- 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 December 16, 2007 - December 22, 2007
Total this week: 148
Transformer Furniture: Picture Frame Folding Table
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.22.07
Perfect for small spaces, or anywhere you want to add a little function to your wall-hangings, "Bildtisch" (or, literally, "picture table") is an interesting, innovative way to create more with less. Sort of a Murphy bed for tables, it combines a unique, stylish picture frame with some slick foldability to create a flat space where there was once just a picture (and vice versa). We could see this as a cool addition to cozy kitchens and as a great way to add seating in a tight cafe or coffee shop. Designed by Austrian designer Verena Lang, it appears to be a concept for now. See more at ::IVYDESIGN via ::Freshome...
One Year Ago in TH: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.22.07
One year ago in TreeHugger: 'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the site, we were celebrating TreeHugger 2.0 to everyone's delight. Though there was at least one lump of coal, fueling B-52 aircraft, but most everybody was in the holiday spirit. Thomas Friedman declared "green" to be the word of the year, so we got into the festive holiday spirit by reviewing TreeHuggerTV's eco-party tips, showcasing the efficiency of LEDs with a festive bike-powered reindeer billboard, found a last minute tree-replacement idea using recycled computer parts and reminded you to wrap your presents with care. We even had time to swing by Gorgeous & Green, Global Green USA's party for some eco-celeb watching. Whew! Wait, was that a solar-bikini sighting?
Fast forward to this year: lumps of King Coal still power our transport, but there's plenty of good greenness to go around this Christmas. We've got tips on a green Christmas menu and found some green stocking stuffers for last-minute gifts. We've moved on from bicycle-powered LEDs to bicycle-powered supercomputers and, rather than recycled trees, we shone the spotlight on green-built gingerbread houses and merry flat-packed Christmas cards. And we even made it back to Gorgeous & Green for a second year. See everything on our radar last year in ::The Archives. ...
Hydrogen Fueled Toy Car A Cool Gift Idea for Tech-Obsessed Kids of All Ages
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.22.07
Not so long ago I had the chance to check out a couple of cool gifts for kids this holiday season, and the Hydrogen Car available through Discovery was definitely one of them. Similar to the H-Racer, it combines a cool, futuristic look with fuel cell technology to teach kids of all ages about the benefits of clean technology development.
And while the car automatically avoids obstacles after bumping into them, the one real drawback is that it doesn’t go tremendously fast. So I suspect the eco-geek on your list may well enjoy it more than the kid who’s looking for the fastest machine in existence.
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Mr. Splashy Pants For President?
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.22.07
In a move reminiscent of celebrities turned politician like Reagan or Schwarzenegger, and building on his own growing celebrity as the world's most recognizable Humpback whale, Mr. Splashy Pants has stepped into the political arena by taking on the world of University politics.
Of course he's not just your average whale... Or maybe he was until that whole naming contest held by Greenpeace launched him to superstardom. But as he puts it now "I just don't think the life of your average filter-feeder is for me anymore."
So what's he set his sights on? For starters, it seems there's a wall out there at a college or university somewhere that needs to be torn down, and whaddya know but Splashy Pants himself has challenged the school's President to "Tear down this wall!"
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Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 12.22.07
:: Turn traffic stoplights and rush-hour jams into networking and socializing opportunities, while saving money, to boot. Learn how easy it is to find or start a carpool.
:: We want to see your junk-mail creations! We'll feature our favorites in a future post.
:: Make it easy for the laziest person in your office to recycle his or her electronic waste.
:: Find out how to get audio books from every genre, for free.
:: Lloyd rounds up some of the charitable giving sites we've featured in the past, as well as a few new ones you can check out.
:: Americans throw away enough of this household staple every three months to rebuild our entire commercial fleet. Discover what it is and what you can do about it....
Coal Powered Transport Will Save Us
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.22.07
The American Happy Motoring way of life as we know it is safe; we have lots of coal, and can import a massive fleet of steam engine equipped, coal powered buses and transport trucks to achieve instant energy independence. They built them in the UK since Victorian times and kept it up until 1950. ...
Wayback Machine: 1957 Transformer High Chair
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.22.07
We love transformer furniture that serves multiple functions or adapts, like the Stokke Tripp Trap Chair or the nest high chair. Back in 1957 Eddie Peyton figured out how to transform a stroller into a high chair. Just don't put your arm in the wrong place when it's being folded up, kid. ::Modern Mechanix...
US State Of Missouri Needs Some Renewable Energy Tips
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.22.07
Looks like Missouri's Governor Matt Blunt needs someone to show him how to make renewable energy a positive economic development force, because he was the only Midwest Governor who did not sign any part of the Midwestern Governors Association's energy pact. The pact, distributed at the 12-state association's energy summit last month, included shared greenhouse gas reduction and renewable energy goals (member state boundaries pictured on US map).
On Wednesday, after having reviewed the pact, he said that he would sign certain components, such as helping establish a regional fuels corridor and joining a discussion of new bio-energy projects. But he refused to sign the main parts of the pact that included specific goals such as producing 30 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and requiring coal-fired power plants to capture and store emissions by 2020....
Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve with Eko Noiz
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.22.07
Yesterday we heard about a groundbreaking initiative for international environmental education via the Permaculture Association Britain newsletter. Later, flicking further through the pages, we also came across a cool new organic t-shirt company, Eko Noiz, who are donating £2 (US$4) to the Permaculture Association for every sale of their Grow Your Own t-shirt. All items are apparently hand-printed with water based inks, and are made from sustainable fibers such as organic cotton, bamboo, hemp and recycled plastic bottle fabric. Looking through their website, we're certainly impressed with their funky, upfront, hard hitting sustainability messaging. Anyone hungry for more environmental fashion should take a look at our guide on How to Green Your Wardrobe. ::Eko Noiz::via Permaculture Association Britain::
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Does Your Ski Resort Rank Green?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 12.22.07
"Every skier makes a difference." This is the reason that the Ski Area Citizens Coalition maintains an environmental scorecard on the major ski resorts in the USA.
The rankings appear to be well-founded and comprehensive. Ratings have been expanded recently to include impacts of logging and to roadless areas as well as preferences for renewable energy sources. The scorecard includes many categories specific to ski resorts, such as conservation by avoiding snowmaking, as well as more traditional concerns such as protecting wetlands and old growth forests. In addition to a clear report on the points awarded in each category, the scorecards document the reasons points were deducted in a clear and transparent manner. Attachments further support the decisions....
A Picture is Worth....Where the Oil Is
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.07
Andrew Sullivan shows map where oil wealth is substituted for land area. He titles it "One Reason We're Not Leaving Iraq." Link to a larger version here...
Global Warming Will Worsen West's Water Crisis in Coming Years
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.21.07
Image courtesy of Dave Pierce/SIO
Scientists have long shied away from attributing any one small-scale event - irrespective of its magnitude - to global warming, reasoning that the complexity and number of factors at play makes it extremely difficult, if not inadvisable, to do so. Yet, at least in the case of the American West's recent bout with several severe water shortages, some researchers have stepped forward and confidently asserted that there does indeed exist a link between anthropogenic global warming and the scarcity - the shrinking snowpacks.
At the fall meeting of the AGU, Tim P. Barnett, a climatologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, explained that the West typically depends on a large, late-melting snowpack to replenish its reservoirs in late spring. However, due to global warming-induced effects, the snowpack has been shrinking earlier and at a faster pace, a trend that will worsen in coming years - depriving the West of a significant source of freshwater. This, he said, would result in a large-scale "water crisis in the West."...
Digital Rear View Mirror for Bikes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.07
One of the things that is so great about bikes is their simplicity. You don't need electricity and a lot of fancy stuff, a few lights for night and you are on your way. But then it is nice to see what is behind you... and a GPS unit would be helpful...oh, and what about a heart monitor? It is all here in this new Cerevellum rear view monitor for around $299, which is 50 bucks more than I paid for my bike.
The inventor, Evan Solida, describes it's background:
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The Ciclovía - Bogota's Weekly Street Party
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 12.21.07
A cross between a street party and a marathon, Bogota's Ciclovía manages to combine sport, recreation, health, commerce and culture in one free package. Every Sunday, some 70 miles of the city's roads are closed to vehicle traffic and turned over to its citizens, who come out in droves to walk, jog, skate and especially bike.
In this excellent video, city employees and residents talk about their enthusiasm for the project, and its planners share some behind the scenes info about the process of setting up and running the Ciclovía and the thought behind it....
Paris' Air Pollution Balloon Takes to the Skies
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.21.07
Parisians curious about the quality of the air they're breathing will soon be able to get their daily fill by looking to the sky. A balloon that's been floating above the city's André-Citroën park since 1999 will be modified by its creators, Aérophile, to monitor the level of air pollution on an hourly basis starting in early 2008.
The colors will range from green - signifying an excellent air quality - to (you guessed it) red - signifying a very poor air quality (orange will represent a "mediocre" air quality). The balloon will be equipped with two light systems reflecting two different pollution indices: One, located within it (and visible by night), will measure the city's ambient air quality while another (powered by electroluminescent diodes), situated at the base of the balloon, will keep tabs on the air pollution produced by auto emissions - which will be visible both by day and night. Airparif, an organization in charge of monitoring the air quality in various French cities, will be recording the data on its website, alongside that of 30 other European cities.
Via ::Le Monde: Un ballon mesurera la pollution de l'air de Paris (newspaper)
See also: ::Paris Pledges Emissions Cuts by 2020, ::20000 Rental Bikes to be Unleashed in Paris
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Japanese Disposable PET bottles: Stylish Garbage
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.07
The dumbbell-shaped bottle of Suntory’s ‘LET’S’ diet-drink practically drags you to your workout.
OK they have a high recycling rate in Japan; 65% of PET bottles are recycled. But they also used 515,414 tons of PET resin to make these bottles, so 180,314 tons of bottle waste is still going somewhere else. Perhaps some are going onto people's shelves, because the bottlers spend so much energy and time producing really distinctive disposables. ...
The Economist on the Rebound Effect
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.07
We do go on about efficiency being the best source of energy; that so much of the CO2 we are generating and the fossil fuels that we are burning is coming from waste and inefficiency, the leaky buildings, the overpowered and empty cars and the unnecessary lighting. But there are problems with this; the Economist notes that when you lower the operating cost of a car, either by lowering the price of fuel or making it more efficient, all other things being equal, people drive more. It is the "rebound effect": a reduction in cost leads to an increase in demand, first described in 1865 by William Stanley Jevons.
An example might be: insulate your house that you used to keep at 60 degrees in the winter, and you will probably turn up the thermostat. Or you might buy a hybrid Lexus where you get more power without buying more gas. The Economist suggests that "that rebound is a big enough problem to make energy efficiency programmes almost useless" and concludes that " Environmentalists may wish to re-do their sums."
Or should they? The key line above is "all other things being equal", which they are not. If fuel prices keep rising can there be a rebound effect? ::Economist
UPDATE: TriplePundit covered this issue earlier in The Efficiency Conundrum.
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Global Green: Gorgeous & Green SF Party!
by Vikash Singh on 12.21.07
Photo credit: Allison MacCullough The 3rd annual premier green soirée popped off earlier this week at San Francisco’s LEED certified Bently Reserve. The event focused on green design solutions to combat climate change. Proceeds from the evening benefited Global Green projects, including their Green Schools Initiative and the Holy Cross project, the first sustainable low-income housing community in New Orleans’s Lower 9th Ward. ...
The Hypocrisy of Outsourcing Pollution
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.07
Joseph Kahn and Mark Landler of the New York Times do a great job of reporting on the dirty little secret: the west is getting cleaner air and generating less greenhouse gas because we have outsourced it to China. They follow a major steel plant in Dortmund, where ThyssenKrupp sold it to the Chinese, who came over and dismantled it, and reassembled it in Handan. “They worked day and night,” said Erwin Schneider, a spokesman for ThyssenKrupp. “They could never have done it that fast if they were governed by German labor laws.”...
Recipe of the Week: Caesar Salad
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 12.21.07
Image credit:roboppy
With the dinners and parties we've been attending over the past week, there hasn't been an awful lot of cooking going on in our household and I just wasn't sure what I would write about this week.
Last night we vacated our premises so our daughter could have her friends over for a Christmas party. After a movie we had a light dinner at a little Italian restaurant. I had a Caesar salad, and like most of these restaurant salads I've had it was alright, but not fabulous. Why can't restaurants make a really good Caesar? It's really not that hard. So I'm going to share my Caesar recipe with you and see how it stacks up against your local trattoria. ...
The Year's 10 Craziest Ways to Hack the Earth
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.07
Next to nonstop nauseating Christmas carols in elevators and restaurants, the next seasonal biggest infestation is the ubiquitous list of almost anything anywhere. Some are more interesting and fun than others, such as Wired Magazine's 10 Craziest Ways to Hack the Earth, which includes all those fun geo-engineering ideas like solar shields in space, pumping clouds, seeding the ocean with nutrients to promote plankton growth and other wild and crazy ideas, some of which are not so wild and crazy. ::Wired ...
Got a Supercomputer? Run It By Bicycle!
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 12.21.07
International Education Initiative Shoots for One Planet Living
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.21.07
We’re pretty familiar with the One Planet Living (OPL) concept that was developed by a partnership between the Bioregional Development Group and WWF. We’ve heard from one of its leading proponents about how OPL is taking off in North America, seen how it could be used to redesign British suburbs according to the latest in sustainable thinking, and watched as plans for giant flagship OPL communities around the world take shape.
Now, via the newsletter of the Permaculture Association Britain, we’ve heard that WWF are teaming up with Pestalozzi International Village to create an international education centre along permaculture and OPL principles [for those unfamiliar with permaculture, check out this mini-movie, and our interview with co-founder David Holmgren]. Pestalozzi is an organization that brings together young gifted students from around the world that would otherwise have little access to education, and offers them a two-year scholarship to eventually take the International Baccalaureate Diploma, a globally recognized qualification. Through the partnership with WWF, Pestalozzi will expose future leaders of the world to cutting-edge practices and concepts in sustainability. This from the newsletter:...
Survey: What Kind of Presents Are You Giving?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.07
Earlier this season we suggested that you should "take a stand against cookie-cutter consumerism, sweatshop labor, and rampant environmental destruction by pledging to buy and receive handmade gifts." Others noted that most "crafty" things are completely unnecessary - jewelry, clothes, bags, home furnishings, etc., which people almost certainly have plenty of.
Online Surveys
| Free Poll
| Email Marketing
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Eden Bio by Edouard François
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.21.07
Social housing can be pretty depressing in les banlieues around Paris, and since the 2005 riots architects and planners have been looking for ways to improve them. Edouard François, known for his living buildings with green façades (like the Sprout Building in Montpellier) is working on Eden Bio, featuring 100 terraced units set within dense organic gardens, with stairways enclosed in greenery.
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Hollywood Bike Patrol: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Family
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 12.21.07
Photo credit: Thornton/Adao/INF
Brad Pitt takes a leisurely 44th birthday cruise through New Orleans on Tuesday with partner Angelina Jolie, as well as two of the photogenic twosome's children, Maddox, 6, and Zahara, 2.
We're happy to see the kiddies kitted out with helmets, but Mom and Pops appear to have forgotten their protective gear, along with the youngest member of the Jolie-Pitt clan. Shiloh's publicist did not return our calls for comment.
[Via ::People]...
Duke Power, BMW Explore Solar Power Partnership
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.21.07
Duke Energy Corp. is reportedly discussing with BMW Manufacturing Co. the potential for building a solar energy plant at the car company's Spartanburg South Carolina USA facility. Well, isn't that a German sort of response to US government pressure?
Duke and other utilities are facing government requirements to use less coal-fired power and more renewable energy, which is pushing them to find cost-effective ways to set up solar and other renewable energy systems.That's one of the values of having a company ruled by European values located in the US. There's other evidence of BMW being renewables focused here....
And The First Carbon-Neutral College Campus In The U.S. Is...
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.21.07
The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine!
That's right folks, the college is so small you could drive by it a hundred times before you realized it exists, but the 300 students at the College of the Atlantic can proudly say that they attend the first carbon-neutral college campus in the U.S.
Of course, with just 300 students they're not so big on academic diversity either. Featuring just one major, Human Ecology. But that doesn't mean they aren't setting the course and the standard for everyone else regardless of size.
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The Fife Diet: Will the Wee Bairns Still Ask For McDonalds?
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.21.07
271 km² is just a little over 100 square miles. It is also the area of Scotland's third largest local authority, Fife. Which makes it a prime candidate for a Scottish version of the now famous 100 Mile Diet from Vancouver.
Inspired by James and Alisa’s story, Mike Small, his wife Catherine and their offspring are now over a month into The Fife Diet, which they figure on doing for the requisite 12 months. They’ve encouraged others to join them, so they might share the experience. As they say, “It’s no good just saying no. We can’t just oppose Tesco’s, rage against food-miles and rant against food packaging. In all aspects of socio-ecology we need to build alternative platforms and movements from within the shell of the old decaying society.”
In an article on the endeavour, the Guardian took comment from Peter Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association. "It can't be understated how important the carbon footprint of food is," he said. "Every major supermarket in the UK has a policy of sourcing local food, and they are all responding to something they see going on and to changes in the market. The local sales through farm shops, farmers' markets and cooperatives in the UK last year and the year before rose faster than sales of organic food in the supermarkets."
Apparently Fife is a canny place to undertake such an experiment. It’s credited with some of Scotland's best farmland and fishing ports. “And even in February it should still be possible to eat fresh beetroot, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, leeks and mushrooms grown on Fife farms.”
Mike Small is philosophical about the results he and fellow Fifians might obtain, "We're not saying we've got all the answers. We've got small children, we work, and we're crap at gardening. We are not The Good Life, but it will just be interesting to see if it can be done. It might be that we can't do it and it ends up that we just buy seasonally and more locally."
Read about their adventures with local food on the project's blog. The Fife Diet...
How Do We Break The Climate Taboo In Presidential Debates?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.21.07
That producers and moderators of US Presidential debates have thus far largely excluded climate change as a suitable topic seems to be a growing source of irritation. Check out this video from What Are They Waiting For? Questioners in the sanctioned debates seem to just ape each other's easy-shot questions, avoiding Climate policy like it were a really nasty taboo. Here's the stat from What Are They Waiting For.
The climate crisis will be the biggest challenge facing the next president. But the top Sunday hosts don’t seem to think so. In 2007, they have asked: 2275 Questions; 3 mentioned global warmingAlso, we heard today about an organized effort by the group Draft Gore NH to write Al Gore's name on the primary ballot, primarily because he would help break the climate change "taboo." Via Encarta a Taboo is something:
1. socially or culturally prohibited: forbidden to be used, mentioned, or approached because of social or cultural rather than legal prohibitionsVia::What Are They Waiting For? Image credit::Monkeys As Critics, Gabriel von Max, Netslova ...
Sydney to Green its NYE Pyrotechnic Extravaganza
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.21.07
Pic courtesy of City of Sydney
Sydney claims the largest and most technologically advanced annual fireworks display on the planet, attracting more than one million people to the harbour foreshore, more than turn out for the fireworks in New York, London, Paris or Berlin.
And the stats (PDF) are impressive. 11,000 shells, 10,000 shooting comets, with a total of 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects, and 112 firing points on the Sydney Harbour Bridge itself. Plus seven barges and eight city rooftops. It requires 15 months of planning, a crew of 40 and 14 x 20 foot shipping containers to haul around the stuff that’s needed. Like the 60,000 metres of wires and cables required to interface with the 12 computers to launch the display.
So, as you can imagine for a City Council, proud to present Earth Hour, where 2 million Sydneysiders, and 2,200 Sydney businesses symbolically turned off their lights for one hour, and reclaim the streets for pedestrians and cyclists, such an event presents as a double edged sword. People love it, but the environment really could do without it. A bit of a Public Relations conundrum really. The answer? (after the fold ... )...
More Good Offsetting Vibes from Israel
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 12.21.07
We promised a more depth interview with Israel’s carbon offset non-profit, Good Energy Initiative (GEI) and today we deliver. The group is the first body in Israel to utilize voluntary carbon offsetting through its own carbon offsetting projects.
Founders Eyal Biger and Joshua Berman explain a little more about what they are doing for GEI, and offer us a taste of the carbon offset climate in Israel. Here is their story:
Environmental consciousness is doubtlessly growing in Israel. The discussion regarding global warming is finally picking up pace, and both media and decision makers seem to be spending more time and attention on climate change and other environmental issues. ...
Stocking Stuffers: Tote Bags
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.21.07
Tote bags are great stocking stuffers: they are convenient, useful, environmental, cheap and roll up tightly to fit into that (hand-knit?) stocking and purse. There are so many witty and catchy ones around that you could just keep on going with them. This one (pictured left) is part of a series in which designers created an image on the theme of sustainability and reusability. Other bags have pictures of ribbons, the quote "plastic is not fantastic", "I am nasty" and a picture of a handbag.
The bag on the right is also made of fairtrade cotton, and is a reproduction of a design by Lucienne Day. She is a well known textile designer who has been working in the business since the 1950's. This bag is especially roomy, with long straps to swing over the shoulder. Also part of a series called Bags of Goodwill, other designers included Tom Dixon, Robin Day (her husband) and Naoto Fukasawa. All are in limited editions, so could even become a collector's item some day.
Can't resist one last bag with an image of a tree being hugged, how could we not love it! Go for the tote. :: Blanka and :: twentytwentyone...
The Best New Year's Resolution: A Starter Kit For Change
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 12.21.07
The Starter Kit for Change must be the prettiest way we've seen to get people on that 'green' path and surely it's the loveliest way to give that person you love a little nudge in the right direction without coming over all 'the end is nigh!' on them. Yes, I am sure we all know someone who yawns subtly, or maybe even openly, when we start banging our climate drum, but with the Starter Kit For Change they can have fun from the outset.
Each pack includes: a Booklet, an Arbor Day plantable Seedling, Gratitude cards, Sudoku Booklet, Journal, Recycled pencil, Compact fluorescent light bulb, Fair trade hot chocolate, Tote bag, and Charity envelope. ...
EPA Rejects California's Auto Emissions Waiver
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.20.07
Image courtesy of Vibragiel
Going against the better judgment of his agency's legal and technical staffs, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson shot down California's proposed auto emissions waiver, arguing that the recently enacted energy bill would do more to combat global warming than "a confusing patchwork of state rules." That, of course, is blatantly wrong: yes, it does contain renewable energy requirements but, as California state officials have pointed out, the waiver would require a mileage average of 36 mpg by 2016 - as opposed to the energy bill's 35 mpg by 2020.
What is most infuriating about Johnson's decision is that 16 other states, representing over half of the U.S. population, had either already adopted or pledged to adopt California's tailpipe emissions rules - flying in the face of his "patchwork of state rules" argument. This denial comes in the wake of decisions recently made by federal judges in Vermont and California to block carmakers' attempts to strike down state tailpipe regulations; no doubt the lobbying efforts of several major companies, including Ford and Chrysler, helped "influence" Johnson's decision....
Drop: Stuart Haygarth's Take on Bottled Water, in Chandelier Form
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.20.07
Stuart Haygarth strikes again. After wowing us with his eyeglass lens chandelier at Trash Luxe and disposable wineglass chandelier, the London-based designer is back with more lighting from recycled materials. This time, his muse is bottled water, and "Drop" is the result, debuting the recent Design Miami show. Check out a video and interview featuring Haygarth, courtesy of dezeen, for more.
The choice to use the ubiquitous bottled water (don't even get us started on the world of reasons to ditch it or it's true (enormous) cost) is a pretty interesting one. Haygarth's work is always about both making recycled materials beautiful and functional, but also about exposing our overuse of those materials; with his treatment of bottled water, he's taken something that's a real problem in the waste steam (we haven't railed against plastic wine glasses or eyeglass lenses much) and put his personal spin on it. Hit the jump to hear more about the project in his own words....
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 12.20.07
Transform your used cereal box into some grrrrreat gift packaging.
Flushing your meds down the toilet can cause more than plumbing problems. Learn how to safely dispose of unpopped pills.
One couple created a three-dimensional scrapbook of their life together by crafting tiny buildings from used business cards and packaging.
Make a simple wallet out of the circuit sheet of a used PC keyboard, and impress the geek in your life.
Learn how to pick the safest, nontoxic bottles for feeding your baby.
This cranberry jam is a lot easier to make than it looks.
Find free wrapping paper for your gifts anytime of the year.
If you stop using your orphaned socks now, the laundry gremlins win.
Collin shows us why cast-iron cookware is better for you, your wallet, and the environment.
Don't have time for a drawn-out skincare regimen? Get supple, glowing skin with this quick fix.
If your penmanship alone isn't going to cut it, we've rounded up some attractive gift tags you can download and print for free....
TreeHugger Picks: Gingerbread Green Building
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.20.07
The weather outside may be frightful, but that doesn't mean your gingerbread architecture has to be. Just in time for prime gingerbread housebuilding season, here are our picks for the best in gingerbread green building (and remember, many come with downloadable PDFs so you can recreate them at home).
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 | 1) Michelle Kaufmann isn't just an architect of one of the original modern prefabs, pushing the envelope into Google mashups, books and new models in all shapes and sizes. She is never one to miss a market, and has set her sights squarely on the booming prefab modern gingerbread scene. After all, as the mortgage crisis deepens, this may be the only modern prefab market left. |
 | 2) Coming all the way from Berlin, Sauerbruch Hutton's design might be more reminiscent of Swiss cheese than traditional architecture, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to build and look at. Many of the German designs (there are four others in this post) push the envelope of traditional gingerbread making into fun and fabulous new realms. As Archinect cleverly put it, the German architects are going after seasonal work with their 5 different stunning modernist gingerbread houses. |
 | 3) Since it is such an important indicator of the value of real estate, at $88 bucks we calculate this midcentury modern design to cost $176 per square foot, which is pretty cheap for good modern design. Like many prefabs, delivery is extra. Gingerbread as a structural and cladding material is completely biodegradeable for LEED points (as is the xeriscaped garden) and compostable for C2C certification. The remaining two picks are after the jump... |
A 12 Year-Old Launches Project Kool to Help Stop Global Warming
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.20.07
If you’re wondering what an inspired 12 year-old can do to help stop global warming, look no further than a 7th grader named Hunter Gross from Long Island, NY. He’s launched a project with his mom and dad dubbed Project Kool, and it’s goal is to help get kids involved replacing the endless stream of paper and plastic bags they cart their lunch to school in each day by swapping ‘em for The Lunch Sak.
What’s The Lunch Sak? Well, it’s a reusable lunch bag made of natural cotton that has a Velcro strip to make it resealable. For fun it comes with a pair of markers that wash out easily, making it possible for kids of all ages to redesign their Lunch Sak on a daily basis without harming the environment in the process.
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Trying Out The Asus EEE PC
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.20.07
When looking forward to Palm Foleo I said "Anyone who is interested in green computing is trying to get as much as they can out of as little as possible, the least power consumed, the least hardware on their desk, the most flexibility from their components." It never arrived, but the Asus eee has, and I am writing this post on it.
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It Slices, It Dices: Luís Porém’s Inverso Chair
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.20.07
Rock 'n roll, or sit tight? The choice is yours with the dual-functioning Inverso chair by Portuguese designer Luís Porém. Set up one way, it's a gentle rocking chair; flip it over and you've got a sturdy side chair. It's a really sleek, smart design; in both "modes," it looks like the chair was designed for that singular purpose, and we can't decide which one looks better.
Appreciably less wacky than the rocking wheel chair and arguably more functional than Peter Danko's Gotham chair (Inverso has got the two-chairs-in-one thing going for it. Which is nice.), we could see Inverso on a nice sunny outdoor patio or even gathered around a small kitchen table. The fabric and plastic versions (pictured after the jump) are decidedly more futuristic-looking; pick your favorite at ::Luís Porém via ::MoCo Loco...
Hanging Out in the Mall
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.20.07
Michael Townsend gives new meaning to the term Mall Rat when he and seven other artists moved into a 750 square foot space above a storage room in the Providence Place Mall in Providence, Rhode Island. They carried in two tons of construction material, a sectional sofa, a love seat, a coffee table, a breakfast table with four chairs, lamps, a throw rug, a hutch and paintings on the walls. Not having water or a bathroom, they snuck into the mall to use its facilities and the food court, although they did have a waffle iron and some video games. They kept this up for four years.
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TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 12.20.07
Celsias: African Organics by Jeremy Williams
"Last week the UK’s Department for International Development announced a new fund to support ethical food production in Africa, for the UK market. The £2 million Food Retail Industry Challenge fund, or FRICH, will support trade networks between UK retailers and fair-trade and organic farmers in Africa."
Earth2Tech: FAQ: Thin-Film Solar by Craig Rubens
"Nanosolar started to roll the panels off its presses this week, prompting us to take a serious look at the thin-film market. So here are some basic pointers for one of the most promising areas in cleantech."...
Ethical Weddings Shortlisted for Yahoo! Award
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.20.07
Our friends over at Ethical Weddings have been making waves recently. Not only have they undergone a complete makeover, but they have just been short listed as one of the Yahoo! Search Finds of the Year for 2007. This is an announcement that bodes well for the continued growth of the ethical wedding sector, something we are delighted to see. Katie Fewings, Director of Ethical Weddings Ltd, reckons this should provide a significant boost, not just for the site itself, but for the countless independent suppliers featured on their pages:
It will mean so much for our ethical wedding suppliers to step into the limelight just when we're entering the traditional wedding planning season. Many of our suppliers are small scale, working really hard on tight budgets to provide a stylish but sustainable service for eco-friendly couples. If the Yahoo! Finds of the Year Campaign directs a few more ethical brides and green grooms their way, it will help them to keep up the great work they're doing.The Ethical Weddings team are also hoping to scoop up the People’s Choice awards, and are encouraging any fans of their site to make their voice heard here. For anyone wanting more thoughts on holding a good green wedding, we would also humbly offer our guide on How to Green Your Wedding as a useful resource. Image Credit: Berry and Paul’s ethical wedding ::Ethical Weddings::via site visit:: ...
‘Eco’ is ‘Ego’ says Alfons Cornella from the Innovation Network Infonomía
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 12.20.07
Image by Infonomía, illustration by Sergi Rucabado
In his series 2020: Possible Futures, Alfons Cornella, founder and president of the Spanish innovation network Infonomía, says: "‘eco’ is ‘ego’, it is time we get out of prehistory".
In his article, Cornella makes reference to James Burke’s documentary After the Warming (1990), that predicts what the world in 2050 will look like, so that when people in the future look back on the last 50 years, they could see how wrong we were about climate change and how little we did to solve it until the first obvious signs were visible in 2010. Cornella believes that we have already reached that stage with repetitive disasters due to hurricanes (like Katrina) or the rising of fuel prices, even if it’s just the beginning.
The article continues remarking on the movie The 11thHour in which only the best minds and technologies can save the problem of global warming. Cornella agrees that the idea makes sense: “ The planetary transformation is a company of gigantic dimensions, that should mobilise the best resources and energies”. He continues that science can probably never assure 100% what the causes of the problem are, and hence, will always leave space for opinions. This leads the author on to analysing the debate between evolutionism (Darwin) and intelligent design, with reference to Edward Wilson’s text The Creation, where saving Paradise (our Planet Earth in this case) is always the common objective no matter how different the approaches of religion and science....
Airlines Flying Into The Offset Game
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 12.20.07
Today came the possibly "too little, too late" news that airlines are to be included in the EU's system of CO2 permits trading...but not until 2012. Waiting four more years to add airlines to a possibly-flawed Euro system is hard to see as brilliant news (Swedish greenies favor a simple CO2 tax), but we'll try anyway. Just the thought of impending trading may convince airlines to implement some of the engine-efficiency and fuel-changing measures that will bring down their CO2 emissions profiles.
In the meantime, airlines seems are getting in on selling carbon offsets to customers faster than you can say "direct flight." Cathay Pacific, Continental, Delta Air Canada, British Airways and Scandinavian (SAS) all offer offsets through partners, as does easyJet. We're skeptical about offsets, as you can read here and here, but offer the basic primer on greening offsets here. The quality of what the airlines offer varies widely. Possibly a trip to any of three highly regarded offset providers - Sustainable Travel International, myclimate, or Atmosfair, might be the best course. Because in spite of the drawbacks, offsets are what we as consumers have got now. If you have to travel by plane, might as well try to find the best-quality offsets. Via ::Wall Street Journal...
Candle Power: Discovering the Value of Energy
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.20.07
What is the value of energy? So asks MAX 500W, a mindful idea of thehomeproject (we've featured them before; remember these crazy cork speakers?). By replacing power strip plugs with votive candles, it answers the above question with another: How many candles would you need?
TreeHugger likes concepts and designs that make us all think about our energy and lighting use, and where it comes from -- like the combination coat hanger/light switch -- so just remember to hit up Bluewick, Dzign Life or Madisyn Taylor for soy candles to fill your strip. Close up pic after the jump. ::thehomeproject via ::NotCot.org...
Our Favorite Things
by Marian Hopkins, Business Roundtable on 12.20.07
The end of any year casts a shadow of reflection on accomplishments and importantly, on what could have been done in the last 12 months. However, this year, 2007, saw progress in addressing our generation’s most pressing challenges – how to slow and ultimately stop the growth of greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy efficiency and improve our nation’s energy security. It was a productive year and one that will hopefully be followed by a year filled with even more accomplishments.
What a year it was. People across the country began to see energy and the environment through a different lens, thanks in part to attention surrounding the following milestones:
- Former Vice President Gore being honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for work in climate change and his series of Live Earth concerts.
Direct Mail Industry Surveys Consumer Attitudes In Search Of A Strategy
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.20.07
Pitney Bowes, the postage meter company, has published its Direct Mail Survey for 2007. One interesting conclusion of the 2007 survey, as reported in the Pitney Bowes "DMNews" is that:
...consumers greatly overestimate the environmental impact of direct mail, a fact that likely colors attitudes toward the medium. Nonetheless, the survey shows that people enjoy their mail and do not want to stop receiving it — even if doing so were to benefit the environment — and that they are open to industry efforts to police itself.Do we really overestimate? Are we focused on trivial matters and thus overlooking the big factors? Hold that question for a bit. Based on the survey report, what advocacy strategy might direct mailers take to keep those voluntary actions in play? You guessed it. It's the "Big Actions" thing. ...
West 8 Team Wins Governors Island
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.20.07
TreeHugger previously covered the competition to design a park on Governors Island in ::Fantasy Island: Imagining a Park in New York and noted at the time that we thought the funkiest and most interesting scheme was from the team of Diller Scofidio & Renfro, Rogers Marvel Architects, West 8, Quennell Rothschild & Partners and SMWM, with its climbing walls and "what TreeHugger could resist the promise that "Three thousand free wooden bikes would allow for rapid circumnavigation on looping, leafy paths. "
We called it right; Yesterday it was announced that the design won, and Mayor Bloomberg said “It is one of the jewels of our city, We couldn’t have a better location. Now it’s up to us to do it.”...
San Francisco Becomes First City to Start Carbon Offset Program
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.20.07
Image courtesy of ah zut
By supporting local eco-friendly activities, San Francisco's novel offsetting program, dubbed the San Francisco Carbon Fund, would seek to redress one of the most commonly criticized aspects of carbon offsets: namely, the oft inscrutable nature of the projects being funded. In his announcement, Mayor Gavin Newsom explained that the program would seek to offset the carbon cost of city officials' municipal air travel by making contributions to one of several participating city programs aimed at lowering emissions.
Examples of the type of investments made under the city's offset program include converting restaurant grease into biodiesel or installing photovoltaic panels in low-income housing; the critical point, Newsom stressed, is that the offsets only fund local initiatives, not some that "promise action in distant lands." He said that the program wouldn't incur any additional costs, suggesting that the various city departments would need to reduce their travel time and pay for some trips with the offsets....
China's Newest Anti-Pollution Weapon: A Map
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 12.20.07
China’s air pollution is thought to kill 460,000 a year, the World Bank reported this year, and it’s no secret what the major cause is (it’s largely coal). But China’s environmental police face an uphill battle finding and fining factories and power plants for pollution. Fines are paid, or local officials are paid off. But a new map—yes, a map—is leveraging a potentially stronger disincentive: shame. The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, an NGO helmed by activist (and Ed Norton;s hero) Ma Jun, launched the handy China Air Pollution Map using public data found on the websites of environmental protection departments or in government news releases. Ma says it will be constantly updated.
This is actually Ma’s second map; the first, released this year, targeted water pollution. His goal—and one backed by the state environmental protection agency, is to build a sense of public awareness around pollution while firming up China’s weak environmental surveillance. Outing offenders and relying on public participation are both crucial, say some officials. Others might be more reluctant. China recorded 51,000 pollution-related protests in 2005, and this past year, text messages brought together crowds that successfully blocked a chemical factory in the city of Xiamen. Such events are a reminder of the power of organized information. They're also a reminder that pollution isn't just unhealthy for the country's growth and its people, but for it's stability too.
China Air Pollution Map via Xinhua
See also Greening the Almighty Yuan...
Wretched Excess Dept: Sting's Christmas Hamper
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.20.07
It's the rock and roll establishment's gift of choice: a wicker Christmas hamper filled with products from Sting's personal organic farm in Wiltshire. There are only one hundred of them, with products lovingly chosen by his wife, Trudie Styler, and they are flying off the shelves. For £140 ($300US) each hamper contains organic christmas cake, blackcurrant jam, raspberry jam, gooseberry mint and sage jelly, beetroot chutney and a chocolate coin. There is also a bottle of champagne, cassis, and some candles. Styler has been running an organic farm for 15 years, and is delighted with the success of the venture. She says, "I've always been a big advocate of local shopping and what could be more local than your own backyard?" (read country estate with staff to match).
Who wants them? Everyone--Sharon Osbourne took away "a number", and record executives have snapped them up to give as presents to Katie Melua, amongst others.
Of course, this is small potatoes compared to the ultimate christmas hamper for $53,576 at Fortnum & Mason. It will be delivered by horse and cart and contains goodies including a tin of Beluga caviar, enough foie gras for 25 people, 3 precious bottles of wine and two pairs of cashmere socks in pink and grey. :: Evening Standard...
Searching for the Planet's Sunniest Spots
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.20.07
Wouldn't it be great if there were a technology or database in place to locate the world's sunniest spots? Not only could it help spur further investment in solar energy technologies by giving businesses or governments the best bang for their buck; it would also provide more cost-effective energy solutions for developing countries - particularly in Africa - which receive a lot of sunlight but lack a proper power grid infrastructure.
NASA has been working on building just such a database, gathering and scrutinizing 22 years' worth of maps compiled by European and U.S. satellites to find Earth's sunniest places; it has so far determined that the middle of the Pacific Ocean and the Sahara Desert top the list of sunniest locations. The effort is being spearheaded by the Group on Earth Observations, a 72-nation coalition that seeks practical applications for scientific information to "benefit society." ...
Mountainsmith Set to Expand Their Recycled Series
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.20.07
Whilst Osprey have been bringing their recycled daypacks and messenger bags to market, Mountainsmith has been busy with their line of recycled lumbar pads (as noted in our Christmas Gift Guide for Outdoor Lovers) and seen above right.
The exterior fabric of the lumbar pads is a 450 denier 100% recycled PET (polyester) fabric, while the interior is a bright coloured lining (so you can find stuff inside) of lighter weight 150 denier PET. Mountainsmith say that between 13 and 16 PET bottles and by the end of 2007 (which is not very far away) they estimate they’ll have saved 1.1 million bottles from landfill. Wow, by my shoddy maths, that’s almost 70,000 recycled lumbar pads being bought.
For 2008 Mountainsmith plan to extend their recycled offerings to include a full 70 litre alpine rucksack, the Phoenix (seen on the left). The company suggest when the pack hits the trail in Spring next year it will be made of 85% recycled materials. It will join the the smaller 30 litre Spire (middle), in a line of, what Trailspace described as “19 backpacks and daypacks, seven lumbar packs, and four camera bags with recycled content.” ::Mountainsmith, via ::Kirou....
Download a Christmas Tree Topper
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.20.07
Be the first on your block to have a cutting-edge angel designed by a famous artist on the top of your tree, downloaded for free from the net. Treehugger loves downloading; it's free, democratic, environmental and fun. Now you can pick one of three designs created by contemporary British artists as a tree topper. Just cut and paste and you too can have the girl with a rose face (pictured) on yours. It is designed by a Manchester punk artist, Linder, who works in collages, mixing scenes from old shopping catalogues and women's magazines.
Yinka Shonibare has lived in Nigeria and uses brightly coloured African batik fabrics bought at a local market for his exotic creation. Jeremy Deller, of the bat photographs and bat houses fame, has created a (too) realistic bat for animal lovers' treetops.
The project is a collaboration between Time Out, the weekly magazine, and Artangel, a fascinating arts organisation which creates public participatory art projects. :: Time Out...
Border Region Looks to Desalination to Counter a Parched Rio Grande
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 12.19.07
We´ve noted in the past plans for new desalination plants in Australia and low-grade energy desalination technology from New Mexico.
Down on the U.S.-Mexico border, for better or for worse, cities and states are increasingly looking to desalination, an expensive an energy-intensive process of removing the salt from brackish water to create fresh water. The efforts are a response to increasingly clear evidence that the Rio Grande and its underground aquifers are being sucked dry on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
"The Rio Grande is one of the most stressed river basins in the world and water use is already at its limit," said Casey Walsh, a water specialist Mexico's Iberoamericana University, recently told Reuters. ...
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 12.19.07
Make a hearty pumpkin broth that chef Nigel Slater says both "whips and kisses".
Monitor your tire pressure with a neat little doodad that could save you money.
Cradle your food gifts in packaging that is both lovely to behold and gentle on the planet.
Earn money for your favorite cause, one instant message at a time.
Learn how to bedeck your gifts in bold ribbons crafted from junk mail.
Earn a different kind of interest by investing in a time bank.
Your waist size could say more about your health than you might think. Find out why.
How green is your gingerbread house?
Collin reviews It's Easy Being Green by Crissy Trask.
Let your elected officials know where you stand on crucial decisions. We show you how easy it can be....
Truffles and Champagne Make Up the Greenest Christmas Menu
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 12.19.07
Photo credit: philwoodphoto
Pop some organic bubbly for this corker of a story. French scientists have hit upon the greenest Christmas menu on the planet: A delectable pairing of truffles (the fungus, not the chocolate) and champagne.
"Champagne is the ideal ecological ingredient," Barbara Redlingshöfer, researcher at the ecology-society wing of Inserm, France's agricultural research institute, told The Telegraph. "It is stocked in glass bottles that can be easily recycled—the only problem being the cardboard crates that carry them. "
With barely any ecological side effects, truffles are described as the "perfect organic produce." Whether they're economically sustainable, on the other hand, is a whole 'nother matter. Bottoms up! ::The Telegraph...
More on Dongtan, China's (and the World's) First Major Eco-City
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.19.07
Image courtesy of Tim Johnson/MCT
Eager to put on its best green face ahead of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China has been working hard to make Dongtan, its planned for eco-city, a reality. With groundbreaking not expected to occur until next year, Chinese officials hope to at least be able to lay down an ambitious, truly sustainable vision for the world to see during next year's Beijing Games - one that would help partially counter their country's much maligned environmental image. That won't be easy.
According to McClatchy's Tim Johnson, developers are threatening to "hijack the plan" in an effort to make some green by raising property values. Musings about a possible Disney theme park and other attractions have raised concerns about the project's future direction; as it stands, the eco-city's plans would call for battery-powered buses; solar-powered water taxis; dense neighborhoods; and rooftop gardens, amongst other features. ...
A Picture is Worth...The Sum of the (Car) Parts...
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.19.07
We like Core77's little quiz on what this is a picture of:
a) what mechanics have nightmares about
b) a college prank perpetrated by extremely determined students at the local Polytech
c) a commercial for VW circa 1980-something
d) the only way to really find those sunglasses you lost
e) what engineers see in their heads every time we designers show them a simple concept sketch
We could add one to the mix:
f) at least 562 reasons why we prefer to bicycle, or, why we'd rather say "Solvitur Ambulando" than "Vroom vroom."
via ::Core77...
School Receives Largest Green Christmas Gift in History
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.19.07
That's right folks, kids on the Gerlach school campus in Nevada received what probably serves as the largest green Christmas gift in history. Receiving a 90KW solar system for their school that will be pumping out clean energy long after they've graduated, and quite possibly when their own kids show up to sing Christmas carols one day.
The panels themselves are actually expected to generate up to 162,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually for the next 25 years. With the total energy savings over that time period expected to surpass $480,000. And the approximately $20,000 per year savings will directly benefit the students and faculty at the school, according to the people running the very rural Washoe County School District which serves a grand total of 83 students grades PreK-12.
Make no mistake about it, that's a huge amount of money each year for such a small school district to put to good use.
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Santa claus is chinese
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 12.19.07
Last year at this time, I wrote about Santa Claus being Chinese. It generated a lot of interest, so I thought you might like to see it again during this holiday season.
I know Santa Claus is Chinese because each Christmas morning after all the gifts are unwrapped and things settle down I systematically go through the presents to see where they are made. The results are almost always the same: roughly 70 percent are from China. After some research, it seems that my one-family survey is representative of the country as a whole.
Let’s start with toys. At the Earth Policy Institute, we have found that some 80 percent of the toys sold in the United States are made in China. Electronic goods—from Apple’s iPod to Microsoft’s Xbox—are made in China. Clothing—from the latest cashmere sweaters to gym suits—is also likely to have a “Made in China” label....
Taxi Develops Jacket for the Homeless
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.07
Many companies are eliminating the usual gift baskets or cards, and doing something for charity instead. The creative types and marketing firms are trying to outdo each other with ideas that both do good and demonstrate how clever they are. (See Ito's goats) While we don't know what level of charity Maimonides would peg this at (they didn't have the internet to publicize their generosity in the 12th century) it is a phenomenon that spreads a lot more cheer a lot wider than a card might. TAXI, a very clever Toronto ad firm has developed a jacket for Canada's cold homeless, of which there are far too many. They are making and distributing 3,000 of them....
You Are Where You Eat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.07
photo credit Len Rizzi
Which came first, a high obesity rate or a concentration of fast food joints? TreeHugger has noted before that poorly designed cities or cheap gas can make you fat, but a new Canadian study has determined that there is a direct relationship between a city's obesity rate and the number of fast food restaurants per capita.
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Schooling the Relatives
by Greg Haegele of Sierra Club on 12.19.07
If you've read my profile, you know that I was fortunate enough to learn from my grandparents a deep respect and love of nature, spending summers with them on a small island in British Columbia. I learned that respect not because they lectured me, or somehow proved I should feel that way, but because a love of the land and sea was naturally woven into everything we did from sunrise to sundown. My grandparents created the opportunity for me to see; nature did the rest.
Not everyone is as fortunate as I was, but even so, nature still finds a way to affect us. Its beauty and power come to almost all of us at some point or another, and in my experience it's the rare person who really doesn't respect and want to protect what's beautiful and valuable in nature. I'd encourage you to remember that if you are at the family holiday meal and political arguments about global warming break out. When that happens I know how easy it is to rise to the bait, and before you know it you find yourself at one pole in a debate pitting "extremist environmentalists" against "global warming deniers."...
Drilling for Heat at New York's General Theological Seminary
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.07
One of the loveliest spots in New York is the courtyard of the General Theological Seminary in Chelsea, surrounded by a fabulous collection of 19th century buildings. (it is also a great place to stay in New York at a reasonable price, although they are demolishing that wing on 9th for a new library and condo) Those buildings cost a lot to heat, so the GTS has been spending a lot of money to upgrade. It is hard to make the buildings a lot more energy efficient and retain their character, so the best approach is to make the heating and cooling systems better. They are installing a massive ground source heat pump system to dramatically reduce their footprint and operating costs. ...
Starry Nights are Healthier, Cheaper and Reduce CO2
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.07
Vincent Van Gogh saw a very different night sky than we do today, before we started pumping so much light into the atmosphere and washed it all out. And the craziest thing about it is, every single photon lost to the sky is pure waste, light that was made from electricity that is mostly made from coal, it is a visual picture night view of our planet's carbon footprint. It is as graphic an illustration as one can have of how bad design contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. But wait, there's more....
Strandbeests Blowin' In The Wind
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.07
Image credit Loek van der Klis; www.strandbeest.com and www.loekvanderklis.com
"Theo Jansen is occupied with the making of a new nature. Not pollen or seeds but plastic yellow tubes are used as the basic material of this new nature. He makes skeletons which are able to walk on the wind. Eventually he wants to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives."
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Finding A Sustainable Fish Stick
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 12.19.07
Insufficient quotas haven't helped North Atlantic cod
Here in Sweden fiskpinnar (fish sticks) are on nearly every restaurant's children's menu from south of Stockholm to above the Arctic Circle. But today came the alarming news from WWF that north Atlantic cod, that fish stick staple, is in worse shape than ever(warning: Swedish link), especially in the Scandinavian waters of Skaggerak and Kattegatt between Denmark and Sweden. Sweden's announcement that domestic fishing quotas for cod would be lowered 8 percent next year was not even one-third of the 25 percent cut some scientists recommend (others say a total fishing ban is needed). WWF warned that North Atlantic cod could be exactly in the spot where Canadian cod was before it disappeared from the water and our plates in the 1990s.
This dire news could turn anyone off the idea of fish sticks for dinner. But some experts say giving up on fish totally is not the answer. Hit the jump for some suggestions:...
PG&E Becomes First Utility to Purchase Wave Energy
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.19.07
Pacific Gas & Electric has inked a groundbreaking deal with Finavera Renewables, pledging to buy the equivalent of 2MW of wave energy-derived power by 2012 - becoming, in the process, the first U.S. utility to make such an investment. The purchase could lead to the construction of a wave farm 2.5 miles off the coast of Eureka in Humboldt County, in Northern California; the farm would create a network of "AquaBuoys," the Canadian company's wave turbines.
Excitement over wave energy's rosy prospects in coastal states like California have led many to deem it this decade's new wind power, though large-scale projects such as this one still face several regulatory hurdles from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). In order to obtain approval, Jason Bak, Finavera's CEO, says that his company will first need to ameliorate its technology and get the necessary funding....
Lights Out for Candle Night
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.07
For optimists, the winter solstice is a major happy holiday; every day from now on is a little bit longer as we climb out of the darkness toward spring. For years in Toronto we have celebrated it with the Kensington Market Festival of Lights; now the Japanese Candle Night, celebrated during the summer solstice, has been extended to the winter where it makes a lot more sense.
So turn off the lights and light candles on December 22 from 8:00 PM till 10:00 PM.
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Crossing the Ditch: Australia to New Zealand by Kayak
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.19.07
Two Australians are over halfway in their quest to find a decent milkshake. Having set out from Forster on the NSW coast of Australia they were, at last look, 57% of their way along the 2,200km (1,367 miles) that separates them from the land of dairy cows and greenstone.
Originally they were due to make landfall at Auckland, New Zealand pretty close to Christmas. But as the map indicates a change in predicted weather patterns had them buffeted by massive head winds, and various technical hassles with their bilge pump and desalinator, plus an entangled rudder, have all contributed to progress being much slower than planned.
If successful James Castrission (25) and Justin Jones (24) will be the first to complete the journey across the Tasman Sea by kayak (albeit a customised craft with sleeping cabin, see pic after the fold) and indeed the second longest modern kayak ocean journey....
Santa Announces Strategic Shift Around Coal-Based Plastics
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.19.07
Dec.-2007:- A spokesman for Santa's North Pole workshop has announced that during this Christmas 2007 delivery season re-usable water bottles will be "stocking-stuffers" in drought-suffering US domestic markets. The 2007 US trials will focus on high quality stainless steel bottles, with national scale-up expected by Christmas of 2008, "when US stainless steel water bottle suppliers are up to capacity."
This and other changes are underway, based on strategic planning initiated in 2006, according to the famed North Pole workshop, "after it came to our attention that there were plans to use coal as a raw material for US plastic production".
In an emotional sounding statement supplied by the workshop, Santa is quoted as saying: "We have a strategy for climate mitigation in place. We don't put coal in good children's stockings; and we're not giving plastic items made with coal as a raw material."
"What's found in the stocking Christmas morning sends a message that lasts through the year. We want to teach kids to avoid every-day disposable items like water bottles, especially if coal becomes the raw material. So, long lasting, refillable water bottles are going to be a part of our message. Many children know we're in melt down mode up here; and, in a way, our strategy is only responding to their hopes for the future."
Update: Sources inside the Pole have just leaked more of Santa's strategic plan to TreeHugger, which you'll be hearing more about in a subsequent post.
Via::Eastman Chemical, Creating Value through Coal Gasification; and, Columbia, South Carolina, USA - Manufacturing Site Image credit::AffirmWater, Stainless Bottles....
A 40-Hour Laptop Battery by a (Silicon) Whisker
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.19.07
The latest breakthrough in lithium ion battery technology may not sound all that impressive. After all, we're just talking about some modifications to the battery's anode - a set of silicon whisker-like wires - hardly anything earthshattering. Yet, if you believe the claims of Stanford materials scientist Yi Cui, this modification could allow batteries to store up to 10 times the charge of conventional rechargeables - enough juice to power a laptop for almost 2 full days.
Anodes in lithium ion batteries have traditionally been made up of layers of carbon atoms (graphite), 6 of which hold onto each individual lithium ion; lithium ions provide the power for a device by unloading the extra electrons they grabbed during the charging process. Because each silicon atom is capable of holding 4 lithium ions, it's long been thought that silicon would work much better than carbon in extending batteries' longevity....
Target Corp. Gets With Program, Begins Reducing Toxins in Toys, Bibs, Lunchboxes, Shower Curtains, and Packaging
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.19.07
While red is certainly the color of the season, I do suspect that Target may have utilized the singularly worst taste ever in creating the ad above. Whoever created it certainly deserves to have a "blue Christmas" indeed...
But the good news is that Target has decided recently to get with the program and begin reducing the amount of toxic materials in some of the products it sells. Following a campaign by health and environmental advocacy groups, the nation's fifth-largest retailer said it would eliminate or reduce polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from a range of its products and packaging.
The move specifically targets infant and children's products, shower curtains, tableware and packaging. And while several lines of products found at Target including children's eating utensils, lunchboxes and coolers are already PVC-free; items like baby bibs and baby changing tables are just now slated to become PVC-free by January 2008, while the company will be phasing out phthalates from toys by the fall of 2008.
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Survey: How Do You Light Your Tree?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.19.07
Even Rockefeller Center has gone LED this year; Many cities like Toronto are doing free LED light exchanges. Yet I was shocked to find that TreeHugger April in Sweden "reverts to the ancient Euro-tradition of having a few clip-on paraffin-free stearin candles for atmosphere"; I am surprised half the country isn't burned down. Clearly not everyone has made the leap to LEDs.
Online Surveys
| Free Poll
| Email Marketing
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When The Sun Shines Down Under. . .It Powers a Bus
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 12.19.07
Adelaide, Australia, recently introduced what is being called, at least according to the Adelaide City Council website, "the world's first solar-powered electric bus." Manufactured by a New Zealand company called Designline International, the all-electric bus can carry 42 passengers and runs on 11 zebra sodium-nickel batteries that provide a range of 200 km (124 miles). The batteries are recharged entirely by a photovoltaic array atop the new Adelaide Central Bus station. According to one city councilman, "the system generates 70,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which makes it the largest grid-connected solar system in our City."
Only one Tindo, as the bus is called (it's Aboriginal for "sun"), has been delivered so far, but hopefully more are on the way. The best part is that, at least for now, all rides on the world's first solar-powered bus are free. That's right: "free" power from the sun (okay, the BP solar panels weren't free. . .), and a free ride around town!
Via: ::Autobloggreen, ::AdelaideCityCouncil, and ::Inhabitat.com
See Also: ::Bus Bike From Brazil, ::Eco-friendly Bus Fleet Takes Off in Delhi, ::Solar-Powered Bus Shelters Light Up, ::London Plans for Hybrid Bus Expansion, and ::Plug-In Hybrid School Buses Introduced...
Happy Birthday Alfalfa House
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.19.07
Park Slope Food Co-op in New York, but still, it is a worthy milestone for any community owned enterprise.
Alfalfa House provides low-cost, ethically-produced and minimally-packaged wholefoods which are predominately organic, biodynamic, as well as cruelty-free, vegetarian and or vegan lines. Most lines are provided in bulk with customers supplying their own jars and bags. As would be expected, locally sourced food is also high on the agenda. Whenever possible, given contraint of seasons, fruit and vegetables are sourced direct from the co-op’s own network of organic farmers. Recently a source of sea vegetables, such as wakame, was found in Australia, negating the need for Japanese imports.
Being a community-based co-operative, the 2,400 members ‘own’ the business and contribute by filling the suggestions box to the brim, nominating for positions on the voluntary Management Committee (MC), and for every two hours they volunteer they are rewarded with 25% off their groceries and produce. Membership in the past year or so has been booming as the general public become more attuned to the origins of what they put in their mouth. Anyone can walk in off the street and shop there, though members do receive a 10% discount, without needing to volunteer....
Green Gifts for Eco-Warriors
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.19.07
Of course we are all sick to tears of more ecological recommendations for Christmas presents, but when they are from the green goddess herself, Lucy Siegle, how can we resist? She prefaces her list with a confession that she is not yet "sufficiently ethically evolved to do a Buy-Nothing Christmas." And a caveat that "the last thing the world needs is more crap, even if it masquerades as eco crap. So no dream catchers, clogs or hemp shopping bags, please." So here are some of the goodies on her list: First up; a set of organic, vegetable wax candles from Amnesty International which will burn for approximately 50 hours. Also for a good cause Ethiopian Coffee which is fair trade and yummy.
Jewellery: we love a pendant made of wooden pieces on a brass chain. And to go with it she recommends: a stylish gold hemp and silk dress by treehugger favourite Ciel. And sparkly shoes with a diamond buckle and stiletto heels.
To encourage a new hobby for that someone special Siegle has a great idea: a complete beekeeper's starter kit, with a hat, gloves, jacket and hive equipment. Don't forget the christmas cards and thank you notes (pictured); made from sheep poo of course. :: Observer...
Wind Turbines as Terrorist Threat: Yeah, Right
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.19.07
We’re kind of used to critics of wind power here at TreeHugger. We’ve already heard about, and debunked, the idea that wind turbines are a massive threat to bird life, and our reporting of the New York Times trashing of turbines kicked up a lively debate. However, thanks to Rob Hopkins of Transition Culture, we’ve just heard of a new argument against renewable energy that, quite frankly, has us stumped: apparently the newly announced plans for the expansion of offshore wind power in the UK makes a prime target for terrorists. The claim comes from a letter to the Metro Newspaper by David Hill of the rather mysterious looking World Innovation Fund. Normally, at this point we would voice our incredulity and outrage. Rob Hopkins, however, does it so well that we’ll let him pick up the story:
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Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 12.18.07
Hold the phone: Before you call for takeout, give making your own pizza a whirl
Put your money where your principles are. Find your corporate soul mates with just one click
Gift wrapping is an art in itself. Here are some tips for prettifying your packages with something most people toss out.
How green is your home office? Grade yourself using our checklist.
Save your hard-earned cash by making your own non-stick cooking spray
Ready to assemble your non-toxic cleaning kit? Here's what you need in your grime-fighting arsenal
If you're buying fresh sheets for the new year, here are 10 different ways you can reuse your old pillowcases
Turn your cosmetics bag into a backwoods survival kit. We show you how
Trade in your old books for some brand new reads with this handy online tool
Reduce winter heating costs by powering up your sewing machine
We've rounded up some of our favorite nursery furnishing companies
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Climate Change Causing Malaria in Papua New Guinea Every Year, Says Expert
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 12.18.07
Malaria epidemics in the highlands of Papua New Guinea are "now basically happening every year" as a result of global warming, Ivo Mueller, a scientist at the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, recently told the Associated Press. The World Health Organization recorded 4,986 malaria cases in the country's Western Highlands province in 2005, compared with 638 cases in 2000. About 40% of Papua New Guineans live in the highlands, where there used to be "no malaria or low epidemic outbreaks," Mueller said.
Mueller added that if predictions of temperature increases of three to five degrees Fahrenheit prove true, "perhaps two million people would go from a low- or no-risk area to considerable risk." Malaria parasites need at least 64 degrees Fahrenheit to develop, but scientists have found that a small rise in temperature can increase significantly the size of mosquito populations....
NGO Calls for Stronger Regulations on Mexican Parrot Trade
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 12.18.07
According to a study by Defenders of Wildlife Mexico, the mortality rate of parrots captured in Mexico's wild is 75 percent, which means that between 50,000 and 60,000 parrots die every year before reaching the buyer. The study, entitled "The Illegal Parrot Trade in Mexico" called the trade in certain imperiled Mexican species "terribly inhumane and a great waste."
Between 65,000 and 78,000 parrots and guacamayas are hunted illegally every year, but only 2 percent are confiscated by the Environmental Attorney General's office, known as Profepa. Defenders and Green Party politicians are calling on the government to approve reforms to the Wildlife Law which would ensure more regulation of the parrot trade and greater protection for the species. The study, which was released in February of this year, also found that U.S. consumer demand for parrot species could be a major factor in their extinction if current trends continue.
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Green Stats: 241,000
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.18.07
241,000 -- the number of additional jobs create nationwide, by 2020, that would result from requiring automakers to meet a fleetwide average of 35 miles per gallon (MPG) by 2018.
23,900 -- the increase in jobs in the automotive sector alone that would result from the above action.
$37 billion -- the amount of money consumers would save, in 2020 alone, from the increased MPG requirements.
1.6 million -- the amount of oil, in barrels per day, that the US would save, by 2020, by enacting such action.
::Union of Concerned Scientists via ::Environment and Energy Study Institute and ::Gristmill...
Waste Not, Want Not: Peak Bath Concept by Lyndon Craig
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.18.07
Not to be confused with peak oil, peak copper, peak coal, peak natural gas or even
Peak beer (wha?) comes Peak Bath. A finalist for this year's Bathroom Innovation Award in Australia, the design heeds the bent-knee convention of most bath users to cut down on the volume of water needed to fill 'er up.
This design is smart because it doesn't require a change in behavior to create a meaningful, positive impact (and less water use); combine this with something like The Ban Beater and we'll really have something. See more examples of "Waste not, want not," and click on over to see the finalists and winner of the design competition. ::Reece Design Bathroom Innovation Award via ::Core77
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Up & Coming Sustainable Designer: Dice Yamaguchi
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.18.07
It's amazing what a small bit of materials, intelligently partitioned, can do for you. Check out this project of student designer Dice Yamaguchi, from Pasadena, California's Art Center College of Design, who's made the most of a simple sheet of bamboo plywood. Taking the 10" x 2" sheet and using the precision of laser cutting netted this sleek, smart, minimal-yet-functional laptop stand.
Why does something like this matter? If that big mess with exploding batteries awhile back taught us anything, it's that cool laptops are better for us all than hot ones. While battery chemistry has as much to do with it as anything, proper ventilation will go a long way to keeping your laptop's innards cooler, the CPU fan running less and your energy use down.
This also hits a lot of the high points in TreeHugger's "how to: sustainable design" manual: materials use (bamboo); efficient use of materials (each one takes just 20 square inches of material); efficient manufacturing (laser cutting to minimize waste) and overall smart design (each one folds down to a flat, portable piece). Hit the jump for more pics of the stand. ::Art Center College of Design...
Downloading Designs: Make Your Own Goat.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.07
New York branding and marketing firm ITO Partnership says "We like goats: they're tough and adaptable, so they thrive in extreme climates everywhere. And they deliver: several quarts of milk a day, plus fertilizer for a family's garden and a silky coat that becomes wool, all without having to harm the goat." So this Christmas they are making a contribution to Heifer International, so a struggling family somewhere will be getting a dairy goat.
They also have designed a downloadable goat, and made a very cute little film of their cardboard goats getting into trouble. What a clever way to support a charity, display their talent and save on postage, another example of how we can use downloadable designs. ::Need a Goat via ::Notcot...
Pizza Cutter + Digital Camera="Twirl N' Take"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.07
Oh, to be rid of the batteries that run out at the most inappropriate time, or to free from the grid needed for recharging. We have seen Sony cranked-up radios, and now Sony is displaying a cross between a camera and pizza-cutter that generates enough power to take a picture in fifteen seconds. They call it the "Twirl N' Take", traditional Japanese nomenclature that was introduced along with the "Crank N' Capture" video camera, which is charged by cranking a lever, and a "Spin N' Snap" camera, which has a hole to enable users to spin it with their finger. Perfect for all of us "Cut N' Paste" bloggers wanting to go off grid.
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Quote of the Day: Seth Godin on Green (Not Purple)
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.07
For me, local and organic is a treat. I feel great doing it and I'm happy to invest the time to go to the Union Square market. I wonder, though, about how long the legs on that story are. If we're going to make people feel guilty when they spend money, pretty soon they're going to start ignoring the story that makes them feel guilty.
Do you remember when you were a kid and you were supposed to clean your plate when eating because somehow that was going to help some starving kid in China? That story didn't last so long.
I'm more and more convinced that the best hope for the eco movement is to tell a story of efficiency and growth and ingenuity. More is easy to sell. Less almost never is. ::Seth Godin...
Sun Table: Basking in Solar's Warm Glowing Warming Glow
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.18.07
TreeHugger has delighted in watching solar grow as a technology, both from small to big -- as the claim to "the world's largest" solar park is almost continually one-upped by bigger and bigger solar arrays -- and from big to small, with more and more nanosolar in the news and a host of portable solar chargers, solar-powered bags and even solar textiles and the odd solar bikini or two. The big ones provide lots of juice, but you can't exactly put it in your back pocket, while the smaller chargers and such are quite portable, but can't charge anything much bigger than your iPod, or cell phone.
Enter Sun Table, a project of Brooklyn-based Sudia Design Labs, as the happy medium. The outdoor table is small enough to take home with you, but attracts enough rays to power your laptop and various other home office peripherals, and even a television and DVD player....
Tam + Rob Offer TreeHugger Readers a Christmas Gift
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 12.18.07
The UK ethical fashion label Tam + Rob have created a double whammy of an offer in the last few days before Christmas. Lucy Robinson, the founder of this chic label has very kindly offered TreeHugger readers 30% off on all items. On top of this comes a 'Buy One Get One Free' offer. However the 'one free' goes, not to you, but to the person who made the clothes you buy. As we mentioned in our previous post about Tam + Rob their clothes are made by women in India and Nepal. The 'Buy One Get One Free' offer means that for every item of clothing you buy a sari will be donated to one of the women they work with in India. We love this spirit of generosity and the fact that everyone will be well dressed for the holidays! :: Tam + Rob...
Tales of LA Green
by Neil Chambers, New York City on 12.18.07
Back in July, I traveled to Los Angeles on a quest to find out how green the second largest city in America is. I sat down with several leaders in different sectors within the green movement. I had the opportunity to speak with Jeff Hayes, principal of The Vector Group , about the current eco-activity within "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of Angels of the Little Portion" - the official name of Los Angeles . Here’s what he had to say:
TH - Tell us about your background and what you do.
Hayes – I’m involved with accelerating the growth of small green businesses that are family-owned. I’ve been starting businesses since I was 13 years old – my first venture was a local surf contest called The California Japanese Surf Classic. I surfed my brains out through high school, then studied film-scoring at Berklee in Boston during the 80s. I moved to LA 1986, became an animator 1989, then became an animation director in 1993. I burned out around 1996, at which time my father encouraged me to join The Vector Group. I loved it right away. In 2003, I opened the LA office. In 2005, I committed to solely serving green businesses. In 2006, I co-founded Green Business Networking (GBN) with Greg Wendt in April 2006. GBN has 700+ members with monthly meetings that host more than 50 attendees....
Green Roofs for Animal Homes
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 12.18.07
Stephanie Rubin, owner and designer of Sustainable Pet Design, fused her love for animals, her talent for landscape design and an environmental responsibility into Greenerrroof Animal Homes.
At the moment her catalogue features dog houses and bird homes with green roofs. All dog dens are custom-made according to the size of the dog and the local plant types available for the roof. The cedar wood used is FSC-certified and treated with zero-VOC paint and beeswax for waterproofing. The green roof of each home consists of plants native to where you (and your dog) live. The advantages of green roofs for pets are numerous; they are naturally nice smelling and looking, insulate, attract butterflies and repel fleas. You could even use the naturally filtered runoff water as drinking water for your dog. ...
Michelle Kaufmann Does Gingerbread
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.07
Michelle Kaufmann isn't just an architect of one of the original modern prefabs, pushing the envelope into google mashups, books and new models in all shapes and sizes. She is never one to miss a market, and has set her sights squarely on the booming prefab modern gingerbread scene. After all, as the mortgage crisis deepens, this may be the only modern prefab market left. Download the design at ::Michelle Kaufmann Designs...
Clickgreener: Shop Till You Drop and Save the Environment
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.07
There are those who say that a green consumer is an oxymoron; there are others who say that buying green is better than buying the normal crap. Owen Ward lowers the bar another notch with Clickgreener, a new shopping portal. It aggregates retailers' online websites, many of which give referral fees to sites that forward traffic, and gives 51% of the fees to environmental charities. If you buy a fur coat from the Hudson Bay Company, you can direct your donation to the World Wildlife Fund.
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So Just How Many Sprouts are Equivalent to a Million Leprechauns? Ed Byrne on Recycling at Christmas
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.18.07
42 Surfboards. They’re Wooden. As Are Many Others.
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.18.07
“... disposable boards just aren't going to cut it anymore. Nor are toxic boards made from the same old poisonous soup that has been used since the early ‘60s. By hand-shaping local wood into beautiful high performance surfboards, our goal is to change the very paradigm of choosing a surfboard. Instead of choosing the quick and easy, the cheap and sleazy, the pop-out molded spray-painted cookie cutter foam toy, we want you to think a little. Think about the long-term cost. The environmental cost. The aesthetic cost. The social cost. And then go with the choice that is simply better by nature.” So says Lars Bergström, founder of 42 Surfboards and holder of a PhD in Environmental Science.
42 Surfboards use sustainably harvested wood and abalone (it’s used for the set-in logo, see pic above), with the waste sawdust composted at a local nursery. Their offices use wind power and they are members of both 1% for the Planet" and The Surfrider Foundation.
But they aren’t the only guys making wooden surfboards. We’ve mentioned a few before, like Grain, OloSurfer, as well as Empress and Tom Wegener Surfboards.
And, of course, there are others we haven’t got around to profiling, such as Hess, Pranchas de Surf de Madeira, Valla, RaySkin, (middle pic) Paul Jensen (right pic), Vintage Wooden Surfboards, to name but a few. ...
Haworth's New York Showroom: Green and Gorgeous
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.18.07
Not too long ago, this was a dumpy downtown airline ticket office across the street from Grand Central Station. Then the office furnishings company Haworth, with Perkins+Will/ Eva Maddox Branded Environments, turned it into 30,000 square feet of the newest, cleanest and greenest showroom in New York. We visited it on opening day....
All I Want For Xmas Is An LED
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 12.18.07
Lighting is a pet peeve for me - I nearly got fired from my first real job for secretly removing all the fluorescent lights from above my desk. So it's been hard to be a fan of LEDs although they are superior to incandescents (and to CFLs) in efficiency. When it comes to Christmas tree lights, our household will forgo strings of lights altogether (though nixing the tree met fierce opposition). We will instead revert to the ancient Euro-tradition of having a few (a few!) clip-on parafin-free stearin candles for atmosphere, only lit during the scant time we'll spend around the tree.
But for those with big trees and/or the need for indoor and outdoor holiday lighting, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the stark white of LED light strings is not too bad on a tree and can be make an appreciable difference - ok, about the price of a couple of lattés - in energy savings over the course of the month or so they are used. The Swedish Energy Department actually did a comparative study of the energy usage of 12 different brands of strings (here) of lights, most of them only available locally, but some, especially the Glänsa Lysa, stocked at local IKEAs. And it's not too late to get LEDs for this holiday! Burning LEDs for the entire holiday season can cost only pennies, according to Appalachian Power, though the purchase price is higher than incandescents. And at least one source, HolidayLEDs, will still (through today) take orders for the holidays - white or multi-colored strings. And they'll recycle old incandescent strings, a wonderful plus. Via ::HolidayLEDs...
Craghoppers Becoming Treehuggers
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.18.07
Although maybe not quite in the same league as Berghaus, whom we noted the other week, Craghoppers, is another leading outdoor clothing supplier in the UK that is taking steps to be greener. (And all the more credit to them being a smaller business.) They contend they’ve been the first company in their industry to declare its operations ‘Carbon Neutral’.
Their greenhouse gas emissions were assessed by The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management. Since the assessment they’ve been reducing carbon output by involving staff in taking the easy steps to save energy, both in the office and at home, part of which includes a paper recycling programme. Where emissions aren’t being reduced, they are 'offset', via CarbonNeutral projects around the world. These include a wind farm in New Zealand (at one of the few Gold Standard projects in Oceania, we suspect) and energy efficient light bulbs in Jamaica.
Jim McNamara, the Managing Director at Craghoppers said, "We supply outdoor clothing and therefore are passionate about protecting the environment; it's inherent in our culture. The whole company is behind this commitment and there are lots of small ways in which everyone can get involved in reducing carbon emissions." A short list of actions that customers can take too is included on their website.
They also promise to produce their printed materials on 100% recycled paper, and ensure that packaging is biodegradable, as well helping little old hedgehogs cross the road! ::Craghoppers, via a web crawl....
Corporate Environmental Responsibility Grows in Brazil
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 12.18.07
(Picture: Charts from Exame magazine translated to English) According to a poll carried away by Brazilian magazine Exame, companies are more exposed than ever regarding environmental action in that country. “The times when the subject was barely linked to ideas and good intentions is definitely over. To support that with measurable actions is more important everyday”, says the magazine.
The conclusion comes from a study about environmental practices, in which 72% of 140 Brazilian companies that were polled claimed to have an annual sustainability report. Among them, 46% of the enterprises claimed to fix higher standards against those results.
Keep reading to find out what the Brazilian companies are doing. Via Exame guide....
New Tricks, Old Dogs
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.18.07
Vitra, the Swiss furniture company, has commissioned some new design from familiar old names such as Frank Gehry, Jasper Morrison, and Ron Arad . Vitra held the first commission twenty years ago and this second time 'round it is interesting to note how many designers are using sustainable and environmental materials and how the green theme has infiltrated the show. First off is Frank Gehry who does a new chair and footstool out of cardboard and calls it "Little Beaver". Then Jasper Morrison has done a cork chair and side table (or foot stool) out of blocks of recycled wine-bottle corks--with no screws, adhesives or veneers. He said that he wanted his chair to "look like it was made by Eskimos (if they had cork trees of course)".
Naoto Fukasawa has created a series (pictured) of the same chair made out of different materials: cork, straw, felt, and stone, among others. The Campana Brothers are back with a large metallic hanging which contains pockets--furniture for the walls.
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Undulating Living Facade at Seoul Shop
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 12.18.07
Herbaceous perennials grow from both the facade and interior walls at fashion retailer Ann Demeulemeester's Korea flagship in Seoul. Designed by Korean-based architecture firm Mass Studies, the four-level structure is a grassy oasis of nature in an otherwise gray and dense city. The perennials (clover, says one source) are planted into something Mass Studies bills a "geo-textile." According to Pavingexpert.com, this is a "woven, non-woven or knitted, permeable sheets, usually, but not exclusively, non-biodegradable."...
How to Turn Your Parents Green!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.18.07
Ever wonder how to turn your parents green? Well, author James Russell set out to answer just that question, and in a most entertaining manner too I might add.
Meet the Greens and the Groans... The Greens being kids who get the problem of global warming and the general environmental mess we're in while the Groans (their parents) are busy causing most of the trouble without a world of care or an inch of interest in solving the problem.
Of course the book is quick to point out there's lots a kid can do...
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Sippy Cups From SIGG and Klean Kanteen A Hit With Kids
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.18.07
With all the excitement this year over lead in toys and the leaching of BPA from plastic cups and bottles, I thought it might be time to give some alternative, non-leaching sippy cups a review here on TH.
To pull it off properly I handed my requested samples over to a couple of local experts, my nephew Nick and niece Cailey. They gave models by both Sigg and Klean Kanteen the once over along with their mom Jodi without me around, and reported back with a kids-eye view.
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The Imagination Factory: Helping Kids Recycle Trash Into Fantastic Works of Art!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.18.07
There's no machinery at The Imagination Factory, and smokestacks don't pollute the air. But the folks behind it do teach children creative ways to reuse and recycle materials. Just some of the awesome activities featured with trash include drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, papier-mâché, marbling, crafts, and a special section for holiday art and crafts.
Not sure what to make of your particular pile of trash? Well, a Trash Matcher helps visitors find potential creations for the solid waste they have available, and a feature called the Badge Matcher allows Brownies, Girl Scouts and their leaders to quickly locate art activities that help satisfy badge requirements. Very cool stuff. And recently they’ve added the Project Matcher, which is designed to match many of the site's activities with 4-H projects and those carried out for school social studies and science fairs.
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TH Forums Highlights: Bali Takeaways, What Newspapers Cost the Earth + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.17.07
1) Forums user PeterReefman looks upon the climate change conferences in Bali with hindsight, wondering, "What do you think of what was achieved at the Bali Conference? Was it a solid progression of the World's efforts to mitigage dangerous climate change? Will the 'roadmap' that was agreed to be actually followed through with legal ratification, or will some countries (like the US and Australia under Howard) change their minds and refuse? And most important of all... Will the measures, even if they are evenutally fully ratified in Copenhagen, make a real difference anyway?" It's a top-down model that takes government cooperation; can it work?
2) User cocopianotoes says, "I live in London where everyday tons of free papers are handed out. What do newspapers cost the earth? what about daily or weeklies? with plastic wrapping to hold their glossy colour supplements together? with 3/4 sometimes more advertising inserts? what about transport and delivery? rubbish collection (London's littered with them every evening) should be counted too?" James G. Watt once said, "They kill good trees to make bad newspapers" -- care to weigh in on how many?
3) Lastly, Forums user jcoffman says, "So what does everyone think about the Escape Hybrid? Its a small SUV, but its electric below 25 MPH. I live in Dallas and I am CONSTANTLY in stop and traffic to and from work." Do they deliver what a hybrid should? And, perhaps more importantly, should "hybrid" and "SUV" be in the same sentence? So far, the reaction in the thread is mixed; some think it's good, and others, not so much. Gearheads, hybrid enthusiasts and bicycle commuters, this one's for you!
Most Huggable: 2007's Best Nature Photos, Remodeling Products, Solar Gadgetry + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 12.17.07
With the end of 2007 fast approaching, National Geographic rounded up the best nature photos of the year; the four main categories -- animals, landscapes, people, and photo essays -- received 150,000 submissions from around the world.
Mother Jones asks "Can the world survive China's headlong rush to emulate the American way of life?"
Take a look at this pile of waste; the huge collection of phone books, in the foyer of an apartment building, is a (sad, but true) testament to the fact that, these days, a phone book is only really useful for propping up your chair.
Check out the 2007 All-Star assembly of eco-friendly renovation products for any of us who are remodeling or improving our homes.
Your eyes are not deceiving you: this really is a solar-powered robot pool skimmer.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of the top stories from Hugg.com, TreeHugger’s user-generated green news site. Why not submit your own green news?...
Go Fly a Kite (and Sail a Ship)
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 12.17.07
A large kite installed on a merchant ship is expected to save shipping fuel costs by up to 20% and do its part for the environment. The kite-fitted MV Beluga Skysails cargo ship will make its maiden voyage in early 2008 and its inventors are hoping to start a small revolution in greening our deep blue seas.
There is a video of it after the fold.
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Just What We Needed Dept: Canned Air
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.17.07
Always on the hunt for new ways to waste money and resources, we present the Power of Oxygen: Big Ox canned air. It is the answer to our environmental ills: "Because of increased pollution and the continued destruction of our forests, you might not always be getting the oxygen you need for your active lifestyle."...
The TH Interview: The Preacher's Son, David Orr (Part One)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 12.17.07
When other people shake hands, David Orr hugs. He’s one of those rare intellectuals. And although he comes from a lineage of preachers, Orr’s ecological conscience is not religious (he didn’t even know that his grandfather presided over Rachel Carson’s christening until reading Silent Spring). As the Chair of the Environmental Studies Program at Oberlin College, Orr lets his focus range from education to ecology to green building and beyond. His sagely presence is friendly and relaxed, unstained by his five books and multiple degrees. In part one of our three-part interview, David Orr paints his views of patriotism, conservatism, something he calls “happy talk,” and why we can’t build ourselves out of the mess we’re in. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or listen/right-click to download....
A Nuclear Hot Tub in Your Backyard
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.17.07
There are many who think that nuclear power has a major role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions; there are others who say that the cost and size of nuclear plants and the risks involved outweigh the gains. But what if there was a small, self-regulating and safe reactor design that could be buried and left alone to produce enough power to run 25,000 homes for five years before you have to "change the battery? "...
Have Yourself a Merry Flat-Packed Christmas: The Christmas Card Edition
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.17.07
Half Christmas card, half Christmas tree replacement (with tongue fully in cheek), UK-based designer Alexander Glenn has created a fun flat-pack tree just in time for the festive holiday season. In the spirit of having a Merry flat-packed Christmas and a really flat-packed tree, the card goes from flat to fun with a few snips of the scissors and a quick assembly, leaving you plenty of time to make your officemates jealous before the big day (and speaking of: still not done buying gifts? TreeHugger's Gift Guide is waiting...).
About the design, Glenn says it “looks at the throw-away society and mass consumerism especially around Christmas time. The idea of a flat-pack Christmas card reflected this idea and lent itself to Ikea’s furniture, while making it cheap to post too. Recipients can then build their own Christmas card, which is more interesting than a bit of folding card.”...
Giving Walking Some Good PR
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 12.17.07
A subway always comes with a colorful schematic map that shows people how different places connect to each other, and how long it takes to get from one place to another. Even Tel Aviv's subway and light rail system has an attractive and easily interpreted route map, despite the fact that it is as yet unbuilt, and is not expected to function until sometime next decade. In the meantime, green groups in Tel Aviv have designed an alternative map to help people get around the city - on foot.
The Tel Aviv "Foot Metro" (a portion of which is shown below) was created to show city residents and visitors the ease with which they can get around in the city as pedestrians. The map gives pedestrians color-coded "lines" (Beach Line, Squares Line) along which to travel, which intersect at major landmarks. Travel times are also listed between the different "stations."
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Planning for Bikes Pays Off Big in Portland
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 12.17.07
"Many repair shops thus found it worthwhile to make replacement parts themselves - not difficult if a man specialized in one kind of part, as many repairmen did. In this way, groups of bicycle repair shops were almost doing the work of manufacturing entire bicycles. That step was taken by bicycle assemblers who bought parts, on contract, from repairmen: the repairmen had become 'light manufacturers.'"
Thus Jane Jacobs describes the growth of the Japanese bicycle industry in The Economy of Cities. The idea was that a local industry could grow up around a popular activity, and then become the basis for further economic growth (as it did in Japan).
Maybe people in Portland have been reading Jane Jacobs, or maybe it's just common sense, but according to this video and accompanying article, a nascent industry has developed in Portland around bike usage. The city currently has 125 bike-related businesses, mostly small and locally-owned, covering everything from repair and custom bike building to accessories and consulting. And it is a growing industry.
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Ferrari: Now Available in Greenwash
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 12.17.07
While reporting on the latest green trends around the world, we are always on the lookout for greenwash. After all, it seems everyone these days is either going green or claiming to achieve carbon neutrality.
Now we hear that Ferrari, a company that produces cars no one needs and that go faster than anyone should, is going to "reduce its fuel consumption by 40% over the next five years." Why anyone with enough money to buy a Ferrari would worry about fuel efficiency isn't entirely clear, but the move might have something to do with forthcoming emissions standards in Europe that will force all vehicle manufacturers to reduce their emissions. We hope concern about climate change factored into the decision as well. ...
Meet the 'Cuter Scooter': Electric, Foldable and Affordable
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 12.17.07
Image courtesy/MIT Smart Cities Group
We've covered MIT's innovative electric vehicle prototypes before. The City Car, for example, was designed to be "cheaply mass-produced, rented by commuters under a shared-used business model, and folded and stacked like grocery carts" in order to save space, weight and fuel. Now William J. Mitchell, along with several of his students in MIT's Smart Cities Group, has designed an electric scooter that takes affordability, lightweight and convenience to a whole new level. The prototype, dubbed the 'Cuter Scooter' by the students, was "designed to be placed throughout cities for rental, much like the bicycle rental system in some European cities." When parked, the scooters fold to half their size, saving space while the batteries are recharged....
On The Stands: Men's Health Living
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.17.07
The Rodale press used to be known for its vegetarian magazines back when vegetarians were considered weird; It has certainly evolved, and owns titles like Men's Health that are covered with washboard abs and sex tips. Now they are getting into the shelter scene with their new "Mens Health Living", just out on the stands. It's subhead is "the world's first home magazine for men" and it is certainly aimed squarely at the laddie market who are more interested in Jason Statham's cars than his kitchen. But if making green sexy makes it interesting to a whole new audience I am all for it. (full disclosure: they asked me to be on their board of advisers regarding green living.)
There are a number of things in the inaugural issue that would interest TreeHuggers (besides the racy "How to design a home that she will want to come to" or "seduce her with your space" )...
Honoring A Great Conservationist, Tony Lapham - New Fellowship Opportunity At American Rivers
by Rebecca Wodder, American Rivers on 12.17.07
BaleHaus: It's Not a House, It's A "Domestic Carbon Bank"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.17.07
Seth Godin says that "the best hope for the eco movement is to tell a story of efficiency and growth and ingenuity" and that story has rarely been told as well as it is by the people at Modcell, who demonstrate that we can live carbon free and "maintain a healthy and comfortable quality of life."...
The TH Interview: Morgan Spurlock, Producer of "What Would Jesus Buy?"
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12.17.07
Last year, Americans spent $455 billion dollars during the holiday season (ouch!). In an attempt to not only reduce that number, but get us all to think about our consumption and where our stuff comes from, Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir toured the country (in a biodiesel bus, of course), spreading the good word about cutting back this holiday season. Producer Morgan Spurlock, along with director Rob Van Alkemade, made a film about it, and "What Would Jesus Buy?" is the result. TreeHugger had the pleasure of speaking with Morgan Spurlock about the film, its message, and what he's buying for Christmas gifts this year.
TreeHugger: Reverend Billy is a very charismatic, intelligent guy, but he's pretty in your face. Does the way he’s perceived by some have the potential to distort the message? Do you worry that his overbearing style might turn some people off to the movement? Can you really expect people to take a guy who says, “Mickey Mouse is the Antichrist!” seriously?”
Morgan Spurlock: Well, so far, across the board, the reception to the film has been very positive. Whether somebody would say they are an activist group or a very “lefty” group or a very conservative group, or even with Christian audiences, the film has been very well received at Christian film festivals all across the country....
Will Nations Of The World Save Tropical Forests For Their Carbon?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.17.07
When climate treaty negotiators gathered in Bali last week to begin framing a global response, efforts were made to negotiate a means to slow tropical forest destruction.
Tropical deforestation (within the areas pictured in green on the map) is presently a significant cause of carbon dioxide loss to the atmosphere. Annually, an area of native tropical forests "at least equal to the size of New York state" are destroyed by a combination of expanding agriculture, illegal logging, and/or oil palm plantation development. The biomass-associated carbon dioxide emissions rate associated with annual tropical forest acreage loss is roughly 20 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, on a par with total the U.S'. total....
Wayback Machine: Rocket Powered Bicycle
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.17.07
The age of the propeller plane gave way to the jet and the rocket, so it was inevitable that the elegant Aerothrust Propeller Driven Bicycle would give way to the " Rocket-Cycle Explained by Professor A. M. Low of London while Alec Jackson gets ready to take-off—along the surface, he hopes. Low has been experimenting with rockets since 1917. Four of his rocket-assisted motorcycles were demonstrated at the Wembley speedway meet." ::Modern Mechanix
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Great Green Gadgets Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 12.17.07
This week is Carnival of the Green # 108 and it's being hosted by Great Green Gadgets! It's our last Carnival for 2007 so head on over to their site 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.
Thanks for a great year and see you in 2008!...
Survey: Do You Fight Phantoms and Vampires?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.17.07
Vampires, phantoms and warts; No, this isn't a Halloween post, it is about power wasted by electronic devices on standby. We have made suggestions in the past about how to deal with them, but sometimes it is a bit of a pain.
Online Surveys
| Free Poll
| Email Marketing
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Designing Bikes to be Theft-proof
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.17.07
With my jazzy new mountain bike, everything is designed to come apart in seconds for adjustment and everything can be stolen just as quickly, so I wander about carrying a seatpoest and seat, and have a fifteen pound chain that weighs almost as much as the bike. EC thought about this and came up with such a clever solution: the seat post connects to the handlebars to turn the entire bike into a U-lock. He puts locking nuts on the hubs and voila! a self-locking bike. ...
Less is More: Stairs as Storage
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.17.07
Integrating storage into stairs like this makes so much sense in small spaces. It is common in Japan and I have seen Chinese furniture like this, but Voet-Theuns architecten have given it a modern spin. ...
Museum in a Box
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.17.07
What do you do when you have a big traditional museum and you want to design a museum for small people? You build a museum within the museum....
2010: The Year We Make Electric Contact
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 12.17.07
Shai Agassi, the initiator of the 'free electric cars' idea, declared today that Israel will have 100,000 of them by 2010. Ambitious? Agassi, who is founder of Project Better Place (links to TH post) presented his vision today at the annual Ministry of Finance budget department meeting, reports Globes. ...
Solarcentury's Thermal and Electric Tile Wins Green Energy Award
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.17.07
The Solarcentury team have been winning accolades once again, this time snapping up the prestigious Rushlight Award for Solar Power for their CompleteSolarRoof product, a system that combines solar electric and solar hot water capacity in what looks like regular roofing tiles. The Rushlight Awards are a new event designed to promote, recognise and celebrate environmental technology and innovation by organizations throughout UK and Ireland. Clive Hall, Chief Executive at Eventure Media, who are the creators and organizers of the event, was deeply impressed by the Solarcentury offering:
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The Go Green Initiative's School of the Week: Benavides Elementary in Brownsville, TX!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 12.17.07
This week's Go Green Initiative School of the Week hails from Brownsville, Texas and they're the second school from that part of the U.S. to take home top honors. Just a few short weeks ago Barbara Bush Elementary brought them home to Texas, earning School of the Year in the process.
But A.X. Benavides Elementary has been hard at work, recycling like mad while older students are busy creating poems and skits to help encourage the younger students to make sure their recyclables go to the right place....
Climate Change Could Snuff Out 30% of World's Land-Bird Species
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.17.07
When confronted by the effects of global warming, species have primarily had to resort to one of two options - migrate ever northward or escape to a higher elevation. This has allowed some to survive, albeit only temporarily; others, unfortunately, have or are falling by the wayside - an inevitable consequence of climate change that we've already witnessed one too many times.
A study conducted by a team of Stanford researchers has drawn out a grim scenario of what is likely to befall land-bird species worldwide as average temperatures continue to rise, narrowing the range limits of their increasingly vulnerable habitats. Cagan Sekercioglu, the study's lead scientist, estimates that up to 30% of the world's land birds could go extinct by 2100 if present trends continue....
Chang'an Automobile Rolls Out its First Hybrid Jie Xun
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.17.07
Following six years of intensive research and development, Chang'an Automobile, the Chinese state-owned automaker, has started mass production of its mild-hybrid Jie Xun mini wagon - the first such vehicle by a Chinese car company. Estimated to consume 20% less gas than comparable conventional vehicles, the Jie Xun will come standard with regenerative braking, power assistance and a host of other functions.
A partner of Ford Motor and Mazda Motor, the Chang'an group is China's largest mini-van builder and is based in Chongqing. While demand for hybrids remains negligible in China - with most new owners opting for sportier, flashy vehicles or cheaper conventional ones (the government hasn't yet offered any incentives for their purchase) - Chang'an executives are hoping the cheaper price tag (relative to the Toyota Prius) of 150,000 yuan, roughly $20,350, will entice more potential buyers....
bluesign: a Standard for Environmentally Safe Textiles
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.17.07
Cradle to Cradle fame, urges companies to spend more money on information-based supply chain improvements and less on testing, promising they will serious saving with this approach, citing a return on investment in just a couple of months. As their website states, “If no critical substances are found in the input, the output i.e. the final product is also free of critical substances.”
And it seems the approach is attracting a strong cadre of advocates. Established in 2000 with a headquarters in Switzerland, bluesign technologies ag are working with the likes of Patagonia, Mountain Equipment Co-op, vauDe, Nike, Marks and Spencer, Eschler, Formosa Taffeta, Schoeller, Clariant, and Huntsman.
bluesign is another ecolabel to join the existing plethora, as discussed here, and here, but it does seem to offer greater depth than many of the others. ::bluesign technologies ag....
The Story Of Stuff (From Makers of the Meatrix)
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 12.17.07
Whilst working at a community reuse centre this TreeHugger use to go into schools to educate kids on water, energy, waste, and biodiversity by helping them prepare their own ‘EcoSnapShot’ of their school. In our briefing on waste we asked kids where stuff came from, and where it went to. As they answered we’d pull out a model tree, factory, etc, and line up the linear Take-Make-Waste system that drives our economy.
Annie Leonard uses a strikingly similar approach in her The Story Of Stuff video to discuss extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal. Except she draws upon the excellent animation skills of Free Range Studios, known for their previous iconic, socially-minded, web-based films such as The Meatrix” and Grocery Store Wars.
Released in the past couple of weeks to coincide with Christmas holiday season, during which Americans are predicted to spent $474.5 billion, the 20 minute movie also asks viewers to dwell on how their stuff gets to them, and whence it will go (noting that 99% of all product purchases head to the landfill within 6 months of being bought.)...
Crafty Gifts
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.17.07
There is something so warm and cozy about receiving a present that is handmade and homespun looking, rather than designer label, assembly-line. Like little elves, craftspeople across the land are working hard, using all their skills and creativity to make that special item for that someone special. This christmas wreath is made of recycled sweater remnants and is so cheery for the front door.
What seamstress, or casual sewer on your list could resist a pincushion; made of recycled sweaters and hand stitched and looking good enough to eat. For the eyeglasses, a glass case of traditional Welsh design, made on looms at a woollen mill in Snowdonia.
For the tea drinkers, a jolly tea cosy made of scraps of vintage fabrics, pieced together to form a little story in its design. Coming in single or double pot size with a calory free cupcake on the side. Of course there are endless fairtrade teas and the de rigeur global warming mug to go with this liquid present. When you add hot water to the mug you will see the world's coastlines slowly disappear.
And for the man who has everything: hand-knitted golf club covers in the shape of animals and made by women in Kenya. How can you not? :: Guardian...
Argentina: Organizations Demand New Government Environmental Action
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 12.17.07
A demonstration involving hundreds of environmental organizations and an estimate of “thousands” of people, took place in Buenos Aires last week. Its main purpose was to join the people from Gualeguaychu (a city 230 kilometers north from Buenos Aires), who came to the capital to continue their request for the re-localization of Botnia’s pulp mill, far from the border of Uruguay River.
However, the support of different organizations made the protest broader and summed other claims; the most significative being a demand for more attention to environmental issues to the national government. This was the first large demonstration for recently assumed president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, but is also a sign of the growing concern about environmental issues that the pulp mill matter in Entre Rios province has raised in the Argentine society....
Can We Prevent Beached Whales?
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 12.16.07
Mr. Splashy Pants and his friends evolved in an ocean without Navy sonar. Instead of submarines, most cetaceans evolved to worry about another predator, the Orca (Killer Whale). It turns out the frequency of sonar from the Navy is similar enough to that of the Orca that it may trigger certain cetaceans to perform a series of shallow dives.
The study in the current issue of Marine Mammal Science argues that this diving behavior, if extended an unnatural length of time could cause decompression sickness (the bends) in the cetaceans. After all, whales like Mr. Splashy Pants don't want to get eaten by a pod of Orca, so they continue to try and escape while the sonar is turned on.
Controversy has surrounded the use of sonar, and researchers have suspected a link between sonar testing and whale deaths for 20 years, but have been unable to identify the specific link between the two. The new model provides scientists a testable theory, and concludes that limiting the duration of sonar testing may prevent the Orca's prey from getting the bends. More details after the link.
::Science Now...
Dutch Debate Climate Change Defense: Tulip Island
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 12.16.07
"God made the world and the Dutch made the Netherlands," goes the Dutch saying. The people of the Netherlands have a long history of engineering the land to meet their needs. Now with the land prices skyrocketing due to population boom and demand for their agricultural specialties, the Dutch are debating whether an island like the palm island built off of Dubai would make a nice addition to maps of the northern European coastline.
Will it work? Is it the right thing to do? And what does a tulip island and cannabis have to do with each other? Find out answers to these questions and more, plus link the video, over the fold....
Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Ocean Bacteria on the Rise
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.16.07
Largely lost amidst the debate over global warming emissions has been a sufficient focus on greenhouse gases other than the perpetual villain, carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide, in particular, whose emissions biofuel production is likely to contribute to, has received relatively short shrift; this despite the fact that it is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide and, unlike the latter, also attacks the ozone layer. A new study by Mark Trimmer from Queen Mary, University of London, may help change that.
He found that a large proportion of the oceans' nitrous oxide emissions is produced by denitrifying bacteria in oxygen minimum zones. Trimmer believes that up to a third of all marine denitrification occurs in the Arabian Sea - an area that also accounts for close to 18% of global oceanic emissions. ...
Gorgeous Pellet Stoves (Of Course, They're Italian)
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.16.07
North American pellet stoves are all so damn ugly, trying hard to look like grandma's old wood stove instead of a modern appliance. We are still eagerly awaiting the stunning retro Snowqualmie, (promised for Summer 2007 but having some production delays) and continue to wonder why stunners like these Italian jobs from MCZ are not available in North America.
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The Challenge of Managing Both Climate Change and Developing Countries' Growth
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 12.16.07
Image courtesy of kevindooley
If there's one thing we learned from the botched climate talks in Bali - other than the fact that, even under pressure, the best we can hope for from the U.S., as Paul Krugman put it, is that it agrees "not to actually do anything about climate change, but to talk about doing something about climate change" - it is that accommodating both developing countries' economic growth and emissions concerns remains as thorny an issue as ever. Indeed, unless a climate change policy is seen as being consistent with the growth needs of countries like China or India, it is not likely to go very far.
Economist Paul Klemperer of Oxford University believes that carbon taxes or a cap-and-trade system won't be able to do the trick; the key, he argues, is to find a "cheap clean substitute" to the fossil fuels of this world through innovation. Because developing nations are not "going to give up the immediate aspirations of their (often growing) populations for climate-change benefits that are largely in the future," the U.S. and Europe will need to work with them to ensure that they adopt emissions-lowering technologies, such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and cleaner renewable sources. Even nuclear energy may need to be on the table if they continue to develop it - more as a way for the West to resolve any storage and handling issues that may arise than for its actual usage. ...
RFID Lights Up The Blind Spot
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 12.16.07
Now that the Green RFID guy has stopped posting, it's up to us to give good examples of RFID technology in the sustainability realm. The Danish city of Grenå will pay to install battery-driven RFIDs (battery life is supposed to be about 6 years) in the steering columns of 300 residents' bikes, and put receivers at seven intersections considered to be the most dangerous. When a cyclist approaches, the RFID sends a signal to the traffic light which turns on a flashing 'cyclist' sign at eye height to warn drivers, especially drivers of big rigs, that they should check for bikes before making a right-hand turn.
The move is part of the Danish government making good on its promise to have cyclists both feel and actually be safer. The system, called "See Mi" was designed by Danish company Idzone. At the same time, by early next year the Copenhagen city government is installing light diodes and sensors at dangerous intersections - the diodes start blinking beside and ahead of drivers when a cyclist passes the sensors. It's considered cost-effective to keep cyclists safe, as each serious accident or cyclist death costs the state as much as 1.7 million Danish crowns (US$300,000). Installation of the diodes and sensor at an intersection costs about 200,000 crowns (US$38,000). Via ::Ecoprofile (in Swedish)...
Michael Pollan on What Sustainability is Really About
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.16.07
Michael Pollan writes in the New York Times about how the word sustainability is losing its meaning.
"When pesticide makers and genetic engineers cloak themselves in the term, you have to wonder if we haven’t succeeded in defining sustainability down, to paraphrase the late Senator Moynihan, and if it will soon possess all the conceptual force of a word like “natural” or “green” or “nice.”Read full New York Times article "::Our Decrepit Food Factories" We give a lot of space to Michael Pollan; read also ::Michael Pollan: The Government Makes You Fat and ::The Silence of the Yams. Read also Collin's new review of The Omnivore's Dilemma over at ::Planet Green in our new :Build a Green Library section....
Three Years Ago in TreeHugger: The Christmas Tree Debate Begins
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.16.07
Being TreeHugger's first Christmas, we dipped our toe into the real or fake tree debate for the first time, with ::How To: Pick a Green Christmas Tree. It is the subject that keeps on giving; read subsequent posts on how ::Christmas Trees Add to Global Warming because in the Southern United States, hardwoods and indigenous pine trees are being cut down to make Christmas tree farms. Others have suggested that the greenest trees are Living Christmas Trees. The debate rages on in our forums. More from ::Three Years ago in TreeHugger. ...
The Abundance Foundation: Is There Anything (Good) these Folks Won't Do?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.16.07
The environmental world is not short of a non-profit or two, as witnessed by the impressive list of organizations to support in our 2007 Gift Guide. You might be forgiven, then, for wondering why we need any more, but the fact is that there are millions of issues that need tackling in our quest for sustainability, and the non-profit sector is just one forum where much of the action is taking place. It was with interest, then, that this author received a newsletter from a new, local North Carolina non-profit known as the Abundance Foundation.
The Foundation’s remit seems to be almost anything that will help move us towards a localized, sustainable, post-fossil fuel economy. While it was officially founded in 2005, 2007 was the year that they really cranked up the action - projects included supporting their local Farmers' Market; funding a regional seed saving initiative; organizing local food dinners; and developing plans for a vermiculture operation. Along the way they have also created an education program in partnership with Piedmont Biofuels (whose co-founder Lyle Estill we interviewed here, here and here) for 2008 that will include workshops on solar energy, mushrooms, and biofuels for women. As if this wasn’t enough, they also organized an eco-minded presence for the annual Pittsboro Christmas parade, and secured funding for solar panels on their local school. Fortunately, for such a driven bunch, these folks are anything but humorless eco-fanatics, as witnessed by their hilarious set of FAQs:
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Two Years Ago In TreeHugger: Alternate Energy and Yogourt
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.16.07
Ruben complained "no one knows how to do anything anymore. We can’t understand, let alone repair, most of the gadgets we use everyday. We increasingly eat packaged and pre-made food; even organic food often comes wrapped in plastic. We don’t know how to grow tomatoes, can peaches, hem pants, or build fences. As the last generations of depression-era children or back-to-the-landers take their leave of this world, these skills go with them. When we try to learn from scratch we soon discover that recipes in books don’t tell half the story." So he learns how to make yogourt.
We first showed two energy producers that have gone on to new exciting lives in the internet, showing up on screens everywhere, if not in reality....
