- 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 May 4, 2008 - May 10, 2008
Total this week: 167
Biofuel Comparison Chart: The "Good," the Bad and the (Really) Ugly
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.10.08
Chart courtesy of Seattle P.-I.
Courtesy of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer comes this nifty side-by-side comparison chart (see here for a blown-up version). The article does a nice job of running through the (many) problems associated with biofuels, citing two studies by The Nature Conservancy and a team of U.S. scientists. ...
Plug-Ins Have Higher CO2 Emissions Than Traditional Hybrids Car When Coal Fires Grid, Study Shows
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.10.08
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study results can seem counter-intuitive, even preposterous, until one spends hours pouring over the details. That said: it's generally possible to find a take-away message that makes immediate sense. A recently published LCA study - Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from plug-in hybrid vehicles: Implications for policy - makes especially timely, important points about the fit of coal fired electricity and Plug-In Hybrid vehicle use in North America. In a word: we really must clean up the grid to make PHEVs worthwhile. To quote one of the authors:When upstream impacts from fuel extraction, production, processing, and transportation are included, total GHGs per kWh get closer to ~670. Using power that looks like this still affords PHEVs a 32% reduction in life cycle GHGs compared to a regular sedan, and a 5% reduction compared to efficient gasoline-electric hybrids. In areas where coal is or could be the dominant fuel for charging (~950 g/kWh), PHEVs would still edge out sedans on GHGs but they would have 9-18% higher GHGs than hybrids. On the other hand, with a low-carbon portfolio of ~ 200 g/kWh, PHEVs would have large GHG reductions compared to sedans and hybrids (51-63% and 31 to 47%, respectively).Our take on the coming election: a politician who supports PHEV R&D and coal power is self contradicting. By definition, if you support more coal power you should not support electric vehicles of any kind. [See important "update" below the fold.]...
Public Transit Looking More Attractive in the Face of Record Gas Prices
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.10.08
Image courtesy of frozenchipmunk via flickr
The upshot of the record gas prices we're seeing has been the sometimes meteoric rise in the number of drivers switching over to public transit. And, as we learn today from a prominent piece in the NYT, it's become a national trend — one that has especially picked up steam in many of the Southwest's car-happy metropolitan areas (hi Los Angeles). Indeed, as another recent piece in the LAT points out, usage statistics for the MTA have gone through the roof:
"After declining at the end of 2007, L.A. rail and bus ridership started rising in January. From January to March, average weekday boardings were up 16% on the Red Line rail system, 13% on the Blue Line and 17% on the Gold Line, which set a record for highest average weekday boardings in March with 22,231. Bus ridership grew 8% from January to March."...
Pentagon Plans Urban Renewal in Baghdad’s Green Zone
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 05.10.08
The "Tigris Woods Country Club" as envisioned by the Pentagon's planners.
How do you rehabilitate a city that has suffered from half a decade of bombings, lootings, sectarian violence, terrorism, military occupation, large-scale infrastructure failure, curfews and all the horrors of some post-apocalyptic Hollywood blockbuster? According to the Pentagon, pimp it out with the most fantastic amenities that money can buy, and put them all inside one centrally-located, gated waterfront community.
In another strange move by the American authorities in Iraq, plans are underway to transform part of Baghdad’s Green Zone - the sprawling military/civilian compound along the Tigris river, currently home to coalition personnel and foreign companies – into a luxurious “International Village,” complete with malls, amusement parks, luxury hotels and golf courses.
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Rothbury Music Festival Showcases Next Generation of Carbon Offsetting
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05.10.08
When you’ve got a brand new music festival you’re putting together it’s really a great opportunity to think outside the box when it comes to greening the event. And this July, organizers of the ROTHBURY Festival in Rothbury, Michigan will do just that; offsetting the carbon footprint of folks enjoying acts like the Dave Matthews Band, Gov’t Mule, Snoop Dogg, and John Mayer in a novel way....
Transition Town Plants Up Nut Trees for Food Security
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.10.08
Our readers will have to stop us if they get bored of hearing about Transition Towns because we find it hard to stop writing about them. While Oily Cassandra might be busy educating the world about peak oil in her own scantily-clad (and perhaps slightly pessimistic) way, the folks involved in the Transition movement are busy pioneering a path towards reduced fossil fuel dependence. So far we’ve interviewed Rob Hopkins, the founder of the movement, about peak oil and community resilience, we’ve seen how whole cities are stepping up to plan for power down, we’ve heard about the launch of the Transition Handbook, and we’ve celebrated as Transition Towns reach Australia. But the positive news from over the pond just keeps on coming. The latest transition-related initiative that’s caught our eye is efforts by the Totnes group to make the town the ‘Nut Tree Capital of Britain’. Much like Transition City Bristol’s ‘virtual orchard’, the idea is to use town-wide plantings to create a stock of healthy, productive trees that can serve as a great source of local food, and a buffer in times of scarcity.
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Buying Green Online - Gasoline Saver Or Climate Bigfoot?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.10.08
With gasoline prices rising so, we expect consumers to increasingly shop online to reduce their personal climate "footprint" and save money. Especially if the green products selection is good.
To explore this question a bit, we checked out the Amazon green product listing where one can find many of the familiar "green" items and then some. A total of 713 items were "tagged" as green by customers. Click and scroll, click and scroll....
Green Grants Machine: New Source for Green Funding
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05.10.08
More than £1.2 billion (2.4 billion US dollars) is up for grabs. If your business in the UK or the greater EU wants to go green, this money has your name on it. But how do you find it? Enter the Green Grants Machine: a match-making site made in business heaven may help put you together with your perfect partner funding opportunity. ...
Winners of First “Picture Sustainability” Photo Contest Announced
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 05. 9.08
FIRST PRIZE WINNER Mother’s Love, Australia by Alli Minor, Hoover, Alabama
Awww, mama and baby Koalas just in time to remind us that mom's very special day is this weekend (please allow us to help you pamper mom and mama earth with our gift guide).
However, hit the JUMP to see the GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the Rainforest Alliance's First “Picture Sustainability” Photo Contest. Last January, the Rainforest Alliance invited United States residents to submit photos illustrating sustainable agriculture, forestry and tourism with the aim of raising awareness about conservation issues while expanding the foundation’s collection of photos for use in its publications and on its Web site. A bunch of prizes were offered with the Grand Prize winner receiving a trip to New York City including lodging at an eco-friendly hotel, seats at the Rainforest Alliance annual gala, and a Fujifilm FinePix digital camera. We NYC TreeHuggers couldn't be more thrilled to welcome the lucky photographer whom we hope will use their winnings to snap a few awareness-raising shots in Gotham's very own urban forest. Drum-roll please......
Swiss Government Issues Bill of Rights for Plants
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.08
Store Wars!
Revolution is in the air, as the Swiss Government's Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology concludes that plants have rights, and we have to treat them appropriately. A majority of the panel concluded that "living organisms should be considered morally for their own sake because they are alive." The Weekly Standard, which is appalled, gives an example of how a farmer mowing his field is OK, but if he carelessly decapitates flowers while walking home, that is immoral. It suggests that "The animal rights movement grew out of the same poisonous soil." Patrick Metzger at Green Daily suggests that "this concept is a little extreme even for the most committed treehugger."
Having scanned the report, I am not so sure that it is that far off base. It isn't just Julia Butterfly Hill who has fought for the rights of trees, and there are many who fall in love with their garden and protect their tomatoes like their pets, and give them the proper reverence when they are eaten. They don't pick them and throw them against the wall.
Millions of Jains refuse any food obtained with unnecessary cruelty, and many will not eat root vegetables because it kills the plant; it is not like this is a new idea.
They are not, like the Weekly Standard suggests, writing a vegetable Bill of Rights, they are only saying that all living things should be treated with respect. How can one argue with that? Download the PDF report here.
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Is the Drive for Sustainability Killing Creativity?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.08
UK architecture website BD online asked Austin Williams, author of new book The Enemies of Progress, and Pooran Desai of BioRegional Quintain. We excerpt a bit:
Austin Williams says YES: "The mantra “less is more” has gone from being a defining moment in modernist thought to the unquestioned orthodoxy of our environmental age. Unfortunately, its progressive content has been stripped away.
Efficiency used to encourage us to design creatively in order to, as Buckminster Fuller implied, do more and more. Now, environmental efficiency states that using less is an end in itself. Sustainability is a moral injunction for restraint. Architecture has become a carbon spreadsheet. In that sense, the essence of imagination is lost."
Pooran Desai says NO: "The world has changed in only a couple of years. The days of plentiful, cheap oil have gone for good. For the first time in 40 years, food security is back on the agenda — not only as an international political issue but as a domestic one as well. We now know we must find solutions which enable us to lead high-quality lives within the limits of the planet’s finite resources. Creativity is not about ignoring constraints. That is madness, literally a state of dissociation from reality. Creativity is about solutions which overcome constraints." ::BD Online
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Green Eyes On: Bee Pollen Cures Allergies
by Sara Snow on 05. 9.08
I’ve found a way to save the bees and save your itchy, watery, allergy eyes. And, no, it doesn’t come in an orange prescription bottle or costly over-the-counter remedy. It comes from my favorite source –- nature. Yesterday I was outside at a shoot for the cover for my book, surrounded by blooming trees and shrubs, with pollen flying freely all around us. I, who have never suffered from allergies, suddenly had watering eyes and a cough that wouldn’t quit. My makeup artist was thankfully on hand to catch the running mascara (come on -- I have to look good on the cover of my book!) and as she dabbed and blotted, allergies became the topic of conversation....
8 Ways To Green Your Mother This Mother's Day
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05. 9.08
Image courtesy procsilas at flickr
There are now oodles of guides to buying green gifts for your mom on Mother's Day. Here's our take on this year's fabulous finds. And while the organic flowers-organic chocolate-organic spa basket thing is all well and good, what if your dearest wish is not to just buy green for mom but find ways to get her to be green, or greener? Every mom is different - and some of your moms may be your personal inspiration - but if you want to offer your mom a service rather than just give her a gift, we've collected some TreeHugger ideas for off-beat ways to show your love and support mom on her green path.
1. Start slow, slow, slow. Value shifting is not a short-term process, so don't expect your mom to come around over night. And try not to bombard her with negative eco-facts. Instead, if your mom is a real newbie (or really resistant to your former efforts) choose just a single area to focus you service on - something dear to your mom's heart like her garden, the kitchen, or the bathroom. Danish researchers have found that adopting one environmental behavior usually leads people to adopt another, especially if opportunities are around for further "greening." So basically, if you can find the one green thing that truly resonates with your mom, chances are she'll be started on the road to further greenness. Need inspiration for which area to start with - check our guides for How to Go Green....
Russia Joins Global League of Climate Obstructionists, Putting Future U.N. Treaty in Doubt
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05. 9.08
Image courtesy of JackVersloot via flickr
When in Rome: Joining its fellow top polluters -- China, India and the U.S. -- Russia has signaled it would rebuff the imposition of tougher emission standards, casting doubt on the prospects for a future U.N.-mediated climate treaty, reports Reuters' Alister Doyle. Government officials said last week that the country wouldn't accept binding caps under a new deal to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, set to expire by the end of 2012....
Study Finds Meat and Dairy Create More Emissions Than Miles
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 05. 9.08
A study in the April 15 edition of Environmental Science & Technology by the prolific Carnegie Mellon University researcher Christopher Weber found that food transport accounts for only 11 percent of food-associated greenhouse gas emissions, while production contributes a whopping 83 percent. Specifically, nitrous oxide and methane -- mainly byproducts of fertilizer use, manure management and animal digestion -- make up a far bigger piece of the emissions pie than emissions from transporting our food from faraway places, the study found.
Weber and colleague Scott Matthews conducted a life-cycle assessment of greenhouse gases emitted during all stages of growing and transporting food consumed in the U.S. (using Department of Commerce data) and calculated that the average U.S. household generates 8.1 metric tons (t) of greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) annually as a result of food consumption. By comparison, driving a car that gets 25 miles per gallon of gasoline for 12,000 miles per year (the U.S. average) produces about 4.4 tons of CO2.
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Pop Quiz: The Things We Do For...Gas
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 05. 9.08
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Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards for 2008
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.08
The National Design Awards celebrate designers rather than design, honoring a body of work rather than a specific project. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Charles Harrison, who created over 750 products and became Chief Designer at Sears.
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Architects' Home and Office is Less Than Eight Feet Wide
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.08
So often the space between buildings is just wasted, a source of heat loss and little else. sculp(IT), a "young, progressive and complementary team of architects who apply their passion for architecture to every task given" from Antwerp, have taken a 7'-10" wide space and turned it into a home and office.
"Four wooden floors between two existing walls, hanging in a steel skeleton, organize this house: downstairs for work, dining on 1st, relaxing on 2nd, sleeping on 3rd, and on the roof, go and enjoy the view."
All photography Luc Roymans...
We Hear Ya: Answers to Questions about the Sierra Club and Green Works
by Greg Haegele, Deputy Executive Director, Sierra Cl on 05. 9.08
We've been listening closely at the Sierra Club to the public discussion -- on blogs and elsewhere -- about our endorsement of the new Green Works line from the makers of Clorox products. It's been a fascinating debate with folks lining up in various camps often for different reasons. The issues we've seen being raised are the same concerns that came up when members of various Sierra Club committees considered this new alliance.
After a thorough review of the company and its new product line, we decided to move forward with our collective eyes wide open. In response to the lively debate that's ensued, we've posted an FAQ on our website that answers questions like "What is Clorox's overall environmental record?" and "Isn't Clorox a big dumper of chlorine into the environment?" I hope it helps those of you who have following the discussion on Treehugger and elsewhere to understand why we made the decision we did....
Britons Waste $20bn Worth of Food a Year
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05. 9.08
We’ve already heard lots about the food crisis that is threatening global development, and we have had plenty of debate about how eating no meat, a little meat, fake meat and even the plain old potato might help ease global hunger, stop global warming, and generally make life easier for all of us. But let’s forget about what we do eat for a moment – a new report coming out of the UK shows the staggering costs of what we don’t eat:
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Survey: Do You Buy Fair Trade?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 9.08
Bonnie writes "There are so many communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America that are benefiting from the [Fair Trade] movement's commitment to paying a living wage by teaching people to create products that are useful, use local materials, and do not have a negative impact on the environment." But there is often a price to be paid, as it costs more to grow cocoa or coffee without chemicals and to pay people properly.
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Stephen Colbert Reports Energy Crisis Solved by Ethanol VIDEO 15 seconds
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 05. 9.08
DDT Redux: PBDEs In Peregrine Falcons Close To Levels Damaging Developing Lab Rats & Mice
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05. 9.08
We already know that Petroleum Furnishings Give Kitties and Kiddos Higher PBDE Exposures. This is a familiar tale, set in the periodic table of elements, where bromine perches near chlorine. And where Rachel Carson, according to the Think Tank Experts, is the enemy. The eggs of peregrine falcons living in California's big cities contain some of the highest levels ever found in wildlife of a flame retardant used in consumer products, a new study has found....
New Plan Aims Reduce Air Pollution From LA, Long Beach Ports
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 05. 9.08
As part of a $500 million plan to clean up the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles--which are significant sources of air pollution in the Los Angeles basin--half of the 16,000 diesel trucks that currently operate at the ports will be replaced with liquefied natural gas (LNG) models. With diesel at over $4 a gallon, many truckers have already been slowing down to save fuel, but no amount of slowing down can reduce the emission of conventional pollutants from the oldest trucks, which is the biggest problem currently facing the ports. Trucking companies, therefore, have finally agreed with the plan, and this October will begin replacing their oldest, most inefficient and dirtiest trucks. The goal is that by 2012 "only trucks meeting the EPA's 2007 clean air standards will be allowed in the ports." (It's not clear why trucks that don't meet those standards are currently allowed in the port, although it's probably a question of cost, as well as the fact that a significant potion of America's products enter through these two ports).
The Clean Air Action Plan will also require that ships turn off on-board systems while they are at the docks. Finally, the target for overall emissions reductions from the port is 45%, which includes an 80% reduction in truck emissions.
Via: ::GreenBiz.com
See Also: ::Take Your Natural-Gas Vehicle To Utah!, ::Norwegian LNG Could Satisfy 10% of US East Coast Natural Gas Demand, ::Port Cities at Risk of Climate Change-Induced Coastal Flooding, ::Real Treehuggers Support Adding LNG Terminals, and ::EPA Petitioned to Limit CO2 Emissions from Ships...
World Fair Trade Day Has Ecological Theme
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05. 9.08
Tomorrow is World Fair Trade Day and a time for all of us to celebrate Fair Trade Organisations and buy more Fair Trade goods through Fair Trade stores. This year's theme is "Fair Trade + Ecology" and member organizations in 70 countries will be doing their best to promote the principles and values of Fair Trade. There are so many communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America that are benefiting from the movement's commitment to paying a living wage by teaching people to create products that are useful, use local materials, and do not have a negative impact on the environment.
People Tree, the first fair trade clothing brand, is launching a special limited edition line of dresses for the occasion. There are Fair Trade events happening all over the world in celebration. The range of groups is awe inspiring; from jute carrier bags from Bangladesh to handicrafts made out of discarded tins in Madagascar to delicate carved spoons made out of dead wood from Argentina. All over the world, people working in communities are making a better life for themselves and their families from fair trade principles in action. Make sure you support a Fair Trade company today. :: World Fair Trade Day...
Green From The Inside Out at Tel Aviv’s Houses From Within
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 05. 9.08
(Bauhaus building in Tel Aviv)
How exciting is it to look inside other people’s homes to see the way they live. City events couldn’t get more sustainable than weekends out at Open House, where city-dwellers open their doors to let the public marvel at architecture and design normally shut behind doors.
Last year Tel Aviv created its own Open House event. Called Houses from Within, the event which took place in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was dubbed by Condenast Traveller as the hottest new Israeli trend. We wrote a story about it on ISRAEL21c here.
When Israelis catch onto something hot they can move from zero to 90 in seconds. That seems to be the case in this year’s (green) Houses from Within – now incorporating a green, sustainable element, reports our friend Karen Chernick at Green Prophet.
“This year there’s a twist,” she writes. “This year environmentally friendly architecture and urban environmental issues are being made open to the public as well. The Houses From Within weekend of events, which will take place on May 16-17, will include nine environmentally-focused activities ranging from open houses to bicycle tours to mud brick workshops."
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Five Thousand Euro Electric Car Catches VW's Attention
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05. 9.08
"Oscar is smarter than the Smart", read the headlines of the Berliner Morgenpost after the little electric flitzer made a visit to the capital city. Oscar, for Open Source CAR, is an electric car developed by Felix von Borck of Akasol and a group of students at the Technical University of Darmstadt (which you may remember as the winner of the 2007 Solar Decathlon). Oscar was invited to Berlin for a meeting of the Green Party members in Germany's Bundestag (Parliament). There, Oscar drew the attention of a VW engineer. It is certainly not the looks, so what is it that draws VW's attention to Oscar?...
Research Shows that Research Contributes to Global Warming
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 05. 8.08
The average Canadian produces 22 tones of carbon dioxide each year - equal to the weight of about 4 large elephants. Doesn't everyone measure carbon dioxide in elephants? One of those Canadians happens to be biochemistry professor Hervé Philippe from the Université de Montréal.
Philippe was surprised to discover that his scientific work (computers, air travel, and air conditioning) added up to 44 tons of carbon dioxide a year, or almost 9 extra elephants. Amidst reports of rapidly accelerating carbon dioxide emissions, it is not surprising that we often forget the many aspects of our life that cause carbon dioxide emissions.
“I did my PhD on nucleotide sequencing in the hope of advancing our knowledge of biodiversity, but I never thought that the research itself could have a negative impact on biodiversity" said professor Philippe. He continued, "By viewing oil as an unlimited resource we are making a tremendous mistake."...
Is the Lieberman-Warner Climate Bill on its Last Legs?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05. 8.08
Oh Lieberman-Warner climate bill, we hardly knew ye: Climate Progress' Joe Romm brings us the sad news that the legislation may be on its way out -- victim, as he put it, of "apathy" and some serious watering down (read: neutering). Oh yes: It also turns out that whole "getting 60 votes" thing got in the way:
Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) shrugged off suggestions she is having trouble winning over moderates and conservatives from either party in her quest to find 60 votes and squash an inevitable filibuster. “To tell you the truth, we don’t know if we’ll wind up getting 60 votes this time,” Boxer said in an interview. “But we do believe we’re making tremendous progress and we’re going to start the debate.”...
A Picture is Worth... Myanmar Before and After Cyclone Nargis
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05. 8.08
Image courtesy of NASA/MODIS
These photos, which vividly capture the scope of the tragedy that befell Myanmar (or Burma), were taken by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Terra satellite's visual-infrared instrument. The U.N. estimates that over 1.5 million individuals may have been affected by Cyclone Nargis; over 100,000 are feared to be dead.
Via ::Scientific American: Myanmar Cyclone: Before and After (news website)...
Harrison Ford Waxes "Acre" of his Chest Hair as Analogy to Rainforest Deforestation -- um, what?
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 05. 8.08
I So Want A Hello Kitty Solar Charger
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.08
I mean I jst so wnt a hi Kitty sola Charger. It ltz me hlp save d world's NRG n hi Kitty fashiN! So w@ f it costs 2x as mch as a norml sola charger, it cn kip my ph chrgd n my ipod chrgd n its so cute!
teacha typz @ Triple Pundit sA "the people at Sanrio are introducing a concept into the worlds of our generation’s youth: renewables. The brands that already hold significance in young people’s lives are great vehicles to teach them about the environment and sustainability. However, whether this is a conscious effort by the makers of Hello Kitty to influence the way we consume products, or if this is a moment of clever PR work is hard to know for sure." WE dat means.
d nerds sA " I-Power is equipped with large 1200mAh Lithium battery. Also comes with LED to lighten up the environment, it is capable to provide the lighting for 48 hours straight." bt hu givs I wnt it::Triple Pundit...
Sting Rainforest Charity Controversy as Police Donate $1 Million to One Million Trees NYC
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 05. 8.08
As Sting and The Police announce they will play their final show in New York City, controversy swirls around The Rainforest Foundation
Yesterday we told you about the Rainforest Foundation Benefit happening tonight. Commenter Nick calls our attention to recent criticism of Sting and Trudie Styler's charitable organization, the Rainforest Foundation, for the percentage of contributions it spends on programs. The philanthropy watchdog, Charity Navigator, reports the Rainforest Foundation spent less than 61 per cent of its revenue for the 2006 fiscal year. Asked Tuesday about the claims against his foundation, Sting noted that in the charity's 20-year history, it has raised $25 million and spent more than $21 million, or 84 per cent. "That's a very good record," he said adding that it is unfair to look at the organization's yearly expenditures because it operates on a two-year cycle....
Ford Becomes First Automaker to Join the Climate Registry
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05. 8.08
Last year we wrote about the Climate Registry. John said: "Good metrics are a necessity for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from stationary sources. "Good" means everyone uses an agreed-to baseline year, to which all changes are compared, uniform methods for estimating emissions, and validation by third parties. With good metrics, plans for reduction, regardless of whether they are voluntary or mandatory, will be of higher value. The Climate Registry meets all these prerequisites."
Well, this year Ford became the first automaker to join voluntarily the Climate Registry, showing that it at least has the intention (we'll have to see how much action will follow) to be more transparent and accountable when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. Most members of the registry are states and provinces, and it is a good sign to see big companies also joining. We encourage others to follow Ford's example, and then to take action to reduce their emissions. ::Official Ford Announcement...
Today on Planet Green
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05. 8.08
:: Find that perfect non-profit to support with help from Jessica Biel.
:: Make eating veggies fun with Kelly's asparagus pancake recipe.
:: Get a peek into the world of sustainable teak flooring.
:: Green baby's crib.
:: Enlist the help of praying mantises to keep your garden growing....
Schwinn's Electric Bikes Now Available
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 05. 8.08
After many delays, Schwinn's new electric bikes are now available in certain bike stores. The range includes the Campus, the least expensive model at $1,900, the World GSE, which sells for $2,200, and the Continental priced at $2,500. These bikes look just like regular bikes -- the electric motors and batteries are integrated seamlessly into the design....
The TH Interview: Stephanie Meeks of The Nature Conservancy (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 05. 8.08
It’s not just any old organization that can set a goal like this: protect 10% of every ecosystem type on Earth by 2015, effectively doubling the headway of the conservation movement over the last century. But The Nature Conservancy can. Acting president and CEO Stephanie Meeks chats with TreeHugger Radio about this and other mind-boggling commitments. It's no wonder they own the URL "nature.org." ::TreeHugger Radio
Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Click here for part one of our interview.
(Full text below.)...
EPA: Why Impose Limits on Toxicant Levels in the Water Supply?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05. 8.08
Image courtesy of Mel B. via flickr
When questioned by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works yesterday about the potential health risks posed by perchlorate, a chemical used in solid rocket fuel, Benjamin H. Grumbles, the EPA's assistant administrator for water, said: "We know that perchlorate can have an adverse effect and we're concerned about that."
Yet, when further pressed by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who chairs the committee, on whether the agency would take action to limit the amount of perchlorate in water -- a no-brainer, you'd think, right? -- Grumbles answered that there was a "distinct possibility" (read: almost guaranteed) that it would not, reports the LAT's Marla Cone. ...
Conversations on the Greening of Architecture and Design at LEFT/BRAIN/RIGHT
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.08
Material Connexion is "the world's leading knowledge base for information about new and innovative materials." We are looking forward to attending Left/Brain/Right, , where Andrew Dent, VP of Materials and Library Research, will "discuss the sustainable materials and technologies that are transforming design today and the future opportunities that will redefine our built environment."
Li Edelkoort, founder and President of Trend Union, will "discuss the new bridges between Lifestyles and Architecture in the context of Green: the window into our souls that is altering our society, our landscapes, our aspirations, our surroundings, our surfaces and our notion of home and design."...
Kevin Deevey's Backyard Home Office
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.08
Ottawa, Canada is the second coldest capital city in the world, after Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Not the kind of place that you would expect people to be building home offices in the back yard, but architect Kevin Deevey did. It is a simple, modern design with commercial aluminum window frames, dark exterior plywood and a bit of corrugated metal....
Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid, and Extended-Range Electric Car Animated Primer
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05. 8.08
Technology Review has created a useful animated primer on regular hybrid cars, plug-in hybrids and 'extended-range' electric car. The latter is what the Chevy Volt will be; A plug-in hybrid, but unlike with regular hybrids and plug-in hybrids, the gasoline engine cannot turn the wheels directly. All it can do is charge the battery, which then powers electric motors that turn the wheels.
TR's animation shows operation of the vehicles both in charged conditions and when the battery is depleted. It's well-done and should answer the questions of those who are not familiar with the differences between these types of vehicles that are bound to become increasingly popular in the near future. You can see the animated primer here: ::Electric Cars Primer...
Buildings Owned By Union Collapse While LIUNA President Calls For "Rebuilding Infrastructure"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.08
Carbon Dioxide Emissions are Rapidly Accelerating, According to the Earth Policy Institute
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 05. 8.08
One of the major contributors to climate change is carbon dioxide (CO2). My colleague at Earth Policy Institute, Frances Moore, has been tracking CO2 emissions and recently released an Eco-Economy Indicator on CO2 emissions. Check out the Earth Policy Institute data. She writes that despite the unambiguous evidence that carbon dioxide is warming the planet, the growth in emissions is accelerating. "Emissions from the burning of fossil fuels stood at a record 8.38 gigatons of carbon (GtC) in 2006, 20 percent above the level in 2000. Emissions grew 3.1 percent a year between 2000 and 2006, more than twice the rate of growth during the 1990s. Carbon dioxide emissions have been growing steadily for 200 years, since fossil-fuel burning began on a large scale at the start of the Industrial Revolution."...
Video: Mr. Squirrel Assembles a Real Good Chair
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05. 8.08
From the Forums: High Food Prices, Here's How to Save
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 05. 8.08
It isn't just gasoline on everyone's mind these days. High food prices have got us all worried about feeding ourselves and our families. Forum member ed has started a thread on how to save money at the grocery store, but first points out:
The winners of the most inflated foodstuffs are up: 37% . . . Flour, 34.8% . . Eggs, 29.2% . . Sweet peppers, 23.1% . . Milk, 21.6% . . Dried beans.Already there are tons of tips in how to make your dollar go further, including one I never knew from grannymiller:...
$100 Wind Turbine Brings Light to Villages Without Power
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.08
Engineers Malcolm Knapp and Heather Fleming of the San Francisco Chapter of Engineers without Borders helped design this $100 wind turbine. ( I also love her "club sandwiches, not seals" T) Wired reports that unlike the large-scale assemblies found in wind farms, the roughly two-foot-wide and three-foot-tall turbine has a vertical axis. McLean said that orientation worked better in the choppy conditions likely to meet the turbine out in the field, where it'll be bolted on to buildings, towers or even trees.
It will be built in Guatemala, designed to be a cheap replacement for the kerosene lamps that are a fire and health risk. Project leader Matt McLean says "We've had to simplify the way we were thinking and get rid of the idea that everything had to be as efficient as possible," such as using teflon plumbing tape. "It's normally used for sealing pipes," said McLean. "But it's a very low cost way of reducing friction." ::Wired via ::Materialicious...
Pop Quiz: The White House, A GREEN House?
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 05. 8.08
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SOS 4.8: a New Green Music & Art Festival in Spain
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 05. 8.08
After numerous music bands, such as Radiohead, took on the fight against climate change and decided to go green(er), more and more festival organisers are also keen on the idea to contribute towards sustainability with their events. A great example is the SOS 4.8 festival held in Murcia, Spain, last weekend for the first time. None other than the Chemical Brothers, Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Mills, James, Digitalism and Fangoria (!) performed at the 24-hour event....
Burma Update: TreeHugger Readers Help AFH Hit Target in 24 Hours
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.08
Families waiting for relief goods in makeshift houses in Labutta, a town in the Irrawaddy division of southwest Myanmar. AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Forty hours ago we asked TreeHugger readers to contribute to Architecture for Humanity's fund to put together a team to start planning for the reconstruction of Burma. They got it in 24 hours. We talked this morning with Cameron Sinclair in Korea:
TH: Did TreeHugger readers make a difference?
CS: I have no idea, but the average donation was $45! Nothing over $100, all individuals.
TH: Does that differ from your usual donation profile?
CS: Well it is definitely different, we usually we get 60% small donations then one or two big ones. This was hundreds on small donations that collectively will make a difference. 100% of the donations were online.
TH: What's next?
CS so we hit $10K and Mortar Net is offering a $2500 match over the next day. $15K will allow us to have an on the ground team for 9 months to a year to work on sustainable reconstruction in one of the devastated communities.
TH: You are scheduled to speak at the Metropolis conference at ICFF. Will you make it back?
CS: Yes, I am also speaking on the 21st at MocaCleveland. I'm donating all honorariums for my talks this month to the Burma campaign.
TreeHugger readers made the difference. Can we help raise another $ 2500 in 24 hours? Donate here.
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Home Furnishings Designed to Be Ready to Rot
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.08
looolo cushions are designed to dizzolve
Penelope Green in The New York Times looks at "ready to rot" furniture, made of "wood frames from sustainably managed forests, uncoated nails, organic fabrics and stuffings, nontoxic dyes and, something extra: biodegradability. “At first the whole idea was to have as little impact on the environment as possible,” said Tim Zyto, chief executive of Montauk. “And then I started to think, wouldn’t it be great to have no impact? Then it was, hey, what if the sofa just disappears when you’re done with it?”
The principles espoused by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in Cradle to Cradle are being applied to household goods, which can be either upcycled or composted. Even Umbra, home of so many Designs by Mr. Plastic Fantastic Karim Rashid, is now making them out of PLA (corn based plastic) so that they will biodegrade.
Others think that this is the wrong approach.
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Cameron Diaz Encourages Global Film Screenings on Pangea Day, May 10
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05. 8.08
Bike Mechanics are the New Doctors
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.08
Photo Credit Egan Snow Creative Commons
In Toronto, it is getting as hard to get an appointment with a bicycle mechanic as it is to get one with a doctor. Susan Krashinsky writes in the Globe and Mail:
"Cycling is growing in popularity, and it's not easy to find a good mechanic. But this year, high gas prices, nasty weather and a traffic-choked downtown core meant tune-ups were in high demand. And when the transit strike hit in April, a flood of desperate customers descended on Toronto's bike shops."
Mechanics are working 11 hour days, and booking service appointments a month ahead. The number of cyclists has exploded. "It's gone off the hook," Mr. Kamphof [of curbside cycles] said. "We saw triple-digit growth for the month of April compared to last April."
And why not? "It's more convenient than the bus and it's less expensive than a car." ::Globe and Mail
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Hybrid Airplane-Car for Commuters of the Future?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05. 8.08
Today I am talking about making aviation available to everyone as a daily means of transportation. Transportation changes society.So says Richard Jones, a technical fellow at Boeing Phantom Works, the advanced R&D unit of Boeing. Jones' vision for a new mobility was welcomed by the audience at the 2008 Electric Aircraft Symposium in San Francisco. The event is sponsored by the CAFE Foundation, a non-profit organization advocating personal air travel. Jones believes that airplanes can be designed which are easier to fly than a car is to drive. But what does it mean for commuting, city planning, and the climate crisis?...
Survey: Roses for Mothers Day?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 8.08
Gertrude Stein was wrong, a rose is not a rose is not a rose. Some are local, some are flown in; some are organic and some are full of chemicals; some are picked by people who get a decent wage and some are picked by exploited workers.
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Sexy Summer Rayne Oakes in TreeHugger Mother's Day Gift Guide VIDEO 30 Seconds
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 05. 8.08
What Happens When Gasoline Exceeds US$7.00 Per Gallon?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05. 8.08
MSN MoneyBlog man Charley Blaine has a very scary thought. Extrapolating from a projection by Goldman Sachs analyst Arjun Murt, he details a few key implications of US gasoline prices exceeding 7 bucks, inside two years.
Though more welcome scenarios are also plausible, it's worth pondering the secondary impacts suggested for the 7-buck gas outcome. This goes way beyond "Should I ride the train instead." Will there be any U.S.-based auto manufacturers left? The answer depends entirely on how fast they can transform their product lines. Chrysler is in deep trouble already. That probably means more stress for the Midwest. Will there be any domestic airlines left? The so-called legacy airlines (American, United, Northwest, Delta and Continental) would either try to combine into one big carrier or simply disappear. They're having serious troubles surviving as it is. This means big troubles for cities where these airlines operate hubs that generate thousands of jobs like Atlanta, Cleveland, Newark, Houston, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Memphis and Minneapolis-St. Paul....
TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 05. 8.08
Bean Sprouts: Carnival of the Green # 126 by Melanie Rimmer
"Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish offers Earth Day 2008: Pieces of a World that I Love, a moving photo essay remembering that our earth is more than some elusive green wilderness. It's everything around us every day."
Being Unchained: Tipping the scales of injustice? by Lea Simpson
"The news today is awash with talk of an independent ombudsman that has been appointed to resolve disputes between the big supermarkets and their suppliers. My personal opinion is that their approach to planning permission and the 'competition test' leaves a lot to be desired. Many parties (including Friends of the Earth) felt this was a missed opportunity to do something for local shops."...
New Electric Vehicle Recharging Points for Central London
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05. 8.08
On-street electric vehicle charging seems to be finally taking off, in the UK at least. We’ve already seen trial schemes with free charging, and plans for major installations across the country, but now Westminster City Council, in central London, is launching the largest on street charging service in the UK with the opening of 10 new recharging posts. More from their press release:...
Get Your Heat From Peat
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05. 8.08
The rising price of gas is leading to all kinds of changes: bicycles instead of cars, camels instead of tractors and now peat to burn as central heating. In the Outer Hebrides, Scotland they are reviving the ancient tradition of cutting peat to fire their stoves. More people are starting to cut their own and are re-installing their formerly bricked up peat-burning stoves. As a result, orders for the tools used for cutting peat have risen; 40 cutters have been sold this year as opposed to 6 last year. A blacksmith whose father started making the cutters in 1920 said ""This year they've really snowballed, I reckon it's the price of fuel. With prices going up, I was thinking, oh well, they may be wanting peat irons this year; then it turned out true enough. People were saying to me, 'I'll cut peat this year to help out'."
The cutting of peat on the May holiday weekend was once a central activity, as whole families would join together to cut it and stack it and dry it for use as fuel during the winter months. Then electricity came to Scotland's remote outposts and people threw away their peat cutters and turned up the heat. There are environmental issues; now many peatlands are protected because of the endangered species living in the fields and many of the areas are already depleted. But with the price of gas doubled, it is expected that hundreds of people will take to the hills this week to do it, the way generations of villagers did in the past. :: Guardian...
Wild Wonders of Europe Launches Biggest Ever Nature Photography Project
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05. 8.08
Image: Pine Marten by Peter Cairns | www.wild-wonders.com
If you love nature, drop everything and sign up today for updates from Wild Wonders of Europe. We predict that this project will do for nature photography careers what CSI did for criminology. The haunting stillness, rich landscapes and sense of communion with nature that the photographs convey will make you long for a quiet cover in a remote glen with the weight of your lens in your hand. The stated goal of Wild Wonders of Europe is "to reveal the amazing natural heritage of Europe and to inspire a desire to save it."
TreeHugger met with Florian Moellers, Wild Wonders' Director of Communications, to learn what Wild Wonders of Europe is all about. We share this plus an exclusive photo peak into the galleries for TreeHugger readers -- just over the fold....
Most Huggable: Squeaky Clean Cars, A Taxed U.K., Future Farmers + More
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05. 7.08
Are some tailpipe emissions cleaner than ambient air?
U.K. citizens are frustrated over a lot of green taxes but little green action.
One village skips supermarket shopping for homegrown grub.
The Green Parent reminds us to swap, not shop.
Vodka takes on nine unique uses....
Wildflower Week in New York City?
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 05. 7.08
At Union Square this past Sunday, a quizzical look appeared on many New Yorkers' faces when they encountered volunteers publicizing the 1st New York City Wildflower Week. Wildflower Week started on May 3rd and continues until May 10th, with evening lectures, plant walks, and activities for kids. Though celebrating wildflowers in the urban jungle may seem incongruous, New York City is actually home to more than 40% of the state's rare and endangered plants, and New York City has more open space than any other large city.
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Sting, Feist, Billy Joel, James Taylor to Perform for the Rainforest -- Get Your Tickets!
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 05. 7.08
Empire State Building to glow green on May 8th in honor of Rainforest Foundation Fund Carnegie Hall Benefit and Rainforest Awareness Month 2008!
It's Rainforest Awareness Month and Jessica is kickin' it telling you about her trip to the Brazilian Amazon and interviewing John Nevado, President of Nevado Roses Ecuador just in time for Mother's Day (*wink* pamper mom and mama earth with our gift guide).
The star-studded Rainforest Foundation Fund Benefit Concert & Gala is tomorrow night and if you weren't fortunate enough to bid your way into winning exclusive access to the event, there is still time to purchase Gala and concert tickets. Billy Joel, James Taylor, Sting, Brian Wilson, Chris Botti, Feist, celebrated French operatic tenor Roberto Alagna, cellist Natalie Clein plus special musical family members including Alexa Ray Joel, CoCo Sumner, Ben Taylor, Sally Taylor, along with many more special guests will perform one night only on behalf of the Rainforest Foundation Fund....
American Gas Pains
by Greg Haegele, Deputy Executive Director, Sierra Cl on 05. 7.08
Last week, three of the world's biggest oil companies reported record-breaking quarterly profits in excess of $27 billion. It's pretty hard to fathom that kind of money - but what is easier for the rest of us to see in real terms is also breaking records: the cost of a gallon of gas.
And of course as the gas prices skyrocket yet again, rather than getting the energy leadership our country really needs, we hear the same old calls to drill for more domestic oil - especially in some of our last wild places, like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Polar Bear Seas (the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the coast of Alaska)....
Smart Power Meters and Real-Time Pricing Leads to Saved Energy and Money
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05. 7.08
Smart electricity meters and real-time pricing are an important first step in modernizing our electrical grid. Right now it is pretty dumb in most places, charging the same rate during peak hour as in the middle of the night, with no way to reward those who make an effort to have better consumption patterns.
But that's slowly changing. An example of that is PPL's pilot program that offers to install "smart" power meters and alternative pricing methods to the traditional "average monthly rate" to residential customers, something that has been available for years to industrial clients.
"By signing up tens of millions of people like Brubaker to change patterns of electric usage, the companies expect the new power meters and time-based rates to help avoid blackouts, curb greenhouse gas emissions and beat back the immediate need to build expensive new power plants."...
Another Way That Riding A Bike Is Good For You
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.08
"Crispy Noodles" Membrane Could Help Store Hydrogen and Reduce Carbon Emissions
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05. 7.08
It sounds tasty, but what "crispy noodles" is referring to here is (unfortunately) not a delicious dish -- but a new material that could both help cut carbon dioxide emissions and power the next generation of hydrogen vehicles. Developed by a team of chemists at the University of Manchester, this polymer, whose structure resembles that of crispy noodles, is currently being explored as a potential sequestration device to be installed on coal-fired power plants.
The £150,000 18-month study, led by materials chemist Peter Budd of the university's Organic Materials Innovation Center (OMIC), will investigate the use of this "polymer of intrinsic microporosity" (or PIM, for short) as part of a catalytic membrane system to trap and recover carbon dioxide -- a scheme similar to other membrane technologies we've covered in the past....
"Re-Furnished" Recycled Cardboard Chairs from University of Idaho Student Designers
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05. 7.08
TreeHugger loves to see green student design (and we want to see more!); since they'll be designing the next generation of products we use, the greener they can be, the better. These examples are from a project called "Re-Furnished" from the University of Idaho; students were challenged to create functional furniture out of found or used cardboard, and they came up with some pretty compelling final products.
Cardboard, especially when its recycled, can be a very green--and surprisingly versatile and durable--material. Above are two of the student designs from the class; hit the jump for five more student designs and for more of our previous cardboard coverage....
Green Winners in Canada's Governor General's Awards for Architecture
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.08
Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
“The creations of the twelve recipients of the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture make us appreciate the degree to which Canadian architects have transformed the places where we live, work, share culture and come together into a celebration of beauty and human genius.”
So said Michaëlle Jean, the Governor General of Canada, about this year's G-Gs, Canada's most prestigious architectural prize, chosen by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts. Quite a few of the projects have a green tinge and some have been in TreeHugger before. ...
Sunrgi Xtreme Concentrated Photovoltaics: Solar Power Competitive With Fossil Fuels?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 05. 7.08
Making Solar Power Competitive with Coal?
Sunrgi recently made an impressive claim at the National Energy Marketers Association’s 11th Annual Global Energy Forum in Washington, DC: They say that their system will soon be able to "produce electricity at a wholesale cost of 5 cents per kWh (kilowatt hour). [A] price competitive with the wholesale cost of producing electricity using fossil fuels and a fraction of the current cost of solar energy."
They do it with Xtreme Concentrated Photovoltaics (XCPV) by concentrating the Sun's light close to 2,000 times (!) into extremely efficient solar photovoltaic cells. Part of Sunrgi's patent-pending technology has to do with the cooling of the solar cells, dual-axis sun tracking, and the way the whole system is optimized for mass-production....
2008 Award-Winning Green Roofs and Walls
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.08
The Green Roofs for Healthy Cities convention in Baltimore ended with the Awards of Excellence, with seven categories of roof and wall. Green walls are growing like mad, probably because they are visible where a green roof often isn't. Randy Sharp's living wall at the Vancouver Aquarium won for Green Wall Design. It is a modular system that gives new meaning to the phrase "plug-and-pray"- fifteen plant species were tested to find eight that were local and hardy enough to withstand the freeze-thaw cycle. It has an automatic drip-irrigation system using stored rainwater....
eZee Electric Commuter Bikes
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 05. 7.08
Earlier this week, I reviewed a $350 electric bike, the E-Zip Trailz. While this bike is a good entry-level bike, if you are seriously considering using an electric bike to replace your car for short trips you should probably invest in a quality electric bike costing $1000 or more. One of the better brands of electric bikes is eZee....
Burma Update from Architecture for Humanity
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.08
Before and after Cyclone; click here to enlarge
While rescue workers try to get into Burma (not made any easier by a military junta that announced on Tuesday that foreign experts wanting to come in would need to "negotiate" with the Government) Architecture for Humanity says that "While the media will focus its attention on the loss of life, there will be millions displaced in the coming weeks and like most natural disasters, no plan for long term sustainable reconstruction."
Yesterday Cameron Sinclair told us that AFH is not rushing in. "The worst thing is for non-essential teams to get in the way of the relief effort. As we’ve done previously we are already communicating organizations with shelter divisions to offer technical support. Ideally in a few weeks we would send an assessment team into the region, possibly with one of these agencies, and they would establish ties with local organizations."
They need $ 10,000 to create that team and provide design services to communities; the campaign started at TreeHugger with the first three donations. Already, 130 donors have raised $ 6,500. Let's make this a short campaign; contribute now at ::Architecture for Humanity
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SustainStyle: Eco Friendly Sun Protection, Eco Fashion, Mothers Day Eco-luxury Gifts+ More
by 1plus1 on 05. 7.08
Welcome to SustainStyle, a weekly digest from the writers at 1plus1, a blog dedicated to eco-friendly fashion. SustainStyle runs every Wednesday.
The Greenloop launches a "reshirt cutting contest" to help create awareness of making whats old new again.
Hat Attack offers us stylish organic and sustainable alternatives to block out the sun.
Lip Gloss goes from pretty to ugly when not mixed with SPF.
Organic Style Magazine, a new favorite read, is full of stories from people we like and paperless!
Vegan Queen makes us drooling over the new must have bag of the season.
Eco- luxury gift ideas to spoil your mom with!
Neu Aura's collection of animal-free shoes are comfortable enough for work and cute enough for cocktail hour.
xo.
The Greenloop launches a "reshirt cutting contest" to help create awareness of making whats old new again.
Hat Attack offers us stylish organic and sustainable alternatives to block out the sun.
Lip Gloss goes from pretty to ugly when not mixed with SPF.
Organic Style Magazine, a new favorite read, is full of stories from people we like and paperless!
Vegan Queen makes us drooling over the new must have bag of the season.
Eco- luxury gift ideas to spoil your mom with!
Neu Aura's collection of animal-free shoes are comfortable enough for work and cute enough for cocktail hour.
xo.