- Emily Pilloton Discusses the Hippo Roller and other Designs for Humanity (Part One)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part Two)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part One)
- Andy Revkin - Climate in the Obama Age
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part Two)
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part One)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part Two)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part One)
Entries for March 9, 2008 - March 15, 2008
Total this week: 165
A Picture is Worth... Splitting Iceberg Captured from Space (Updated)
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.15.08
Images courtesy of the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Envisat satellite captured this stunning shot of the break-up of the A53A iceberg in the southern Atlantic Ocean just off the South Georgia Island. The A53A iceberg originally "calved", or formed, off the Larsen Ice Shelf in late 2005....
Pressed Leaf Plates By VerTerra Dinnerware
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.15.08
Intrigued by the possibility of single-use tableware made exclusively of pressed, organic fallen leaves (no colors, no binders, and no coating or stabilizers added), we asked Micheal of VerTerra to share some product table-top shots with us. We'll intersperse them with a few text snippets.Our entire process is run in concert with nature, which is why we use fallen leaves, and recapture over 80% of the water that we use. Our products are fine for use in a microwave, oven or freezer and bio-degrade in as little as 6 weeks, and they are fully compostable (a much higher standard than biodegradable)....
Going Green Is Strictly Business. Just Ask Wal-Mart
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.15.08
This is the second guest post by Wood Turner, Project Director, Climate Counts. His first effort - "Green Electronics: Only Half of the Story"? - was a perfect introduction to this one.
One of the great false debates about the global warming issue is whether or not going green is in conflict with making money. Consider some business groups' radical alignment with those still arguing that a hoax is afoot and that business will suffer from climate-conscious operational strategies. Nothing is further from the truth as Gary Hirshberg showed in example after example in his new book, "Stirring It Up."
One of the companies the book discusses is Wal-Mart, and to the surprise of many, Wal-Mart is doing as much as any company in America to change its practices to be more forward-thinking and more consistent with a less wasteful economy -- call it going green, if you must -- and here at Climate Counts, we applaud their efforts and the efforts of many other large companies to lead. (I'm lucky, by the way, to have Gary as the chair of the Climate Counts board.)...
A Fruity Alternative to Fossil Fuels
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.15.08
Image courtesy of SlapBcn via flickr
It might lack the pizzazz of your everyday solar or wind energy piece, but this somewhat obscure study of gamma-valerolactone (GVL), a cyclic ester produced by fruits and commonly used as a food additive, could have much larger implications for renewable energy - at least in the short term. A team of researchers, led by Eötvös University's István T. Horváth, examined GVL's properties as a sustainable fuel additive or outright alternative, concluding that its physical and chemical properties made it an attractive candidate....
The World's Biggest Butterfly House is Set to Alight in Britain
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.15.08
Image courtesy of The Independent
An often overlooked though extremely vulnerable creature - the butterfly - will soon be getting a new lease on life when Butterfly World, the world's largest planned butterfly house, alights in Britain, reports The Independent's Michael McCarthy. Boasting a collection of 10,000 tropical butterflies encompassing close to 250 species, the £25m 300 ft-wide complex - the brainchild of businessman Clive Farrell - will be built near St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Supported by the likes of Sir David Attenborough, Butterfly World plans on opening in stages between June 2009 and March 2011....
Treeless Squirrel: "Plant Trees Please"
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.15.08
Powerisers: More Powerbocking than Powerwalking
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03.15.08
About a year ago, powerisers provoked a lot of interest among TreeHuggers. Much has happened since then, so here is an update on this extreme mobility enhancement. And a mystery: the Showteam Powerisers Europe. The teaser video, over the fold, promises the premiere of this new powerbocking team on 14 March 2008. ...
Missy Higgins North American Concert (de)Tour Webisodes
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.14.08
While Australian music sensation Missy Higgins tours the US, she's been taking a few green detours along the way, a number of which are documented in five Webisodes found in the widget after the jump. For those of you who have been living under an (Ayers) rock for the last couple of years, Missy is a richly gifted vocalist and songwriter that is the best thing to come along since sliced thin-film solar modules. A certified bike-riding vegetarian, she performed from Sydney for Live Earth and is expanding her environmental horizons via Prius visiting an alternative school that's going green, speaking with scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research as well as visiting draught-threatened redwood forests and flopping at various green hotels such as San Francisco's LEED certified Orchard Garden Hotel. Have a look-see along with her below the fold. BTW, we're going to bring you an exclusive interview with Missy soon so be sure to write in to george at treehugger dot com with any questions you'd like us to ask her....
Britain’s Burgeoning Bicycling Boom
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.14.08
As Lloyd pointed out, it’s Pi Day (at least in those countries that record the month before the day). So to enter the spirit of the occasion I tender this post on one our favourite things that Go Round: bicycles. According to Bike Europe they are spinning furiously, especially in the United Kingdom.
Apparently since 2001 there’s been a 40% increase in Brits who regularly cycle. “Today, 3.2 million British adults cycle regularly compared to 2001 when the figure was 2.3 million. In fact, more people are now cycling regularly than participating regularly in football, golf, jogging or athletics. For 1.2 million people cycling represents their only sporting activity, 30% more than in 2001.” The report goes on to say “Of the 3.2 million regular cyclists, 1.5 million also use their bicycles as a method of transport, almost 20% more than in 2001.”
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Most Huggable: Green Wedding Dresses, Most Fuel-Efficient Car, Green Book Publishing + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 03.14.08
Learn how much "green" your green wedding dress will cost.
This might just be the greenest building ever built, when it's finished.
Take a gander at VW's secret car that could be the world's most fuel efficient car.
Get the scoop on Rubberecycle, which makes playgrounds safer and keeps old tires out of landfills.
How green is the book publishing industry? A new study provides the answer.
Most Huggable is a roundup of some of Hugg's top stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
TH Forums Highlights: Recycling Plastic Bottles, Starting a Farmstead + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.14.08
1) Forums user NReiter has a question about some recycling rumors for the community: "and im not sure this is true...but I've heard that water bottles do not get recycled if they have the caps still on them..is there any truth in that ? also, anything like milk jugs or peanut butter jars that are "contaminated" with food are immediately thrown out because of the food particles in them...is that real ?" The consensus, so far, seems to be...it all depends.
2) User Ian Gordon has a plan to start a farmstead and he's sticking to it. "I'm definitely up for getting my own place, a plot of land. I've got savings and the like to buy a plot. I'll probably need to do everything myself to get a self sufficient house built and operating and a garden and the like to supply it. Anyone have any hints. I've already got my home defense consultant.." It looks like Australia is the intended locale, and there's apparently a lot to learn...
3) Lastly, Forums user joelcere is looking for some input on eco-travel and sustainable tourism: "I am working on a business project in the area of sustainable tourism / eco-resorts. I would like to hear your opinion about eco-tourism. The aim is to get data to test our assumptions. Your input will make a difference on how we launch and market our project." As another user notes, "There is a lot of bull in the Eco Tourism sector of the tourism industry," so here's your chance to talk about what works and what doesn't.
Dude, Get a Bike
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.14.08
Illustration credit: Walt Handelsman/Newsday
Some TGIF levity—whether you laugh or cry is your call. Meanwhile, the Associated Pres reports that Maui is on the brink of becoming the first area in the nation to average $4 for a gallon of regular gas. ::Newsday...
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.14.08
:: What better way to celebrate Pi Day than with pie?
:: Find out what the Year of the Potato is all about.
:: Be an eco-friendlier freelancer with these tips.
:: Want to get recession-ready? Quit your job.
:: Discover why one toxicologist calls indoor pools a "witch's brew" of toxic chemicals, and find out how you can protect yourself and your kids.
:: Organize a community garden in eight easy steps.
:: Clean up your ride on the cheap with everybody's favorite multitasking condiment.
:: Part two of our "Green Your Wedding" series is all about The Dress.
:: Learn how you can reduce energy use around the house....
All Our Vital Bodily Fluids Is Contaminated
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.14.08
An old trend seems to have resurfaced. Di-Nitro-Chickenwire suddenly is "everywhere".
So, we ask, has the resurgence of green in American politics tempted some to use fear-mongering to get "bad attention?"
First we have Associated Press, which we had thought was a mainly a press syndication outfit, trying to out-Greenpeace Greenpeace by sampling our drinking water for trace levels of synthetic drug residues. The test results got some action: they have drummed up US Congressional hearings and presumably some big Google hit rates.
And we are found to be peeing out tiny amounts of the synthetic sweet stuff....
Knut: A Great Book for Kids
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.14.08
If you're looking for a story to warm your heart and grab your kids interest as well, look no further than "Knut, How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World" released recently by Scholastic. It's just a terrific story about the polar bear born at the Zoo Berlin back in December of 2006 and the zookepper who nurtured and raised him when his own mother didn't quite understand what mother polar bears do.
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WARNING: The Alarmists Are Coming
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.14.08
A group of influential green professionals are pushing for activism to go viral. Keeping themselves deliberately incognito and going by the name of The Alarmists they are proposing to make some serious noise about Global Warming. Not just at one event, but at 11 am on the 11th of every month for one minute. They say, "This is a state of global emergency. According to the IPCC, we must cut emissions within eight years, to avoid catastrophic global warming. There is nowhere near enough action yet to make that happen. We need to set off the world's alarms. Join in. It could be the alarm on your phone, in your home, in your car. You could gather some friends to make some noise. Organise a flash mob. Schedule a company fire drill. Borrow a vintage air raid siren... Be creative. Raise the alarm." :: Alarmism
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How to Green Your Home Buying
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.14.08
What’s the Big Deal?
The housing market may have had a rough time of late, but there are still plenty of us out there looking for a new home. Whether you are a first time buyer or a seasoned veteran, it is worth remembering that buying a house is one of the biggest decisions you can make, and not just financially. The location, size and style of your house, along with what you chose to do with it, can have a huge impact on your ecological footprint. So choose wisely, ask all the right questions, and check out some of our handy hints below. Happy hunting!BuyGreen: Desks and Workstations
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.14.08
The right desk is an essential part to any green workplace; it has a small footprint, so it doesn't take up too much space; its just the right size to allow you to spread out, without getting cluttered; and it has a place for everything you need, so you can stay organized. And, while the greenest desk is the one you already have, there may come a time where we all need to find a new place to put your laptop or desktop computer.
The desks you'll find here are all designed with the environment in mind, whether they employ responsibly-harvested wood, use non-toxic finishes that won't dirty your workspace's air, exercise really great design ideas that just use less stuff, or all of the above. Each is designed for longevity -- whether through super-sturdy materials or easily replaceable parts -- so it's likely that any on the list will be the last one you'll have to buy for a very, very long time. Hit the jump to get started......
The Big Easy Rebuilds Green
by Greg Haegele of Sierra Club on 03.14.08
This past Saturday marked the first day of Historic Green, a campaign in New Orleans "to preserve history, incorporate sustainable design and return the community to its former state." Centered in two New Orleans neighborhoods hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 - Holy Cross Neighborhood and the Lower Ninth Ward - hundreds of volunteers will undertake 12 projects from March 8 - 23 that will help rebuild a sustainable city.
Of course, many of these projects started well before March 8 and will last well past March 23, but this event, led by the Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED), is aimed at bringing it all together for one big push. During these two weeks, hundreds of students and young professionals in the construction industry will converge on New Orleans, bringing their energy and ideas to help the people of the Lower Ninth revitalize their community. Architects, engineers, planners, landscape architects, interior designers and contractors will work hand-in-hand with neighborhood residents to restore their historic houses, parks, playgrounds and community centers....
Quote of the Day: Method Co-Founder Adam Lowry, on Green Style
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.14.08
What the style element does is it creates mass market relevance for a green product. And I'm not just talking about Method right now, although that is very much our strategy. We're not the first company to think cleaners should be green, but we are doing them in a way that makes them accessible both from a price-point standpoint and from a design/aesthetic standpoint to everyone else who isn't this sort of tree-hugging granola -- forgive the expression ...
Why would you do all this green stuff and then just hang out with other greenies? That's one of the biggest reasons why the traditional environmental movement has not succeeded. It's not democratic....
Plantware: New Meaning to Urban Jungle
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 03.14.08
Imagine a bus shelter that grows extra-long roots for you to sit on and leafy greens as shade. Or a living playground made from trees?
These are the fantasies of Plantware, a company that aspires to make fixtures in the urban landscape from living, growing trees.
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Transformer Furniture: Dwell's Convertible Coffee Table
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.14.08
Aside from offering a neat trick at your next dinner party, transformer furniture offers a great two-for-one deal; it allows us to live better in less space and use fewer resources doing so (which makes it a triple threat, I guess, if you count the dinner party thing). The latest example is this combo coffee/dining table available from Dwell in the UK.
Rather than a movable leg contraption, like we saw before with the Flip Table, the table's top pops up and unfolds to double in surface area, creating dining space for six or eight from the coffee table's diminutive size (not unlike Lee Sinclair's Convertable). Jump below the fold to see how it goes down, so to speak, and, while you're at it, check out pics of Dwell's coffee table that transforms into a laptop table. We're crossing our fingers that these'll be crossing the pond soon; for now, get more details at ::Dwell via ::Freshome...
No Wood Left Behind: Brooklyn's 4Korners Design
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.14.08
Predicated on the idea that "there is always a better way," Brooklyn-based 4Korners has a small collection of furniture that combines sustainable materials and smart design to create sleek, efficient designs. We like the looks of the credenza, which, with a quick exchange of doors for drawers, can also be a sideboard or dresser; its design, vaguely reminiscent of 4Korners' fellow Brooklyn designers from Scrapile, uses wood scraps to create an engaging textural mosaic on the front of the piece.
The collection also includes a platform bed made from bamboo that includes built-in drawers and optional slide-out side tables (both great for small spaces) and assembles like a puzzle from 11 pieces and a "tea table" (designer Scott Raffaele doesn't like coffee) with easily removable legs, for easy shipping and transport. Hit the jump to see pics of these and the rest of the collection. ::4Korners via ::Dwell Daily...
Climate Change Affecting Pakistani Power Supplies
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.14.08
Basically, Pakistan's hydroelectric reservoirs are drying up. Several are reported to be at "dead level," which means the turbines can only use run-of-the-river flows, and have lower output as a result. Because natural gas supplies are also low, there are more extended power shortages.The Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) has increased the load shedding duration for domestic consumers from two to four hours, due to shortfall of power generation. The load shedding duration for the industrial sector has not yet been increased. The water level at Tarbela Dam [pictured when water was more plentiful] has reached dead level, resulting in a power generation shortfall of 1,200 MW. The hydroelectric power generation in the country has, therefore, decreased from 3,400 MW to 2,400 MW. The independent power producers, meanwhile, are generating 4,800 MW only....
Design Green Now: Tour Coming to the West Coast
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.14.08
West Coasters, take note: Design Green Now, a small tour and series of panel discussions about sustainable design and greening consumer products, is coming to a venue near you. Starting April 1 in Bellingham, WA and ending April 11 in Long Beach, CA, the events visit colleges along the coast, bringing industry professionals, non-profits and students together to inspire and empower a greener way forward.
Panelists from top-notch firms like IDEO, frog design and fuseproject, companies like Nau and non-profits like Sustainable Style Foundation and o2 will bring their perspectives to the tour, which will include discussions of current projects, ongoing and current sustainable challenges they face, and tools for successfully integrating sustainable design. The discussions will highlight sustainable materials, product life cycles and social impact.
If you're in to design and on the west coast, get thee to one of the four events -- at Western Washington University, The Art Institute of Portland, San Francisco's California College of the Arts and California State University in Long Beach -- between April 1 and April 11; if you can't make it, videos of each event will be available at their site once the tour is over. Get all the details at ::Design Green Now via ::Core77...
Lots Of Ethanol, And More on the Way
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 03.14.08
Ah ethanol, we're never quite sure what to make of it. Sometimes we hear that ethanol is not as pointless as we thought, and then we learn that it may even be worse than its fossil-fuel brethren. But whatever our opinion, the undeniable fact is that the U.S. is producing a whole lot of it. In fact, the latest numbers tell the story: 6.48 billion gallons. That's how much ethanol - almost all of it from corn - was made in the U.S. last year, a total that comes to an average of 423,000 barrels per day. Compared to 2006, this is an increase of 34 percent. Still, more corn will be needed to reach the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007's new Renewable Fuel Standard for 2008: eight billion gallons. A problem? Not according to the Renewable Fuels Association, which says that current biorefinery capacity is 13.4 billion gallons per year. With 57 new refineries on the way, the eight billion gallons will be here before we know it....
Turn Signal Jacket For Cyclists
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.08
Leah Buechley designs e-textile technologies that do all kinds of things that I cannot begin to understand, from LilyPad Acelerometers to Vibe boards. However as a cyclist, this one I get: LED turnsignals on a jacket, with controls on the wrist. Very cool. via ::Swiss Miss...
Happy Pi Day
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.08
It is Pi day, in those nations where the month comes first and it is 3.14, when we celebrate all things mathematical and round, and top it off with a bite of pie. We recall on this day Rolf Disch's solar powered house that tracks the sun, so that its triple-glazed front can face the warming sun in winter and show its well insulated back in summer. Then there is the wonderful water tower conversion by zecc arcitechten of Utrecht. A pie shaped kitchen would be an interesting place to work, and then there is Eli Attia's way too big Round House. Happy Pi day!...
Prefab Renovation by Koji Asako
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.08
In Japan, modern prefabs have been around so long that they are into their second life as renovations. Dwell shows an interior retrofit by Koji Asako of Geneto, a Japanese architecture firm, of a 25 year old unit. Audrey Tempelsman writes "Japanese prefab became popular at the end of the 1970s, when the economic boom began to slow. Relatively cheap and easy to construct, prefabs filled the suburbs of Tokyo and Osaka, giving the suburban landscape its aesthetic identity. For Koji, the preservation of this prefab’s exterior in the Shiga province near Kyoto was a nod to its historical and social significance."
I love the stair, of course completely illegal in North America. ::Dwell
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Sweet Pee - The Splenda Of It All
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.14.08
Sucralose or "Splenda", a.k.a. chlorinated sucrose, it turns out, is passed through our livers and kidneys with very little metabolic breakdown (98% pass through), and flows on it's sweet little way to the wastewater treatment plant (our societal liver of last resort), where, once again, it is barely degraded by the bugs prior to discharge (up to 10% degradation rate). Sort of like the drugs in water issue. Although there appears to be no bio-magnification in the food chain, and no evidence of mammalian toxicity, there are unresolved eco-tox concerns. Sucralose, the sugar substitute better known to Canadians and Americans as Splenda, hit Norwegian food markets in 2005. A year later, scientists from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) found the chemical to be omnipresent in the environment—in Oslo Fjord and in raw and treated wastewater. Now, scientists in Sweden report (PDF: 1.3 MB) finding it completely unchanged in wastewater effluent in Stockholm and elsewhere in Sweden....
Wal-Mart's Lee Scott: “We are not green.”
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.08
Survey: Your Brain on Cellphones
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.08
The New York Times tells us about growing concern in Europe about the use of cellphones by kids; they worry that there is "still only scanty scientific information about the long-term impact of radio frequency electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile telephones on the developing brains and tissues of children." In France, the Health Minister says “If there is a risk, then children with developing nervous systems would be affected. I’ve alerted parents about the use of mobile telephones because it’s absurd for young children to have them.” But what about grownup brains?
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I Care more About MPG Than MPH
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.14.08
That is the name of a new campaign to promote the idea that "Enough is enough. Time for us to show that we care more about our car's gas mileage than we do about how long it takes our car to go from 0 to 60." Brian Carr, who blogs at Daily Fuel Economy Tip, hopes to show that "through the “I Care More About MPG Than MPH” campaign us gas sippers of the world can come together and show that there are MANY car buying consumers our there who want these car companies to step up and do their part to help reduce our gasoline consumption and our impact on the environment by giving us more environmentally friendly and gas thrifty options."
He has set up Facebook and Myspace pages to facilitate the mingling of fellow campaigners. He hopes to get a million people to join; on Facebook at the time of this writing he has eight, but hey, it has only been a day or two.
For the rest of the world, we need an "I care more about litres/100km than km/hr" but it does not have quite the same ring. ::Daily Fuel Economy Tip via ::Hawker400 at Hugg
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Could Drought Kill Israel's Electric Car?
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03.14.08
The Sea of Galilee, one of Israel's strained water sources.
The public discussion of Israel's water problems intensified this week, with Israel's most respected newspaper, Ha'aretz, calling on water authorities to shift to regulating demand for the scarce resource. Also this week, we reported on a new study suggesting that a shift to electric cars could seriously impact water consumption in countries where this technology is adopted.
The crux of the study's argument is that, as cars rely on the national grid for energy instead of on gasoline, national electricity generation (currently based on non-renewable sources) must increase, which will significantly elevate power plants' demand for water resources.
As Andrew wrote earlier this week, yes, it takes water to produce electricity - but this does not have to be a deal-breaker. However, in Israel, where ambitious entrepreneurs aim to put 100,000 electric cars on the road by the end of 2010, authorities would be wise to heed the advice of the researchers, and consider the broader impacts of large-scale adoption of the plug-in vehicle....
Stuart Haygarth is Back
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.14.08
Stuart Haygarth is back, this time in Selfridges' (department store) window. Haygarth is the ubiquitous artist who makes chandeliers and creations out of found objects such as eye glass lenses, water bottles and truck tail lights. Many are gathered from the sea near where he lives in Dungeness, England. The latest pieces were commissioned by the store for their new boutique called "The Wonder Room, Concept Store", for people with too much money.
Barnacle (Black) consists of all black found objects. It looks like a car motor and even has a lost rubber sandal embedded in it. Harpoon 321 (pictured) is made up of bright orange fishermen's rubber gloves found on the beach. Some are signed with the men's name. Others are dirty and covered with tar whilst others seem to have bits of shell stuck to them. The chandeliers are £10,000 each, with 10% off if you buy two. After the fold: Barnacle (White) . ...
Con-Way Limit Speed on Trucks to Conserve Fuel
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.14.08
Our suggestion that America should bring back the 55mph speed limit to conserve fuel was met with derision from many quarters, and the argument for a universal 30 mph a limit was apparently in danger of discrediting “ the entire pro-environmental movement by making them look like a bunch of lunatic extremists.” The folks at Con-Way Freight may have been listening though, as they have just announced that they are limiting the speed governors on its vehicles in an effort to reduce its fuel bills. OK, so they are not cutting back to 30, or even 55, but their efforts still look set to make significant savings:
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Reduced Sulfur Might Be Key To Ocean Function
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 03.14.08
"What does life in the ocean need to thrive?" Is a question biologists and oceanographers have asked for decades. It is also one climate scientists and even carbon sequestration companies are asking with increasing urgency. We do know that phytoplankton form the base of the marine food chain, and new research out of OSU provides an unexpected twist. We knew that nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, were critical to phytoplankton production, now it appears 'reduced' sulfur is a key nutrient for one of the most abundant and smallest free-living single cell organisms in the ocean, SAR11.
The new insights into SAR11 have very large implications, possibly impacting how we understand the earths carbon cycle, marine ecosystems, and even cloud formation and climate change....
VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds, Indoor Air Quality and Respiratory Health
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.13.08
Getty Images
Volatile organic compounds: something's in the air
You can't see them, but they're all around us. They aren't listed as ingredients on the objects we bring in our home, but they're often there. They're volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, a wide range of carbon-based molecules (organic compounds) used in a wide range of products that find their way into our homes. Under normal conditions, they vaporize, effectively leaving their host and entering the air (that's the "volatile" part) where they combine with other airborne compounds to form ozone, which isn't good to breathe.
Though they exist everywhere in the environment -- the most common volatile organic compound is methane, which comes from everything from wetlands to cow farts and other ruminant gases to rice agriculture -- they are most well-known for the harm they can cause indoors, where they can be introduced via paint, carpets, furnishings, and cleaning agents....
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.13.08
:: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a hearty dish of Colcannon.
:: The orangutans are a species in peril. Find out how you can help these magnificent great apes.
:: Can refusing to wash your hair result in cleaner air for you to breathe?
:: Find out how to turn a cassette case into a mod-looking business-card holder.
:: Our baby expert contemplates the plus and minuses of using gDiapers' "hybrid" diaper.
:: Here are the top 25 ways you can resuse old pantyhose.
:: We're demystifying the ingredients listed on the labels of your cosmetics and personal-care products. This week is all about parabens....
Plug-in Hybrids Might not Need New Power Plants
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.13.08
A new study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory looked at the impact that plug-in hybrids (and indirectly, electric cars) might have on the US electricity grid in the next few decades. They found that, as they say, timing is everything: If the cars were recharged after 10 P.M. there might not be a need for new power plants (in their "high-demand" scenario, 8 new plants are required).
This means that we would get the net benefit from the removal of all these gasoline and diesel vehicles without much more pollution coming from the grid. Actually, we hope that by that time any new generation built will be clean (wind, wave, solar, geothermal, etc)....
TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.13.08
BBC Green: Fashion victim? by Annie Kelly
"What is the true cost of our obsession with cheap fashion? Annie Kelly reveals how high street retailers are able to sell their clothes at rock bottom prices. Fashion has never been so cheap or disposable - ten years ago we all wanted to wear Prada, now Primark is pushing our fashion buttons."
EcoWorldly: Solar Energy for 85 Rural Schools in Argentina by Martín Cagliani
"In Argentina there are a lot of rural schools without electricity. Now, the provincial minister of education from Corrientes, has invested 2 million dollars in a program to bring solar power to those schools. This program is part of a national attempt to eradicate the absence of electricity in the remote areas off Argentina."...
TreeHugger Looking for Webmaster/Software Engineer
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.13.08
Here is a great opportunity to combine your career goals with your life values and join a great team. TreeHugger, the leading website dedicated to helping individuals lead a sustainable life, is looking for a full time Webmaster/Software Engineer.
We are looking for that rare individual who can work with customize pre-packaged applications as well as develop custom programs. You are self managed, very organized, and detail oriented. You take pride in both external and internal customer satisfaction and take time to understand the business needs of the company and continuously suggest and implement the required improvements.
TreeHugger is a virtual organization, so you need to be comfortable working from your home office. You have solid written communications skills and are comfortable using online audio/video/file collaboration tools. Location is not important but you will be expected to work a normal business day east coast time. ...
China Shuts Down Mt. Everest, Cites "Environmental Pressures"
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.13.08
Image courtesy of Dan Kamminga via flickr
In an effort to crack down on any potential disturbances ahead of the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government has just issued a notice announcing its decision to shut down the north face of Mount Everest until May 10. The move is widely seen as an attempt to minimize any interference that could hinder the movements of Chinese torch bearers, who will be climbing the mountain within the next two months.
Though the shutdown may only last until May 10, it will likely dissuade any upcoming expeditions; as Tim Johnson explains in his post, attempting to climb Mount Everest that late in the season would prove virtually impossible. The Tibet Mountaineering Association posted the notice on its website a few days ago; it estimates the shutdown will likely inconvenience close to 1,000 climbers who have already put money down to pay for porters, hotels and transportation....
SustainStyle: Organic Martini Recipe, Skate Roots, Captain Planet + More
by 1plus1 on 03.13.08
Welcome to SustainStyle, a weekly digest from the writers at 1plus1, a blog dedicated to eco-friendly fashion. SustainStyle runs every Wednesday.
Spring is in the air, but our urban apartment doesn't allow much room for gardening, so we were delighted to come across the perfect solution to indoor, no-stress growing: this self watering planter!
We got ready for a girls' night out with a killer "Dress Me" outfit that had all the boys tripping: a hot mini dress, vegan wedges and nail color to die for. We also added an organic martini that is oh so yummy (and glamorous) to the night's preparations.
If your weekends consist more of baby showers and meeting the in-laws, we found the perfect gift for you to wow your hosts! Also, organic hemp friendship bracelets that will let all your BFFs know how much you adore them.
We decided to revisit our skate rat roots with a husband and wife duo that take old skateboards and make them into must-have accessories. We continued our trip down nostalgia lane with earth, wind, fire and so on, as Captain Planet got us excited about television again.
And finally, in industry news, a major shoe company goes green with style, prints and organic fabric.
Stay tuned this week for a recap of LA fashion week's green shows!
xo.
...
Spring is in the air, but our urban apartment doesn't allow much room for gardening, so we were delighted to come across the perfect solution to indoor, no-stress growing: this self watering planter!
We got ready for a girls' night out with a killer "Dress Me" outfit that had all the boys tripping: a hot mini dress, vegan wedges and nail color to die for. We also added an organic martini that is oh so yummy (and glamorous) to the night's preparations.
If your weekends consist more of baby showers and meeting the in-laws, we found the perfect gift for you to wow your hosts! Also, organic hemp friendship bracelets that will let all your BFFs know how much you adore them.
We decided to revisit our skate rat roots with a husband and wife duo that take old skateboards and make them into must-have accessories. We continued our trip down nostalgia lane with earth, wind, fire and so on, as Captain Planet got us excited about television again.
And finally, in industry news, a major shoe company goes green with style, prints and organic fabric.
Stay tuned this week for a recap of LA fashion week's green shows!
xo.
...
Off-Grid Media Players
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.08
David Pogue starts off with the typical New York Times attempt at green humor :"Yeah, yeah, O.K., so the glaciers are melting, polar bears are becoming extinct and oceanfront property will soon open up in Philadelphia. But c’mon, people, try to look at the bright side." and then reviews two off-the-grid music players. One, the Media Street eMotion, runs for nine hours after 12 to 15 hours of charging; in direct sunlight it can play all day.
The Eco-Player cranks out 40 minutes of playing after one minute of cranking. However they are no iPods in the design department- "All right, let’s just admit it: next to the highly refined software and hardware design of the iPod and the Zune, these players look positively Neanderthal. The menus are crude and claustrophobic; on both players, messages appear in the Courier-ish font of an I.B.M. Selectric; and there’s no scroll wheel or touch pad for navigation. You walk through lists by pressing up/down arrow buttons." ::New York Times...
Drinkpee: Waste = Food DIY Kit and Exhibition on Now in NYC
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.13.08
What role do our bodies play in larger ecosystems? That's the question asked by drinkpeedrinkpeedrinkpee, a project and installation that opens at Eyebeam in New York City today. The installation features a large scale physical diagram that shows the role our bodies play in the water cycle, and DIY kits for using your pee as plant fertilizer will be available.
That's right; in an ultimate waste = food opportunity, users of the kits can take something often responsible for algae blooms and prescription drugs in our water and turn it into a valuable nutrient; as we've mentioned before, pee might soon be too valuable to flush, so here's your ticket to saving the phosphorous and nitrogen plants need to grow and keeping it out of our waterways. There are even seeds included in the kit, so you can grow your own hydroponic plants fertilized by your pee. Here's how that works:...
Green Dragon Media Project: Crucial Doc on China's Eco Building Blocks
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 03.13.08
Pop Quiz: Water Consumption in the U.S.
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 03.13.08
...
U.S. Army to Generate Electricity from Kitchen Waste
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.13.08
San Francisco Gate reports that the US Army is preparing to deploy to Iraq two 4-ton "tactical biomass refineries" designed to turn piles of trash into electricity. "Each can run for 20 hours on a ton of trash, producing enough power to light a small village."
The novel machines were built by defense contractors and Purdue University scientists as part of the Army's push to reduce troops' diesel fuel use in Iraq, where convoys are frequently targeted by insurgents.The design sounds quite elegant, yet it is complex; so the first step is to field test the prototype in Iraq....
A Picture is Worth... The Alberta Tar Sands
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.08
Paul Kedrosky calls it "Truly a scar on the face of planet." Google Earth makes it almost impossible to hide anything anymore, unless you are Dick Cheney.
See also: Tar Sands: The Most Destructive Project on Earth; Oil Companies and Alberta Government Go After Little Old Lady; Book Review: Stupid to the Last Drop and Edward Burtynsky on the Alberta Tar Sands...
Wayback Machine 1929: NY Penthouses for $300K
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.08
A lot of real estate is wasted on rooftops; in the 20's, developers started offering penthouses and they became all the rage. At the time, Modern Mechanix's writer was shocked by the prices; the agent responded:
“You ain’t seen nothing yet. Several of the new penthouses on Fifth Avenue have sold for $300,000 each. Most of these are sold on the plans, before the building is started, and finished to suit. And we can’t finish them fast enough. On the east side alone there are probably 100 under way, on about 65 new apartments. Every building of this type now has from one to four penthouses.”...
Survey: Should Guzzlers Be Taxed?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.08
In the UK, the Chancellor (Finance Minister or Budget Chief) just whacked big cars like the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne big time. As of 2009, owners will pay a tax of £440 ($900) a year for the privilege of driving to London, where they will get whacked again with a bigger congestion charge of £25 ($ 50). Canada taxes gas guzzlers up to $ 4,000. The US has a gas guzzler tax but it was established in 1978 and does not cover SUVs, minivans or pickups.
...
Biofuels as Help or Hindrance: WorldChanging Digs Deep
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.13.08
Biofuels have been getting a rough ride in the media recently. Only last month we saw headlines from two studies arguing that land use changes may nix any environmental benefits of many biofuels, while they have also been singled out as a contributing factor in the looming food crisis. So what’s the deal? Are biofuels a complete red herring, a silver bullet, or simply a useful tool in our arsenal if used wisely? In a series entitled Growing Sustainable Biofuels over at WorldChanging, Patrick Mazza, Research Director of Climate Solutions, argues that while the recent studies do highlight areas for concern, they have also been subject to sensationalist reporting and selective quoting. ...
The TH Interview: Gary Hirshberg, CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.13.08
In part two of our in-depth conversation with the world’s first CE-Yo, Gary Hirshberg says we can still trust organics, but to beware of convenient aphorisms. ::TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. For part one of the interview, click here. Full text after the jump....
Green Chicago Renovation Has it All
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.08
Michelle Litvin for The New York Times
There are always treats in the New York Times Thursday House & Home section; the latest offering is a new green renovation in Chicago for artists Frances Whitehead and James Elniski, designed by William James. It mixes clean modern architecture with all the green bells and whistles, including ground source heat pumps, wind turbines, solar hot water heating and photovoltaics. The architect says “Coordinating all the systems was tremendously complex, partly because of the nature of the systems and partly because of the interfaces. “We were also working with a long, narrow existing building and retrofitting it. The clearances that we had to work with were minimal in some cases.”
The article is a bit heavy on the payback period, questioning the investment in so much green hardware. Discussing $40,000 wind turbines, Ms. Whitehead says “We could have bought two new cars for the same money, but we’d rather have these.” more in ::New York Times complete with good ::Slide show
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Backyards Turning Into Orchards
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.08
The New York Times reports on a trend across America: tearing up lawns in front and rear yards and planting fruit trees. Steven Kurutz writes about Gerry Grusnfeld's Brooklyn backyard:
Three varieties of blackberries grow behind his children’s swing set, a fig tree occupies a far corner, and a litchi and two tangerine trees, part of a recent foray into citrus, wait for spring in a basement grow-room. In the summertime, when everything is in bloom and fruiting, the yard calls to mind a scruffy Garden of Eden. “My wife thinks I’ve gone crazy,” Mr. Grunsfeld said, “but there’s something magical about seeing fruit develop.”More in Brooklyn and Los Angeles in the ::New York Times...
Cannondale ON. More Than a Concept?
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.13.08
We’ve had a few comments recently saying we should post on the Cannondale ON bike, a full wheel folding bicycle, with single sided front and rear ‘forks’ and an enclosed maintenance-free drive train. Err... we have. In it’s early development phase it was known as the Jacknife and then later we linked to the rejigged bike trade show concept version. Following what Cannondale decribe as: “overwhelming positive response from the cycling community and beyond” the company has “committed to bringing the ON concept bike into production in the near future.”
Torgny Fjeldskaar, Director of Industrial Design for Cannondale worldwide keeps the tease going: "Urban transport as we know it is about to change forever. In fact, we are currently working on bringing products with similar technology to the market so it's an exciting time for cyclists everywhere. This is technology you're going to want to own." ::Cannondale Sketchbook...
Powerpoint is Dead; Long Live Rhetoric
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.13.08
The Gettysburg Address in Powerpoint
Powerpoint is so dead; Rhetoric is back with a vengeance. Perhaps it is seasonal election disorder; whatever the cause, some deeply inspiring copy is permeating the web these days. First up was Alex Steffen with his My other car is a bright green city, then Hank Green with his fusillade against King Coal, and now Colin Beavan channels Tom Paine in a paean that this petty scrivener can only aspire to:
I believe in the goodness of human nature. I believe we can get distracted by many things, but that, ultimately, we all want to do what is best. Because that is true of people, I believe we can make the planet better for all of us, that we can have peace, feed the hungry and end war. I believe too that every action each of us takes makes a difference. Every time each of us rejects a disposable bag brings the world one step closer to being the kind of place where sea turtles don’t die from eating plastic. Every time each of us sacrifices a car ride brings us the world one step closer to being the kind of place where there is no global warming. Every time one of us tithes our income brings us one step closer to ending world poverty.Call out the instigator because there's something in the air. ::No Impact Man...
Will US Nationalism Slow Investment In Climate Action?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.13.08
In the USA, Big Coal has hundreds of new plants in the pipeline. New coal power will be 'nice and cheap' for folks with low incomes and bring plenty of work to US designers and constructors. Nuclear power, on the other hand, has only a few proposed projects at the early design stage, where Public Service Commissions have heard about prospective rate-payer impacts.
The Florida utility sponsoring two new nucs is brave. Snowbirds and retirees will be shaken....
How Green is My Bike Ride?
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.13.08
Although we have a guide on How to Green your Outdoor Sports and one on Public Transportation, we’re currently missing one specifically on Bicycling. So, while you're waiting for that guide to pedal past, you may wish to consult the Sierra Club’s How Green is My Bike Ride? questionnaire.
Where the Q’s run the gamut of:
“When my bicycle chain gets dirty...
- I toss my bike in the back of the car and head for the bike shop.
- I clean my chain with kerosene or another petroleum-based solvent.
- I clean my chain with a citrus solvent.
- Aren't bike chains supposed to be dirty?”...
Save Your Suitcase, Cut Your Carbon (A Little)
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.13.08
The overwhelming problem today with air travel is its huge carbon overhead. But there are also those smaller, nagging issues with taking a plane - endless security, bad (or nonexistant) food, lack of leg room - and when you've reached your destination, the possibility of lost luggage. A Swedish start-up, Kamen Ltd., is linking together the problem of luggage gone astray and CO2 emissions by selling a luggage-tracing ID tag with built-in carbon offsets. GreenBagTag is a combination of the GlobalBagTag ID system and pre-purchased offsets from the Carbon Neutral Company. There are 3 levels of GreenBagTag - a pale green card offsets .8 tons of CO2 for $36.95, bright green offsets 2.7 tons for around $82.00 and deep green offsets 6 tons for $164 - the tag is good for a year's registration of a bag owner's info in GlobalBagTag's database. Card can be re-tanked with additional CO2 offsets at gearngadget.com
Finders of a misplaced tagged bag call GlobalBagTag which after ID'ing via the serial number (no personal info is on the tag) sends the owner an SMS with the bag's location info. GreenBagTag may not solve the problem of CO2 offsets doing too little to actually cut carbon, but they do save you from having to fill out those little paper luggage tags every time you go to the airport. Via:: Newsdesk.se (Swedish)
Luggage image courtesy of Chor Ip via Flickr...
Reports Indicate Strange, Contagious Disease Striking School Photocopy Machines, Causing Global Warming
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.13.08
In a report just in from the Robert Moses Middle School in North Babylon NY, students and staff there have become concerned by the fact that the school photocopy machine is exhibiting signs of a strange illness. They're not yet quite certain what it is, but a key symptom they're reporting is a propensity to chew up trees at an amazing rate before spitting them out in shreds with some sort of toxic goo all over them. And all while consuming vast amounts of water, paper, and energy that's leading to global warming through the release of CO2.
Now, they're working feverishly to find a way to keep this disease from spreading, but there's no way to know if it already has… In fact, there are rumors coming out of California that it may have already worked its way into school photocopiers there.
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London Open City
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.13.08
Central London is blessed with many green and leafy public and private squares, acres of Royal Parks, a canal and the Thames River. But things get grim the further out of the centre that one travels. London Open City is a new exhibit which examines the need for open space in London and sets out a list of 100 public spaces that could be restored, refurbished or created in the next five years. The show is divided into three parts and at the end one feels that they have started to come to grips with the range and scope of the proposals.
First it sets out some guidelines of the study. Reconnect with the river--make sure that there are paths and walks and parks along the water. Secondly: people before cars. Thirdly: break down barriers--because of terrorism threats London has CCTV cameras everywhere, few litter bins (fear of bombs), and many gates and barriers. Then it examines four case studies of open spaces, with videos of each and a well written catalogue of the architects' proposals. One is historic, the Victoria Embankment, another is new, the third could be made part of a network of parks and the fourth is a wide open free-form space. In the next room (pictured)--free posts cards describing the new projects.
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ABLE 2008, the Biggest Sustainability Event in the Milan Design Week
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 03.13.08
ABLE2008 is organising a week-long Design for Sustainable Lifestyle Convention in Milan (April 16-21) this year. Finally the world’s biggest design event, the Milan Design Week, will have 1500m2 in the heart of the Zona Totona dedicated to sustainable design to inspire its 300.000 expected visitors. Uchita de Zoysa, Chair of ABLE2008, explains: “For the first time designers, innovators, policy makers and businesses will be brought together at the world’s largest design fair, 'Milan Design Week', to promote, inform and demonstrate the exciting possibilities for change through sustainable design.“ ...
Most Huggable: Green Beer for St. Paddy's Day, Awnings to Save Energy, A New Online Farmer's Market + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 03.12.08
With St. Paddy's Day around the corner, get some tips on green drinks to enjoy on the big day.
A whopping 12.5 million unwanted PCs or laptops have not been re-used or recycled by their owners in the UK over the past five years.
Believe it or not, awnings are back and helping to save energy in your home.
Eco-entrepreneurs, this one's for you: here are some green marketing predictions for 2008.
Take a gander at Poppytalk Handmade, an online farmer’s market for handmade goodies....
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.12.08
:: Want to ease climate change? Try eating locally.
:: Donate your used glasses and give an underprivileged person the gift of sight.
:: Find out how you can dispose of your old toxic chemicals safely.
:: Like parsnips? Try out our soup of the week.
:: Move over baking soda, here's a fragrant way of deodorizing your fridge and freezer.
:: Find out what makes the designer of a line of sustainable activist tee-shirts tick.
:: Discover how you can improve your gas mileage by 5 percent instantly....
TH Forums Highlights: Light Switches, Starting a Garden + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.12.08
1) Forums user GreenTraveler says, "Believe it or not, empty guest rooms are a leading cause of wasted energy…possibly even the leading cause of wasted energy in travel. How many times have you left the lights on in your hotel room without thinking twice about it? It seems when we're not the ones footing the bill, it's easier to forget about the ecological impact of our actions." Interesting point about going green while on the go; what do you think?
2) User the boz is looking to start a garden: "I'd like to see if anyone can recommend a book or site that would help me get started with growing a garden. My house is in Houston, TX, so I need things that can stand the heat, and that I can grow to take advantage of our (mostly) lack of winter. In addition to that, since I don't have a lot of time to spend gardening every day, I need things that require almost no attention, save watering and some basic stuff up front." Master gardeners, do you any tips?
3) Forums user Mark Goldes takes note of a new power generator: "GENIE generators are expected to replace the need to plug-in a plug-in hybrid. Two kW is all the power that can be taken from a typical wall socket. A pair of 1 kW GENIE generators are expected to demonstrate a compact, inexpensive, capability to end the need to plug-in, prior to the end of this year." Is this for real?
GreenHouse Effect: Sustainable Concepts for the Home from Orca Design
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.12.08
In conjunction with the Singapore Design Festival, Orca Design launched an exhibition called GreenHouse Effect, featuring a handful of designs conceived not only for sustainability, but to really change the way we interact with and use our stuff. Taking things we use every day and tweaking them to perform greener, the conceptual collection propagates the idea that the "eco" should be a regular part of everything we do.
"Bottleneck Saver," above, is one part of this equation. The remarkably simple little doodad reminds us that "a little goes a long way" as it wraps around the neck of soap/lotion/other pump bottles, cutting back the volume of each pump. Using as much as before is still possible, but you have to want it twice as bad....
Responding to Ecosystem Degradation
by Danielle Carpenter Sprungli, WCSBD on 03.12.08
Is it possible that another equally serious threat will soon supplant climate change on the world stage, taking over headlines, making its presence felt in the most remote regions? And might this threat, while linked to climate change, threaten business in new and different ways, ways which we can hardly imagine today, but which companies must heed if they want to be in business tomorrow?
Ecosystems provide companies with a wide variety of benefits or services including freshwater, wood, pollination, climate regulation, and protection from natural hazards, to name a few.
World Resources Institute President Jonathan Lash believes that the world’s forests, wetlands and other ecosystems are under tremendous pressure due to climate change and forest conversion for other uses including cattle raising and cash crop production, among other factors. “As ecosystems degrade, companies will face operational, regulatory, and reputational risks while those that offer solutions may find new business opportunities and new sources of revenue,” he says....
Eco-Geek Goes Medieval On Coal
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.08
There is nothing like a good rant to make one's day and when Hank at Ecogeek found ads from Clean Coal he blocked their ads and let loose about why. It is a doozie:
Your industry turns mountains inside out, poisons the water of the rural poor in America and throughout the world. Your industry has never made an environmental move in its long and storied history without being forced to by a government....The only thing that makes you seem even a little green today is how extremely destructive you used to be. You cannot be, you will never be, green. Give up...go home...enjoy the next few decades because they will be your last.It gets better at ::Ecogeek ...
British Ad Police Go After US Cotton
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.08
"Soft, sensual and sustainable, it's Cotton USA!".
Ads by Cotton USA, a marketing association for US grown cotton, have come under fire in the UK. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received three complaints challenging the term "sustainable", arguing that cotton is a "pesticide- and insecticide-intensive crop" that could "seriously deplete" groundwater supplies where it is grown in the US.
The cotton peddlers said that American cotton met "reasonable and generally accepted" definitions of sustainability, calling their cotton "natural, renewable, biodegradable and sustainable fibre."
Our own Green Basics on organic cotton might say otherwise.
...
Senior Communications Opening at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.12.08
We want a healthy planet and healthy people, so we're passing on this request by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
They wrote us: "We are currently building out the communications team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington. Attached is the job description for a newly created position: Deputy Director, Content and Distribution." See below for more. We think you can apply even if you use Linux or OS X... ...
The Latest from Skeptic Central: CEI Pushes Ad Arguing Global Warming Fix Would Devastate Developing Countries
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.12.08
Cyclist Awareness Test
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.08
How Green is My Budget?
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.12.08
It's the economy, stupid; that's the message that Chancellor Darling was delivering as his much anticipated "green" budget did not materialize the way that many had hoped. There was great anticipation that this would be a budget with a big green focus but as the Friends of the Earth Director said: "“The Chancellor promised to put sustainability at the heart of today’s announcement, but he has merely tinkered in the margins. Mr Darling should have used this Budget to tackle climate change - the biggest challenge the world faces - by making it cheaper and easier for people to go green... We urgently need real political leadership on this issue.”
He hit the most polluting new cars such as all models of Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne big time. As of 2009, owners will pay a tax of £440 ($900) a year whilst cars that emit less than 150g of carbon dioxide per kilometre - such as the Toyota Prius and Mini - will pay a reduced rate. Buyers of the greenest vehicles will pay no tax in the first year of ownership.
There will be no increase in fuel duty. As for air planes: from 2009 onwards, airlines will pay a new duty payable per air plane, rather than by the passenger.
Shoppers will pay for carrier bags and if the retailers don't voluntarily impose the charges the government will. The money raised by the charge will be donated to charity. Twenty six million £ will be allocated to a Green Homes Service to reduce carbon output. All new office buildings must be carbon neutral by 2019. :: Financial Times...
Packaging Lights: Recycling Green Lighting by Anke Weiss
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.12.08
Extraneous packaging and poor packaging design are a couple of TreeHugger's least favorite things, so we're always glad to see examples of better packaging and creative ways to reuse old packaging and keep it out of the landfill. Falling into the latter category is the green lighting from Amsterdam-based designer Anke Weiss; appropriately named "Packaging Lights," it takes typically disposable packaging -- cookies, juice, and soap, just to name a few -- and gives it new life as lighting.
We've seen this kind of thing done before -- creative recycling is always welcome on these pages -- but we like the balance this strikes between looking like the original packaging and taking on its own identity as lighting. What packaging would you want to see reincarnated as lighting? Hit the jump for more pics. ::Anke Weiss Studio via ::Yanko Design
See also: ::lite2go by knoend: A Product that Knows No End and ::Light Bulb Packaging: The Package Becomes the Product...
New Lanes for Reckless Drivers Coming Soon
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.08
A cocaine-addled commuter pops a wheelie on his way to work.
Sigh. While TreeHugger works so hard to promote lower speed limits and better driving, the Onion tells us that the Department of Transportation is investing $270 Billion to build special lanes for dangerous and careless drivers.
"These new lanes are for the millions of drivers who can't be bothered with speed limits, turn signal use, or not careening madly out into oncoming traffic" says Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters. "Whether hell-bent on putting themselves and everyone around them in danger or just drunk off their gourds and out for a simple joyride, America's reckless will no longer be forced to putter along with careful, conscientious, considerate citizens." ::The Onion
...
Life Begins at Thirty (MPH)
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.08
Creative Commons Credit Gaetan Lee
If you were not thrilled with our idea of bringing back the 55 MPH speed limit, you will be crazed by Glenn Lowcock's proposal for a universal 30 MPH speed limit. He suggests that "We’d adapt. Where once a ‘tolerable’ one-hour regular journey could take us 50 miles, we’d now go only 25 miles in that time. So we’d simply, sensibly, review the radius of our daily lives, and ‘shrink to fit’."
-Fewer people would commute by car and more would work from home;
-Handymen might come into their own again, as the higher cost of transporting goods forced up the price of new products.
-home or ‘near grown’ food and drink would become the cheaper option. While we’d find ourselves eating locally sourced stuff.
-when we needed a break, we would take the train, really smart ones that go a lot faster than 30.
...
Here's What Happens to a Tesla Electric Car Battery at the End of its Life
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.12.08
August 2009 Update: Tesla Motors is Now Profitable, Shipped 109 Electric Roadsters in July
Electric Car Batteries
Three years ago, we were already trying to reassure people about hybrid car batteries. There seems to be a lot of myths surrounding them, and now's a good time for a little mythbusting. Tesla has just released information about what happens to its battery packs (pictured above) at the end of their useful lives, and we think it's a good case study.
Tesla's Electric Roadster Battery
First, we learn that the cells are manufactured in Japan where there are relatively strict environmental laws, and meet the RoHS standards. They are mostly made of lithium metal oxides with zero lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBBs or PBDEs. In fact, there no heavy metals, nor any toxic materials. Tesla says that, by law, its battery cells could be landfilled, though that's not what they actually do....
Architecture Can Make Us Fit
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.08
In most buildings the elevators lobbies are nice while the stairs are often little more than concrete block and terrible lighting at the end of the hall, certainly not designed to be enticing. Often they are not even usable without setting off the fire alarms. Essentially the architecture is making us fat.
Bruce Fowle tries to design buildings that make us fit. It is not easy. “I had no idea until recently how many regulatory agencies are working against the notion of fitness in buildings,” the architect tells Metropolis. “We had to put elevators big enough for a stretcher in the middle of a private school where, if you are injured, ten friends will carry you. So now students take the elevators one floor.”
In the New York Times Building, designed with Renzo Piano, he put the fire stairs in the corners where the top execs usually go, made them big enough to hold a meeting, and encased them in glass. ...
Dirty Secrets about Clean Fuels
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.08
Nelson Brooke, a Black Warrior River Keeper, from New York Times
It seems like only yesterday that we learned how making polysilicon for photovoltaics was causing serious pollution in China; it seems that the same kind of thing is happening in the USA, where the search for energy independence doesn't stop for a little pollution. The Alabama Biodiesel Corporation plant near Tuscaloosa is pumping oil and grease into the river at 450 times the allowable level. The New York Times writes that "The discharges, which can be hazardous to birds and fish, have many people scratching their heads over the seeming incongruity of pollution from an industry that sells products with the promise of blue skies and clear streams."
Biodiesel is non-toxic, as is the major byproduct of its production, glycerin. ...
Like Superhero, Dolphin Saves Beached Pygmy Sperm Whales
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.12.08
After yesterday's sad story about death camps for cats, here's something more joyous: A bottlenose dolphin, known as Moko to the locals, has rescued two beached pygmy sperm whales in New Zealand.
"Conservation officer Malcolm Smith told the BBC that he and a group of other people had tried in vain for an hour and a half to get the whales to sea. The pygmy sperm whales had repeatedly beached, and both they and the humans were tired and set to give up, he said." That's when, like a superhero, Moko made its entry and seemed to communicate with the whales, leading them to safety....
Deposits on Everything in Toronto! Not.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.08
Toronto Life
We were so excited yesterday when bike-riding, puppy-loving, environmentalist City Councillor and Works Chair Glenn De Baeremaeker announced the plan to put deposits on batteries, compact fluorescents and paint cans. Just what we proposed a year ago! For once Toronto was really taking the lead and not just half-heartedly chasing Chicago. He told the Star "With a deposit-return system in place you'd see as many batteries in the garbage as beer bottles." -which is essentially none. It sounded like a done deal.
Alas, it only took a day for Toronto to revert to form. ...
How the World is Eating, as Eating Gets More Expensive
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.12.08
It seems like the cost of food is all over the news these days, and it keeps making a regular appearance on TreeHugger too. Only last week we reported on a speech made by the UK’s Chief Scientist about how the food crisis will bite well before climate change does, not to mention the calls from pig farmers to Stand By Your Ham. But how are rising costs effecting ordinary consumers? We’ve already heard that Italians are worried about the pasta vs biofuels debate, while Germans are concerned about the threat to their gummy bears. Now the BBC has an interesting feature, talking to six different families, from Kenya to Guatemala to the UK to China, about how the rise in food prices has impacted their daily lives. For a few choice quotes, click below the fold.
...
Survey: Are You Worried About Your Water?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.12.08
We have worried that some might be nervous about drinking tap water after the recent Associated Press study that purported to find traces of hormones and antibiotics in some municipal water supplies, and might be scared into switching to bottled water. Some have even suggested that the bottled water industry might be behind this.
...
Sydney Energy Co-operative: Fun in The Sun
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.12.08
Having been involved in reuse and food co-ops for over nine years it is always pleasing to hear of yet other models. The Sydney Energy Co-operative formed in mid 2007. Students from the Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering program at the University of New South Wales got together to offer their technical knowledge to the resources of the general community to carry out effective energy activities.
These include helping with more efficient lighting installations; supply of low cost, high quality solar modules available to members and the public; and energy-focused education, in concert with GreenGeeks. We were particularly taken with their quite forthright Environmental Values, which we note after the fold....
Jail For 'Hit and Pedal' Riders?
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.12.08
Wiki Image
Last week, in the Australian city of Melbourne, a 62-year-old pedestrian found himself in the intensive care wing of a hospital after being struck by a cyclist who left the scene of the accident. (She later turned herself in) The injured man ended up with a dislocated hip and broken arm. A year and a half earlier a 77 year old man was not so lucky, when a pack of speeding cyclists ran a red light. That senior died.
The only penalty on the books at the time was a $400 AUD fine, which the magistrate apparently labelled as "pathetic". So the Victorian government are currently considering road laws for cyclists which could see them jailed, if found responsible for serious injury or death. The Roads Minister, Tim Pallas, said, "If you're endangering life in the way that you operate your vehicle, whether it's a car or a bike, you should be held to account." Via the Herald Sun....
Milwaukee Brews Drug Free Tap Water: With Ozone
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.12.08
We mentioned earlier this week that trace amounts of prescription drug residues in some drinking water supplies are no reason to go for the bottled water, and that off-the-shelf technologies are capable of removing most unwanted drug residues from municipal effluents and tap water, respectively. Milwaukee, Wisconsin makes a good case study.Pain relievers, antibiotics and other prescription drugs, caffeine and a chemical created inside the bodies of smokers are among the chemicals found in recent tests of Milwaukee's sewage and water from the city's harbor and Lake Michigan....
Snakes on a Plain... and in the City
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03.12.08
Causes of deforestation in the Amazon, 2000-2005 (source: mongabay.com)
Deforestation of northern Brazil's rainforests is pushing insanely huge reptiles out of their habitats - and into dense urban areas. Sitting on the mouth of the Amazon River, the Brazilian city of Belem, home to 1.5 million people, may be becoming a replacement habitat for amazon snakes. Authorities have already been called upon to capture 21 snakes inside the city this year, a large jump from an average of one or two calls a month in previous years. One of the displaced was a 10 foot long anaconda, rarely found outside of the jungle.
Despite recent claims by the government of Brazil that the rate of rainforest destruction has been slowing down, new data suggests that deforestation has continued apace, and possibly even gathered speed. ...
One Star, No Tomatoes At Stockholm Organic Leijontornet
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.12.08
A restaurant receiving a single star in the 2008 Guide Michelin Cities of Europe is probably not newsworthy to most TreeHuggers. But at the Stockholm restaurant Leijontornet, combining the fine-dining star of quality from Michelin with an organic food roster and a local purchasing pledge does seem like quite a feat.
To create his new Scandinavian cuisine, Leijontornet's chef Gustav Otterberg is committed to purchasing seasonally within Sweden in addition to organically. To make star-worthy meals in frozen January with those criteria takes master planning. Leijontornet churns its own butter, and preserves and juices as much of summer's bounty such as blueberries and lingonberries, as possible. According to Otterberg, Leijontornet's menu is also purposefully small and adjusted to allow for the variability of local raw ingredients. In the winter that means lots of root vegetables, wild game and "green-listed" seafood, in the summer Swedish berries, in the fall and spring many mushrooms. It also means Otterberg chooses to permanenty do without some ingredients others might consider key...like tomatoes. Via ::DagensNyheter (Swedish)...
Ultra-Glam Fundraiser
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.12.08
What do you serve at a £1,000 ($2,000) a plate fund raiser for the Soil Association? It's Britain's esteemed charity promoting organic farming and the crowd will be hot, rich and so environmentally correct. Annie Lennox will be performing and auction items will include a masterclass with Monty Don, a carbon offset holiday in the Himalayas, a tour of Prince Charles' garden and dinner for 10 at Arundel Castle. The flowers will be local, the champagne will be flowing, the conversation scintillating and the clothes expensive.
All of the food will be sourced from within 50 miles of St. Paul's cathedral and it will be transported with zero-carbon impact: organic vegetables will be rowed down the Thames, purple sprouted broccoli will be delivered from 50 miles away by a convoy of bicycles, the nettles for the soup picked at near-by Hyde Park and the venison will be from Windsor Great Park. The meal will be cooked by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, chef/national treasure and the theme will be "Best of British". With 400 of the great and good of London present and a few celeb's thrown in for flavour, it had better be sublime. ...
Current Issue of E-Magazine: Colleges Go Green
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.11.08
As the latest edition of E, the Environmental Magazine points out, the students on college campuses are becoming a force to be reckoned with in the push for a sustainable planet. Take one Brianna Cayo Cotter, communications director for the Energy Action Coalition who points out that “Climate change is our generation’s civil rights movement.” ...
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.11.08
:: Eating out a lot? You can still turn back to healthy eating.
:: Find out how you can turn your baby's clothes into a memory quilt.
:: A new carbon calculator promises to be more accurate because it actually taps into local and regional data.
:: St. Patrick's Day will soon be upon us, which begs the question of how they get the beer green.
:: This St. Patrick's Day, be green both literally and figuratively. Collin tells us how.
:: Add "citizen scientist" to your resume this spring: Hunt for wildflowers and help scientists identify evidence of climate change.
:: Are you a food waster?
:: Sign a new petition that wants to make junk mail history.
:: Part one of our diapering series ponders the pros and cons of using cloth. ...
Dot2Dot: London's New Luxury Airport Shuttle
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.11.08
Passengers alighting at Heathrow and Gatwick airports have a few options to their final destination: They can wrestle their luggage onto the Tube, take a taxi or black cab, or find some poor schmuck who's willing to battle London's famous traffic jams to get them home. A new 24/7 airport shuttle service by National Express, however, offers an alternative that promises to be less aggravating than the Tube, but won't cost or impact the planet as much as a private-hire car.
For half the price of a cab, Dot2Dot will take you—as well as nine to 11 other people—from the airport to your central London home or hotel. (The company says you won't experience more than three other stops along the way.) Bonus: Because the Dot2Dot shuttles use the express bus lanes, expect to avoid most of the traffic congestion. Prices start from £17.50, with discounts for parties. ::Dot2Dot...
Green Stats: 77 Percent
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.11.08
77 -- the percentage of consumers who think that an energy efficient or green operational model is the single most important quality of a corporation trying to be an environmental leader.
54 -- the percentage of consumers could not name a company who supplied renewable or otherwise “green” energy.
71 -- the percentage of consumers who rated their level of familiarity 8-10 (on a scale of 1 to 10) with the term “energy efficiency,” versus only 53% for “going green.”
81 -- the percentage of consumers who, after seeing a mix of 12 companies representing various industries and indicating which they thought were most committed to using or providing renewable energy, picked GE at the top of the list. Honda was second at 65 percent.
All of this according to a recent EcoPinion survey on green brands and brand messaging that that very few brands have any resonance in the market for green products and services. "Consumers largely have a neutral, wait-and-see stance on company commitments and leadership on renewable energy, energy efficiency and the environment."...
Mexican Authorities Return Illegal Logs to Forest Communities
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 03.11.08
Photo Credit: Journey North
Thanks to the movie Homegrown, we know that the police often burn marijuana once they confiscate it. But what do authorities do with the illegally logged timber they seize? According to the Mexican daily Reforma, officials with Mexico's Environmental Attorney General's office, known as Profepa, in Mexico State have begun returning the timber to the forest communities from which they have been logged. What's more the communities are now selling the logs and reinvesting the profits in reforestation efforts. Not a bad scheme!
The authorities are also donating the confiscated logging equipment to the community forest management projects. "There are various agreements of this kind, not only covering the donation of wood and charcoal but also the tools used by the illegal loggers that are recouped by the communities," José Luis Santos, a Profepa delegate, told Reforma. Most recently, Profepa seized 7,400 cubic meters of logs, which was promptly turned over to the forest managers in the San Juan Atzingo community....
Less is More: Half Way Modular Sitting System
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.11.08
Put this one in the "Greater than the sum of its parts" file: Teruhiro Yanagihara's "Half Way" sofa consists of a handful of modular pieces that come together in a variety of ways to provide just about any kind of seating you need. New last spring, the pieces combine to form various chairs, loungers, ottomans, sofas, and back again, depending on your seating desires.
With the tagline, "Bigger than for one, a little tight for two," it appears that it was designed for extra-spacious lounging for one or cozy seating for two, though we could see it employed in more flexible ways. It wouldn't be difficult to use this less-is-more system to replace a couch, chaise, lounge chair and ottoman, and just about anything in between; wouldn't it be cool to be able to use something like this to replace the multiple pieces you have in your living room now? Hit the jump to see what else it can do and let your imagination run wild. ::Teruhiro Yanagihara via ::pan-dan...
Cow Poop -> Electricity: Biogas Project in California
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.08
You can almost smell the photo above: "a vat of liquid cow manure covering the area of five football fields and 33 feet deep". Ew. But as long as we are stuck with all that manure from industrial farms (and aren't using it locally like on the Polyface Farm), something might as well be done with it.
The Vintage Dairy Biogas Project, the project of dairyman David Albers, wants to provide enough natural gas to power 1,200 homes a day. "As cow manure decomposes, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. Scientists say controlling methane emissions from animals such as cows would be a major step in addressing climate change."...
US Naturally Raised Beef Standards - Meaningless As Proposed
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.11.08
With feed-grain prices escalating due to government ethanol production incentives, commodity beef producers are all scrambling to control their input costs. However, since "organic beef" producers are not sending their cows to be doped up and corn-fattened in feed lots, they, at last, are moving toward a competitive edge on price. What's a factory rancher to do to keep the corn costs in control and compete on brand image? Label the beef "Natural," of course.
US Department of Agriculture, through the Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a proposed voluntary standard for achieving this "Natural Beef" label back in January of 2007. Must have 'gored someones' ox' with it because the comment period was extended to March 3, 2008. Review is underway. Here's a taste of it.AMS is proposing that animals that have been naturally raised have been raised without growth promotants and antibiotics and have never been fed mammalian or avian by-products.That would be the good news. The bad news is no one would be held accountable, and it is non-uniform. ...
Giant Twist Freedom DX Electric Bike, 75 Miles per Charge
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.08
Before you ask, it comes out in May 2008 and will cost about $2000.
The Giant Twist Freedom DX works pretty much like a regular bike, except that a torque sensor monitors your pedaling and controls a 250-watt DC motor located in the front wheel. Power comes from two 26-volt lithium-ion batteries (range of up to 75 miles/120 kilometers).
The motor supplements your muscles and help you keep a steady pace; "pedal harder and the motor settles down, take a rest and it kicks into overdrive." There's a controller on the handlebar that allows you to switch between three modes, each with different ratios of emphasis of muscle vs. motor. The manufacturer, Giant, hopes that it will be popular in developing countries as a low-cost alternative to cars. ::Electric Bike Hits 75 Miles Per Charge, Could See Third World.
See also: ::Schwinn's New Line of Electric Bikes, ::Intriguing Electric Bike: The EV-X7 Prototype, ::Wayback Machine 1947: Electric Bike, ::eZee Quando - A Folding Electric Bike. Photo: Levi Brown, Popular Mechanics...
Beijing's Cat Death Camps
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.08
The Economist recently had a piece about the tentative birth of the animal rights movement in China.
"Animals are treated dreadfully in Chinese farms, laboratories, zoos and elsewhere. There are grim factories where thousands of live bears in tiny cages are tapped for medicinal bile. At safari parks, live sheep and poultry are fed to lions as spectators cheer. At farms and in slaughterhouses, animals are killed with little concern for their suffering."...
Drugs Are In Our Water! Should I Switch to Bottled?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.08
Croton Dam, New York
All the webs are abuzz about an Associated Press study that found pharmaceuticals in drinking water. Our resident chemist didn't think much of it (it is all old news to TreeHuggers) and concluded: "Thanks a lot AP, for handing a dopey talking point over to the bottled water marketers."
John was right, and it did not take long; No Impact Man Colin Beavan was asked in an interview if bottled water was a solution to the problem. He references Food and Water Watch to remind us why it is not:
- 40% of the bottled water sold in the United States is tap water anyway.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires hundreds of tests each month on municipal water supplies, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water, requires only one test a week on bottled water.
Hummer H2 Reaches End of the Road: Will be Terminated
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.08
Last year, we reported on a rumor that GM was thinking about killing the Hummer H2 (after killing the Hummer H1 two yeas ago). It seems like that rumor is now being confirmed: HummerGuy.net has been informed by official sources that there will be no "next generation" refresh on the H2 and that within a few years - not fast enough for some of us - it will finally fade to black ("Reports have the H2’s end of production between 2011 and 2014").
If history is any indication (our post about Ford killing the 19-foot Excursion had 74 comments), we will hear from people who claim to have legitimate uses for the H2. It's possible that they do, but we're not talking about them individually; What we rejoice about is the death of a symbol for GM....
The (Long) Road to Cellulosic Ethanol: Zymetis Takes Another Stab with Bacterial Enzyme Mixes
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.11.08
To many, cellulosic ethanol - long held out to be alternative energy's savior - remains nothing more than a distant hope and one which, in all likelihood, may never prove commercially viable. Indeed, as Grist's Tom Philpott recently noted, new research by leading agricultural economists has suggested that cellulosic ethanol - even when taking into account the 2007 energy bill's subsidy-replete Renewable Energy Standard mandate - will not prove viable in the long run. At best, it would only slightly offset future fossil fuel use.
Yet even despite these bleak scenarios, several enterprising companies and scientists have been plowing ahead with new research and technologies aimed at tackling this daunting challenge. ...
Pollution Casts Shadow Over Chinese Solar
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 03.11.08
With exports booming, government support, and persistent interest from venture capitalists, China’s solar companies are like the new dot coms. More than 20 companies in China are setting up polysilicon plants, for a combined capacity estimated at 80,000 to 100,000 tons, more than double the 40,000 tons currently produced in the entire world. What’s driving the demand for China’s photovoltaic solution? Whereas a ton of polysilicon usually goes for about $84,500, Chinese companies can make it at $21,000 to $56,000 a ton.
But like so many industries producing cheap goods for export (and domestic consumption for that matter), it should come as little surprise that this one is also dumping toxic chemicals in its backyard. As the Washington Post reported this week, “the waste generated in the production--silicon tetrachloride -- is toxic,” and the land and water in the vicinity of one big Chinese supplier, Luoyang Zhonggui High-Technology Co. in Henan province, is hurting. The company provides materials to solar superstars Suntech (NYSE: STP), along with a bunch of other Chinese and western companies publicly-listed in the U.S. In what may be the first signs of a fall-out for Chinese-made cheap solar, their stocks have begun to take a tumble....
TED Video: Craig Venter on Synthetic Life and Making Fuel from CO2
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.11.08
Vers Cherry iPod Dock
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.08
Many years ago, when my 1972 Sherwood amp and records filled a wall unit, a friend replaced all of his gear with a Walkman and a tiny amplifier; I was seriously impressed. The records and cassettes are history and CDs are following as we move to dematerialized music in our little green iPods; I still plug mine into my Sherwood but like the looks of this little green docking station and amplifier.
It replaces 80% of the plastic with sustainably harvested cherry, is screwed together for disassembly, uses half the power of a conventional amp and comes in recycled packaging. They also claim that it sounds better: "There's a reason why many musical instruments are still made of wood; nothing sounds as warm, as rich - or as natural." Not cheap at $159 but Vers claims "The hand craftsmanship required to create a Vers system takes time - more than a week to build one cabinet." Now if only it were solar powered. ::Vers via ::Hippyshopper...
Help Wanted: TreeHugger is Looking for a Full-time Alternative Energy Writer
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.11.08
As the Web’s leading destination for green news and lifestyle coverage, TreeHugger is constantly seeking to increase the quality of our content and our talent pool. Right now, that means hiring a full-time writer to cover alternative energy. We are looking for someone who has in-depth knowledge and passion about this topic, can identify and explore current and emerging trends, understands science and policy, understands how clean tech relates to the average consumer and household, and can communicate it all clearly to TreeHugger’s diverse audience. Does this like sound like you or someone you know? Then, keep reading, because we also offer a $200 referral reward if you connect us with a successful long-term hire.
The ideal candidate for this position will: ...
Making the Rust Belt Work Again
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.08
While Homeland Security builds ever higher fences along the border and the Senators from New York and Illinois compete with promises to destroy trade with their respective states' biggest trading partner, economist and Grist contributor Ryan Avent writes:
So what would I do if I were the midwest? First, I’d work hard to concentrate economic activity in dense downtowns. And second, I’d work hard to develop a high-speed transportation network anchored on Chicago and Toronto....Deep, connected pools of human capital fuel the economy of the northeast, and the midwest has to try to marshal and mobilize its resources by moving them closer together.
Richard Florida picks up the story: ...
Electric Vehicles: Good For Climate, Bad For Water?
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 03.11.08
Here at Treehugger and throughout the environmental community there is a strong sense that electric vehicles, be they plug-in hybrids or pure ev's, are the wave of the future. And companies such as Tesla Motors, GM and Aptera, as well as the state of Israel, have put their money, reputations and time behind electric cars as a way of dealing with climate change. They have done so with good reason: electric cars are undoubtedly more efficient than their internal combustion brethren, and therefore result in fewer emissions of greenhouse gases. However, a report to be released in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology argues that electric cars "might dangerously strain already scarce water reserves."...
Gasoline is Soooo Cheap
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.08
TreeHugger Jeremy was shocked, shocked to find gas is $3.59 in LA. We laughed, paying a buck more than that and looking at $ 5.00 per gallon this summer. Xin Lu of Wisebread wondered why Americans think gas is so expensive, and compared it to some other liquids around the house. Gas was cheaper than just about everything, from milk to mineral water to orange juice. A Starbucks Frappuccino costs six times as much as gas, and probably has close to as many calories of energy. She concludes that "gasoline is ridiculously cheap in America, and perhaps that is why we do not have very good public transit systems compared to Europe." ::Wise Bread...
The Vatican Declares Pollution One of the Most Deadly Modern Sins
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 03.11.08
Pollution and gene-manipulation are a few of the modern sins the Vatican suggests should be added to the traditional seven deadly sins, after last week’s training seminar for priests in Rome, held to encourage the practice of confession again. “Thou shall not pollute the Earth. Thou shall beware genetic manipulation. Thou shalt not carry out morally dubious scientific experiments" might soon be incorporated in the Ten Commandments.
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Outside Magazine: The Green Issue
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.11.08
It is that time of year when trees fall across the boreal forest to make paper for the green issues of mainstream media magazines. One of the better ones is Outside Magazine, which is chock full of interesting stuff. In the short stuff up front, they recommend TreeHugger favorite movie Chinatown, approve of Planet Green, review guides for going green and when it comes to eco-travelling, says "Near is the New Far." Articles include the prolific Bill McKibben on It’s Not Getting Any Colder, coverage of Cuba in Red is the New Green and throw in a little technology at The Future is Brilliant. Get much of the content at ::Outside Online....
Springtime Finds from Kelly Barry & BTC Elements
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.11.08
It’s almost springtime, which means we’re looking forward to seeing what our favorite eco-designers and stores will be showcasing this season. Over at BTC Elements, they’ve added their new arrivals and we just loved this Sailor Swing Jacket by Kelly Barry, made of 100% organic cotton. We think it’s a perfect addition to not just your spring wardrobe, but you can even wear it through ‘til next fall. If you’re planning to take a Spring Break anytime soon, we also like Kelly Barry’s Glamour Tie Back One Piece, also made with organic cotton, and supposedly the most popular swimsuit with BTC Elements’ customers…
More photos after the jump…
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Where does Arnica Come From?
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.11.08
Can design save the world? This was the title of a panel discussion hosted by the Art Fund at the Design Museum last night in London. Sharing the stage to address this contentious issue were TreeHugger favourites British design duo &Made, the irrepressible Orsola de Castro of fashion label From Somewhere and co-curator of Estethica, as well as the omnipresent Ross Lovegrove and AFH UK co-founder Chris Medland. We were expecting a hot debate about the relative merits of design and how it can address sustainability issues, what we got was a series of presentations about individual design projects. While this wasn’t as dynamic or provocative as we would have liked, it was still a worthwhile overview. We already love the work being done by the first three names, but it was Chris Medland’s talk about AFH UK’s Arnica Project that was particularly illuminating. So do you know where that herbal wonder plant Arnica comes from? And what has it got to do with architecture?...
Frozen DNA Could Save Endangered Species
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 03.11.08
Remember the Aye-Aye? Zoologists in Germany are collecting stem cells to create a modern day Noah's Ark. To help preserve endangered species such as this endearingly ugly creature from Madagascar, a rare forest billy goat, and the White Naped Crane, cells of nearly extinct animals are are kept on ice, at minus 155 degrees Celsius. The zoologists describe it as "insurance"--eventually, the cells will be available for cloning projects. In collaboration with a zoo in Bristol, the Frankfurt Zoo is also attempting to breed two Aye-Ayes--but the shy little guys don't necessarily jump to perform. Only one baby Aye-Aye has resulted from two Aye-Ayes born in captivity. Check out the Deutsche Welle video here (click on Saving a Species in the video archive). Via ::Deutsche Welle Also see ::"Weird" Animals Need Protection Too ::Cloning endangered species - Watch out! ::Endangered Species List is Itself Endangered ::Endangered Species Act: 93% Success Rate In Northeast Image courtesy of National Geographic...
Energy Consume Grows in Argentina, Government Launches Yet Another Plan
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.11.08
Despite the Energy Saving Plan the Argentine government announced last December, energy consume in Argentina kept growing during the summer.
Between February and March, energy distribution companies declared an increase of over 311 thousand megawatts/hour in consumption. They also stated that users that were ‘punished’ for their increase in consume doubled the number of those who saved energy in this period (1,32 million against 648 thousand).
Now, after realizing the country will not be able to import more gas from Bolivia, the Argentine government has announced yet another energy plan to prepare for the winter. Its aim, according to an official communicate, is to “ensure the optimization of energetic resources that Argentina counts on, to warrant the total supply of the demand in the productive and individual areas.”
Via La Nacion. Picture: president Cristina Fernández with Tierra del Fuego governor Fabiana Ríos, Neuquen governor Jorge Sapag, and Buenos Aires governor Daniel Scioli. Credit: Presidency....
So Much For Fish & Chips: Greenpeace List Of Most Over-fished Species
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 03.11.08
Rampant overfishing in the high seas and its detrimental effects on marine ecosystems is hardly anything new: with a generous smattering of indications here and there of trouble ahead for the world’s oceans, including a relatively recent report warning that without drastic action, all wild seafood could disappear within fifty years.
Now, in addition to its highly-publicized and dramatic anti-whaling efforts, Greenpeace has upped the ante by launching a campaign targeting a list of twenty-two over-fished ‘red’ species currently being sold by suppliers and eaten by consumers. According to their website, the aim is to “start at the source” and confront and stop supermarkets from carrying these endangered species. Some of the species most threatened by overfishing currently include Atlantic Halibut, the Monkfish, all sharks, and Blue Fin Tuna.
...
Cascade Green: 100% Carbon Offset Beer
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.11.08
“...for beer drinkers who have an interest in environmental issues.” Burp.
We’ve covered a couple of green Antipodean beers before (Green Man and Mountain Goat), but here is a another twist. Cascade Brewery, from Tasmania, have declared their new Cascade Green as 100% carbon neutral from the picking of hops to the eventual deposit in the recycling bin....
Mobile Phone Messaging For Tidy Toilets
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.11.08
The SMS (short message service) is an institution in Scandinavia, and its use is saving time and paper in a number of applications - the Vasttrafik transit system in Sweden lets tram and bus travelers send an SMS (the ticket fee appears on the phone bill) in lieu of paper tickets, while more and more medical organizations are saving time and paper by sending SMS patient appointment reminders. You can even file your taxes in Sweden by SMS.
We've written about one of the downsides of the SMS revolution - lots of shady SMS-based quick loans that put shoppers into instant debt - but here's a happy upside. Rather than close roadside toilets for good due to high vandalism, theft and maintenance costs, the Finnish Road Administration (FRA) has installed SMS-enabled locks. By sending an SMS (usually around $.10 to $.20 cents) a visitor can open the door to tidy toilets at an auto-locking rest stop. We'll leave it to the life-cycle experts to figure out whether this is an environmental plus or minus, but it sure beats a trip to the bushes or driving around to find a clean rest stop. Via ::Helsingen Sanomat...
Recycled Brollies
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.11.08
It never rains, but it pours. Here in England we are being battered by 85 mph winds and torrential rains. Needless to say the streets are littered with broken and abandoned umbrellas. Here are not one, but two recycled and biodegradable choices for the next one that you buy.
The first perky polka-dot number (pictured left) is made out of all recycled materials. The canopy is recycled polyester, and the handle is made from recycled plastic bottles. The case and holding strap are also recycled.
The other (pictured right) is modelled after those wonderful japanese parasols and will bring out your inner geisha. It's made out of bamboo, and covered with a bioplastic, see-through fabric. It is completely bio-degradable and will decompose in less than five years. It looks marvellous, although in today's winds it would be inside-out and on that landfill in just a few minutes. So geisha or girlie--too bad you have to save it for a rainy day. :: Via :: Inhabitat and Via :: Hippyshopper...
Most Huggable: Swiss Vote on Climate Change, Earth: The Sequel, Green Crafting + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 03.10.08
When it comes to taking action against global warming, the Swiss might just put it to a national vote.
Don't drink the water: a new study found traces of common drugs in 24 out of 28 US metropolitan areas.
Who will win "the race to reinvent energy and stop global warming"? Find out in the new book Earth: The Sequel.
The farm-to-table movement is gaining traction in more schools.
Crafters, take note: here's an article chock full of tips for finding used sewing machines for your craft projects.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg’s top stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
TH Forums Highlights: Air Pollution in the US, Electric Pick-Up Trucks + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.10.08
1) Forums user is curious about air pollution and air quality in the US; specifically, he's looking for "some map of US that shows which states are cleaner of different kinds of air pollution than others?" We recommend checking out the American Lung Association's 2007 Air Quality Report, which lists the top 25 cities for long-term particulate pollution levels, and the Realtime Air Quality Mashup By AIRNow, which, as the name suggests, delivers information in real-time about where the air quality is good (and where it's bad) in the US. Anyone else?
2) User ed wonders "What would you use an 'Urban Electric Pickup' for?" The stats, for a Tata gas truck with a Chrysler Electric engine, apart from the drivetrain, top speed -- 39.7 MPH -- and various other battery-related modifications, are quite similar to a regular truck, especially the important part when considering a pick-up: over 7 feet of load body space. Pick-ups get sort of a bad rap when it comes to green, but, if this worked, would mean a whole new ballgame. Would you consider using one for short-distance hauling?
3) Lastly, an oldie-but-goodie thread from last spring gets revived. Way back in May, Forums user bradbissell had a very common TreeHugger problem: "I have attempted to find a CFL that match the incandescent bulbs I currently use. but I can't find any that match the light output. Which CFL will best match the light output/color of these bulbs?" The thread got batted around for a week or so, and dropped off the Forums map, until this past weekend, when the old thread got new life with some opinions about which CFLs are the best bet for light quality, light quantity, non-flickering and non-buzzing. Which are your favorites?
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.10.08
:: Ontario wineries are where it's all at—find out why.
:: Treat your parched and tired hands with an easy at-home spa treatment.
:: Commercial car wash versus driveway car wash: Which is more eco-friendly?
:: Tell everyone you know how to triple the lifespan of their refrigerator by making this tip go viral.
:: This old-fashioned window treatment can reduce household cooling energy by as much as 33 percent.
:: Save on plastic packaging by washing up with this soapy tip.
:: Learn how you can make a small space look bigger.
:: Discover where you can find—and how you can help redesign—your own refurbished furniture....
The Ultimate Race: Peak Oil vs. Global Warming
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.10.08
Which will end the world first: peak oil or global warming? In the spirit of apocalyptic competition, the team at ESPN The Magazine recently put the question to the test. "We thought it might be fun to run the two doomsday scenarios head to head, based on a mostly random reading of current events. What can we say? We like competition."
So, when it comes down to the Oilers (no, not those Oilers) versus the Hockey Stick in a bare-knuckle brawl to the end of time, who comes out on top? Based on the past week's events, and with tongue firmly in cheek, the winner is......
The Go Green Initiative's School of the Week: Garrison Union Free School in NY!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.10.08
Well it’s that time of the week again, and Garrison Union Free School in Garrison, NY takes the cake as this week’s School of the Week! How you ask? Well read on to hear all about their terrific "Just One Thing" initiative that’s making a difference for kids, their families, and the planet in Garrison. ...
The TH Interview: Fred Krupp & Miriam Horn, authors of Earth: The Sequel
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.10.08
We marvel daily at the blossoming of new renewable technologies. Their promise of a low-carbon economy gives us optimism, and their downright coolness makes our synapses jittery with excitement. Earth: The Sequel is a deep dive into the most groundbreaking and enticing new modes of harvesting energy. Thin-film solar and flying wind turbines are just the beginning. Authors Fred Krupp (president of Environmental Defense) and Miriam Horn gave TreeHugger an exclusive interview about this new book and its message of hope and prosperity. ::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. ...
Et Tu, Arnold?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.10.08
Image courtesy of schumachergirl1956 via flickr
The "Green Governor," as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has come to be nicknamed in the press, has at times demonstrated an almost comical disregard for the muscular environmental agenda he's trumpeted during his tenure. Whether it be his love for "green" Hummers or his administration's obfuscation in last year's CARB-gate, the Governator - in spite of his bold eco-advocacy - has often seemed satisfied to follow a "do as I say, not as I do" policy....
Making The Iraq War More Eco-Friendly
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.08
Dubai Saves Architecture Profession
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.08
Designboom calls it "A rather small city that has a population of 1.6 million people and a 37 billion USD economy based largely on trade,manufacturing and financial services." Yet it is employing a quarter of the world's cranes and probably the same proportion of the world's architects.
TreeHugger is fascinated by the scale and the pace of construction and consumption of material and resources over there when we sit and say "reduce and reuse" over here. Now DesignBoom picks up where ::Dubious Dubai left off to catalogue pages and pages of extraordinary development of I don't know what for I don't know who. ::Designboom...
Fleurville Re-Run Collection Welcomes New Additions
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.10.08
Fleurville, the San Francisco-based purveyor of modern parenting accoutrements, is expanding its Re-Run line of diaper bags (above) and accessories made from recycled plastic bottles.
The Mod Pod Changing Kit ($47.95), available this summer, is a PVC-free changing pad that converts to a carrier. Featuring an adjustable Velcro closure, the kit also sports a removable shoulder strap, see-through wipe case, and plenty of pockets for fresh diapers and wipes.
Also making its debut this summer is Fleurvilles's yoga bag ($47.95) for the urban mom (or pop), which is accented in the company's PVC-free polyurethane laminate. Parental yogis and yoginis can also meditate or relax with a buckwheat-filled Zafu pillow ($49.95) after the rug rats have fallen fast asleep. More pictures below. ::Fleurville...
Big Steps in Building: Plant a Tree
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.08
Developers don't like saving trees; it forces them to adjust the lot grading and road patterns for tree preservation rather than efficiency. The installation of services and construction disrupts the water table and the trees sometimes die anyways. Purchasers complain that crap from the trees is sticking to their cars. It is just easier for everyone to flatten them and stick in some cheap twig.
Now the State of Virginia is going to insist that developers preserve "some percentage" of their parcel's original trees. Environmentalists tell the Washington Post that "Losing a big tree means losing a valuable sponge for storm water, a root system that prevents erosion, and a filter that removes carbon dioxide and the precursors of smog.
"You get dirty water, and polluted everything," said Gary Moll of the conservation group American Forests. In a 2002 study, his group found that the Washington region's trees contained enough carbon to offset the annual emissions from more than 2,900 cars.
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Nicaragua to Develop Wind and Geothermal Energy
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 03.10.08
Not long ago, we wrote about blueEnergy, a non-profit organization that is building hybrid wind and solar systems to power homes, schools and rural clinics in rural Nicaragua where nearly 80 percent of the population lacks electricity.
In the last two weeks, the country announced two new renewable energy projects, which the government hopes will help the nation out of the energy crisis it has endured for the last three years. First, a group of high-powered Nicaraguan businessmen committed to invest close to $92 million to generate 40 MW of wind energy this year.
According to Prensa Latina, Nicaragua has the most geothermal energy potential of any country in Central America thanks to its string of volcanoes along the Pacific Coast. According to one study, Nicaragua's untapped geothermal reservoirs could produce up to 1,100 MW of energy. That has inspired Iceland, home of the world's geothermal gurus, to invest some $5 million in developing those resources. Nicaragua's Minister of Energy will be traveling to the Nordic nation this year to learn how it has harnessed the thermal vapors of its volcanoes and apply that knowledge to Nicaragua's fledgling sector.:: Via SciDev.Net...
Matroshka Compact Living Concept: Your Life in 43 Square Feet
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.10.08
Like its namesake, there's more to the Matroshka (meaning "grandmother" in Russian; also used to describe those fun dolls that fit into each other) compact living system than meets the eye. Containing an L-shaped sofa, double bed, dinner table, four stools, total seating for 12, home office workspace, wardrobe and a bunch of storage, Matroshka is a compact living space's dream come true; in its most compact form, it takes up just about The Expatriate's Kitchen Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.10.08
This week is Carnival of the Green # 118 and it's being hosted by The Expatriate's Kitchen, a blog about the musings of food and life. So head on over to their site to check out a round up of green news and events from the past few weeks, submitted by other bloggers and green sites.
To learn more about Carnival of the Green, where it will be and how to host (we are now booking into 2009!), please click here to link to our previous post....
Wayback Machine 1936: The Invention of the Motel
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.08
Modern Mechanix covers the invention of the motel, "solving a problem that motorists have wrestled with ever since the first adventurous driver sallied forth in a horseless buggy, a pair of goggles, a long linen coat and a cloud of dust to conquer strange trails. This driver had only two choices. If he could afford it and could find one, he headed for a hotel and hoped for the best. If he couldn’t, he camped out, cooked his meals in the open and slept in a tent or possibly in his car."
But more interestingly, they nail a major reason that motels caught on; they are on the edges of cities, where there is more room. "The moderate rates are due to the location of the courts. Rarely are they found in downtown areas of high-priced real estate. You’ll find them on the edge of the city or on the fringe of a quiet residential neighborhood. And while the construction is substantial, it is inexpensive as compared with the cost of a large hotel."...
Abu Yoyo: Bagging a City's Billboard Surplus
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 03.10.08
Seal Hunt Embarrassment To Be "More Humane"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.08
Getty Images
It is an annual tradition; the world shuns Canada and threatens trade bans while hardy Newfoundlanders pursue "a tradition that dates back commercially to the 1700s". There are six million harp seals, supposedly dining on cod and in desperate need of culling. They have not hunted the whitecoated babies for years because of the cute overload factor; now they wait a few weeks to let them bond with mom and then try to kill them with clubs. They often botch the job, so this year an "independent group of veterinarians assembled by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans proposed "a three-step method of stunning, checking and bleeding seals [that] can result in rapid, irreversible loss of consciousness and death, and thus can be a humane process."- if it ain't dead from the clubbing, slit its throat.
I am just so thrilled to see that our proud Canadian traditions are being adapted to the modern age. We are truly building a better world. ::National Post
See our earlier post on Paul McCartney at an earlier seal hunt, where many commenters came out in defence of the hunt on the basis of preserving Newfoundland culture, jobs, destruction of the fish stocks, the explosive growth of the seal population and that TreeHugger "really should hire some fact checkers." ...
Capri Cork: Cork, Recycled-Rubber Tiles
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.10.08
Made from cork, cork-rubber blends, and recycled rubber tires, Capri cork's earth-friendly, resilient floor coverings are renewable, sustainable, and downright purdy, to boot.
The nascent company's range of glue-down and glueless tiles are available in 12-inch or 24-inch squares, at $6 to $9 per square foot. For bargains, check out Capri cork's "Second String" program, which consists of overruns, non-standard sizes, and off-shade and -color goods. Bonus: Capri cork is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and its flooring product contribute to LEED credits. ::Capri cork
See also: ::Cork Mosaic Tiles and ::Globus Cork Flooring...
Bloxes: Modular Cardboard Furnishings for the Office
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.10.08
Combining a handful of TreeHugger's favorite things, Bloxes are modular boxes built from flat-packed corrugated cardboard cutouts that can be used for everything from office furniture to modular walls. Inspired by LEGOs and utilizing some of the lessons you learned in high school geometry, Bloxes earn points for their smart, flat-packing design, modular construction and movability and surprising strength -- you can sit or even stand on the finished product.
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Nelly Furtado Says Turn Out The Light for Earth Hour
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.08
Last March Sydney, Australia introduced the world to the hour without power, the hugely successful Earth Hour. This year hundreds of cities around the world in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Ireland and more are signed up to turn out the lights on March 29th for an hour. In the USA, (separate website here), "Chicago will serve as the U.S. flagship city for Earth Hour in 2008, with Atlanta, Phoenix and San Francisco joining as leading partner cities."
Toronto is making a big deal of it, with a big outdoor acoustic free concert starring Nellie Furtado, no doubt doing a version of Turn out the Light. More at ::Earth Hour via ::Torontoist...
Next Stop For Bike-Share Programs: Capitol Hill
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 03.10.08
We've seen tremendous interest in cycling recently, with London announcing a major plan to promote pedal and pedestrian power, Mexico building hundreds of miles of bike paths, and bike-share programs springing up faster than parking lots and strip malls (see University of Washington, Barcelona, New York, Paris, Seville and Tuscon, for example). Now, bike-sharing is making its way inside the Beltway with a 'Wheels4Wellness' program to be introduced on Capital Hill. The announcement came at a rally for the National Bike Summit, and was made by Representative Dan Beard. According to BikePortland.org the new program will initially place 30 bikes at three locations around the U.S. House offices on Capitol Hill and will be available for free to the House’s 7,000 DC-based employees. Beard also announced that a second phase of the program will extend the locations to major transit hubs, like the train station at L’Enfant Plaza which is a popular hub for Capitol Hill commuters....
Alternating Tread Stairs: A Roundup
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.08
We love alternating tread stairs because they are such great space savers; this photo shows the comparison. So why don't we see them more often? For one thing, they don't meet a lot of building codes. Even Lapayre Stair, a big manufacturer, has an entire page devoted to telling prospective residential purchasers to get lost, noting "It is not possible to turn around on our stair. Nor can two feet be placed on the same level at the same time. It is difficult for children and the elderly to use our stair. In addition, the handrails do not meet the baluster (vertical rail) requirements for residential stairs. Children could easily fall through the rails to the ground below."
They are legal for industrial use in the USA, under international codes for mezzanines, in Canada as "secondary stairs for convenience purposes" and in the UK for access to lofts and bedrooms that do not have the only bathroom. Another source says "codes do not require stairs to unoccupied attics and lofts, so it's up to the local code inspector a ladder or stair that does not meet rise and run requirements." ...
Quote of the Day; Maeve Binchy on Giving
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.10.08
Irish author Maeve Binchy (left) presented with a trophy by Declan Kiberd, the chair of Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama at University College Dublin
I have been blessed with friends who do things rather than buy things: friends who will change books at the library, take a bag of your old clothes to a thrift store, bring you cuttings and plant them in a window box, fill the bird feeder in your garden when you can't get out.
What do I do for friends?...
Creative Recyling: Gasometer City
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.08
Image Credit Maz Hewitt
Gasometers are giant storage tanks that were used to store and balance pressure for town gas (gasified coal) or natural gas. Some were simple and industrial looking; others were elaborate structures. In Vienna they were originally designed in 1896 after a competition, and became such a major part of the skyline that that another competition was held to renovate them, which was one by some of Europe's best known architects, including Jean Nouvel and Coop Himmelb(l)au.
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Faber-Castell Launches EcoPencil Line in Argentina
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.10.08
(Picture: marellinux from Flickr) In line with the beginning of the school year in Argentina, German firm Faber-Castell has launched a new line of products called EcoPencil, produced with 100% FSC certified wood from reforestation sources in Brazil.
The EcoPencil’s commodity is wood from the ‘Arboris’ project, a 10 thousand hectares reforested area in Minas Gerais (Brazil) that produces 20 cubic meters of wood every hour. The area, which used to be a sterile ground, is now also house to 307 species of native plants.
Via El Blog Verde...
Moby vs. Fried Chicken
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.10.08
SoCal Edison Building Largest USA Wind Farm In Tehachapi Desert, Central California
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.10.08
Have you noticed how nearly every week we see a new "worlds largest" solar project announcement? Good stuff.
Southern California Edison announced today that it was breaking ground on a desert wind farm that could provide power for upwards of 3 million homes by 2013, predicting that it will be the largest wind transmission project in the country. Officials estimate that the Tehachapi Renewal Project will eventually provide 4,500 megawatts of electricity. The project will harness the wind that blows through the Tehachapi Mountains about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.Possibly California is 'breaking wind' at Arizona, Nevada,and Texas, all of which have recently announced "largest" solar projects of their own. Via::Boston Herald, "Southern California Edison breaks ground on wind farm to power 3 million homes" Image credit::Dallas Investments.net, Tehachapi Desert Wildflowers...
Worksman Cycles (USA’s Oldest) Get a Touch of Sun
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.10.08
If, since 1898 you've been the self-proclaimed “leader in low-cost, fuel-free personnel carrying and material handling vehicles,” you might wonder what else can be done do to make the world a little bit better. For Worksman Cycles the oldest bicycle manufacturer in the U.S., the only place left to go was up. Up on their roof that is.
Teaming up with the New York’s RenewableNY program, they engaged with Solar Energy Systems to install 15.12 kW of photovolatics above their 50 people factory in Queens.This solar system should generate over 600,000 kilowatt-hours over its 40-year expected lifetime and reduce Worksman's monthly electricity bill by more than 20%. The bike maker has “also replaced every light fixture in the 100,000-square foot facility with high efficiency lighting.”...
Trace Pharmaceuticals in Water Supply Not a Good Reason to Drink Bottled Water
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.10.08
There's trace amounts of prescription drugs in the water; and the bike race sponsors want a pee test. Don't panic and drink bottled water. Really. Don't fall for it.A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.Roughly half the US gets potable water from groundwater sources (wells). Groundwater is largely unaffected by wastewater effluents containing prescription drugs. So, there's a 50% chance that this risk is zero, wherever you live or travel stateside. Obvious exception for trips to China for the Olympics. ...
Survey: Do You Like Daylight Saving Time?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.10.08
Image: Hanlan Boat Club
For a long time I would go to bed early, to get up before light in spring to row. On the way to the club I would see cyclists, runners and others enjoying the early sun. Then Daylight Saving Time would kick in and we would be all back into the darkness for another month. Now they have moved the shift earlier, we are buried in snow, and already we are into DST. And new studies show that it doesn't even save energy.
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The Newspaper House Revealed
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.10.08
Londoner's have three free newspapers foisted on them every day in the streets. This adds up to a lot of waste and a lot of people are getting pretty upset by it. As a response to this litter, and as a political statement about "making something high-quality out of something that has no value", Sumer Erek has created a five metre high Newspaper House out of all the discarded free papers around. The house has been "built" in a London square. Along with numerous volunteers, he has been constructing it out of donated papers for the past five days. Using almost 150,000 discarded free papers carefully packed inside a wooden frame for the construction, people were encouraged to write their own thoughts and wishes on the paper before it was rolled into "logs".
Saturday was the big opening of the almost finished house. A grey drizzle descended on the hundred or so spectators and volunteers (decked out in paper hats) who came to watch the tarpaulin be removed, and the house exposed in all its glory. Sumer Erek paid tribute to all of the (mainly) women volunteers and noted how appropriate this was, since it was International Women's Day. To great applause and cheers the wonderful neat and tidy little house was revealed and we were welcomed to walk through it....
DHL Unveils Guilt-Free Shipping
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 03. 9.08
Shipping has been trying to go green now for several years. UPS has efficient delivery vehicles, bicycles are being used to deliver all kinds of goods, FedEX is using diesel hybrid electric vans and there are now even electric delivery vans on the road. But as with anything claiming to be green, we have to take the claims with a grain of salt. Shipping is still a carbon-intensive activity. In order to address some of those emissions, DHL has unveiled a program called Gogreen Express "to give environmentally conscious shippers the ability to choose carbon-neutral package delivery. Using Gogreen Express is as simple as paying an additional three percent fee on top of the cost of the overall bill. DHL then invests the money into green projects like vehicle technology, solar panels and reforestation."
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A Picture is Worth... Ocean Deserts Expanding
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 03. 9.08
The black areas represent the least productive areas of the ocean, which have increased 15% from 1998 to 2007. The warming of the surface of the ocean is thought to increase stratification within the water column, preventing the nutrients in the cool deep ocean from rising to the surface. Without the mixing, there is limited ability for life to take hold.
We humans have an odd relationship to the ocean, treating it both as a bounty and an endless dump. This dualistic relationship has its costs. Addressing ocean health is tied to terrestrial problems and global warming. The good news is there is a lot we can do to help the ocean recover and stay resilient despite change. Jeremy provides an overview of ocean health issues, and even 10 solutions we can do to mitigate this growing problem.
::NOAA News...
Pop Quiz: Gas Guzzling Cyclists
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 03. 9.08
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A Picture is Worth... Seeing the World in Carbon Emissions
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03. 9.08
Image courtesy of The Guardian
Scientists may still not have a handle on where all that carbon dioxide ends up in the atmosphere, but they - and policy analysts - do at least know which countries those emissions originate from. WaPo staff cartographer Nathaniel Vaughn Kelso recently highlighted the above gem, a Dorling cartogram showing the world's carbon emissions (called "Carbon Atlas"), on his personal blog....
Can You Hear Me Now? How Fish Are Losing their Way in a Warming Ocean
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03. 9.08
Image courtesy of cadmanof50s via flickr
While many new studies investigating the links between global warming and the oceans continue to (understandably) focus on acidification and its harmful effects on corals, few so far have examined its direct impact on fish and other larger marine organisms. An interesting new article published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society attempts to do just that, suggesting that warming, more acidic oceans could be inhibiting the development of ear bones in juvenile reef fish - resulting in their getting lost at sea during a pivotal developmental stage.
A team of international researchers, led by AIMS' Monica Gagliano and Martial Depczynski, discovered that damselfish with asymmetrical ear bones, or otoliths, structures that allow them to find their way back to the reef by homing in on reef-specific sounds, had trouble finding their homes. ...
Strange Things are Happening to the Planet
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03. 9.08
Left: Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 2003: A graceful balance of natural forests, agriculture and human settlements. Right: Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 29 December 2004, after the tsunami: an inundated wasteland.
Just released in paperback, mapmakers Collins Bartholomew's new book Fragile Earth: What's Happening to Our Planet? documents the dramatic changes that the Earth has experienced during the past half century - some due to natural disasters and extreme weather events, others to direct human intervention in the landscape - and provides a few frightening visual predictions.
From the book's foreword: Human conflict, caused by many factors including ideology and competition over resources, can cause great damage to our world. Today’s society is capable of impacting the world in irreversible ways and such changes can have devastating effects on people’s lives and on the environment.Below are a handful of particularly striking images from the book....
Sweden THINK'ing Harder About Wind-Driven Car Fleet
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03. 9.08
Norway begins larger-scale production of the "emissions-free" THINK City next month.
The Swedish Energy Agency (SEA) would like Sweden's entire fleet of 4.3 million passenger cars to be traded in for environmentally-friendly vehicles...but right now the government is paying a lot more than estimated to move toward that goal. Sweden set aside 250 million Swedish crowns ($US 40 million) for a 33-month program to pay private car buyers a kickback of SEK 10,000 ($1,600) for buying any vehicles emitting 120 grams of CO2 or less per kilometer. But runaway sales - of mostly ethanol cars- may cost up to 1.4 billion crowns ($250 million) by the end 2009!
SEA is undaunted - it wants to build an infrastructure for hybrid and pure electric cars and gave 2 million crowns ($363,000) to a project on the Baltic-based vacation island of Öland to set up a fleet of 25 new THINK City cars and charging stations, the cars to run exclusively on wind-power from island turbines. Home-visit nurses on the island, which is just 137 kilometers long, will use the THINK City cars in their daily duties. Via ::NyTeknik (Swedish)...
London's Mayor Livingstone Sees Peak Oil As Climate Action Opportunity
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03. 9.08
Mayor Livingstone (pictured) is spot on with his insight linking Peak Oil and Climate Action: leverage the first to drive action. Like everything else he has done, such as promoting a flight tax, imposing a carbon tax on city drivers, or sponsoring prototype "eco-cities," he will take plenty of arrows in his back for being a visionary leader who walks the walk.
Peak oil is not a threat but an opportunity to force through the policies needed to combat climate change, according to London Mayor Ken Livingstone. Mr Livingstone was speaking at the Ecobuild trade fair in London’s Earls Court on Thursday, during an environmental hustings featuring the three main candidates in the election for London mayor, to be held on 1stMay. In answer to a question from Global Public Media's David Strahan about what the candidates would do to protect London from peak oil, Mr Livingstone said “I don’t see this as a threat, I see it as an opportunity... it may be the only way that we face up to having to reduce our energy consumption”....
Why Eco-Activists Still Have Children
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03. 9.08
Parents are good at dropping subtle hints. When this TreeHugger’s dear mother sent him an article by Angharad Penrhyn Jones about how eco-activists “spend their lives agonising over the planet’s future – but that doesn’t stop them having children”, it didn’t take a genius to figure out she may be ready for grandchildren. Actually, putting Grover-family politics aside for a moment, the article, entitled I Threw My Fears to the Wind, makes for interesting reading. Penrhyn Jones, who is married to the ever controversial George Monbiot, says there was a time when she thought she’d never have kids because she was worried about the “terrible things the world would do to them”, not to mention the terrible things that they would do to the world. Eventually she was convinced by similarly green-minded friends, however, that having a few children and bringing them up responsibly was no bad thing. Penhryn Jones’ daughter, Hanna, is now two, and it seems she is not yet the treehugging activist-in-waiting one might expect:
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Astroturf Alert: Afact Fights Absence Labeling
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.08
TreeHugger covered Monsanto's lobbying to ban labels that say "no artificial growth hormones" or "absence labeling" that might "confuse the public" in our post Pennsylvania DOA ; Sarah Snow wrote about it in Green Eyes On: Sour Milk. Monsanto has now hired a Colorado flack and an St. Louis advertising firm to set up a "grass-roots organization" with a website that says it was "organized by farmers frustrated by the loss of safe and valuable management tools with no scientific justification and no economic compensation," such as Monsanto's bovine growth hormone Posilac.
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TreeHugger Welcomes Daniel Kessler
by Daniel Kessler, San Francisco, California on 03. 9.08
Food As Fuel: Collateral Damage
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03. 9.08
Rail cars full of wheat; From Photo Essay by Dan Koeck for The New York Times
Read these two stories together:
1. New York Times on A Global Need for Grain That Farms Can’t Fill: "Wheat prices have doubled in the last six months. Corn is on a tear. Barley, sunflower seeds, canola and soybeans are all up sharply.... Everywhere, the cost of food is rising sharply. A tailor in Lagos, Nigeria, named Abel Ojuku said recently that he had been forced to cut back on the bread he and his family love. “If you wanted to buy three loaves, now you buy one,” Mr. Ojuku said.
2. The Guardian: US dumping of biofuels will ruin us, says UK firm The US is flooding Europe with subsidised biofuels that threaten to destroy Europe's domestic refining market. "Imports of heavily subsidised biodiesel fuel from the US, so-called B99, have eroded margins to the point where we have no choice but to consider how to reduce operating costs...."If you believe in free trade, this isn't a fair market." He feels it is unlikely that the US will end subsidies to its powerful farming lobby in an election year.
So people starve because the American government subsidizes soybean growers to make biofuels which are then exported at below manufacturing costs. It all makes so much sense....
Warmest Winter in Northern Europe
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03. 9.08
Tourism favorites like dog sleds have been "on ice" this year, euphemistically rather than literally. With temperatures breaking records across northern Europe, there is literally no ice for the popular winter tours. Mid-December to mid-January there was only hiking. Recent snows have re-employed the idle huskies, but the weatherman is not as optimistic as the sled owners: February 2008 was the second warmest on record since 1900. Other indicators demonstrate the unusual warm streak throughout the region.
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TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!
Here are a few recommended websites.
- BTC Elements Blog
- Celsias
- Clean Edge - The Clean-Tech Market Authority
- Cleantech Investing
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