- Emily Pilloton Discusses the Hippo Roller and other Designs for Humanity (Part One)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part Two)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part One)
- Andy Revkin - Climate in the Obama Age
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part Two)
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part One)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part Two)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part One)
Entries for November 4, 2007 - November 10, 2007
Total this week: 178
Study At Sea, On Land
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 11.10.07
Ever dream about sailing away for a year and a day with “school at sea” and teachers named Sven and Olaf? Learning on a sea-faring vessel could be a dream, but not for those who prefer dry land instead.
A chance to study at sea, but on land, is the basis of a new study-abroad program offered by Tel Aviv University. The new 6-credit summer school course suited for an undergrad (with at least one credit in the area of the environment) will focus on Israel’s unique variety of water resources and how to make them sustainable.
Israel has a lot of water – most of which is not potable. In one small area, you can find four very unique bodies of water: there is the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, the Med Sea and the Sea of Galilee....
Portland Oregon Considering Green Tarriff/Reward System For New Construction
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11.10.07
Continuous, rapid progress is a must if we are to reduce our carbon footprint enough to make a difference. Portland Oregon USA has long been a pioneer and prototype test center for green ideas. We wish them luck on this one as well.
Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development is drafting a proposal for a “green” building policy that, if approved, would mandate a carbon fee for all new commercial and residential buildings and major commercial remodels unless certain green building standards are met.
Those exceeding the standards would be paid an incentive by the city, funded by carbon fees paid by others...
The policy would operate on the basis of three concepts: the carbon footprint (the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that a building causes, mostly through the energy use) as well as education and technical assistance for meeting the building standards, and energy-efficiency rating and upgrading.
The nuts and bolts of the fees and standards still are being discussed.
Via::Jetson Green, LEED-H Silver, Energy Star, Earth Advantage - Dolph Creek Townhomes
Via::SustainableLife, "City: Build green or pay up"...
Fungus Among Us: LED Shroom Lights for Underfoot Lighting
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.10.07
For growing underfoot and appearing with fickle irregularity, mushrooms have amazing utilitarianism, appearing on these pages as insulation, a new business venture with recycling mushroom compost, biofuel. They'll even lubricate your chainsaw and feed your dog, and now we can add "ambient lighting" to their list of uses.
We've seen shroom lighting before; this example utilizes LEDs for increased energy efficiency and sense of magical wonder in an otherwise ordinary living space. Australian designer Simon Duff decided to forgo Grateful Dead bears for tasteful realism; Duff's site is in the process of being built, so we'll have to wait for the rest of the tasty details. ::Simon Duff (under construction) via ::Core77...
One Year Ago in TH: Climate Skepticism, Kids Taking Action + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.10.07
It's always interesting to take a peek at the archives from last year; in some ways, it shows us how far the green world has come over the past 365, but in other ways, it highlights that the more things change, the more they stay the same. When it comes to the former, last year, a group of climate skeptics hit YouTube with a barrage of videos; this year, we were able to help debunk the top five climate red herrings. Last year, we noted that only four of the ten biggest businesses had targets for reducing carbon dioxide; this year, we learned that sustainability has made it all the way to a greener supply chain.
Still, there are a few constants, and that's a good thing. A year ago this week was Shout Out for the Climate Week for students who want to become active in the environmental world; this year, it was Powershift, the first national youth summit to help solve the climate crisis. Last year, the New York Times was high on bamboo, and we're glad to say that we still like the grass.
Check out everything on our radar one year ago here; what will we be talking about next year? Stay tuned......
Quote of the Day: Michael Grunwald on the Florida Everglades
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11.10.07
Photo credit: Getty Images
The Everglades was more than a river of grass, and it contained more than swarming bugs, slithering reptiles, and lacerating annoyances.
The river of grass was only the most distinctive link of an interconnected ecosystem that once blanketed almost all of south Florida, from its headwatchers atop the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes near modern-day Orlando down to the coral reefs of the Keys, an area twice the size of New Jersey. The ecosystem was a watery labyrinth of lakes and lagoons, creeks and ponds, pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks. It encompassed Biscayne Bay and Florida Bay, the St. Lucie and Miami Rivers.
And in addition to its extensive marshlands, it included genuine swamps, most notably the Big Cypress Swamp, a Delaware-sized mosaic of pinelands, prairies, and blackwater bogs just west of the sawgrass Everglades. ...
Taking Back The City Dept: Public Fountains
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.10.07
In many European cities, public fountains are important gathering places. In North America, we have private waterparks and our city's public spaces lack such gracious amenities.
Last year Brooklyn artist Charles Goldman built Public Fountain: "a self-contained, portable and solar powered fountain. It is designed to bring the gathering point -- that the traditional urban fountain often is -- into the city's more tangential zones." He then pushed it fifteen miles across town and like all fountains, people gathered. “Just turn that thing on and it's a magnet for people,” says Goldman.
::Charles Goldman via ::Pruned
...
Bad PR Week in Fort McMoney
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.10.07
It has not been a good week for the flacks in Calgary who stomp on little old ladies to keep the lid on news about Canada's environmental embarrassment, the Alberta tar sands.In Sydney, Australia, they call it " black gold with a black heart." In New York City, the Times headline reads "Study Finds Carcinogens in Water Near Alberta Oil Sands Projects.", about how the Athabasca River is poisoning the native people downstream at Fort Chipewyan. To top it all off, it gets the full Kolbert in the New Yorker, who describes the wild growth of this industry that has turned an area the size of Florida into a close approximation of Mordor: "For every barrel of synthetic crude that Suncor eventually produces, forty-five hundred pounds of tar sands have to be dug up and separated....It’s estimated that by 2012 tar-sands operations will consume two billion cubic feet of natural gas a day, more than every house in Canada."
Read TreeHugger on how The Tar Sands are eating our dinner , they are Stupid to the Last Drop, and Andrew Nkiforuk on Canada's Highway to Hell...
58,000 Gallons of Oil Spill into San Francisco Bay
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11.10.07
State and local officials were left wondering what exactly went wrong in the wake of a 58,000 gallon oil spill in San Francisco Bay - the largest such spill since 1988 - this past Wednesday. The Cosco Busan, a South Korea-bound container ship, struck one of the Bay Bridge's steel and concrete buttresses Wednesday morning as it was being guided out; the impact gouged the hull, precipitating the massive spill.
The U.S. Coast Guard has come under heavy criticism for initially underestimating the size of the spill, describing it early on as a 140 gallon fuel leak; the estimate was quickly revised on Thursday morning to a hefty 60,000 gallons. Officials are now worried about the impact the fuel slick will have on surrounding beaches and the local wildlife, including shorebirds, seals and other marine organisms. ...
A Picture is Worth... The Future of Spain Under Climate Change?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11.10.07
Photograph courtesy of Pedro Armestre
Is this what a future Spain besieged by global warming look like? The digitally retouched picture - part of a new book, Photoclima, released this week by Greenpeace - uses statistics gleaned from the UN panel on climate change to paint a revelatory picture of a La Manga del Mar following a sea level rise.
Via ::Guardian Unlimited: Spain shown perils of climate change (news website)...
Cows Happy on Recycled Beer
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 11.10.07
image credit: ::law_keven on flickr
We all know beer has great nutritional value, that's why you drink it ...or? And of course the beverage supplies energy. Therefore past beer recycling projects have focused on the beer-to-energy angle, or turning waste beer to fuel your auto. If that seems a waste of good beer to you, you will welcome the announcement by Greene King Brewery of Suffolk, UK, to build a beer recovery plant. Greene King will take back keg dregs and expired beers so that the benefits of yeast and the fresh ingredients can be given back to the local farms that supply Greene King--in the form of cow-feed flavorizer. Yummmooooo....
G-Wiz it's Nearly Christmas!
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11.10.07
OK – the G-Wiz is popping up so often on our pages it’s in serious danger of becoming a cliché. However, that doesn’t seem to stop its ever growing popularity, or its attractiveness to funky designers. We couldn’t resist, then, to bring our London readers’ the news that a few of these cute electric vehicles are still available for a Christmas delivery - heck, they’ll even gift wrap it for you! More exciting holiday gift ideas to come soon when our 2007 Gift Guide is launched – in the meantime, check out our 2006 version for a teaser of what’s in store! ::GoinGreen:: via site visit::
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Stars Offset U.S. Tour
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 11. 9.07
There's an awfully lot of great music coming out of Canada these days, lead by the bands on Toronto-based label Arts & Crafts. One of those bands, Stars, is now trekking across the U.S. on a fall tour and plans to make sure that they, and their fans, are jamming a carbon neutral tune. Leading the charge for Stars is Reverb, an environmental organization for musicians out of Maine. Reverb, as we mentioned a few months back, "assists artists and tour managers in everything from obtaining organic food to recycling guitar strings." For the Stars tour, the Reverb is helping to purchase renewable energy credits to offset the band's shows, transportation and accommodations. At U.S. shows, fans will be able to get in on the energy credit act by purchasing Stars Carbon Offset Stickers for a suggested donation of $5. Stars fans, we'll see you at the merch booth. ::Via Arts & Crafts ...
EPA Initiates Online Town Hall
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 9.07
Photo credit: dantekgeek
Have you ever felt compelled to say, "Hey U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, can we talk?" Appeal in vain no longer! "Ask EPA", a program that began Nov. 1, serves up senior EPA officials every Thursday to answer your questions on various environmental and human-health issues.
You can submit your questions up to two days in advance via the Web site or wait until the live session. Transcripts of previous sessions are archived on the site, as well. A spokesman rather ominously said that the agency plans to evaluate the program after the first few sessions. ::Ask EPA
[Via Daily Journal Online]...
Dell Rings In Energy Star 4.0
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 9.07
Dell's new Inspiron 531 is the PC manufacturer's first consumer desktop to achieve Energy Star 4.0 requirements. (With the latest iteration of Energy Star requirements, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that only the top 25 percent of energy-efficient PCs will qualify for its vaunted stamp of approval.)
Featuring a 80 percent-efficient power supply and a paperless owner's manual, the machine is also set to switch to a low-power sleep state after 15 minutes of inactivity. Entry-level configurations, which start at $369, include an AMD Athlon-64 X2 dual-core processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory, 160GB hard drive, CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive, nVidia integrated graphics, Windows Vista Home Basic, and a one-year limited warranty with at-home service and support. ::Dell
See also: ::Buy Green: Desktop Computers...
TH Forums Highlights: If Not Al Gore, Who?, Convincing Green Arguments + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 9.07
1) Forums user goldh37 asks a really good question: "Have you had trouble getting your friends to be greener? What techniques, if any, did you use? I find statistics to be boring and I hate using them. I used to use the fact that often times it saves money, but that doesn't seem to bother people because everyone is concerned about the short term." This is a huge issue, with no simple answers. Anyone care to weigh in?
2) User stevenchen18 notes that Al Gore's former life as a politician might not have positioned him well to appeal to everyone: "I greatly respect him solely because he worked very hard on environment issues, most importantly the Global Warming. To my surprise, some genuine environmentalists have reservations about Al Gore. Because of this, many of Al Gore’s political foes, disguising themselves as environmentalists, launched attacks to him. It confused people and had negative impact on environment movement." So the question is: if not Al, who?
3) Lastly, user tangmonkey notes that, "If you spend a lot of time on green/environment sites you could be fooled into thinking the environment is a big deal online but it's really a small niche. How can we expand the reach of green on the web to include more people and get green ideas out to the masses?" Branding "green" as "fun" and making green products cheaper than conventional products have been suggested; both easier said than done, unfortunately, so what else can we do to spread the good word?
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 9.07
We've been hard at work hammering out the Planet Green blog, which we're launching in conjunction with the new 24/7 Discovery channel of the same name. If TreeHugger is the "what," then Planet Green is the "do," and PG is bursting with smart tips, easy-to-understand advice, and inspiring anecdotes to help you tread more lightly on the only Earth we've got. So make yourself a cup of tea, pull up a comfy chair, and take a peek at what we have in store for you.
Serve up a green Thanksgiving
Rescue cold, aching toesies with a rejuvenating DIY foot scrub
Get rid of unwanted catalogs with a free online service
Stream breaking environmental news and find local produce with a free desktop widget
Here's a revolutionary way to boost your energy level: go outside
Why buy a car when you can share one?
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Event Alert: Net Impact NYC Presents TreeHugger Graham Hill
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 9.07
Attention NYC-area TreeHuggers: mark your calendars for Monday, November 12 for an evening of drinks, elbow-rubbing and general merriment with TreeHugger's intrepid founder, Graham Hill, courtesy of the good folks at Net Impact NYC Professionals Chapter (we've mentioned them before). The Chapter of the international non-profit, whose mission is "to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of new leaders who use business to improve the world," is committed to using the marketplace to positively impact the economy, society and the environment, starting in New York and spreading around the globe.
If you'll be in or around the city on Monday, we encourage anyone interested in helping to leverage business to help green the planet and its inhabitants to check it out. Learn more and RSVP here for the event and check out the rest of Net Impact's worldwide network of goodness here. ::Net Impact...
Who Will Save the Everglades?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 9.07
The restoration of the Florida Everglades, the largest and most-expensive environmental rescue project in the world, is running low on financing and years behind schedule, reports The New York Times. Meanwhile, thousands of acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat continue to be paved by developers or blasted by rock miners to stoke the fires of the construction industry.
Seven years into what was supposed to be a four-decade $8 billion effort to reverse generations of destruction, Congress and President Bush continue to play tug-of-war over the federal purse strings. ...
Quote of the Day: Peter Wallerstein on Victims of the Fishing Industry
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 9.07
Photo credit: mikebaird
Humans are definitely responsible for most of [the distressed marine mammals and sea birds along the Pacific coast]. They are still laying fishing nets off the coast of California and animals still drown in them. Those able to fight their way out still have net remnants wrapped around their head and neck, eventually causing them to die from strangulation or infection.
Just last year, this poor sea lion pup had yards of gull netting tangled around his neck, and he had somehow trapped himself on a bell buoy outside King Harbor in Redondo Beach. Baywatch lifeguards contacted me and we set out to save him. The water was really swelling and the boat bouncing like a toy as we tried to reach the seal....
U.N. Chief Bound For Antarctica
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 9.07
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon will be the first UN secretary general to set foot in Antarctica today as he sets off to the planet's southernmost continent to observe the effects of climate change first-hand.
"Galvanizing international action on global warming is one of my main priorities as secretary general," he said Thursday in Santiago, Chile alongside the country's president, Michelle Bachelet....
Cohda Designs' Live Factory: Plastic Becomes Design Before Your Eyes
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 9.07
The guys at Cohda (remember their awesome RD4 chair?) have always had a pretty unique vision of what "recycled" means; this is clear when you look at the designs they create from materials that are usually destined to be milk bottles, or are former plastic bags. It's a great example of upcycling, as they create products that are truly useful and really cool.
As part of the Design Councils dott07 Festival (that's "design of the times" -- something we mentioned here), they recently held a "Live Factory," where the public was invited to watch this unique version of recycling in action. Visitors brought recyclable plastic with them, and it was turned into chairs, lighting and other pieces right before their eyes; now that's what we call recycling. A few lucky winners even got to take the old plastic/new designs home with them at the end of the show. Hit the jump to see more pics of the factory in full production mode, and click on over to their site for more info and details, including time-lapse movies of the show. ::Cohda...
Sweden's Green Car Explosion
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 11. 9.07
At this week's Clean Vehicles and Fuels conference in Stockholm, city officials released an updated survey showing that 50 percent of city residents would consider shopping for a "miljöbil" when they buy their next car. That's a huge increase from 2004, the last time the survey was done, when just 20 percent of respondents said they'd consider buying a green, or environmentally friendlier car.
One reason for the mental shift has to be Stockholm's congestion tax, newly implemented this year after a 2006 trial. Registered green cars are exempt from the automated tax, and thus are becoming highly sought after - a total of more than 25,000 have been sold since May, to both consumers and for fleets. ...
Climate Change May Hit Kids Harder
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 9.07
Photo credit: sharynmorrow
If climate change is going to disproportionately harm the health of our kids—as it more than likely will—politicians need to launch "aggressive policies" to mitigate the oncoming dangers, according to a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics last month.
As temperatures begin to rise, children will be particularly vulnerable in several ways, says the report. Waterborne infections that hit children especially hard, including diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, will thrive with more rain, which is anticipated as the climate warms.
The malaria zone is expanding because mosquitoes are able to move to higher ground. Seventy-five percent of malaria deaths occur in children younger than 5. ...
$450 Million Hotel To Be Powered By Rainwater, Solar
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 11. 9.07
Robert Congel, owner of the Pyramid Cos., says he will build a $450 million, 40-story green hotel as part of the Carousel Center mall. The unnamed hotel will be powered (in part) by electricity generated by its solar panel facade and by hydro-electric turbines utilizing rainwater collected on its roof. It is intended to be the cornerstone of Destiny USA: a 75-million-square-foot retail, hotel, and entertainment complex touted as the world's most sustainable project.
The hotel's green theme will be carried throughout its design, Destiny officials said. A rendering of the hotel shows a V-shape structure on the north side of the Carousel Center, with a green facade that makes it look like six giant blades of grass soaring into the sky next to Onondaga Lake....
Green Build: Environmental Life Cycle Declarations Ready for Use
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 11. 9.07
We couldn’t make it to the annual GreenBuild conference and expo in Chicago this year, but it looks like it is and probably was a great session. Including a panel dicussion on one of our favourite topics: environmental life cycle declarations. You know - those declarations that tell you the environmental impacts of a product, like a building material, over its life time (i.e. from the extraction of raw materials to the end-of-life waste management. They base the info on ISO 14040 life cycle assessment studies and are a great way of helping consumers be better informed about what they are purchasing and putting in their homes. Did any of you make it to this event? Please give us your thoughts below. Via: Scientific Certification Systems
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Book Review: GreenTOpia: Towards a Sustainable Toronto
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.07
"PM to Cities: Drop Dead"- that is the headline in the print version of the Toronto Star today, as the Canadian Prime Minister says that the cities are not his problem and can look to the provinces instead. (while he rolls in surpluses and cuts taxes). Meanwhile the roads are cracking up, transit fares are rising, the well-meaning mayor is so cash-poor that he cannot do anything but whine for pennies and many begin to wonder if there is any future in this city.
Then along comes GreenTOpia: Towards a Sustainable Toronto, edited by Alana Wilcox, Chritina Palassio and the wonderfully named Jonny Dovercourt. It is a collection of articles and visions including Mark Fram on "planning walking zoning greening: Catherine Nasmith on "Buildings are not Garbage" (previously seen on TreeHugger here) and noting that "the average Victorian building has enough embodied energy to drive a vehicle around the world five times."...
Ask TreeHugger: Don’t Eat Yellow Snow…or Black…or Brown…or Pink…
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 11. 9.07
Question: My kids always want to eat snow. If I can help it, I don’t let them, but I can’t watch them all the time. It’s driving me crazy. What do you think?
Response: If the snow is yellow, black, brown, pink or otherwise dirty, it should not be eaten, as the colors each point out the presence of a different kind of pollution – yellow pollution from animals, black and brown pollution from dirt, cars, and people, and pink from bacterial contamination. The snow can collect these pollutants once it falls to the ground by being stepped on, splashed on, peed on, or otherwise having pollution fall on it. More surprisingly to some, perhaps, snow can also become contaminated by pollution as it falls to the ground.
It turns out that snow is a fairly efficient pollution collector when it is in the air. Snow is formed by water vapor that moves in clouds in cold air. As the water vapor moves in the cold air, it can stick to a tiny piece of dust and then have other water molecules attach to it, forming a crystal. Once formed, the crystal can continue to grow and can stay in the air for hours before it falls to the ground. It is during this time that the snow crystal can collect or “scavenge” pollutants that are present in the air....
Yug Gug Gug! - Popeye Clunks Climate Change.
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 11. 9.07
Olive Oyl would be so proud! Popeye is back in action and he's on for "the mos' arful battle". His old foe Bluto has returned in the dastardly form of Climate Change, but Popeye is going to use his cans of 'New Green Energy' to fight his way out of this one! We're definitely going to enjoy this new tongue in cheek awareness raising campaign from UK renewable energy company Ecotricity....
A Picture is Worth... Nature Creates a River
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 9.07
Check out the whole amazing sequence Dispatches from Designboost: Visualizing the Spokes
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 11. 9.07
[Ed. note: This is the latest in a series of guest posts by David Carlson, co-founder of Designboost, an inaugural event that's focusing on sustainable design. Check out the other posts here and stay tuned for more!]
The boost show (or exhibition) of the Swedish design event Designboost is a visualisation of the seven “spokes” of the imaginary sustainable wheel, which is the foundation for the event 2007. The different themes of the wheel, which I mentioned earlier, includes environmental influence, innovation, emotional connection, aesthetics, quality, authenticity and compatibility.
At the different images below you will see some different projects/products that according to us are good examples of sustainable design according to our thesis of a holistic view on the subject. All projects are presented both with a product and also a written description of the strategy behind it. In addition to Tejo Remy's "Accidental Carpet," above, you can see a short description of the projects/products below the fold. The Boost show runs until November 17th at Fridhemstorget in Malmö, Sweden.
As mentioned before specially made interviews with different involved designers will be presented here at TreeHugger in the near future. Stay tuned!...
Make Rain, Not War
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 9.07
Maybe praying for rain will unite Georgians around the idea that something needs to be done besides standing around watching Lake Lanier recede (as pictured), threatening to sue Federal agencies or neighboring states, or telling people to buy two weeks worth of bottled water.
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No Space to Park or Walk in Athens
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.07
In Athens, people park anywhere. If you complain or participate in the popular sport of "car vaulting", you get arrested. “All I did was exercise my right as a pedestrian,” he [Tassos Pouliasis] said in an interview. “No one, neither the police, the car driver or even a single bystander, could see beyond my action to realize that there was a blatant traffic violation to begin with.”
Evidently in Greece, the concerns and rights of pedestrians are widely disregarded. “Step on a sidewalk or try crossing any street here, and chances are you’ll instantly feel like the prey of a safari hunt,” said Vassilis Theodorou of the Hellenic Association of Road Traffic Victim Support. “This is the only place in Europe where the golden traffic rule — that pedestrians have the unconditional right of way — is so brazenly disrespected.”
Some are fighting back, putting Dayglo stickers on windshields depicting a donkey in a car above the message, “I park wherever I want.” ::New York Times
Of course, in places like New York City things are so much better:
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The Complexities of Keeping It Small and Simple
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.07
Harry and the Harrier: Prince Questioned Over Illegal Killings
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11. 9.07
TreeHugger isn’t best known for its coverage of British Royalty (heaven knows they get enough press elsewhere). However, when it relates to greenness, we are not averse to the occasional post. We have already looked at Prince Charles’ attempts to cut his own environmental footprint , and the Queen’s plans to install hydro power at Windsor Castle also made it onto our pages. It’s a shame then, that this royal post sees one of the Windsor’s making the headlines for all together more negative reasons. It seems that the reserve warden and two visitors at the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk were watching two hen harriers in flight (a protected species) when they heard shots before first one, then the other, bird of prey plummeted from the sky. The police were called in immediately to investigate the illegal killings which carry a potential sentence of 6 months in jail or a £5000 (US$10,000) fine. The suspects? Three men, including none other than Prince Harry, Charles’ youngest son and third in line to the throne. For some strange reason, charges were not brought:
...
A Novel Strategy to Counter Ocean Acidification
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 9.07
Kurt House's idea to bolster the oceans' ability to sequester carbon dioxide sounds straightforward enough. Because higher atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas have blunted the oceans' ability to act as a carbon sink by making them more acidic, House - a graduate student in Harvard's Earth and Sciences department - contends, pumping in more basic solutions should help reverse that trend.
Arguing that it would take much too long - several thousand years - for the oceans to return to their equilibrium state naturally , House's proposal, known as electrochemical weathering, would accelerate a normal process that dissolves rocks on land to form alkaline solutions. The reactions that form the solutions, which eventually find their way to the sea, would be sped up by using a much stronger acid to dissolve the rocks.
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Issues Survey: Chemicals in our Kids
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 9.07
Now that we are in the American election spin cycle, what would we ask the candidates if we could? What would we expect to hear? For the next few days you can do it at 10questions, but we will use a survey per week to look at issues big and obscure that we might want our candidates to think about.
We recently noted that the FDA has a long list of "grandfathered" chemicals that have been around for so long that they are assumed to be safe, and they go into stuff that we use on our kids, even though some are associated with brain and nervous system damage, hormone disruption, allergies and cancer. Many are common ingredients in baby shampoo, lotion, diaper cream, and sunscreen.
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Recipe of the Week - Curried Chickpea, Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 11. 9.07
My husband and I disagreed quite strenuously about this recipe. I have always said that cooking for him was a joy because he would eat anything except lima beans, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to add lentils to the list. I always knew that lentils weren't his favourite thing, but I love them, and I'm the cook. But this week he had two mouthfuls of this soup and put his foot down. I, on the other hand thought the stew was delicious, so I'm going to share it with you in spite of my disgruntled (and hungry) spouse.
I can tell you the stew gets better the next day because I've been eating it all week. It's also really healthy and clocks in at 293 calories. If you can't find any swiss chard, feel free to substitute spinach....
"Supervolcano" Pushing Yellowstone Ever Upwards
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 9.07
Though barely perceptible to all but the most well-trained eye, Yellowstone National Park has been rising at an alarmingly fast rate - up to 3 inches a year since mid-2004 - according to a new study published in the journal Science. A buildup of magma about 6 miles, or 10 km, underground is causing the surface to almost visibly "inflate".
The park is located on a so-called "supervolcano" - a huge, geologically active feature that is "hundreds of times bigger than Mount St. Helens," according to Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah who co-wrote the study. The caldera, or crater, in which it is situated formed when the "supervolcano"'s cone fell apart during an eruption 640,000 years ago....
The Virtue of Humility: Why Coke's Ethical Store Failed
by Jerry Stifelman, The Change, Chapel Hill, NC on 11. 9.07
The news that Coke’s prototype store for its “Far Coast” ethical coffee chain concept is set to close comes as no surprise to those of us in the circle of good-for-the-world branding and marketing. But that doesn’t mean we rooted for it to fail. The world would sure be a better place if transnationals behaved as responsibly to humanity and the planet as they do to their shareholders (novel concept – but maybe we are all shareholders of this planet). We suggest the store failed because everything about Far Coast was designed to hide the association with its parent company. And in a world where the internet brings instant access to vast amounts of corporate information and news, having something to hide is just not smart. Especially when the kind of customers you’re appealing to are turned on by the virtues of transparency and ethical consumption.
As we argued in this guest post a while back, authenticity is a huge asset in terms of branding and marketing. Many companies, from Coke to Starbucks, spend millions trying to cultivate it. Yet, if there is any kind of dissonance between that impression of authenticity, and the institutional realities of a company, then the whole brand is a house of cards. No one likes to feel manipulated, least of all when their ethics are being appealed to.
But what if Coke had taken a different route? What if they’d embraced the truth?...
Nu Magazine: Fashion Laid Bare
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11. 9.07
A new ethical fashion magazine has appeared on the London scene. It is good timing now that the fashion world is beginning to recognise the impact of its production on the world and that ethical fashion can be stylish. Started by two young social entrepreneurs, it will showcase only fair trade, organic, recycled, vintage, and UK-produced clothes and accessories. It's small in size and length so it is perfect reading for a long trip on the bus or subway. The range of topics is broad: health and beauty, home wares, hot fashions as well as some serious pieces. What's nice is that they are presented in an accessible and attractive format so that ethical fashion looks sexy and desirable; not boring. Also nice is that they give a complete list of the websites for the featured products; there is nothing more frustrating than wasting time looking for an obscure label.
Here's a little tim bit (Canadian joke) : an article on Feng Shui for the office suggests that you clear your desk before you leave at night so that you are not held back by stale energy, empty the waste bin every day, clear window sills and have a plant...(you never know). Initially the magazine will come out quarterly and is already available at some very cool shops around London. The website will be up soon, which will be a great resource for London fashionistas. We wish them well in this exciting and very relevant new venture. :: nu magazine...
Child Creativity Linked With Outdoor Free Time
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 11. 9.07
I’m not sure about you, but I certainly remember a time when electronic toys were a novelty and the idea of a “play date” meant you rang the doorbell down the street to see if “Mike” could come out to play… But certainly all of that has changed in large degree since the early to mid eighties when I was pedaling around town on a bike and playing manhunt in “the woods” with friends.
I call it “the woods” because that was the name we gave it, though in reality the place we used to play was more of a vacant lot with loads of trees on it, a few old tires, and empty beer cans from older kids the night before. But we certainly weren’t aware of the fact that it wasn’t Yellowstone, and it never dawned on us to care either... To us it was simply our place to hang out and create whatever new creation was possible out of the materials available, before running around like a bunch of lunatics while chasing each other and having a blast.
Intriguingly, studies now show that free time to play outdoors is critical to developing creativity in kids that can blossom in later life. Seemingly, it’s one of their first opportunities to create on their own, outside the realm of adults, and often through collaboration with peers of all kinds, shapes and sizes.
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Neurosis River: Coal Power & Wastewater Create Toxic Fish
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 11. 9.07
Coal is dirty. In late October of 1948 a temperature inversion occurred over the towns of Donora and Webster, Pennsylvania along the Monongahela River. The odd inverse of hot and cold air trapped the coal smoke and pollution billowing from a zinc smelter and a steel mill. The thick pollution nestled into the towns and resulted in the deaths of about two dozen people. The shocking toxicity eventually inspired federal air pollution legislation in the 1960s and 1970s.
Today, coal is still polluting Pennsylvania. Mercury and selenium are well known pollutants emitted through the burning of coal for power generation. A study conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health now sheds light on how dangerous levels of mercury and selenium are winding up in the fish downwind of coal plants. ...
Post-Consumer Recycled Goods: Recycling Waste Into Stuff
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 8.07
What is "post-consumer recycled"?
Once a material or finished product has served its intended use and has been diverted or recovered from waste destined for disposal, it is then considered "post-consumer." Having completed its life as a consumer item, it can then be recycled as such. This differs from "pre-consumer" or "post-industrial" waste, which is generated by industrial or manufacturing waste.
Post-consumer recycled starts with our waste
Just about all industrial processes generate waste; the paper and printing industries, for example, recycle ends of paper rolls, misprints, scraps from trimming, etc. This pre-consumer waste is produced in large quantities in a relatively small number of locations; this is the polar opposite of post-consumer waste, which generally comes from our homes. As such, post-consumer waste is more difficult to separate and collect, but very important as it keeps tons of material from going to the landfill....
BuyGreen: Office & Desk Chairs
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 8.07
Anyone that sits at a desk or in a chair for part or all of their work knows that what you sit in really matters. Not only does it affect how comfortable and productive you are, but poor seating can have some pretty negative long-term health effects, limiting your ability to earn the green.
The chairs you'll find here are designed to help you feel better at work, not only providing relief to your arching back, but relieving some of the pressure your office puts on the environment. Choose from lots of colors and fabrics to fit your budget and style; since they've all been designed with sustainability in mind -- spanning the spectrum from infinitely adjustable to so smart that it adjusts to you -- each one can make a case for being the last task chair you'll ever have to buy. Hit the jump to start sitting pretty....
Wrap Your Laptop in Organic Cotton
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 8.07
Lovingly cradle your precious electronic cargo—and protect it from accidental spills and drops—with one of Passenger Pigeon's chic and contemporary organic-cotton laptop sleeves.
Starting at $66 and available in two sizes (15 inches and 17 inches), the lightly padded sleeves come in either gray or orange fabric, peppered with miniature birds and wind turbines, respectively. ::Reform School
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Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Now With Terrapass
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 8.07
Photo credit: Business Week
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has buddied up with TerraPass to enable its customers to offset the pollution created by their rentals, effectively rendering their rides carbon neutral.
Starting January 1, 2008, the world's largest fleet of rental cars—1.1 million at last count, including 3,000 hybrids and 54,000 flex-fuel vehicles—will be the first major rental-car company to offer a carbon-offset option in the United States. Plus, Enterprise will be matching its customers' offset purchases dollar for dollar up to $1 million.
This is a major coup for TerraPass; and, if just 100,000 customers pay the extra dollar or so for a TerraPass, the program will offset 12 millions of pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions—or the equivalent of taking 2,000 Toyota Corollas off the road. ::Inc. and ::TerraPass
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Other States to Adopt California's Emissions Standards, Sue Pants Off EPA
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 8.07
Photo credit: ramella
The 11 other states that have clutched California's tough emissions standards against their legislative bosoms: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey (whoo hoo!), New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
Five states that have said they plan to jump on board are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, and Utah....
A-Squared Goes For Rain Barrels Too
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 8.07
A few weeks back we saw the LED street lights going up in Ann Arbor Michigan USA. Now this same City is experimenting with rain barrels on a large scale. That's a good thing. Rain barrels not only provide free water for gardening, they reduce the intensity and volume of storm water runoff, and provide an emergency water storage option in the event of a extended drought. Are you listening Atlanta?
Volunteers from the Huron River Watershed Council rolled out the barrels Sunday afternoon - rain barrels, that is. After selling 700 of them in just three weeks through pre-orders, Laura Rubin, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, was ecstatic. So ecstatic, in fact, that she promised another sale next year. Also thrilled with the ability to purchase the environmentally friendly, 60-gallon, dark green barrels were the about 450 customers who arrived at the Huron High School parking lot to pick them up after paying a bargain price of $75. But people from Ann Arbor weren't the only ones purchasing the rain barrels. They came from all over southeast Michigan - including Chelsea, Ypsilanti, Redford, Detroit, St. Clair Shores, Brighton and Howell....
The Circuit Board Bakers of Guiyu
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 8.07
Andrew Leonard at Salon introduces us to eDump, a 20 minute film about the business of exporting American toxic garbage to China. And why not? The shipping containers are going back empty and garbage is about the only thing left that America is producing lots of. Leonard notes that "The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world in which it is not illegal to export hazardous waste to less developed countries."
It is the first film by Michael Zhao of Wuhan, China, and it is, like Manufactured Landscapes, a powerful indictment. The woman in the picture above is baking circuit boards on a coal fired stove to separate the components. Watch ::eDump by Michael Zhao via ::Salon
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A Brownfield Site Restored and Put to Work
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 8.07
After years of industrial pollution on the shores of Syracuse's Onondaga Lake, the Solway Settling Basins is now setting a precedent for the restoration of contaminated brownfield sites, or parcels of land that previously housed industrial facilities.
Rather than fencing off the area, capping it with clay and plastic, and then posting "Keep Out" signs, a partnership of engineers, scientists, and new corporate owners decided to restore the ecosystem, remediate the environmental concerns, and turn the site into something beneficial....
Potting Shed Creations' Organic Rice Hull Gardens
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 8.07
The perfect gift for your environmentally savvy party host or hostess: Potting Shed Creation's ready-to-grow container flowers and herbs. Packed in burnished urns made from rice hulls, an abundant agricultural byproduct (read: waste), these gardens are 100 percent biodegradable—and USDA certified organic, to boot.
You get your choice of butterfly amaryllis, garlic chives, lemon basil, parsley, or paperwhites. Prices start at $15.50. ::Potting Shed Creations...
Is Lack of Sleep Making Your Kids Fat?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 8.07
Scoffing down too much cake and candy may not be the only thing expanding Little Timmy's burgeoning waistline. Kids who aren't getting enough shuteye could also be at an increased risk for being overweight, according to research published in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics.
In a study that examined the relationship between sleep duration and overweight risk for third-grade and sixth-grade children, researchers from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital discovered that children who got fewer than 9 hours of sleep each day were more likely to be overweight, regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status, or quality of life at home....
Top Five Climate Skeptic Red Herrings
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 8.07
DeSmogBlog provides answers to the usual lame arguments that come up in comments and deranged websites. Their top five, abbreviated here:
1. A group of "experts" signed a letter stating that there is no consensus on climate change: Science is a process of proposing an hypothesis, testing it and then publishing those results in a peer-reviewed research journal. A letter signed by a bunch of people stating that the theory of human-caused global warming is wrong does not prove anything scientifically.
2. The climate is always changing - it's natural: The fact that there has been historical variation in temperature and greenhouse gas levels is well known in science. But natural variation is not what has been observed since the industrial revolution.
3. Scientists predicted global cooling in the 1970's: And in the 1950's scientists were using LSD to treat alcoholism.
4. Al Gore flies around the world in carbon-emitting jets. What would you have Gore do? Walk to China?
5. The Mann "hockey stick" graph: the Hockey Stick is just another red herring propped up by those who insist on keeping their heads firmly planted in the nice warm (and getting warmer) sand.
Read the full versions at ::Desmogblog
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Intriguing Electric Bike: The EV-X7 Prototype
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 11. 8.07
Quote of the Day: Jonathan Porritt on Saving Our Seeds
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 8.07
The number of people out there today seriously worried about the health of all the plants and seeds on which modern agriculture depends must be very limited, and the number of people actively campaigning to protect them vanishingly few. ... Of the Earth's 250,000 plant species, only 200 are cultivated for food on any serious scale.
Even more extraordinary, the vast majority of the world's food comes from just 20 crops, in just eight plant families. Most of these monocultures are dangerously vulnerable to diseases (both old and new), pest infestations, and a rapidly changing climate....
Strange Stairs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 8.07
Earlier this year all the internets were showing a stairway with storage built into it; Here are more innovative designs via Deputy Dog. Staggered stairs are usually found in industrial spaces, but gabriella gustafson and mattias ståhlbom have built this stunning one. It looks dangerous but they are really quite comfortable and safe, with twice the rise for the same run, so they are very efficient for small spaces. However they don't usually look this good.
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50 Ways to Green Your Business
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 8.07
Lots of green reads in the November issue of Fast Company: 50 Ways to Green Your Business- "Imagine asking today how the Internet affects business. It's an absurd question, like asking how electricity changed business. Asking the same about sustainability, it turns out, is equally absurd. Like the Internet, sustainability spurs innovation in everything. ::More
Motorhead Messiah: Johnathan Goodwin can get 100 mpg out of a Lincoln Continental, cut emissions by 80%, and double the horsepower. Does the car business have the guts to follow him? ::More
Old Bird, New Feathers- Patrick Martins has brought once-endangered turkey breeds back to the Thanksgiving table. ::More...
Wayback Machine 1933; Vertical Rotors Move Ship in Lightest Winds
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 8.07
There have been TreeHugger posts on modern versions of this and other modern sailing designs, and it looks similar to Jacques Cousteau's Alcyone . Way back in 1933 aeronautical engineer Laurence Lesh put vertical wings on boats that can sail directly into the wind. "Once the pointed, vertical wings of the Lesh boat begin spinning, they keep on until the wind dies down or the brakes are applied. The lightest of breezes, tests have shown, will start them whirling and move the ship." It is another demonstration of the magnus effect, first seen on TreeHugger with the Magenn air rotor. ::Modern Mechanix...
Book Review: Softies by Therese Laskey
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 8.07
Office Building Lit By 100% LED Light
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 11. 8.07
Here's an example of an office building that has been converted to 100% LED light. The new bulbs consume 48% less energy than those they replaced (mostly fluorescents lights). The workplace in question is the headquarters of Cree, a company in North Carolina that specializes solid-state LED lights. The parking lots, entryways, lobby and conference rooms at Cree’s headquarters are now lit by eco-effective XLamp LEDs. Even the high-pressure sodium parking lights and spotlights were converted to LED lights....
Skinny Swedish Packages A Staple In China
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 11. 8.07
There's always clung to the Tetra Pak a bit of uncertainty regarding its environmental credibility: is it or isn't it green? Tetra Pak recycling rates are lousy, but in at least one life cycle analysis it came out ahead of glass and PET plastic in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Now one of Tetra Pak's heirs, Swede Hans Rausch, has put a lot of money and time behind Ecolean, which might be called Tetra Pak's next generation. Ecolean is a packaging film made of 40 percent calcium carbonate (chalk) and about 60 percent polyolefin (yup, plastic).
The biggest markets for Ecolean thus far have been developing nations, especially China, where demand for dairy products is growing exponentially. But now in Europe Ecolean is getting more shelf space and is even starting to show up in grocery stores in Scandinavia....
Clevr: Scoop! Contemporary Bed
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 8.07
If the words "sofa bed" do little to inspire you when combined, we submit "Scoop!" for your consideration. Designed by the savvy Saba Italia, this elegant space-saver transforms from round nest to two half-moon sofas (it also comes in a square version, if that's more your speed), creating some nice extra seating during the day and eliminating the need for you to have both a sofa and a guest bed. We're not crazy about their use of polyurethane foam, but it sure is a clever way to create space for sitting when you're awake and space to sleep when you're, well, asleep. Hit the jump to see sofa mode. ::Saba Italia via ::Trendir...
The TH Interview: Steve Glenn, Founder and CEO of LivingHomes
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 8.07
Steve Glenn has been on a tear of late. Capping off weeks of buildup and fawning media coverage - from the likes of us - the WIRED Home finally opened its doors to the public earlier this week to great fanfare. Despite his demanding schedule, Glenn was kind enough to sneak in some time for a short discussion about the home, his company and his future goals.
LivingHomes' partnership with WIRED first originated as a result of the two organizations' mutual focus on good design and technology. The collaboration eventually led to the concept for the WIRED Home - a high-tech, futuristic and eco-friendly house based on a prefab model designed by renowned architect Ray Kappe. Glenn credited a lot of the new attention (and success) his homes had received over the past year to a renewed interest in green technologies and prefab architecture....
The Seed Project
by Joey Roth, Brooklyn, USA on 11. 8.07
For some it's knitting, for others discussing books or building bikes- there's nothing like a shared task to make new ideas sprout from groups of people. That's one of the goals behind the Seed Project: an art instillation that can exist anywhere in the world, anytime someone decides to participate. You can purchase seed packets, which also contain instructions, in batches of ten - the idea being that you use one and give the other nine to friends. You then grow your seeds in some creative way, send a photo of your work back to the Seed Project, and wait for the next exhibition, where your plant will be shown along with its siblings- the same plant, each grown in a different way. Then, hopes founder David Cohen, you'll organize your own Seed event or start a totally new project with fellow growers. ...
TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 11. 8.07
Cradle to Cradle: Cradle to Cradle Online Community by Bill McDonough
"Michael Braungart and I are very happy to announce the online community for Cradle to Cradle is now open! We look forward to participating actively through this blog and by appearing for live chats in the discussion forum from time to time. Please encourage people you know who are interested in Cradle to Cradle design to sign up at http://community.mbdc.com."
Inhabitat: The Personal Podcar by Jorge Chapa
"Travelers to London are in for a green transportation treat when traveling from terminal to terminal. The ULTra PRT, by Advanced Transport Systems LTD, is a Personal Rapid Transit vehicle which has the potential to change the way that we travel within cities (and more specifically, airports in this case) around the world."...
New 2-Year Certificate in Biomimicry
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11. 8.07
Biomimicry is quite the buzz word in sustainability these days. For those unfamiliar with the concept, it’s essentially the discipline of using systems and charecteristics observed in nature to inform human design and innovation. We’ve already outlined our pick of favorite biomimicry stories, from self-cleaning paint modelled on lotus flowers to Seventh Generation's pursuit of biomimicry throughout their product range. We’ve also heard directly from Janine Benyus, founder of the concept, herself, and we’ve brought news of a guidebook on biomimicry in product design. Now we are delighted to hear that the Biomimicry Institute is offering a 2-year certificate program in biomimicry, helping to spread knowledge of, and expertise in, this exciting field even further. This from the institute’s homepage:...
Children Exposed Daily to Personal Care Products With Chemicals Not Proven Safe
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 11. 8.07
According to an investigation by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) children are being exposed daily to chemicals via the use of everything from baby shampoo to diaper wipes that have not been assessed for their hazards to children.
In an online survey of more than 3,300 parents, the group found that the average child is exposed through body care products to 27 chemicals a day that have not been found safe for them, including some that are associated with brain and nervous system damage, hormone disruption, allergies and cancer. All common ingredients in baby shampoo, lotion, diaper cream, and sunscreen.
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Urban Additions for "Antisurbanites"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 8.07
We often put forth the proposition that people who live in the city tend to have smaller footprints and live in smaller spaces than those in the suburbs; The New York Times shows some additions that are glaring exceptions, big gorgeous galomphing footprints on roofs and in backyards, designed for families that wanted to stay downtown and had the means to do it in style.
Lucy Musgrave and Zad Rogers outgrew their 1100 square foot London apartment but didn't want to leave the neighbourhood, so they added on to a warehouse building. Dad Richard Rogers designed it and helped slog through the approval process, which took years of negotiations with freeholders, leaseholders, and neighbours with rights to ancient light.
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Presidential Candidate Profiles On Climate Change: A Dennis Kucinich Update
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 8.07
We didn't include Candidate Kucinich in our original Presidential Profiles post. A reader pointed out his commitment to sustainable development and sure enough, he is unique among all declared candidates in that regard. Our commenter also outlined some other positions that differentiate Kucinich from all other presidential candidates.
Kucinich has the sanest plan for energy -- he's the only one that mentions Peak Oil by name, and has a plan for a green Manhattan Project to get America onto a post-oil transition; he's against nuclear and opposes the privatization of water.That seemed a fair characterization after we read the Kucinich website statement about A Sustainable Future. What Dennis lacks in his published platform statement is an articulated position on coal as an energy source and a target for societal energy efficiency gains. As to the broader topic of environment - going beyond climate or energy - candidate Kucinich unfortunately has not, at the time of this posting, responded to the League of Women Voters 2008 Presidential Candidates Survey, as have several of the other major candidates. But, we have to credit him for being the first, and as yet only, candidate to lay out what a sustainable future means to him. ...
Walk Don't Run
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11. 8.07
We know that that we are supposed to walk more, and we know that we should get off the subway a stop earlier than our destination and walk the last bit etc. etc. But it is so hard to get started, and so easy to jump on a bus (or into the car) instead of doing the right thing. A handy website for Londoners, and those lucky folks in Birmingham and Edinburgh (why there?) will make the choice a lot easier, and a lot more fun. Called Walkit, it gives a map of the walking route to any place in those cities. And it tries to make it the most pedestrian friendly and nicest one too. For those geographically-challenged, it also gives landmarks along the way to make sure that you are still going in the right direction.
Just to make it even more enticing, the site gives the distance and walking time for slow, medium or fast walkers and the number of calories burned for each one. Surprisingly, and sadly, there is only a 38 calorie difference between slow and fast on an hour-long walk. It also gives the CO2 avoided by not taking the car, taxi, or bus on the same route. :: Walkit.com...
Sort of Coal, Purifying Charcoal for Your Home
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 11. 8.07
At TreeHugger, we don’t like bottled water (read here, here and here) and believe tap water is the greenest way to have it. However, some of us are unfortunate to live in areas where the tap water tastes really bad, so we need to filter it. Water softening also helps, or you can install an osmosis system or use other water-filer products. A more simple and beautiful option for filtering your tap water is the century old Asian method of using active charcoal. The Danish company Sort of Coal have made it their mission to combine the purifying elements as well as the aesthetics of charcoal in their products. These derive from the mountain forests of Japan and Korea and are harvested in a sustainable way. The tree’s root structure is not damaged so that after the best branches have been collected, they can grow back over and over again.
So how does charcoal work as a water purifier? The Binchotan (left picture), a beautiful thick charcoal branch, absorbs unwanted particles like bacteria and smells from the water and instead, releases natural minerals. Because the water is softened, our bodies easier absorb it. One Binchotan branch serves for about 1 litre of water. After leaving it in the fridge for 1 night, the water is pure and soft. After about 3 months they recommend changing the branch, or you might be able to reactivate it a few times by boiling and drying it. At the end of its life, it should be smashed and composted. One Binchotan costs 20€....
Indian Government May Have Grossly Overestimated Water Supply
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 11. 7.07
"Delhi, we have a problem" – at least according to a paper recently published in Current Science by researchers from the elite Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Jamia Milia Islamia (National Islamic University) in Delhi which claims that the Indian government has overestimated utilizable water resources anywhere from 66 to 88 percent due to a flawed methodology. "What the government has done is double accounting of one vital element of the water cycle and therefore ended up with an inflated figure. While the error looks simple, with the ground water data of the country being classified, it took us four years of digging and understanding the method of calculation to figure out this discrepancy," says N.K. Garg of IIT, one of the study’s authors. According to both authors Garg and Q. Hassan of Jamia Milia Islamia, India had only 668 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water compared to 1,110 BCM claimed by the Central Water Commission (CWC) – which is a shortage of 442 BCM. With a projected demand of 987 BCM, it cannot be met even after all the available water is exploited....
Hippo Works Helps Kids Get Hip to Climate Change
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 7.07
Simon the Hippo and his friends are enlisting kids to help them in their fight against climate change, which they explain through a series of entertaining Flash "cartoonlets."
With the assistance of this animated menagerie, grownups can help their offspring understand the basics of green power, why CFLs matter, and how a few mindful actions around the house can make a difference. ...
TiWalkMe: The 1000-Year Old Forest Clock
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 7.07
Green Week: Not Just for TV Anymore
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 7.07
Yesterday, we noted that it's Green Week at NBC; the technophiles at SciFi Tech are celebrating with a Green Week of their own. Their daily posts are celebrating green gadgets galore and future-looking technologies with spotlights on corn starch plastics, green power portables (pictured above) and energy scavengers, that'll snag you some free energy.
Every week is "Green Week" at TreeHugger, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy when others come along for the ride. The more green weeks we can all string together, the closer the world at large will come to realizing that green really is universal; anyone know of any other "Green Weeks" out there? Get your techno-geek on at ::SciFi Tech's Green Week...
Nylon Tea Bags - A Japanese Export Coming To Markets
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 7.07
We're going to play our hunches up front. Nylon tea bags are coming to market primarily to reduce cost of goods and hence increase profit for manufacturers. Due to nylon's high tear resistance, the number of bags torn and lost during assembly and filling, quality defects in other words, will be reduced. More profit. Plus, the fine mesh allows the use of tea dust, which ups process yield, and again more profit.
Possibly, the aromatic compounds that give a good tea a flavor and odor profile will be less prone to absorption on nylon than paper, allowing makers to get by with less tea per bag to reach the taste profile customers prefer. That's a WAG though. Can you think of any other rational reason for tea distributors to do this now, besides that consumers adore novelty and don't really think about composting and resource consumption when they are readying to titer-up the blood caffeine level?...
Step It Up, 1Sky Want You to Give the Green Finger
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 7.07
Opportunity Green Seeks to Establish LA's Eco-Cred
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 7.07
Full disclosure: this writer has helped organize the conference and will be participating as a moderator. Graham Hill, the site's founder, will also be attending as a moderator.
As "green" continues its ascendancy as this year's hot topic of discussion in business, policy and media circles around the world, one city from which it has been almost conspicuously absent is Los Angeles. Known primarily for its staggering level of smog, sprawl-heavy urban planning and inveterate automobile culture, Los Angeles has been slow to bolster its green credentials, having only recently embarked on a series of initiatives aimed at redressing its eco-image.
One organization that is hoping to reshape LA into a hotbed of sustainability is Opportunity Green. Founded earlier this year by Karen Solomon and Mike Flynn, Opportunity Green takes a more business-centric approach to kindling the conversation by highlighting the accomplishments and ongoing efforts of various LA luminaries and noted eco-entrepreneurs from around the country....
Montecito Residence by Olsen, Sundberg, Kundig Allen
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 7.07
Sometimes we have to stretch to find a reason to put an item on TreeHugger; being drop dead gorgeous isn't enough, especially if it is huge, expensive and in the middle of nowhere. However Tom Kundig of Seattle's Olsen, Sundberg, Kundig Allen has given us some excuses:
"Built in a fire-prone landscape, this house aims to harvest the climatic conditions which make the site so dangerous- the sun and the wind."...
Time To Ecolabel Biofuels?
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 11. 7.07
It wasn't too long ago that biofuels were basking in the glow of nearly everyone's approval - a quick fix for reducing CO2 emissions from transport. The EU aims to fill 10% of its transport needs with biofuels by 2020. But biofuel's easy ride may be over. One of Sweden's leading gas chains, OKQ8, last week canceled its plans to introduce a palmoil-based biodiesel to the market after critics like Greenpeace chided the company, saying that palm oil production can be as destructive to the environment as burning fossil fuels. Ethanol has experienced a 100% increase in demand here in the last year due to all the bio-fuel cars now entering the Swedish market, and ethanol producers are also getting criticized for CO2 emissions from its production....
We Can't Make This Stuff Up Dept.: The Chopstick Bra
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 7.07
Lingerie-maker Triumph International Japan has just unveiled the "My Chopsticks Bra" in Tokyo to promote the use of reusable chopsticks. That's right, you can enhance your cleavage and save the planet at the same time.
The not-for-sale concept bra, which has a Japanese dining-table theme, comes with a pair of collapsible chopsticks. The right cup consists of a rice bowl, while the left comprises a miso-soup bowl. ...
The TH Interview: Andy Ruben & Matt Kissler of Wal-Mart
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 11. 7.07
Amid notable speculation and eyebrow-raising, Andy Ruben, the man leading Wal-Mart's sustainability charge, has stepped aside. Details of what goes on within Wal-Mart's HQ fortress in Bentonville can be scant, but Mr. Ruben was kind enough to speak with us about the change, as was his replacement, Matthew Kissler. As Ruben moves on to private brands at Sam's Club, his replacement brings with him the engineering of Wal-Mart's famous packaging scorecard (which we first mentioned here). In this interview, we spoke to both men about the shuffle, the future of Wal-Mart's sustainability lens, and what car seats and Hamburger Helper have to do with corporate eco-strategy. You can read this rare exchange below, grab the podcast on iTunes, or click here to listen. TreeHugger: Andy, the New York Times says that you were "reassigned;" that's sort of the big news here. Can you tell me what the deal is with this? Andy Ruben: As you know, I've been involved in leading the sustainability efforts at Wal-Mart for the past three years or so. Of the three goals that we have, products is the third goal. Private brands is a dream. I mean, private brands sit on our shelves in the stores and connect to 137 million customers in the U.S. every week. It's a dream opportunity....
Quote of the Day: Billy Parish on Climate and Energy
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 7.07
Burt's Bees Creates Buzz to Save Its Own, Gives Away Free Seeds
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 7.07
Photo credit: blentley
Burt's Bees certainly has been busy: The company recently trotted out its co-founder Burt Shavitz out from retirement to raise awareness about the disappearing honeybees, most notably in a cinema campaign to raise awareness of Colony Collapse Disorder.
Coinciding with the big-screen debut of Bee Movie, the new public service announcement running in theaters highlights the fact that every third bite of food we eat depends on bees for pollination, with Shavitz talking about the important role bees play in agriculture. "We believe the bees' survival depends on how we manage and protect our world," he says. "Burt's Bees is funding research to help find a solution, and you can help too. Support your local organic farmer. Plant a seed. Make a healthy place for the bees to live." ...
Point/Counterpoint: Ralph Lauren Spa Organic Bath & Bedding
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 7.07
Ralph Lauren recently launched a line of organic cotton bedding and towels they're calling LaurenSpa, marking the first time we've seen the ubiquitous designer incorporate green into its products. Though certainly meaningful, it brings up a lot of the issues inherent in any big mainstream company going green, so we sat down both sides of the argument to duke it out. It's Point/Counterpoint time!
Point: It's great to see a label like Ralph Lauren finally embracing the green movement by making extensive use of organic cotton.
Counterpoint: Okay, but if they really cared about "going green," they would have begun using environmentally-preferable materials a long time ago. Even Nike has been blending organic cotton into their garments for over a decade....
Stonyfield Farm: All Organic, All the Time
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 7.07
Now that the last of its dairy products is stamped with the USDA Organic seal, Stonyfield Farms can pride itself for being 100 percent organic—and just in time for its 25th anniversary.
The final step toward total conversion occurred last month when Stonyfield gave its fat-free 6-ounce yogurt line the organic makeover, resulting in an all-organic line of 32-ounce and 6-ounce yogurts, drinkable yogurt smoothies, YoBaby yogurts for babies and toddlers, YoKids squeezers and yogurts, frozen yogurt and ice cream, Oikos Greek-style yogurt, and milk.
"This is a goal that often seemed out-of-reach, due to the scarcity of organic milk and other ingredients," said Gary Hirshberg, president and "CE-Yo" of the company. "But our strong supplier relationships—primarily with Organic Valley/CROPP—and their steadfast support of this company and our consumers made this monumental achievement possible."
Now that's something to moo about. ::Stonyfield Farms...
The Business of Green: The Supply Chain
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 7.07
The New York Times has an entire special section on The Business of Green. In one article, "For Suppliers, the Pressure Is On", Claudia Deutch calls it "Phase 3 of the greening of corporate America. Companies have turned to alternative energy, bought hybrid fleets and otherwise tried to clean up their own acts. Many have helped customers go green by stocking green products, selling carbon offsets along with airline tickets or offering electricity from renewable resources for those willing to pay extra." (really? who? how many?)
Phase 3 is "looking at their supply chain as the next frontier for combating climate change. “Carbon footprint is absolutely new territory." says a Herman Miller VP. "“We’re not sure how we’ll measure it, we’re not sure how we’ll deal with it, but we’ve told our suppliers, ‘Get ready, because we’re going to ask you a lot of questions.’”
She makes it sound like all of America operates like Herman Miller, if only it were so. Nonetheless some good examples of responsible corporate America at ::New York Times...
Build Your Own Green Home Game
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 7.07
When we recently showed a game that teaches sustainable building, commenter Joyce said "That is a great idea! Is there an American counterpart?" and what should turn up as part of NBC Universal's GreenWeek but "Build your own green home," that lets you "mix and match components and build the most efficient home possible." It has some nice features, such as adapting for different climates, and including apartments as an option, but is ultimately pretty limited in its range. Try it out and ::Build your own green home.
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Lipstick On A Pig Dept.: Fiji Water Goes Green
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 7.07
That object of much TreeHugger abuse, Fiji Water, is announcing today that it is going carbon negative; according to the New York Times it plans to more than make up for the greenhouse gases released in the creation, transportation and sales of its product.
“Our existence has been a strong net positive for the economy of Fiji, and we don’t want to be any less than that on climate change,” said Thomas Mooney, who in July was named Fiji Water’s first senior vice president for sustainable growth.
They are installing a wind turbine to run the bottling plant, shipping to the east coast instead of trucking across the country, using biodiesel in their delivery trucks and reducing the plastic and cardboard in their packaging. They are also pledging money to protect the watershed where they get their water.
Nice try, but we agree with Michael Brune of the Rainforest Action Network: “Bottled water is a business that is fundamentally, inherently and inalterably unconscionable. No side deals to protect forests or combat global warming can offset that reality.” ::New YorkTimes...
Big Coal To America: 'New US Power Plants Not So Important.'
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 7.07
Plans for several of the hundreds of planned coal-fired power plant additions announced last year are being scaled back. For example, a planned Kansas coal-fired power plant was recently denied a State operating permit mainly because of climate change concerns (see Lloyd's post of today). That example, however, is the exception to the rule of what underlies most of the turnabout. There are two key factors slowing plans for new coal plant construction in the US. One is that the price of building new power plants is skyrocketing due to material shortages; and, the other key factor is that US coal mining and distribution companies now find that more money can be made by selling coal overseas. No need to lobby for more plants (which impacts campaign donations hopefully).
Only an international treaty with carbon tax or cap agreements can curtail the C02 emissions growth still underway. Hence, the important of US Presidential candidate platforms on international climate treaties....
Survey: Why Would You Pay More For Green?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 7.07
One worldwide poll recently showed that people will pay more and make sacrifices to address climate change. Another American poll recently found that consumers were willing to pay more to make their homes more green. Running that poll here on TreeHugger is preaching to the converted, but let's do it anyways and find out why you want a greener place to live.
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Presidential Candidate Profiles On Climate Change: A Hillary Clinton Update
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 7.07
Grist has published a thoughtful analysis of US Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton's updated climate policies platform. The major political point by Grist's David Roberts in this analysis:
With the release of Clinton's plan, all three Democratic front runners for the presidency now have visionary, far-reaching energy plans that would fundamentally reorient the country away from carbon-intensive energy and toward energy efficiency and renewables. It is difficult to think of a another policy issue on which the ground has shifted so far, so fast, and difficult to think of another policy issue on which the gulf between the two political parties is so vast and striking.Why is this important? We think the winning candidate from either party should link their proposals on jobs, health, peace, and climate. Each time a presidential candidate raises the bar on climate policy further, leveraging the jobs, health, peace platform ideas along with that climate platform, he or she ups the pressure for other candidates of both parties to do the same....
TreeHugger Tours the WIRED Home... and Hears Vinod Khosla Speak
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 7.07
Even set amidst the backdrop of a multitude of multi-million dollar mansions, the WIRED Home - nestled in posh Brentwood - is hard to miss. The 2-story, 19-room, 4057 sq. ft. home finally opened its doors to the public this Monday, and we were on hand to be amongst the first to visit it.
It did not disappoint. Every aspect, from its ultramodern/chic aesthetic to its amazing views, was spot-on; the house features an exhaustive list of eco-friendly fixtures and technologies - including a photovoltaic system, energy/water-efficient appliances and a healthy dose of reclaimed materials. Steve Glenn, founder and CEO of LivingHomes (the company that built the house for WIRED), Ray Kappe, the house's architect, and Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures (and a LivingHomes investor), were on hand to give tours to the assembled media and cast of LA power-brokers. ...
TreeHugger's 2007 Gift Guide is Launching Soon!
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 11. 7.07
Stay tuned - TreeHugger's 2007 Gift Guide will be launching shortly!
We've made this guide the most comprehensive yet, with 180+ gift ideas in three shades of green, making it a perfect reference for everyone on your gift list. In addition, we've included useful tips for making your holidays more efficient.
In the meantime, visit our past gift guides from 2006 and 2005 and don't forget to check back in with us....
Greenwash Watch: Kansans for Affordable Energy
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 7.07
King Coal got a shock when the State of Kansas rejected two 700MW coal-fired power plants; Roderick L. Bremby, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said "I believe it would be irresponsible to ignore emerging information about the contribution of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to climate change and the potential harm to our environment and health if we do nothing. " Dave Roberts at Grist bubbles: "This is the first time a coal plant air permit application has ever been denied on the basis of CO2 emissions. "
The King was sorely vexed, and founded "Kansans for Affordable Energy" to run ads that say that these men are smiling “Because the recent decision by the Sebelius Administration means Kansas will import more natural gas from countries like Russia, Venezuela, and Iran.” Dave Roberts notes again “Nothing like a little overt xenophobia to liven up the energy debate.”
It is not really greenwashing; we need a new term for wrapping coal in the American flag and creating a straw man called "energy security" as an alternative to trying to "stop global warming" when in fact you should get two for the price of one. ::Dot Earth...
Robotic Goat Eats Losing Tickets, Becomes Popular With Kids and their Gambling Parents in Japan
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 11. 7.07
When the owners of a boat-racing enterprise in Japan wanted to keep their best customers from throwing losing tickets on the floor they came up with a unique idea; a robotic goat that eats them right in front of your eyes!
Amazingly the people who seem to love the goat most are kids. And while I’m more than uncertain as to the general idea of bringing your kids to watch you gamble heavily, I am certain that the goat itself is helping kids see the wisdom of not littering, if nothing else.
It seems the animatronic Rocky Mountain goat eats 500 tickets a day on average, with kids being heard nagging their parents for losing tickets to feed into the machine.
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World is Ready to Make Sacrifices
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11. 7.07
It's true, according to a recent BBC poll of 22,000 people in 21 countries, the world is ready to make some sacrifices to save the planet. And some are more willing than others: 60-68% of people interviewed in Spain, Mexico, Italy, China and Canada agreed that lifestyle changes were necessary whilst Nigeria, U.S., Kenya and India did not think that they had to do anything to their life style. When it comes to energy costs, Europe and the U.S. agreed that it would be necessary to increase the price of oil and coal in order to discourage usage. Russians and Italians did not concur.
Respondents were split on agreement to raise taxes on energy sources. Most Chinese favour raising them (84%) followed by the Australians, Chileans, British and Canadians (all in the 60% range). However, if the monies raised by taxation were used towards the development of alternate fuel sources and other taxes were lowered, then almost every country is in agreement. Given the size of the sampling this is an optimistic statement about our fellow world citizens. As the director of the polling company commented "This poll clearly shows that people are much more ready to endure their share of the burden than most politicians grant." Another pollster was even more optimistic, and thought that "national leaders could succeed in introducing a carbon tax on energy, the key requirement is that their citizens trust that the resulting tax revenues will be invested in addressing climate change by increasing energy efficiency and developing cleaner fuels." :: BBC News...
Solar4Schools Winners Announced: Free Renewable Energy for UK Schools
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11. 7.07
Whew! We’re finding it hard to keep up with the folks at SolarCentury. No sooner had they told us of their involvement in creating the UK’s first solar powered pub, than we hear their announcement of the winners to the Solar4Schools initiative which we reported on here. Five lucky schools will benefit from a £20,000 (US$40,000) renewable energy system partially funded by Barclaycard Breathe. Solarcentury’s Jeremy Leggett, who we previously interviewed here, had this to say:...
Eco-friendly Bus Fleet Takes Off in Delhi
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 6.07
Photo credit: controvento
Thomas Friedman can now sleep more soundly at night: Delhi's public-transit system got a shot in the arm today with the launch of a new fleet of low-floor buses that run on compressed natural gas (CNG).
The Delhi government intends to add 525 new CNG buses to the government-run bus service, as well as double the number of CNG buses in Delhi within two years, increasing the number of such buses from 3,000 to 6,000. Another panacea for the Indian capital's lagging air quality: Legislation is being drafted to convert 40,000 diesel commercial vehicles to CNG mode....
Green Stat: 64
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 6.07
Image credit: humain
64 -- percent of consumers polled said that "reduced energy costs" would be the most important reason in their decision to either purchase a new green home or remodel their current home to be more green. This according to a survey conducted for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), in anticipation of their National Green Building Program, which will launch early next year at the 2008 International Builders' Show in Orlando.
The survey, conducted the week of October 15 by national polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, polled 800 registered voters about how important certain items would be in their decision to either purchase a new green home or remodel their current home to be more green. The second-highest scoring reason, at 55 percent, was "because it would be healthier." And 49 percent of those surveyed say it's "the right thing to do for the environment."
"That's a pretty strong showing for altruism," said Neil Newhouse, partner with Public Opinion Strategies. "But cost is the overriding concern. That's something that all green players -- builders, regulators and advocates -- need to keep topmost in their minds." ::HGTVpro via ::LOHAS...
District Cotton Goes Bowling For Billboard Bags
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 6.07
Turning retired billboards into toteable purses isn't a new idea: Both Relan and Vy & Elle have been doing it for years. Even Whole Foods recently teamed up with Alchemy Goods to reinvent its used marketing banners, which are difficult to recycle through conventional means.
But Baumm in Buenos Aires and New York City's District Cotton have partnered to bring you a few styles you may not have already seen before, including a clutch-size "bowling-bag" carrier you can tuck under your arm for quick errands around town. Because they're made from discarded advertising billboards, all bags are distinctly one of a kind, with myriad color-and-pattern options available. Prices start at $54. ::District Cotton...
Quote of the Day: Kenny Ausubel on Building a Green U.S. Economy
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 6.07
Photo credit: henkimaa
What planet are we on?" you might wonder from here in the Wild West of Western civilization. Isn't it time for a U.S. Green Plan? We have a golden opportunity to regenerate our waning economy at the same time we seriously correct environmental degradation and rampant social injustices.
We are a brittle superpower bedeviled by an aging infrastructure so decrepit the American Society of Civil Engineers gives it a pitiable grade of D. We're ill prepared to deal with disasters, especially the natural and industrial disasters that present far greater threats to the nation than terrorism....
Waste Not, Want Not: Wax Recycling Candle
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 6.07
How's this for a sleek implementation of a simple idea: spied at 100% Tokyo, Rice Design has created a real "Why didn't I think of that?" idea. This "candle production machine" collects its own wax drippings from the top candle; burn a couple of votives down and stick a wick in it, and you've got a brand new candle, and, perhaps as importantly, no wax drippings or stains on your furniture. We love it when design makes the most of what we've got, and when it makes something as simple as a wax candle seem so smart. ::designboom via ::NotCot.org...
Happy Trails: Universal Orlando Now Good, Green Fun
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 6.07
Photo credit: stignygaard
Universal Orlando flashes its green-theme-park cred this week and pledges to leave the "smallest environmental-impact footprint possible," according to Bill Davis, the resort's president and CEO.
As part of a larger initiative begun Sunday by corporate parents NBC Universal and General Electric, Universal Orlando has converted all mobile engines to run on either ethanol or biodiesel. Park officials also say that the resort will increase its recycling and energy-conservation efforts, transition to lower-toxicity cleaners and solvents, and explore the use of solar energy. "We will focus on becoming the greenest resort possible," Davis told the Orlando Sentinel.
Besides recycling everything from restaurant cooking oil to cardboard, the resort is also replacing or updating fixtures, appliances, and engines with higher-efficiency alternatives. A new office of environmental sustainability has also been put in place to green up the joint. ::Orlando Sentinel
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Cheapest New Cars in Norway Are Electric
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 11. 6.07
It bears a slight, unfortunate resemblance to the AMC Gremlin - that funny box of a car produced for just a few years during the 1970s. And it certainly can't hold a candle to the sleek new Tesla. But Norway's electric car Buddy, which ElbilNorge AB just started producing in larger quantities at its factory near Oslo, has a few things going for it.
It's a good example of greener technology that doesn't necessarily cost more, for one. Right now Buddy is available in Norway for about 135,000 Norwegian crowns (US $25,000). That might seem spendy to a US buyer, but in Norway only three gas-driven models - Kia's 'Picanto', Peugeot's 'Urban' and Chevrolet 'Matiz' - are sold for less than the Buddy. And with the cost of gas in Norway at about 11 crowns (US$2) for a liter - that's right, more than US$7 per gallon - an electric car seems like a great investment if you have to drive. But wait - Buddy has some even cheaper competition!...
NBC Universal's Green Week on TV
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 6.07
Contestants of NBC's The Singing Bee will be crooning songs about the environment, while the red, blue, and black teams on The Biggest Loser will learn how to exercise sans electricity. Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County get tips on how to live with less bling and more green, the Bionic Woman goes to an international environmental convention in Paris, and Al Gore shows up on the set of 30 Rock.
No need to adjust your sets, your TV is going greener this week with NBC Universal's week of environmentally focused programming, part of its new "Green is Universal" campaign. With "Green Week," NBC will be "entertaining, informing and empowering Americans to lead greener lives," with these Very Special Episodes of your favorite shows, Web clips, and PSAs from stars such as ER's Linda Cardellini, Law & Order: SVU's Christopher Meloni, and Las Vegas' Josh Duhamel. Hey, the more you know... ::NBC...
Wretched Excess Dept: 727 Turned into Limo
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 6.07
So many ways to waste fuel and money. How did we miss out on this eBay auction that just ended: A Boeing 727 that was converted into a limousine, complete with [sic on the typos] "Living room Fisrt Class with lighting and wrap around seating. Then enter the sunken living room with a dance floor, big screen TV, fireplace, and full Bar for your bartender. Lazer lights, fog machine, strobe lighting, and windows down both sides. Ceiling mirrors, and aero dynamic seating and bars." Don't know what the gas mileage is, (if you have to ask you can't afford it) but the turbo engine is from a Mercedes 2000 bus, and we have no doubt that the consumption will be very conspicuous. Sold for $ 274,100, only $ 531 per square foot. ::Groovy Green...
BuyGreen: Small Wheel Folding Bikes
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 11. 6.07
While TreeHugger knows that using what you've got 'til it's gone is the greenest way to go, but we all have to replace our old faithful with new favorites eventually. When that time comes, we want you to know some of the good green ways to go. On this list: small wheel folding bikes.
Many think that any small wheeled bike is a folder, but it ain’t necessarily so. But it is true that small wheels do help a bicycle collapse into a neater package. That’s not to say these are toy bikes. Some ride theirs everyday to work (for years), others tour whole continents, while yet others have set world records for upright bicycles. Folding bikes allow their owners to fit them into buses, trains, yachts and even cars (hah!) Their compact size means no wind drag and better fuel economy than perching bikes on car roof racks. But it also allows for easier storage in space restricted apartments, offices and workplaces. Smaller wheels, though stronger, can be a bit more prone to finding matching potholes, though this is balanced with the joy of nimbly nipping through congested traffic. See a few faves below....
Weatherbird Leaves Port On Her Voyage of Recovery
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 6.07
Planktos has just announced that its research ship Weatherbird II, has begun its "Voyage of Recovery." For the benefit of any anti-Darwinian types in the audience, that's a play on century-old words indeed.
Even if we knew the Weatherbird's course, we wouldn't tell because there are still plenty of people who think that studying the effects of a few tons of extremely dilute powdered iron ore spread atop the deepest offshore zones is more dangerous than climate catastrophe and worsening marine acidification. Here's a background post on Planktos' plans and opposition to them. Kimberley outlines the need for the voyage of recovery here. Jeremy lays out the crisis in stark terms here....
Target to "Systematically Reduce" PVC Use
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 6.07
Photo credit: What Rhymes with Nicole
Target may finally be feeling the heat from consumer, health, and environmental groups such as the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), which has been vociferous in its campaign to get the nation's fifth-largest retailer to stop selling products made of or packaged in PVC.
The retailer, which makes $59 billion in revenues per year, now says it is reducing its use of PVC in packaging and children's products, such as lunch boxes and bibs. Target says it is committed to systematically reducing PVC beginning with its in-house brands, while collaborating with a variety of its third-party vendors at the same time, according to a CHEJ press release.
Made from vinyl chloride, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies as a human carcinogen, PVC may also contain lead, which can pose health risks if the plastic deteriorates or when kids put the products in their mouths. Pthalates, a class of chemicals often added to make PVC more flexible, have been linked to male reproductive-development problems. ::Wall Street Journal and ::CHEJ
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Landmarks, not Landfill: I.M. Pei Church in Washington Under Threat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 6.07
OK, brutalist concrete buildings are not the current rage, but there is a lot of embodied energy in that concrete, and enough of it that the building could last forever. It is not one of Pei's best; the architectural critic at the time called it "rude and disorderly." Most articles on it don't even mention his name. The Historic Preservation Office wants to save it, noting "It is always with reluctance, and fairly rarely, that we recommend a designation over an owner's objection" and call it "one of the best examples of Brutalism in the Washington area," a prime example of "the use of exposed, unadorned, roughly cast concrete to construct buildings of 'stark forms and raw surfaces."
But the Christian Scientist owners want to blow it away and build a smaller 400 seat sanctuary and let a developer take the rest. ...
Cleanut: A Detergent Made With Soapnuts
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 11. 6.07
Almawin Cleanut is a new laundry detergent from Germany whose main ingredient is soapnut extract. When I first heard about this product, I was immediately intrigued because soapnuts are a great natural detergent. They are one of the few botanicals that contain saponin. The seeds come from trees (Sapindus mukorossi) grown throughout India and Nepal. Before this detergent was released, soapnuts were only available in their raw form, and they were fairly expensive....
Time Changes, the Silent Pedestrian Killer
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 6.07
Image Credit Spacing
According to a study by two Carnegie Mellon scientists, the rate of pedestrians being struck by cars increases a whopping 186% in the two weeks following a time change.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Professors Paul Fischbeck and David Gerard have made a study of traffic fatalities that shows pedestrians walking during the evening rush hour are nearly three times more likely to be struck and killed by cars in the weeks after the fall time change.
“It’s astonishing,” Dr. Gerard said of the data. “It’s particularly worse right at the switch date, [when the average increases] two people a day for the next couple weeks, until the adjustment is made.” ::Spacing
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Invisible House by R&Sie (n)
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 6.07
Now here is a project that we can really call a Grow House- Spidernethewood by R&Sie in Nimes, France, for Urbain and Elisabeth Souriau. As best as we can figure from the architectspeak, it is a 4000 square foot summer house on two floors, with a 20,000 square foot "outdoor labyrinth" of polypropylene mesh wrapped around trees in a plantation; in five years the trees will be at the "right level."
We probably have to wait a while to see this grow into its own, but it is an interesting idea: create a framework, an infrastructure, and let the environment grow around you....
Truly Organic Apparel
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 11. 6.07
Is it a mark of how popular eco-fashion has become, or maybe the fear that greenwashing is undermining the market, that it is no longer enough to just market your brand as organic? Truly Organic Apparel clearly feel the need to strenuously emphasize that they are the real deal. They claim that their debut line is, "The industry’s first truly organic and chemical-free... completely NO-impact apparel from textile pioneer Tenfold Organic Textiles". I would tactfully suggest that it's near impossible to create any no-impact product, no matter how eco-friendly your manufacturing process. The full life cycle of a garment surely needs to be taken into consideration.
However, not to completely rain on their parade, Truly Organic Apparel are clearly passionate about their clothes and there's no denying that they are making a big effort to create eco-friendly garments. ...
Ballard Throws In The Towel on The Hydrogen Car
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 6.07
They have been the great H2 hope for years, the Ballard fuel cell. They are in Hondas, Mercedes and Mitsubishis. Yet as the hydrogen hype grows, this industry leader's stock has declined from $210 in 2000 to around $5 today. Now they are in talks with part owners Daimler and Ford to dump the automotive fuel cell business. Analyst John Hykawy says "The problem has always been, can you do it for a cost that matters to anybody and the jury is still out on that one, and the other side is that once you have it in the car, can you actually make hydrogen at a reasonable price and supply it in an infrastructure and the answer to that at this point seems to be no."
Tyler Hamilton at Clean Break thinks that the "momentum is on the side of battery technology and the infrastructure to support it needs to be extended and upgraded, instead of created from scratch" and "millions of "smart" electric cars plugged into the grid can offer an extremely valuable way of managing electricity supply and demand and smoothing out peaks." Good points at ::Clean Break...
Cellular Antenna Vandalism Sparks Riots and Police Back-Lash
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 11. 6.07
It's kind of old news, but the events were unfolding like a stack of dominoes and we didn't know where to start.
Early last week, young male residents from Peki'in (a Druse village in the north of Israel) decided to take the law into their own hands. An unusual number of people in the village were getting cancer and they blamed the antenna. They wanted it removed. We can assume that they contacted the authorities and no one listened to them, which is pretty much what happens here in Israel. ...
Chinese Maglev Wind Turbines Enter Mass Production
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 11. 6.07
Construction has begun on the world's largest production base for magnetic levitation (maglev) wind power generators. According to Xinhua, the base will produce a series of small-scale maglev wind power generators with capacities ranging from 400 to 5,000 watts in the first half of 2008.
So, what the heck is a maglev generator? It improves efficiency by using magnets to reduce friction, meaning that turbines could turn with winds as low as 1.5 meters per second (m/s), and cut-in, or energy-producing, speeds of 3 m/s. The chief developer says this could cut the operational costs of wind farms by up to half, with an overall cost under 0.4 yuan ($US 5 cents) per killowatt hour. Earlier this year, an Arizona based company touted a large-scale maglev turbine, but such technology on that scale has yet to be proved.
For developing countries like China, the technology could be crucial to bringing wind power to places where it is currently un-utilized and perhaps too costly to build. For the developed world too, it could make wind power much cheaper, and wind turbines at home a more realistic option....
The TH Interview: Annie B. Bond, Author and Healthy Living Expert
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 6.07
Few people know more about keeping your home clean and green than Annie B. Bond, author of several bestselling books on the subject—including Clean and Green, The Green Kitchen Handbook, Better Basics for the Home, and Home Enlightenment—and executive producer of Care2.com's Green Living channel.
We had a chat with Bond about how her concerns over her personal health led to 20 years of environmental advocacy, how the Internet has changed the environmental movement, and, of course, what constitutes a healthy, green home.
TreeHugger: You have been doing this for around two decades. How did you get started in environmental advocacy? ...
Powershift: Save the Polar Bears, Save the Humans
by Summer Rayne Oakes on 11. 6.07
[This is a guest post by Summer Rayne Oakes. -Ed.] “Ring, Ring,” Elizabeth Martin-Perera, a Climate Policy Specialist with the NRDC’s Climate Center picks up the phone. It’s an acquaintance at BP. The voice on the other end asks, “What is this Power Shift thing that I keep hearing about. Is it something I should know about? Should I be concerned?”
Elizabeth, who spoke on the Climate Legislation panel at Power Shift a few days ago, chuckled at the sound of worry in the woman’s voice. “And I’ll just add that every single person on The Hill knows you are coming.”
Damn straight they knew we were coming. Even Nancy Pelosi, who showed up to speak at Power Shift, was caught off guard. ...
Go Green to Save Green: Sustainable Ideas for Every Business
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 6.07
The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce is promoting a "go-green" session for area businesses. Did you read that right? Yes indeed you did. When any Chamber of Commerce, which in the past would generally be as anti-green as possible, is sponsoring a conference like this one, something good is happening and even Mr. Jones wants to know what it is.
Go Green to Save Green is designed to provide regional businesses with practical information regarding sustainable business practices that can be easily applied to lower costs of operation, increase competitiveness, benefit your consumers and employees, and help meet your company's triple bottom line. Gain insight from several of the region's most environmentally friendly companies, including a feature presentation on the "Triple Bottom Line," followed by two back-to-back panel discussions: "The Business Case for Sustainability"—an overview of sustainability facts and its impact on the region; and "Green Leaders and How to Get it Done"—a "how-to" session for any type of business, large or small.Featured speaker will be Judy Wicks, Founder of White Dog Cafe & the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia. She alone is worth the price of admission on Friday, November 30, 2007. Image credit::Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce website. ...
KSD Solar Windows: New Spin on Low E Glazing
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 6.07
Here is a neat spin on low-e windows. Normally one picks the kind of Low emittance coatings depending on your local conditions; different types of Low-E coatings have been designed to allow for high solar gain, moderate solar gain, or low solar gain. It's done by sputtering a coating on one side of the glass inside a sealed double glazed unit. (more tech here)
But what if you live in a temperate climate with hot summers and cold winters? You want to keep out the heat in the summer and let it in during winter. How do you get the best of both worlds?
Dr. Heinz Kunert of KSD Fenster in Germany figured it out in 1990, in one of those slap-upside-the head "why didn't I think of that" simple solutions- he put the glazing in a pivot so it can be rotated to reflect the heat out in summer, inwards during winter. Too bad they have the lamest website ever and no distribution that we can see, all the window manufacturers should have a version of this.::Eco-Logical Innovations or ::KSD Fenster , who make them in the Black Forest. via ::Eco-Geek
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Burt's Bees is Purchased by Clorox
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 11. 6.07
We at TreeHugger have been big fans of Burt’s Bees. We first covered them a few years ago and this past summer we wrote about their Greater Good campaign and additionally we spoke with Mike Indursky, the company’s Chief Marketing Officer. But admittedly, we never saw this one coming. Last week Clorox announced that they will be purchasing the privately held company for a whopping $925 million – in cash.
"The Burt's Bees brand is well-anchored in sustainability and health and wellness, and we believe it will benefit from natural and ‘green’ tailwinds," said Clorox Chief Executive Donald R. Knauss. Hmm, could this be a case of greenwashing because consumers prefer natural products these days? On the same day of the announcement, Clorox said that its first-quarter profits fell to $111 million, or 76 cents per share, from $112 million, or 73 cents per share, a year ago. Knauss continued, “It's in an economically attractive category with a margin structure that will be highly accretive to Clorox.”
We’re curious to see if consumers will still support the North Carolina-based company. See our survey on sell-outs. Via ::Forbes.com ...
UnTreeHugger: SmartShopper Grocery List Organizer
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 6.07
Have you had enough of how technology is making "our lives easier"? We're not! For $149.99, the SmartShopper Grocery List Organizer "alphabetizes and groups items by where they're found in the store," with a database of nearly 2,500 grocery items you can continually add to.
Key in what you're running short on, say milk, throw in errands such as dry cleaning or going to the bank, and the SmartShopper spits out a printed list for you to take with you. Because. You. Can't. Do. It. Yourself. With. Paper. And. A. Pen. Sweet mystery of life, we have finally found you. ::Sur La Table
[Via ::ThisNext]
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The Dark Knight's Newest Super-Foe is... Pollution
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 6.07
He's already handled the Joker, the Penguin, Scarecrow and a host of other super-villains; in Hong Kong's bacteria-infested waters, however, he may have finally met his match. The team directing Batman's next cinematic outing, The Dark Knight, recently decided to pull a scene in which the brooding justice fighter would have had to jump out of a cargo plane into the sea, citing health concerns.
Hong Kong's waters are notorious for containing high levels of extremely virulent bacteria; the team obviously thought Christian Bale would've had much more to worry about than a simple cold. A recent article in the South China Morning Post, quoting a production team source, said: "The plan was for Batman to be seen jumping into the water and then climbing up some bamboo, or something similar, on to a pier. But when they checked a water sample, they found all sorts of things, salmonella and tuberculosis, so it was cancelled. Now the action will cut to inside a building."...
Windterra's Residential Roof Turbine Is Ready For California Market
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 6.07
All of the following is excerpted from Windterra press and website material. Key points to remember for this residential wind turbine are: much less expensive than solar install for similar output; very low visual profile; house needs professional assessment for structural integrity/sound damping. We strongly suggest you view the linked video and show it to the neighbors before you go for one. And finally, make sure you're up to laddering up the roof for an occasional oiling or can hire someone for occasional maintenance.
Want to save on your electric bill with alternative energy but can't spring for a solar roof? The answer is blowing in the wind, at least according to Windterra, a Canadian wind turbine manufacturer that hopes to enter the California market via the East Bay... Windterra turbines are vertical axis turbines (VATs) that have a boxy, low profile look, with three small blades perched on a short platform [pictured]. "Most people who pay about $200 a month for electricity can expect to save between $50 and $75 per month with a Windterra turbine," said Gayle Larson, director of market development for the company... Solar roofs cost about 20,000 for a typical two-bedroom California home. Windterra turbines cost $5,900, with the cost of installation about $1,000... "Yes, it needs to have an architect check for the structural integrity of the roof. The unit is 250 pounds or so," said Yanni Kalajakis, a marketer in Windterra's San Ramon office....
Trendwatching: Eco-Fatigue
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 6.07
That is what Trendwatching.com calls it: "Serious ECO-FATIGUE is upon us, as independent and experienced consumers are fed up with being told what to do, or, more specifically, told what not to do. Treated like unruly infants, the ECO-FATIGUED increasingly rebel against the green movement’s obsession with ‘no’.
One example they use as a demonstration: a revolt by Porsche owners over the development of a hybrid Cayenne. "This once proud SUV, powered by fossil fuels straight from the raw and unforgiving depths of oceans and deserts, will soon become a mere battery-operated, neutered shadow of its former self." Founder of legally challenged website therealcayenne.net says ""The Porsche Cayenne Hybrid is an insult to owners of honest Cayennes. It's bad enough SUV owners get so much abuse for polluting the earth, clogging the streets and driving recklessly. Now we also have to deal with the insecurity of being seen as 'hybrid drivers', as the public won't be able to tell the difference between a hybrid Cayenne and the real thing."
We are pleased to find another website with the humor of the Onion. ::Trendwatching...
Zen and the Art of Dumpster Diving
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 6.07
Image Credit Geoff Kroepel
We have discussed dumpster diving before; one person's garbage is another person's useful stuff, and we are so quick to throw things away. According to Andrew Revkin, a Zen Buddhist Temple in Ann Arbor, Michigan has taken it up as a method of raising money for the temple, and for spiritual reasons- a priest at the Ann Arbor temple,explained that Dumpster diving is actually a modern variant of an ancient tradition by which Buddhist “patched-robe monks” and nuns reclaimed clothing, sometimes from corpses, and would repair garments repeatedly to extend their life as much as possible.
“Just taking care of a set of clothing to make it last a long time has a spiritual aspect to it,” she said.
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Black Carbon May be Planet's Second Most Potent GHG
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 6.07
These days you'd be hard-pressed to find a single article that discusses global warming without making at least implicit mention of carbon dioxide. Given its role as the most significant global warming pollutant, this shouldn't exactly come as much of a surprise; what is unusual, however, is that relatively little has been said about some of the other GHG offenders.
While we do get the occasional methane story—especially in the context of methane-to-energy technologies—we haven't heard much about black carbon, which is contained in soot emitted from vehicles. At a recent House hearing, five top scientists stated that black carbon could account for close to 16% of the planet's gross warming and that it may be second only to carbon dioxide in its potency as a GHG—ahead of methane....
Thousands of College Students Converge on Washington, D.C. to Lobby Against Climate Change
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 11. 6.07
This weekend, thousands of college students converged on Washington, D.C. for Power Shift 2007. It was the first national youth summit to help solve the climate crisis, and they were hot on the trail to help members of government see the light about global warming; encouraging them to take action now before it’s too late.
And that meant engaging in some good old-fashioned lobbying. Sitting in meetings with staffers from the Senate and House Representatives of their home district, and letting them know that they consider a vote against climate change to be a vote in their favor.
Of course, the legions of professional lobbyists swarming D.C. on a daily basis often have access to funds, friends, and assorted connections on a scale these kids can only dream about. But what these youths brought to the table was simply themselves, en masse.
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Gueto Studio’s Canoe Project: Design with Recovered Petroleum Byproducts
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 11. 6.07
Brazilian eco-design studio Gueto, previously featured by us here, has launched its new line of products. These are result of an association with Brazil’s biggest petrol company (Petrobras) and Sebrae, an agency that supports entrepreneurship initiatives. The goal was to design products from recovered petroleum byproducts along with a community from Canoas City, located in Rio Grande do Sul State, 20 kilometers away from its capital, Porto Alegre.
Finished designs include a line of jewelry and bags from straps of rubber coming from the automobile industry (knitted by members of the community), small panels from EVA rubber scraps that can be applied to walls as decoration or covering, and a series of lamps produced with scraps of acrylic and PET bottles.
More, bigger pictures in the extended....
Wine Carbon Study Says East Coasters Should Drink French
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 11. 6.07
A new study analyzing transportation methods including container ships, trucks, and planes suggests East Coasters should take home the bottle from Bordeaux--not the Napa Valley tipple. Using an imaginary line running down Ohio, wine blogger Tyler Colman, Ph.D. A.K.A. Dr. Vino and sustainability metrics specialist Pablo Paster examined the carbon footprint of wine. While not specifically a life cycle inventory (LCI), which gives us the green lowdown on energy consumption, solid waste generation, atmospheric emissions, and waterborne emissions, the study offers an in-depth look at greenhouse gas emissions from wine production and distribution....
Lush Advice for Green Entrepreneurs
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11. 6.07
Small ethical companies selling out to big corporations has been a big topic lately. One proprietor who has not (yet?) sold is the founder of Lush beauty products, Mark Constantine. In fact he hopes to open another 500 stores. Many small entrepreneurs sell to large companies because they need the cash to expand their markets and products. Constantine would also like to broaden the ownership of Lush shares but is nervous about going to the stock market. He believes it can force businesses to water down their principles. He says " Maybe what we need is another kind of stock market where [ethical] companies can trade and it’s understood they will abide by certain [rules] above others." Constantine is considering distributing free shares to his employees.
Given his strong stance, he has some wise warnings for green entrepreneurs.
● Do not sell shares to investors whose moral priorities may be different from your own. If you do, you may come under pressure to take courses of action that are inconsistent with the ethics of your business. ● Campaigning should come as naturally to an ethical business as its core activity. ● An ethical business does not have to be an inefficient business. Many have “cut down their energy consumption because it is economic as well as green”.● Conventional wisdom is often wrong. Those are fighting words. :: Financial Times...
The Ecologist on Transition Towns
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11. 6.07
Yesterday we reported that the Transition Towns movement had reached the pages of the BBC’s Gardener’s World Magazine when TV gardening guru Monty Don was prompted to reflect on the oil-intensive habits of himself and his fellow gardeners. Today we read that The Ecologist has also picked up the story. In an inspiring article tracing the history of the movement and outlining its vision, Ed Hamer interviews founder Rob Hopkins, whose ambition clearly hasn’t diminished since we interviewed him:
In the last twelve months alone, twenty new Transition initiatives have sprung up across the UK from cities the size of Bristol to tiny rural hamlets. A further ninety are undergoing the initial stages and Rob receives at least two new enquiries every week. When I ask Rob if the Transition initiative has an ultimate goal or a destination, he hesitates slightly before offering one of his infectiously enthusiastic smiles ‘There are 1000 towns and cities in the UK, 10, 000 villages and twice as many hamlets. Ultimately I have a faith that the ingenuity and resourcefulness that got us up to the top of this peak in the first has the potential to take Transition to every single one of these communities’.While this may be the most inappropriate metaphor to ever grace the pages of TreeHugger, we’re delighted to see the Transition Town juggernaut rolling forward inexorably. ::The Ecologist::via Transition Culture:: ...
Clownfish, Experts in Both Marketing & Sustainability
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 11. 6.07
Clownfish marketing is the creative brand and communications consultancy behind quite a few of the names you see on TreeHugger. This is no surprise as Clownfish only works with companies that have strong environmental, social and economic values.
Clownfish work out brand strategies for those companies that feel a bit disconnected in today’s world of globalisation or slightly faceless next to the huge amount of alternative businesses their clients have access to everywhere through the internet. Their goal is to make clients trust a brand and provide motivation to stay with it.
BRA, Brand Strategy Audit, is Clownfish’s online survey that lets your company find out what your stakeholders think of your brand. With over 150.000 respondents across the UK, Clownfish have built a pretty strong database that can provide key information.
Their list of clients include: InterfaceFLOR, Ben & Jerry’s, Worn Again, Lonely Planet, Nike, Abel & Cole, Levi’s, Ingle & Rhode, Actics,… You can read some of their case studies online.
Apart from brand strategy, this marketing company predicts trends & insights, creates brand experiences such as events and road shows, grass-roots activities and ambience media, offers digital planning (concept design, e-marketing…), PR and coaching. ...
TH Forums Highlights: Banning the Bulb, Going Greener + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 5.07
It's been an interesting weekend at TreeHugger Forums; here are some highlights of what you missed while you were gone fishin'.
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 rob23 is wondering about banning the bulb: "I remember a while ago a Ca law maker was trying to ban incandescent light bulbs.. does anyone know if the law passed? I tried to look it up but all the articles I could find were just about the proposal to do so." Other contributors to the thread aren't so hot on the idea, arguing that CFLs -- the most logical replacement -- provide poor light quality, are hard to dispose of, and contain toxins. We put it to you: is banning the bulb a good idea?
2) User goldh37 is on a mission: "I am already a very green person, I think. I bring my own bags to grocery stores. I don't accept plastic bags at stores (much to all the clerks' confusion). I use CFL light bulbs in my apartment. I recycle as much as I can. I use rechargeable batteries. I unplug my appliances when I leave my apartment, and switch off the power strips. I use organic soaps and cleaning supplies...Yet I feel like there's so much more I could be doing." Who has advice for darkening your shade of green?
3) Lastly, Forums user Wai is wondering, "Do you build anything from junk? What do you make?" Salvaging old stuff is always a green way to go, and can add lots of value and personality to things that new stuff just can't. The thread also contains an interesting discussion of the sheer volume of stuff that gets tossed and added to the waste stream every day; there's huge potential for further incorporating reused/recycled materials into our daily lives, but integrating it into our current systems is tricky. Hmm.
Red Cross To Georgia: 'Be Ready For Drought Emergency With 5 Cases Of Bottled Water Per Person'
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 5.07
Apparently the Red Cross thinks a 'worst case' drought emergency in Atlanta is likely to last no more than 2 weeks of sheltering in place with bottled water to meet basic needs. No advice was offered on best practices for treating non-potable water - in case it goes past 2 weeks. No specific recommendations on the best types of bottles either.
One gallon per person per day. That's how much the Red Cross' Marilyn Self said residents should set aside for their families in case of a water emergency. Self, manager of disaster readiness for the American Red Cross, said a gallon is enough for one person to use for drinking water, food preparation and personal hygiene for one day. Self is recommending Georgians have a two week water supply as part of a disaster preparedness kit. "Increase the amount of water that you normally would keep in your kit," said Self. "We suggest a two week supply of water for each person in the family." In the past, the organization has suggested a three-day supply, but because of the drought, officials are saying more should be kept on hand, should the state run out of drinking water. For a family of four, that's a suggested 56 gallons......
How Ecologically Literate Are You?
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 11. 5.07
From where you are now, do you know where north is? Do you know from which direction prevailing winds originate? Do you know which spring wildflower is consistently among the first to bloom here? Where the boundaries of your regional watershed are? Where does your garbage go? If you don’t know the answers to most of these questions, then maybe it’s time to find out to increase your ecological literacy. And what is “ecological literacy” anyways? According to environmental writer and Oberlin College professor David Orr, to be ecologically literate is to not just know these facts but to also:
“…know the rudiments of ecology…[to] understand that no good economy can be built on the ruins of natural systems… [to] have experience in the out-of-doors… [to] understand the rudiments of environmental ethics… [to] understand the difference between optimum and maximum, stocks and flows, design and planning, renewable and non-renewable, dwelling and residing, sufficiency and efficiency, can do and should do, health and disease, development and growth and intelligence and cleverness.”...
Most Huggable: Alicia Silverstone Speaks Out, Google's Carbon Footprint Calculator, Top 10 Green Careers + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 11. 5.07
Alicia Silverstone shares her green style secrets, including how she buys her organic cotton underwear from Gaiam, and canvas bags by Anya Hindmarch.
In belated celebration of World Vegan Day and anticipation of the holiday season, Eco-Libris recommends The Joy of Vegan Baking.
Google has launched the UK Carbon Footprint Project to help people in the UK calculate, track and compare their carbon footprints in three easy steps.
On average, a small to medium sized print shop produces 17,770 kilograms of greenhouse gases and destroys 423 trees each month. Ouch.
Green careers are booming, and not just for solar installers and organic farmers. Check out the 10 hottest green careers from E Magazine....
Climate Change Drives Up Insurance Rates, Drives Away Insurers
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 5.07
Photo credit: dystopos
Homeowners and businesses in coastal states are finding it increasingly difficult to afford—or, with many insurers packing up and leaving, even obtain—insurance, especially in a warming post-Hurricane Katrina world, according to a report by Environmental Defense.
In "Blown Away: How Global Warming Is Eroding the Availability of Insurance Coverage in America's Coastal States" (PDF), the non-profit notes that, with record losses and payouts that far exceed premiums of late, insurance rates are doubling or even tripling. Some companies are taking a more extreme tack: Allstate, one of the nation’s largest insurance providers, for instance, has cut off coverage for 40,000 coastal homeowners in New York, and is no longer writing any new policies in Florida....
The TH Interview: Vijay Vaitheeswaran, author of Zoom (Part 3)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 11. 5.07
In the third installment of our interview with the author of Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future, Vijay Vaitheeswaran explains how the White House and Detroit inspired Toyota to create the Prius and dominate the market for efficient vehicles. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or listen/right-click to download. (Click here to listen to part 1, and here to listen to part 2.)...
JCPenney First Retail Building to Win Energy Star Certification
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 5.07
Photo credit: goatopolis
Take that, Kohls!: Four JCPenney stores are the first retail buildings in the nation to earn the Energy Star label for "superior energy efficiency and environmental performance." Compared with similar stores around the country, the JCPenney stores—all located in Washington State—collectively spend almost a quarter of $1 million less every year on energy, avoiding over 3 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually (or the equivalent of greenhouse-gas emissions associated with the electricity use of around 200 homes.)
Out of the 5 million commercial buildings in the United States, retail buildings account for the largest energy bills, and are responsible for the second largest percentage of greenhouse-gas emissions. As of Oct 1, 2007, retail buildings—including department stores, supercenters, warehouse clubs, drugs stores, dollar stores, home-improvement centers/hardware, and apparel/specialty stores—can qualify for the Energy Star label if they rate in the top 25 percent of similar retail buildings nationwide. ::EPA...
U.S. Mayors Told Cities' Future Has To Be Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 5.07
For the 100 or so mayors who attended the two-day bipartisan Climate Protection Summit last week, the message was clear: The cities of the future have to be walkable, workable, livable, and sustainable.
Convened by the United States Conference of Mayors, the meeting featured two main themes: One, the federal government must do more than the Bush administration has done to mitigate climate change; and two, cities must take up the slack in the meantime....
My Sustainable House Game
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 5.07
Here are two cute little games that could help teach kids (and probably a few adults) about the environment and sustainable building. You are given an imaginary budget of £100,000, then you make choices about what materials and components to use to build a greener house, as monitored on the sustainability meter. It is surprisingly easy to blow the budget, in the game as in real life.
There are some annoying things about it (you can't go back, and the flash is slow), UK construction methods are different from north American so some items are less relevant, but they cover important concepts (like embodied energy) and the Scots accents are ever so cute. ::Mysusthouse via ::Archinect...
SuperGreen Boards: Bamboo Skateboards
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 5.07
Another option for environmentally conscious skater dudes and dudettes: SuperGreen Boards, which manufactures eco-friendly custom longboards, slalom, and speedboards out of bamboo.
For added strength, a fiberglass alternative, made entirely of finely woven strands of bamboo fiber, is bonded to the board using very-low-Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) epoxy. The company says it wants to convert from low-VOC to a soy-based epoxy as the technology becomes available. ::Super Green Boards
[Via ::CNET]
See also: ::Gravity Skateboards Designs a Green Ride, ::TreeHuggerTV: Sustainable Skateboards, and ::Shiva-Tech Hemp Skateboards...
Interactive Map of Nuclear Reactors and Safety Problems
by Union of Concerned Scientists on 11. 5.07
Here at the Union of Concerned Scientists, our experts pour through reams of data related to several issues, including pollution from cars and trucks, grassfed beef and global warming pollution. We’ve just launched a cool project that gives life to some of the data on safety problems at nuclear power plants, including groundwater contamination from tritium leaks.
The Nuclear Power Information Tracker is a fully interactive map showing operating, permanently closed, and proposed nuclear reactors in the continental United States. Moving a cursor over and/or clicking on a reactor will bring up more in-depth information about each reactor, including owner and licensing dates; local population; past and present safety issues; UCS letters to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); and testimony to Congress.
If you have any suggestions for improving the tracker or if you have additional issues you think would be interesting to highlight, leave a comment below....
The Farm Bill Gets FRESH
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 5.07
Photo credit: feaverish
A glimmer of hope in the Farm Bill saga: Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) have proposed a Farm Bill reform called the Farm, Ranch, Equity, Stewardship and Health (FRESH) Act, which would end billions of depression-era federal crop subsidies, while expanding free crop insurance to farmers earning less than $250,000 a year.
Unlike the current system—which benefits mostly Midwestern corporate agribusiness, produces surplus commodity exports that distort domestic and foreign agricultural markets, and makes us all fat—the proposed bill would be a boon to all farmers, regardless of the crops they grow or where they farm. ...
EEstor Update: People Are Losing Faith
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 5.07
We got in at the beginning and used to write about Eestor supercapacitors a lot, and still get a zillion hits on it. They never gave out a lot of information, and we were reduced to using pictures of grilled cheese sandwiches as analogies. We first picked up the story from an excited Tyler Hamilton at Clean Break, who enthused 18 months ago: "This could change everything."
The Eestor google alert still pops every day, but there was never anything new. Now even Tyler is losing faith. Personally, I've been hopeful over the past two years that EEStor is indeed for real. But I'm beginning to have my doubts now....The problem with silence is that it leaves people like myself speculating. Why do we speculate? I don't know about you but I can't help it. I want EEStor to work, and I crave more information. But still we have no Web site. No comments from Kleiners or the CEO. Nothing.::Clean Break...
In Copenhagen Bicycles Overtake Cars
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 11. 5.07
As a result of half a century of planning, Copenhagen has achieved a fabulous cycling goal - during the morning rush hour more bikes and mopeds pound the inner city streets than personal cars and buses. Just a bit more than a third of inhabitants get to work by bike every day - the other two thirds take public transport or a personal car. But the news gets even better - Copenhagen's municipal government is increasing spending to improve bike lanes and paths and the bike travel experience.
According to this survey, Copenhagen is behind places such as Amsterdam (where a claimed 40 percent of traffic moves by bike) and Portland, Oregon in providing the best inner-city biking experience. This may be true, but Copenhagen has got to be the stylish bike capital - especially with the bloggers at copenhagengirlsonbikes and cycleliciousness making it look so cool to ride....
Transformer Furniture: Work + Play Combo by Gruber + Schlager
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 5.07
Working part or full-time from home can be a pretty appealing (not to mention green) way to go, but it can be hard to devote precious living space to a full-on home office. Too often, we find that workspace has to be tucked into a corner of a bedroom, or jammed into a living area.
For those of us who work from home but don't have space -- or don't want to maintain an extra room, just for a home office -- we love the idea of this TV/office wall unit. It integrates work and play into one handy device: when you're working, pull up a chair to the fold-down desk; when you're off the clock, the whole things spins around on its single metal leg, making it quick 'n easy to instantly transform the room. We like the "out of sight, out of mind" component something like this would bring your routine; one caveat: no more watching TV while you work...oh well. We think it'd probably be worth it, given this piece's awesome functionality. ::Gruber + Schlager via ::Trendir...
How To Be Seen On Your Bike at Night
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 5.07
Now that we are back to standard time, it gets dark awfully early and cyclists need their lights; it is surprising how many I see with none, usually wearing trendy black clothing. One doesn't need to dress up like a Christmas tree like Olivia Chow, but LEDs have made bike lights cheaper, brighter and smaller. Or forget the smaller and cheaper and go all out for brighter with Bicygnals, " designed by Gavin Thomson Design using modern design cues for a slimline aerodynamic and ergonomic solution to complement most contemporary urban cycles." There are so many clever things about these, including turn signals, wireless connection between front and rear lamps, and the two pieces snap together for easy carrying, because you would never leave such a light on your bike.
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Getcha Vote On: Current TVs Ecospot Contest
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11. 5.07
After receiving hundreds and hundreds of submissions for their :60 Seconds to Save the Earth video contest -- we mentioned it before -- it's time to vote to see which finalists will earn air-time on Current TV. The celebrity judges -- Al Gore, Cameron Diaz, George Clooney and others -- have narrowed it down to 23 videos, and now it's up to you to engage in the democratic process and help Current find the best one.
The top Ecospots will be broadcast on Current, showcased on MySpace's Impact channel, and featured in the Alliance for Climate Protection's national campaign; the video that gets the most votes will earn the grand prize: a Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Click on over to watch the finalists, find your favorite and vote. Voting ends this Friday, November 9 (at 12:01 pm PST/3:01 pm EST) and you only get one vote, so make it count. "The Little Things" (video still above) has jumped out to an early lead; only your votes will determine if it takes the top spot. ::Current TV's Ecospot...
House in Anting by Ippolito Flietz
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 5.07
German "indentity architects" Ippolito Flietz Group produced this for a competition in Anting, China a few years ago, and while the materials are not the least bit green, the design, and particularly the small size and efficiency, is interesting. Architectspeak follows: ...
Presidential Candidate Profiles On Climate Change: An Edwards Update
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 5.07
Please have a look at our mid-October post entitled Presidential Candidates: Where Do They Stand On Climate Policy Proposals?
Then have a look how candidate John Edwards currently is framing his climate policy proposals.
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on Saturday called reversing global warming a "great moral test" and said the next president needs to stand up to industries resisting change. "This is the great moral test of our generation. Are we actually going to leave this planet and America better for our children than we found it?" Edwards said at an environmental rally in New Orleans. "Why have we not addressed the issue of climate change and global warming?" Edwards said. "I'll tell you why, no question about it: oil companies, gas companies, power companies and the lobbyists in Washington, D.C. We have to have a president who will stand up to these people."Update: People keep asking when Al Gore will become a presidential candidate. Perhaps the more important question is, which candidate might he endorse? Via::Boston Globe, "Edwards Calls Global Warming A Moral Test" Image credit::The Washington Note...
Top of the Food Chain 2: Bang for the Buck
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 5.07
Christine asked "Why does a salad cost more than a Big Mac?" and noted that subsidies to farmers growing feed make a hamburger cheaper. But those subsidies have another effect: they make unhealthy food the most cost-effective way of delivering calories to poorer families. Michael Pollan notes that "the most reliable predictor of obesity in America today is a person’s wealth." -the rich can afford less calorie-dense foods.
As an example, this tub of lard costs about twenty-five bucks, contains 105,000 calories of food energy and 11,200 grams of saturated fat. That is enough food energy to feed a person for almost two months; a dollar buys you 4200 calories. A study quoted by Michael Pollan found that a dollar buys you 1200 calories in potato chips, but only 250 calories of carrots.
People aren't stupid; if you have to feed your family, you go for the cheap, calorie dense subsidized stuff. Lard idea from ::Rural Vegan...
Quote of the Day: Thomas Friedman on Indian Transportation
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 11. 5.07
We have no right to tell Indians what cars to make or drive. But we can urge them to think hard about following our model, without a real mass transit alternative in place. Cheap conventional four-wheel cars, which would encourage millions of Indians to give up their two-wheel motor scooters and three-wheel motorized rickshaws, could overwhelm India’s already strained road system, increase its dependence on imported oil and gridlock the country’s megacities.
Yes, Indian families whose only vehicle now is a two-seat scooter often make two trips back and forth to places to get their whole family around, so a car that could pack a family of four is actually a form of mini-mass transit. And yes, Tata, by striving to make a car that could sell for $2,500, is forcing the entire Indian auto supply chain to become much more efficient and therefore competitive. ......
Natural Collection Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 11. 5.07
This week is Carnival of the Green # 102 and it's being hosted by Al Tepper at Natural Collection! Al is one of the founders of our Carnival, so head on over to check out a round up of last week's green news and events, submitted by other bloggers and green sites. To learn more about Carnival of the Green, where it will be and how to host (we are now booking into 2009!), please click here to link to our previous post....
Survey: Who is Responsible for Change?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 5.07
The farm bill. The energy bill. People in Washington are making laws that will profoundly affect the future of our cities, our health and our climate, and yet we see so little interest in them. One codger I know says of people today: "few of them grew up in the generation we did where empowerment to change governance was a common ideal." But whose responsibility is it to affect change, to make things happen?
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Australian Town Expects to Go Fully Solar in 2 Years
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 5.07
Already the proud record holder for having Australia's hottest day - 53°C in 1889 (in the shade, to boot) - Cloncurry is vying to become one of the first towns to be fully powered by solar energy in 2 years. The Queensland state government plans on building a 10-MW solar thermal power station that will derive its energy from heat stored in Cloncurry's ubiquitous graphite blocks.
Eight thousand mirrors will be set up as part of the station to reflect sunlight onto the blocks - whose heat will then generate steam from the water pumped through. The steam will be harnessed to produce electricity via turbines. Graphite's superior ability to store heat for lengthy periods of time will enable the production of electricity even after the sun goes down. ...
BBC's Gardening Guru on Peak Oil and Climate Change
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11. 5.07
Looking through the latest offerings on Transition Culture, the blog written by community peak oil activist Rob Hopkins (who we interviewed here), it would appear that the Transition Towns initiative that he started is gaining in influence by the week. One of the most striking examples of how mainstream the concern about peak oil and climate change is becoming is an article on gardening and oil addiction by popular TV gardener Monty Don that originally appeared in the BBC’s Gardener’s World Magazine. Apparently inspired by a talk that Rob gave at the Prince of Wales’ Food and Farming Summer School, Monty sets out in no uncertain terms why gardeners, including himself, are simultaneously part of the problem and, potentially, an important part of the solution:
I might be accused of bias, but I tend to think that gardeners are the nicest and best people there are. Find someone who cares for their plot and you’ll find a decent human being. But the simple truth is that gardeners guzzle gas. We might be organic, love and care for all the wildlife, and recycle all our waste into perfect compost, but most of us still leave an ugly footprint in our wake. It’s not just about oil, but let’s start with that. Of course, there’s the petrol we use to fuel our lawn mowers, hedgecutters and so on. It may not amount to a great deal, but it’s the easiest to cut back on. There’s also the fuel we use scooting to and fro from garden centres, when in the past we took more cuttings, collected our own seeds or swapped divisions with our friends and neighbours within walking or cycling distance....
The Go Green Initiative's School of the Week: Barbara Bush Elementary in Grand Prairie, Texas!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 11. 5.07
This week’s School of the Week has also been named the Go Green Initiative’s 2007 International School of the Year. And it’s not surprising that Barbara Bush Elementary has also received awards from Keep America Beautiful, Keep Texas Beautiful, and the American Forest and Paper Association to go along with the hardware they took home this weekend at Go Green’s Earth Summit 2007 in San Jose, California.
Over the past 18 months alone the students, teachers, and staff of Barbara Bush Elementary have amazingly accomplished the following:
• Avoided 48 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions
• Avoided the use of 625 million BTU’s of energy use
• Saved 205 cubic yards of landfill waste
• Avoided the use of 434,000 gallons of water
• Allowed 4,836 tree seedlings to grow
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EcoBuilding 2008 to Take Place in Sao Paulo Next May
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 11. 5.07
From May 23 to 25, 2008, Brazil's biggest city is holding the International Meeting for Architecture and Technologies for Sustainable Construction.
The event aims to "explore national and international sustainable construction topics, from basic concepts to the most advanced practices of eco-design", according to the organizers. It will cover subjects such as bioclimatic design, energy efficiency and conservation, materials and life cycle assessment, water conservation and re-use, building certification, and public policies.
Invited speakers include a nice variety of nationalities and backgrounds. From left to right in the picture above, they are: Chilean architect living in Costa Rica Bruno Stagno, American architect Chris Benedict, Kenyan Phd Daniel Irurah, German architect Eckhard Gerber (responsible for the zero emissions Burj Al-Taqa tower), Spanish architect Luis de Garrido, Swedish architect Paula Femenias, and American architect and professor Volker Hartkopf.
Find out more about their work in the extended....
US Department Of Interior Secretary Calls Atlanta Drought "No Longer A Theory"
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 5.07
US Department of Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has reported on a compromise between three Southern US Governors who had been struggling over diminished access to shared surface waters. The language used to report this progress indicates a small Federal role in inter-state water resource management, going forward, with the Governors taking the lead. That's no surprise.
However, it will definitely come as a surprise to the folks spray painting their lawns green, and to the toilet flushing assistants at the University of Georgia, that their extreme drought was considered a "theory." Maybe the Secretary's allusion to "theory" was more about denying any causal link to human-induced climate change. We'll never know. But, that sure was an odd choice of language....
Sexy + Chic on a London Catwalk
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 11. 5.07
The recent Islington Art + Design Fair was scheduled strangely neither during London Fashion Week nor during the London Design Festival, but no matter, we are happy to look at beautiful clothes at any time of year! TreeHugger was invited along to the ethical fashion show organised by Lucy Tammam, formerly of Tam + Rob, to launch her new label House of Tammam. Several TreeHugger favourites, such as Enamore, Beyond Skin and Hetty Rose, were strutting their stuff on the catwalk, but we also made some new discoveries.
As well as enjoying House of Tammam's chicly structured pieces, inspired by 20s and 30s Art Deco style, we loved the sexily luxurious Eco-Boudoir, the cute Luva Huva underwear (pictured) and the Kenyan textiles reinterpreted by LaLesso (pictured). Particular standouts were the beautifully delicate handworked garments by Fisher Garcia and the deliciously chunky knits from Ruth Cross. All of these labels work sustainable principles, one way or another, into their clothes whether it's by using eco-textiles, vegetable dyes, the skills of artisans and/or local and fair trade production....
The People's Millions: Who Do You Vote For?
by Bonnie Alter, London on 11. 5.07
The People's Millions, a lottery fund, has £50M ($101M US) to award to the best proposal for an environmental project in the UK. And the winner will be decided by the television-watching public who will vote after seeing each group on the short-list present their case. Sort of like Big Brother for the environment. In principle it is hard to support lotteries--if a scheme is that important to the nation, then the government, using our hard-earned taxpayers' money, should pay for it. However that's an argument that has been lost with changing times and economies. So let's hear it for this lottery and the 4 worthwhile finalists.
Sherwood Forest, home of Robin Hood, has Europe's greatest collection of ancient oak trees, some more than 1,000 years old (pictured), which are endangered. They want to undertake a huge replanting programme: 250,000 trees over 350 acres. A project to develop the canals and waterways in Somerset would link communities and stabilise an area with recurrent flooding. The Eden Project wants to develop a climate change theme park that would show how we might survive the impact of global warming. A national bicycle trail to encourage cycling is another candidate. :: The Observer...
New U.S. Drought Portal Unveiled
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 11. 4.07
A civilizations lifeblood is available fresh water. Drought is a stealthy natural disaster, it doesn't have the huff and puff of a hurricane, the shock of an earthquake or the terror of a tornado- but it can be just as deadly. We have been covering the devastating drought in the Southeast, as well as the fires in California, now we have a tool to get better acquainted with this silent stalker.
The U.S. government unveiled the U.S. Drought Portal last week that effectively provides a comprehensive center where anyone with an internet connection can see the current drought conditions, impacts, and forecasts. It is actually quite intuitive, and easy to use. The front row seat to drought is part of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), created in response to the emerging impact of extended drought conditions in the U.S., and recommended by the Western Governors Association in 2004 and enacted into law in 2006....
Increasingly Acidified Waters Could Prompt Mass Shellfish Dissolution
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 4.07
If present acidification trends in the world's oceans continue unabated, mussels, oysters and other shellfish could become extinct as early as 2100. Carol Turley, a researcher at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, is warning that these mass casualties could have severe repercussions for humans and the health of ocean ecosystems. "A lot of shellfish are an important food source for fish as well as humans. The impacts of shellfish disappearing could be massive," she explained in a recent address.
Increasing levels of dissolved carbon dioxide hinder the ability of shellfish to build their protective shells by significantly reducing the amount of free carbonate in the water. Shellfish typically absorb calcium carbonate from their surroundings and deposit it around their bodies to make their shells; higher levels of carbon dioxide, however, limit the amount of available carbonate - which otherwise could bind to free calcium ions - by forming more bicarbonate ions. ...
Weed it and Reap
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 4.07
Let's admit it, the farm bill is a snore. We have written a couple of posts that we thought would have TreeHuggers marching in the streets and not even a comment. It is so tedious that I missed Michael Pollan's article about it in the NY Times this morning. Our favourite omnivore writes:
Americans have begun to ask why the farm bill is subsidizing high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils at a time when rates of diabetes and obesity among children are soaring, or why the farm bill is underwriting factory farming (with subsidized grain) when feedlot wastes are polluting the countryside and, all too often, the meat supply. For the first time, the public health community has raised its voice in support of overturning farm policies that subsidize precisely the wrong kind of calories (added fat and added sugar), helping to make Twinkies cheaper than carrots and Coca-Cola competitive with water.Read it and weep at ::New York Times...
So What Can Be Done To Save Primates?
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 11. 4.07
It seems that a lot of you out there are concerned about the latest report from Conservation International on the precarious fate of the 25 most endangered primates and what can be done to save them – quick. For instance, for some species such as the orangutan, it is estimated that there is less than two years to protect the last remaining 40,000 from habitat destruction in places such as Borneo, where forests are being cut down for palm oil production for healthier non-transfat cookies for us. According to one commenter: “CSPI (Centre for Science in the Public Interest) says: "The ad urges consumers to read labels and to select products with non-hydrogenated soybean, corn, canola, or peanut oils, all of which are more environmentally friendly and better for human hearts and arteries than palm oil. “We can find other ways of making cookies,” the ad reads. “We can’t find other ways of making orangutans.” Enough said. But cookies are barely the tip of the iceberg. Trust us, it is not pretty – and requires a strong stomach to face. Besides habitat destruction, primates are being “harvested” for biomedical research; they are being captured as pets and also being eaten in large numbers as “bushmeat” – a global phenomenon facilitated by logging, which increases primates’ vulnerability to poachers....
University Of Georgia Homecoming Game Uses Toilet Flushing Attendants To Save Water
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 11. 4.07
Flushing attendants at a university football game. There's a green pragmatism and community focus about this idea that we like. Multiple uses per flush would save plenty of water.
Another plus: it humanizes an otherwise rather dismal experience. And, the work can't be outsourced. If this idea catches on, the Minneapolis airport could deputize the flushers and have them also keep a watch for unacceptable foot-tapping. Go Bulldogs!
The current drought has had such an impact on Georgia that fans at Saturday's University of Georgia homecoming game were asked not to flush the toilet. Instead, an attendant was going to be doing it for them. It's part of the university's "Every Drop Counts'' water conservation effort. Earlier this week, crews put up signs in bathrooms asking people not to flush ``if it's yellow'' and to leave the handle-pulling to attendants, who were being assigned the job for the estimated 93,000 people expected at the game. Arthur Johnson, associate athletic director for internal operations, said UGA is considering replacing all of the stadium's old toilets, which use three-and-a-half gallons of water per flush, with new ones that use less than half that amount.Via::Access NorthGA Online and AP "Don't flush that toilet!" Image credit:: GMU personal blog, Sanford Stadium ...
Pack Less, Fly Direct, Stick With Economy: Greener Flying Tips from Terrapass
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11. 4.07
By now it is pretty well known, at least within the TreeHugger community, that there are issues with aviation and climate change. While the exact contribution that flying makes to the climate crisis remains the subject of fierce debate, it seems certain that any such energy-hungry activity will remain carbon intensive for some time to come. While some progress is being made towards greener flying, it seems that taking the train, vacationing closer to home, or teleconferencing (despite its associated drawbacks) will continue to be the environmentally preferred options for the forseeable future. However, there are things you can do, besides offsetting, that can reduce your emissions when flying is unavoidable. ...
Using Sweet-Toothed Bacteria to Produce Hydrogen
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 11. 4.07
Aside from crop-based biofuels, few sectors of renewable energy have attracted as much attention as microbial fuel cells. With companies like LS9 and Amyris leading the way, the idea of engineering bacteria to produce new sources of energy has become an increasingly marketable one as gas prices continue to soar.
This high level of interest has also prompted a groundswell of new research in universities and government-funded science institutions aimed at finding ways to make these nascent technologies more practical and efficient. Scientists from Washington University and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently formed a partnership to study how electrochemically active, biomass-eating bacteria could be used in microbial fuel cells....
Use Electricity Wisely
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 4.07
We don't think much of ugly, power-sucking billboards, but this one from South Africa's Eskom delivers its message. ::EcoStreet...
Clippings from the NYTimes: The Green Party
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 4.07
Photograph by Dwight Eschliman
In the special Style magazine: The agony of environmentally conscious entertaining. There is always the nagging feeling that one should be doing more, which in this case often means less. “We buy these plates and cups from the Park Slope co-op,” said one popular Brooklyn hostess ruefully, “that are eco-correct and dishwashable. Of course, then you have to use heated water to wash them.” Even worse, she goes on, “if we eat meat at all, it’s kosher and grass-fed. We then have to drive to Queens to get it or have FedEx drive it to us. So you really can’t win.” ::The Green party
Friedman of the Week: Dear India: Do as I say, not as I do. ::Don't follow us
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Lake Huron Water Levels Keep On Dropping
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 4.07
Rick Eglinton, the Star
Those Southwesterners salivating at the thought of Great Lakes water being pumped their way may be too late to the trough; the water level is down over three feet. According to the Catherine Porter in the Star, "Docks that stretch more than 100 metres now lead to land. Boats have been abandoned in boathouses 300 metres from water. Tanker owners complain they can no longer get their ships to ports. Wetlands have turned to meadows."
No-one is certain why; the Georgian Bay Association thinks it is dredging by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the St. Clair River but a recent study by the International Joint Commission downplays that....
Turn Back Those Clocks
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 4.07
OK, it is the morning after the time change and we are back to where we were supposed to be before the candy manufacturers and golf course operators lobbied the US government to extend Daylight Savings Time three weeks in the spring and one in the fall. DST allows more time on the links in the spring, and increases Halloween candy sales, according to author Michael Dowling. He tells the Star "candymakers were so eager to have Halloween included in DST that in 1986, they put candy-filled pumpkins on committee members' seats."
Don't forget to reset the nixies but also:
Setback Thermostats: Of course you own one, and don't forget about its clock or you will be getting up before your furnace does tomorrow.
Smoke Detectors: Change the batteries; if the detector is ten years old it is time to change it as well for a new one. Ionizing smoke detectors have a small amount of radioactive Americium and should not be thrown out in the regular garbage but dealt with as toxic waste.
See also ::Seth Godin...
Two Years Ago in TreeHugger: Obama, China and New Orleans
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11. 4.07
left: new SIP house; right: ninth ward, little progress in two years.
It was early in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina and we covered community group Rebuild Green. Two years later one sees that there has been some progress; in their second anniversary update they are building "safe, strong, and sustainable--housing suitable for semi-tropical, coastal environments in this 21st century of ongoing storms and and floods due to climate-change." They are using a concrete structural insulated panel system and geothermal cooling. Unfortunately they not also that "I have to tell you that each and all of the above efforts is receiving very help little from any Government entity. It's as if there may be some kind of multi-level plot to make sure that nothing of self-help can happen among poor and working-class Black people in New Orleans and nearby. It's as if the daily story of obstructions, broken promises, racism and corruption in the Post-Reconstruction South continues more than a century later." ::Rebuild Green
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Top of the Food Chain
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 11. 4.07
Wow, this picture says a throusand words--a few times over. Most people will be reading the obvious text: affordable, healthy fast food just ain't happenin'. But this graphic tells another story too. Ask yourself this: why is the government paying so much pork to the meat farmers? The answer is: they are not.
The subsidies which fatten the meat section in the pyramid on the left are primarily paid to producers of soy and corn products. This image vividly demonstrates the intense inefficiency of meat as a calorie source. It is this same inefficiency which has led to at least one calculation that eating meat contributes 21% of the carbon dioxide which can be attributed to human activity....
TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!
Here are a few recommended websites.
