- 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 16, 2008 - March 22, 2008
Total this week: 188
Hannah Montana Tchotchkes: From China, Loaded With Lead
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.22.08
In case you find your friends and relations among the legions who just can’t seem to get enough of Hannah Montana, consider the fact that a recent study indicates many of the items they’ve grown attached to have significant levels of lead.
Of course there’s been plenty of news in the last year about the presence of lead in toys like Thomas the Engine, so perhaps this just shouldn’t be that surprising. But it seems to me that with all of the revelations we’ve had in the last year over lead, the folks pitching stuff bearing one of the most saleable faces in Tweenland today should have done a better job testing the products they put on the shelves.
...
GE "major milestone": Printing Organic LEDs like Paper, Applicable to Solar Panels
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.22.08
After a 4-year, $13 million research project in collaboration with Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) and the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, GE has announced a new way to manufacture organic LEDs (OLEDs).
"Researchers have long dreamed of making OLEDs using a newspaper-printing like roll-to-roll process," said Anil Duggal, manager of GE’s Advanced Technology Program in Organic Electronics. "Now we’ve shown that it is possible. Commercial applications in lighting require low manufacturing costs, and this demonstration is a major milestone on our way to developing low cost OLED lighting devices."...
What Would a Carbon Tax Look Like?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.22.08
Image courtesy of WRI Staff via flickr
While the current debate in the U.S. seems to have shifted decisively in favor of the cap-and-trade option - as evidenced by the three main candidates' positions on the issue - it might still be instructive to consider the implications of a carbon tax. A new study published in the latest issue of ES&T does just that, predicting how electric utilities and consumers would react to a tax on the greenhouse gas....
New Research Indicates Some Corals Are Taking the Heat and Surviving
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.22.08
Image courtesy of gruntzooki via flickr
As oceans become more acidic, corals - subject to the pressures of a low pH environment - will continue their long, inevitable downward spiral into oblivion: That has been - and remains - the general consensus among the scientific community. A team of Australian researchers may have found the first known exception to this rule; a recent Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) field expedition revealed the existence of a coral community near Miall Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef that has shown signs of adjusting to the higher sea surface temperatures. ...
Do Average Americans Have Better Answers Than Car Companies?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03.22.08
Pop Quiz: I'm The Trashman
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 03.22.08
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On Potato Omelets and Winter Cycling
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.22.08
Snow Sidewalk: Nadya Peek / Flickr
Alex Marshall of Streetsblog discusses how cultural norms affect us and keep us off our bikes in winter in North America, comparing New York to Amsterdam with a side dish of Spanish omelettes.
As we head into spring and the warmer months... I’m sure I will once again start riding regularly. But maybe next winter, or the one after, I may make different choices. Cycling as transportation is increasingly popular in New York, and as this popularity grows, I suspect we will reach a tipping point, to use Malcom Gladwell’s famous phrase. I look forward to a future, perhaps not so long away, when even the fairest-weather riders like me venture out in even the worst of weather, doing so as easily as taking a bite of an easily-made potato omelet.::Streetsblog ...
Bill Richardson On Great Lakes Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.22.08
Alex Brandon/Associated Press
Bill Richardson is all over the news these days for his endorsement of Barack Obama; He was all over TreeHugger last year for his suggestion that "I believe that Western states and Eastern states have not been talking to each other when it comes to proper use of our water resources...States like Wisconsin are awash in water."
And how did Wisconsin respond? Essentially by saying "Take it, Bill" by screwing up on the Great Lakes Compact. In Ohio they have wrestled with the same issue, with what has been described as a "lunatic fringe" trying to "hijack" the process of protecting the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Compact passed in the House but the President of the Senate tried to change it. The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote in an editorial:
...
Habitat Builds Green, Affordable House in Two Weeks
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03.22.08
Proving that a new house can be affordable, quickly built and green, even in the post-subprime recession era, Habitat for Humanity has built a sustainable house in just two weeks. Elise Rodriquez's new home, in Osceola County, Florida, was built by its future occupants, alongside volunteers.
...
Cyclists and Road Rules: London's Bikers Give Their Verdict
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.22.08
Yesterday’s news that UK Conservative leader David Cameron had been caught breaking the rules of the road on his bike ignited some debate here at TreeHugger, but we weren’t the only ones. The BBC hit the streets of London to solicit comments from Cameron’s fellow cyclists, and it seems the response was equally mixed:
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American Council for Capital Formation: Panzer Attack On Cap & Trade Bill
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.22.08
We knew that the 'fossil' sponsors would get around to to changing the team name and roster, since the climate change, "denialist" fronts have lost operational cover. Plus, they needed a macro-economics argument that had traction in a recession driven US election.
The planned 17-state, Exxon-Mobile funded, 'economics tour' may be just the strategy to get politicians running for election to block climate action.Energy companies and other business interests have launched a nationwide campaign to undermine climate change legislation pending in Congress, saying it could cost millions of jobs, drive gasoline prices sharply higher and suck thousands of dollars from household incomes....
Conference You Should Know About: Sustainable Brands 2008
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.22.08
Long-time TreeHugger friend Jacquelyn Ottman, (President, J. Ottman Consulting) just reminded us of the June Sustainable Brands 2008 conference to be held in Monterey California. The speakers line-up looks like it'll rock like Monterey Green Pop.
Because we know some of you are click'd-out, we picked a sample presentation abstract from the conference. Definitely has us wondering who those rule-changing, values-driven consumers are. Young Republicans possibly? ...
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.21.08
:: Try our soup of the week: White bean and escarole.
:: More than 120 years before The Omnivore's Dilemma, there was The Universal Health Instructor.
:: What hidden sugars should you look out for in your food?
:: Want to significantly reduce your risk of getting lung cancer? Eat plenty of salad and garden every week.
:: 1,4-dioxane has been making its rounds in the news lately. Learn what the commotion is about.
:: Find out how you can switch to a cleaner power source today.
...
Apartment-Sized Furniture Trend Gets Bigger
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.21.08
Photo credit: Getty Images
We've been saying for awhile that less is more, and it appears that mainstream modern furniture design is catching on to the trend. When it comes to home interior design ideas, TreeHugger always thinks smaller is sexy; the Wall Street Journal reports on the trend of shrinking home sizes and the shrinking, apartment-sized furniture that's coming it with.
As the housing market fumbles, Baby Boomers downsize to condos and first-time buyers settle in to urban neighborhoods, interior design and furniture sizes are responding with smaller pieces to fit smaller spaces all around. ...
French Paper Pop Ink Decor-a-Board
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.21.08
So much love we have for these ready-to-hang Pop Ink Decor-a-Boards ($28 each) by French Paper. Made out of birch veneer over MDF board, and manufactured using recycled wood scraps and unused portions of lumbered trees, these handsome objets d'art won't look out of place in a nursery (well, except for the girl with the bloody samurai sword) or a more grown-up setting.
Variations in the woodgrain finish offer a charming backdrop to images by Charles S. Anderson Design. ::French Paper...
PJUX - Delux Danish Footwear
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.21.08
You might well have men crawling after you if you wear these beautiful shoes to walk down the street, but the PJUX line by Danish designer Agneta Rautio is not just for women to wear and men to admire, Rautio has got women down on the ground appreciating the men's range as well (see over the fold)! These shoes are chic with a twist, interesting detailing and gorgeous colours make them a distinctive addition to the ethical footwear shelves. Rautio tells us that she only uses chrome-free and vegetable tanned leather for the uppers, sustainably sourced European wood for the heels and soles made from repressed leather scraps. All the manufacturing process is done in Spain. We love the amazingly funky ankle boots over the fold! ...
Motorola's Solar and Wind-Powered Cell Phone Base Stations in Africa
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.21.08
Europe's Most Polluted Area: Germany's Steel and Coal Haven
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.21.08
Having firmly cemented its status as one of Europe's most coal-friendly states, Germany can now lay claim to also having the continent's most polluted area: a strip of land between Amsterdam and Frankfurt, home to the country's steel and coal industries. According to a new report by Bremen University scientists published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussion, this small region of Western Germany has Europe's highest concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
As reported in Deutsche Welle, the scientists used a novel technology (see below the fold for an image), called SCIAMACHY (Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography), to detect levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The unique device was built by the German Aerospace Center and has been in orbit on a satellite around the Earth since 2002. ...
Wayback Machine 1933: Writing Letters On Copper
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.08
Imagine that; now houses and electrical substations get broken into to steal the copper wire; In 1933 in Arizona they couldn't give it away and used it as paper. ::Modern Mechanix...
Pasadena EcoHouse by Studio RMA
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.08
Two years ago we wrote about Green Sandwich panels; then a year ago about BASF's spectacularly ugly Near Zero Energy Home, promoting their version of a green sandwich panel; now Studio RMA has taken the technology and built what one could truly call a new Case Study House, combining new technology with some classic California modernist design, and aiming for LEED Platinum. ...
TH Forums Highlights: Low-E Film, Today's Necessities, and Supplemental Energy
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 03.21.08
1) Forum member rosebytes needs help in searching for "practically clear" Low-E Window film for cooling during the summer months, but is having some trouble finding any. She's looking for anyone who might know of a source that isn't, "decorative, frosted or tinted."Does anyone out there know of any sources? I know a lot of frosted/decorative window film out there, but I can honestly say I've not done a search for Low-E film before.
2) ed is asking us to think about what we consider necessities in this day and age. "Today, new homes average more than 2,400 square feet, and there are fewer people living in them (about one person fewer, compared with the 1970s). Smaller homes cost less to buy, insure, heat, cool and maintain."Citing a Pew Research study, ed breaks down what we view as necessities today. You might be surprised at some of the results.
3) mikebeavis has an active topic and poll about whether you may have thought about installing a supplemental renewable energy source. The results of the poll are fascinating in that beyond the government providing tax benefits, they might want to consider a boost in education. See why.
Photos of Subaru R1e Electric Car in New York City
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.21.08
Our friends at Jalopnik weren't too impressed with Subaru's press event for the R1e, but they did get a bunch of press photos of the electric car driving around New York City, plus a few shots of the interior and what's under the hood.
For more on the Subaru R1e, see Subaru Tests R1e Electric Car in New York City, Previews G4e and Subaru Joins Electric Car Race with R1e. Photos below the fold....
Automotive X PRIZE Announces $10m Sponsor at New York Auto Show
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.21.08
The Automotive X PRIZE's goal is to "inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles [100+ MPGe] that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change." At the New York Auto Show they announced that they have found a new sponsor, Progressive, a big insurance company. Knowing how climate change can drive up costs for insurers, it's probably not a surprising choice.
Progressive is giving $10 million for the prize (which will be split 3:1 between the "mainstream" and "alternative" categories of cars), and in return the Automotive X PRIZE will now be called the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize. ...
Melting Glaciers Could Hike Price Of Our Daily Bread
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.21.08
Image courtesy of Ajay via flickr
Leave it to Lester Brown to help us connect the dots between global warming's far-flung effects. In a recent update to Plan B 3.0, Brown points out in devastating detail how the fast, fast, fast melting of mountain glaciers, especially in the Himalaya and Tibet-Qinghai ranges threatens food prices and food security in China and India, and also paradoxically, in the U.S.
Mountain glaciers contribute a lot of irrigating water to both China’s Yellow River and Yangtze River basins and India’s Ganges River basin. Already stressed underground water resources won’t likely make up the difference if these three major rivers were to become seasonal (dry in summer). China and India are now the first and second producers of wheat and rice (the U.S. is third), and reductions in those crops will cause prices to rise (grain prices are already at historic highs, in part due to ethanol production) and especially in India’s case, food security to fall.
As Brown puts it: “The world had never faced such a massively predictable reduction of grain harvest. It’s a special irony that the glaciers are melting in the two countries most effected in food security by rising CO2 emissions. These are the same countries planning for the most new coal power plants.”What’s to be done? Read Brown’s prescription after the jump. ...
GREEN DEETS: Bob Lutz Reveals Chevy Volt First Continental Battery Pack at New York Auto Show
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.21.08
TreeHugger was there to grab you some exclusive video of the blog-initiated Volt Nation Town Hall event at the New York Auto Show on Wednesday. New Jersey neurologist Lyle Dennis publishes gm-volt.com in his spare time and has gotten the attention of General Motors, so much so, the company sent down Robert "Bob" Lutz, vice chairman of product development. We'll bring you video of the entire event, including when Lutz said that not making a hybrid car was a "mistake" for GM. In the meantime, check out this one-minute Hi-Def video after the jump where Lutz produces from his breast pocket a few top secret snap shots of the first Continental lithium Ion battery pack developed for the Volt....
Green Eyes On: When Organic Pays
by Sara Snow on 03.21.08
Getty Images, Somos/Veer
Last week, I attended the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim, Calif. Expo West is a massive showcase of natural foods, cosmetics, baby products, pet food, supplements, and fashion. Grazing the floor there you can sample everything from acai juice to natural hair color. It is a spectacular show and, although numbers this year haven’t been released yet, I’m guessing it was attended by close to fifty thousand people over three days.
On Friday night after the show, I hosted the annual fundraiser dinner for the Organic Center, which is held each year during the Expo West show. The Organic Center is a non-profit organization that provides peer-reviewed scientific studies on organic food and agriculture. (Their most recent report, “Simplifying the Pesticide Risk Equation: The Organic Option,” addresses consumer issues, pesticide exposure, and health.) As I climbed up on the stage Friday night to host dinner, I was immediately struck by the magnitude of the people in the room. The who’s-who of the organic industry were all there.
...
Architecture for Humanity: Kate Stohr Speaks
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.08
Whenever we talk about Architecture for Humanity, Design Like You Give a Damn or the Open Architecture Network, it is always Cameron Sinclair in the picture; never co-founder and spouse Kate Stohr. We couldn't even find a decent sized picture of her, and have to put up a house that AFH built instead. However she sat still long enough for Heather Livingston of AIArchitect to get an interview. Kate's biggest surprise:
How misunderstood the profession of architecture is. It never occurred to me that people really don’t understand architecture. They don’t understand where the architect’s work ends and the contractor’s work begins. They’re confused and many people don’t see the value of having an architect as a part of the program. When we put architects out in the field and they begin to work with community groups, we find that they become the anchors. Communities are so grateful, and they come back and begin to understand the power of having somebody think thoughtfully about their space and help them to implement their vision....
New York International Auto Show Is Good, Not Perfect
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.21.08
“We shouldn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” says Charlie Territo from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, as we weave our way through the latest and greatest green technologies at this year’s New York International Auto Show. The expo, which had only two hybrid vehicles eight years ago, now boasts 24—not to mention close to 40 flex-fuel models, as well as more than 10 diesel, one hydrogen, and several concept vehicles. ...
Bill McKibben Chairs Rebecca Kelly Ballet Spring Gala
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.21.08
Let the Earth day week month festivities begin! Author and environmentalist Bill McKibben will serve as Honorary Chair of Rebecca Kelly Ballet company’s spring gala on April 24, at the Gerald Lynch Theater, followed by a reception at the Hudson Hotel (woo woo). Her first environmental ballet was Tear of the Clouds, about the effect of acid rain on the forests of the Adirondacks. That same year, Random House published McKibben’s first book, The End of Nature, regarded as the first book about climate change for a general audience. The evening features two ballets with themes that examine the natural world, Adirondack Elemental (NY premier), and Tear of the Clouds (1989). For more info, performance dates and times read on....
Survey: Do You Clean Green?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.08
In many nations, Good Friday is a major holiday. Where this writer lives, everything is closed shut like Christmas, and spring cleaning with environmentally friendly products has commenced.
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Jeremy Clarkson Test-Drives World's Smallest Car
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.21.08
Pop Quiz: That's One Thirsty Burger
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 03.21.08
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Global Wind Power Capacity Reaches 100,000 Megawatts
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 03.21.08
This week, I’d like to mention new research that Earth Policy Institute just released on wind power. My colleague Jonathan Dorn, who wrote the report Global Wind Power Capacity Reaches 100,000 Megawatts , notes that global installed wind power capacity could top 100,000 megawatts this month.
Last year was a record year with wind power capacity increasing by 20,000 megawatts, bringing the world total to 94,100 megawatts. As Jonathan writes, that is "enough to satisfy the residential electricity needs of 150 million people. Driven by concerns regarding climate change and energy security, one in every three countries now generates a portion of its electricity from wind, with 13 countries each exceeding 1,000 megawatts of installed wind electricity-generating capacity." Wind power is key to achieving the Plan B goal of reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2020. ...
The Great Lakes Are Under Threat and Wisconsin Fiddles
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.21.08
David Paterson being sworn in as Governor; New York Times
One of the very first acts performed by David Paterson as Governor of New York was to sign a law enacting the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement among all of the States and Canadian Provinces around the Great Lakes to protect the lakes from pollution, invasive species and covetous neighbors. To make a bad pun, it is a watershed agreement, an international coalition to protect one of the world's great resources.
Except it has to be approved unanimously and Republican politicians in Wisconsin are playing games, sacrificing one of their greatest assets on the altar of cheesy politics. They don't like co-operating with neighbors- one state senator wrote "To relinquish our sovereignty to a regional body of governors that can make changes after the compact is adopted is unacceptable. Where else do we have a dictatorial or totalitarian form of government where we give up our decision-making authority? I do not support a document that relinquishes our sovereignty to another state" ...
Building Affordable Homes Out of Discarded Materials
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03.21.08
UK Conservative Leader Breaks Road Rules By Bike
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.21.08
Image credit: Times Online::
We are huge fans of cycling here at TreeHugger, but we have to acknowledge that there is resentment among motorists at some cyclists’ perceived disregard for traffic rules. While it rarely goes as far as the driver who sued a dead cyclist for damaging his Audi, we can’t pretend that all is sweetness and light on today’s roads. Cyclists, on the other hand, point out that they are not the only ones breaking the laws – from a drunk driver laughing at the ‘treehugger’ they killed, to folks parking in bike lanes, it can be pretty tough out there for us two wheelers – and when you lack the protection of airbags, side impact bars and the like, and when your city is designed to favour the motorist, it can sometimes be tempting to bend the rules to ensure your own safety. Now David Cameron, the leader of the UK Conservative Party and avid cyclist, has set off the debate once more, having been filmed riding the wrong way up a one-way street, and pulling through a red stop light to get ahead of the line of traffic. While Mr Cameron apologised for breaking the rules, a spokesperson from bike-advocate group CTC leapt to his defence:
...
Through the Jungle of Non-Profit Carbon Offset Providers
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 03.21.08
Wildly varying prices, questions of accountability, and the carbon neutral myth, TreeHuggers everywhere we can imagine, are trying to make sense of the carbon offset business.
It might not be something you think about before you go to bed, but economists surely do as the carbon offset business – voluntary and mandatory – could mean millions and billions of dollars in revenue.
Over at Carbon Catalog, this TreeHugger's taken out her trusty rusty binoculars and trekked through the carbon offset jungle of not-for-profit providers. We met with five of the world's best and asked them lots of questions about their non-profit designation.
Does being a non-profit make an organization more accountable? Who can claim tax breaks by buying offsets? Will non-profits be competitive in the long-run? ...
Is Clean Diesel the Way To Go?
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 03.21.08
We recently interviewed Alan Schaeffer, the executive director of the Clean Diesel Technology Forum, a not-for-profit whose mission is "to help people understand the value, and the progress potential, of diesel." We've also heard about ultra-low sulfur diesel and some of its benefits. With the recent announcement that VW will be coming out with a 70 mpg diesel-hybrid Golf, it seems clean diesel has hit the mainstream. However, not everyone is jumping for joy over clean diesel. A recent blog post by Jerry Garrett on the NY Times Wheels blog looks at the pluses and minuses of the technology and finds that, in the end, his "enthusiasm has been damped." See why after the fold....
Al Gore Says Carbon Tax Best Choice
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.21.08
As a not-running-for President guy, Al's in a position to be logical about the best public policy to drive climate action: a carbon tax. No Democratic candidate can come out for a carbon tax because he or she would be attacked for being a "tax and spend liberal." And no Republican candidate can come out of the carbon tax closet because...you know...tax cuts.
So, cap and trade it is. Unless, we want to wait until 2009 in hopes that the lobbying power of industries with big carbon footprints will be miraculously reduced in the 2008 election.
...
Mammut Makes Climate Neutral Ropes
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.21.08
Swiss mountaineering company, Mammut, once made hemp climbing ropes. And although that sounds that sounds nostalgically green, you would be hard pressed to convince today’s climbers and alpinists to return to hemp. So how does one make a high tech nylon rope more eco? Mammut’s solution has been to partner with MyClimate.org to offset the emissions generated in manufacturing and marketing their ropes.
In short, Mammut are funding the construction of 500 solar-powered greenhouses in the Himalayan region of Ladakh. The greenhouses will artificially extend the vegetation period and enable food to be grown locally. They’re say they’re also supporting the construction of 20 small (10 kW) hydroelectric power stations....
Best Use of Plastic Bags
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.21.08
What better use of plastic bags than knitting them into something useful? Others have done it, but Kate Ward's are particularly stylish and appealing. She is an Australian, working in London, and selling her plastic change purses and handbags at weekend markets. Since she has a full-time job it's tricky to find her, but well worth the effort. Ward says that she "quite likes the idea of taking an item which is usually discarded and turning it into something treasured". The handbags contain 20 recycled plastic bags and the provenance for each one is listed: Superdrug pink, drycleaners white, ChinaTown Red and Sainsbury’s Orange. One little beauty was made of all blue Marks & Spencer bags and looked like the sea. She does most of her work whilst travelling on the London Underground and reckons that she recycled 500 bags in just six months.
Her work is making a big impact environmentally and artistically. A large poster is part of the "Artbelow" project, where different artists can display a sample of their work on the wall of a Tube station for two weeks. Hers is a photo of a young woman in a hurry carrying one of the recycled bags. Members of the public can buy a copy of the work if they wish. :: Kate Ward...
Feedback Exhibit Merges Ecological Tech and Art
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 03.20.08
Located in Chelsea, Manhattan's Eyebeam is an art and technology center that offers fellows and artists funding and studio space. Its new exhibit in its massive warehouse space, "Planet in Peril: Artists Sow Solutions," highlights creative sustainability solutions with 19 projects, including public art, industrial design, and various DIY solutions. A friend and I attended the opening last Thursday, mingling with about 400 other visitors in a crowd that was full of young, hip art-crawlers. While the environmentally friendly lighting may have been dim (the name of the installations were even lit with flashlights the gallery's opening-night mood was bright.
...
An Explanation of the Water Cycle (with Pictures and Diagrams)
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.20.08
The water cycle: an explanation
Water, water, everywhere, so let's all have a drink (or so we all learned as kids, right?), but it's definitely not as easy as that these days. In honor of World Water Day (which may or may not have been today), let's sit back and enjoy an explanation of the water cycle.
Also known as the hydrologic cycle, the water cycle describes the process by which the various forms of water move about the planet in a fairly constant balance. But just because it's fairly balanced doesn't mean we have all the water we need, whenever we want it. But first, what is the cycle, really?...
Slow Food: Small, Simple, Sustainable
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 03.20.08
For many people sustainability starts with food. Everyone eats, and our connection to food is a direct connection to our environment. The slow food movement works to reconnect people to the food they eat. Local food, and local food traditions are central to reclaiming our relationship with nature.
"Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world."...
Dude, Gcycle your batteries
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.08
REGREEN: Remodeling Guidelines to Re-Green Your Interior Design
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.20.08
Last week, at its annual conference in New Orleans, the American Society of Interior Designers released REGREEN, its set of guidelines for home remodeling with a shade of green.
In contrast with LEED, which scores and certifies green buildings, REGREEN is a set of guidelines, designed to give homeowners and interior design and buildings professionals the background and resources to evaluate green products and energy systems in the systems-based context of how an entire home operates.
...
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.20.08
:: Kelly has a bone to pick with celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey. Find out why.
:: Get ready to turn off your lights for Earth Hour.
:: Want to knock four points off your blood pressure without any drugs? Get hitched.
:: Rediscover the joys of taking the bus. Yes, really!
:: We have plenty of suggestions on how you can celebrate World Water Day this weekend.
:: Hate clutter, love the planet.
:: How much will going solar cost you?
:: Collin tells us where to find hidden treasures at very little cost.
:: 10 ways to save the ocean for World Water Day....
Verdant Magazine on Indefinite Hiatus
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.20.08
Verdant, the glossy eco-lifestyle magazine that debuted to much fanfare in May 2007, has formally suspended publication until further notice, according to Michael Ekstract, vice president of Verdant, whose current oeuvre includes a preview issue and its premier issue.
The reason the magazine stalled production is that common woe of lack of funding, Ekstract tells TreeHugger over the phone. "It's unfortunate that we have a publication that people really like and is timed real well, but it's also a challenge to make a physical magazine, especially in this [current] publishing environment" he says. ...
Marseille to Send Water to Barcelona by Boat to Help City Fight Drought
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.20.08
Image courtesy of JP Puerta via flickr
In a bid to stave off worsening drought conditions, Barcelona is looking to an unlikely source of support: Marseille, France. Société des eaux de Marseille (SEM), a firm that supplies water to the city of Marseille, and Aquas de Barcelona, a firm that fulfills the same role for Barcelona's residents, are close to signing a deal that would see the French supplier deliver up to 25,000 cubic meters a day by tanker-boat starting in May.
Barcelona's residents regularly consume close to 650,000 cubic meters of water a day; however, because of a severe drought that has lasted several months, the city's water supplies are at a record low - 22% less than normal levels. Its long-term strategy for dealing with a drier climate is the construction of a large desalination plant - with a capacity to process 200,000 cubic meters of water - before the end of 2009....
Transit Connect Taxi: Nice try Ford, but you Fail Miserably
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.20.08
What the heck were they thinking? The Ford Transit Connect that was unveiled at the New York Auto Show looks good at first glance. Lots of headroom and a comfortable backseat. Memorable styling, kind of British, even... What about fuel economy? They estimate it at 19 miles per gallon (city). Does Ford not get it? Do they need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing?
It doesn't matter if it's 30% more fuel efficient than those old Crown Vics. Going from the low 10s to the high 10s is far from enough. In fact, it's kind of pathetic considering that New York has just announced that it will require its "black cars" to get hybrid-level efficiency and that taxis everywhere are looking at hybrids, plug-ins, EVs, etc. Come on, Ford. You have thousands of engineers. Listen to them and build a taxi that won't get you laughed at. ...
Delta 7 Arantix Bicycle: See-Through Carbon Fiber and Kevlar
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.20.08
The Delta 7 Arantix is not your average bike, and it's certainly not for everybody. But hardcore mountain bikers will appreciate the light weight and durability of its frame (2.75 lbs) made from a see-through lattice woven from a carbon-fiber composite bundled in kevlar string.
You can see a video showing the detail and explaining some of the specs. An interesting point: damage to the structure will be isolated to that section and won't cause failure of the whole frame. At $6,995 for the frame and $11,995 for a full bike, it's very expensive, but as more competition enters the field and sales volume increases, price will go down. We expect to see a lot of affordable advanced materials bikes in the future. ::Delta 7 Sports Arantix, ::Discover Magazine, ::Giant Twist Freedom DX Electric Bike, 75 Miles per Charge...
$625k Grant Awarded for Newtown Creek Brownfields Remediation
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.20.08
We've told you about Newtown Creek, one of the most polluted waterways in North America, here and here with video. According to an announcement out today, the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, Riverkeeper and the Newtown Creek Alliance have received an award of $625,454 in New York State Brownfields Opportunity Area (“BOA”) funding for a community-driven planning and redevelopment analysis of Newtown Creek and surrounding contaminated sites in Queens and Brooklyn. The State Department of State awarded a total of $7.25 million to 50 local governments and community groups across New York under the BOA program. The Newtown Creek BOA project received the largest award of all the recipients and will launch in late spring to early summer. Basil Seggos, Riverkeeper’s Chief Investigator:This is exciting news for Newtown Creek and its communities. The grant will enable residents and businesses to chart a course for a cleaner waterway, new parks, expanded economic opportunities, and the cleanup of toxic sites. A bright future for this once-forgotten waterway is within reach.Enjoy your trip up sh*t's creek with a paddle when you read on for the complete announcement : )...
The TH Interview: Jean-Michel Cousteau
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.20.08
It took three years and 600 underwater hours to film, but Dolphins and Whales 3D: Tribes of the Ocean has reached its stunning, multi-dimensional completion. Here in our interview with the film’s ambassador, ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau explains the painstaking search for these cetaceans, which include some of the world’s largest and most ancient dwellers. TreeHugger was also at the premier in Boston with narrator (and honorary mermaid) Daryl Hannah, as well as the Mantello brothers and Jean-Michel himself. Check out our TH Radio interview with Jean-Michel, one of the great explorers of planet Earth, or "planet ocean," as he would have named it. ::TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Full text below...
How To Green Your Kid Panel Discussion for SEED
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.20.08
We've given you a healthy dose of how to green you kids toys, but if you're anywhere near DUMBO Brooklyn on Monday March 24th, you might want to drop in on a great panel discussion and book signing entitled about “How to Green Your Kid.” The panel will be comprised of Alexandra Zissu, co-author of The Complete Organic Pregnancy; Marisa Belger, founding editor of Lime.com and TODAYshow.com contributor; and Lynda Fassa, author of Green Babies, Sage Moms: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Your Organic Baby. The panel will be moderated by Josh Dorfman of the “Lazy Environmentalist” on Sirius Radio. Deets when you hopscotch across the jump....
How to Stop Global Warming with CRAGs: Jargon Watch
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.20.08
CRAGs -- or Carbon Rationing Action Groups, are support groups dedicated to taking action to stop global warming through careful tracking of personal carbon emissions. Mostly in the UK, the groups set ambitious goals to cut back on carbon emissions, and then hold each other accountable -- with peer pressure and fines as motivation -- for reducing their carbon footprints.
How to Stop Global Warming: The Motivation Members of CRAGs, or "Craggers," were originally inspired by George Monbiot and his ambitious, powerful (if controversial) calls to quit flying and cut carbon emissions by 100%; essentially, they're providing both inspiration and motivation for governments to adapt universal, equitable policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by successfully implementing it on a grassroots community level first....
Dinosaur Blocks Parking But Can It Block Coal Power?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03.20.08
Greenpeace activists marched in front of the offices of Vatenfall in Hamburg, installing a dinosaur on top of a pile of coal to emphasize the point declared on their banners: "Stop dinosaur technology". Vatenfall, a Sweden-based energy company, plans a 1600 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Hamburg, investing two billion euros ($3 billion). The contested coal plant, planned in Moorburg, is one of three brown coal burning facilities Vatenfall has planned for Germany....
Solaria: Finding Clever Ways to Make Cheaper Solar Panels
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.20.08
The type of silicon used in photovoltaic panels is expensive, and as long as supply is constrained, the price of electricity produced by solar panels won't be as cheap as it could be. This high price for silicon has benefits; it is an incentive for more companies to start producing the stuff, but in an industry that sees very fast growth, it is hard to catch up with demand.
In the meantime, others are working on ways to reduce the amount of silicon required in solar panels. Solaria is one of those. Their solar cells produce about 90% of a conventional solar panel's power, while using half as much silicon.
How do they do it? It's not quite as out there as hairy solar panels and moth-eyes, but it's clever: "Ordinarily, the silicon in a solar panel spans its surface, collecting light from as much area as possible. But Solaria slices the silicon into thin strips and spaces them apart so that they only account for about half the panel's area. A clear molded plastic cover collects light from the entire panel and funnels it to the strips of silicon." See below for two pics that illustrates the concept....
Recycled Oil Drum Art Exhibition Open Today for SEED (Smart Environmental Efforts in DUMBO)
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.20.08
Dumbo Improvement District in Brooklyn NYC begins a series of events in conjunction with the neighborhood sustainability initiative, SEED (Smart Environmental Efforts in DUMBO). BTW, DUMBO stands for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overhang." The Improvement District has arranged for a variety of programs to engage stakeholders of all ages through an assortment of topics and hands-on activities. Programming for March includes the opening of an art exhibition, Oil Drum Art, and a panel discussion on environmentally friendly parenting both of which are free to the public. The Oil Drum Art Exhibition opens on today, Thursday, March 20th and will be on view in Gallery 202 of the 111 Front Street Galleries through Friday, May 2, 2008. Background info and details for tonight's opening reception after the break.
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Jeremy Piven Wants You to Go Dark for Earth Hour
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.20.08
Photos of Mitsubishi i MiEV Electric Car from New York Auto Show
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.20.08
Here are some photos of Mitsubishi's small electric car in New York, the i MiEV. For more detail you can see our previous coverage: MIEV: Mitsubishi Electric 4-wheel Drive Concept Car, Mitsubishi Delivers i MiEV Prototypes to Japanese Utilities for Testing, Mitsubishi Keeps Testing, Improving i MiEV Electric Car and Mitsubishi i-MiEV Electric Car to Go Global.
More photos below....
Clicking, at Last, on 'Don't Print'
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.08
fake picture of a "green office." Who has a real rolodex anymore?
Lisa Belkin of the New York Times just started to try to go paper free. "Until last week I collected interview notes and e-mail exchanges and Web downloads on my computer, then printed and sorted, underlined and typed until I had a column. Something about holding papers, and rearranging them, fired up my brain."
Using nothing but her computer and the fabulous new cut and paste feature, she has written a good article about measure that offices are taking to go green, all well know to TreeHugger readers, including printing both sides on paper, recycling, turning off computers at night and getting rid of bottled water. She even finds an architecture firm with a "worm habitat" and "worm wrangler." Entertaining reading at the ::New York Times. See TreeHugger for more ideas at How to Green Your Work....
World Water Day: Stand Up For Those Who Can't Sit Down
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.08
It may or may not be World Water Day today; their website says it is on Saturday, March 22; it also says that "UN Water announced that the World Water Day 2008 will be celebrated by the UN on Thursday, 20 March, in Geneva." So why not, we will party too and keep it up for three days. The theme this year is sanitation; In New York you can make a statement by joining the world's longest toilet line. You can also join the Tap Project....
New York Times On Living in 435 Square Feet
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.08
Michael Weschler for The New York Times
It is Thursday, and the New York Times Homes section takes usually takes us into million dollar designer digs; it is a nice change to see a modest 435 square foot home for three that cost far less. It doesn't look small, and according to the Times, actually appears spacious, airy and serene. A friend describes it: “To me, what’s lovely about this space is that someone born in India and someone born in Holland, both with a design sense, have created a space that feels very Japanese, that reflects the Japanese ability to live in small spaces gracefully."
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Green Jobs Conference a Success
by Greg Haegele, Sierra Club on 03.20.08
The reports are in from last week's "Good Jobs, Green Jobs" conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., and attendees are saying it was a great success. More than 1,100 people attended the Blue Green Alliance conference. People networked, listened to speakers and attended workshops on issues ranging from how switching to clean energy can create jobs, to increasing energy efficiency, to greening the auto industry, to changing brownfields into green cities, and much more.
Attendees said their highlights included meeting people from a wide range of backgrounds - from union workers to CEOs to community organizers and college students, and more - all interested in the future of clean energy jobs.
Said one attendee, "You could just feel the buzz of enthusiasm. People really want to work together for change."
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EPA Doesn't Want To Know About Factory Farm Pollution
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.08
Some people think that EPA stands for Environmental Protection Agency; for the Bush Administration, it might be Evidence of Pollution is Annoying. Right now a factory farm has to report to federal, state and local officials when ammonia emissions exceed a hundred pounds per day, which in 2004 the EPA said could irritate the respiratory tract, eyes and mucus membranes for a few days. Hydrogen sulfide at that level could have the same but longer-lasting effects accompanied by memory problems, headaches and dizziness, and have to be reported as well.
But there are no limits or rules on this, so the EPA says that the reports create an unnecessary burden on the giant factory farms like the one in Oregon that puts out 15,500 pounds per day. Said a spokesman: "It is...consistent with the agency's goal to reduce reporting burden where there would likely be no federal, state or local emergency response to such release reports" Because we know the EPA is there to save paper and energy, don't we....
What Were They Thinking? Florida Power & Light Backs Off Wind Farm In Park Proposal
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.20.08
Is there really a shortage of prospective sites for wind farms in Florida? Likely the impetus for proposing one off a taxpayer-bought beach was a matter of cheaply connecting to the grid and avoiding the prospective wrath of condominium and hotel owners. Weak strategy.Bowing to unexpected public opposition, Florida Power & Light is abandoning plans to use a state-owned beach on Hutchinson Island for Florida's first industrial wind farm. Instead, the utility will try to confine a smaller version of its original $61 million clean-energy proposal on its nearby coastal property, adjacent to its St. Lucie nuclear-power plant.Maybe the power was needed for desalination? See::"Florida Counties Consider Test Of Murphy's Law With $200 Million Dollar Offshore Desalination Plant" ...
Salty Egg Cups by The Home Project
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 03.20.08
We featured The Home Project’s cork speakers on TreeHugger before but have a look at these curious egg cups, perfect to display and eat this year's Easter eggs. ...
Hanging Stair by Blencowe Levine
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.08
photos by Ioana Marinescu
We often use the phrase "tread lightly"; Anglo-Canadian architects Christopher Blencowe and Judith Levine take it literally with these treads that don't even touch. It is an interesting solution to a standard problem in renovations and additions- do to try and make everything the same or make a statement about the addition being of a different time? ::Blencoe Levine Associates via ::Materialicious, where Justin shows another neat stair by MVRDV....
Pop Quiz: Gassy Guests
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 03.20.08
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House No19: Mobile Studio
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.08
It looks more like a landing craft that just hit the beach, but in fact it is a mobile artists studio that was built in 2003 by Kortknie Stuhlmacher Architecten of Rotterdam in collaboration with artists BikvanderPol, as part of a municipal art program in Utrecht. The architects note:
"The simple space doesn't aim at being a piece of art in itself, but mainly offers a practical and affordable place to stay. Rather than minimizing size and weight as one would expect from a mobile home, the aim of the design was to maximise its dimensions and functionality. Despite its mobility the building is big, robust and durable. It consists of one long space that can be subdivided in different interior and exterior spaces. It's a house to be used in many ways: as a hotelroom, a studio or a hospitable dwelling with a big table, plenty of daylight and as much privacy as one needs."...
Survey: Have Your Water Habits Changed?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.20.08
The World Water Day events start today; it is a good time to think about how we use and misuse the stuff. Everyone from TreeHugger to Sonny Purdue has been hawking water-saving tips, from showering with a friend to putting bricks in toilets to rainwater collection to xeriscaping your garden. Looking back at the past year on this World Water Day, have you made changes in the way you use water?
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Airlines Cut Flights and Planes to Save Fuel
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.20.08
Image courtesy of the DK Report via Stock High.
We’ve already seen the profits of Ryanair and British Airways squeezed by higher oil prices, not to mention, in the words of Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary, ‘eco-loonies’ avoiding unnecessary air travel. Now we’re hearing similar concerns over this side of the Atlantic, at least when it comes to oil prices. According to USA Today, airlines are planning on fewer flights, less planes, and a shift to more efficient engines in response to a 30% rise in fuel costs:
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Crisis Confirmed: The Great Copy Machine Epidemic Strikes Schools Across America
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.20.08
With confirmed cases in New York and Florida, and with rumors coming out of California, Texas, and Maine about possible outbreaks there, it’s clear that what experts are calling the Great Copy Machine Epidemic has struck schools across America. The symptoms include the tendency of school photocopy machines to chew up trees at an amazing rate, and furthering the use of enormous amounts of energy to create the paper on which they print, contributing to global warming.
Of course, the students and faculty on the crisis team at the Robert Moses Middle School where symptoms of the disease were first observed are working feverishly to uncover the cause. And they’re asking schools across America to join them in a national day of action to help stop global warming on April 17th by putting their school photocopier under quarantine for the day, and asking teachers and students not to make or use any photocopies in class.
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Goldman Environmental Prize Winner Orri Vigfússon on Saving Global Salmon Stocks
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.20.08
This is the first in a series of interviews with previous winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize. Founded in 1990, the prize is given annually to six grassroots environmentalists working for change around the globe. This year's prize winners will be announced on April 14.
Orri Vigfússon's no-nonsense North Atlantic Salmon Fund is focused on an incredibly complicated, yet startlingly simple goal: to restore wild Atlantic salmon stocks to "historic levels" of abundance in all of their traditional North Atlantic river and ocean habitats. NASF's simple solution is to pay commercial fisherman not to fish. Convincing them (and their politicians) and raising the funds to make sure they don't lose money by not fishing, however, is a bit more complicated....
GE Printing OLEDs
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.20.08
Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are much more energy efficient than the "inorganic" kind. Its' quite likely that OLED's will one day make for ultra-thin TeeVees, lit architectural fascia, interior lighting, or back-lit signage. But, there has to be a fast, inexpensive way to manufacture OLEDs before the technology can spread to diverse consumer applications. Let's say it another way: before regular people can afford it. Wisely, GE is on the case.
They are using roll-printing techniques similar to that used for thin film photo-voltaic manufacturing. Somewhat similar to a paper-making machine. Amazing how one thing leads to another.
GE Global Research has reached a milestone in next-generation lighting, demonstrating the world's first roll-to-roll manufactured organic light emitting diodes. The research group said the newspaper printing-like process is key to making the next-generation lighting technology low-cost and commercially viable....
Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet [Go the Bicycle!]
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.20.08
Years ago we made mention of a clever little book called Seven Wonders: Everyday Things for a Healthier Planet. It praised the bicycle, the condom, the ceiling fan, the clothesline, Pad Thai, the public library, and the ladybug.
Now it seems like later this year, in about May, the book will be revised and released under the title of Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet: Everyday Things to Help Solve Global Warming. Some of the original wonders remain, but others have changed. Now they explore the key issues behind global warming: transportation (the bicycle) [see great quote after the fold], population (the condom), fossil fuel efficiency (the ceiling fan), renewable energy (the clothesline), food production and distribution (the real tomato), resource conservation and reuse (the library book), and the information economy (the microchip). ...
Japan's Oki Electric Joins Hands in the Eco-Circle
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.20.08
Japanese telecommunication company Oki Electric has just announced it will work with Teijin Fiber’s Eco-Circle process to recycled their worn corporate uniforms back into new uniforms. By March 2009 Oki plans to recycle “approximately 2,000 uniforms, equivalent to a gross weight of 1.2 tons and it has calculated that this process will immediately reduce its CO2 footprint by 3.7 tons.”
Eco-Circle [Flash Warning!} can take products, where the polyester content is higher than 80% (and hasn’t been blended with wool, acrylic and/or polyurethane), sort out the polyester from the zippers, buttons, etc, and reduce the fibre back to its molecular level, so that a fresh batch of high grade polyester can be produced. Which is a pretty smart technology because ......
More Chairs from Martino Gamper
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.20.08
Martino Gamper was the man who designed and built a 100 chairs in a hundred days, all from recycled and found bits and pieces from the streets. Amazingly all one hundred have now been sold to a Milanese art gallery. The show was also nominated for a Brit Insurance Design of the Year Award.
Now he has a new idea for a chair exercise: he has created 25 chairs using a combination of the same components for each one. There are 12 different components in three different kinds of timber. He didn't pre-draw any of them; the design and construction were improvised during the making. Each chair is a natural evolution of the one before and has its own character.
The table is also a design exercise: made of 13 off-cuts from a mixture of teak reclaimed from English school laboratory desks, oak from Scottish church benches and poplar from the London Patent Office. It is put together in a horseshoe shape which is intimate yet grand. It is all part of Total Trattoria, an event where every item, from silverware to coasters, is designed by Gamper and friends. Glass water jugs look like plastic water bottles and carafes look like candleholders, the lamp shades were made of flatbreads. Some of the show is for sale, others part of the installation. :: The Aram Gallery...
Lining Up For Organic Liquor
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.20.08
Because sales of alcoholic beverages are still strictly controlled in Sweden, it's easy for the state's System Bolaget stores to measure how much organic beer, wine and hard spirits have grown in popularity in the last year.
System Bolaget had the (perhaps-puny goal) of getting one percent of its sales in 2007 from organic alcohol. The monopoly easily met that goal - selling four million liters of organic beer, wine and spirits - a 71% increase from 2006. Organic box wine grew immensely in popularity - and it is so relatively cheap that the press started to speculate that perhaps some new law should be put in place to discourage rampant over-consumption of boxed wine. System Bolaget must walk the weird line between trying to discourage over-consumption of alcohol but keeping itself in robust business, so the new goal is to have at least 50 organic items in its product line-up by the end of the year. While Swedish winos like organic red best, there's now an organic port wine and six different kinds of snapps - traditional Swedish aquavit - available, plus Scottish whiskey Benromach. While lines are shorter these days because the monopoly stays open later on Fridays, this week Friday's a holiday so today there's a rush to buy alcohol to accompany the traditional Easter dishes of eggs, pickled herring and lamb. Skål! Via ::Ekoweb (Swedish)...
Most Huggable: Wave-Powered Boating, Green Buildings Cut Carbon, Wastewater Treatment Tech + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 03.19.08
Check out Kenichi Horie, who will attempt to travel between Hawaii and Japan (that's 4,350 miles) this month in a wave-powered boat.
Why can't chickens at the world's largest poultry processor afford to eat corn anymore?
A new report finds that building more green buildings is the best way to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
The state of Wyoming took a bold step forward by passing a bill to pave the way for carbon capture and sequestration.
What's the difference between "managing" waste water and "recycling" it? Turns out, a lot of clean, potable water.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
One Good Chair: Furniture Design Competition
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.19.08
They're looking for one good chair. Recognizing that the furniture design industry is becoming more environmentally aware when it comes to manufacturing and materials, but acknowledging that the shape hasn't innovated along with it, One Good Chair is a furniture design competition that's inviting designers to contribute their vision for a new kind of chair, one that focuses first on form.
The contest, sponsored by the Sustainable Furniture Council, is looking to create a new attitude in design, and transcend basic green standards by transforming the very nature of the chair. That's not to say it can't have four legs and a seat, but its design should support its sustainability. What will that mean? It's not just about using sustainable wood, or fair trade labor; it's about creating something that shifts the way those materials are used, in a greener way. What will the willing design have? ...
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.19.08
:: Dye your Easter eggs naturally. Find out what works and how to do it.
:: Lloyd tells us why we should wash our hands, especially after working in front of a PC.
:: Discover what makes an environmental brand strategist tick.
:: Make a neoprene laptop sleeve out of an old wetsuit.
:: Learn how you can repurpose Easter decorations long after all the dyed eggs have been found.
:: Make going green a family affair by introducing your kids to this fun, new Web site that is chockful of child-friendly tips....
TH Forums Highlights: Solar Cost Cutting, VW's 60 MPG, Diesel Growing Gardens
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 03.19.08
1) Forum member ed posts about Solaria's attempt to cut the cost of solar cells "By cutting silicon solar cells into strips and using molded plastic to funnel light to them, Solaria is able to cut the cost of its solar panels." While mikebeavis wonders "As with so many things in the solar world, until you can actually buy the suckers as a homeowner, it's just so much fluff and PR. Good for them, hope they do well, but for the moment it probably doesn't affect 'We the Homeowners.'"
2) As a VW and Audi owner, I've been looking forward to a German answer to the Prius. User sniffmeister is looking at the VW Jetta Wagon TDI which claims to get 40 miles in the city and 60 on the highway. stins mentions there is a 69 MPG VW Golf hybrid on the way. Member eroell has the Passat Wagon diesel TDI and loves it, "On long trips I typically average over 40 mpg. The price of diesel is outrageous right now though. I just paid $3.99/gallon on my last fill-up. But, I would highly recommend a VW TDI to anyone ... great cars." By the way, the average price of diesel in February was $3.38 and climbing, which leads me to the next topic...
3) With the cost of diesel fuel going through the roof and our entire food chain in the US reliant on diesel (trains, farms, tractor trailers), the cost of everything in the grocery store is going up. Just this past weekend I overheard a restaurant owner talking about how their cost for flour doubled in one month (of course this includes the weak dollar and the increase in corn production as well). Which leads me to ask...is anyone out there planning a garden this year to combat the rising cost of food? Are you already planning for next winter? What are your strategies? Join the discussion.
Cool Planet Jewelry to Stop Global Warming
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.19.08
Branded with the logo of Laurie David's Stop Global Warming movement, Cool Planet Jewelry's accessories are a subtle way of displaying your dedication to battling climate change. (In case you forget, StopGlobalWarming.org is emblazoned on the back of each charm.)
The cheesecake shot of actress/reality-television star Kristin Cavallari on the site's homepage may make us wince, but we like the fact that recycled precious metals are used in the jewelry, as well as how 50 percent of all net proceeds are donated to Stop Global Warming and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Both ladies and gents get a variety of styles to choose from, so you can declare your cause on a necklace, bracelet, lapel pin, or cuff links. Each piece comes in a hemp drawstring pouch. Prices start at $30 for a sterling-silver charm. ::Cool Planet Jewelry
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Kitchen Design for the Future: Whirlpool's Green Kitchen Concept
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.19.08
Take a moment to gaze into the crystal ball at Whirlpool's recently unveiled green kitchen design concept. Taking everything that you need from a kitchen and integrating it into a smart, efficient system, the concept promises to cut way back on waste -- energy, water, and heat all included -- to the tune of increased energy efficiency of up to 70%.
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Cargo Ship with Kites: First Trans-Atlantic Trip a Success!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.19.08
At the end of January, we wrote about the Beluga Skysails, a commercial cargo ship that was testing the use of giant kites as auxiliary power - a kind of hybrid wind/fossil-fuels system.
We're pleased to learn that the Beluga Skysails trip was successful: The ship set sail (literally) to Venezuela from Germany on January 22nd and reached the Norwegian port of Mo-I-Rana on March 13th after traveling a total of 11,952 nautical miles. "In even moderate winds, the first flights of an initial 160-square-meter towing kite propulsion system from the Hamburg-based manufacturer SkySails demonstrated how this innovative auxiliary propulsion system was able to substitute for 20% of the engine’s power." After the pilot phase, the towing kite will be replaced by one that is twice the size, providing twice as much energy and saving twice the fuel (which could mean $2000/day)....
Facts, Figures, and Charts from Plan B 3.0
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 03.19.08
If it can be said that I have a hobby, it would probably be data. Numbers fascinate me.
Data was a vital part of my latest book from Earth Policy Institute, Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization.
Here are some facts from the book that may interest you:
The eight warmest years on record have all occurred in the last decade.
For seven of the last eight years, the world has consumed more grain than it produced; grain stocks are now at a historic low.
One fifth of the U.S. grain harvest is now being turned into fuel ethanol....
City of Seattle Gives Bottled Water the Boot
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.19.08
Photo credit: LeeBrimelow
First San Francisco banned it. Then Chicago started taxing it. Now, the city of Seattle is taking action against bottled water; last week, Mayor Greg Nickels signed an executive order to stop the city from buying bottled water. That means no more bottled water at city facilities and events, which may sound like a small step, but it'll make a big difference; last year, the city spent $58,000 on the stuff (and that's not including the true cost and carbon footprint of bottled water). We're willing to bet that the city's taxpayers can probably think of about 58,000 ways to better spend that money.
The move isn't just an issue of saving money, though that is a nice ancillary effect. It's also a strong vote of confidence in the city's municipal water supply and treatment systems; in light of the fracas about prescription drugs in our water last week, it's good to see the city standing behind its tap water and encouraging its employees and citizens to drink up....
Commuting by Kayak (For Real)
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.08
We previously got taken in by a spoof site about a kayaker who paddled 52 miles to work in Los Angeles. Not this time; we got it from a reputable source, the Sun. Ricardo Assis Rosa works at an architectural practice in near Bath; he kayaks the two miles to get there in 35 minutes. Mr. Rosa told the Sun:
"Canoeing takes longer than going by car, but it is a lot more pleasant. I find the fumes and the noise and traffic can put me in a bad mood all day, but after a gentle canoe into work I feel really relaxed and full of energy. There are swans and ducks and animals along the way, and it's a great way of getting fit and breaking the routine. It feels like you're on holiday."
We don't know why they call kayaks canoes over in the UK, nor do we know how the Sun figures out that a boat going two miles per hour takes 35 minutes to travel two miles, or why Ricardo is so slow (it should take about half that time) but love the idea nonetheless. ::Sun via ::Splurch...
Don't Forget The Wildlife!
by Environmental Law Institute on 03.19.08
A report released this week, Design of U.S. Habitat Banking Systems to Support the Conservation of Wildlife Habitat and At-Risk Species, a joint effort of the Environmental Law Institute and Environmental Defense (both DC-based), assesses the potential for habitat banking to contribute to the conservation of priority wildlife habitat identified in the state wildlife action plans. These plans, available in all 50 states, identify each state’s at-risk species, the habitats on which they depend, actions to conserve the species and their habitats, and, with varying degrees of specificity, strategies to achieve those priorities. The research was supported by the Wildlife Habitat Policy Research Program, a results oriented program with the mission to develop and disseminate objective information and practical tools to accelerate the conservation of wildlife habitat in the United States....
Chinese Biofuel Push Could Devastate Remaining Forests' Biodiversity
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.19.08
Image courtesy of avlxyz via flickr
China's decision to move forward with an ambitious biofuel strategy it unveiled last summer could result in the destruction of its few remaining intact natural forests and - with them - much of its biodiversity. Though the Chinese government recently decided to nix the use of food-based crops, such as soybeans or corn, as part of its biofuel production plan - committing to non-grain crops like cassava, sorghum and jatropha - scientists are concerned about its environmental costs....
Sustaining Growth – In More Ways Than One
by Marian Hopkins, Business Roundtable on 03.19.08
Rewind the clock to September 2005, and you would see that the term "sustainable growth" carried a very different meaning than it does today. Many businesses struggled with how to incorporate sustainability into their operations. Further, businesses were not engaging each other to share best practices and learn from each other. To address this problem, Business Roundtable launched S.E.E. Change (Society, Environment, Economy).
As discussed in previous posts, S.E.E. Change promotes better business and a better world by motivating committed companies to minimize their global environmental footprint and to improve the environment through new products, technology or services that create value for society and shareholders. This objective remains the same today.
Through S.E.E. Change, Business Roundtable members implement a variety of sustainable growth initiatives and demonstrate that by working together, we can address our nation’s most pressing challenges in a positive, constructive way.
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BMW Considering Launching EV by 2012?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.19.08
Image courtesy of advencap via flickr
During a recent interview, BMW chief executive Norbert Reithofer revealed that the German automaker was considering bringing a battery-powered vehicle to the U.S. market by 2012 in an effort to meet more stringent CAFE standards. A final decision will come later in the year, though company officials have disclosed that initial tests have already shown such a move to be technically feasible. In addition to its 7 Series hydrogen vehicles, BMW is planning on expanding its roster of eco-friendly cars by partnering with GM and Mercedes to build hybrid models....
Ausra: Solar Power Around the Clock, Enough for 90% of U.S. Grid
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.19.08
Nobody can fault Ausra for lack of ambition. The solar power-plant maker has released a peer-reviewed paper claiming that solar-thermal electricity could power 90% of the US grid, with enough left over for plug-in hybrid cars. "The company estimates that such a changeover would eliminate 40 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions with a land footprint of 9,600 square miles, about the size of Vermont".
"How can that be?", you ask. "Isn't solar power only available when the sun shines?"
The way Ausra's technology works is that mobile reflectors concentrate sun light on pipes. Water goes through them and is heated up enough to produce high pressure steam, which then turns a turbine to generate electricity. The twist is that they also store enough hot water to keep going around the clock, or increase production on demand....
Ovopur: A Water Filter that Looks Good
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.08
World Water Day is around the corner; it is a good time to think about what you are drinking. With bottled water off the table, many people are using filtered carafes like Brita filters, but they are made of polycarbonates and now that we are concerned about Bisphenol A, perhaps it is time for something that isn't made of plastic. Aquaovo's new OVOPUR might fill the bill- it is gravity fed, all porcelain, glass and mettal, and has a reusable filter cartridge full of activated charcoal, microporous bioceramics and quartz crystal to remove impurities from the water.
It is also very elegant and would sit nicely on any counter. Via ::Mocoloco; The ::Aquaovo website crashed Firefox and won't load on Explorer.
See also British Berkefeld Gravity Filters and Stefani Water Purifiers...
SustainStyle: LA Fashion Week Recap, Sail Bags, Love Tunic + More
by 1plus1 on 03.19.08
Welcome to SustainStyle, a weekly digest from the writers at 1plus1, a blog dedicated to eco-friendly fashion. SustainStyle runs every Wednesday.
Wowza! This week has been crazy! Los Angeles fashion week brought us a handful of inspiring eco-fashion shows that we are still trying to get a grasp on.
The Green Initiative by the Gallery LA showcased six talents on a bamboo-lined runway. Earth Pledge's Future Fashion show, held at Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's house, showed eco-fashions to the industry's most prominent leaders. And the Battalion, who gave us a preview of our fall 2008 wardrobe with ultra modern -- but wearable -- leggings with denim details, drapey dresses and blouses that shouted perfection.
Outside of the tents, we mentioned our love for Sail bags: They're made from recycled sails with rope as handles! Some serious cuteness for a spring/summer bag.
In addition to our preparation for the warmer weather, we fell in love with The Pursuit of Harmony’s organic "love" tunic: A printed organic cotton tunic with a print that we went wild for. And hot pink Terra Plana Sandals made us swoon with their recycled leather.
This week's "Dress Me" is dedicated to our boyfriends, to get them looking as good as we do. Clothing from Loomstate, Vans and Edun should do the job!
xo.
...
Wowza! This week has been crazy! Los Angeles fashion week brought us a handful of inspiring eco-fashion shows that we are still trying to get a grasp on.
The Green Initiative by the Gallery LA showcased six talents on a bamboo-lined runway. Earth Pledge's Future Fashion show, held at Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's house, showed eco-fashions to the industry's most prominent leaders. And the Battalion, who gave us a preview of our fall 2008 wardrobe with ultra modern -- but wearable -- leggings with denim details, drapey dresses and blouses that shouted perfection.
Outside of the tents, we mentioned our love for Sail bags: They're made from recycled sails with rope as handles! Some serious cuteness for a spring/summer bag.
In addition to our preparation for the warmer weather, we fell in love with The Pursuit of Harmony’s organic "love" tunic: A printed organic cotton tunic with a print that we went wild for. And hot pink Terra Plana Sandals made us swoon with their recycled leather.
This week's "Dress Me" is dedicated to our boyfriends, to get them looking as good as we do. Clothing from Loomstate, Vans and Edun should do the job!
xo.
...
Pop!Tech Looking for Blogger-in-Chief
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.19.08
Our friends at Pop!Tech ("a one-of-a-kind conference, a community of remarkable people, and an ongoing conversation about science, technology and the future of ideas.") are looking for a blogger-in-chief. Could it be you or someone you know? See below for more information.
"Pop!Tech has a fantastic opportunity for a gifted writer to become our Blogger-in-Chief -- and we'd like your help to find the right candidate!
The person we're looking for has a great written voice, strong interpersonal communication and interview skills, a strong work ethic, an abiding, multifaceted curiosity about new ideas in innovation, technology, social entrepreneurship, global trends, the environment, media, and the arts and humanities."...
Is Home Ownership a Good Thing?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.08
Jimmy Stewart in "Its a Wonderful Life" handing the keys to Mr. Martini
It was always considered so, and is actively promoted in the US with mortgage interest deductibility. However it has also perhaps had some detrimental environmental effects, including sprawl, long commutes and far more cars on the road than a system where people rent and have a bit more flexibility in the size of unit for their needs or the distance to their jobs. A lot of smart people are reconsidering it these days:
James Surowiecki in the New Yorker: "Homeownership also impedes the economy’s readjustment by tying people down. From a social point of view, it’s beneficial that homeownership encourages commitment to a given town or city. But, from an economic point of view, it’s good for people to be able to leave places where there’s less work and move to places where there’s more. Homeowners are much less likely to move than renters, especially during a downturn, when they aren’t willing (or can’t afford) to sell at market prices. As a result, they often stay in towns even after the jobs leave. And reluctance to move not only keeps unemployment high in struggling areas but makes it hard for businesses elsewhere to attract the workers they need to grow."...
Pop Quiz : Where is the Air?
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 03.19.08
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Another Opinion on Eco-Activists and Children
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.08
Pablo Päster tries to answer the tough question that Sami asked earlier: Should eco-activists have kids? Pablo comes down firmly that the answer is both yes and no.
"The population issue requires progressive and enlightened social policy, and the individual decision to have an additional child must be made within a global context. The average replacement rate is roughly 2.1 children per couple, one to replace each parent, and 0.1 to make up for childless couples and infant mortality. So any number of children that is fewer than 2.1 is simply a continuation of your genetic legacy. If your children are instilled with altruism and strong environmental values, their lives might actually represent a decrease in the environmental impact from your own lives. I am certain you are bound to make an enlightened choice about having another child." ::Salon...
There's More Money in Nukes Than In Samurai Swords
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.08
That is why after World War II, Japan Steel added nuclear reactor vessels to its product lineup. They mixed their ancient experience in swords with more recent cannon technology to become the sole source for reactor forgings at $350 million a pop. But like a sword, it takes time and care, and they can only turn out four of them per year, in a market where there is now demand for as many as ten per year.
"I find it just amazing that so many people jumped on the bandwagon of this renaissance without ever looking at the industrial side of it,'' said one consultant. ::Bloomberg
Meanwhile, the builders of CANDU reactors must be celebrating.
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Dog Hair Sweaters As Pet Memorial
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.19.08
We’ve already heard about hyperbolic crochet today, but here’s another yarn (sorry!) that may interest our readers. According to the BBC, a couple in Newcastle in the UK have had the fur from their beloved dogs woven into sweaters as a way of remembering them once they are gone. Looking at the pictures, we’re not sure they fit into our “hip not hippy” aesthetic, but they are still an innovative form of reuse:
"Kara was a pedigree Samoyed. She was so posh, if she could have talked she'd not have spoken to the likes of us. We found out from the breeders we got the pups from that it was possible to use their coat for clothes. It is the most amazing stuff. It's like mohair but more lightweight and more soft, and the more you wash it, the more soft and fluffy it gets."
If Mr and Mrs Willis are reading and are planning on getting new dogs, we’d refer them to our guide on How to Green Your Pet for further reading on good green things to do with your pets while they are alive too.
::BBC::via site visit::
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Survey: Would You Read TreeHugger on your Phone?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.19.08
We tried TreeHugger Mobile two years ago and it did not get used very much. However much has changed since then; bigger screens, iPhones, faster networks, cheaper data transfer. It could save energy too; a phone uses 2 watts under heavy load, while a laptop might use 50w and a desktop 150w or more.
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Quote of the Day: Peter Walsh on Materialism
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.19.08
Photo credit: TLC/Discovery Communications
When we buy something, we tend to buy—certainly the product—but much more the promise. If you buy this lipstick, guys will pick you up. If you buy this cookbook, your family will sit around the table laughing and smiling like Leave It to Beaver.
Nnnae! You need to think about the responsibility you have when you buy something. You're...buying the manufacturing process, the resources, the energy, the shipping cost. Don't talk to me about global warming and corporations, because every time you buy an item, you're [having an] impact on the planet."
—Peter Walsh, organizer for TLC's clutter-busting reality show Clean Sweep, in the Feb/March 2008 issue of ReadyMade.
Full disclosure: TLC and TreeHugger are both subsidiaries of Discovery Communications....
Israeli Town Plans Radiation-Free Neighborhood
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03.19.08
Are there any populated places left in the developed world where cellular radiation is not a constant presence? Perhaps a few still exist, for the moment anyway.
In tiny Israel, where cellular relay towers dot the landscape, cellular phone usage rates are among the highest in the world. Lately, however, a backlash has developed, both against the cartel-like behavior of the cellular providers and the possible health effects of non-ionizing radiation.
This week a revolutionary initiative was unveiled: a new neighborhood for 1,500 families who have decided to give up their cell phones. An entire neighborhood with no cellular reception....
At WWF Australia, the Future is Man-Made
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.19.08
The Australian branch of WWF (what use to to be known as the Worldwide Fund for Nature) last year entered the green lifestyle arena with a website of green tips. “Every day we shape our planet's future when we make small life decisions - what we buy, what we eat, how we travel. The future of the planet is in our hands; the future is man-made. And we are all ‘Futuremakers’."
The rationale for the move? "When we talk to people about living sustainably, they often mention that it’s very hard to find hands-on information about how to live sustainably--especially information that is Australian-focused. They want to do the 'right thing'--but are unsure of what the 'right thing' is."...
A Test Of Corporate Leadership: Recession Amidst Green Market Growth
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.19.08
Executing a green business strategy can be inspired by a desire for profit, as in the oft-cited Wal-mart example, by regulatory pressures, for liability-protection sake, by ethical inspiration, or by some combination of these.
However, business strategy setting is a relatively whimsical act compared to designing and building a new product (few appreciate how long it takes from product ideation to marketing a commercial product). For companies striving for the "green," herein lies the rub.
Executives can't just call up the R&D Director and say "turn up the green dial." It takes years and careers and immense budgets and good luck for breakthroughs to become products and for products to become popular enough to make a difference. Think of how many years the Prius took to become a market driver?
For Non-Tesla companies, the best that can be expected, in good economic times, is for products already in the corporate R&D pipeline to be profiled on green attributes. That's pretty much the GE business model.
But, we are not in good economic times. And, as Lloyd pointed out today, the regulatory option can be put back on the table: see; "Quote of the Day: Bear Stearns and the Environment."
Provoked by the conflicting pressures of increased green product demand and poor economic times, corporate leaders will be forced to choose: they can join those who view "green" investment as an area to be cut back in the shareholder interest; or they might join those who leverage the delay to innovate and design and build better products. Resolute, quiet, bold innovators will prepare us for the coming resource deficiencies and increased costs of carbon emission. ...
Hyperbolic Crochet
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.19.08
Is it art or is it science, and how is it saving the coral reef? Stay with us, this one is complicated. It is an international project, with women crocheting long coils, 3,000 square feet so far, to draw attention to the destruction of the coral reef in Australia. They are using materials such as yarn, thread, plastic bags, ties, ribbon, and tinsel in all kinds of outrageous colour combinations.
But why has it attracted scientists and mathematicians as well? It turns out that the creatures such as corals, anemones, kelps, sponges and flatworms that live in the reef have what are known as hyperbolic geometric structures. Ballerina tutus and hair scrunches and kale leaves have them too. These are unique shapes that mathematicians were just beginning to comprehend and in 1997 a mathematics researcher and crocheter realized that she could recreate 3-D models of them by crochet and "hold the theorems in her hand". Margaret Wertheim, the creator of the project, read about this work, met the researcher and got the idea for the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef. So art and science come together to save the coral reef. Whew! Environmentalism takes many wondrous routes. :: New York Times...
Steelcase Walks the Green Walk, Buys Naming Rights to Wind Farm
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.18.08
TreeHugger is always on the lookout for companies willing to back up their green talk with a little green walk; at a time when "going green" is more popular than ever, it's easy to get bogged down in marketing double-speak and greenwashing. Today, green office furniture company Steelcase strengthened its case as a green company embracing real green ideals and walking the walk. And they might have just helped to raise the bar for green business in the process.
They announced that they'd be buying a bunch of wind power, and, as green as that is, it isn't the interesting part. John Deere Renewables, the wind-energy development unit of Deere & Co., is building a 10 megawatt wind farm in Panhandle, Texas -- it'll be up and running in May -- and Steelcase is buying all the energy generated there for at least five years. Not only that, they're buying the naming rights to the wind farm, paying an undisclosed premium for the right to name it Wege Wind Energy Farm. That's right, just like AT&T Park in San Francisco, where the Giants play baseball, except it's a wind farm....
Green Stats: 19,795
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.18.08
Portland Tri-Met's MAX train
8,555 -- Number of jobs created by spending $1 billion on defense.
10,779 -- Number of jobs created by spending $1 billion on health care.
17,687 -- Number of jobs created by spending $1 billion on education.
19,795 -- Number of jobs created by spending $1 billion on public transportation.
According to The U.S. Employment Effects of Military and Domestic Spending Priorities [pdf] via ::Yes! Magazine and ::Gristmill...
Arthur C. Clarke 1917-2008
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
I was going to start this post by saying that I had read everything written by Arthur C. Clarke, but reviewing his oeuvre on Wikipedia, I realized that I had only scratched the surface. The man was not just a science fiction writer but a visionary; while many love his novels like Childhood's End (ever the urbanist, I preferred the City and the Stars) his solid non-fiction works like "The Promise of Space" inspired a generation.
He wrote in another era, one of incredible optimism, where science and technology would solve all of our problems. He solved a few of them himself, envisioning geosynchronous orbiting satellites in 1945. But he understood our tenuous position on this planet and described what would ultimately happen to us after we screwed up so badly in my absolute favourite short story written in 1949, History Lesson.
Arthur C. Clarke, dead at 90. ::Washington Post...
Global Warming Could Turn Emerald Isle Brown
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.18.08
Image courtesy of atomicpuppy68 via flickr
The fabled luck of the Irish may be running out: Coinciding with St. Patrick's Day, a new report released yesterday by the Irish American Climate Project, appropriately named "Changing Shades of Green," predicts global warming will significantly alter the Emerald Isle's culture and environment. Kevin Sweeney, an environmental consultant who directed the project, spoke to Reuters' Deborah Zabarenko about the likely consequences, explaining that the most visible effect would be the browning of the country's "lush greens":
"People can raise their children, they can make a living, they can find sustenance in Ireland, but it will look and feel and be different. And that's the subtlety we want to explain here. We don't want to project that this is catastrophe. What it is, is it's heartbreaking." ...
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.18.08
:: What's wrong with processed food?
:: Find out how you can create an eco-friendly exercise routine.
:: Learn how to sleep like a baby, without resorting to sleeping pills.
:: Have you checked out your supermarket's bulk-bin section yet?
:: The use of peat in gardening is destroying one of the planet's most endangered habitats. Discover what alternatives are available.
:: You can now recycle your printer electronics and small electronics through the U.S. Postal Service, for free.
:: Reuse leftover wallpaper or decorative scraps in innovative ways to brighten up your space....
The Go Green Initiative's School of the Week: Branham High School in San Jose, CA!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.18.08
As Matt Zehner, the SPARE advisor at this week’s school of the week often says, "It only took 56 people to sign the Declaration of Independence, and that didn't turn out too badly…" And SPARE (Students Promoting Awareness of Recycling & the Environment) is a small but motivated group of high schoolers from Branham High School in San Jose, CA who are certainly making a difference at this week’s school of the week....
Kieran Timberlake + Living Homes= LBS
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
Treehugger readers may recall the Loblolly House by Kieran Timberlake, to which we have devoted much space, including What Makes a Building Green?, Loblolly House: Pictures at Last and more. I consider it to be one of the most innovative and important houses of this century. Readers may also recall LivingHomes, with the first LEED Platinum prefab from developer Steve Glenn.
As a cured architect and developer, I could only dream of what the result might be if one mixed the talents and innovations of architects like Kieran Timberlake with a business visionary like Steve Glenn and set them to produce small, efficient projects that don't need a Silicon Valley multimillionaire's income to own.
I need dream no more: That is exactly what they are doing....
The Guardian: TreeHugger is 13th "most powerful" Blog
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.18.08
British newspaper The Guardian has compiled what it considers to be the world's 50 "most powerful" blogs, and TreeHugger ranks 13. We're not quite convinced we're that powerful - it is our readers that have the power to change things - but we'll take the compliment.
Number one is the Huffington Post, number two is the venerable BoingBoing. Icanhascheezburger is more "powerful" than us at number eight (grammatically challenged cats are taking over the world?), and strangely Engadget is number sixteen. We'd rank it much higher...
Thanks to the Guardian for thinking of us. We promise we'll use our powers for good and not for evil. ::The Guardian: The world's 50 most powerful blogs...
Subaru Tests R1e Electric Car in New York City, Previews G4e
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.18.08
Subaru will test its R1e electric vehicle in New York City this summer. It will provide two R1e electric cars to the New York Power Authority (NYPA), something similar to its partnership with the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).
The R1e is a small two-seater city car (50 miles range, 65 mph top speed). We're guessing Subaru's using it mostly as a learning platform; its first mainstream electric car will probably be based on the G4e concept, a hatchback very similar to Nissan's Versa that will have a longer range (124 miles/200 km) and carry 5 passengers. You can see a photo of it lower in this post. A cool thing about Subaru's battery packs is that they can be charged to 80% capacity in 15 minutes, or in 8 minutes with a special charger made by Fuji Heavy Industries....
Help Wanted: TreeHugger is Looking for a Full-time Alternative Energy Writer
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 03.18.08
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: ...
Sharkah Chakra Denim Launches in London
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.18.08
As more and more designers are launching brands made of organic and natural materials, we look for something unique to share with all of you. So when we read about Sara Simmonds, creator of Sharkah Chakra (translation: “hand make life”), we wanted to pass along her philosophy.
“I believe that the future is about slow fashion and making luxury pieces last. So I have created a collection based on a wardrobe full of iconic pieces with new cuts and washes to be added each season.”
Sounds inspiring, right? But here’s what we really liked about Sharkah Chakra…
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Best Green Place to Live in America: Country Home Magazine Ranks 'Em
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.18.08
The data has been logged; the numbers have been crunched, and, after a nationwide study on green living, Corvallis, Oregon (Hey, that's where I live. Look at that.) has been named the Best Green Place to live in America by Country Home Magazine. The study, administered in conjunction with Sperling's BestPlaces, examines 24 data metrics in 5 major categories to determine which metro areas are the best places to live a green life.
Corvallis scored points for its focus on energy issues such as solid waste management, land use, water conservation, greenhouse gas emissions, recycling, and green buildings and building practices; green power was also a major consideration (in 2007, Corvallis received utility provider Pacific Power's certificate of environmental stewardship). The city also purchases 15 percent of its power from renewable sources, and in 2006, the city was named a Green Power Community by the EPA. Corvallis is ranked the 9th most bicycle-friendly city in the nation by Bike USA and was named "One of the 13 best towns to be a vegetarian" by Vegan Magazine.
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Reporting the Obvious: Climate Change Will Impact Transportation
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 03.18.08
According to a report by the National Research Council, "climate change will affect every type of transportation through rising sea levels, increased rainfall and surges from more intense storms." At the same time that concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rise to dangerous levels, "people continue to move into coastal areas, creating the need for more roads and services in the most vulnerable regions." The threats to transportation infrastructure range from the obvious (sea level rise and storms will damage bridges and roads and disrupt air and ground traffic) to the, well, slightly less obvious (heat waves will cause "thermal expansion of bridge joints and rail track deformities.")
The key finding of the report is that transportation planners will have to start taking climate change into account when they design transportation systems. Of course, that means shelling out more money up-front which, though it usually reaps long-term benefits, doesn't sit well with election-cycle thinking. It also means considering the carbon emissions associated with different systems (e.g., highway vs. bus rapid transit). The existing transportation infrastructure needs upgrading for many reasons, not least of which the fact that it "was built for local conditions based on historical weather data" which may no longer be accurate given a changing climate.
Via: ::AP
See Also: Solar Roadways: Energy-Generating Roads Made Out of Glass and Solar Cells, ::Sustainable and Sound Infrastructure Now, ::Can BRT Encourage Bike Use? and ::US Secretary of Transportation Says Bikes "are not transportation"...
Electronics Recycling Bill Grinding Its Way Toward Consensus
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.18.08
Away from the news of bank bailouts, and out of the paws of Washington DC lobbyists, an effort is underway to draft an electronics recycling ("E-cycling") bill that will represent a consensus of multiple stakeholders from across the USA. Crosslands Bulletin reports that:- Congressional staff members for three US senators and four members of the House of Representatives have sent a concept paper on electronics waste recycling to stakeholders in all camps. The law-makers are considering the framework for a national E-waste program.This is a constructive effort with a good strategy that deserves our attention....
Guayaki Announces First Carbon-Subtracting Beverages
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.18.08
We've mentioned our love for the organic- and fair-trade-certified yerba mate by Guayaki before. Now the company has opted to go carbon-negative with its "carbon-subtracting" beverages.
Thanks to the vast carbon-sequestration that occurs in the South American rainforests where Guayaki's yerba mate is sustainably harvested, each 16-ounce package of San Mateo Loose Yerba Mate and Traditional Loose Yerba Mate, according to Guayaki, subtracts more carbon than it emits during the entire manufacturing process—from its harvesting south of the border, to its placement on store shelves in the United States—resulting in a net subtraction of 573 grams of carbon.
In addition to a label that explains the carbon-subtracting math, Guayaki will also be debuting new 100 percent biodegradable and home-compostable packaging this fall. ::Guayaki
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Transformer Furniture: Braun Woodline Expanding Table
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.18.08
TreeHugger approves of objects that expand, fold out or otherwise transform to increase their usability in our lives; the more we can get out of the stuff we interact with every day, the fewer things and less space we need, right? Dining tables are certainly on this list, as most of us don't need seating for eight every night, but what do you do when it's dinner party time?
If an inflatable table doesn't do it for you, we like the looks of the Braun Woodline table. It starts as a small round table for four, and, through a slick drawer mechanism, expands to seat eight or more -- there are three sizes that expand to seat up to 16, if you really like to party, as well as a square table option, if round isn't your style. The Woodline table, by French designer Philippe Braun (and don't the French have all the fun?), is vaguely reminiscent of DB Fletcher's Expanding Table, is available for sale; contact them for details, and hit the jump to see more pics and a video of how it all works. ::Braun Woodline via ::TrendsNow (in French)...
Tesla Motors Starts "Regular Production" of Electric Roadster
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.18.08
Ze'ev Drori, Tesla Motors' president and CEO, has announced that the company has met its deadline of March 17th for regular production of the electric Roadster. The very first unit off the assembly line was delivered to Tesla chairman Elon Musk in early February, but we can only assume that this was not part of what they call "regular production" (a test run maybe?)....
Use Wind and Solar Energy to Power Computers, Urges Expert
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.18.08
Image courtesy of CMP73 via flickr
While they still only account for a minute fraction of total yearly emissions, the carbon emissions produced by computers have been on the rise - buffeted by the likes of Google and other computing-heavy firms - and are set to increase dramatically over the coming decades. However, because computing power need not be centrally located to achieve its functions, server farms could potentially be moved to areas where renewable energy - in the form of wind or solar - is plentiful to mitigate their carbon footprint.
That was the point made by Andy Hopper, a computer expert at Cambridge University, at a recent Royal Society meeting in London. Speaking to The Guardian's James Randerson, he said that computing power could "be moved around the world and can be done anywhere in the world where energy is available."...
The Carbon Footprint of a Renovation vs New Construction
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
Thousands of houses stand empty in the Great Lakes States; in Buffalo they are demolishing 5,000 of them. It is bad enough that they are in sight of fresh water and have access to canals, railroads and highway infrastructure galore; a new British study, 'New Tricks With Old Bricks' (PDF) , says reusing and refurbishing existing and empty properties could actually save more carbon dioxide than constructing new ones.
According to the Guardian, the study found that the construction of a new house generated 50 tonnes of CO2, but the renovation of an existing house emitted only 15 tonnes. In actual use, there was little difference in the performance of the older house than in the new one, and that it could take decades for the operational savings to offset the carbon load of the initial construction. The renovated house will probably last longer too, because so much of what we build today is crap. ...
F3DM: The Second, Smaller, Plug-in Hybrid by China's BYD
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.18.08
Update December 2008: GM is Weeping: BYD F3DM Plug-in Hybrid Goes On Sale in China, 3 Years Before Volt
A little while ago, we wrote about the BYD F6DM, what might turn out to be the first plug-in hybrid car on the market. There's no doubt that BYD (aka Build Your Dreams) has a certain advantage over other companies that are trying to bring a plug-in (or electric car) to market: They are China's biggest battery maker, and number two worldwide.
And they are very hungry. Already we learn that the F6DM will be followed by the smaller and less expensive F3DM (pictured above). If the F6DM is close to a Camry, the F3DM is very similar to a Corolla....
Coal: The New Black
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
That title is courtesy of Chemical and Engineering News, which is happy to report that coal is making a comeback as a feedstock for chemicals now that oil is running out.
"If the price of oil stays above $50 or $60, I think that within 10 years, using coal as a chemical feedstock will be a very big industry in China," says Zhang Yuzhuo, a Shenhua Group vice president and chairman of China Shenhua Coal Liquefaction. Of course there is the minor problem of Carbon Dioxide. Said one consultant: "One of the big disadvantages of coal is that you make CO2," he says. "And unless you are located in an area where you can dispose of that at some reasonable cost, it's a potential economic hit on the project. Even if it isn't a hit today, it could be at some point in the future if carbon taxes are enacted."
This is so retro- coal tar, a byproduct of coal gasification, was the first major feedstock for chemicals. Next thing you know we will by typing by the light of whale-oil lamps. ::C&EN via ::New Scientist...
Quote of the Day: Bear Stearns and the Environment
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
Robert Ouellette sews a silk purse out of a sow's ear at Corporate Knights, a Canadian Environmental /business mag and website:
"By its actions, the U.S. government is showing that there is no lesson to be learned, or no penalty to be given. It also shows that in spite of its right-wing rhetoric, the “freest” world economy can and does interfere with the marketplace. Ironically, that’s good news for environmentalists. Now that the U.S. government has set this precedent, the right’s self-serving arguments about non-interference in free markets no longer apply. And now everyone knows it."
"Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that the financial market place should be done away with or should be allowed to meltdown. What I am saying is that this week’s events clearly illustrate the role regulatory controls play in a complex world. There is a lesson here, but it is not, unfortunately to the free markets whose actions precipitated this crisis—they’ve been spared that rod. The lesson is to people and governments everywhere. We are reminded by the Bear Stearns fiasco that they do have the obligation, power, and right to use whatever regulatory levers exist to both save the economy, and save the environment. After all, what is more important, the financial health of rule-breaking investment firms that benefit the few, or the long-term health of the environment that benefits everyone?" ::Corporate Knights
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Eat the View: Tax Breaks for Gardens
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
Some governments hand out grants and tax breaks if you install solar panels; others if you buy hybrid and efficient cars; if you are a commercial farmer you get subsidies and tax breaks galore. Certainly right now the Feds are in full bailout mode, what about a little help with food prices?
Roger Doiron, the director of Kitchen Gardeners International, has a great suggestion: "We give tax breaks to people to encourage them to put hybrid cars in their garages and solar panels on their roofs, so why not a tax break to encourage environmentally friendly and healthy food production?" He likened his plan to deducting the square footage of a home office: the bigger your garden, the better the tax break. Those with no yard could deduct the rental fee for a community garden plot. ::Barbara Damrosch in the Washington Post...
Call for Entries: Redesign the Bike Rack
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 03.18.08
What defines a great bike Rack? Those 10-year-old sidewalk-mounted pre-fabricated square steel tube scattered around New York could soon inspire just as much nostalgia as an MTA subway token. With financial backing from mega player Google and transportation consultancy Transportation Alternatives, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum are looking to reinvent the city's bike racks with the CityRacks design competition....
Pop Quiz: Organic Cotton Jeans
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 03.18.08
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Pot, Meet Kettle: U.S. Olympians Flying Meat to China
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
We already know that meat has a huge carbon footprint, but the United States Olympic Committee is making it worse by shipping 25,000 pounds of Tyson Foods meat to Beijing for the athletes to eat, suggesting that Chinese standards applied to meat are lower than in the USA. A caterer describes Chinese chicken: “We had it tested and it was so full of steroids that we never could have given it to athletes. They all would have tested positive.”
So instead they will eat American meat, which is chock full of antibiotics, hormones and pesticides, is barely inspected
by a dysfunctional USDA. We are certain that it is so much better. ::New York Times via ::Solve Climate...
Prince Charles Sets Up Shop
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.18.08
Prince Charles has already wowed us with his holographic speeches, his incredible sandwich making skills, and his willingness to speak up about his concerns for the planet. Now, according to an article in The Guardian, he’s also trying to impress us with his shop-keeping abilities:
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The Power of Measurement
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
Scott Adams
Fact is, the pointy-haired boss is right; when it comes to changing people's habits and saving energy, measurement and feedback make all the difference. Andrew Savitz at the Triple Bottom Line notes that when his wife drives her Prius, she sets the display on fuel economy, and because of the direct feedback of information on miles per gallon, adjusts her driving patterns accordingly. The Economist noted this as well: ...
InterfaceFLOR Launches FairWorks; Socially Responsible Luxury Flooring
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 03.18.08
InterfaceFLOR, the leading sustainable carpet company (FLOR and Button Rug), has added a new category called FairWorks to their sustainable flooring options. This time, sustainability wasn’t the only aspiration, but InterfaceFLOR made sure their new products are also socially responsible. The collection promises new sustainable materials and traditional skills from around the world in the shape of unique, eco-luxury flooring. ...
Less is More: Revisiting AfriGadget
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.18.08
We found Afrigadget mid last year and were delighted with the inspired content. The craftmanship, creativity and ability to overcome amazing odds catalogued there, is such a wonderfully welcome counterpoint to the negative news Western media normally serves us.
The site underwent a revamp early this year and we’d encourage you to give it the once over. Amongst of our faves, buried in the archives are the very enterprising mobile phone booth! And the homemade paraglider made from plastic bags, purloined rope and baling wire. ...
Survey: Are You Nervous About the Economy?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.18.08
The news is not pretty, what with bank failures, bailouts and foreclosures and see-through condos and four dollar gas and six dollar per bushel corn and increased calls for protectionism. Some say we are already in a recession; others say that measures taken by the Federal Reserve will avoid it; others say we are circling the drain. How does this affect you?
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French Car Gets 7,150 Miles Per Gallon
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03.18.08
FEMA Trailer Formaldehyde Liability Suit On The Way
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.18.08
You only need to know one thing to get past CDC's equivocating about the meaning of FEMA-trailer formaldehyde test results. You need the same information to understand FEMA's foot dragging in getting the testing underway: formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen. This issue goes far beyond wheezing, and rashes, and increased headaches or dizziness. It's about fear of getting the Big C; and, it's about the prospect of health care costs that will be a burden on society for decades because of poor choices in building material specification. In other words, it's about bad design. This is the epitome of "ungreen" building, wrought large.
A trailer-house of cards is about to come tumbling down....
Reports Indicate Outbreak Spreading Among School Copy Machines
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 03.18.08
With rumors of an outbreak now spreading to schools in Florida and Maine, it’s no surprise that students and faculty on the copy crisis team at the Robert Moses Middle School are hard at work trying to solve the crisis that was first reported late last week when reports of a strange, contagious disease hitting school photocopiers reached TreeHugger.
Apparently, symptoms include a propensity to chew up trees at an amazing rate while using gobs of energy and releasing tremendous amounts of CO2 leading to increased levels of global warming.
But back at the school in North Babylon where the disease was first reported, they’re busy piling giant blocks of ice on top of their apparently distressed machine as it seems to be spiking a fever that could get out of control.
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Brazilian Banks, Forbidden to Give Loans to Illegal Loggers
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.18.08
(Picture: a clearcut in the Amazon. Credit: Getty Images.) Thanks to a new disposition by the National Monetary Council, private and public banks in Brazil will have to follow environmental criteria before conceding a loan to producers in 550 cities located in the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Mato Grosso, Tocantins and Maranhão. The measure seeks to prevent loans from getting to illegal deforestation projects.
According to Folha newspaper, middle and large producers applying for loans will have to present an environmental license for the area where their project will take place, along with a declaration that states there is no prohibition in the use of that land. These rules also apply for partners and providers relating to the project. Banks who don't follow the rules could face fines.
With this disposition, the Brazilian government hopes to stop around 2,6 billion Reais a year (about 1,3 billion US dollars) in financing to illegal deforestation projects.
Read more details in the extended. ::Via Tierramerica. Additional info via Folha de Sao Paulo....
Crafty Lucy Norman Recycles
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.18.08
Lucy Norman's usage of recycled materials is key to her art. She has focused on designing a range of products under the slogan "Rethink, Reuse, Rebook", combining a concern for the environment and the reuse of waste in a way that is both stylish and commercial. Another variation on green and re-cycled chandeliers, this one is made of recycled books which cannot be sold as no-one will buy them. Ordinarily they would have to be land filled which is costly and detrimental to the environment. Instead she created "Light Reading", a quirky (and flame retardant) chandelier made by folding pages of books and hanging them around a ceiling light. The Paperback Partition is also made from unwanted books, and is an aesthetically pleasing room divider, providing good heat and acoustic insulation.
Another one of her works, "CAPtivate" is a round light made out of bottle tops and caps; different coloured caps change the light's colour and pattern. Her garden chair is for people sans garden...under a natural fibre rope chair she places a footrest that is a fibreglass tray covered with soil and grass. This artist has a sense of humour. :: Lucy Norman Via :: Financial Times...
Holy Cow! Sacred Beef Takes Backseat In Climate Debate
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.18.08
Swedish investigative program Uppdrag Granskning (UG) figured out a curious fact: for all its squeaky-clean posture on climate efforts (oil-free by 2020, yeah) Sweden has left out of its position papers one very large emitter - beef cows.
While it is accepted knowledge among enviro-types that eating less meat is a clear way to reduce carbon footprint and CO2 emissions, Swedes (and all of Europe) seem to have left it out of its top 10 ideas for reducing emissions, concentrating efforts instead on transport - still a worthy endeavor to be sure. In UG's reckoning, each Swedish car, driven an average of around 10,000 kilometers, puts out the same amount of CO2 as the average cow does in methane (100 kilo). No political party leader is ready to subsidize less meat eating...at least not yet. Approval of a climate label for food in Sweden (the label's rules will go for a first round of approval by the Minister of Agriculture next month) will start to give shoppers an idea of the climate effect of what's in their carts. Food climate researcher Annika-Carlsson Kanyama says if Swedes are thinking to eat beef to keep Swedish landscapes open (a common folk "myth") than their allotment each week equals just 400 grams. Via: Uppdrag Granskning (Swedish)...
Ciel Goes Dancing and Parties Till Dawn
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 03.18.08
Sarah Ratty has turned the glamour dial to 11 for Ciel's AW08 collection. The strong colour palette of black, orange, purple and gold wowed the crowds at London Fashion Week last month. The glimmer of hemp silk satin, the richness of cupro cotton velvet and the beauty of the Indian hand block prints all say let's party! Sarah is recognised as one of the UK's ethical fashion pioneers and her experience shows clearly in the sophistication of her Ciel collections. She says of her latest creations......
Today on Planet Green
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.17.08
:: Old coffee grounds can clog up the works of your manual or electric grinder, making it run less efficiently. Find out how you can clean your grinder in a few seconds.
:: Brown-bagging it to work will save you a wad. To find out how much exactly, punch in some numbers into this new Web tool.
:: Warm your hearts and stomachs with this red lentil coconut curry with cabbage.
:: Bring elegance back to the dining table, and save some trees while you're at it.
:: Find out how you can share your love of gardening and fresh produce with your kids, without boring them.
:: How much does fuel cost in Wichita, Kansas? View U.S. gas prices all across the country at a glance.
:: Discover how can help Google make mass transit easy for everyone.
:: Can a disposable diaper be considered "green"?
:: In this guest post, Erin Doland, editor-in-chief of the home and office organization blog Unclutterer.com, shows us how we can use Post-it-style reminders, without creating unnecessary waste.
:: If you have to travel, make your trip an eco-friendly one....
TH Forums Highlights: Retrofit for Green, Building Green + More
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.17.08
1) New Forums user Damien Jones (welcome!) is looking to do some green retrofitting: "The basic question I have is whether it is better to retrofit my 1970's bungalow (2x4 framing) with a geothermal/geoexchange system or to re-insulate/side it and replace all the windows (the attic insulation is fairly recent and appears adequate). I suspect the costs will be about the same, but I am concerned about having to replace the existing cedar siding, at least partially, if insulation is added to the outside of the house." Any green builders out there that can help?
2) Another new user, draginol (and welcome to you, too!) has another building-related issue to talk out: "Anyway, I'm one of those people who are definitely 'part of the problem' but I am in the process of building a new home. I want to build it to decrease its impact on the environment as much as possible. I am not as concerned with going green to 'save money in the long term' as much as I simply want to lower my impact. Are there any good guides for building high end homes that are trying to be green?" There is a lot of ground to cover here...
3) Lastly, Forums user Casa Verde starts a quick poll about energy prices in your neck of the woods. Casa Verde is in Puerto Rico, where energy is $0.27 per kWh, and, judging by responses from other users, that's on the high end; other users check in at $0.07 per kWh, $0.097 per kWh, $0.14 per kWh, and that's not including the renewable energy options that are available to many of us. Still, the average seems to be just about $0.10 per kWh; compared to the $0.27/kWh that Casa Verde pays, another user comments that perhaps its time to look in to some residential solar power.
Get Aeroponic Gardening Advice at the AeroGarden Forums
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.17.08
Though gardening season is just about upon us, if you don't have a plot or a green thumb, and prefer the idea of growing with air in your kitchen to getting dirt under your fingernails, then perhaps the AeroGarden is for you; you may recall we covered it when it first became available a few years back. But how do you substitute your own seeds? Which model grows the best tomatoes? Can anyone recommend the upgrade package?
Answers to all these questions, and many more, are available in AeroGarden Growers community forums, where users and potential users can sound off about aeroponics, machine mods and more; a lot of commenters from our previous post had these kinds of questions, and now they have answers. Be sure to register as a user (like TreeHugger Forums, it's free) to get access to all the community knowledge, and get growing with air. ::AeroGarden Growers Community Forum via tipster Scott
See also ::Indoor Gardening with AeroGarden Aeroponics, ::More Indoor Gardening and ::How to Green Your Gardening...
MacGillivray Freeman's Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.17.08
Whether you're gazing past the breathtakingly formidable vistas of the Grand Canyon or rafting into the churning white-capped waves of the Colorado River's world-famous rapid, Lava Falls, it's easy to forget that a major water crisis is looming—especially when you're taking everything in eye-popping 3D on an IMAX screen. Narrated by Robert Redford and backed by stirring music from the Dave Matthews Band, Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk combines rousing river-rafting action with the complex history of America's most iconic river to draw attention to global water issues.
In this moving narrative that's part river adventure and part clarion call, famous river advocate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr and author/anthropologist Wade Davis are joined by their two teenage daughters—Kick Kennedy and Tara Davis—as well as Shana Watahomigie, a Native American of the Havasupai tribe and the first member of her tribe to become a National Park Ranger and river guide. ...
Hanger Chair + Inflatable Table = Small Space Fun by Philippe Malouin
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.17.08
TreeHugger loves folding and flat-packing chairs for their ability to fold up (or even hang up) to get out of the way, so we like the space-saving designs from Philippe Malouin. The Hanger Chair, (pictured above) an elegant combination of coat hanger and folding chair, makes a lot of sense: not only is it good for hanging your jacket on when sitting in the chair, it can help keep your coats wrinkle-free and hanging in the closet when you aren't sitting on. Smart.
And what kind of space-saving table do you sit at in such a sleek chair? Why, an inflatable table that seats 10 and is strong enough to stand of, of course. Hit the jump to see what we mean.
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Video: Hummer H2 Off-Road SNAFU
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.17.08
Greenbelt Condos in Brooklyn Propel Green Living and the Arts
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 03.17.08
Greenbelt final stages of construction image from curbed
Derek Denckla, a musician, attorney, and environmentalist with a background in community organizing, is not your everyday condominium developer. His new 8-unit building in Williamsburg, is the first LEED-certified residence in Brooklyn. The building, called Greenbelt, offers an example of green development that provides not only sustainable living space, but also a gathering place for people concerned with the environment.
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Is New Organic Beauty Label Green or Greenwash?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.17.08
Photo credit: Getty Images
Is the fledgling Organic And Sustainable Industry Standards (OASIS), which dubs itself the first organic standard for the U.S. beauty and personal-care market, completely "bogus"? The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) sure thinks so.
In a March 14 press release, the Finland, Minn. advocacy group derides the label, which has the support of 30 founding members—including Aveda (owned by Estée Lauder), Earth Mama Angel Baby, Nature's Baby, Perfect Organics, and Suki—for allowing a product to be labeled as "organic" even if it contains hydrogenated and sulfated cleansing ingredients made from conventional, pesticide-ridden agricultural materials. But it gets uglier.
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Torresol to Build 3 Solar Thermal Power Plants in Spain for $1.24 Billion
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.17.08
Solar thermal keeps gaining traction. The latest announcement is for a joint venture between Abu Dhabi's Masdar and Spain's Sener. It will be called Torresol Energy, and the initial investment is €800 million (or $1.24 billion) into three solar thermal power plants to be built in Spain. ...
McDonald's Cycle Center Chicago
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.17.08
A 300-space, heated indoor bicycle parking facility providing lockers, showers, a snack bar with outdoor summer seating, bike repair, bike rental and other amenities designed to encourage biking to the park and other downtown locations. Located at Randolph Street and Columbus Drive, the Bike Station also accommodates runners and in-line skaters. Photo after the skip.
Links::
McDonald's Cycle Center
millenniumpark.org...
Liteplug: LED Nightlight + Emergency Flashlight
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.17.08
Designed to help keep the lights on during and after the frequent earthquakes (and resulting power outages) in Japan, "Liteplug" is a combination motion-sensing nightlight/emergency flashlight. Leave it plugged in to the wall, and, as it gets dark when the sun goes down, a single light emitting diode (LED) emits a soft light; when someone walks past, the motion sensor picks it up and the light perks up, turning on all three bulbs so you don't walk in to a wall....
NYC Bicycle Shelter Parking iPhone Photos: How Street It Is
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.17.08
While making the weekly mecca to the famed Union Square Farmers Market, this TreeHugger stumbled upon a suhweet street oasis: some fresh, clean, modern and user-friendly bicycle parking. Cemusa, a company that has a contract to build bus shelters and newsstands on city sidewalks, has installed the first of 37 bike shelters, which provide covered racks and cycling maps of the city. Check out a bunch of iPhone snaps showing the maps and instructions provided for locking up your ride when you pop a wheelie over the jump....
It's No Gas: Norway's Karstø Cuts Back Before It Even Gets CO2 Capture
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.17.08
Norway may be scaling back tests of CCS...to the size of a ship's container
Norway, which generates 99 percent of its electricity from hydro power, needs new electricity sources. Rather than fund wind and other renewable sources by joining Sweden's green certificate market in 2006, Norway heavily hedged its bets on building gas-fired plants, promising to employ carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, and in the process hoping to become a CCS world leader.
At this moment the bet seems to have...well, backfired. The country's first gas-fired plant, Karstø, has run at full capacity only 2 out of the 11 weeks it has officially been online. With gas prices high and electricity prices low, it just isn't economically justified to keep the plant online. So how, one would wonder, could it be feasible to add on CCS? Thus far, Aker Clean Carbon is ploughing ahead with (government subsidized) plans for an 875 NOK (US$171 million) carbon capture technology called Just Catch that it says can create zero carbon emissions at Karstø (it uses biogas to power the CCS)...five or more years down the road. Pressed for time to get Just Catch up and running by 2009, Aker is scaling its pilot version at Karstø to capture just enough carbon (180 tons) to fill a ship container. Laughable, says Greenpeace, noting that Norway would be smarter to put as least as much research cash into solar as into CCS. Via ::Teknisk Ukeblad (Norwegian)...
Boulder, Colorado: First to Have a Smart Grid?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.17.08
Xcel Energy announced that it wants to make Boulder, Colorado, the first fully integrated Smart Grid City in the US. Not a moment too soon when you consider how much energy is wasted with the current system.
What this would mean, concretely, is mostly four things: 1) dynamic metering providing real-time, high-speed, two-way communication throughout the distribution grid, 2) converting substations to “smart” substations capable of remote monitoring, near real-time data and optimized performance, 3) at the customer’s invitation, installation of programmable in- home control devices and the necessary systems to fully automate home energy use, and 4) integration of infrastructure to support easily dispatched distributed generation technologies (such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with vehicle-to-grid technology; battery systems; wind turbines; and solar panels)....
Summer is Coming, Bring on the Green Linen!
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 03.17.08
Image Credit: Human Inbox.
Via:: Ecotextile News. We’ve told you about the impacts of cotton versus viscose here. Recently, the findings of a new life cycle analysis (LCA) comparing a linen and cotton shirt were shared at Premiere Vision by the French company Masters of Linen. The LCA considers all stages of the life cycle of linen from the growing of flax to the processing, spinning, weaving, finishing, garment manufacture, care during the use phase and the recycling of worn-out garments.
The LCA shows that the major eco-benefits of linen are in the agricultural stage. The study claims that a shirt made of linen has a more sustainable eco-profile than the same shirt made of cotton. ...
NYC First Bike-Only Parking Lot, With Attendant, Is Planned for Midtown
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.17.08
A private-sector solution, the city’s first bikes-only parking lot complete with attendant, may be on its way to midtown Manhattan soon. According to the New York Times, the executives with the planhave cleared the high hurdle of finding available space in Midtown, on West 33rd Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. All they need is a corporation willing to pay as much as $200,000 a year to sponsor the idea....
Goodbye Catwalk and End-of-Season Inventory, Hello StyleShake
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 03.17.08
TreeHugger is a big fan of computer prototypes in designing functional furniture and green homes, how about in fashion? A new UK-based company StyleShake lets women design, share patterns, choose their fabric and order their creations through the Internet.
"Product customization really is an old field," says Iris Ben-David, CEO and founder of StyleShake. "But personal design has now gotten up to selecting shoe color or the image on a T-shirt. Never before has it been possible to design an entire garment, including shape, cut, patterning, and body structure."
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A Picture is Worth... The World After People
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.17.08
Images courtesy of Daily Mail
Seemingly ripped straight out of the pages of Alan Weisman's fascinating book, The World Without Us, Life After People, a recently aired two-hour documentary on the History Channel, presents a future scenario under which the planet - unburdened by the presence of humans - would slowly begin to recover. Most signs of human life would disappear within the next century; in their place, a new era would begin - dominated by the surviving animals and plants.
Lest you think the documentary is all unsubstantiated guesswork, its director and producers relied on the advice of several notable scientists, including Gordon Masterton, a former president of the United Kingdom's Royal Institution of Civil Engineers....
Old-School: $11 of Mods + New Tires = 25% Better Fuel Economy
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.17.08
The 1973-1974 oil crisis made a lot of people start to pay attention to fuel economy for the first time. In its March 1974 edition, the magazine Car and Driver had a look at some simple DIY modifications that could be made to one of the economy cars of the time, the Ford Pinto (ack).
They came up with six fairly simple and inexpensive suggestions (see below). Not all of them are as applicable today, but some are (lots of cars with bad aerodynamics on the road), and the general spirit of the exercise is worth recapturing. Efficiency isn't enough - we need a much bigger leap forward - but it's better than nothing in the meantime, and even much cleaner cars (Plug-ins, EVs) would benefit from rolling resistance and aerodynamics improvements....
Study Shows Incandescent Bulbs Are Warm and Toasty
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.08
Gluh Lampe brick heater
The normally sensible Tyler Hamilton reports on a study which suggests that in cold places like Canada, an incandescent bulb can keep you warm and toasty in winter, and may be more environmentally benign than a compact fluorescent. In places like Quebec that get their electricity from hydropower, switching to CFLs would actually increase emissions by the equivalent of 40,000 cars as people use more natural gas to heat their homes.
And who wrote this study? A senior scientist at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd, Michael Ivanco, who might have a small vested interest in promoting such an idea. Furthermore if the study just looks at just the calories of heat rather than the location, it is not considering whether it is useful or wasted heat. I think one might find that a layer of heat from bulbs up near the ceiling does not do much good down at the floor, where the registers or radiators are. I doubt that in reality the heat from incandescent bulbs does much good at all. Stick to your nukes, Mike. ::The Star
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Istanbul Learns From Bogotá
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03.17.08
Big Steps in Building: Put Solar Hot Water Heaters on Every Roof
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.08
How dumb is this? Use coal to boil water. Use steam to spin turbines and run generators to make electricity then transported long distances to connect to a coil at the bottom of a tank- to make hot water.
Solar hot water panels are dumb simple too, often just a box with a glass lid with black pipes in it; you can even build them yourself. Others, like evacuated tube collectors are more efficient if more expensive.
A solar water heater could save $ 450 a year and keep almost a ton of CO2 emissions out of the air; multiply that by 80 million houses in the USA. The technology has been around forever. Chinese manufacturers are cranking them out by the millions. So why doesn't every house have them?
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Fun with Vegetables: Unexploded Turnips
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.08
Those who try to eat local food at this time of year are getting awfully tired of turnips and look for creative things to do with them. A Fort Wayne locavore has come up with a novel idea- sending it to a lawyer, evidently conveying the message "you can’t get blood from a turnip."
The bomb squad was called in to use a robot, an x-ray machine and a water cannon to determine the contents of the box. No doubt Homeland Security will now send troops into the turnip patches to root out unexploded vegetables, or go after Jasmin for pickling them. ::Journal Gazette via ::Boingboing
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Building Resilience: Meeting Peak Everything With Systems Thinking
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.17.08
With glaciers and arctic ice melting at unprecedented rates, with traditional politicians all but ignoring the threat of peak oil, with food getting ever more expensive and with extinction rates threatening global productivity, the modern world can sometimes feel like a scary place. How do we respond to all of these different challenges, and how do we know which crisis to prioritize first? In the light of so many different, yet interconnected pressures on our current social and economic structures, many folks concerned with sustainability are beginning to explore the concept of resilience in more detail – that is, the idea of not just tackling a problem like climate change or peak oil alone, but instead beginning to restructure our human-made systems so they are stronger, more adaptable, and able to withstand multiple shocks or pressures. Rob Hopkins, of the magnificent Transition Towns Movement, talked a little bit about building local resilience here, but for those wanting to explore the concept further, the UK Systems Society is holding a 3 day conference entitle “Building Resilience” at the University of Oxford this September. This from the conference flyer:
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Natural Collection Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 03.17.08
This week is Carnival of the Green # 119 and it's being hosted by our very own Carnival founder Al Tepper at Natural Collection. So head on over to their site to check out a round up of green news and events from the past week, 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 1922: Poop Power
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.08
We recently saw poop power in California, also in Texas, Minnesota and Vermont. Now we learn that it is really old school technology, as this 1922 Popular Science article attests.
"SEWAGE that costs large cities tremendous sums each year can be turned into a source of power equivalent to thousands of tons of coal! The waste now dumped into rivers or shipped to sea may be used to run factories or to light buildings!...The apparatus for producing gas from sewage consists of two sludge digestion tanks in which the sewage is allowed to ferment. The gases given off are composed of from 25 to 75 per cent of methane, or marsh gas." ::Modern Mechanix...
Perils of Prefab
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.08
The Wall Street Journal takes a chainsaw to modern prefab, sounding shocked, shocked, that there are sometimes problems due to site conditions, client changes or cost overruns. There are also teething problems with new designs and clearly a few issues between builders and designers; Charlie Lazor's fabulous flatpack house appears to have been too much for prefabber Empyrean to handle. Patrick Gilrane of Empyrian told the Journal: "There were a number of special items that were designed specifically for that house, If you utilize a standard kit of parts, we're pretty good at that." The article appears to look for cost over-runs that have nothing to do with the prefabs (septic tank cost over-runs?) and blames the architects anyways. ::Wall Street Journal
Much more positive is the LA Times, interviewing Allison Arieff, who literally wrote the book on the subject, although even she points out that "A lot was over-promised and under-delivered, so now we are going through this period of realism where the consumer wants to see what's available and possible." ::LA Times
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Survey: Do You Play Outside?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.08
A new study finds that visits to national parks for camping, hiking, hunting or fishing have dropped almost 25% in the last 25 years, that nature is losing out to computers and video games. "There seems to be a lot of interest in the green movement, but it doesn't translate to being out in the green," says one of the authors. "That's a problem at a time when many wilderness areas are threatened by urban sprawl, highways, mining, forestry or other developments."
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Marmot Upcycle: Once More with Feeling
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.17.08
Marmot have long been an innovator in the outdoor market. They were one of the first to embrace Gore-tex waterproof/breathable fabric back in the mid 70’s, using it in sleeping bags, apparel and tents. Many years on, they are in the midst of embracing a new materials revolution. This time around its not just performance that gets a look in, but also the planet.
Marmot are using a raft of materials under their ‘Upcycle’ tag. They’ve a new line of daypacks and urban totes from a recycled polyester. Some of their sleeping bags (as we’ve noted before) crafted with 100% recycled polyester shell fabrics and a 80% post consumer recycled, hollow core, continuous filament insulation. Fast drying, odour controlling apparel using Cocona - activated charcoal from ‘waste’ coconut husks. Plus Marmot have even managed to score a coveted green award for an Upcycle garment....
Migratory Bird Flyways And Off-Shore Wind Farms:- A Co-Evolutionary Overlap
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 03.17.08
Why is it that sites with otherwise ideal characteristics often overlap migratory bird flyways - waterfowl mainly? Coincidence, or predetermined evolutionary outcome?
On Jan. 10, Green Energy Ohio released the first two years of data from an ongoing study in which wind over Lake Erie is being measured from a 165-foot tower on top of Cleveland's water intake crib. It's one of 10 monitors around the state but the only one that lies offshore. Not surprisingly, the strongest, most consistent winds were documented there, resulting in some excitement. The real test, though, will be in the Toledo area, where the wind-wildlife issue collides....
Madrid Gets a Vertical Garden Too
by Bonnie Alter, London on 03.17.08
Paris Museum Quai Branly got their green wall two years ago--a 4 story vertical garden on an exterior wall of the building. Now Madrid's newly opened CaixaForum museum has one too. It is 24 metres high and takes up one wall of the square in front of the building. It has 15,000 plants of 250 different species and has become an instant drawing card to the area. It forms a striking contrast to the restored building which has a two-storey addition of rusted iron on top of the original. The architects, Herzog & de Meuron, said that they wanted to "create a very unusual encounter between the rough and the natural, ...to incorporate nature so there can be the smell of a garden where you would not expect it."
The creator of the garden is Patrick Blanc, who has made quite a speciality out of them all over France and coming soon to China and the UK. He believes that they could be created everywhere--in parking lots, train stations, the metro, "those difficult spaces where you don't expect to see greenery". Interestingly, growing plants out of a wall is not as heavy as it seems. Having researched the world's jungles and rainforests as his basis, the weight is less than 30kg per square metre and can be installed on any wall. :: Financial Times and :: The Art Newspaper ...
Hugo Franca's Work with Reclaimed Wood
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03.17.08
Hugo França was an employee at a computer company in Sao Paulo until he resigned his job and moved to northeast Brazil, where he spent 15 years learning the mysteries of working with wood.
From then on, França designs these impressive pieces of furniture from logs that have been burned out of left behind by lodgers or natural weather phenomena. How does he find them? Every 45 days, he goes back to his studio in Bahia and walks the jungle with local farmers and indigenous people, who guide him to abandoned trunks or sell him old canoes.
Read and see more pictures in the extended.
::Via The New York Times. All pictures by Paulo Fridman for the NYT, unless noted. ...
The Garnaut Climate Change Review
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.17.08
We recently discussed Professor Garnaut’s report on what climate change will mean for Australia: the so called Aussie Stern Report, alluding to the one handed down in the UK during 2006. At the time we neglected to point you to the Garnaut Climate Change Review website, where recently an Issues paper on Transport, Planning and the Built Environment was posted.
Fuel use in transport accounted for 14% of Australia’s emissions in 2005, and is projected increase by 67% over 1990 levels by 2020. Around 80% of Australian adults used a private car to commute to work in 2006 , with emissions from cars creating 54% of Australia’s total domestic transport emissions, and increasing by 40% between 1990 and 2020. The stats for buildings are just as sobering....
Glaciers Are Melting at Fastest Rate in Past Five Millenia
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.16.08
Image courtesy of ricardo.martins via flickr
In light of our ongoing coverage of the melting Arctic ice caps - or, as we like to think of it, the "how low will they go" game - it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to hear that the world's glaciers are now melting at a faster rate than at any prior time since records began. Reporting for The Observer, Juliette Jowit and Robin McKie scrutinize the results of the latest World Glacier Monitoring Service report, which reveals that 30 glaciers around the world lost a record amount of ice in 2006 - a clear sign of global warming's impact, its authors argue (no arguments here)....
US Airlines Must Pay the Price of Carbon Emissions or Lose EU Flights
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 03.16.08
If you're not attempting to reduce your airline's carbon emissions by flying the first all-biofuel jumbo-jet flight, the efficacy of which is in and of itself up for debate, the EU requires your airline to subscribe to a carbon trading *cough* scheme. And that includes you, good old U.S. of Airline, so get scheming. Yesterday the EU transport commissioner Jacques Barrot warned US airlines that they must pay for carbon dioxide emissions or face a curb on flights to the European Union. The operative concept here being to curb flights rather than carbon levels themselves....
Pop Rock & Roll Earrings by Millie Hilgert
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.16.08
Polished and luminescent, these candy-like danging earrings ($18 a pair) look nothing like the vinyl material from which they're derived. Fusing fashion with her love of music, designer Millie Hilgert (aka "Miss Courageous") carves up old vinyl records and suspends them from sterling-silver earwires by hand in Boise, Idaho. Lickable colors that recall ice-cream sodas, jukeboxes, and poodle skirts include cherry, lemon, cotton candy, and grape.
For the old-school connoisseur, the earrings also come in opaque black. ::BTC Elements...
The Future of Farming
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.16.08
Chris Ramirez for The New York Times
They sure don't look like Murray McLaughlin's farmers- "Straw hats and old dirty hankies; Moppin' a face like a shoe- those are the faces of the new farmers. This is a wonderful trend for so many reasons; young people have been leaving the farms for years, small towns have been devastated and farms grown over; now it is comeback time. According to the New York Times:
"Steeped in years of talk around college campuses and in stylish urban enclaves about the evils of factory farms (see the E. coli spinach outbreaks), the perils of relying on petroleum to deliver food over long distances (see global warming) and the beauty of greenmarkets (see the four-times-weekly locavore cornucopia in Union Square), some young urbanites are starting to put their muscles where their pro-environment, antiglobalization mouths are. They are creating small-scale farms near urban areas hungry for quality produce and willing to pay a premium." ::New York Times
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Biking for Bread: Students Build Pedal-Powered Grain Crusher
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.16.08
As the first step in what they hope will eventually become an entrepreneurial version of the successful Doctors Without Borders and Engineers Without Borders models, Beena Sukumaran, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rowan University, and several students have developed a pedal-powered grain crusher. Their aim in building the simple add-on was to create an effective device for people in developing countries to use to process a variety of grains on the cheap. Moreover, it could also help generate income for individuals traveling from village to village.
Still in the development stage, the aluminum grain crusher attaches to any bike mounted on a stand; when a rider begins to pedal, the back wheel turns a pulley that moves plates in the crusher that process the grains from large pieces into smaller ones suitable for cooking. ...
Pop Quiz: Clothing Au Naturel
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 03.16.08
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Electric Car Capital: Oslo, Stocholm, Tel Aviv?
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 03.16.08
Norway's THINK Ox 4-door is still just a concept car.
It could be old Swedish-Norwegian rivalries rearing up again. Norway has the electric car maker THINK, which is beginning to roll new THINK city cars off of its production line next month (some of them rolling right over to the Swedish isle of Öland). THINK also showed the four-door, five passenger concept car Ox at the recent Geneva Auto Show.
Meanwhile, Sweden's Volvo and Saab together with the Swedish utility Vattenfall and battery maker ETC are straining to get ahead in hybrid-electric vehicle infrastructure. In a joint project with investments of around 62 million Swedish crowns (just over $US 10 million), a mixed 10-car fleet of Volvo and Saab plug-in hybrids will be road tested in Stockholm. Finnish power company Fortum (which owns Stockholm's electric net) and Toyota are speeding ahead to give Stockholm a good network of available outlets for re-charging - especially in parking lots and adjacent to business districts. Fortum says the problem of how owners will pay for their recharge isn't yet solved, but poses no great technology barrier (hint: how 'bout via SMS?). Currently, costs per 10 kilometers of driving are estimated to be between 1 and 3 crowns ($.16 - $.48). But while Oslo and Stockholm battle it out in Scandinavia, Project Better Place is betting over US$200 million and moving quickly on making Israel the first to have a complete electric recharging infrastructure. Via ::Dagens Industri (Swedish)...
Caroline Lucas on Peak Oil, Transition Towns, and the Failure of Traditional Politics
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.16.08
It's Time to Mother Nature
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 03.16.08
Do you wish you could send a message -- to the government, to the people, out into the world -- that it is time to act to save our planet? Adrian Saker is no longer wishing; he is acting. Adrian believes his line "It's Time to Mother Nature" is original. He has not trademarked nor registered this line, but chooses to give his creative slogan away to the environmental movement. And he has put the Secret Service on notice: he is planning to break the law....
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.
- Ecotality Blog
- Ecostore
- Accidental Environmentalist Jolly Green Girl Confidential
- GreenShopper.com - Environmentally Friendly and Green Shopping Community
- Eco Investment Club
- Runaway Now
- Our Greener Life
- Sustainable is Good
- Variety Presents Green Hollywood
- Switchboard
- Architype Review
- Green Fertility
- The Blue Marble Blog
