- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for February 3, 2008 - February 9, 2008
Total this week: 181
New Life-Cycle Assessment Reveals Your Photovoltaic Mileage May Vary
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 02. 9.08
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Not all photovoltaic technologies are created equal; some, in fact, incur quite heavy environmental footprints - producing silicon, for example, consumes a lot of water and energy while refining zinc produces a sizeable chunk of emissions. Environmental Science & Technology's Naomi Lubick reports that Vasilis Fthenakis, a scientist at Columbia University and the Brookhaven National Laboratory, just finished a LCA of some of the leading technologies which determined that new thin-film cadmium-telluride (CdTe) materials - such as the ones we covered here - come out on top....
Next Up for Aircraft Technology: Bird and Bat-Inspired Flapping-Wing Planes
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 02. 9.08
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
It's no big secret that we here at TreeHugger are ardent fans of biomimicry; we were therefore quite interested to read about the efforts of a team of University of Michigan engineers to design flapping-wing planes by seeking inspiration from birds, bats and insects.
Wei Shyy, chair of the university's aerospace engineering department, explained the source of his inspiration:
“Natural flyers obviously have some highly varied mechanical properties that we really have not incorporated in engineering. They’re not only lighter, but also have much more adaptive structures as well as capabilities of integrating aerodynamics with wing and body shapes, which change all the time. Natural flyers have outstanding capabilities to remain airborne through wind gusts, rain, and snow.” ...
This Hydrogen Car is a Real Toy!
by Andrew Posner, Rhode Island, USA on 02. 9.08
We've seen our fair share of hydrogen cars here on Treehugger. Some, such as Honda's FCX Clarity, GM's Equinox Fuel Cell Crossover and BMW's Hydrogen 7 are production ready (which does NOT mean they are being mass-produced!). Others, including the Cadillac Provoq, GM Sequel and Ford Airstream are merely concept cars. And, of course, this stream of limited-production and concept vehicles is rendered moot by the fact that the hydrogen infrastructure is not yet in place. As a result, there are plenty of people that doubt hydrogen vehicles will become viable in the near-term, and their doubts are not entirely unfounded. So while waiting for that vaunted renewable, hydrogen economy to come along, we've seen some neat hydrogen toy cars fill the void. The H-Racer and Discovery's Hydrogen Car are two such examples.
But now a new contender has stepped in to warm the hearts of kids and geeks everywhere. It's called the H2GO, and it was recently unveiled at the Nuremburg Toy Fair....
Serenity: The Solar Powered Video Tombstone
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 9.08
There may be holographic tombstones in the movie Serenity, but who knows how long they might have played after Mal and River left the scene? When the 'verse is that big, they probably don't come back to visit that often and don't worry about it.
However on this planet it is another story, and if you come back to visit your beloved, the video better be running. That's why Vidstone developed the solar powered Serenity Panel, 'Utilizing ground-breaking solar-powered technology, this weather-proof LCD panel provides families and friends with a timeless way to commemorate a life that’s passed at one’s final resting place." We think it so appropriate that they named it after the movie that inspired it, too.
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Human Cheese, Sweet and Tangy
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 02. 9.08
Six-Word Memoir Contest: What Do You Have to Say?
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 02. 9.08
Think you can sum up your green journey in exactly six words? We think if anyone can, it is TreeHugger readers. So, we have teamed up with six-word memoir experts SMITH Magazine to see what you've got. Head on over to our Six-Word Memoir Contest: The Green Life page and tell us your story or just to check out what your fellow TreeHuggers are writing. ...
My Climate Change Program Is Better Than Yours: Nuclear Rising
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02. 9.08
U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama promised on Friday to start working on an international pact to reduce global warming if he becomes the Democratic nominee, touting his plan to reduce U.S. emissions as stronger than that of Republican front-runner John McCain....
Video: Greener Gadgets Design Competition Winners
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02. 9.08
Can the Composting Porto-Potty Solve Israel's Water Woes?
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 02. 9.08
Consider this fact: flush toilets account for 40% of household water consumption in Israel. In other words, almost half of the water used in Israeli households goes to disposal and transport (through the sewage system) of peoples' daily needs. A new company, operating according to a "Jewish-holistic, small is beautiful" philosophy, believes that this is unnecessary. In a country where a chronic water shortage causes rivers, lakes and nature preserves to dry up, brings about the collapse of ecosystems and exacerbates an already intractable political situation, they just might be onto something....
UPDATE: Bleed Blue, Live Green T-Shirts Now Available
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02. 9.08
Our readers got so excited about Duke University’s Men’s Basketball Team’s efforts to Bleed Blue, Live Green that we posted on them twice. Now, thanks to tipsters Sasha and Anonymous, we are pleased to announce that the University has decided to sell the sought after t-shirts through the student shop. We’re delighted to see they were made and printed using sustainable materials and methods too. Go Duke! ::Duke University::via tipsters Sasha and anonymous – with thanks::
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Give Us This Day Our Daily Fuel (Bread): One Bushel At A Time
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02. 9.08
Most anywhere where corn is grown, you may substitute wheat in next year's planting. The opposite is not always true. In fact it's seldom true. As a general rule, corn won't easily grow where wheat is currently a dominant crop, unless irrigation is added. Hence, this year's record breaking wheat future price needs to be understood in the frame of competition for crop land, climate change, and corn-based ethanol demand. Risk for farmers is high, according to the National Association of Wheat Growers; but so is profit potential.
We are entering a period where family farmers will compete intensely with traders and distributors for a fair share of the benefits. With corn based ethanol tying up so much fertile land, there is a possibility that wheat prices may not, unlike every other time since the Great Depression, plummet a few years after peaking.
Wheat, corn, wheat, corn.... What's a farmer to plant?
Via::TwinCities.com, "Record wheat price ignites food inflation fears"...
2008 DWR Champagne Chair Contest: And the Winners Are...
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02. 9.08
The (organic?) bubbly has been popped, the champagne drunk, and designs of all shapes inspired. And after 500 entries came in from all over the planet -- in digital form, thankfully, to save on shipping and packaging -- the winners of the DWR Champagne Chair Contest have been announced (we announced it late last year). Grand Prize goes to Miwa Kleyla's Block B Chair (above, left); Staff Favorite goes to Matthew Glaysher's Weekend Bender (love the name -- above, center) and the Popular Vote goes to Akai Yang's 2-Player (above, right). Congrats to all!
The fifth annual contest asked cork and chair design fans around the globe to create an original miniature chair from nothing more than the wire, cork, cage and foil of no more than two champagne bottles (though glue was permitted, as an adhesive). The top 50 designs are hitting the road, embarking on a national tour that'll go from New York to Oregon from now until mid-May; hit the jump to see locations and dates for each of the stops. ::Design Within Reach 2008 Champagne Chair Contest...
Hot Water Becoming a Hot Topic: Geothermal in India
by Kimberley D. Mok, Nomad on 02. 9.08
With the debate over the viability of ethanol and other biofuels raging on (and on), some are betting – not on solar, not on wind power – but on geothermal power as the next best possible source of renewable energy (more information on geothermal here, here and here). In the U.S., which has the world’s highest installed capacity of geothermal power, this form of renewable energy is not anything new. Not to be outdone, China has also recently jumped on the steam wagon so to speak, and now Iceland’s Glitnir Bank has announced a joint venture with India’s LNJ Bhilwara Group to pursue a huge untapped potential for geothermal options in India....
Most Huggable: Is Wool the Answer?, Biofuel Bonanza, Fluoride Bad for Babies + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 02. 8.08
Could wool be the answer to killer cotton?
Cohousing might be the way to merge green building with affordability.
One company is going to combine cellulosic ethanol and algae biodiesel production technology, which they think provides a more positive energy balance than either one alone.
Take a spin through EfficienCity, a fun Flash town from Greenpeace that explains pretty much everything you need to know about clean, efficient energy systems.
Using distilled water with added fluoride is not good for babies...no matter what the package says, according to this piece.
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?...
TH Forums Highlights: Plug-In Hybrid Battery Power, Cutting Back Food Waste + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02. 8.08
1) Forums user Hydrotopia notes, "The new announcement by Toyota of installing plug-in batteries in hybrids at the factory was huge - except for the fact that they say the supplemental power supply will only give 7 miles of electric-powered distance! I don't get this? I thought some plug-in batteries were giving 40 miles and over on electric power? What is the deal here? Is Toyota undermining the technology? Why so few miles?" Though started a few weeks back, the thread has been revitalized with some good conversation; feel free to add your two cents.
2) User ml2620 says, "My husband and I are a bit shocked at the amount of food we waste. We tend to eat out alot because of our work schedules, so when it's time for the weekly search and seizure in our fridge - we easily throw out a few pounds of food that's gone bad - veggies, fruit, leftovers, etc. How do you manage to reduce your food waste - use what you have, make the most of scraps?" Composting is a hot topic here, so to speak, but what else can you do to keep the waste down?
3) Lastly, the Tata Nano has Forums user ed's attention: "The world's cheapest car gets 50 MPG, is a marvel of engineering and ruthless cost-cutting sure to bring greater mobility to people throughout the developing world. And that is what makes it so troubling to the U.S. Auto industry, who are helpless to compete." Is it a US car industry-killer, or not a viable western car? We've got votes on both sides; where do you come down?
Best of NY Gift Fair: Harry Barker
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02. 8.08
Get set for a greener Harry Barker this spring: Besides switching its bed inserts to fibers made from 100 percent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (also known as, aptly enough, PET, the same material soda bottles are made of), the pet-goods purveyor is adding new hemp bone toys, a striped hemp bed, and biodegradable pet-waste bags, as well as a bag dispenser made from 100 percent recycled plastic.
Colored with AZO-free dyes, the 100 percent organic hemp slipcovers are preshrunk and machine-washable. They'll be available in two shapes (round or rectangle), five colors (orange, green, blue, red, or brown), and three sizes (small, $120; medium, $140; or large, $160), but if you're champing at the bit, an organic-cotton version is currently for sale....
Best of NY Gift Fair: Argington Modern Kids Furniture
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02. 8.08
Argington's modern furniture, designed for youngsters, is also designed with the planet in mind; its solid wood is FSC-certified, constructed with non-toxic, low-VOC glues and topped with non-toxic finishes. Each piece from the Wonders collection -- individually named for one of the wonders of the world -- is designed with usability in mind, whether its the Delphi changing table's ability to "grow up" into a dresser, or the Sahara crib's convertibility to a toddler bed (both are pictured above; Sahara on top).
Other pieces in the Wonders collection include the Babylon toddler highchair (pictured after the jump) that adjusts and grows with your youngster and the slick, stackable Picchu dresser; all are available from their selected brick 'n mortar and online retailers. ::Argington...
Best of NY Gift Fair: Looolo's New Cushions and Blankets
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02. 8.08
Add some comfort and a pop of color and texture to your life with LoooLo's new cushions and blankets -- that's "La Rue" two tone above, with more La Rue and "Honeycomb" cushions and blankets below the fold -- unveiled this week at the New York International Gift Fair. We've been impressed before with their pillows and cushions and chic scarves, and are always glad to see more of their top-notch sustainability efforts, from organic cotton to Climatex felt and non-toxic yarns, applied to their fun design sensibility.
Looolo whose name is a visual representation of "100%," symbolizes their commitment to sustainability in every aspect of the design process, from making the choice to use organic materials during development to consideration of the environmental footprint our products leave at the end of their useful lives; all their products are 100% biodegradable, so you could just toss 'em in the compost heap and they'd break down. With such great design, though, we don't think we'd ever want to. ::Looolo...
Best of NY Gift Fair: Bluedogz Design
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02. 8.08
Based in Montreal and founded by a former ballerina, Bluedogz Design produces a line of gift tags, clipboards, and gift boxes, as well as other home accessories, crafted from recycled wood.
The myriad color schemes and patterns, ranging from modern to baroque, are designed to be mixed and matched with one another. Use one of 24 Teeny Tags ($2.99) to top off one of Bluedogz gift boxes ($6.50 to $15.50, depending on size), a wrapped present, a bouquet of flowers, or a bottle of wine—or alternatively, have the tags double up as napkin rings/place holders.
For chic note-taking, the clipboards—which we're quite enraptured with; we do love us some houndstooth—come in three different sizes: Micro (4x4 inches; $7.50), Mini (6x9 inches; $14), and Big (9x12.5 inches; $19.50). Each clipboard has a notepad, a pencil on a ribbon, and two magnets on the back, so you can, y'know, stick it up on something. Don't you feel more organized already? ::Bluedogz...
Child-Powered Toys, Trucks Give Batteries the Boot
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 02. 8.08
When toy industry veteran designer and parent Chris Clemmer got together with a couple of friends and realized there’s a mint to be made in eco-toys of one form or another they sat down and came up with Sprig Toys. A new line of kid-powered toys working to ensure traditional battery-powered toys go the way of the dinosaurs by harnessing all that pent up energy your child’s been carrying around....
Best of NY Gift Fair: Plank Yoga Mats
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02. 8.08
Bring some tongue-in-chick whimsy—or flat-out weirdness—to your yoga sessions with Plank's new collection of eye-catching, eco-friendly yoga mats, which are primed to make their debut in April. Made from EcoLite, a lightweight new material developed specifically for the yoga industry, these mats require less energy to produce than any other yoga mat, according to the company.
PVC-, latex-, and natural-rubber-free, Plank's anti-slip yoga mats are also nontoxic, biodegradable, and recyclable. You'll get to choose from four designs: a cobra (a reference to the cobra pose), a deep shag-pile carpet, pills scattered on a bathroom floor (eh?), and a plank of wood with a half-eaten blueberry muffin (we're not sure we get this one). Prepare to pony up $85 a piece to be the strangest, or at least the most talked-about, one in the studio. ::Plank...
Google Founders & Larry Brilliant on Saving the World
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 8.08
Best of NY Gift Fair: Tivi
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02. 8.08
So new that they were sent off only last week to be professionally photographed, these flat-pack bracelets from Tivi are made from maple and walnut veneer, silkscreened, and then laser cut into four varying designs.
Simply pop a piece out from its frame, slap it onto your wrist, and then attach both ends together with the button snap (not pictured).
Below the jump: Also by Tivi, a pair of cufflinks made from used Jack Daniels oak barrels and stainless steel. ::Tivi...
Waste Not, Want Not: Soap Bank from DesigNoDoubt
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02. 8.08
Getting every last bit of soap from a bar to do its job can be tricky; the smaller it gets, the harder it is to handle those slick little buggers. Instead of trying to mash them together, or into a new bar, the Korean design team DesigNoDoubt has a solution: just deposit it into the bank. Their "Soap Bank" is a slick little device that collects and helps you get your money's worth from the small remains of soap. When your bar gets too small to get a good grip on, just drop it in the slot and give the bag a rub when you need some soapy goodness. Cha-ching!
The Bank is designed to stick on any interior shower wall (it's a suction cup) and the top is a good place to keep you soap until it's small enough to fit in the bank. It might be the only time it's convenient to drop the soap. Get cleaned up with more pics below the fold. ::DesigNoDoubt via ::Yanko Design...
Solar Installer Real Goods Fills Paperwork for IPO
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 8.08
Solar installer Real Goods has dotted the i's and crossed the t's on the paperwork for an initial public offering (IPO). The company, which is now owned by Gaiam, had an estimated 2007 revenue of $32.7 million and profits of $490,000 (if you include revenue from two installers it acquired recently).
They want to raise money for further expansion, consolidation, and maybe other acquisitions. The NASDAQ ticker symbol will be "RSOL". ::Cnet News, ::Reuters, ::Best of TH: Sustainable Retailers, Part II...
Best of NY Gift Fair: Reisenthel CarryCruiser
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02. 8.08
Here's a stylish and ergonomically friendlier way of toting your groceries home, sans plastic bags and perhaps even sans car: Reisenthel's new CarryCruiser. It comes with shock-absorbing wheels, as well as a foldaway telescopic rod with a T-grip handle, to withstand curbs and bumps in the road.
You also get a large removable—and washable—liner with the capacity to hold one large shopping load. Lift up the accompanying strap to hoist the CarryCruiser onto your shoulder when moving up and down stairs, or use the lining on its own as a bag. Available in red, black, and floral, the CarryCruiser starts at $149. (Check the company's Web site for a retailer near you.) Also newish, the Mini Maxi Shopper MS, pictured below and approximately $9.99. ::Reisenthel...
Best of NY Gift Fair: Kina
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02. 8.08
The sister brand of Nui Organics, Kina handcrafts its baby booties in New Zealand using premium lambskin made from lambs that die of natural causes. No purposely bred animals or synthetic materials go into its shoes, according to Kina, just "recycled" lambskin that would otherwise go to waste.
Lined with a 100 percent lambswool inner, Kina's booties feature an elasticated opening for easy slipping on and a secure fit. They're available in five sizes from newborn through 2 years. For kids who are walking, however, Kina says its booties are for indoor use only.
Colors for 2008 include blue, pink, red, camel, chocolate, and spice. Retail starts at $35. ::Kina Collection...
High-Speed Passenger Rail Comes to the Americas
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 02. 8.08
The contracts have been signed, and the first high-speed railway in the Americas will be built very soon - but not where you're thinking. Argentina's new President Christina Kirchner, wife of former President Nestor Kirchner, signed the papers last month with a consortium led by French company Alstom to connect the country's major cities by high-speed rail.
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Los Angeles Wind Farm One Step Closer to Reality
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 8.08
The city of Los Angeles, the second largest in the U.S., has pledged to get one fifth of its energy from renewable sources by 2010. A step towards in that direction is the construction of a wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains about 100 miles north of the city. The $425 million, 120 megawatt facility will have 80 turbines and a new high-voltage transmission line, and will help double the portion of electricity from wind that the city gets. It was supposed to come online in 2004, but various delays and problems kept it from being built until now. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also announced plans for another wind farm on an adjacent site. Together, the projects would generate enough electricity for nearly 130,000 homes. ::SFGate, ::LA DailyNews, ::Enercon E-126: The World’s Largest Wind Turbine (for now)...
Best of NY Gift Fair: JoshJakus
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02. 8.08
Berkeley, Calif.-based designer Josh Jakus previewed a few of his upcoming designs at the New York International Gift Fair last week, two of which venture into the realm of recycled rubber.
Pictured above are his 6-pack Coasters, which were inspired by the plastic rings on a conventional six-pack. "Add a touch of class to your next football party," says Jakus. How they work: Simply pop out the individual coasters for use, and then press them back into the rings for storage. The coasters come in your choice of black (100 percent recycled tires) and a variety of colors (30 percent post-industrial waste). Expect these to run from $16 to $18....
Cape Shank House by Paul Morgan Architects
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 8.08
That thing in the living room is a rainwater storage tank. Water is so central to our lives, and Paul Morgan Architects make it central to this house. "Within the living room the ceiling wraps down to an internal water tank. The tank cools the ambient air temperature of the living room during summer, supplies rain water, and structurally carries the roof load. Excess water drains to an external tank, and is used for flushing toilets, irrigating the garden, washing wetsuits [it's near the coast in Victoria, Australia] and occasionally for drinking."...
More Bad News about Biofuels: Land-Use Concerns Nix Benefits
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 02. 8.08
Image courtesy of TheFriendlyFiend via flickr
In a clear sign that the biofuel debate is still far from being resolved, the publication of two new studies has once again raised doubts about the alternative fuels' supposed merits in helping to mitigate climate change. According to the new research, which will be published in the journal Science, most biofuels used today cause more GHG emissions than fossil fuels if the environmental impact of producing them - the razing of ecosystems - is taken into account.
As Timothy Searchinger, a professor at Princeton University and one of the study's authors, explained to the International Herald Tribune's Elisabeth Rosenthal: "Previously, there's been an accounting error: Land use change has been left out of prior analysis." This discrepancy, he alleges, had led previous studies to greatly underestimate the environmental damage caused by biofuel production....
Detroit Electric: 100 Years Old Brand Gets Recycled
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 8.08
Doesn't it sometimes feel like we're going backwards? Detroit Electric was founded in 1907. It was a brand of the Anderson Electric Car Company from Detroit, back when electric cars "were advertised as reliably getting 80 miles (130 km) between battery recharging. Top speed was only about 20 miles per hour (32 km/h), but this was considered adequate for driving within city or town limits at the time."
Now, Zap, the Californian maker of electric cars (the most exciting of them being the Zap-X, sadly still just a concept), and China Youngman Automotive Group are reviving the old brand. They will use it on electric cars and buses in 2009, with a "special edition" vehicle based on the original Detroit Electric planned. Zap will also use it for its upcoming (who knows when?) Alias car. ::Edmunds...
Orchestra Plays on Intruments Made of Car Parts
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 8.08
It Slices, It Dices: Ex Libris Bookshelf and Table In One
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02. 8.08
Taking inspiration from its own Ptolomeo and Ptolomeo Wall book shelf designs (pictures below the fold), the Italian designers at MOCO have applied the same space-saving, hidden shelving ethic to "Ex Libris," the table whose legs double as book storage. A great companion to Bookinist and Bibliochaise -- two chairs with a similar goal of combining seating and storage -- Ex Libris was unveiled last month at Maison & Objet in France.
We'll add this to the list of best small space shelving solutions. And it might just be the smartest table we've ever seen. ::MOCO via ::Freshome and ::Trendhunter...
TreeHugger + SMITH Six-Word Memoir Contest
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 02. 8.08
Can you tell your life's story in only six words? In SMITH Magazine's new book, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs from Writers Famous and Obscure, hundreds of people managed to. Now it's your turn. We've teamed up with SMITH--the online magazine that's best described as People meets the New Yorker--to bring you the green version of the Six-Word Memoir Contest. Got a smart philosophy? Traveled a strange path? Fall off the eco-wagon frequently? Tell us about it. You could win one of several spiffy prizes.
TreeHugger is one of six sites hosting a Six-Word Memoirs contest (though we're certain that our readers will prove to be the most creative!). Read more about SMITH + TreeHugger, contest rules and prizes, and watch the amazing, stupendous, and occasionally tear-jerking Modu Cell Phone Changes Function with Jackets
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02. 8.08
At first glance, Modu looks to be just another gadget; a new cell phone that'll be in a toxic e-waste pile 18 months from now. But if Modu's developers can execute what they have planned, you'll never want to get rid of it.
As the name suggests, Modu is a modular gadget that starts as a cell phone, and can be inserted into multiple "jackets" that change its function: to a multimedia phone, a portable media player, a car sound system, a full car GPS, a bike mini-GPS and more. Slip on a new jacket, and Modu takes on a new function; the video below the fold even shows it slipping into a MacBook Pro, among other things.
Modu says it'll launch the phone in October in Italy, Israel and Russia for $200 with two included jackets; more would be available for $20 - $60 apiece. The company hopes the phone will arrive in the U.S. in early 2009, but no carrier deals have been announced...stay tuned. ::Modu via ::Gizmodo and ::DVICE ...
Heat Harvesting Marine "Robot" Glider Flight Announced By Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution & Webb Research
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02. 8.08
Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Webb Research Corporation (Falmouth, Mass.) have successfully deployed an "environmentally powered" marine robotic vehicle. The new robotic “glider” harvests ocean heat and uses the harvested energy to adjust buoyancy, sufficient to "glide" itself over great distances while collecting oceanographic data. See explanation below.In December 2007, a research team led by oceanographers Dave Fratantoni of WHOI and Roy Watlington of the University of the Virgin Islands launched a prototype “thermal glider” off the coast of St. Thomas. The vehicle has been traveling uninterrupted ever since, crisscrossing the 4,000-meter-deep Virgin Islands Basin between St. Thomas and St Croix more than 20 times....
The Next Polar Bear: Pacific Walrus
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 8.08
John Lennon wouldn't be happy about this one. The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a scientific petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to request that the Pacific Walrus be added to the list of protected species in the Endangered Species Act. “The Arctic is in crisis from global warming. Arctic sea ice is disappearing at a stunning rate that vastly exceeds the predictions of the best climate models,” said Shaye Wolf, a biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity and lead author of the petition.“ The Pacific walrus is an early victim of our failure to address global warming. As the sea ice recedes, so does the future of the Pacific walrus.”...
Hefty Bush Administration Budget Makes Big Cuts to Environmental Initiatives, Funds Nuclear Power
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 02. 8.08
Lost amidst the general kerfuffle over the Bush administration's latest budget - ringing in at a hefty $3.1 trillion - has been a clear-eyed assessment of its environmental provisions, or, more accurately, lack thereof (unless you're a fan of nuclear energy). Chief among it are requests to fund the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program, the first such nuclear weapons program in 2 decades, and to begin construction of a new plutonium pit facility (necessary for building new bombs) - at the tune of $10m and $100m, respectively.
The DOE is also seeking a 79% increase in funding for its Nuclear Power 2010 program, an industry-government partnership designed to foster the construction of nuclear power facilities. The budget request would extend the period during which businesses can receive financial support for new "clean energy" plants under the 2005 energy bill's loan guarantee program - amounting to up to 80% of the incurred costs....
What If New York City....Competition Winners
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 8.08
The results are in from the What if New York City... competition that we covered last year, and the 10 winners are a collection of well resolved, workable, mostly modular solutions. However some of the other entries that didn't win but were selected for notice are ingenious, elegant and inspired.
Ostap Rudakevych and Studiolindfors would let people stay close to home in airborne soalar powered homes, tethered above their former community in a floating layer of provisional housing.
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Hydroelectric Dams Affecting the Health of Lake Victoria?
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 8.08
A new study suggests that systematic overuse of water by two hydroelectric dams has decreased the level of water in Lake Victoria by at least two meters between 2000 and 2006 and that this drop was not influenced by weather. "The two dams, both located at the outlet of Lake Victoria in Uganda, have been using water at a rate of 20 to 50 percent above the allowable discharge agreed by Uganda and Egypt in 1957." As you can imagine, 2 meters over a lake that is almost 70,000 square kilometers is quite a bit of water. This has impacts on surrounding wetlands, the animals that use those as refuges (such as juvenile tilapia) and the people that live in the region....
House of Organic Sustainable Fashion Show
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 02. 8.08
Hosted by Summer Rayne Oakes and presented by Ekovaruhuset, last night's House of Organic Sustainable Fashion Show—a five-hour-long (!) affair—featured the environmentally sensitive and socially responsible Fall 2008 Collections of six major labels: Ekovaruhuset, Anja Hynynen, Righteous, Bahar Shahpar, Fin, and Susan Cianciolo.
House of Organic was hosted at workspace designer Haworth's 31,000 square foot sustainable, LEED Gold-certified offices in New York City, just across the street from Grand Central Station.
Oakes burst upon the stage decked out in only a bikini and boy shorts. "I couldn't find anything to wear and none of the other girls wanted to share," she lamented. "But it's all organic, don't worry," she said, pointing to her semi-nude assemble. To the rescue: Elisa Jimenez, best known as one of the Season 4 contestants of Bravo's Fashion Runway, who began snipping away at a sheath of white bamboo and Lycra spandex, while fitting Oakes on the spot. ...
Nigeria To Tax "Donated" Used Computer Imports
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 02. 8.08
California To Require Net Zero Energy Buildings
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 8.08
net zero energy house by Zoka Zola
Ed Mazria challenged the architecture and building community to go fossil-fuel free by 2030; the community yawned, knowing that until the clients paid for it and the building codes required it, not much was going to happen too quickly. Now the State of California is doing just that. The California Energy Commission has recommended that all residential buildings be "net zero energy" by 2020 and commercial buildings by 2030.
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Super Soaker Inventor Working on Clean Energy
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 8.08
Lonnie Johnson was working on a Freon-less heat pump when he invented the Super Soaker. Since then, his toy millions have allowed him to quit his job at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (he is a nuclear engineer and holds more than 100 patents) and keep working on his inventions. The latest one is a solid-state heat engine that could potentially revolutionize clean energy production. He calls it the Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Conversion System (JTEC). It has no moving parts like a photovoltaic panel, but the input is heat, like in a stirling engine. Johnson claims that at 600 degrees his device would be 60% efficient....
1000 Year-Old Castle Installs Solar Panels
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 02. 8.08
We wonder what John’s un-green zombies would make of Dunster Castle in the UK, a 1,000 year-old Grade 1 listed building that has installed solar panels in its battlements in an effort to fight that most dangerous of foes, climate change. The move is part of efforts by the National Trust, which manages many of Britain’s historic sites, to take serious steps to tackle climate change and reduce its environmental impact. The Trust also recently came out in favour of increased protection for peat bogs, which are important carbon sinks and wildlife habitats, and has even been involved in bombing key bogs with bales of heather seeds in an effort to reverse their decline. So far, it seems, the Trusts efforts at Dunster Castle have avoided the attentions of the zombies, partially due to the ‘discreet’ installation of the panels. A spokesperson set out the reasoning behind the moves:
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Konzept Haus 9x9 by Titus Bernhard Architekten
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 8.08
Justin at Materialicous points us to a house built out of gabions, or metal cages filled with rocks, usually found in retaining walls. Here, they wrap the walls and roof. Built in 2003 in Bavaria by Titus Bernhard Architekten, the architects note that it faced considerable opposition from the community, and that the owner had great patience.
40,000 tons of stone act as a thermal mass to keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter....
Shake Your Money Maker and Power Your iPod
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 02. 8.08
Brace yourself – ever dream of becoming the Bionic Man or Woman? Well now's your chance to feel like Steve Austin or Jamie Sommers. Researchers from Simon Fraser University and the University of Michigan have invented a knee brace that generates power while you cross the street.
We wonder what kind of energy you can create on the dance floor?...
How They Build in Sweden: Panellized Prefab
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 8.08
Architect Greg La Vardera of Lamidesign (see his Plat House on TreeHugger here) writes about how different construction is in Sweden, quoting a correspondent:
"The houses come on trucks from rural places in Sweden. The windows are in, the insulation, wiring, wallboard where possible - every thing - the pipes, the wiring systems, the doors, stairs ... everything has been engineered and rationalized to reduce labor, find energy and material economy and work with the method of construction where stuff is pre-assembled as much as possible inside a building and then "erected" or installed on the site under very compressed schedules. These houses go from slab to dry in and locked inside of a week"
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Recipe of the Week: Pasta With Double Sun-Dried Sauce
by Kelly Rossiter, Toronto on 02. 8.08
Image credit: Toni Girl
I have been doing so much cooking lately with legumes and root vegetables that I have been having a craving for something sunny tasting. Mark Bittman came to my rescue in the New York Times this week with a recipe for a pasta with sun-dried tomatoes.
This recipe just completely hit the spot for me and it was very fast and easy to make. The whole thing only took as long to make as it took for the pasta to cook. Putting the sun-dried tomatoes into the pasta water was a great idea, because the pasta itself takes on the flavour of the tomatoes. Add a green salad and you've got an easy, really delicious meal....
Socket Sense: Yet Another Solution To A Stupid Problem
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 8.08
Here is yet another clever solution to a problem that should not exist- accommodating all those wall warts of different voltages and amperages, all in different sizes, all vampires. Sure, it is clever, with sliding outlets and 45 degree plugs, but this is a design and manufacturing problem that the vendors should solve and we shouldn't have to shell out 40 bucks to fix it. ::Socket Sense via Dvice
Two years ago Larry Page of Google complained “I’m going to just plead with all of you, let’s get the power supply problems fixed.” Douglas Adams once famously proclaimed " Time to declare war on little dongly things!" Let's take up his cause. One Voltage to rule them all!
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Tammam's Roving Catwalk For London Fashion Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 02. 8.08
As the aspirational glitter and glamour of London Fashion Week draws ever closer we wonder if from outside on the street this glossy world doesn't seem rather impenetrable? But in keeping with the revolutionary nature of eco-design there is at least one designer who is determined to take ethical fashion out to the masses. To show their Autumn/Winter collection this year The House of Tammam has teamed up with Smart LPG and The Electric Transport Shop to create a roving catwalk around the city....
Tree Planters in Europe Adopt Guerrilla Tactics
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 02. 8.08
Forests are usually defenseless against the forces of development. However, Friends of the Earth - Europe has decided to help the forests fight back. With the help of advertising firm PH/LAW in the Netherlands, a website has been set up with a do it yourself manual for guerrilla tree planting (including instructions for documenting the subversive act) and several videos of guerrilla tree planters in action. ...
House of the Year: Brit Contenders
by Bonnie Alter, London on 02. 8.08
The long list (25 contenders) for House of the Year 2007 has been announced and there are several British sustainable houses included. The criteria are originality, innovation and sustainability, as well as consideration of the context. The Salt House (pictured) is a beach house at the end of a row of timber-boarded fishermen's houses overlooking the sea. It can be jacked up to a higher level to survive long-term, future rises in the water level, something that is becoming more likely on seashores around the coast. It is a prototype for flood-proof residential construction.
Focus House was designed as a low cost, low energy, low maintenance alternative to the standard family house. Built on a wedge shaped piece of land, it is a difficult adaptation to the street of Victorian houses, yet uses sliding glass windows, sustainable materials, has a very low carbon footprint and a zen garden. The Lighthouse is Britain's first zero-carbon house with solar panels, rainwater harvesting, biomass boilers and a windcatcher for ventilation. And the six finalists...
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Seattle Kids Are Exploring Trees Inside And Out
by Tim McGee, Helena, MT, USA on 02. 7.08
Trees are the longest living and largest living organisms on earth. One acre of forest absorbs six tones of carbon dioxide and puts out four tones of oxygen. Trees are good noise barriers, making a city and neighborhood quieter. This is just the tip of the iceberg of information you and your kids can explore at the new exhibit 'Exploring Trees Inside and Out' at the Seattle Pacific Science Center.
We are a bit tongue and cheek about the treehugger name, but sponsors of the exhibit Doubletree Hotels and The Arbor Day Foundation are serious about getting kids to appreciate the outside world, even if it means going inside....
Grown Skis Go Back to the Future
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 02. 7.08
The other day Collin noted some of the winners at the ISPO SportsDesign Awards for EcoDesign. If you didn’t follow the link through you might’ve missed Grown Skis, who picked up the ski equipment category. This young German company is combining traditional carpentry skills with modern ski design to craft a ‘freeride’ (backcounty/off piste) ski of some new fangled material they call wood.
80% of the ski comprises locally grown and sustainable harvested timbers; ash and fir, serving, the company believes, “as a natural sink for atmospheric carbon.” The design allows them to avoid the plastic top sheet, layers of titanium and fibre glass and plastic ABS side walls commonly found in ski construction. Additionally they’ve passed up on the printed foils and varnishes used to deliver the usual garish graphics. Preferring to simply let the grain of the wood tell it’s own story. Although they do allow a single burnt-on logo to ‘brand’ the skis. So to speak....
Salt Water Proposed as Cure for Common Cold in Children
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 02. 7.08
With cold and flu season in full swing, there’s more than a few parents worried about how to treat their children's colds without traditional medication and the answer just may be a dose of salt water.
Researchers in Europe recently reported that a nasal spray made from Atlantic Ocean seawater eased wintertime cold symptoms while preventing them from returning among children ages 6 to 10.
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Green Basics: Ecological Footprint
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02. 7.08
An analysis that gauges our impact on the planet's biological systems, the ecological footprint measures human consumption of natural resources in comparison to Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate them. Individually, each of us has "a footprint," and, collectively, they aggregate across geographical zones and other means of classification. Calculation of the footprint takes into account just about everything we do; from the food we eat, to the house we live in, to the car we drive and the other consumption habits we practice each day. It's a very complex calculation that answers a straightforward question: how much of the Earth's resources do our lifestyles require?
The expression of the size of our individual or collective footprint is usually expressed in the number of planets we'd need to support our current lifestyles (hint: everyone reading this on a computer is assuredly above 1). It's a very widely-used measure, and is most useful as a way to take a small amount of information and apply it to a wider population.
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Winter Biking Isn't So Bad
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 7.08
I made a New Year's Resolution to never drive alone downtown all winter but to use my bike no matter what the weather. I already broke it last week when I had to carry books to a class that I teach at Ryerson University, but even though we had a foot of snow last night and many schools were declaring a snow day, I thought it might be interesting to see how the City copes and how much concern they have for the bicycling crowd. ...
Chiapas Biosphere Reserve Recognized as Biodiversity Protection Model
by Eliza Barclay, Nomad on 02. 7.08
La Encrucijada, a protected coastal wetland ecosystem in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, was recognized this week at the third World Congress of Biosphere Reserves, as a model of environmental protection. The event, held in Madrid, Spain from February 4-9, brings together representatives from more than 100 countries involved in managing protected areas.
La Encrucijada’s swamps, lagoons, mangrove forests and the only Zapatonal forest in the region serve as a refuge for an abundance of wildlife, including 73 mammal, 11 amphibian, 34 reptile, and 294 bird species. According to La Encrucijada's director, Francisco Javier Jiménez, the reserve's managers have been able to protect the biodiversity and ecosystems inside the protected area as well as some of the area that surrounds it. Jiménez added that he and his team have worked closely with local communities and the municipal and state governments to meet common goals over the last 12 years....
Genetically Modified Rice to Fight Global Warming in China
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 7.08
There are some smart people at Arcadia Biosciences. They not only have created a crop of rice that requires less nitrogen fertilizer, they also figured out a way to work with the Chinese government to allow Chinese farmers to get carbon credits when they use their rice. The reasoning is, less nitrogen fertilizer equals less nitrous oxide emissions (a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide). Under the Kyoto Treaty, the credits gained from that reduction can then be sold on the global market, bringing extra money to farmers. "Swapping global rice supply to the GM version, the company says, would save the equivalent of 50m tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, and generate £750m in carbon credits for farmers."...
Senate Votes Down Green Incentives
by Greg Haegele, Sierra Club on 02. 7.08
Last night a minority of Senators thwarted an attempt to move America forward when they voted to kill support for green tax breaks and incentives. The vote gave the Senate a chance to break with the old energy economy - dirty energy; taxpayer subsidies for billion-dollar oil, coal, and gas corporations like Exxon; dependence on foreign oil - and instead to step into the new economy of wind and solar power, clean energy jobs, and energy independence. Fifty-nine Senators made the right choice, but the green tax incentives lost by just one vote. (59 voted for it, 40 against, then Senator Harry Reid changed his vote for procedural reasons, making the final tally 58-41).
The good news is that this wasn't about partisan politics. Eight Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the bill: Snowe, Collins, Coleman, Smith, Dole, Domenici, Specter, and Grassley. Only one Senator missed the vote - John McCain was in Washington, but didn't show up for the vote. The bad news is that a minority of our leaders in Washington stopped America once again from investing in common-sense green solutions such as credits for high-efficiency appliances and energy efficient homes and businesses....
Tesla Motors May Go Public in 2008 or 2009
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 7.08
Can't afford a Tesla Roadster? Maybe you can afford a piece of the electric car company. Yesterday, Tesla chairman Elon Musk said: "I would say within end of this year or next year there is a good chance we would go public". He even let the door open to cooperation with other companies. "We occasionally have short conversations with other automakers," he said. This potential partner could be a U.S. company, "but there's a good chance it's not."
None of this is very surprising. Tesla will need lots of money to bring to market its second and third models, the White Star and Blue Star (code names). Each successive model is planned to be less expensive and sell more units. The White Star could be available in 2010 for around $50,000-$60,000, and the Blue Star will be "as affordable as possible" with a goal to move 100,000 units a year (though Musk didn't give a time frame). ::Reuters, ::First Production Electric Tesla Roadster Delivered...
Hairy Solar Panels Could Result From Nanowire Breakthrough
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 7.08
Solar panels are constantly improving and breaking records. We often hear about new exotic materials