- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for October 14, 2007 - October 20, 2007
Total this week: 213
Carbon Health Warnings on New British Cars
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.20.07
According to the Times, "all advertising for new cars will have to carry cigarette-style “health warnings” about their environmental impact, under a European plan to force manufacturers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Advertisements in newspapers and magazines, will have to devote at least 20 per cent of the space to details about fuel economy and CO2 emissions. At the moment manufacturers have to include only basic mpg and CO2 figures in the small print. Car advertisements will have to carry colour-coded emissions labels such as those already displayed on new fridges and washing machines, with bands ranging from dark green to red."
This is the thin edge of the wedge! As with cigarettes, one keeps upping the ante. Now the cars are getting this in advertising and sales literature; next will be bumper stickers on the cars stating their rated emissions, and finally the cars themselves will be colour coded with paint ranging from dark green to red, so that we can instantly pick out the scarlet letter and hurl abuse at them. ::Times Online
stickers from New Economics Foundation...
Quote of the Day: Jeanne Rizzo on Cancer and the Environment
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.20.07
Why is it when I wake up in the morning, I find myself asking if this is the year the environmental health movement goes mainstream. When will the cancer establishment open its eyes to the mounting evidence of harm from exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation? When will they seriously join the discussion and dedicate their substantial resources to primary cancer prevention research and education and support public health policy?
Legalized corporate priorities—the pursuit of profit and brand dominance over taking responsibility for the long-term impact of their products— are major contributors to the epidemic of environmental diseases. Large corporations and small businesses need to become accountable and embrace their responsibility to consider the impact that their products as well as manufacturing and disposal processes make on our health and the environment....
Who's the Industrial Villain Now?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 10.20.07
Who doesn't suspect the hand of "big business" behind the evils of pollution? The image of a huge factory belching gases, oozing contaminants and burying its "mistakes" is an archetype of modern civilization, just as the "friendly neighborhood business" gives us the same warm, cuddly feeling as eating mom's lasagne. Prepare to open your mind to alternative realities.
This week the Commission for Environmental Cooperation released a report, Taking Stock, which compares the Pollutant Release and Transfer Reports for 2004 of the USA, Canada and Mexico. The most surprising finding in the report: while large industry cut emissions by 33%, the smallest polluters increased their pollution by as much as five-fold, although the number of facilities reporting did not increase. ...
PolarPalooza Opening Celebration
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 10.20.07
The climate change stars were out last night in San Diego. PolarPalooza San Diego is the first of its kind. There are 6 more planned for cities across the US in 2007 and 20 more planned for 2008. The weekend includes events at several museums around San Diego and events are geared for students, teachers, families, kids and the climate change curious.
The scientists were each given 5 minutes to talk about their respective research areas, which included multi-media presentations and pictures from out in the field, out on the poles, or out in space. One of the scientists noted that there is now less ice in the arctic than at any point over the last 2 million years and there has always been a frozen polar ice cap but that may not be true for much longer. ...
PolarPalooza: Media Mashup Part II
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 10.20.07
This article is continued from here:
In an effort to encourage education and discussion on climate change, the organizers of PolarPalooza San Diego held a media/scientist roundtable prior to the weekend events. This safespace encouraged open discussion and allowed journalists to ask the 'obvious' questions that are often wondered but rarely understood about climate change. It also allowed plenty of time for scientists to explain the long and short of what they are seeing on the poles. Below is the second half of the discussion. ...
We Can't Make This Stuff Up Dept: Promoting Bottled Water to Fight Drought
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10.20.07
This author has just walked past a restaurant with a sign in the window stating that, due to water restrictions, they will no longer be serving water to tables unless it is asked for. Intrigued, we asked a friend who is a committed water conservation activist, and she informed us that this is actually a year-round requirement which nobody enforces. We suspect the amount of water that such a move saves, compared to measures like restricting lawn irrigation, is relatively small, but it does send out a welcome message that potable water is not something to be taken for granted.
Other conservation schemes seem less brainy to us. While looking into the idea of water conservation in restaurants a little further, we found an astounding article from 2002 about restaurants in Charlottesville, Virginia banding together to help conservation efforts. Their solutions? Promote bottled water and use paper plates. While we applaud anyone taking up the old "Act Local" mantra, we would counsel them to not forget its preceding phrase - "Think Global". Even bottled water comes from somewhere, and the water and other resources that go into making plastic bottles and paper plates are likely to far outweigh the amount wasted from table service of tap water. Let's just hope that things have progressed in the years since this article was written.
For more thoughts on water conservation, check out our guide on How to Green Your Water, and take a look at our posts on The Navy Shower and The Selective Flush while you are at it. ::Cavalier Daily::via Google search::
...
A Different Commute: By Kayak
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.20.07
'Sustainability Has Taken the Moral High Ground From Preservation'
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.20.07
This TreeHugger has previously expressed concern about demolition, suggesting that 'Every brick in building required the burning of fossil fuel in its manufacture, and every piece of lumber was cut and transported using energy. As long as the building stands, that energy is there, serving a useful purpose. Trash a building and you trash its embodied energy too."
Architect Henry Moss of Bruner/Cott, responsible for turning an old generating station at Harvard into a LEED platinum office building, told the Boston Preservation Alliance that “sustainability has taken the moral high ground from preservation,” and that some preservation advocates spend too much time griping about their waning influence and not enough figuring out how to make historic structures practical in an era of higher energy costs and lower carbon footprints....
Bill McDonough's Bison Court in Banff
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.20.07
The real deal in green design will not be found in single family houses in the country with acres of solar panels on the roof, but in the building of communities where people can live and work. The best examples might be projects like Bison Court in Banff, Alberta. It is built around an historic cabin by developer Peter Poole of Arctos & Bird , who hired the best- William McDonough, with Zeidler and Partners' Calgary office as "architect of record". Landscape is by Siteworks, with local colour by Skatliff + Miller + Murray .
Chris Turner of the Globe and Mail writes that it is "an effort to bring truly sustainable development to a mountain town that had grown so rich on its natural beauty that it was on the verge of forgetting that a pretty view was not the same as a healthy ecosystem."
...
Redressing the Overlooked Threat of Pollutants to Marine Invertebrates
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.20.07
Nothing sells an environmental campaign more effectively than an association with a charismatic animal. Whether it be a dolphin, penguin or kitten makes little difference - we're all suckers for a pretty face. Tim Verslycke, a biologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, thinks this may be why we've largely overlooked the plight of close to 95% of species in the ocean - the invertebrates.
Indeed, while we are often moved to action when we hear of a pesticide adversely affecting seals or dolphins, we tend to gloss over news of chemical spills if they don't directly harm these species - even if they do affect many of the crustaceans we otherwise love (to eat). And, says Verslycke, this is all too often the case: because many invertebrates use the same hormones to perform biological functions, a chemical designed to, say, inhibit a hormone regulating development in mosquitoes could just as easily do the same in a crab, if not worse....
Wayback Machine 1936: Broadcasting Power To Your Car
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.20.07
The tinfoil hat brigade with have a field day with this- a proposal to build towers along the highways that broadcast electricity as radio waves, to be picked up by an antenna on the roof of your car and converted to electricity. It is not dissimilar to some schemes that have been proposed to bring solar power from space via microwaves.
"AUTOS operated on radio fuel may become a reality if the present consumption of oil continues and no new oil sources are discovered. One engineer boldly suggests a network of “radio highways” consisting of huge broadcast transmitters capable of sending out signals which would be converted into motive power. Provided with special radio energy converters automobiles would be silently operated by powerful electric motors. By simply throwing a switch on the dash the motors would be put into motion, eliminating starters, noise and dangerous carbon monoxide gas."...
One Year Ago in TH: 100-Mile Thanksgiving, Katrina Cottage + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.20.07
One year ago in TreeHugger, we were gearing up for Thanksgiving with a contest for the best 100-mile recipes for the big day, and people were giving thanks for the Katrina Cottage by awarding it Cooper-Hewitt's People's Design Award.
Back on the home front, we looked at five of our favorites for going green at home and we wondered if clotheslines really lower property values. We also noted that there are two kinds of Wall Street Journal readers; those who don't give a damn about the cost of energy, and those who got rich by giving a damn about every single cent they ever spent; this piece is for them. Plus, what do green silk and the pink flamingo have in common? Check it out, along with the rest of October 20, 2006, when you click here....
Converting Gas Guzzlers into Clean Vehicles: Getting More from Alternative Energy
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.20.07
Could the latest record-high oil prices have a hidden upside? Yes, says Robert Safian, the editor of Fast Company, who argues (quite persuasively, we think) that higher oil prices are beneficial in the sense that they will help make renewable and efficient energy technologies more economically viable. Noting that market forces had previously inhibited their widespread adoption - oil being much cheaper - Safian explains that new elements in the market are making a serious push for alternative energy solutions. The first step will bridging the gap between older, conventional technologies and some of the new, cleaner ones by creating new applications and synergies. ...
Joseph Romm and Greg Blencoe Bet On Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.20.07
We've written extensively about Joe Romm and Greg Blencoe regarding their divergent opinions about the future of hydrogen vehicles. Mr Romm's recent book, Hell and High Water, still has our attention.
Perhaps Al Gore's recent Nobel award raised the ante a bit, because the dialog between these two gentlemen seemed to reach a higher level of late. This writer suggested a duel at noon under a Live Oak on the green, with TreeHugger writers as proxies. Instead, they opted for a friendly bet. Goes to show how the world has changed to the better. Whew.
Dr. Joseph Romm, author of The Hype About Hydrogen and Hell and High Water, and Greg Blencoe, CEO of Hydrogen Discoveries, Inc., recently engaged in a lively debate about the viability of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The debate ended with a bet between the two about when hydrogen fuel cell vehicles would reach 1% of new sales of the typically-defined car and light truck market in the U.S.
The bet is as follows:...
Iowa Presidential Primary Making GM Food Labeling A Campaign Issue
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.20.07
If this ball stays in play it could easily become the seminal indicator of candidate green-ness. Either you are for GM food labeling, or you are not. Simple enough. Sure, there are practical details to attend to with packaging space available, and with matching existing voluntary and mandatory labeling requirements; but, these things can be sorted out as they have been in Europe. At the end of the day, it could be a fairly free-market friendly initiative. What do you think?
Iowa is playing center stage in a global debate over whether people should be warned when the genetic makeup of their food has been altered. A national advocacy group believes consumers would demand that genetically modified foods be labeled if they knew just how much is being changed in labs. The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods is pushing presidential candidates to support making labeling the law - with some success. Leading Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Edwards agree to the organization's proposal, as do candidates Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich. Top Republican candidates have not taken positions.See also our profiles of US Presidential Candidate positions on Climate Change here. Via:Des Moines Register, "Genetically altered food: Labels hotly debated in Iowa" Image credit::University of Manitoba...
The British Invasion: The Carbon Neutral Company in New York
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10.20.07
We are bringing this news to you a little late, but we have just found out that the UK-based Carbon Neutral Company (owner of the no-doubt highly coveted carbonneutral.com web address) has cemented its presence in the States with the opening of a fully-staffed New York office and the appointment of a president, Mark Armitage, for its US arm. The corporation, which was formerly known as Future Forests, has hit the headlines of TreeHugger before when its offices were stormed by protesters objecting to the offset industry. Founded in 1997, the company has worked with a huge number of major corporate clients, offering both forestry- and technology-based offsets to the likes of Barclays Bank, Sky News, Avis, DHL and Honda. Armitage was adamant that his organization’s European roots would stand it in good stead to increase its presence in the US market:
...
Building Better, Greener Roads... with an Ethanol By-Product?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.19.07
"The old joke is you can make anything from lignin but money." - Andy Aden, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Halil Ceylan, a professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at Iowa State University, seems to have taken this idea well to heart in devising his latest project. Explaining that the soil underlying much of Iowa's roads is notoriously unstable, Ceyland said that the state's conventional approach has been to mix it with expensive chemicals to strengthen it and make it safe for vehicles to drive over. However, because this approach only works with certain types of soils and under certain conditions, civil engineers have been looking for more efficient, better solutions.
Enter lignin. A by-product generated during ethanol production from plant fibers, Ceylan and his colleague, Kasthurirangan Gopalakrishnan, believe it could well provide the solution the engineers have been searching for. Pointing out that previous research had demonstrated the value of lignin obtained from the paper-making industry as a cementing agent that could be used for soil stabilization, he said he didn't see a reason why lignin derived from ethanol production shouldn't work. ...
TH Forums Highlights: Plastics Recycling, Finding Local Produce + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.19.07
Get the weekend started right with a spin through TreeHugger Forums; here are some of the highlights.
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 monkeys_mom wants to do some analysis to figure out if it's worth it to go the extra mile to recycle: "My husband and I have been collecting the plastics (3-7) that our local recycling center does not take. We found a location 75 miles from us that does take these plastics. However, it's 75 miles away and I'm wondering if it's worth it to drive that far (probably once every two months) to drop the plastics off if I'm just going to be emitting junk from my car for that long." The jury is still out...
2) User organicfoodlover has started a poll, wondering, Do you have good availability of local produce and food items? "In my area, while we have a reasonable amount of local food - it's not enough to keep the green grocers or even the farmer's markets stocked to meet the demand." There are two considerations everyone has to consider: location and season and it varies wildly depending on where you are. A better question might be: is there more than there was five years ago?
3) Lastly, Forums user Jackalope wants to know "What do you think is the most important environmental issue?" Again, this one varies by location; "For me global warming isn't it. I moved to Orange County after living in San Diego for my whole life. I went surfing in the OC and was shocked the ocean smells like sewage. In California Urban run-off is a huge problem and I see the direct effect of it in the nasty beach water." So that begs the question: If you can see the results, does that make it more important? Discuss.
Solar Decathlon 2007: And The Winner Is...
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.19.07
20 university teams battled it out for solar home supremacy, and in the end, one stands alone: congratulations to Germany's Technische Universität Darmstadt. How'd they do it? "This team from Germany came to the Solar Decathlon hoping to have an impact on people, and it's safe to say that this happened. Darmstadt won the Architecture, Lighting, and Engineering contests.
"The Architecture Jury said the house pushed the envelope on all levels and is the type of house they came to the Decathlon hoping to see. The Lighting Jury loved the way this house glows at night. The Engineering Jury gave this team an innovation score that was as high as you could go, and said nobody did the integration of the PV system any better. Darmstadt was one of seven teams to score a perfect 100 points in the Energy Balance contest. All week, long lines of people waited to get into this house."
Congrats are also in order for the University of Maryland and Santa Clara University, who took second and third place, respectively, and help prove that in solar homebuilding, there are no losers. See TreeHugger's coverage of the event here, including getting up close and personal with the entries from Maryland and the University of Colorado. All the details are at the ::Solar Decathlon...
Tried and Tasted: Slow Food NYC's Snail of Approval
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.19.07
The New York City arm of the Slow Food movement has unleashed its own seal of approval, or rather, snail of approval, as those gastronomic gastropods would have it. Awarded to restaurants, bars, food and beverage artisans, and retailers—who have rated exceptionally in three categories (Quality, Authenticity, and Sustainability)—the emblem is the non-profit's way of recognizing an eatery's contribution to the city's food supply.
A restaurant that bears the mark of the snail may serve organic meals, or it may not, Slow Food NYC notes. "Organic agriculture certainly tends to be more sustainable than agriculture dependent on the overuse of chemicals," it states on its Web site. "On the other hand, organic vegetables from China burn a lot of fuel getting all the way to New York, which might be much worse for the planet than using a little fertilizer on a Jersey tomato." (We've yapped about this quandary before.)
Visit the organization's Web site to locate a snail-approved eatery near you. You can also nominate your favorite outlet if you're a Slow Food member. ::Slow Food NYC Snail of Approval...
Wal-Mart's Environmental Chief "Reassigned" -- Hmm
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.19.07
Via the NY Times, we learn of the "reassignment" of Andrew Ruben, head honcho of their big-time environmental program. Ruben, said to have been "considered a rising star at the company," was responsible for many of Wal-Mart's high-profile sustainability initiatives, including their work with National Resources Defense Council and bringing Al Gore to corporate HQ to talk global warming.
He hasn't been fired -- his new job will be as the head of private label strategy, including in-house brands like Sam's Choice and Great Value -- but the timing seems a bit odd, so hot on the heels of their Live Better Sustainability Summit (just last week). By all accounts a successful, greenwash-free venture -- see TreeHugger's coverage of it here and here, along with interviews at the summit here and here -- the summit seemed to be further justification that it is indeed getting harder to hate Wal-Mart. So why the reassignment?...
Green Film Festival Hits Toronto: Planet in Focus
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 10.19.07
Canada’s most acclaimed environmental film festival, Planet in Focus, is hitting Torontonians this coming Wednesday. Running from October 24 to 28th, the 8th annual festival program includes a Polar Visions spotlight, with works from and about the Circumpolar regions of the Arctic and the Antarctic, films highlighting issues around water scarcity and privatization, along with community action and international works which expose government and corporate mishaps at the height of the Cold War (Gambit, Broken Arrow). ...
Kate Humble Supports Endangered Mediterranean Sea Turtles
by Iris Coates, UK on 10.19.07
Earlier this year, British TV broadcaster Kate Humble teamed up with the Travel Foundation and the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) to urge UK tour operator representatives to encourage turtle-friendly tourist behaviour at Mediterranean holiday destinations.
The two charities launch a short animated film called Turtles in Trouble, narrated by the BBC Springwatch presenter, which explains how UK tour operator practice can make a positive difference to the conservation of endangered loggerhead and green turtles during the summer holiday season at destinations in Greece, Crete and Turkey. The light-hearted animation appears to have a very serious message – tour operators have a key role to play in the protection of endangered Mediterranean marine turtle populations. ...
Prius Limo: Green Luxury or Frankencar?
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 10.19.07
This thing better have a regenerative-braking powered mini-fridge. In what has to be one of the weirdest looking things to come out of Canada since our very own Lloyd (j/k Lloyd!), an enterprising Canuck has taken two Priuses, welded them together, and made either what has to be the greenest limo in the world or the most gas-guzzling Prius - depending on how you look at it. However, the Canadian inventor/mad scientist says the car still gets 50mpg even with the added weight. We don't know if that is before or after the limo reaches its 10 seat capacity, but it sure beats the heck out of those hideous Hummer limo monstrosities. ::Via Ecorazzi and Autoblog ...
Solar Decathlon 2007: University of Colorado at Boulder
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 10.19.07
Yesterday, Maryland’s LEAFHouse took the lead. Today, the overall winner of the 2007 Solar Decathlon will be announced. Before we indulge you with who the judges think is this year’s most energy efficient, beauty on the block, let’s look at the home of 2002 and 2005 champions, University of Colorado at Boulder. Their design features an unconventional HVAC heating and cooling system that capitalizes on Colorado’s big swings in temp using a water pump and 2 tanks of water (1 for hot water and 1 for cold water). The state’s warm, sunny days heat the hot tank to meet the building’s heating needs at night and its shivery nights cool the cold tank to meet the building’s cooling needs during the day. Speaking of fluctuating highs and lows, we had the chance to snag a quick chat with the team’s construction manager, who remained cool and composed under the heat of the competition....
Who Killed the Electric Car?
by Iris Coates, UK on 10.19.07
Chris Paine’s movie “Who Killed the Electric Car” is one of the latest DVD releases in a wave of documentaries on environmental issues, following “the 11th hour” and Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”. The film, which has been described in the New York Times as a murder mystery and a call to arms, makes use of the voices of Tom Hanks and Mel Gibson, who were both electric car drivers themselves.
Paine’s film (read some quotes by Paine on Treehugger) investigates the events leading to the quiet destruction of thousands of new, radically efficient electric vehicles. Through interviews and narrative, the film paints a picture of an industrial culture whose aversion to change and reliance on oil may be deeper then its ability to embrace ready solutions.
Chris Paine's documentary feature film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006 and has won many nominations and awards, including being nominated by the Writer's Guild for Best Documentary of 2006, nominations from The Broadcast Critics Awards and The Environmental Media Awards for Best Documentary of 2006.
Its critical acclaim, subject and good reviews have certainly tantalised our 'green curiosity' and we would be very interested to find out what you thought of it if you've seen the film... or find out here how to get hold of a copy of your own....
Live from Pop!Tech: John Shearer -- Powercast Sends Power Through Air
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 10.19.07
More Pop!Tech geniosity...catch it live here.
Holy Jetsons! Powercast is developing technologies that send power through the air. That's right; they call it Powercast Wireless Power Platform, and it can recharge batteries using the existing radio frequencies already in the air.
As John noted, in the US alone, more than 350 million rechargeable batteries are purchased annually to power wireless sensors, cell phones, computer peripherals and other devices. Continuous recharging of batteries via the Powercast Wireless Power Platform has the potential to reduce the huge waste stream of batteries to a mere trickle. And early tests suggest it really works. More below the fold......
Pop!Tech Carbon Initiative: Carbon Negative Conference and Offsets for You
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.19.07
In addition to hosting an awesome meeting of the minds and propagating world-changing ideas, this year Pop!Tech is taking their mission even further. They've partnered up with eBay Giving Works to create the Pop!Tech Carbon Initiative, a carbon credit program that allows individuals to offset their carbon emissions by investing in one of three social development and conservation projects.
Environmental Defense has also joined the effort, and has provided a carbon calculator to help determine how many tons of CO2 your lifestyle creates each year -- the average American household checks in at about 10 tons, according the Environmental Defense -- and from there, it's up to you as to which project you want to fund: a solar-irrigation project in Benin; forest restoration in Nicaragua; or helping the Brazilian ceramics industry switch to renewable biomass fuel. ...
Increasing Ocean Acidification Eroding Coral Reefs
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 10.19.07
Acid levels are increasing in the world’s oceans due to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now dissolving into the waters, causing alarm in some scientists who say that it could be potentially disastrous for reef-building marine organisms and for their capacity to produce Earth’s breathable oxygen as acidification affects their ability to form skeletons. “Recent research into corals using boron isotopes indicates the ocean has become about one third of a pH unit more acid over the past fifty years. This is still early days for the research, and the trend is not uniform, but it certainly looks as if marine acidity is building up,” says Professor Malcolm McCulloch of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) and the Australian National University. McCulloch continues: “It appears this acidification is now taking place over decades, rather than centuries as originally predicted. It is happening even faster in the cooler waters of the Southern Ocean than in the tropics. It is starting to look like a very serious issue.”...
Eat Gelato, Fight Climate Change
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.19.07
Photo credit: piperita
You heard us right: Inmates from a prison just outside of Milan will help Italy lick climate change by churning up gelato made from local milk and fruit, slashing food miles and cutting carbon emissions.
Starting in February, a group of inmates from a high-security wing of the prison in Opera will launch their in-house production. "We will make an experimental, artisan product, using fresh local raw materials which are not genetically modified," Marco Molinelli and Roberto Saini of Jobinside, the company that is running the project, were quoted by Coldiretti, an Italian farmers' group, as saying.
In a nation that spends more than 5 billion euros (US$7.13 billion) a year on over 600 flavors of ice cream, Italian eco-worriers can put their money where their mouths are in the most delectable fashion. ::Reuters...
National Mall Gets Greener Grass
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.19.07
Photo credit: Vacation Lovers
The National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with the nonprofit SafeLawns.org, are resodding a four-area tract of Washington, D.C.'s National Mall to prepare it for its makeover into a sustainable, organic lawn.
“This is exactly the kind of high visibility project we had in mind when we conceived our organization in February of 2006,” Paul Tukey of SafeLawns.org tells E Magazine. “If we can grow resilient grass on the National Mall, where 27 million people trample the lawn each year, then we will have demonstrated that we can grow grass anywhere. Most importantly, we’ll have proved that you can grow grass without relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides that can harm wildlife and contaminate drinking water, as well as cause harm to people and their pets.”
Although we'd prefer to ditch the lawn altogether—lawns, which serve no other purpose beyond the aesthetic, are the United States' single most water-guzzling crop in terms of surface area—we'll take what we can get. ::E Magazine...
Ask TreeHugger: Do Cell Phones Give You a Headache?
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 10.19.07
Question: It seems that nearly every time I talk for a long time on my cell phone, I get a head ache. Am I being paranoid or is my cell phone doing this to me?
Response: It is possible that talking on your cell phone is giving you a headache, but most likely not because of the cell phone technology. Wireless telephones are essentially two-way radios that work by transmitting low levels of radiofrequency energy or radio waves from their antennas to and from nearby base towers that are connected to telephone networks. Cell phones emit a specific type of radio wave called microwaves, which are the longest waves in the electromagnetic spectrum. As a result, they are non-ionizing, which is considered to be harmless at the low levels emitted by the cell phones.
Despite this, cell phones and their base towers (that also emit these radio waves) have been a source of worry, especially for people who are frequent cell phone users or who live near cell phone base towers. Included in these worries are concerns similar to yours – that cell phone usage causes headaches, nausea, and a warmer than normal head. ...
Reminder: "Lights Out San Francisco" Takes Place Tomorrow
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 10.19.07
At the beginning of this month, we announced that “Lights Out San Francisco” was happening October 20th. We just wanted to remind all of those that might be in that wonderful city that this is tomorrow! From 8pm to 9pm residents and businesses will be turning off all non-essential lights and, in addition, the organization is asking those in San Fran to install one CFL light bulb. A candlelight celebration to watch the city go dark will take place, with live music, in Dolores Park from 5:30pm to 9pm. Many restaurants will also be participating by offering a candlelight dinner in support of “Lights Out.”
We’ve seen other cities join in around the world with their own “Lights Out” events and now, on March 29, 2008, all of America is asked to participate. More to come as the event approaches but, in the meantime, visit the “Lights Out” website to learn more and how you can help make it success. ::Lights Out America ::Lights Out San Francisco...
The TH Interview: David Steiner, CEO of Waste Management, Part 2
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.19.07
This is the second half of TreeHugger's interview with David Steiner, CEO of Waste Management. Read part one here.
TH: Are you also educating consuming on reducing their waste?
DS: When you look at what we do, we have about 22 million customers throughout the United States and Canada. And we have an upstream business unit; the entire business model of that entity is to go to industries and help them understand how they can put less into the process and get more out of the back-end.
On the consumer side, we really do work with the local communities, because local communities are only going to recycle if the local governments either mandate it or subsidize it. We absolutely work with communities to provide things like recycling plants. ...
Dispatches from Designboost: "Boost" Meetings and Sustainable Design
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 10.19.07
[Ed. note: This is the third in a series of guest posts by David Carlson, co-founder of Designboost, an inaugural event that's focusing on sustainable design. Read the first two posts here and stay tuned for more!]
The Boost meetings on day one of Designboost where a big success. The 75 boosters met up at floor 53 and 54 of the Santiago Calatrava building Turning Torso and discussed "sustainable design" in it widest definition. All the 29 Boost meetings had unique themes and came up with some very interesting, unique ideas about sustainable design. Here are some example of the topics:
-How can we extend the definition of sustainable design beyond products and materials; how do we innovate in the social realm to sustain each other, relationships, social networks, our world?
-How can companies in general use sustainable design in a much better way as a competitive advantage?
-How can money be reshuffled from unsustainable advertising to sustainable design?
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Tweeting Pretty: Recycled Bird Coat Rack
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.19.07
This recycled-metal coat rack, crafted into a charming silhouette of a perching flock of birds, has us all atwitter.
Embellished with hand-cut metal leaves and measuring 30 inches in length, this prettily rustic piece of decor also comes with a $35 price tag that won't send you squawking into a flap. ::At West End...
Survey: Do You Telecommute?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.19.07
Collin recently noted that a "lot of modern jobs consist of sitting in front of a computer all day, sometimes emailing or instant messaging the person in the next cubicle and phoning someone down the hall. All of this could be done from home, thanks to the internet, with many benefits to individuals, society and the environment. It's just a more elegant way of doing things." But sometimes the pointy-haired boss won't let you, or some people go to the office to get away from home.
UPDATE: I added a choice to the poll after I had put it up, not knowing that doing so would start it over, so the first 58 people who voted have been deleted. My apologies!
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Quote of the Day: Chief Oren Lyons on Creation
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.19.07
Photo credit: NASA/Gary Rothstein
I do not see a delegation
For the four-footed
I see no seat for the eagles
We forget and we consider
Ourselves superior
But we are after all
A mere part of Creation
And we must consider
To understand where we are
And we stand somewhere between
The mountain and the ant
Somewhere and only there
As part and parcel
Of the Creation
—Chief Oren Lyons, by way of The Philosophy of Sustainable Design (2004, Ecotone Publishing) by Jason F. McLennan
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Cementing the dual goals of development and sustainability
by Danielle Carpenter Sprungli, Assistant Manager Com on 10.19.07
No, there were “no climate change protesters waiting to jeer as the chief executives and other senior figures of one of the world's biggest industries gathered on Wednesday,” in Brussels, as David Adam wrote in “The unheralded polluter: cement industry comes clean on its impact” (The Guardian, October 12th).
There was nothing to jeer about.
The nine cement industry CEOs and other senior managers were in Brussels on October 10th to discuss the progress of an industry initiative of which they are part: the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI). Formed in 1999, the CSI is finding new ways for the industry to reduce its ecological footprint, understand how it contributes to the societies where it operates and increase stakeholder engagement. Today, 18 cement producers contribute to this global effort.
Most people, green groups or others, do not see the cement industry as an environmental villain. It is the key ingredient in concrete and a literal “building block” for most countries as economies grow and cement demand soars. ...
PolarPalooza: Media Mashup Part I
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 10.19.07
Well its what we’ve all been waiting for, or at least those of us in the enviro-media community: journalists & scientists, sitting down, face to face and helping each other understand their respective side. The image of scientists and journalists sitting down usually conjures up images of awkward kids at a school dance with everyone in their respective corners and no one willing to even look at anyone else, much less talk to them. Okay, so its not quite that bad, but there is something to be said for getting journalists to understand just what those scientists are saying and getting scientists to speak in a language that the rest of us can understand.
Well, this morning, in what felt-like a groundbreaking event, the organizers of the PolarPalooza broke down those barriers, crossed the line in the proverbial gym dance hall, if you will, and gave both sides a safe space to bond and share. Think the Breakfast Club, where different cliques are able to come together and realize their similarities.
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Recipe of the Week: Vegetarian Moussaka
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 10.19.07
Last week while I was reading through my local newspaper I saw a recipe from a cookbook by Aristedes Pasparakis. My husband and I spent many hours eating food prepared by Aristedes (we never knew his last name). He opened his first Toronto restaurant, The Temporary Calimari Joint, down the street from our office. The restaurant was small, below street level and unprepossessing. Well, it needed to be because Aristedes' larger than life personality and booming voice filled the place. The food was fabulous and we ate lunch there more days than not, and sometimes stopped in for dinner as well before heading home.
My husband had a birthday coming up, and having worked our way through the entire menu we asked him to devise a dinner for us and just surprise us and our six guests. When we arrived for dinner at 7:00 a bleary eyed Aristedes said dinner would be awhile because he had been up all night catering a party. Oh yes, and a rave review had appeared that very morning in the newspaper and would-be diners were literally lined up the stairs and out on the street. It didn't help that there wasn't enough crockery in the kitchen, so waiters had to nervously grab plates from diners the second they were finished and rush them back to the kitchen for a quick wash.
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Cooper-Hewitt's People's Design Awards: And The Winner Is...
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.19.07
The nominees have been scrutinized, voted on by the public, the ballots counted, and the winner of the 2007 Cooper Hewitt People's Design Award is...TOMS Shoes! Congratulations to a very deserving company. For anyone who isn't familiar with the company, let's have a quick refresher.
They're one of those great "win-win" companies. The shoes bring sustainable economy and industry to Argentina, where they're produced under strict sweatshop-free criteria, made from local materials like canvas and leather. Then, every time you buy a pair, another pair is donated to a child in Argentina on your behalf.
The business was born when Blake Mycoskie went to visit Argentina and discovered two things: the typical soft shoe called "Alpargata," and that a lot of children don't have shoes and the idea for TOMS was born. And it's working: during the first year of business alone, TOMS sold 10,000 pairs of shoes and Mycoskie returned to Argentina to lead the company's first shoe drop. In November, Mycoskie will travel to Africa, where he will be delivering more than 50,000 pairs of TOMS. ...
Chicago To Tax Bottled Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.19.07
Trucks laden with Fiji water may not be so welcome in Chicago; according to USA Today, "Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has endorsed a proposal to add a 10-cent tax to each bottle, which would bring the city about $21 million a year.
"It's not a tax on water, it's a tax on plastic," says Alderman George Cardenas, who introduced the measure to help offset revenue declines from the city water system, reduce litter and decrease the amount of oil used to produce and transport bottled water."
Other cities striving to be green and under financial stress should take a look at this: why not tax pollutants and waste for the cost of their recovery? Why not put deposits on everything?
Note also "Every time you look, there's plastic all over."...
The Podcars Are Coming
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 10.19.07
Photo simulation of pod car track in Stockholm by Vectus
The quaint college town of Uppsala, Sweden seems like the last type of place to test these funny-looking personal rapid transit (PRT) electric pod cars from Korea-based Vectus.
But the Swedish Rail Administration (SJ), which gave Vectus permission to both build a test track and let engineers drive the pods around, is not as staid as its name implies - SJ was the first in Europe to put in service a biogas train last year on the route between the towns of Västervik and Linköping (try to say that name three times fast).
Though we haven't had much faith in PRT as a good people-moving car replacement, Sweden's Institute for Sustainable Transport thinks the concept has merit, and there are also PRT-like projects in different stages of planning all over Europe....
Atomikarchitecture Wins Seaside Pier Competition
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.19.07
We recently covered the shortlist for the BURA seaside network competition to design a seaside pier for the 21st century; we now present the winner, Atomikarchitecture. We noted previously why we love piers- Pleasure piers were built with amusement parks and restaurants, but the main purpose was to let people walk over water in the cool sea air. As we think about staying closer to home, (and cooling off) perhaps seaside piers will see a revival. Certainly if this one gets built it will attract a crowd. ...
Favela Fantasy: Gaudi Mashup in Sao Paulo
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.19.07
Estevao Silva da Conceicao, in a favela in Sao Paulo, has recycled as decorations every kind of imaginable object from plates, cups, and statues, to typewriters and mobile phones. It has become a tourist attraction; many compare it to the the Parc Guell by Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona. The BBC notes:
What seems most striking is that a man who had never heard of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi has built something so similar to his style. Estevao, 50, simply set out to build a house where he could live, and which later became a home for his wife and two children. The facade at the front has often been compared to features in the world-famous Parc Guell in Barcelona. It was only seven years ago when a passing architecture student spotted the house that he became aware of the connection between his work and that of Gaudi....
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Who Are The Greenest (States) Of All
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.19.07
Sorry for being impatient and talk-showy, but we just have to cut to the obvious. What Forbes Magazine has classified as highly "green" states are what US political polsters once commonly referred to as "Blue States," while the 'un-green' are your basic "Reds." Are we talking media bias, or is there something going on around here?
Here are a few excerpts from the Forbes article. You be the deciders....
Eco-treadsetters: TreeHugger and Yokohama Tires Join Forces on New Eco-Community
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10.19.07
Most TreeHuggers are probably aware that keeping your tires properly inflated can significantly reduce vehicle fuel consumption. However, developments in tire technology that can contribute to a greener future are perhaps a little harder to name. Nevertheless, Yokohama Tire Corporation has been working hard to green both its operations and its products, including achieving complete zero waste from all manufacturing facilities in Japan, and achiving ISO 14001 certification for its US arm. It has also developed a tire which will be available in Japan later this year that reduces petroleum needed in manufacture by 80%, and also improves fuel efficiency by cutting down on rolling resistance.
TreeHugger has been collaborating with Yokohama to celebrate and develop the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation with the launch of a new online community called Eco-treadsetters, which will serve as a forum for like-minded greenseekers to learn more about environmental issues, debate hot topics, and stand the chance of winning hot, environmentally related prizes. Tadanobu Nagumo, president of Yokohama Rubber Corporation, set out the agenda for the new site in his welcome message:...
U.S. Green Building Council Launches Website to Help Schools Build Green
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 10.19.07
According to the U.S. Green Building Council if every school being built or renovated in America from this day forward were built to green guidelines the energy savings alone would add up to $20 Billion over the next 10 years. And they’ve developed a new website to help get you started, just in case you’ve got the chance to help make a difference in a school building project near you…
That website, buildgreenschools.org, is designed to offer facts, ideas, suggestions, and insight into the process for school board members, parents, teachers, administrators, and builders across the nation.
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Apple Days
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10.19.07
It's autumn and the celebration of apple harvests is taking place across the land. Time to enjoy the multitude of local varieties available, and take part in Apple Day on October 21. This year's theme is conserving orchards and creating community orchards. With lands dedicated to growing apples disappearing due to pressures of urban development and the poor economics of running farms, the preservation of old vulnerable orchards and the creation of new ones is more important than ever. Since 1970 Britain has lost two-thirds of its apple orchards; Kent, once known as the Garden of England, has seen 85 per cent of its orchards disappear in the last 50 years. Herefordshire, once a forest of fruit trees, has a mere ten per cent left. The other part of the problem is the homogenization of apple growing, with supermarkets selling only a limited variety of the thousands of existing kinds.
To experience the glory of the orchards, this treehugger took a train to Somerset, the centre of cider apples and cider making. Hiking through the fields of old gnarled trees laden with apples was a reminder of the rich village life in the countryside. In the true old fashioned cider orchards (pictured) the apples are left to ripen and fall off the trees and are gathered from the ground. By the time that they are collected they are ready for cider making. The sheep graze afterwards and eat up the left-overs thus creating a true eco-system. Some of the orchards were quite pristine, with the trees in neat rows and the ground clean--these are the mechanized ones where the work is done by machine. As part of the apple experience, we visited, and sampled, an organic cider farm. ...
Make the Mundane...Morrocan?
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 10.19.07
Have you inherited an ugly armoire from your grandmother and can’t let it go? Want funky furniture, or something that doesn’t look out-of-the-big-box without the huge designer prices? We’ve found Nava Abel’s site in Israel and think that this artist offers some neat (Marrakesh-style) do-it-yourself paint jobs for any old kind of furniture.
Most readers outside of Israel probably won’t be able to commission Nava to repaint their 60s style hutch that came with the rental apartment, but some of her ideas look easy enough to do yourself...
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BuyGreen: Men's Casual Shoes
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.18.07
TreeHugger is the first to admit that we can't happily shop our way to global sustainability, but when your favorite pair of kicks finally wear through, you can't go shuffling around the streets with newspaper tied around your ankles. We all gotta have shoes, not just for working (that's another post) but for hanging out, weekends and casual affairs; this guide is designed to help you find a new favorite pair for around the house, happy hours and just kicking back and relaxing.
Here, you'll find shoes inspired by basketball and volleyball classics, some made for skateboarding (it's okay if you don't skate while your wear them, though) and a pair crafted from a whopping 99% recycled materials; in short, something for everyone, and not a stitch of hippie-wear in sight. Whatever you need "casual" for, you'll find something for every style and budget; hit the jump to get started....
"Radical" Water Saving Measures May Become The Norm In Atlanta
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.18.07
TreeHugger has been on the Southeastern US drought story for months. See the most recent post here. While the Governor of Georgia seems content with blaming Federal regulations and threatening the US Army Corps of Engineers over a looming water crisis, ordinary citizens are taking personal responsibility for reducing their water consumption. Apparently, the City of Atlanta is happy with that. If this drought turns out to be the worst case scenario that some fear, only serious and immediate personal responsibility for water consumption, a virtue that, until recently, only Tree Huggers would love, can turn things around fast enough to avert a public health emergency....
Solar Decathlon 2007: Maryland's LEAFHouse
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 10.18.07
The Solar Decathlon is in full swing with Maryland’s LEAFHouse taking the overall lead. Keeping the bay’s dewy region in mind, the Chesapeake beauty includes the first residential scale liquid desiccant waterfall that serves as both eye candy in the kitchen space and a sustainable heating/cooling system for the home. In warmer temps, the waterfall, using calcium chloride and heat from the solar hot water collectors, whisks away indoor humidity, drawing it outside, and in cooler temps, draws in outdoor moisture, serving as a de-humidifier of sorts. The waterfall whet TreeHugger’s appetite for things both pretty and practical so we had to hear more.
Hit the jump to read our interview with the team’s solar controller: ...
TreeHugger Picks: Telecommuting
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.18.07
 | 1) A lot of modern jobs consist of sitting in front of a computer all day, sometimes emailing or instant messaging the person in the next cubicle and phoning someone down the hall. All of this could be done from home, thanks to the internet, with many benefits to individuals, society and the environment. It's just a more elegant way of doing things. Telecommuting, we think, along with better urban planning, clean energy sources and efficient transportation (public and private), is a partial solution that must not be underestimated. |
 | 2) Anthony Page has a different take on it; he classifies himself as an extreme telecommuter. Page travels the world and works remotely via laptop. Amazingly, he finds an Internet connection almost everywhere, even in the poorest nations. He got the idea when his job as a web developer in London was outsourced to India; he took the hint and decided to work with clients long-distance over the Internet as well, while simultaneously taking a non-stop soujourn. |
 | 3) Some countries, like Japan, have offered tax incentives to employers who institute telecommuting programs for a while now, but the Parents’ Tax Relief Act of 2007, introduced into the US Congress earlier this year, may give Americans the same opportunity. There are a few interesting parts, including a telecommuting tax credit for employers of up to $2400 per telecommuter. Two more after the jump. |
Green Halloween: Sugar Rush
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.18.07
High-fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, and other dubious man-made additives make our skin crawl. Here are of our picks for organic and all-natural treats that won't make your stomach or your pocketbook howl in terror.
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1) Equal Exchange's fair-trade certified, organic dark chocolate minis are also vegan, gluten-, and more important, child-labor-free ($12 for 68 minis, Equal Exchange). To launch your own campaign against inequity and poverty, consider picking up Global Exchange's Fair Trade Trick Or Treat Action Kit, which includes 42 morsels of the above-mentioned chox, a stack of Why Fair Trade is Boo-tiful postcards for handing out to trick-or-treaters, Mexican party streamers, and a recycled Kraft paper tote. ($15, Global Exchange) |
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2) Created by two dads who are just as spooked by the ingredients that go into conventional candy as we are, YummyEarth colors its organic lollipops—made with |