paper mailings and pamphlets. Will it work? We hope so, but only time will tell. Hit the jump for the full schedule, and stay tuned for more info later this week. ::Energy Star's Change a Light, Change the World...
Studying Old Masters Understand Global Warming
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
David Adam in the Guardian writes of a study that blends art and science: A team at the National Observatory of Athens is using the works of old masters to work out the amount of natural pollution spewed into the skies by eruptions such as Mount Krakatoa in 1883. Reports from the time describe stunning sunsets for several years afterwards, as the retreating light was scattered by reflective particles thrown high into the atmosphere. By studying the colour of sunsets painted before and after such eruptions, the researchers say they can calculate the amount of material in the sky at the time.
Christos Zerefos, who led the research, said: "We're taking advantage of the attitudes of famous painters to portray real scenes they were looking at. This is the first attempt to analyse this old art in a scientific way, and tells the story of how our climate has varied naturally in the past." ::Guardian
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Cool Globes: Hot Public Art for a Cooler Planet
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
From left: "Sustainable Farming" by Kari Kaplan, "Green Schools" by Lawrence Hall Youth Services, and "Wind Power" by Karen Ami
If you happened to have been out and about Chicago between June and September, you might have noticed these massive sculpted globes, around five feet in diameter, lined up along the city's lakefront from the Field Museum to Navy Pier. Well it was probably hard not to, and that was the entire idea.
"[The] globes are so big—as the problem of climate change is so big—that you can’t avoid it. You have to confront it," said Wendy Abrams during the energy and climate change working session on the first day of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting. "But at the same time, each globe was decorated by the different artist to showcase a solution to climate change. The sense is that there are so many things we can do about this."...
Ecology, Design. Synergy.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
German architects Behnisch Architekten iare a leading proponent of Green architecture, defined by Robert Campbell of the Boston Globe as "architecture that doesn't fight nature but instead seeks to partner with it. Green architecture demands as little as possible in the way of natural resources while creating, ideally, rooms as pleasant to inhabit as a forest glade."
They have mounted an exhibition in John Andrews' Gund Hall at Harvard, to "ddress the widespread and misleading quantitative interpretation of the term “sustainability” by highlighting the manifold aspects of sustainability that constitute important qualities in themselves. The selected projects are presented in a manner that illustrates the working methods, the results of previous collaborations, and perspectives for the future."
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Competition: What if New York City Were Hit by a Hurricane?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
Good questions all; that is why the The New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is sponsoring a design competition to enhance the City's ability to provisionally house residents after a major coastal storm. This design competition will rely on a fictional but realistic New York City neighborhood devastated by a hypothetical Category 3 hurricane. How will residents resume their lives? How can they be provided safe, comfortable living space? How can this housing be quickly deployed and adapted to different site conditions? How can it be reused in subsequent emergencies, environmentally sustainable, and cost effective?
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Cutting Out 'Mystery Machines' Could Save Power
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 10. 1.07
Recently there has been a raft of green IT solutions, including home PCs, but particularly for larger, power-hungry data centres. While home PCs can be as inefficient as to waste 50% of power in making noise and heat, the sheer size of data centres makes them an obvious target for a bit of increased efficiency. It seems though, that the best way to save power may be to turn off 'mystery machines'.
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Robots, Dogs From Discarded Electronics
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
Parts salvaged from discarded televisions, VCRs, and other electronic paraphernalia are raised from the dead and transformed into desktop critters, jewelry, and ornaments.
"These are fun pieces that will hopefully generate awareness of the growing piles of E-Junk that are destined for our landfills," the designer notes on his Web site. Perfect for your eco-conscious geek boy or girl with a yen for post-apocalyptic folk art. ::Etsy...
Material ConneXion, MBDC and EPEA Announce Cradle-to-Cradle Partnership
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10. 1.07
It's World Architecture Day
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
So the call comes from Gaëtan Siew, President of the International Union of Architects:
"Approximately 50% of all greenhouse gas emissions are produced by the construction and transportation sectors. The construction sector alone is responsible for 50% of annual energy consumption. Every actor in the building industry bears a part of the responsibility for this situation, but every actor also has the ability to make a difference in mitigating the effects of climate change. Architects are on the front line to engage this struggle.
Architects must be exacting in terms of energy performance for all the materials that go into their works. They must also consider the carbon footprint made by these materials during fabrication, transportation, construction, and maintenance. It is every architect's responsibility to preserve the natural resources of the planet, to eliminate waste, recycle, and use local resources with the imagination and ingenuity that characterise our profession. All know-how, techniques, technologies, and innovations must take us closer to these objectives. " ::UIA...
Jim Kunstler on Oil Addiction
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
He of the website that can't be named questions Mitt Romney's statement that the nation is "is dependent on foreign oil."We've heard this a million times, of course, and we accept it without thinking. But if you venture forward mentally one baby step, you will quickly come to see that, no, this dependence on foreign oil is not itself the problem. The problem is that we have adopted a living arrangement so hopelessly centered around cars and incessant motoring and one of the consequences is an addiction to oil, which we happen to have a declining supply of in our own land....
Environmental Concerns Over Festival Figures In India
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 10. 1.07
This October will bring one of the biggest festivals for Hindus – particularly those living in the eastern parts of India and Bangladesh – a ten-day celebration of the warrior goddess Durga. In places like Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) it becomes an all-out affair, with thousands of pandals or temporary temple structures set up all over the city to worship the deity, live music and people from all over converging onto the city to participate in the festivities, causing traffic mayhem. The highlight of the festival occurs when elaborately decorated figures of the goddess, carried by huge processions, are immersed ceremoniously in the river.
However, with the immersion of thousands of statues every year into India’s rivers and lakes during festivals such as the ones for Durga and for the elephant-headed god Ganesh, Indian environmentalists have raised concerns about the toxic content of the statues as the celebrations become increasingly commercialized. ...
Home Energy Usage
by Union of Concerned Scientists on 10. 1.07
The type of home you live in is one of the most important decisions you can make as a consumer. A home’s energy use and its distance to your place or work and shopping centers are a major component of your environmental impact. Making an environmentally conscious housing decision will not only help reduce your energy consumption, but will also lower your maintenance and energy bills. In addition, some mortgage lenders and financial service companies have recognized the importance of a home's environmental impact and offer mortgage benefits to buyers of energy-efficient houses.
Keep these considerations in mind when house hunting:...
TreeHugger welcomes Summer Rayne Oakes
by Summer Rayne Oakes on 10. 1.07
Zombie Robot Chair Reassembles Itself
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
Green Fundraising For Schools With One Big Caveat
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10. 1.07
Founded by elementary parents with an eye for the future and a realization that we’ve all had enough of the wrapping paper and cookie dough fundraising tactics, Greenraising, a program to help schools and non-profits raise funds using eco-friendly products has emerged.
And with items for sale ranging from SIGG bottles and fair trade coffee to eco-friendly lunchboxes and recycled office supplies, the intentions are good and the products seem excellent.
But what’s that big caveat I mentioned above? ...
1947: Danish Furniture Knocks Down For Moving
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
It looks better than IKEA, too. Flatpack furniture isn't new; the British did campaign furniture for centuries, and according to Popular Science, February 1947: "DESIGNED chiefly for sale in Europe’s war-devastated countries, this new line of Danish furniture sacrifices little in visual appeal. Modern in appearance, the simple, functional pieces are well suited to mass production methods. They can be quickly set up or taken apart, thus easing the moving problem on the unsettled continent. Shipping and storing difficulties are correspondingly lessened, since in a knocked-down condition the furniture occupies less than a quarter of its’ normal volume. Stacking also allows for considerable saving of space." ::Modern Mechanix
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Survey: Do You Feel Safe on a Bike?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
We promote bicycles as a green and healthy alternative to a car, yet a lot of people are afraid of riding in the city, noting that when a car and a cyclist meet, it is not a fair contest. And, as we noted in a couple of earlier posts, the Police and the Courts don't think much of cyclists either. It is a car culture where drivers have little interest in co-existing, while cyclists have to fight to get their bit of road space.
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Why Are They Called Accidents?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Greg Stobbart was killed last year while riding his bike in training for a triathlon; a driver for a construction company smacked his head with the side-view mirror after swerving to avoid cars while trying to pass. That is getting so common that it is barely news any more; What is news came out last week in court: The man who hit him, who drives for a living, had a history of traffic violations, $14,000 in fines, and charges for driving with a suspended licence. Two months after the accident he was charged again for causing another. What sentence did he get in court? 100 hours of community service and two years' probation, along with an order to take a driver's education course and a one-year licence suspension. He is now appealing that conviction.
The Globe and Mail quotes Sergeant Stobbart's wife: "Surely to God, we can do something that allows the police to stand up to these people and say, 'I'll be taking your keys and licence now, and your driving days are over."
We try to promote bicycles as the greenest and healthiest alternative to the car, but people in North America are afraid to get on them as our roads become more crowded and the drivers get more agressive and dangerous. Accidents happen; these are not accidents but negligence and stupidity leading to murder. ...
The Power of Community: Locals Should Lead on Sahel 'Green Wall'
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10. 1.07
We all know that there is finally a massive effort underway to combat the effects of climate change, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation. You only have to look at the commitments coming out of the CGI last week to know that people around the world are stepping up to the challenge in a way that has not been seen before. However, it will become extremely important that we maintain scrutiny on the kind of responses that are being developed, ensuring they are effective, viable and appropriate. Camilla Toulmin, director of the International Institute for Environment and Development, argues in a column over at the BBC website that too many climate related schemes originate from centralized, government-led planning, and she proposes that a greater degree of community autonomy could prove a lot more effective. In particular, she refers to plans in West Africa to plant a “green wall” to prevent encroachment of the Sahara:
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Demolishing Lomborg's Cool It
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10. 1.07
There is nothing like a good and nasty book review to get you going in the morning, and environmental writer Alanna Mitchell does it to Bjorn Lomborg's new book Cool it. Too good not to quote directly: "In high-school biology class, we used to do an experiment with fruit flies. You put flies and food in a jar, screw the top on tight and wait to see what happens as the flies reproduce like mad.
The goal is to see at what point the limits of the jar - air, food, space - begin to affect the ability of the fruit flies to exist. At some point, the jar becomes inhospitable and the flies die en masse.
If Bjorn Lomborg, Danish author of Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming, were to write up that high-school experiment, he would focus on the point just before the flies began to hit the limits.
He would wax on about how the population of flies had never been stronger, trot out statistics to show how astoundingly well the population had reproduced over time, and gush boyishly about the excellent living conditions in the jar. And he would be right. Given those facts, examined at that specific point in the arc of the experiment, he would have drawn the correct conclusions.
But he would have missed the facts that the food supply was getting low, that the air was becoming fouled and that fruit-fly catastrophe loomed.
In other words, he would be correct on carefully selected points of fact, but fatally incorrect about the larger picture, or the meaning of the information he was looking at.
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AMD Open Architecture Africa Challenge - SIDAREC, Kenya
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 10. 1.07
As proud media sponsors of the AMD Open Architecture Challenge TreeHugger is dedicated to keeping you guys up to date with what's going on with this ground breaking design competition. First of all we want to introduce you to all three community partners that people around the world will be designing for. Due to my involvement with Kallari over the last year, you have already heard quite a lot about this Ecuadorian cocoa and handcraft cooperative. Today we're going to find out more about SIDAREC, which stands for Slums Information Development & Resource Centres, in Kenya.
SIDAREC is a, "Youth development project operating in the slums of Nairobi. The organization aims at tapping and consolidating skills and talents existing among the youths in the community for the common benefit of the slum dwellers... Currently people living on less than a dollar a day in the slums must pay the same rates as those with means to access the internet. The high costs of accessing internet means that many people living in the slums would continue to be out of touch with the rest of the world and poverty will continue stalking them."...
Owl Recovery Plan Has Serious "Issues"
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 1.07
Shocking, we know: to think that a recovery plan drafted by Bush government "scientists" (see political cronies) would be deemed "deeply flawed" by an independent peer review. Yet that was the principal finding of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-appointed panel of Society of Conservation Biology and American Ornithologists' Union scientists, which stated that the plan ignored over 20 years of research about the northern spotted owl.
The plan, they charged, would lead to reduced efforts to protect the endangered owl and its declining habitat - in the Northwest's last stands of old-growth timber. In a letter addressed to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, several Democratic lawmakers - including Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee - accused former deputy assistant interior secretary Julie MacDonald and other members of the Washington Oversight Committee (a group that inserted a provision in the plan that would've allowed for more logging) of tampering with the recovery plan....
Overcoming Prius' Green Edge
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 1.07
In the minds of many, Toyota's Prius has long been considered synonymous with hybrid cars. Praised as being ahead of its time and the darling of Hollywood and Silicon Valley types, the Prius quickly gained iconic status amongst the green set when it was first unveiled a few years back. Its long reign at the top, however, may soon be coming to an end: a new ranking of environmentally friendly vehicles from researchers at Cardiff University and consultancy Clifford Thames has determined that cleaner versions of conventional cars are fast catching up and may soon be poised to overtake it.
A few smaller cars in their ranking - including Fiat's Panda, BMW's Mini Cooper Diesel hatchback and Toyota's own Yaris - already outperform the Prius on emissions and on their overall "footprint". In an attempt to craft a ranking that would better encompass vehicles' overall environmental impact, the researchers gave carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and other emissions a 50% weighing and the vehicles' construction, energy and end-of-life costs another 50%. "There's a big focus on exhaust emissions, but they're only part of the story," said David Riemenschneider, Clifford Thames's chief executive....
Katharine Hamnett Pulls Out of Tesco
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10. 1.07
Last year, amidst much fanfare, Katharine Hamnett, the original eco-warrior fashionista, announced that she was teaming up with Tesco, the biggest and much reviled supermarket, to produce a fair trade and organic line called Choose Love. All of the supermarkets have been rushing to improve their green credentials and this partnership seemed like a win-win: a real coup for Tesco, given Hamnett's impeccable reputation, and good for her since she had been starting her business up again, after a hiatus.
However, naivete and the realities of business seem to have destroyed her dream of bringing organic, fair trade clothes to the mass market. Hamnett said: ‘I was initially really excited about the tie-up because I thought we could increase demand for ethical products. But I’ve come to the conclusion that [Tesco] simply wants to appear ethical, rather than make a full commitment to the range. Choose Love is only available in 40 stores and the merchandising is practically non-existent.’ She added that she was "incredibly disappointed" and claimed that Tesco had broken promises to roll out her Choose Love range and promote it in store. Maybe she shouldn't have been so surprised; a recent report by War on Want about the appalling working conditions of garment workers in developing countries pointed out that "the £4.6 million in salary and bonuses for Tesco’s chief executive Sir Terry Leahy could pay the annual wages of more than 25,000 Bangladeshi garment employees who supply its stores, based on average wages of about £15 a month." :: Daily Telegraph...
New Products by Chilean Musuc and Argentine Neumatica
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 10. 1.07
Two of our featured eco-designers from Latin America have hit us with some new designs. On one side, Chilean industrial designer Rodrigo Alonso Schramm from Musuc studio has launched a new integrant of its N+EW line: a lamp produced completely with e-waste and low density plastic that took this form via a recovered iron mould, with a base made from recycled aluminum from beverage cans. Remember the N+EW project stands for No More Electronic Waste and is a statement about the amount of this type of materials we consume and don’t usually care to recycle in Latin America, explained Alonso in a previous post. The first piece of the collection was a bench, and both will be presented at the Gwangju Design Biennale to take place in Korea from October 5th until November 3rd; and during the Passion Tour Symposium that is taking place in Santiago de Chile from October 9th to 11th. Lamps are in production and will be on sale after those two events at 100 US dollars. On the other hand, Argentine-living-in-Brazil siblings Roby and Deby Piwnica from the accessories brand Neumatica have launched a new website and have published some new models of bags and purses with recovered tires. The ones we feature above (check bigger pictures in the extended) are under the ‘especiales’ section, which means ‘specials’ in Spanish. Information for purchasing products in small or large scale can be asked through their contact section. ::Musuc ::Neumatica...
West Coast Green wrapup
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 09.30.07
West Coast Green – when they billed it as the biggest green building conference on this coast, they weren’t lying. It was huge and the lineup of speakers was excellent. There were roughly 4 tracks a day with at least 40 different sessions going on at the same time so there was no way to come even close to seeing everything. It was amazing!...
Ecuador Commits to Save the Yasuni Rainforest
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09.30.07
Photo credit: colonos
At the Clinton Global Initiative this week, Ecuador pledged to forgo the development of the country's largest oil reserve in the Amazon basin's most diverse rainforest located below Yasuni National Park, also home to the Tagaeri-Taromenani indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation
The nation will be essentially kissing an estimated $4.6 billion in oil revenues goodbye, making the commitment one of the most significant and ambitious measures proposed by a developing nation to tackle climate change.
Instead, in its bid to become the first sustainable economy in Latin America, Ecuador will be turning its focus on developing alternative energy projects, especially solar and geothermal, as well as the promotion of small-scale hydroelectric projects. Another objective of the proposal is to strengthen the service economy by supporting eco-tourism and community tourism. A plan that will penalize parties responsible for social and environmental damages in the Ecuadorian Amazon will also be snapped into place shortly. Well played, Ecuador. Well played.
See also: ::Ecuador Announces Measures to Protect Galapagos Islands...
DIY: Minimalist Gourd Birdhouse
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09.30.07
If mod is your style but dropping $150 on a birdhouse doesn't do it for you, here's an awesome, green alternative. Courtesy of two straight lines comes this great DIY project: take a gourd, drill a hole in it, hollow it out, slap some no-VOC paint on it, add a branch and call it good. Inspired by this minimalist house at design*sponge, the gourd version offers a nice green upgrade to the polystyrene material -- would you want to live in a plastic house? Didn't think so -- and a really clever use of materials. If hollowing your own gourd doesn't sound like much fun, don't fret; you can get one here for about $10. ::two straight lines via ::design*sponge...
Quote of the Day: D.H. Lawrence on the Magnificence of Whales
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09.30.07
Photo credit: tk_five_0
They say the sea is cold, but the sea contains
the hottest blood of all, and the wildest, the most urgent.
All the whales in the wider deeps, hot are they, as they urge
on and on, and dive beneath the icebergs.
The right whales, the sperm-whales, the hammer-heads, the killers
there they blow, there they blow, hot wild white breath out of
the sea!"
—D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930), "Whales Weep Not"...
Solar Tree: New Street Lighting from Ross Lovegrove
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09.30.07
Welsh uber-designer Ross Lovegrove has been dabbling in solar design for awhile -- his path & garden lighting and solar car prototype are just a few we've seen -- and now he's scaling it up to light a whole street. Solar Tree takes a page from its cellulose brethren, "growing" skyward to maximize solar exposure. The project, for the Museum for Angewandte Kunst (MAK) in Vienna, will debut on October 8 at Vienna Design Week.
Hit the jump for more pics and the artists' statement. ::Ross Lovegrove via ::dezeen...
Air New Zealand Biofuelling Through The High Skies
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 09.30.07
With flying being one of the greatest contributors to growing carbon emissions, airlines are scrambling to find ways to clean up their image – carbon offsets, recycling, zero emissions targets – but it is up to some scrutiny and debate as to whether these measures will be effective.
Nevertheless, it shouldn’t stop the airlines from trying. With New Zealand’s government declaring itself to actively become the world’s first carbon neutral nation with sustainability underpinning the “four pillars of the economy, society, the environment, and nationhood,” Air New Zealand is planning to launch the first test of a commercial 747 airliner flying partially on biofuels, as part of a deal between the airline, engine maker Rolls-Royce and aircraft manufacturer Boeing to study greener flying, with the first flight slated to take off late 2008 or early 2009 (without passengers).
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The TH Interview: Michael Ford, CEO of ChooseRenewables
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09.30.07
ChooseRenewables, which formally launched earlier this week, features several personalized eco-tools - including the MyEnergy Analyst and MyWatts Renewables Estimator - which allow consumers to evaluate their carbon footprint and view location-based solar and wind energy solutions (which, unfortunately, rarely come cheap). In addition, consumers also have the option to purchase a wide variety of energy-saving appliances and carbon offsets. We recently had the chance to sit down with Michael Ford, the company's CEO, to ask him a few questions about his startup:
TH: What has been the reaction so far to ChooseRenewables?
Outstanding. It has absolutely exceeded our expectations. I think it really confirms the underlying theory of our business that consumers really want to do their part to support a clean and independent energy future - they just need some help to do so. The MyEnergy Analyst and corresponding MyEnergy Makeover features have received more attention than I imagined. There are so many "footprint" calculators out there that I wondered if it would get lost in the masses - but that doesn't seem to be the case. I think people really like the fact that our tool leaves them just one click away from taking action - and that's what really counts. We only sell products that are great products first and deliver an energy "improvement" second. We do not believe there needs to be a compromise. I think consumers agree and appreciate that we've done our homework before adding a product to the ChooseRenewables portfolio....
Sunpark: Moving Forward on Canada's First Solar Park
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.30.07
Last year we covered the launch of Sunpark Corporation, an organization looking to build Canada’s first solar park, and offering members of the public the opportunity to sponsor individual cells at CAN$25.00 per unit. Since our first post, it seems that the organization has been going from strength-to-strength, attracting an impressive list of major corporate sponsors. Most recently they have seen Climate Care (the Canadian AC supplier, not the UK-based offset company) making a donation for each air conditioning unit that they install. Now it looks like Sunpark are getting ready for the next stages of the project....
Two Years Ago In TreeHugger: The $100 Laptop "Almost a Reality"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.30.07
Just to show how things take so much longer than we expect, two years ago Collin wrote "Thanks to Nicholas Negroponte and the Media Lab at MIT, children in developing nations around the world will have access to technology.....The laptops will largely be powered by a side-mounted hand-crank, and can be juiced up with conventional electric current or batteries, when they're available"
As we all know, it has had a troubled start; the crank is gone (it now is a pull cord) Yves Behar gave it a makeover, it didn't cost $100 (it costs $188) and third world countries aren't buying it, so they have to do a two for one sale - buy one for yourself and donate one. All of which is such a shame because it was such a good idea.
Also: How to make a green roof and Monster Home gets AIA green project award- that would not happen today.
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The Green Parent October/November: The Learning Special
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 09.30.07
Back in June we wrote about UK-based The Green Parent magazine and its intriguing sounding article on The Diary of a Pregnant Man, and our recent post about Ebay’s decision to ban the sale of used diapers was also prompted by a story in the magazine’s October/November issue. But diaper-related controversies are not the only interesting subject covered by this wide-ranging publication. Also included in the same issue are a series of informative articles on schooling options, from alternative schools, to the global Eco-schools program, to home schooling options, as well as some great resource guides for environmentally and socially conscious back-to-school supplies. It doesn’t end there though, the magazine also covers the subject of co-sleeping, provides advice on everything from hiking with children to sourcing organic baby clothes, and also finds time to look at green homes, sustainable gardening, the rebirth of traditional apple varieties, and even to review the best of the UK’s apple juice and cider makers [NB – cider in the UK refers to alcoholic cider, so those ones are definitely for the parent, not the child!].
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