- 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 March 2, 2008 - March 8, 2008
Total this week: 189
A Picture is Worth... And You Thought Gas Was Expensive Before?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03. 8.08
Image courtesy of movie lover via flickr
LAist's editor, Zach Behrens, caught this shocker in Brentwood - a swanky LA neighborhood if there ever was one - courtesy of one of his eagle-eyed readers. As he notes, we've long heard analysts warning of impending price hikes; and with crude hitting record highs this past week, $4 a gallon by the summer certain seems likely (CERA has an excellent analysis of the factors driving up the price of crude). But still: $9.38? It's not yet April Fool's Day so we can only assume it's an honest mistake...
See also: ::Are Gas Prices High Enough?, ::Book Review: "Beat High Gas Prices Now!"...
Tap Project and the International Year of Sanitation: What Lurks Beneath
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03. 8.08
Brewing Change: The Guardian Keeps Its Kettle In Check
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03. 8.08
Update: Lloyd also covered this issue over at Planet Green, pointing out that very few Americans have electric kettles, whilst 95% of brits and canadians do. As electric kettles convert 80 percent of the energy into heat that boils the water, while a kettle on the stove is only about 40% efficient and a microwave about 55 percent, it would make sense to make the switch if you haven't already.
We briefly mentioned it in our guide on How to Green Your Coffee and Tea, but the Guardian’s latest Tread Lightly pledge of only filling your kettle with the amount of water you actually need is certainly a useful way to reduce your energy consumption. Sure, it’s not an act that’s going to reverse climate change by itself, but if we can’t get the small stuff right then there’s little hope of cracking the big challenges. And in the UK, a nation that apparently guzzles 125 million cups of tea a day, the savings would be significant if the practice caught on among the general populace:...
You Can Spring Forward, But You Won't Save Energy
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 8.08
TreeHugger Labs proved conclusively two years ago that Daylight Saving Time was counterproductive; now it appears that other research is backing us up. When the idea was thought up, the biggest use of electricity was lighting, so it actually did save energy; now, with population shifts and upsizing of housing, air conditioning predominates and more we burn more electricity. An Australian researcher said "Basically if people wake up early in the morning and go to bed earlier, they do save artificial illumination at night and reduce electricity consumption in the evening. Our study confirmed that effect. But we also found that more electricity is consumed in the morning. In the end, these two effects wash each other out." An Indiana study concluded that "daylight saving time did save on lighting use but that heating and air-conditioning use more than offset any gains." ::National Geographic...
Stop The Walking and Texting Carnage; Practice Safe Text
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 8.08
TreeHugger has discussed the danger of using electronics while walking or biking; we like to encourage people to walk or ride and to do it as safely as possible. In London, a study found that one in ten cellphone users has hurt themselves by walking into things while texting; the Daily Express says six million Britons were injured last year. To prevent this, The charity Living Streets and directory service 118118 are testing the padding of lamposts and signs to stop the carnage. Geekologie is not impressed: "Next they're going to start padding cars. I say screw the padding, add sharp spikes to the poles. If you can't manage to look where you're walking then you deserve to lose all that blood." They suggest that perhaps an automatic message could be broadcast from each pole. Video displaying the tragic scale of this growing urban problem below. ::Engadget...
Andy Revkin on Geoengineering
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 8.08
Quote of the Day: Carl Pope on Outsourcing to China
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03. 8.08
Photo credit: imelda
It used to be that when I saw a Mattel toy, I presumed that Mattel made the toy in a factory the company built and manages, with workers it hired and supervises, and that it would not be so crass or dumb as to save a fraction of a penny on a $30 toy by using lead paint.
But Mattel and other businesses know something they are not willing to tells us:
...
Face It: No Coal
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 8.08
Architecture students across the country were challenged by Architecture 2030, Metropolis Magazine, the USGBC and the AIAS to Face it, literally. Students competed to produce the best body and face paint job that conveyed a "no coal" message. Emily Bibler of Ohio State won the Face Color Award; Jackie Fabella of Cal Poly Pomona won for best B+W. A student told Metropolis:
“The entries varied in meaning: some depicting strong political messages about health and environmental impacts, while others took a positive approach by displaying a set of alternatives to coal.” ::Metropolis; See all the entries at ::Architecture2030...
"Waiter...There's A Fly In My Plastic Soup"
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03. 8.08
No one to blame for this but ourselves. Four fifths of the plastic detritus floating over 2.5 million square miles of ocean surface arrives there from land-based run off: from stormwater, in other words. Litter. Who thinks of littering this way? We should.
Plastic contamination in the world's oceans is worse than previously imagined and no amount of technology can clean it up, according to Charles Moore. The oceanographer returned February 23 from a five-week odyssey in the Pacific Ocean with samples showing 48 parts plastic for every part of plankton. "We are damned to a future of pollution by plastic," said Moore, who has spent more than a decade investigating Pacific plastic pollution. "There's no evidence it will end in a millennium."... A plastic "graveyard" double the size of Texas swirls in the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Hawaii.See also: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: "Out of Sight, Out of Mind ......
A Picture is Worth...Lifestyle Choices to Combat Global Warming
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 8.08
Click map to enlarge
Regular TreeHugger readers won't find anything too new here, but it's a very nice graphic illustrating some of the many things you can do to help combat climate change. It's all connected, people; how many of these are you doing? via ::Gristmill
...
Roving Classroom Helps Rare Parrot Once Feared Extinct
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03. 7.08
What to do when you’ve found a flock of 14 members of a species of parrot last seen in 1911 and the local human population is so spread out it’s impossible to get them all in one place to educate them about it? Well, bringing the education to them is one solution and the ‘Parrot Bus’ has been doing just that since 2005, reaching people in a tiny area of the Andes in Colombia that is heavily impacted by deforestation and home to Fuertes’s Parrot. ...
Most Huggable: Dumpster Diving, Green Home Labels, Cellulosic Ethanol + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 03. 7.08
Meet Daniel and Amanda Burt, a very normal couple who just happen to dumpster dive.
A new study suggests that our current efforts to simply stabilize our carbon emissions -- as opposed to, say, completed zeroing them out -- are just not getting it done.
Green home labels are popping up everywhere, but how do you know what's really green and what's greenwashing?
A company called ECO2 Plastics has found a better way to recycle.
The first commercial cellulosic ethanol facility, actively converting waste biomass into renewable fuel, went online last month....
TH Forums Highlights: Green Car Dealership, Recharging Tesla + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 7.08
1) Forums user Nova wants to talk green cars: "What do you all think about Chrylser LLC building a certified Chrysler Green dealership? Plus spending $3 billion in new fuel technology to improve fuel efficiency." Early word in the thread is something like, "Yeah, it's okay, but when are we going to see this new technology and these new concepts?" It's a balance: you have to walk before you can run, but talk of investing in new technology only gets us so far. Where do you come down on this?
2) Speaking of green cars that actually exist, user Hydrotopia says, "If you watch the half hour video with Tesla owner Elon Musk you'll see he discusses the various performance statistics of his car. He claims it costs $3-$4 in electricity to charge the car which then gets 220-260 miles of range from that charge. He claims it takes about 60Kw's to charge the Roadster. We get power at 10 cents a Kwh down here so it would be about $6 to 'fill' the Tesla's tank." That works out to 110 - 130 real world miles per gallon...not too shabby.
3) Lastly, Forums user ev101 has a dilly of a pickle: "I work for a company that makes labor law posters, a product that changes frequently and unpredictably. This leaves us with product (17" x 24" pieces of laminated paper) that can't be sold. I am looking for a way to avoid throwing so many of these away on a monthly basis. Does anyone have ideas for reusing or recycling?"
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03. 7.08
:: Thinking of generating your own renewable energy? First find out how much solar and wind power is available in your area, and what federal and state incentives you can tap into.
:: How green is your cycling, hot stuff? The answer may surprise you.
:: Can being overweight impede work performance?
:: Find out the most energy-efficient way you can make a cup of tea.
:: Take this quiz to discover the type of pet that is right for you.
:: If you have a Web site, consider creating printer-friendly pages so print-happy readers can save paper and ink. Learn how.
:: The first step to greening your electricity: Conduct a home energy audit.
:: Essential steps you need to take to protect yourself before you donate your old PC....
Green Furniture Cut from Cardboard: Collection at CNET
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 7.08
CNET takes a gander at a smattering of cardboard furniture, answering the question, "What does cardboard furniture have to do with technology?" and helping to lend credibility to what essentially amounts to paper design. TreeHugger loves the stuff -- we've seen it everything from cradles to coffins -- so we're glad to see that it's getting picked up elsewhere.
Eagle-eyed readers will recognize the Wiggle stool and Frank Gehry-designed Wiggle chair pictured above; we're liking Cardboard Designs' "Liquid Cardboard" and are impressed that cardboard is now being used in sturdy pieces like this armoire, disguising the humble nature of its core material. More pretty pictures at ::CNET...
Raising the (Green) Roof!!
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 03. 7.08
Mountain Equipment Co-op Building, Green Roof. Copyright Terri Meyer Boake.
Last Saturday I attended a Green Roofs and Roof Gardens workshop hosted by Everdale Organic Farming & Environmental Learning Centre. Carolyn Moss, Principal Architect at Moss Sund Inc and Terry McGlade, Horticulturalist and President of Gardens in the Sky were our professors for the day spent at a public library in Toronto.
The room was packed with about 50 people from all walks of life; from architects to designers to home owners interested in greening their roofs. There was even a guy from La Garrotxa, outside of Barcelona, interested in doing a green roof. Lloyd told us about his involvement in a green roof exercise lead by Carolyn in 2005. She also mentioned the exercise in her presentation. What a small world...Carolyn also told me that she went to university with our head Treehugger, Graham Hill.
...
Alternating Tread Stair- For Cats!
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
I love alternating tread stair designs and I love beating Justin to them. Here is one for cats! Just as our Architectura prefab doghouse was cheaper than the real thing, we can now afford a fancy alternate tread cat stairway for two hundred bucks. I bet I can even put books on it. At ::Cat Livin via ::Haute Nature...
Time to Cry, Wolf
by Greg Haegele, Sierra Club on 03. 7.08
In a matter of days, the American West's iconic symbol of the wild - the gray wolf - will be removed from the Endangered Species List. The wolf once roamed most of North America, but human distaste for the predator wiped out most of the population in the early 20th century. In the mid 1990's, the federal government reintroduced wolves into Yellowstone National Park in hopes of restoring this animal to its natural landscape in the Northern Rockies.
Since their reintroduction to the region , wolves have been steadily climbing toward recovery. Melanie Stein, the Sierra Club's point person on wolf issues, tells me that recent counts indicate there are now approximately 1,500 wolves in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming -- all from the 65 that were originally reintroduced into Central Idaho and Yellowstone. On the surface, this population growth appears to be proof that it's time to remove protections for the gray wolf in the Northern Rockies, but you can't judge this complex ecological book by its cover....
When Your Best Isn't Good Enough: Zero-Emission Policy Only Way to Mitigate Global Warming Declare Scientists
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03. 7.08
Image courtesy of melancholic optimist via flickr
That 70% carbon emissions cut by 2050 being proposed in the Senate's Lieberman-Warner climate bill? Please. What about that heftier 80% carbon emissions cut scientists and policymakers elsewhere have been bandying around as a strategy to seriously address climate change over the next 40 years? Still not good enough. Yes, as ES&T's Erika Engelhaupt reports, that is the grim verdict put forth in a study published this week in Geophysical Research Letters.
The only solution to our warming woes, lead author Ken Caldeira (he of geo-engineering fame) explains, is to bring emissions down to zero. ...
Czech Out Another Alternating Tread Bookcase Stair
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
It is by Adam Jirkal, Jerry Koza and Tomáš Kalhous in what looks like a renovation and addition in Všenory, Czech Republic. The stair appears to be made of slats of wood bolted together. Oh, to have building codes that let a thousand architectural flowers bloom. ::Archiweb via ::Materialicious
See also Bigger Better Bookcase Stair
...
Jargon Watch: Scuppie
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 7.08
Scuppie -- a "Socially Conscious Upwardly-mobile Person."
1. A person who desires all the best life can offer and strives for those goals in a socially conscious manner.
2. One who is dedicated to the pursuit of peace, happiness and cash (not necessarily in that order).
3. Someone ‘green’ -- i.e. one who understands the love of money does not preclude the love of nature...and vice-versa.
All this according to Chuck Failla, a financial planner trying to bring "Scuppie" in to vogue. He's got a website, a manifesto, and pictures depict, head to toe, what a male and female scuppie look like. And, coming soon, a handbook to teach you how to be a scuppie....
Newspaper House Taking Shape
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
Gillian McIver- Photos used with permission of Creative City
Newspaper House is a public art installation: a “house” of newspapers. The public will be encouraged to collect newspapers they find lying around on the tube, bus, streets, public spaces, in their homes and bring them on location. Sumer Erek will lead the public to follow his instructions: including their personal news within the newspaper, rolling and adding it to the structure, hence contributing to building the house." It is now under construction in Gillett Square, and is being filled now for its official opening on March 8. ...
BEDUP: The Space-Saving Bed that Falls From the Ceiling
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 7.08
TreeHugger loves the Murphy bed concept; it's a great way to live comfortably in less space, since you don't need a bed when you're awake, and don't need the living space when you're asleep. We've seen some great examples, including the bed/desk/closet combination, this sofa/bed combo, and this elegant version, integrated with shelving. Still, most Murphy's require a clear area to fold down into, which either requires a daily ritual of furniture-moving or sacrificing otherwise useful space for the bed's footprint. But if the bed came down from the ceiling...
You could leave your stuff where it is, putting the bed above it. That's the rather brilliant idea behind BEDUP, designed by French designers Décadrages. It installs in your ceiling, rather than the wall, and sort of floats down when it's bed time. No furniture-moving required; it can stop at various heights, using a variety of braces to help it integrate with your bedroom's furniture. It's even possible to integrate lighting into the bottom of the bed, for use when it's in storage mode. Watch this movie to see it in action, and hit the jump to see it installed in a living room and home office. ::BEDUP (in French) via ::Freshome...
Jargon Watch: Geothermal vs Ground Source Heat Pump
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
Search Google on Geothermal and you will find a hundred companies using the word to describe ground source heat pumps, two systems that have one thing in common only: they sit on and in the ground. Even government organizations muddy the story by calling them "geothermal heat pumps." Philip Proefrock does a good job of explaining the difference at Green Building Elements, but it comes down to this:
Geothermal systems use heat directly from natural sources like hot springs, geysers and volcanic hot spots like the installation on the right in Iceland.
Ground source heat pumps are air conditioners that use groundwater or simply soil to cool the condenser instead of an outside coil and fan. It uses electricity to move heat energy from one place to the other. Run it backwards and it provides heat, more efficiently than using the electricity directly.
So why has everyone started calling GSHPs Geothermal? ::Green Building Elements...
Who's Looking Out for Your Lungs? Industry and Legislators Pressing EPA to Drop Tighter Ozone Standards
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03. 7.08
You can't blame them for trying: With the White House set to change hands in less than a year's time - likely bringing on board a more eco-friendly administration - industry groups have been pressing the EPA to squelch stricter air-quality standards for ozone, reports the WSJ's Stephen Power. Responding to continuing pressure from environmental and health organizations, such as the American Lung Association, the EPA had just drawn up proposals to (slightly) tighten what were widely considered lax standards - to 0.070 ppm from the current 0.084 ppm.
The new standards are expected to prevent 1,400 - 2,300 nonfatal heart attacks in 2020 and roughly 5,600 - 7,600 hospital-room visits; the costs for certain parts of the U.S. could amount to as much as $18b a year - largely from having to invest in technologies and facilities that would help reduce emissions and cut back on polluting activities....
In Memory of the Sparrows
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
Royal College of Art student Cathrine Kramer says "studies have shown that sparrow populations are decreasing in areas that are affected by electromagnetic communication." She has designed an EMF-powered radio that will play sparrow songs.
She writes: "Imagine on a stroll through Hyde Park you are met with an eerie silence. All the twittering birds have disappeared. By harnessing the very force that drove them away, and transforming it into subtle, obscured bird-like sounds, my object is a monument to the sparrows. It acts as a comfort to those who want to remember the sparrows, but also as a poignant reminder of why they are gone." ...
Prefabs for Pets
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
Our new puppy will be so happy in his new architectura prefab. "Inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, architectura is a pet house designed for dogs and cats. slatted walls on two sides provide excellent ventilation and a fun place for pets to hide but still see what's going on around them."
We also think that it will provide a safe place to hide from the much larger cat. No word yet on whether it is made from sustainably harvested wood, or what the cost is per square foot, but we will update. ::Pre-fab Pets...
More on RuralZED Green Prefabs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
We were very excited when Sami first showed us ruralZED, the UK's first commercially viable, affordable and ready to purchase zero-carbon home; now there is more information on the RuralZED website.
"The ruralZED™ frame creates an airtight box onto which different roof and cladding options can be applied. This gives the flexibility to create eco villages and towns with interesting and varied streetscapes and also sensitivity to local vernacular."
...
UK Chief Scientist: Food Crisis Will Bite Before Climate Change
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03. 7.08
With reports that the arctic ice cap could be gone by summer, it is sometimes tempting to focus all of our attention on the crisis of climate change. However, according to Professor John Beddington, the UK’s new chief scientist, food security and the rising cost of food is an issue at least as important when it comes to human well-being, and one that is becoming rapidly more critical. Read on for a taste of his speech [in true TreeHugger fashion, we've also included some humble suggestions of potential solutions too]:...
Greenwashing Index: Rate Your Favorite
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
Readers who follow our Greenwash Watch will enjoy Greenwashing Index, a new website set up by Austin's Enviromedia Social Marketing, who also founded America Recycles Day. It is an "interactive forum that allows consumers to evaluate real advertisements making environmental claims."- you submit a print or youtubed ad and vote on it on five criteria- does the ad mislead with words, images, make vague or unprovable claims, overstate how green the product or company is, or mask important information.
It is also entertaining and fun....
Ecocities of Tomorrow: Masdar City To Build "Positive-Energy" Building
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03. 7.08
The folks behind Masdar City - the ecocity planned for the United Arab Emirates by Foster + Partners - have unveiled designs for the city's first piece of iconic architecture, a $300 million home for Masdar's corporate headquarters. The building will be "positive energy," meaning it will create more energy than it consumes. This will be accomplished by draping a massive canopy of photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, passive solar cooling and natural shading mechanisms over the building.
One of the building's architects, Adrian Smith, described the building (with no lack of hyperbole) as: One of the most significant developments of our time. As a positive energy complex, the project will have far-reaching influence on the buildings of tomorrow....
Personal Rapid Transit "a Cyberspace Techno-Dream"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
Personal Rapid Transit rears its head again all over the web in the form of a five-year old Sky Tran proposal for Seattle. Pod people have been rolling out these schemes since the sixties as a solution to the problem that public transport is, well, so public, and that people are, different.. Even in 1972 pod promoters wrote "PRT vehicles "are designed to provide the security and privacy not usually found in larger more common transit vehicles"
No matter that they don't work; imagine three hundred people on a platform at rush hour. Imagine what happens when it breaks down. Figure out handicap accessibility. Think of how many will actually have two people- would you get in with someone you don't know? Imagine the rendering shown above on a typical street instead of an open plaza....
Denver Colorado USA Gets 650 Green Jobs: Payback Time For Climate Progressives
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03. 7.08
There's been talk from several US Governors about making "their" respective states centers for green job development. Colorado has some actual green job action to report.Vestas Wind Systems opened the doors of its first wind-blade manufacturing facility in the U.S. on Wednesday, bolstering Colorado's efforts to develop a "new-energy economy" based on wind, solar and biofuels energy. The plant, 60 miles north of Denver, will employ about 650 workers at full capacity this summer. It currently has 200 workers and is hiring about 20 people each week. Ditlev Engel, Vestas' president and chief executive officer, said the company chose to locate the plant in Windsor because of the cooperation from local officials and partners and the availability of skilled labor in northern Colorado...The plant's price tag is estimated at $65 million, although local, state and county officials have offered $4 million in incentives....
Annals of Recycling: The Beer Can House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
Michael Stravato for The New York Times
John Milkovisch spent twenty years emptying 50,000 beer cans and recycling them into cladding for his house and workshop, using the tops for a clever sun-shading system. It opens this weekend as Houston's latest tourist attraction. A quote from Mr. Milkovisch is on a wall: “They say every man should leave something to be remembered by. At least I accomplished that goal.”
An art patron explains why Houston is home to so many zany houses: “One good thing about not having any zoning is you can do stuff.” ::New York Times...
My Other Vehicle Is...A Solar Robot Mower
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03. 7.08
A meadow might be preferable to a maintenance-requiring lawn, and a front-yard food garden would be even better. But if the lawn is there to stay, Swedish Husqvarna's new robot mower combines a battery-powered (NiMH) no-hands mowing system with solar booster panels that help the mower extends its charge time. If you buy green electricity, you've got pretty low-emissions' mowing. The Automower Solar Hybrid's charge lasts about an hour in sunny weather, less under clouds - the machine senses when its charge is low and automatically rolls back to the charging station.
TreeHugger supports technologies which might convince the mow-happy to trade in their two-stroke and gas-powered tractor mowers. Automower Solar Hybrid uses bumper wire cables to help define a lawn section of up to 20,000 square feet (it mows around 900 square feet per hour or charge). Husqvarna says Automower handles slopes of up to 35%. The solar hybrid model is supposed to use the same amount of energy as a 40 watt light bulb (incandescent, unfortunately) and be 90 percent recyclable. Pretty pricey at around US$4,000. Via ::Automower.com
See also Product Review: Enviromower (Solar Lawn Mowing)...
No Comment: Moratorium On Cheap Government Loans For Coal
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03. 7.08
"The federal government is suspending a major loan program for coal-fired power plants in rural communities, saying the uncertainties of climate change and rising construction costs make the loans too risky.
After issuing $1.3 billion in loans for new plant construction since 2001, none will be issued this year and likely none in 2009, James Newby, assistant administrator for the Rural Utilities Service, a branch of the Department of Agriculture, said Tuesday.
The program's suspension marks a dramatic reversal of a once-reliable source of new coal plant financing. It follows the announcement last month that several major banks will require plant developers to factor in climate change when seeking private funding.
"This is a big decision. It says new coal plants can't go to the federal government for money at least for the next couple years, and these are critical times for companies to get these plants built," said Abigail Dillen with the environmental law group Earthjustice. The group filed a federal lawsuit last year seeking to block the loan program."
See also: USDA Rural Development's Electric Programs Via::EarthJustice AND Omaha World-Herald, "Loans Program for Coal Plants Suspended" Image credit:: Next Big Future; "1.58GW coal plant near Laughlin, Nevada"...
Survey: How Do You Get To Work?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 7.08
I complain about my city a lot (but I complain about everything) but it has subways, streetcars and buses galore (could have more) and a growing bike lane infrastructure (which they could plough in winter) but I was shocked by the statistics in Spacing that showed how many people rely on cars to get to work in Toronto, and how the number has barely budged in five years. Over all, 71.1% drove, 22.2% took transit, 4.8% walked and only 1% biked.
Then I saw in a comment that this level of transit use was actually high by most urban standards, and is beat only by New York City. (copy below the fold). I suspect that the TreeHugger demographic is different. I know this is similar to a very recent poll but I want to compare to the statistics provided. I wish they had provided an option for "don't commute, work at home"- 179,390 do in Toronto, more than those who bike, so I added "other."
...
A Picture is Worth... Elephant Having Fun
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 03. 7.08
At the risk of anthropomorphizing it too much, we'd say that this looks like one happy elephant!
Update: Apparently it's a Disney statue in Florida. Had me fooled. Still cute, though.
Via ::reddit. See also: ::Zoo Poo Power: Elephant Dung for Electricity, ::Elephant Dung Paper and Paper-Products...
Summer Inspiration At The Urban Sustainable Design Studio 08
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03. 7.08
Amazingly this is the third year in a row that we have posted on the fantastic summer workshop run by Peter Nicholson's Foresight Design Initiative. In 2006 and 2007 we recommended taking a summer break in Chicago to be inspired, invigorated and educated at the Urban Sustainable Design Studio. Each year the course just gets bigger and better with more people attending and benefiting from the experience. Over the last six year USDS has been developed to, "Empower participants to become better sustainable innovators". The intensive full time program examines wide ranging aspects of environmental, social and economic sustainability during its eight-week period. The course also features weekly readings and discussions, field trips, and guest speakers from a range of relevant sectors. ...
Social Entrepreneurs Mean Business
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03. 7.08
Social entrepreneurship is a way of using business to tackle social issues. It has been defined as a “halfway house between profits-driven businesses and charities" that can "take the profit motive to parts of the voluntary and public sector that have in the past been hostile to it." We have read about Belu water, the English company that has developed a biodegradable bottle for its water AND donates its profits to projects with WaterAid in India and Africa. Here are a few more examples of a growing group of ethical entrepreneurs who are turning their businesses and profits towards having an impact on the world’s problems.
Eako is a small company that makes handbags and luggage from the 25 year old rubber hoses on London's fire engines. Not only are they preventing all that hose from ending up on the landfill sites, they are also donating 50% of profits to retired firemen through the London Fire Brigade's benevolent fund. They make belts out of the hoses adding a good-looking buckle made of reclaimed pewter. Their newest venture is a messenger bag complete with ridges and grooves and dates from the original hose. The founder, a Canadian living in England, says "For me, social enterprise means that you have a social ethical issue at the core of business. It is not about profit, but I am very keen to make a profit because that is what moves business forward."
...
Green Basics: Local Food
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 6.08
The local food movement, eating local, being on the "100 mile diet" or being a locavore are all synonymous with local food, whose consumption has risen to prominence as an important part of the larger green movement. Taking the baton from organic food as a poster child for sustainable agriculture, local food integrates production, processing, distribution and consumption on a small scale, creating sustainable local economies and a strong connection between farm and table.
Local food has myriad environmental benefits -- we've mentioned just a few in connection with having a green Earth Day -- as well as the social, economical and agricultural benefits of supporting small family farms. But there are many facets to the simple-sounding lifestyle choice....
Montana's Wind Farms
by Tim McGee, Helena, MT, USA on 03. 6.08
The folks around these parts get charged about wind farm developments. While cities argue over who gets the new wind turbine manufacturing plant, others deem wind power as more of a problem than a promise.
Conservation groups wonder about the wisdom of installing what many deem an eyesore and unnecessary infrastructure for a state that is already a net exporter of energy. Montana has seen some of the worst extractive mining and exploitation in the history of civilization. The people living in Montana are likely not going to be impressed with more foreign extraction of local resources.
Yet, as the toll of coal mining, power generation, and even industrial agriculture are realized, wind power may offer a route for Montana to find a compromise between extraction and conservation, securing a renewable energy future and a greening economy. But it likely will not go well without serious innovation and strategic planning....
How to Catch a Dolphin Killer in the Act
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03. 6.08
The Oceanic Preservation Society is on a mission: to document beauty and destruction in our planet's oceans with the hope of motivating change. It is a mission which sometimes requires James Bond-like ingenuity. In this case, OPS goes head-to-head with some Japanese fishermen on the issue of dolphin killing. It is a thriller, involving celebrities under vicious attack during peaceful protest, blockades and risks of arrest for confronting an issue of national cultural sensitivity....
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03. 6.08
:: Why is Kelly telling everyone to take the day off work?
:: More uses for baking soda you never knew.
:: Sure, you may know what the label estimate on your auto says, but how many miles per gallon does your car really get?
:: Knit yourself an Easter celebration.
:: Find out how you can get up to $500 more in your tax refund this year.
:: What's in your nail polish? Learn all about toluene, an industrial solvent that has been linked to developmental abnormalities, liver and kidney damage, and spontaneous abortions....
Price Controls on Gasoline in Certain Asian Countries
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 03. 6.08
In Malaysia and Indonesia, which have the cheapest petrol in Asia, fuel subsidies account for over 10% of total government spending. [...] Not only are price controls no long-term cure for inflation, argue many Western commentators, but if domestic fuel prices are not allowed to rise in line with crude-oil prices, then motorists from Beijing to Bangalore will guzzle more oil. This, in turn, pushes global oil prices higher.Oil subsidies also make clean alternatives relatively less competitive, so their development and adoption is slower. ::The Economist Graph credit: The Economist, Lehman brothers, EIA, reuters...
TreeHugger Picks: Cradle to Cradle-Certified Products
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 6.08
Embodying a variety of sustainability options -- "using environmentally safe and healthy materials; design for material reutilization, such as recycling or composting; the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency" and several more -- William McDonough and Michael Braungart offer Cradle to Cradle certification as a way to label some of the greenest products available today. Here are some of our picks for those who made the C2C cut.
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 | 1) The first six Cradle to Cradle certifications were announced back in late 2005, with the Think Chair by Steelcase (pictured) on the list as an early adopter, along with the Zody Chair by Haworth, Hycrete Technologies' Hycrete concrete additive, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Classic Wool Flannel seating fabric, and Victor Innovatex's Eco Intelligent Polyester seating, and panel fabric. |
| 2) gDiapers earned the first -- and, so far, only -- certification for baby care products with their flushable/compostable diaper lining. gDiapers have no elemental chlorine, perfumes, smell or garbage, and the damp ones can even make good compost -- they recommend that the brown ones always get flushed down. |
| 3) Most recently, Surface iQ's commercial wallcoverings have earned Cradle to Cradle certification. The only printed commercial grade wallcovering to have earned this certification, Surface iQ's products have an impressive green résumé; non-PVC composition free of elemental chlorine, formaldehyde and halogenated fire-retardants top the list. The remaining two picks are after the jump... |
Mexico City Receives Payment for BRT Carbon Mitigation
by Eliza Barclay, Nomad on 03. 6.08
In recent months, we've noted that two Mexican companies, Pemex and Cemex, are looking for ways to mitigate their carbon dioxide emissions under the Kyoto Protocol and get paid for it.
For the second year in a row, Mexico City's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, known here as the MetroBus, curbed the emission of 38,210 tons of carbon dioxide by replacing 368 dirty buses and offering motorists a reliable and safe transport option up and down the city's main thoroughfare Insurgentes. The MetroBus has run on clean-burning ultra low sulfur diesel fuel since its inception in 2005....
Solar Versus Wind Power: Which Has The Most Stable Power Output?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03. 6.08
Imagine yourself working for a major electric power utility or distributor, perhaps in the strategic planning department. Government is introducing mandates for renewable energy portfolios: a 5 to 20% required green power component is a certainty within the next few years. Both solar and wind power are technically viable choices within the service area. Which of the two technologies should the company first support or most invest in?
Restating the question, which source, wind v.s. solar, has the most even capacity, will be the least disruptive to customers, and require the least backup investment to achieve synergy with the existing business? ...
Timbuk2 "Grows" Hemp, PET Bags
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03. 6.08
New from Timbuk2: The Grown Collection, a line of 13 different styles, including totes, backpacks, and laptop bags, all made from a hemp/PET blended fabrics—or in the PVC-eschewing bag manufacturer's words, "66 percent hemp, 33 percent PET, and 1 percent Al Gore mojo." And if that's not crunchy enough for you, the buckles are made of corn-based resin. The Hemp Cargo Tote even has an interior water-bottle holder, so you can secure your own reusable canteen for those jaunts to the farmers' market. Another one of our favorite features is the red key tether, which is long enough that you don't have to unfasten your keys to unlock your door.
With laptop-friendly backpacks now included in the mix, eco-geeks on the move can hoist their precious electronic cargo more ergonomically. Super-durable, waterproof, and pockets aplenty (always a bonus with us), the bags' only downside is that many of them are manufactured abroad, unlike most of Timbuk2's iconic messengers, which are made in San Francisco. ::Timbuk2...
Nanocrystal Coating = White LED Big Breakthrough?
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 03. 6.08
Lighting residential and commercial buildings accounts for about 1/4 of all electricity used in the U.S. according to the Department of Energy, and since most of that light is produced very inefficiently (incandescent and halogen light bulbs could be called "heat bulbs"), there is potential for huge savings.
Compact fluorescents (CFLs) are a step in the right direction, even though they have downsides such as mercury (even more mercury comes from coal plants), but light emitting diodes (LEDs) remain the most promising next step: more efficient, longer lasting.
Researchers at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, have made a discovery that brings LEDs closer to widespread adoption. They discovered that by coating blue LEDs with a layer of nanocrystals specially engineered to turn the blue light into warm white, they could produce light at efficiency of over 300 lumens of visible light per watt. "Typical white LEDs are less well matched to human eyes and provide only about 30 to 60 lumens of visible light per watt," so these would be 5 to 10x better! That's also better than CFLs which are closer to 80 lumens/watt....
Spring Fashion 08: Loyale
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03. 6.08
Oxford dress, Loyale
Loyale springs forward from the wintry gloom with another flawlessly edited collection. Drenched in eye-popping bursts of vibrant cornflower blue, the sustainable New York-based designer's Spring 2008 collection tempers flirty, feminine details with wearability and ageless appeal.
Click below the fold for more. ::Loyale...
Green Stats: 80
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 6.08
A chart of the world's fishery hotspots
80 -- the percentage of seafood species currently fished at or beyond their capacity.
40 -- the percentage of the world's oceans that have been "heavily impacted" by humans.
4 -- the percentage of the world's oceans that are "relatively pristine."
All of this from the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) new report, "In Dead Water," which details the five primary threats facing the oceans: pollution, climate change, overfishing, invasive species, and habitat loss. Very interesting (if slightly depressing) information, detailing yet again why finding green fish and supporting sustainable fisheries is so important. ::In Deep Water via ::Gristmill
See also: ::Seafood Choices Alliance - Sustainable Seafood Database, ::Finding a Sustainable Fish Stick and ::How to: Choose Your Fish Wisely...
Advice for Mayor Newsom in the Battle over San Francisco Tidal Energy
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 03. 6.08
It's no secret, we at TreeHugger are all for clean, renewable energy. Wind, solar, geothermal, wave, tidal, etc. But - and this is very important - it has to make sense. We won't automatically support any project just because it is clean power.
Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's philosophy. In 2006, city officials announced that they wanted to build turbines under the Golden Gate bridge to capture energy from tidal currents. At the time, they expected up to 38 megawatts (enough for approx. 38,000 homes). But now a new study by URS, an engineering firm, is saying that there would actually be just 1 or 2 megawatts produced at a cost of many tens of millions with high yearly maintenance expenses. "Power generated from the tides would cost between 80 cents and $1.40 per kilowatt hour, according to the study." For comparison, the Bay of Fundy has about 300 megawatts of potential....
Stop the Presses: Green Consumerism Exposed
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 6.08
But I want my wasabi-covered goji berries!
Monica Hesse at the Washington Post writes an article letting the cat out of the bag for all of us conspicuous consumers of green goods: Spending Won't Save the Earth. Shocked and reeling from this searing exposé that challenges our beliefs to the very core, we wonder, can this be in the paper that owns Sprig, "where serene people are into green"?
We were relieved that she quotes Lazy Environmentalist Josh Dorfman saying "Buying stuff is intrinsically wrapped up in our identities" and Chip Giller of Grist, who views green consumption as a "gateway" to get more people involved in environmental issues.
Much better than some Paul Hawken guy who says "Really going green, means having less. It does mean less. Everyone is saying, 'You don't have to change your lifestyle.' Well, yes, actually, you do."
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Sony Does the Time Warp Again to Promote Recycling
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03. 6.08
Wondering why that Sony commercial is trying to sell you a bulky cassette-tape deck from the '70s? The electronics giant is taking the three Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle—to heart.
Sony is ramping up its recycling effort with dozens of events at which consumers can drop off old Sony electronics for free. And, as part of its marketing campaign, the company is rerunning vintage commercials featuring clunky, archaic equipment that were, once upon a time, oh-so cutting edge.
Stuart Redsun, senior vice president of corporate marketing, unveiled mock-up TV ads at a press meeting on Wednesday to emphasize that Sony is "recycling our old commercials to remind you to recycle your old electronics." If you have any of ye olde products stashed away in a dusty attic corner or garage somewhere, it just might be time to put the past behind you. ::Ad Age...
A Picture is Worth... Simplified Map of the Eisenhower Interstate System
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 03. 6.08
Credit: 
The TH Interview: Gary Hirshberg, CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm (Part One)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03. 6.08
Before Stonyfield Farm was a $325 million company, Gary Hirshberg was milking the cows and trying to get the bills paid. Now, as the largest organic yogurt-maker, he is fulfilling the original mission: make money and save the world. From milk cows to yogurt cups to food miles, Hirshberg has been an innovator and a ground-breaker, going where no business men would dare. Here he speaks with TreeHugger about green business, presidential politics, and the hidden power of camel poo. ::TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Full text after the jump. ...
Grand Canyon Gets Flooded, Turns Out It's Man
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03. 6.08
Less is More: 300 Square Foot Apartment
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 6.08
This unit gives new meaning to the term "Bed and Breakfast"- You just slide out of bed onto the breakfast table. It is in a 300 SF Maff B&B in the Hague, designed by Queeste Architecten and photographed by Teun van den Dries, via ::Dezeen....