- 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 21, 2007 - October 27, 2007
Total this week: 184
South Africa to Get First Green Development
by Eliza Barclay, Nomad on 10.27.07
Say what you will about the posh name -- Upper East Side-- but kudos to South African developer Swish Property Group for spearheading what will be South Africa’s first green mixed-use development.
Swish, together with developers Madison and Redefine Income Fund, is building the 50,000 m² project in the city of Cape Town. It will consist of residential studios, loft apartments, office space, as well as shops. Last year we wrote about ZenKaya, an innovative Prefab outfit also out of South Africa.
Swish says one way energy will be conserved in the Upper East Side project is through the central air conditioning system. The wasted energy from the air conditioning system produces hot air, which is then captured and piped into a central hot water cylinder that heats water to a certain temperature. This means only a small amount of separate energy will be required to ensure the water that comes out of the building’s water taps is hot. In conventional buildings, this hot air goes to waste.
"We need to ensure that we don’t place more pressure on [electrical and sewer] systems, so we tackle the problem at the source by creating tools within the building to deal with alternative uses for waste and conservation of electricity,” said Swish CEO Giancarlo Lanfranchi.::Via Business Day...
Even Lowbaggers Need Furniture: The Changing Carbon Footprint of Your Couch
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10.27.07
When we last checked in on Lowbagger.org, we found it an interesting contrast to our own, self-confessed, mission of appealing to “lazy, shallow, but environmentally responsible brethren.” However, times may be changing, as even Lowbagger, more generally known for reports from the front line of environmental direct action and conservation initiatives, is these days also reporting on the rise in green fashion and design. Most recently, they published an interesting post on the ever-increasing focus on sustainability within the home furnishings industry:
The recent NORDEX green home designs conference in Seattle showed off some of the newest creations. Attendants ranged from major producers of furniture to small local crafts people, all vying for the attention of the well-heeled designers and decorators attending the conference. Trying to impress these dictators of style is like trying to scale the side of Mount Everest – it’s almost impossible. However, a couple of these companies did turn heads and proved that yes, green design can be more than cotton- and wool-stuffed futons with batik print slipcovers. Sorry, but the days of hippy-dippy “green” decorating are over....
Myths That Waste Energy In The Kitchen: The Baking & Roasting Episode
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.27.07
Superstitions about baking and roasting account for much energy wastage in the modern kitchen. "Preheat your oven" is an old wives tale that, with perhaps a few exceptions, can be ignored in the interest of energy saving.
When European and American cooking tools and classic recipes were developed, wood- or coal-fired home ovens were slow to come up to temperature and ovens were unevenly heated until the cook had time to spread the embers and wait for heat to disperse from all sides: hence, preheating made sense to our ancestors and early cookbook authors. (I make this assertion having baked and roasted in wood fired ovens as well as in various modern gas and electric models.) ...
Honda FCX-concept Series Name to be Announced
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 10.27.07
About a month ago, readers were teased with the promise that Honda's Hydrogen Fuel-cell car, known under the concept-car name FCX, would be the first fuel-cell car to enter production in 2008. Rabid followers of this development will be excited to learn that the series name for the concept-FCX will be announced next month at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where attendees can also see the production-ready version.
Honda has very cleverly generated a great deal of buzz during the wait, while still beating all competitors to be the first fuel-cell car meeting all standards for sale in the American market. If you want to join the excitement, leave a comment at TreeHugger suggesting the series name you would give an FCX if you were in charge. ...
Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.27.07
Have $200 worth in change you can scrounge up from under your couch cushions? We desperately wish we did because New York-based designer Todd Oldham and Ammo Books have tag-teamed to bring us the "definitive monograph" of late iconic wildlife artist Charley Harper's 60-year-long career.
Click below the fold for more gorgeous prints from the limited edition of Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life (2007, Ammo Books), autographed by both Harper and Oldham themselves. We'll be over here, trying to hawk off our kidney. ::Ammo Books...
Low-Tech Solutions from High-Tech Minds
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.27.07
Images courtesy of GOOD Magazine
In its latest issue, GOOD Magazine has a great feature up on the doings of MIT's D-Lab - they call it "an elite unit of low-tech mercenaries" - which seeks to find simple solutions to drastically improve the quality of life for people living in developing countries. That means building devices like a water tester and hammerhill using easy-to-find, mostly run-of-the-mill components.
Simplicity above all dictates the students' every decision. As Amy Smith, the D-Lab's director, recently noted: "Designs are more likely to be successful if they’re not complicated and requiring all sorts of support and infrastructure. But simple doesn’t mean easy. It’s a challenge to get to those ‘simple’ solutions.”...
Quote of the Day: Achim Steiner on the State of the Environment
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.27.07
The Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4) report is published in what may prove to be a remarkable year—a year when humanity faced up to the scale and pace of environmental degradation with a new sense of realism and honesty matched by firm, decisive and above all, imaginative action.
It highlights the unprecedented environmental changes we face today and which we have to address together. These changes include climate change, land degradation, collapse of fisheries, biodiversity loss, and emergence of diseases and pests, among others. As society, we have the responsibility to tackle these and the development challenges we face. The trigger propelling countries and communities towards a rediscovery of collective responsibility is the most overarching challenge of this generation: climate change. ......
Ice-Tethered Profilers: Monitoring Changes in the Arctic Ocean
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.27.07
Given the Arctic ice caps' precipitous decline over the past year and bleak projected outlook, an "early warning" system may seem like too little, too late. The scientists heading up the Arctic Observing Network, whose aim it is to assess the changes going on now in order to help predict the ice caps' future, believe the instrument they have just devised - the ice-tethered profiler (ITP) - may still provide some valuable insights.
Equipped with a set of components that includes a surface buoy, various sensors, a motor and a modem, ITPs are installed using an ice auger to drill a 10-inch-diameter hole and - after being anchored down to an ice floe - are left to drift, continuously monitoring the seawater properties below. Their expected lifetime is 3 years - about the same amount of time their supporting ice floe will last. ...
What Turns Fires into Disasters? Politics and Planning
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.27.07
Steve Erie is director of the Urban Studies and Planning Programming at the University of California San Diego. He is writing a book: Paradise Plundered, explaining how the hills around San Diego got developed.
Erie says that "Developers own most of the city councils. In Poway, in Escondido, what they do is put homeowners in harm's way. They're able to control zoning processes, and they're frequently behind initiatives that say no new taxes, no new fire services. It's insanity." "Politicians here have never met a developer they didn't like. It's a company town and it is largely run by the building industry and local politicians do their bidding."
Meanwhile, the builders don't build any more fire protection than they have to because people aren't willing to pay for it. ::The Star
...
Jill Salisbury, Founder of el: Environmental Language Furniture, on Green Design
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.27.07
The good people at Apartment Therapy: Chicago have an interesting interview with Jill Salisbury, the founder of el: Environmental Language Furniture (we covered them here on TreeHugger) about sustainability, product design and green materials.
There's lots of good stuff, but our favorite part was what she had to say about what to look for when trying to buy green: "When you’re looking at products that claim to be green, don’t look at just one part of the product. Look at the whole process. If something is made from bamboo, which is a renewable material, but coated with a high-VOC lacquer, it really defeats the green benefits of that product. You need to take a look at what materials are used in the product. Look for low-VOC finishes. Ask about adhesives. Formaldehyde can hide in adhesives and binding agents, in the linings of upholstery. Start asking questions of the salesperson or the manufacturer, and get a feel for whether the product is as green as it claims to be." Read the whole interview here. el: Environmental Language Furniture via ::Apartment Therapy: Chicago...
Wood Construction Scales Up
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.27.07
Wood can be the perfect sustainable material; it sucks up CO2 and once cut, it holds it for the life of the building. Unfortunately in North America it is not used a lot for non-residential buildings and we don't see many offices or schools like they have in Finland. The Eugene H. Kruger building at the University of Laval was designed as an experiment in pushing wood as far as it could go; objectives set for architects Gauthier Gallienne Moisan were to "demonstrate the potential of an all-wood construction in a large scale building " and "to design the University's first building according to the principles of sustainable development."...
Future of Food: Fish Farms in Condos
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.27.07
The Globe and Mail Report on Business Magazine has an interesting 28-part series on the Future of Food, including coverage of a new kind of local fish farming without the environmental concerns and pollution. Dr. Yonathan Zohar at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute doesn't need an ocean, and doesn't worry about pollution; he grows fish in tanks in the basement. It is self-contained and recirculating (which means it does not need a natural water source nearby for top-ups or waste discharges), not to mention environmentally friendly. Zohar says the system could be built "anywhere—in urban communities, rural communities, whether it's the Midwest, near an airport or in any inner city." Zohar told Scientific American in an earlier article "Seafood is the only commodity that is still at the stage of hunt-and-gather farming," he observes. "Compare it with chickens, and we are way behind the curve." See also ::Center of Marine Biotechnology...
One Year Ago in TH: Energy Efficiency, Solar Energy, Green Living + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.27.07
One year ago in TreeHugger: we had our eyes on solar energy and energy efficiency, as Wal-Mart announced they were going to sell an energy-efficient notebook for less than $500, we peeked in on the booming California solar market, took note that EPA was tightening up the power specs for Energy Star-qualified PCs and scooped up the story about Izzy's Ice Cream, which is partially powered by 200 solar panels. Solar-powered ice cream...mmm.
When it came to the green lifestyle, we were working on improving it with the Slate Green Challenge and Lexus' Hybrid Living, which we described as "TreeHugger with a Platinum card," and we looked in onHome Depot's efforts to sell the green lifestyle. Plus, on weirder side of things, the walls were alive, we engaged in some poplar science to grow trees for fuel. Check out the rest of October 27, 2006 for more....
Arizona Completes Cumulative Renewable Energy Projections
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.27.07
Arizona’s three largest utilities, Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power (TEP), commissioned a renewable energy assessment to determine the availability of the state’s renewable energy resources. Black & Veatch was selected to conduct the research because of the company’s global expertise in renewable energy studies and projects...
According to the Black & Veatch study, more than 4,300 MW of electricity could be produced using solar thermal generation. In addition, nearly 1,500 MW of electricity could be developed from wind power generation. Other resources could provide as much as 175 MW of electricity through a combination of hydropower, biomass and geothermal technologies. However, further review will be needed to determine the comparative value of developing these in-state renewable energy resources versus purchasing electricity from out of state.
Via::Black & Veatch, "Arizona Renewable Energy Assessment" (pdf file), Image credit::Renewable Energy Access...
Checking Out the Sun's Surface with a Solar Telescope
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10.26.07
Scientists are planning to send a balloon-borne solar telescope on expeditions in the polar regions to gather an unprecedented amount of data on the sun's surface. Following a successful test flight earlier this month during which the telescope - dubbed "Sunrise" - was launched to an altitude of 120,000 ft (with the help of a balloon larger than a Boeing 757 jumbo jet), NCAR and a team of researchers are laying down the details for what will be several long, polar balloon flights starting in 2009.
The balloon flew about 10 hours during the test flight, deploying an array of sophisticated equipment to capture images of the sun's surface along with a gamut of other data. The scientists, led by NCAR's Michael Knölker, are hoping to use it to study the structure and dynamics of the sun's magnetic fields, which fuel its activity, affect telecommunications and power systems and could play a role in influencing climate change by causing variations in solar radiation....
Most Huggable: Greenest US Cities, Laundry Tips, Online Book Swapping + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 10.26.07
When it comes time to start a family, retire, or just move, you'll want to know where the greenest cities in the US are. Is your city on the list?
Honda is looking to the future and launching a hydrogen-powered car at the upcoming L.A. auto show.
Learn some lessons about ways to save power, money and effort while keeping clothes clean, and leave your own tips at Appropedia, the sustainability wiki.
Take a gander at the first whole-house home audio system that's a bit greener than we're used to.
Eco-Libris has a thorough review of Bookmooch, an online book-swapping service that's saving trees by helping folks get the most out of their books through trade.
Most Huggable is a daily roundup of some of Hugg’s top stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
TH Forums Highlights: Green McMansions, High Gas Prices + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.26.07
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 AdamSinger brings up a hot topic on TreeHugger lately: "Is it possible to build a green mega mansion? Is that an oxymoron, or worse yet, unethical?" Citing examples like "enough solar panels to cover a regulation-size basketball court and could generate enough energy for two average-size homes" and "enough reclaimed wood to save 7.5 acres of Brazilian rain forest" the home could be a model of green if it weren't so darn big. At what point is big too big to be green? So far, other users have come down on both sides of this one.
2) User stevejust points out that oil prices recently hit an all-time high when adjusted for inflation. Back in the '70's, when the last "record high" for oil prices was set, there were shortages and it was huge, front-page style news. So the question is: why not this time 'round? Has oil become an afterthought? Are we just more prepared for the price to continue to go up, up, up? Or does the increased fuel efficiency of some of today's cars make it hurt less in the pocketbook? Hmm...
3) Lastly, Forums user teemstrohs is busily remodeling a house. "i want to be as efficient as i can afford. right now i.m trying to map out lighting. obviously cfls are going to make the most sense." Or are they? There's a CFL to fit just about any fixture these days, including dimmers and 3-way switches, but at least one contributor to the thread seems to think that LEDs are a better way to go. New construction/complete remodels are certainly different animals than retrofitting existing fixtures; can anyone lend a helping hand here?
Linking Turbines Directly To The Tank
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 10.26.07
Sweden isn't a hot wind power market in Europe, not compared to Germany (20,000 MW of capacity), Spain (11,000 MW) or even Great Britain (nearly 2,000 MW). In fact, the Swedes currently have a paltry 572 MW of wind capacity, generating about 1.2TWh of power last year - less than one percent of electricity produced in this Nordic nation.
But Sweden has audacious goals (4.9 TWh of generation by 2010), and is starting to formulate a big vision to go with its big plans, based on the idea of wind power helping to drive (bad pun alert) a new generation of plug-in hybrid vehicles creating plausible climate neutral driving.
The way the Swedish Windpower Developers Association (SVIS) sees it, the Swedish vehicle industry (Volvo and Saab) and Swedish windpower are a great fit.
There are a few reasons why these gung-ho Swedish wind proponents may have a chance. It is true that Sweden will probably need to vastly up its renewable generation and reduce CO2 emissions further in coming years, especially after the EU sets binding CO2 reduction targets for the post-2012 period, which it should do early next year. ...
Sitcom '30 Rock' To Go Green
by Iris Coates, UK on 10.26.07
There certainly seems to be a trend for eco-friendly TV shows; we’ve seen Leonardo di Caprio’s new Green Reality TV show, Richard Branson’s planned new green show and now “30 Rock” has decided to go green too.
According to this article on Buddy TV, NBC’s sitcom 30 Rock will be incorporating some environmentally conscious messages as part of their “Green is Universal” initiative. The comedy series, which will start its eco-friendly episode on November 8, follows the creator’s – Tina Fey – character or Liz Lemon, a head writer of a TV program who struggles to keep her show running while also trying to have a social life. ...
Richard Branson Wants Natalie Imbruglia To Host Green Show
by Iris Coates, UK on 10.26.07
Virgin Records founder Richard Branson is reportedly hoping to rope in singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia as the host of his new eco-friendly TV series. The British airline and media mogul, who made his green pledge last year under pressure from Al Gore and Ted Turner, wants the singer to front a new show on his Virgin 1 channel. In the show she'll visit the homes of celebrities and blast them for not being more environmentally friendly. ...
Ask TreeHugger: Leave Your Shoes at the Door
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 10.26.07
Question: My sister always insists that we take our shoes off at the door. She says that it is cleaner and safer. I think that it is an old wives tale. Is there any data to support her claim?
Response: In the olden days (as my kids call them), taking your shoes off at the door was the norm. This custom is still the standard practice in Korea, Japan, and many other countries. Even in countries where shoes are generally worn indoors, related practices are followed, as door mats are often placed at entryways for people to wipe their feet before entry. ...
Ping Pong Door: Opening the Door to Space-Efficient Table Tennis
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.26.07
For all of you who think that your homes are too small or too cluttered for tabletop games, we present the Ping Pong Door. That's right -- it's a functioning door, and when a game of table tennis calls your name, an inner panel folds out of the door; add your own net and paddles and it's game time. You just need two adjacent rooms with enough free space to play.
The caveat, if you want to stay traditional, is that one side of the door is bright green with a white stripe down the middle. A little odd, for sure, but might be worth it for a little space-friendly pong whenever the spirit moves you. This could be a fun project for you dedicated DIYers; for the less handy, contact ::Tobias Fraenzel via ::Yanko Design...
Only 19 Days to Post Your Green 10 Questions
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.07
Green Halloween: DIY Costume Ideas from ThreadBanger
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.26.07
Greenwash Watch: Carbon-Neutral Olympic Torch
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 10.26.07
Apparently, the 2012 Olympic flame is going to carbon neutral. Does that strike anyone else as bonkers? The 2012 Olympics is going to be a huge, polluting event, with thousands of people flying all over the world to attend and compete. Making a carbon neutral flame seems, to me, like a drop in the ocean.
...
Carectomy: Removing Cars From People
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.07
Coincidentally, just after writing about Land Use and Climate Change, I happened to surf over to Carectomy, to see that "a newly published research project published by the Urban Land Institute points out, improving vehicle efficiency alone won’t make a dent in the United States’ role in global warming....The study finds that one of the most effective way to decrease car use and associated greenhouse gas emissions is to develop more compact “green neighborhoods.”
Carectomy is a new website from the ecogeek crew, who "just want to eliminate the tedious, dangerous, inconvenient reign of automobiles." They propose major surgery:"once you've diagnosed yourself with unhappy car dependent syndrome, that's when you need to come to carectomy.com. Learn how people, cities, countries and the world are removing cars from themselves. Mass transportation, two-wheeled options and better urban planning are only a few things that we can use to scrape off that mass of steel and rubber that's been stuck to your butt for all these years." The Doctor is always in at ::Carectomy
...
Greetings from Planet Bob
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.26.07
Weekend To-Do: The Globesity Festival in NYC
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.26.07
Forty of New York's most cutting-edge artists, writers, and activists respond to America's burgeoning consumerism and overconsumption of the planet's resources in the Globesity Festival: Hunger Strike Theater, a week of performances, parties, panels, speakers, and workshops exploring the ideas and objects we buy and buy into.
Part performance art, part street activism, and part group fast, the festival is a "theatrical performance in response to consumerism." Only in New York, kids.
Also on Sunday, the Really, Really Free Market. ::The Globesity Festival
[Via ::Nonsense NYC]...
You'll Never Think About "Energy Savings" The Same Way Again
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.26.07
In the same vein as Scott Amron's "Off" light switch, where you have to pick between hanging up your jacket or turning on the light, comes "Energy Savings," a design-as-art statement that changes a standard light switch from consumption to conservation. It gives new meaning to the term "energy savings," and it's one of the most interesting piggy banks we've ever seen.
It's half of the "Covers" project by Boiler Design, conceived as a way to rethink our interaction with energy on the consumer end. Hit the jump to see the second half of the project. ::Boiler Design via ::Apartment Therapy...
Why Is This Man Smiling?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.07
Nordhaus and Shellenberger say that people tune out from doom and gloom messages, which is why climate change is so low on most people's agendas. And nobody is doomier and gloomier than James Lovelock, who writes that "Our future, is like that of the passengers on a small pleasure boat sailing quietly above the Niagara Falls, not knowing that the engines are about to fail." He also doesn't think much of our puny efforts to do anything about it- "Green," he tells Jeff Goodell of Rolling Stone, only half-joking, "is the colour of mold and corruption."...
American National Forests Generally O.K.
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.26.07
Photo credit: Josh Pyles
America's National Forests generally meet green-certification standards for sustainable management, says a new study, but balancing the myriad demands for logging, recreation, and conservation remains a challenge.
The two-year study, conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Pinchot Institute for Conservation, was commissioned by the U.S. Forest Service to help it decide whether it should throw in its hat with private timber companies seeking independent certification of sustainable management practices, says the Associated Press.
In its study of five national forests, including the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon, the institute gave the forests a passing grade for planning, community involvement, and its ability to identify threatened or endangered species. Room for improvement, however, was noted in various areas, including old-growth timber management and a backlog of road maintenance. ::AP...
The TH Interview: Vijay Vaitheeswaran, author of Zoom (Part 1)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 10.26.07
"Oil is the problem. Cars are the solution," says Vijay Vaitheeswaran. For the past decade, Vijay has written for the Economist magazine, covering energy, transportation, and economy. His newest book is Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of Future, which he wrote with fellow Economist correspondent Iain Carson. Vijay knows he can’t make everyone happy with what he proposes, but in his eyes the race is already well underway and the revolution is at hand. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or listen/right-click to download. TreeHugger: In Zoom, you and Iain Carson talk about this “Great Awakening”—capital G capital A. Explain this, what is this Great Awakening? Vijay Vaitheeswaran: What we call the Great Awakening is really the American body politic waking up to the twin problems caused by the way we use fossil fuels, particularly oil. The twin problems are global warming and oil addiction....
Pure Waste Challenge, Part III: Take Action, Stop Idling
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.26.07
We're up to part three (here's part one and part two) of our spotlight on the Pure Waste Challenge. Remember, it's a program to inspire action against global warming, and the proceeds benefit the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), and helping out is as easy as sending an email. Here's how it works:
1) Read the primers that help you take quick, meaningful action in your daily life to start reducing your contribution to global warming.
2) Consider engaging one, two, or all three of the suggested behaviors (it'd be best if you did them all, too, in addition to considering it, but that's not a requirement).
3) Fire off a quick email (details after the jump) to confirm that you're primed and ready to take action. Once you click "send," the Hinkle Charitable Foundation (HCF) will donate $100 to SELF. Just for the one little email. We really think it's worth it....
Land Use and Climate Change
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.07
Tom Steinbach and Miek Howe of the Greenbelt Alliance, a San Francisco area group that promotes the protection of open space in the Bay Area and advocates for building homes in established urban areas, make an important point about two different ways to reduce emissions from cars: change the cars, or build communities where people can both work and live affordably.
They use an example of Dan, who drives an SUV to work and spends sixty bucks a week on gas. If he switched to a hybrid he would spend only fifteen bucks, but if he moved, he would only spend three. " the two ways to reduce emissions from transportation: increasing fuel economy and using low-carbon fuels ("technology"); and decreasing the number of miles driven ("travel")."
Yet in California, all of the energy and effort is being spent on fixing cars, and little on fixing community.
...
Quote of the Day: Prince Charles on Deforestation
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.26.07
Ladies and gentlemen, the world's forests need to be seen for what they are—giant global utilities, providing essential public services to humanity on a vast scale. They store carbon, which is lost to the atmosphere when they burn, increasing global warming. The life they support cleans the atmosphere of pollutants and feeds it with moisture. They act as a natural thermostat, helping to regulate our climate and sustain the lives of 1.4 billion of the poorest people on this Earth. And they do these things to a degree that is all but impossible to imagine. ...
However, as WWF [World Wildlife Fund] knows only too well, the destruction goes on at a truly terrifying pace—out of sight and out of mind. Every year 50 million acres—an area the size of England, Wales and Scotland combined—are destroyed or degraded. And the Nobel Prize-winning United Nations International Panel on Climate Change has estimated that emissions from burning forests are responsible for around 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Based on that only the energy sector emits a larger share. Let me say that again. Only the energy sector releases more greenhouse gas emissions than the destruction of the rainforests....
The Carbon Sequestration Cost Everyone Else Forgot
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10.26.07
Let's hope that some key US Congressional staffers read this post about "Implications of generator siting for CO2 pipeline infrastructure" and talk to its authors. That said, we lay down some pipe talk.
Coal fired power generating plant location is based several things, choosing between many variables to optimize profit, of course. Key ones are proximity to the electricity "demand" (customers), access to cooling water, friendliness of the neighbors (read: NIMBY), a nearby railroad for fuel delivery, and so on. When it's taxpayer-financed, gas-to-liquids, extra-super-clean, coal-plant-of-the-future, you can also be sure location might have something to do with the districts of certain US Congressional supporters. But there's one more factor coming....
Zweifach Shelf: Flat-Pack, Break It Down Storage
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.26.07
Put the words "flat" and "pack" together, and TreeHugger usually needs a towel to contain the drooling; there are few things we like more than the ability to change dimensions, create structure from wafer-thin materials and make efficient use of materials in manufacturing and space when shipping. With that in mind, we submit for your consideration: the Zweifach Shelf.
Designed by Simon Schappi and oddly reminiscent of Kindergarten, each double cubbie starts as three separate, flat pieces; spend a few minutes folding and fitting, and a modular shelf is born. This is one of our favorite things about this design: you can build only as much storage as you need; the modular, stackable system lets you expand and contract your storage as the volume of your stuff fluctuates. Empty a box or two out? No need to waste space with empty storage; just break down one of the boxes. Perfect for a small apartment dweller, frequent mover or anyone who doesn't want to kill extra space with storage you don't need. ::The Formsons via ::swissmiss...
Bianca Jagger, George Monbiot + Vandana Shiva Attend Be The Change
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 10.26.07
The 2007 Be The Change Conference is fast approaching and has an amazing line up of speakers to inspire you with the theme "The Sky's the Limit". For the fourth year in a row the BTC conference brings together world leaders in sustainability and social change to discuss what they describe as, "The greatest opportunity in our history and our greatest challenge: to achieve an environmentally sustainable and socially just world."
Over three days you can listen to speakers as varied as Bianca Jagger on international human rights; George Monbiot, environmental journalist and author; Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder and Programme Director of Forum for the Future; Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent drinks; Dr. Vandana Shiva, physicist, ecological researcher and author.
This TreeHugger will be reporting from what should be a fascinating and motivating event. So watch this space for live posts about the conference. You can book your ticket here....
Green Halloween: Dress As David Suzuki
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.26.07
For a cheap, last-minute Halloween getup, go as Canadian author and environmental guru David Suzuki. Simply download and print this face mask, stiffen it with a used cereal box, and punch out some eye and string holes. Attach the mask to your head with a piece of string and voila!, you're David Suzuki. Eerie, isn't it?
To complete the look, print out leaflets you can hand out (on recycled paper, of course) to encourage trick-and-treaters and passers-by to take part in Suzuki's Nature Challenge.
A note of caution from the man himself: Be careful of cars when wearing any mask, even if it's one of David Suzuki's face. ::David Suzuki Foundation
Get more Green 'Ween tips here....
Merrick's Earthsaver Corn Hangers
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 10.26.07
We all have these in our closets. Some of us more than others but they seem to lurk in excess at times. Ah yes, we speak of hangers of course. Now the majority of us have the metal ones we get from the dry cleaner or the plastic ones that we’ve had forever. But next time you need to reload (think: sending your kids off to college), keep these earthsaver hangers in mind. They look and feel like the traditional plastics, however they are made from 100% corn that grows here in the U.S. and are compostable. Made by Merrick, the company calls the style a “heavy shirt design” which, we’re assuming, means that they are quite durable. Rumor has it that Walmart is carrying these ($3.50 for a 5-pack) but it is unknown which stores are carrying them and if they are just being tested for the time being. We couldn’t find any info about them on Merrick’s site either, which seems odd, but check out our source for some interesting observations. Via ::Sustainable is Good...
Michael Chertoff, Environmental Action Figure
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.07
That he is, a man of action protecting the environment with all the tools he can muster. The Director of Homeland Security's first action: build a fence along the Mexican border through the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. After all, Chertoff says in his blog (yes, he has a blog) "....there are also environmental reasons to stop illegal crossings in the SPRNCA. Illegal entrants leave trash and high concentrations of human waste, which impact wildlife, vegetation and water quality in the habitat. Wildfires caused by campfires have significantly damaged the soil, vegetation, and cultural sites, not to mention threatened human safety."
But U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle agreed with the Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club and ordered a delay because the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies had failed to conduct a thorough study of the fence's effect on the environment. (Grist here) ...
Recipe of the Week: It's still October. Bake an Apple Pie!
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 10.26.07
image: Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts
I was reading an apple pie recipe by Food Network chef Michael Smith in my newspaper the other day. I've made a few of Smith's recipes before and I've liked them. The recipe for the crust intrigued me because it was completely unlike any apple pie I've ever made before. When I was discussing this with my mother, she thought it would taste like apple crumble rather than pie. So I tried it. Of course, my mother was right. My mother is pretty much always right about baking matters.
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Planet in Focus Opens with Grizzly Conservationist Charlie Russell
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 10.26.07
Image: Charlie Russell signing books
The 8th annual environmental film festival, Planet in Focus, riveted Toronto audiences on Wednesday night with two inaugural films. The first was a short, titled The Nature of Rebirth, with a beautiful reflection on the nature of life and death in Europe’s oldest forest by first time Finnish director, Johanna Lampi.
We were then dazzled by Edge of Eden: Living with theGrizzlies, an 88 minute documentary about Canadian conservationist, Charlie Russell, who lived with grizzly bears in Russia and raised orphaned cubs for reintroduction into their natural habitat. This film was photographed, produced and directed by also Canadian filmmaking team, Jeff and Sue Turner who have made many documentaries for big names like the BBC and Discovery. ...
Survey: Should We Rebuild in Dangerous Locations?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.26.07
It is a question that comes up again and again: People are building in places that burn regularly, that get flooded out in storms, or blown away in hurricanes. It has ever been thus, but now they are packed in so tightly that the financial losses are huge, the insurance companies bail out and the government steps in. As one commenter said in our post on Architecture for Humanity, "Maybe this is mother nature saying,"DON'T BUILD HERE!!!" It was a hard survey to build, there are so many questions, so many answers.
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Turtle Airships: Not Slow, But Hardshelled
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 10.26.07
Edward de Bono, the champion of lateral thinking is credited with saying "It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all."
One such ideas person is Darrell Campbell, who stumbled upon some of our earlier airship posts, in particular the AerosCraft, which he likes though naturally thinks his designs are better. Darrell professes to be the orginator of the design and technology promoted by Millennium Airship (That’s their pic above) but he is working on his own even more improved design currently—the Turtle Airship.
His vision is for a fleet of rigid shelled airships. To this shell of aluminium, titanium, or stainless steel he envisages despositing amorphous thin film photovoltaic cells. Their solar generated electricity would drive motors that used super-conducting magnets in lieu of copper wire. Biodiesel generators would be on board as back-up power. ...
Electric Vehicle Retailer Protests Proposed Congestion Charge Changes
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 10.26.07
The London congestion charge, which has already been the focus of angry protests from residents opposed to its extension, continues to cause controversy. This time it is GoinGreen, the UK distributors for the G-Wiz (or Reva as it is known in India) electric vehicle, who are kicking up a fuss. The problem is not the charge itself of course, as that has been a big part the company’s success (as CEO Keith Johnston told TreeHugger here and here). What GoinGreen are concerned about is proposals to extend the number of vehicles exempt from the charge to include all those in emissions band B (currently only band A vehicles i.e. electric, some alternative fuel vehicles, and hybrids in band B, are exempt). The company argues that this move is unwise because it both fails to tackle air quality issues, such as NOx emissions, and because it also fails to distinguish between low-emission and zero-emission options. Keith Johnston had this to say:
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Green Halloween: Ghost Potatoes
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 10.26.07
Okay, there is nothing particularly green about this recipe (unless your potatoes, milk and eggs are all local, of course), but it does prove that TreeHuggers have a sense of humour.
If you are having a Halloween dinner party don't you think these cute little ghosts would be a hit at the table? It would certainly make me laugh....
Benjamin Kahn: A TIME Magazine Hero
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 10.26.07
After all the hoopla around Nobel Prize winner Al Gore, we decided to find an environmental winner of our own over here in Israel.
We didn't have to look far.
This week TIME Magazine rolled out its own list of green heroes and among them was Benjamin Kahn - named as one of TIME magazine's 45 'Heroes of the Environment'.
Kahn's voice has had a resonant effect across Israel. He is the founding father of environmental coastline watchdog organization Zalul.
After studying marine biology and living in the US and Australia for a number of years, Kahn returned to Israel in 2000 and was shocked to discover that the amazing coral reef had drastically deteriorated - the result of years of human contact.
"I knew that if the reef was going to survive, someone had to fight for it," Kahn told TIME. ...
Anita Roddick Tribute: I am an Activist
by Bonnie Alter, London on 10.26.07
A public tribute to Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, was held on what would have been her 65th birthday. Attended by over 1,500 people, the actor Alan Rickman said that "Anita was was uncompromising, inspiring, and visionary, an active world citizen, but still funny, sexy and overflowing." Her picture was beamed onto the side of the National Theatre and five thousand bio-degradable balloons were released into the air to the sound of gospel singers.
Roddick said: "This is no dress rehearsal. You've got one life, so just lead it and try and be remarkable". In her honour, a day of activism has been launched, to be celebrated on her birthday, October 24. I Am An Activist is aimed at inspiring and encouraging people who are passionate about the same issues as Roddick was: human rights, trade justice, peace, women's rights, homelessness and climate change. The site has information about the projects that she supported and urges people to do something: "dance, march, sing and laugh all the way to changing the world." Amen. :: Evening Standard...
Why Do Leaves Turn Red?
by Tim McGee, Helena, MT, USA on 10.26.07
As the days grow shorter here in the Northern Hemisphere, one of the last gasps of fall is the rush of color in the surrounding woods. The vivid red-leafed trees are always my favorite, jumping out of the crowd like Halloween candy to a five year old. However, the red color may indicate that the tree is rooted in difficult soil.
Emily M. Habinck, a former University of North Carolina graduate student, found that in places where the soil was relatively low in nitrogen and other essential elements, trees produced more red pigments known as anthocyanins. This finding supports a hypothesis by plant physiologist William Hoch of Montana State University, Bozeman, who argues that the increase in anthocyanin production in red-leafed plants, is the trees defense against fall sunlight. The additional protection allows the trees more time to gain valuable nutrients, offsetting the energetic cost of producing the pigment.
Why is this a TreeHugger noticeable event (besides the tree bit)? Not only is it a beautiful example of form following function, but from time to time we need to step back and see the forest for the trees. ::The Geological Society of America...
Attack of the Green Monster
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 10.26.07
TreeHugger Picks: Saving Some Precious Water
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.25.07
 | 1) If the recent ongoing droughts in the US can teach us anything, hopefully it's that they, along with other extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change are also making fresh water an increasingly scarce commodity. In fact, the struggle over the world's depleting water resources, much like with oil today, is a crisis that will likely come to a head some time this century. Stay ahead of the curve with these straightforward, handy tips. |
 | 2) Hacking your toilet with a Sinkpositive or another such toilet-top sink can be a real multi-tasker: every drop of water saved is beneficial, and they're also a good way to visualize how much water literally goes down the toilet each time you flush. Build your own (from recycled materials, no less) with this handy video, and check out our Earth Day Guide for Saving Water When You Flush for more ideas on toilet water-conservation. |
 | 3) The shower also offers myriad opportunities to make more efficient use of your water. These include showering Japanese-style, where you sit on a stool with a wooden bucket and ladle (or hand-held nozzle), soap and a sponge, using just a bit of water to wet and rinse, and the Navy shower, when you use a conventional shower, but turn the water off except to get wet at the beginning and rinse at the end. Low-flow showerheads and shower timers are just a few of the tips to be found in our Getting Ready for Earth Day: Saving Water When You Shower guide. Two more picks after the jump. |
Green Halloween: Don't Dress To Kill
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.25.07
Photo credit: Martha Stewart Living
As one hapless television news crew discovered, store-bought Halloween costumes frequently contain a boatload of carcinogens and reproductive toxins such as lead, cadmium, and pthalates, particularly those made from PVC or vinyl. Even the PVC packaging most costumes come embalmed in can leave phthalate residues on their surfaces.
You should also be wary of store-bought face paints and Halloween makeup that are not only derived from petroleum, but may also contain parabens, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), formaldehyde, lead, and other potential and probable cancer-causing agents.
It doesn't take huge leaps of imagination to dress up a scurvy pirate scallywag or a ballerina princess, so scour your closets, kitchen drawers, toy trunks, and local thrift stores for items you can pull together to create a killer—metaphorically speaking—look. (The Dollar Stretcher has some great, low-cost ideas.) You can even learn how to make your own monster makeup.
Get more Green 'Ween tips here.
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Rising Food & Oil Prices: A Recipe For Riots Says FAO
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 10.25.07
It is hardly a revelation, but according to Jacques Diouf, the director of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), currently escalating food and energy prices could bring about political instability and riots in developing nations – a situation that is presently being played out in some African countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea and in Yemen and Mexico. Already, the FAO’s food price index now stands at its highest levels since its records started in 1990 and has increased 70 percent since 2000. That is a troubling amount, considering that around 2 billion people worldwide live on less than $2 a day, with much of their income being spent on basic necessities such as food. "If food prices continue to be high, there are risks of riots,” Diouf cautioned on Wednesday, during a London meeting to talk with foreign office and aid officials. "If you combine the increase of the oil prices and the increase of food prices, then you have the elements of a very serious crisis in the future."...
The Tar Sands Are Eating Our Dinner
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.25.07
While TreeHugger wishes that all of our food was organic and made without fertilizers, the fact is that much of North America's agriculture is dependent on nitrogen fertilizer, and it is made with natural gas. One could almost extend Michael Pollan's statement that "we are all made of corn" down the pipe to "we are all made of natural gas." According to the Dominion, this fertilizer is an essential nutrient in North America's food production system. "In a fairly direct way," says Darrin Qualman, Director of Research at the National Farmers Union, "natural gas is a primary feedstock for our food supply."
And what are we doing with our dwindling and increasingly expensive supplies of it? Cooking rocks to squeeze out automotive fuel.
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Bike the Big Apple: Tour De France Edition
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 10.25.07
This Saturday, take a bike tour of New York City that showcases the Big Apple's French influences. "Unlike the real Tour de France race which covers over 2,100 miles in 22 days," says Bike the Big Apple, "ours is a leisurely paced course that allows participants to take a gastronomic tour de cuisine of France, as well as to experience the historic and contemporary ties between France and the United States."
Tickets cost $90, including the price of a bike, helmet, a licensed, and tour guide, as well as food sampling at three different restaurants. Ooh la la. ::Bike the Big Apple...
Glögg, Glögg, Glögg
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 10.25.07
Jonas Torstensson, a Swedish glass designer (in a country where there are a lot of glass designers) has worked with recycled materials for much of his career. OK, there are also a lot of recycled glass products, but Torstensson even fires up the ovens for his glassworks near Stockholm with biogas – methane captured and delivered from a close-by waste treatment center.
Through the years faithful patrons of Torstensson’s designs have been companies trying to be green as well as spread holiday cheer to their clients, so this year he has a (.pdf) holiday suggestion catalog of hand-blown recycled-glass bowls, recycled-aluminum candle holders, and the glögg glasses pictured after the jump. ...
Bottle Buildings
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.25.07
When we get tired of carrying all our wine bottles back to the store for deposit, we may just recycle them into a bottle building in the backyard. People have been doing it for years, another or those "architecture without architects" things that Bernard Rudofsky talked about. Warren notes that in Australia they are still doing it, and we recently noted a dome in Herefordshire. There is even a whole website devoted to them, which notes that "when the sun hits the bottles, there are said to be kaleidoscopic rays and a stained glass effect."
The oldest surviving bottle house was was constructed out of over 50,000 beer bottles in 1907, due to the lack of lumber available in the deserts of Nevada.
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Air Freighted Organic Food In UK To Be Fair Trade
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 10.25.07
It was a difficult, even Solomonic judgement call: As George noted earlier, the Soil Association, the UK’s leading organic certification body, had proposed withdrawing the 'organic' label from produce flown into the UK from abroad. Others argued that many African countries had developed big organic vegetable industries serving the UK market and would be put out of business.
In the end, the Soils Association decided to demand that organic food producers in developing countries contribute substantially to the social needs of communities and workers, and guarantee wages and good working conditions. "It's right to continue to allow some organic air freight. Most people say that they only support air freight if it delivers real environmental and social benefits. This linking of organic and fair trade standards does that," said Peter Melchett, the Soil Association's policy director. ::Guardian...