- 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 May 18, 2008 - May 24, 2008
Total this week: 137
Vattenfall Promises More Carbon Capture At German Coal Plants
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.24.08
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is fraught with so many difficulties, not least of which is its time frame, that it's hard to know whether the technology could be a real part of meeting global warming CO2 reduction goals, or whether it is simply a huge greenwash effort by investors in coal in order to keep investing in coal.
Sweden's state-owned Vattenfall is almost as eager as Norway's state-owned energy monopolies to see CCS accepted as a bona fide fix for CO2 belching on the part of both coal-fired and gas-fired plants. Vattenfall said it would build a demonstration 250 MW CCS at one block of the 3,000 MW brown-coal Jänschwalde plant, to be ready by 2015. The cleaned-up CO2 would be piped to a nearby empty natural gas field. The CCS will be built on the so-called oxyfuel technique, which Vattenfall is also using at its CCS demonstration pilot at the Scwarze Pumpe plant. Schwarze Pumpe's 30 MW installation is estimated to cost 70 million Euros, and is set to open this summer. Jänschwalde's price tag: 1 billion Euros ($1.57 billion). Internally, Vattenfall hopes to halve its CO2 emissions by half by 2030. Via ::Newsdesk.se
See also: EU To Pump Up Hot Air Capture, and Scientists Develop Low-Cost Version of Carbon Capture And Storage...
Tim Flannery: Plant Forests with eBay, Pump Sulfur into the Stratosphere to Fight Climate Change
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.24.08
It turns out noted science writer -- and 2007 "Australian of the Year" (not to mention a TH favorite) -- Tim Flannery is an advocate of geoengineering. Specifically, he supports a scheme in which sulfate aerosols would be injected into the stratosphere -- essentially replicating the climatic effects of a volcanic eruption -- to reflect incoming solar radiation (see here for some background).
Global dimming, as it's known, may be necessary as "the last barrier to climate collapse," Flannery said, speaking at a sustainable business conference in Parliament House. "It would change the colour of the sky . . . We need to be ready to start doing it in perhaps five years time if we fail to achieve what we're trying to achieve."...
Jordan to Build Sustainable City for One Million
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 05.24.08
Masdar City, the United Arab Emirates' ambitious project to build the first zero-emissions city in the Middle East, is already spawning similar initiatives in the region. According to Abu Dhabi newspaper The National, Jordan is interested in building its own version of Masdar - ten times the size of the original.
Serge Younes, of the UK-based company WSP Group, which is involved in working out sustainability issues in Masdar, says Jordan's new ecocity would be built on the outskirts of Amman and eventually house a million people. (Note: Jordan's entire population numbers only around 7 million.)
Unlike its counterpart in Abu Dhabi, the new city, which has yet to receive a name, will not be zero carbon. It will, however, utilize many of the same elements: waste and water will be recycled and reused, housing will be built and orientated to take advantage of prevailing winds and maximize energy efficiency, efficient district-wide systems will handle heating and cooling, and electricity will come from planned wind and solar thermal plants, or be generated on site....
Sears Sells Bagir’s Recycled PET Bottle Suit on Father’s Day
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 05.24.08
If you were a child of the Seventies you might, like us, have fond childhood memories leafing through the thick Sears’ catalogue, choosing with your friends what you’d buy if you had a million dollars. Now that we have grown up and can’t bear to bring oversized catalogues into the home, it looks like Sears has grown a bit in the environmentally friendly direction too.
Come this Father’s Day, Sears has decided to take a chance with tailoring manufacturer Bagir and sell the world’s first suit made from recycled PET bottles. Bagir –– the same company which invented the IPod suit and the machine wash and dry suit (available through Marks and Spencer) –– has devised a new way to help fathers everywhere go green, without them having to realize it.
...
The Frogs Still Need Your Help!
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.24.08
Earthrace Eco-speedboat Record Attempt Slowed by North Pacific Garbage
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 05.24.08
The 78-ft. biofuel powered trimaran which recently launched a world record attempt to circumnavigate the globe in less than 74 days has run into an ugly mess. Captain Bethune, speaking from the Earthrace cabin said: "Our weather forecaster had warned us about this area of the Pacific. It's a giant rubbish dump of plastic and polystyrene the size of Texas, and we're currently on the southern tip of it."
Our course on this leg has been more like a drunken student weaving his way home after a bender, rather than a race boat in a straight line - it seems every hundred metres or so there's another load of rubbish in the water that we need to skirt around....
How the Economics of Renewable Energy Have Been Validated
by Jeff Siegel, Green Chip Stocks on 05.24.08
Image credit: T.J. Florian - Rainbow/Getty Images
Jeff Siegel is the cofounder and managing editor of Green Chip Stocks, an investment advisory service that focuses exclusively on renewable energy and organic food markets. He will be guest blogging on TreeHugger regularly.
As we get closer and closer to the next election, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the majority of the voting public is extremely concerned about energy security and climate change. How else do you explain the fact that all the candidates, on both sides of the aisle, are touting climate change and renewable energy initiatives?
But the reality is, no matter who moves into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and no matter how much legislation gets kicked around on the Hill, if the economics cannot support the large-scale integration of renewable energy, it simply will not happen.
So it should be with great enthusiasm that today, we can prove the economic superiority of renewable energy to non-renewable energy.
Show Me the Data!
Wearing the label of environmentalist has never been easy. Over the past few decades especially, just uttering the words global warminghttp://www.ipcc.ch/ or renewable energy brought forth an avalanche of skepticism and hostility. Most of which has been based more on social or political philosophy than on actual data.
...
Italian Kitchen Design Keeps Getting Greener with New Valcucine
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.23.08
Combining sleek design, greener materials and extreme durability (we're talking like "spans the generations" durable), we liked the looks of Valcucine's new kitchen this past week at ICFF. The Italian kitchen designer, whom we've covered before, has replaced stainless steel and wood with glass while maintaining the idea that you (and your kids, and maybe even your grandkids) won't have to buy another kitchen. Ever.
It's a good thing that timelessness is high on Valcucine's design to-do list, because they're sure built to last, and flat-packed to boot. Hit the jump to check out the video and see what we mean. ::Valcucine and ::ICFF 2008 ...
Today on Planet Green
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05.23.08
:: Pack up your pad the green way using recycled cardboard boxes.
:: Keep wine corks out of the landfills by recycling them instead.
:: Toast up corn bread for a tasty breakfast.
:: Reduce your food’s carbon footprint.
:: Hit up a popular electronics chain store to recycle your old gadgets....
The TH Interview: Wangari Maathai (Part One)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 05.23.08
Yes, Wangari Maathai, the founder of the Green Belt Movement, was the first to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for environmental work. But as she makes ever-so-clear, trees are not just ecological super heroes. They form a bridge to women’s rights, sustainable development, democracy, and (yes, indeed) world peace. Sound like a stretch? Coming from Dr. Maathai it all makes sense. ::TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. For Part Two, click here....
7 More Creative Ways to Build with Paper
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.23.08
Our buddies at Weburbanist do a roundup of paper houses and furniture, including a few TreeHugger favourites like the Molo Softwall, Sumer Erek's Newspaper house, and Shigeru Ban's paper shelters in Rwanda. We add a few that he missed, including David Graas' This SIde Up stools, shown above. ::Davidgraas: Furniture from Cardboard...
Hypermiling Couple Gets Two Entries in Guiness World Records Book
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.23.08
Hypermiling to Save Gas and Beat a World Record
Helen and John Taylor drove around the coast of Australia in an un-modified Peugeot 308 HDi 110 (a non-hybrid, diesel car) for 25 days. Over the 9,062 miles (14,584 kilometers) that they and their luggage traveled, they averaged 75.6 miles per US gallon (3.11 liters per 100 kilometers), earning them their first world record. The second one is for traveling 1,192 miles (1,918 kilometers) on a single 60-liter (15.85 gallons US) tank of diesel. What makes this more impressive is that it was achieve in real-world conditions, not on a perfect road for a short distance.
"The Peugeot 308 HDi 110 hatchback now holds the World Record for both the highest average fuel consumption on a journey, a record previously held by a Peugeot 307 hatchback, and the record for the furthest distance travelled on a full tank of fuel." Congrats to the couple! This shows that more fuel-efficient technology is one part of the equation, but driving style is another very important aspect. We should avoid driving as much as possible, but when we do, we should squeeze as much as possible from every drop of fuel. ::ABG, ::Hypermiling Becoming More Popular as Gas Prices Rise...
Aftershock of China's Earthquake: A Grassroots Compassion
by Alex Pasternack, Beijing, China on 05.23.08
At 2:38 pm on Monday afternoon, everything in China seemed to stop. It was exactly one week after the Wenchuan earthquake devastated parts of Sichuan province, flattening schools, endangering dams, and killing over 55,000 people. Trains screeched to a halt, work paused, people stood next to their cars, and everyone bowed their heads to take a collective breath for 3 minutes. Rather than silence, the moment was met with the deafening, chilling sound of the horns of thousands of cars.
For years, the government has been using propaganda to push the idea of a "harmonious society" and a "civil society" on the public. The vague advice to pay attention to the less fortunate sections of the country, end corruption, and stop spitting on the street have been plastered across cities like Beijing, amidst a growing rural-urban wealth gap and in time for the Olympics in August. But the horns seemed like a signal: having nothing to do with political ideology or saving face -- or the government's interests -- a civil, harmonious society had arrived....
BBC Video from the Sexy Green Car Show at the Eden Project
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.23.08
The BBC has a short video overview of the Sexy Green Car Show at the Eden Project, Cornwall, UK.
They don't go in depth about much of anything, but it gives you an idea of what the show looks like and what some of the cars shown there are. We can see a few electric and hybrid vehicles, but flex-fuel cars are also numerous. You can see a list of all the cars here. If you are in the area and want to see for yourself, the show is open from May 23 to May 31. More details here. The BBC video is here....
Teen Finds Way to Decompose Plastic Bags in Just 3 Months!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05.23.08
If ordinary plastic bags would rot away like banana peels there’s no doubt a host of environmental problems would be solved, the fate of the turtle above included. And one 11th grader from Canada set out to make that dream come true as part of his school science project. A wildly successful endeavor he figures will make them decompose in just 3 months.
But how did this extraordinary young scientist named Daniel Burd pull it off?
...
The Amazon Jungle and a New York City Girl: Local Eats
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05.23.08
“You can arrive quickly but you aren’t there until you experience the journey.” This is a popular saying between Eugenio and the natives during my trip to the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest (As covered here and here.). Later, it becomes my mantra for local eating. ...
Jack Layton Keeps Driving Voters to the Greens and Liberals
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.23.08
I always used to vote for the left-leaning New Democratic Party and its leader Jack Layton, shown here on the famous Couch Bike with bike safety expert, Member of Parliament and spouse Olivia Chow. In the last election I voted for the Green Party for the first time and felt terrible after when the Green vote was greater than the margin the NDP candidate lost by to the Liberal.
I no longer feel so terrible; Layton has come out firmly against a carbon tax proposed by the Liberals. They planned a "revenue neutral" tax system where personal and corporate income taxes would be reduced as taxes on the production of CO2 are implemented. ...
New GMO Tomato has 31% Larger Price Tag
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.23.08
The Onion tells us: Geneticists at the California Institute of Technology announced Monday that they have developed a tomato with a 31 percent larger price tag than a typical specimen of the vine-ripened fruit. "By utilizing an exciting new breakthrough in gene-splicing technology, we've been able to manipulate this new tomato with recombinant DNA in such a manner as to make it nearly as pricey as a similarly sized tangelo," said Dr. Lee Nolan, who headed up the project. "Genetically modified crops such as this will be instrumental in helping average grocers keep pace with unaffordable organic stores such as Whole Foods." In addition to vastly surpassing similar produce in expense, the new tomato will reportedly wipe out four species of ladybugs. ::The Onion via ::Grist...
Obama Gets Out the Bike Vote in Portland, Helps Elect First Cyclist Mayor
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.23.08
Share Your Shed and Win Prizes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.23.08
some of the entries in this year's Shed of the Year competition
We have shown a lot of garden shed home offices on TreeHugger, but they take them far more seriously over in the UK, where Alex of Shedworking calls them "one of the cornerstones of British culture." There is, of course, a National Shed Week (July 7 to 13) , and a competition at ::readersheds. It is not too late to submit your own shed, and this year there is an international category as. There is even a special category for Tardis sheds.
This year's jurors are "property guru Sarah Beeny, wind-up radio inventor Trevor Baylis, Professor of beach huts Kathryn Ferry, Treehugger's eco-architect Lloyd Alter, Uncle Wilco from readersheds and Alex Johnson at Shedworking. " Last year's winner below the fold....
7 Ways Cities Can Make Your Bike More Secure
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.23.08
Designer Adam Thorpe, Councillor Paul Braithwaite and Rose Ades demonstrate the caMden bike rack
We have shown all kinds of bike stands on TreeHugger, but sometimes the simplest is the best. The Design against Crime Research Centre in London "aims to catalyse a design revolution in secure cycling provision for the 21st century. The research seeks to use creative solutions to overcome the adverse effects of bicycle theft on the achievement of sustainable transport objectives within European cities and to assist in the promotion of cycling and the benefits it offers society in terms of impact on health and improvements in the quality of the urban environment."
Or simply put, design a better, theft-proof bike rack. The simple M design lets a cyclist lock both wheels and the frame to the stand, and discourages cyclists from just locking the top tube to the stand, which they consider insecure. The city of Camden just rolled out two of the designs....
Most Huggable: Clean Diesel, Energy-Emitting Landfills, A Shaken China + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 05.23.08
U.S. dealerships welcome cleaner, more efficient diesel cars.
Landfills take on a new useful and energetic reputation.
A recent earthquake in China damages dams and leaves many questioning the country’s hydroelectric power.
Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy start a “Green Our Vaccines” campaign.
The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) eliminates its pesticide data collection program.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Help No Impact Man Have an Impact
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.23.08
We complain that politicians aren't doing enough about the environment, but Colin Beavan, aka No Impact Man, is actually doing something about it beyond just writing- He is hitting up his congressional representative to introduce "an effective global warming mitigation policy that is based not on what is politically possible but on what is scientifically necessary."
Colin is asking the House to set a goal of no more than 350 PPM of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the number that is called the red line for humanity. (read Bill McKibben here about Project 350)
He is asking for a little help as well- he wants to back it up with 3,500 emails of support. He has a cut and paste template all set up at his site. As a TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 05.23.08
Big Green Weekend: Welcome to the Big Green Weekend 2008 by Jason Elliott
"We have a variety of activities planned for you this year as well as bringing you the truly unique Big Green Market, with their blend of ethical, eco-friendly, Fairtrade and just plain wacky goods on offer in the Hebden Bridge Marina. 24th, 25th, 26th May"
DeSmogBlog: Power of 10 by Kevin Grandia
"The Desmog Project must raise $100,000 in 2008 to hire hot researchers, smokin' good writers, launch cool new web features and publish a book on the Climate Denial Industry. With your help the DeSmog Project will bring in 10,000 donations of $10 each. Its a small amount to ask, but the power of $10 x 10,000 is enough for us to take Project DeSmog to a whole other level."...
The Urban Aquaculture Center: Aquaponics Goes Big
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.23.08
While traditional aquaculture comes with both benefits and drawbacks, many folks believe it may play an increasingly important role in feeding a hungry world. And with urbanization continuing apace world-wide, anything that can bring food production closer to centers of consumption merits close attention. We’ve already written a little about urban aquaponics, an innovative merging of hydroponics and aquaculture, and now we’ve just heard via one of our local free papers about a proposed Urban Aquaculture Center (UAC) in Milwaukee. The UAC intends to combine a 150,000-sq ft indoor aquaculture/agriculture facility with educational facilities, sustainable farming exhibits, a restaurant and fish market.
...
Recycled Survey: Should America go back to 55 MPH?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.23.08
A year ago we asked readers if we should go back to 55 MPH; while a plurality said yes, 57% answered other questions. Gas prices have doubled since then, and now the Sierra Club has jumped on the bandwagon. We run the same poll to see if attitudes have changed. See also 55 MPH: It's time to bring it back.
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In Afghanistan, Bicycle Courier Service Provides Work For the Wounded
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 05.23.08
Decades of war and internal strife in Afghanistan have left many Afghanis wounded, disabled and unable to work. In fact, so bad is the situation that "according to the United Nations an average of 60 people every month are killed or wounded by landmines or explosives left over from war in Afghanistan." However, in 2002 a local NGO started the Disabled Cycle Messenger Services (DCMS) which, like any other bicycle courier service, delivers letters and packages, you guessed it, by bicycle.
The difference is that, as the name implies, all of DCMS's employees are disabled, and they work in one of the world's poorest and most war-torn countries. Many ride with one leg, and must strap crutches to their bikes for use when they arrive at their destination. ...
Our Radical Gas-Saving Tip: Drive 55 (or whatever the speed limit is)
by Greg Haegele, Sierra Club on 05.23.08
Memorial Day Weekend is coming and -- in spite of crazy high gas prices --
more Americans than ever are planning to get away by car. But hey, it doesn't have to cost as much as you think.
As you probably know, there are lots of ways to save gas (checked your tires lately?), but the easiest and most effective way is to slow down -- even just a little bit.
It got my attention when I read the other day that jets are slowing down to save money -- it works for them, too. But how much can you save, really?...
Bees, Plankton, and Canaries: Who is to blame; Them or Us?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.23.08
Please join us in welcoming a our special guest, Russ George. Russ has a completely out-of-the-hive idea to share with us: posing a hypothesis that is sure to get a buzz going.
Open letter to all those who love a roll with a little honey.
Like many I am struck by the catastrophic collapse of our bees. This year's surveyed beekeepers reported a total loss of 36.1 percent of their honey bee colonies, up 13.5 percent from the previous year. The crisis of the vanishing bees is worse and proceeding faster than anyone imagined it might. While I applaud all efforts of those working to preserve and protect our bees it seems to me that most are avoiding consideration of a plausible cause.
While many point fingers at the usual suspects, identifying 'them' who make and use pesticides and ravage natural habitats as the villains of bee colony collapse, in my view "they" are not the core of the problem: it is an "us," not a "them" causation. Our emission of the hundreds of billions of tonnes of CO2 from burning of fossil fuels has filled our and the bees atmosphere with a concentration of CO2 40% higher than in the previous century. ...
Chelsea Flower Show for Children: Edible Playgrounds
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.23.08
This charming garden shows how a school could create a small kitchen garden for children. By planting, watering, composting, harvesting and then cooking what they have grown, children are able to develop a better understanding of where food comes from and the impact of the environment. It is sponsored by Dorset Cereals which makes a healthy muesli-like cereal. The programme started in San Francisco. Now it is being developed at schools in Dorset and is available through an attractive and accessible website.
The small garden is a gem, with a thirty year old apple tree from an orchard in Dorset as its focal point and a woven willow fence along the side. It has raised beds with vegetables in neat rows including salad greens, herbs and carrots. These are planted because they have a short growing season and can be harvested (and eaten) quickly. Runner beans on tall stick stakes add a contrast, as do the sun flowers which are bright and big and fun. There is a compost bin, and a trellis-covered water tank. Along the side of the raised bed is written a lovely snippet: sow it, grow it... eat it!. Posted on the school door is a list of duties to be carried out and little wellies (rubber boots) for the wet weather. The playground, which won the Gold medal for best Courtyard Garden, will be taken to a primary school in Dorset, where no doubt its produce will be gobbled up. :: Dorset Cereals Via :: RHS Chelsea Flower Show...
50 Ways to Help the Planet
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.22.08
This scenario is familiar to all of us treehuggers. Someone, a friend, family members, random person, whatever, asks us for ideas of things they can do to do their part and tread more lightly on the Earth.
Of course, the number 1 thing to do is to point them to TreeHugger.com (and subscribe to our RSS feed)! Since we cover everything from design, architecture, transportation, science, technology, food, health, business, politics.. They're bound to find something that will interest them. Our guides for How to Go Green are also a good starting point if you want to focus on a particular topic. But if you're just looking for a bunch of quick tips all bunched together, 50 Ways to Help the Planet is a good place to check....
Rocket Powered Bike For Sale
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.22.08
For TreeHuggers interested in assisted bikes but finding the battery powered electric units don't have quite the zing you are looking for: Robert Maddox of Medford, Oregon is selling a rocket powered bicycle on eBay. It has absolutely none of the benefits of a regular bike, spitting out 140 decibels of noise and consuming a lot of kerosene, but goes like a bat out of hell. I suspect that the cars and pedestrians will get out of the way when they see this baby coming. Buy it on ::EBAY or watch the video of it in action below the fold. via ::Geekologie
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Avoid Reliance on the Evil Sun with Clean Coal
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.22.08
Today on Planet Green
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05.22.08
:: Meet Nicola Giuggioli, the founder of Eco, London’s sustainable design store.
:: Find out what our resident beauty expert, Summer Rayne, has to say about eco-friendly hair dye.
:: Substitute fatty Chinese fast food with Kelly’s healthy Dim Sum.
:: Make line drying your laundry easy with handy website, LineDryIt.
:: Get the full account of Lloyd’s low-impact trip to NYC. ...
Leanwall Provides Support in Public Spaces
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.22.08
As Mick almost said, We all need something to lean on, so Maruja Fuentes of San Juan, Puerto Rico, developed Leanwall for public spaces. It is composed of two molds made of recycled ABS plastic that are identically shaped. These pieces fit together like a puzzle. Together, they can transform a space, creating infinite patterns. They can be used either individually or in a composition. We are all in favour of anything that makes waiting for the bus more comfortable. ::Maruja Fuentes Studio
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Roasting Biofuel Crops Like Coffee Beans Could Boost Energy Yield by 20%
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.22.08
Two British engineers have discovered a novel technique that could help make biofuel production cheaper and boost the energy content of some crops by up to 20%. The process, called "torrefaction," consists of slowly heating biomass in an inert atmosphere to a temperature of 300°C; it yields a solid product with a lower moisture content, minimizing transportation and storage issues.
While it's more commonly associated with coffee production, Jenny Jones and Toby Bridgeman of the University of Leeds, who led the study, published in the journal Fuel, think it'll work in a cinch for biofuel production too. They specifically tested willow, canary grass and agricultural residue wheat grass -- crops often used in the U.K. -- to see what happened when they went through torrefaction and how they performed as biofuels....
Green Star Creates Breakthrough Micronutrient that Boosts Algae Growth
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.22.08
First Generation Biofuels Need to Go
While an almost universal scientific consensus is developing around the downsides of first generation biofuels (f.ex. corn ethanol), entrepreneurs and scientists are working on biofuels that require less energy inputs to make and don't compete for agricultural land with food crops. One of the most promising feedstocks is algae, with which biodiesel can be made.
One of the companies working on making algal fuels viable is Green Star, and they just announced the creation of a new micronutrient that can help boost algae daily growth rate by 34% and "increase the total biomass quantity in a harvest algae growth cycle by well over 100%."...
Come to the Greener by Design Conference
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.22.08
Attention green business gurus, product development pros, supply chain experts and product designers and engineers: the Greener by Design conference is coming to Alexandria, VA (just across the river from Washington, D.C.). On June 12 & 13, the conference will combine opportunities to network with companies of all sizes and sectors who are integrating environmental thinking into their operations with a chance to share thoughts with leading thinkers on the greening of mainstream products and the ability to walk away with a new outlook on green product development.
TreeHugger is happy to be a media sponsor, and we'll be there, learning about the latest in green product design and picking the brains of some of the smartest, most interesting individuals in green business. One of the things we're looking forward to most on the program is what they're calling Green Gurus @ Play; speakers and panelists from the program will hold roundtable discussions with a small number of participants, essentially answering one-on-one questions in a small group setting.
Keep reading to learn who'll be there and who should come to the conference. ::Greener by Design...
Small Lot Prefab From Resolution 4
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.22.08
When we last looked at a modern prefab from Resolution 4, we got a particularly loud round complaints about it being a big second home and therefore not very green. Visiting Joe Tanney in his New York office, I asked if he had anything small, green and urban that I could show and not take so much abuse?
Joe explained that while they build their work in a factory to get the advantages of prefabrication, they act as traditional architects, designing for particular clients' budget, site and needs. Their projects therefore cover a wide range of sizes and degrees of green-ness, because everyone is different.
They have done a small house in the Bronx recently that is still hush-hush, but Joe did show me a 1750 square foot house for an artist that was built on a 20 foot wide lot in Long Beach, New York....
Canadian Geographic June Issue to be Made with Waste Wheat Straw Paper
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.22.08
Making Paper from Waste Wheat Straw
Some talk the talk and walk the walk. The June issue of Canadian Geographic is their annual 'environmental' issue, and it will be completely printed on paper made from wheat straw. They are the first magazine in North America to do that.
They call the resulting paper the "wheat sheet." It took more than 10 years to scientists at the Alberta Research Council to develop it. It's not completely straw, though: 20% wheat straw and 40% recycled paper. But with that mix, it rivals "any glossy paper made primarily from virgin timber" and "looks just the same as the other stuff", so we suspect that for non-glossy paper, a higher ratio of wheat straw could be used, saving even more trees....
Joey Roth Demonstrates His Sorapot
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.22.08
Designer and occasional TreeHugger contributor Joey Roth brought his Sorapot to ICFF; we love it because it turns tea time into showtime. As Joey said in an earlier post: "I’ve always been entranced by small, beautiful things that are so detailed, they seem like miniature worlds, yet so ordinary they’re often left unnoticed. I designed Sorapot to emphasize one of my favorite- the unfurling of tea leaves."
We used our sophisticated new video tools to catch a demo of of it, below the fold. See more ICFF coverage and ::Sorapot...
Big Blue Making Supply Chains Into Green Super-Models: No Floppy Disks Required.
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.22.08
Tongue-in-cheek headline aside, we really like this idea of IBM's. Here's why. A progressive business generally initiates climate action in the following steps: making a corporate commitment and stating it to stockholders and the public; measuring the baseline GHG footprint at company-controlled sites; setting reduction goals for energy use and the GHG footprint (of controlled sites); implementing goals and reporting progress against the "baseline"; and then, pushing suppliers to take these same steps and report their progress as well. The supply chain is where the magic is.
In the total set of all businesses, most are just exploring the idea of making a public commitment. So, while that carries forward, IBM has built a software model for the final climate action step, supply chain management, in a way that balances cost with climate objectives, and is mindful of the fact that one size does not fit all.
The magic of managing supply chains for climate action is this: suppliers, which by coincidence of location or by intent, become energy efficient, and/or utilize a high proportion of renewable power, can get recognition for it from progressive customers. This recognition feeds back to the State and local officials who set constructive energy and climate policies.
By enabling supply chains to become more efficient and less emissive of GHG, overall, those States or Countries hosting such green "suppliers," have set in motion a virtuous cycle that encourages the growth of more green business supply chains: in essence, creating a "green" economic development incentive. This growth can be expedited by tools such as the one being promoted by IBM. Look below for a few excerpts from IBMs promotional release....
Six-Foot-One, 255lbs Elementary Teacher Rides a Vespa Scooter... and Loves It!
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.22.08
Used Whiskey Barrels Get New Life with Uhuru Design
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 05.22.08
TreeHugger is fascinated by the objects that good designers create from old objects. This often ad hocist-like approach has been exemplified in the work of Uhuru Design before -- we liked their "stoolen" and "love somebody" table designs from previous collections -- as they've found a great balance between showcasing their recycled materials and creating evocative, unique new designs.
Their newest collection, the Küpe line, follows this tradition by refashioning bourbon whiskey barrels from Bardstown, Kentucky (the Bourbon Capital of the world, we're told). The Bilge Lounge, pictured above with Uhuru's Jason Horvath, makes good use of the barrels' curvy lines to create a comfy lounger with a little spring in its step; the base is made from used truck springs.
There's lots of other good stuff to check out; tour the new line with Jason from Uhuru, in our video from the ICFF floor, after the jump. ::Uhuru Design and ::ICFF 2008...
SustainStyle: Free Organic Bedding, Free Cellphone Recycling + More
by 1plus1 on 05.22.08
Welcome to SustainStyle, a weekly digest from the writers at 1plus1, a blog dedicated to eco-friendly fashion.
Super hip bamboo home/office accessories with an affordable price tag.
Eco-Chick and Under The Canopy want to give you free organic bedding.
Rising Tide Fair Trade makes the perfect weekend bag for that quick summer getaway.
Fashion Ethic throws a 50/50 promotion giving us a little something and charity a little something.
Nokia offers free cellphone recycling (postage included).
Perfectly Imperfect's Shoshanna vest is a must have for all summer wardrobes.
Threads for Thought make t-shirts to change the world.
xo....
Super hip bamboo home/office accessories with an affordable price tag.
Eco-Chick and Under The Canopy want to give you free organic bedding.
Rising Tide Fair Trade makes the perfect weekend bag for that quick summer getaway.
Fashion Ethic throws a 50/50 promotion giving us a little something and charity a little something.
Nokia offers free cellphone recycling (postage included).
Perfectly Imperfect's Shoshanna vest is a must have for all summer wardrobes.
Threads for Thought make t-shirts to change the world.
xo....
Living With Ed Joins The Planet Green Line-Up
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05.22.08
TreeHugger loves Ed Begley Jr. We've covered his eco-shenanigans, interviewed him, and asked him to judge our Convenient Truths contest. Now, his reality show, Living With Ed—which formerly aired on HGTV—will live on Planet Green, officially making him part of the TH family. We're stoked and thankfully, so is Ed:
"I am so pleased Living With Ed is going to be a part of Planet Green," says Ed Begley, Jr. "I've had a great time making the series and look forward to continuing to share the show with its many fans."
The series chronicles Ed and his wife Rachelle's low-impact life in L.A., from Ed's bicycling adventures to green home improvements in their solar-powered home. Get inspired to do the same by checking out the show and the rest of Planet Green's line-up starting June 4th. ...
It's Official: Bay Area Passes Carbon Tax
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.22.08
Image courtesy of http2007 via flickr
Despite widespread national ambivalence about its merits, air pollution regulators in the Bay Area have overwhelmingly approved the nation's second ever carbon tax (Boulder, CO, was first) -- voting 15-1 to require companies to pay 4.4 cents per ton of carbon emitted. The tax will cover 9 counties in the Bay Area and will take effect July 1.
Though a modest measure at best -- the fees will likely only generate an additional $1.1 million per year in revenues -- members of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District hope it will help set a national precedent, or at least get policymakers thinking the right way. ...
Canadian Supremes Throw Out Fly-in-Water Case
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.22.08
Windsor, Ontario hairdresser Waddah Mustapha became depressed and phobic after finding a dead fly in his Culligan water bottle. (who wouldn't?) So he sued the company and won, getting $341,775. The Globe and Mail notes of the first trial: Evidence showed that he became edgy, argumentative and depressed, could not sleep and refused even to drink coffee because it contained water. Obsessed with his fears, Mr. Mustapha had nightmares and great difficulty engaging in any activity that involved water – from drinking to taking showers.
Unfortunately, the Culligan Man appealed to the Supreme Court, which reversed the decision. ”Mustapha failed to show that it was foreseeable that a person of ordinary fortitude would suffer serious injury from seeing the flies in the bottle of water he was about to install,” Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin wrote for the Court. "Unusual or extreme reactions to events caused by negligence are imaginable, but not reasonably foreseeable.”
So the Culligan Man got off, possibly setting a dangerous precedent for those who care about what they drink. ::Globe and Mail
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From the Forums: Housing Market Crash Good for the Earth?
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 05.22.08
TheRainMaker:
Living in Southern California, it's painful to watch track homes and big box stores taking over every remaining inch of natural coastal sage scrub and chaparral. I'm kind of hoping that the housing market slow down also slows down the rate that new developments are going up. Unfortunately, new housing and development is a sign of growth and I'm sure many are hoping for it to return.yoder replies:
The housing market slump (or crash) is only temporary. As long as there are more homes for sale than can be sold, speculators will be waiting in the wings for the prices to drop to a critical level and the buying will begin in earnest. Once that price drop has been reached, it will not be individuals buying homes (banks are too skittish yet to loan to Joe Bloe), but developers. That's what I see when I look into my crystal ball anyway, but this darn thing is new and I haven't read the instruction manual yet.dink:...
FreeFunk Festival in Cradle to Cradle Haven Venlo (NL)
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 05.22.08
The Cradle to Cradle enchanted Dutch town Venlo is hosting the 5th FreeFunk festival this year. Last year, the festival’s turntables and LED-lightshow were powered by 12 solar panels, home trainers (!) and wind turbines. This year, the FreeFunk Festival will reduce its environmental footprint even more with 60 solar panels on the main stage to power the audiovisual equipment. ...
Survey: How Do You Use Your Car?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.22.08
Economist Paul Krugman says that we should be more like Germany , where they often own cars but usually smaller ones, and use them more sparingly.
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Graphic Of The Day: US Industry Sectors Most Affected By Climate Costs
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.22.08
WRI has published this graphic as part of its recent report: Leveling The Carbon Playing Field: International Competition and U.S. Climate Policy Design A footnote indicates that 'bubble' size indicates the total CO2 emissions from the industry in 2002. Two thousand two is fairly close to what many would use as a "baseline."
Take note of the highly climate cost-exposed sectors: chemicals, refining, ferrous metals, food and beverage, paper, etc. These are the sectors to watch closely on their Congressional lobbying positions, donations to politicians, and to Think Tanks and PACs. Of critical importance, will be opinion leader industries, per sector, making commitments to GHG reductions and energy efficiency.
Finally, consider the cost exposure linkage between the paper, chemicals, food and beverage sectors (tied by packaging and distribution cost impacts). Combine that with the global food price hikes driven by biofuels, in part, and it is clear that Food & Beverage is in for a world of climate cost pain (as are consumers). Although, peak oil and the growing demand for energy in China and India are of similar importance....
Biojoule: Mobile, On-Site Biomass to Fuel Processing
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.22.08
We’ve already noted that wood pellets are a hot item when it comes to climate-friendly heating, and we’ve even given a run down of our favourite stoves. Unfortunately it’s not all good news - we’ve also had to report that the housing slow down has meant a shortage of sawdust for pellet manufacture. This is where the activities of UK-based Biojoule may come in handy – they have apparently developed a mobile pellet processing plant that can be moved from location-to-location, allowing forestry and agricultural waste, or dedicated biomass crops like willow, to be processed at source into easy to move pellets. Not only does this mean reduced transportation costs, it also means that wood or crops that might otherwise have gone unused can be economically transformed into a reliable, valuable fuel:
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Monaco: Trouble in Paradise
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.22.08
In recent years HSH Prince Albert II has become an environmentalist with the creation of his Monaco Foundation for the Environment and his recent award as Europe's "Champion of the Earth" by the United Nations. However all is not well at home in Monaco... First there is a little matter about the Grand Prix Formula 1 car races being held there this weekend. But even more pressing, the tiny tax-free haven for the super rich is over-crowded and has run out of space. Perched on the side of a cliff, the second smallest country in the world after the Vatican is in need of more land to expand.
The answer is the creation of an island on stilts, jutting out from the coast. In addition to the luxury apartments, designer shops and yacht club, there will also be a museum, all designed by the super-star architects of the moment such as Norman Foster and IM Pei. But what about the flora and fauna, the marine environment and potential damage to the ecosystem. The Terre Bleu NGO says that the project risks damaging the coral reserves and sea plants along the coast. They said "If a new development is simply placed on top of the sea where these ecosystems are, they will be starved of the light that gives them life. That is very difficult to defend." The official response is that the new neighbourhood will be built over areas where "nothing remarkable" grows. "Not only will we protect the ecosystem but we will actually better the environment by putting in man-made reefs to allow species to thrive." This will be one to watch. :: The Guardian
Discuss in the Forums...
Student Watt Watchers Save Tax Dollars, Environment
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05.21.08
They may have to stand on tip-toe to read an electric meter, but when students on the Watt Watcher team at Hollydale Elementary in Oregon started leaving little red tickets in classrooms where the lights were left on or other energy wasting activities were observed the savings sure began to add up. Now it seems they’re keeping roughly $800 a month from being wasted on energy no one is around to use, and learning a bit about grassroots organizing in the process.
Not surprisingly they’re a part of the Gresham-Barlow school district, the first school to win the EPA’s Energy Star award two times. And instituting a Watt Watcher team is just one of the strategies they’re utilizing to cut costs and pollution at the same time in their community.
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Saving Energy in Data Centers with Smart Sensors and Algorithms
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.21.08
U.S. Servers and Data Centers Gobbled Up 61 billion kWh in 2006
We're now firmly in an interconnected and digital world, and that means lots and lots of servers. The EPA wrote a report for the US Congress about it in 2006, and they estimated that servers and data centers represented about 1.5% of total electricity usage in the country for that year. That's 61 billion (with a 'b') kilowatt-hours, and that's for 2006, back when most people were just starting to discover Youtube. It's probably more now.
Of course, lots of power means lots of money, so there's clearly an incentive to become more energy efficient. Microsoft Research's Networked Embedded Computing group is working on a very promising concept: A combination of physical sensors in the server room and software algorithms to make individual computers sleep or wake up depending on demand....
Cost Of Wind Power Turbines Is SkyRocketing
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.21.08
Increase of 74% for Land-Based, and 48% for Offshore Wind Turbines
For years we've heard about how a shortage of silicon kept solar panel prices higher than they would otherwise be. Just as we're expecting supply to improve in that field, we learn that wind turbines are getting more expensive. Not just a little, but a lot:
"The price of offshore turbines rose 48 percent to 2.23 million euros ($3.45 million) per megawatt in the past three years, according to BTM Consult APS, a Danish wind power consultant. By comparison, land-based rotors cost 1.38 million euros per megawatt after rising 74 percent in the same period."...
D. E. Sellers Introduces New Flatpack Chair
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.21.08
We have shown the work of D.E. Sellers before, noting that he plays a CNC machine like a violin. His furniture is cut out of a single panel and fits together without nails or glue, and is a vision of a future where the work of good designers can be produced close to customers anywhere in the world. (See more of these at Treehugger in an Absolut World)
Sellers introduced a new chair at ICFF, and explains it after the jump....