- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for March 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, Gatineau, 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
...
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, Gatineau, 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 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, Gatineau, 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, Gatineau, 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, Jerusalem, Israel 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, Rhode Island, USA 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 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.
...
Green Basics: An Explanation of the Water Cycle (with Pictures and Diagrams)
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.20.08
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, Helena, MT, USA 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, Gatineau, 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, Gatineau, 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....
Jargon Watch: How to Stop Global Warming with CRAGs
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.
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, Gatineau, 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, Gatineau, 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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