- 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 25, 2008 - May 31, 2008
Total this week: 124
Martin Liefhebber on Embodied Energy of Existing Buildings
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.31.08
"Scarcity is not a result of us not having enough, it is because of the way we use it." So says Martin Liefhebber, who was doing green architecture before there was a name for it; 12 years ago he designed Toronto's Healthy House that remains cutting edge; we have also covered his Wilson House. He was at the 2008 Heritage Conservation conference decrying the loss of a midcentury modern hospital in Toronto, calculating its embodied energy and the cost of the demolition of not just a perfectly good building, but actually a quite remarkable bit of design with a lot of interesting features, that took 13,576 megawatts of power to build, and will generate 40,000 yards of concrete waste, and will be torn down because of a complete failure of vison and comprehension of the value of what they have.
Below the fold: Martin explaining how long it takes for a building to pay off its initial energy investment....
U.N. to Mediate Arctic Dispute: "Carve-Up" Deal in the Works?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.31.08
Image courtesy of Stig Nygaard via flickr
A flashpoint of international contention in recent months, the race to lay claim to the Arctic's resources finally came to a head this past week when Greenland hosted a meeting between the five Arctic nations to resolve the dispute, The Guardian's Julian Borger reports. Lambasted as a "carve-up"deal by critics for barring several nations and environmental groups from participating, the U.S., Norway, Russia, Denmark and Canada agreed to abide by the 1982 Law of the Sea in managing the region's vast oil and gas reserves. ...
Scientists Develop Air "Scrubber" Capable of Sucking Up One Ton of CO2 a Day
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.31.08
This sounds too good to be true: a machine that can vacuum the equivalent of a ton of atmospheric carbon dioxide a day in a cost-effective way. We've seen our fair share of CO2 "sucking" devices in the past -- everything from modified plastic membranes to industrial-scale paper mill "scrubbers" -- but they've typically tended toward the expensive or unwieldy. So how does this particular device stand out?
Well, for one thing, its inventors, a team of U.S. scientists led by Columbia University's Klaus Lackner, say they'll be able to get a prototype up and running within the next 2 years. Secondly, they claim that the device, which is small enough to fit inside a shipping container, will be able to capture a ton of CO2 a day from the air -- at a fraction of the cost of similar technologies. The initial cost of the device, roughly $200,000, would be more than offset by the amount of carbon each would trap, they assert. ...
The TH Interview: Chris Luebkeman, Director for Global Foresight and Innovation, Arup
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 05.31.08
Trained as a geologist, engineer and architect, Chris Luebkeman describes his job as "helping people think constructively about the future." His official title is Director for Global Foresight and Innovation at Arup, a global engineering firm that is actively involved in several cutting edge projects around the world.
We caught up with him recently at the Ecocity World Summit in San Francisco to talk about his work at Arup, the future of the global economy, and his ubiquitous bow tie ("a regular tie is too long for an engineer to wear at his desk, it gets in the way").
Chris Luebkeman: It is my observation that by optimizing the now, we forget to pause periodically to question if what we are doing now is the right thing – could (or should) we be doing things differently?
In the corporate world, decisions tend to be made very quickly. Once a business person can see a context, they are required to make a decision. With the continued globalization of industries of all kinds, we need to change corporate mindsets. By doing so, I believe we will have the greatest impact in dealing with the challenges currently facing the world....
Uncontacted Amazon Tribe Is Photographed
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05.31.08
After my trip to Brazil’s Amazon, I was wary when I caught glimpse of Thursday’s released photos of uncontacted Amazon tribe members toting bow and arrow in hand. Having been on their native soil and learned about the importance of keeping their culture in tact, the catchy headlines and photos seemed to objectify the forest natives. During my research though, I came to realize that these photos were made public for a better reason than mere exploitation. ...
Sales of Hybrid S.U.V.s Lower Than Expected
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 05.31.08
The Chevy Tahoe hybrid may have won the Green Car of the Year award, and the Chicago Police is considering a switch to the vehicle for policing duties, but the response from the general public has been lukewarm at best: "G.M. has sold [only] about 1,100 of its Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids since their introduction in January," which is " well behind its goal of 12,000 sales a year, and a fraction of the more than 100,000 hybrids sold so far in the United States this year." There are several reasons behind the lackluster sales figures. For one, although the Tahoe hybrid "raises fuel economy for city driving to 20 miles a gallon from 14" compared to the non-hybrid Tahoe, it also carries with it a $4,000 cost premium. But the real nail in the coffin has been the cost of gas, which has led to a significant decrease in driving, as well as a change in the types of vehicles Americans purchase. In fact, "one in five vehicles sold now is a compact car."...
Jet Blue Reduces Its Carbon Footprint
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 05.31.08
Image courtesy of: SmartBusinessTravel.com
When big culprits of CO2 emissions, like the airlines, decide to go green, we at Treehugger take notice. We've reported on airlines eliminating flights to save fuel, and got some really interesting commentson the impact of air travel. Well, JetBlue has taken this one step further with their Jetting to Blue initiative, aiming to green both the airtravel as well as their supply chain. To launch this initiative, they also have a green sweepstakes online, complete with green prizes....
Donovan Rypkema: LEED stands for "Lunatic Environmentalists Enthusiastically Demolishing"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.31.08
Donald Rypkema is a powerful and passionate speaker who had the crowd at the 2008 Heritage Conservation conference on their feet. The President of PlaceEconomics, a Washington D.C. based consulting firm specializing in the economic revitalization of city centers and the development of historic properties, is also deliberately provocative, challenging a wide range of sacred cows in the green design world.
He starts it with an elevator pitch/ "if you can't write it on a business card then you don't have a clear idea" and summarizes it in five points:...
Brit Study Says Organic Grass-Eating Cows Give Healthiest Milk
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.31.08
Photo gwire @ flickr
The debate still rages whether organic or conventionally handled foods are better for us. Don't believe it?
A new study (from Newcastle University) gives reinforcement to the idea that organically-produced milk is healthier than regular milk. The study showed organic (summertime) milk had 67 percent higher levels of vitamins and antioxidants, and 60 percent more conjugated linoleic acids than regular milk. It also had higher levels of good Omega-3s and lower levels of Omega-6s than conventional milk. The key was the grass factor - organic cows tend to get a lot more grass and clover, conventional cows get more grain. Now this may seem like a "yeah, duh" but after the study came out, the British Goverment's watchdog Food Standards Agency felt compelled to say there was little evidence to prove organic was better. It plans to study the Newcastle study. With food prices rising, it's good to get a little reinforcement that organic purchasing does offer tangible benefits. Via ::Telegraph...
Landmarks not Landfill: Sean Fraser on Building To Last
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.31.08
Landmarks Not Landfill: Prism Glass
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.30.08
I am at the 2008 Heritage Conservation conference in Collingwood, Ontario, where the theme is Landmarks Not Landfill: Heritage Preservation and Environmental Sustainability.
Romas Bubelis, architect for the Ontario Heritage Trust, did a presentation on how design and construction techniques from the 19th and early 20th century were naturally green, given that they didn't have much affordable artificial lighting or ventilation and had to develop zero-energy techiques. I almost fell out of my seat in the Gayety Theatre when he described prism glass, which I had seen on buildings for years but never understood the point. ...
Here are my: Top Ten Reasons You Should Email NHTSA Before July 1
by Greg Haegele, Sierra Club on 05.30.08
Perhaps today you looked at your Memorial Day Weekend vacation bills and fell out of your chair when you saw the gas station charges.
Last week we talked about driving the speed limit to save gas, but this week it's time to get a little more into policy and talk about vehicle fuel economy standards - simply put, how far the feds require automakers must make their average vehicle go on a gallon of gas.
The December 2007 energy bill that President Bush signed into law directs the Department of Transportation to set Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to reach at least 35 miles per gallon in 2020. In April, the Dept. of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, which handles fuel economy standards) issued its proposed standards for vehicles sold in model years 2011-2015: Cars and trucks sold in the U.S. will average 31.6 mpg by the year 2015. That's better than today's average of 25 mpg, but NHTSA could do better.
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Most Huggable: An Undiscovered Amazon, Green Sunscreen, Super-Sized Climate Change + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 05.30.08
An un-contacted tribe is found in the Amazon—another forest community threatened by illegal logging.
The Green Parent dishes out the eco-scoop on sunscreen.
More links are made between the increase in waistlines and climate change.
A recent study predicts that the global carbon market will be worth 3.1 trillion dollars by 2020.
Plans are in order to power up planes with algae.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Pop Quiz: What's Filling Your Landfill?
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 05.30.08
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The TH Interview: Wangari Maathai (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 05.30.08
“How can the planting of trees threaten presidents and ministers and people in authority? It’s not the act of planting trees, it is the act of exposing the injustices…that people in office carry out.” Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai empowers people around the world through the simple act of putting roots into soil. But she has been beaten, tear-gassed and imprisoned for her work. Telling truth to power is also the reason she recently declined the honor of being an Olympic torch bearer. In the second part of our in-depth interview, Dr. Maathai also tells TreeHugger how she greens up her own remarkable life. ::TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. For Part One of our interview with Wangari, click here....
Getting the G8 to Square Up to the Climate Crisis
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.30.08
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Warranted optimism or false hope? At a recent summit in Kobe, Japan, environment ministers from the G8 nations pledged to cut emissions in half by 2050 -- though they conspicuously failed to set a binding target for 2020 (thank you, Bush EPA). The ministers claimed there was "strong political will" to take decisive action against climate change -- enough to push for a successor to the Kyoto treaty at the G8 leaders' annual summit in Hokkaido in July.
Now let's (generously) assume the world community does successfully hammer out a successor treaty this July. Will it really make that much of a difference?...
Hollywood's Sexiest Vegetarians
by Terri MacLeod on 05.30.08
Just what the world needs; more Hollywood awards. PETA honors the hottest meatless celebs with its second annual Sexiest Vegetarian Contest. Past winners were Carrie Underwood and Prince. This year the competition is fierce! A few of the female green-bodied stars vying for the title are Natalie Portman, Alicia Silverstone, and Pamela Anderson. As for the guys – Paul McCartney, Michael Stipe, and Tobey McGuire are all up for the honor. Cast your vote at PETA and feed us your thoughts here at treehugger.com.
Via:PETA
Famed Panda Reserve Destroyed By China Quake
by Alex Pasternack, Beijing, China on 05.30.08
China's massive earthquake this month killed as many as 80,000 people, leveled over 400,000 homes, and threatened dams and lakes, bringing out an unusual, grassroots goodwill in the process. It also affected a number of crucial sanctuaries for China's unofficial mascot, and one of the world's most beloved (and threatened) animals: the giant panda. While most pandas are safe at the famed Wolong Panda Reserve, which is part of a 7-sanctuary UNESCO World Heritage site, the sanctuary is so badly damaged that it will probably have to be relocated, staff told state media today. Nearly half of the base's 86 pandas have been evacuated to another sanctuary in Sichuan, eight have been sent to Beijing on a previously-arranged Olympic trip. and, after the capture of five escaped pandas, one is still unaccounted for. ...
Students Protest Lack of LEED
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.30.08
Students at Norwalk Community College in Connecticut are complaining that the new Mitchell-Giurgola designed Health and Science Center "isn't green enough."
The architects "think" that the project could be LEED certified (you can get the lowest level pretty easily) and the College President says budget conditions prevented them from submitting a LEED application. “We really have designed something that is sustainable,” he told the Stamford Advocate. “I feel convinced that we have done the best we have under the current constraints.”
Right. Then prove it. GreenbuildingsNYC writes "The tension between [sic] time, money, and sustainability is a constant battle that we see playing out in the green/LEED context." It is great to see students rallying and making an issue of it. One can whine about LEED being a pain, but it is the only credible currency when people say "Show us the green."...
The Simpsons Poke Fun at Discovery: Entire Labor Force is Unpaid Interns VIDEO 20 seconds WATCH >>
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 05.30.08
Landfill Gas to Energy: A Growing Alternative Energy Resource
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.30.08
Please welcome once again, Wes Muir, Director of Communications for Waste Management, Inc. Wes is back with an overview of landfill gas to energy prospects for the USA - a 2,500 megawatt opportunity.
Many Americans are increasingly turning to alternative forms of energy, and one exciting source that has seen recent resurgence in use is landfill gas. This rise in the use of landfill gas can be attributed to a variety of factors. Higher energy prices make landfill gas cost-competitive, especially compared to other sources of renewable energy. Second, utilities are looking for new sources of renewable energy to meet renewable portfolio standards, and landfill gas is especially valuable to them because it provides base load power. There’s also a real demand from consumers for greener energy and many of them are taking part in voluntary programs and are willing to pay more for power derived from renewable sources.
What exactly is landfill gas? Landfill gas is produced when microorganisms break down organic material in the landfill, and is comprised of approximately 50-60 percent methane and 40-50 percent carbon dioxide. At most landfills in the United States, these greenhouse gases are simply burned off, or “flared.” (As pictured.)...
Big Oil Economics: The Greatest Welfare Scam Ever!
by Jeff Siegel, Green Chip Stocks on 05.30.08
Have you ever noticed that when gas prices shoot up, local news reporters like to recite laundry lists of things we can do to save money at the pump?
I’m sure you’ve heard them all by now…
• Don’t speed
• Keep your tires properly inflated
• Get a hybrid car
My favorite was one that involved staggering your work hours in an effort to avoid peak rush hours.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t know a lot of folks that really have that option. Not that any of this really matters, anyway.
The bottom line is, we’re running out of cheap oil. This is a sinking ship being held together by duct tape and misguided optimism. And no amount of tire inflating or work hour modifications can change that.
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Wisconsin Signs Great Lakes Compact
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.30.08
I know. It's a snore. But it is an important snore, another step toward protecting one of the continent's greatest resources. Why? Read this editorial from the Oshkosh Northwestern:
"For years, especially as the Baby Boomer generation has aged, we've seen our mothers, fathers, grandmother and grandfathers pick up stakes and pack their 25-mpg Conestogas for warmer weather – for Florida, for Arizona. They are our "snowbirds." Well, soon, if not already, the migration isn't exactly a no-brainer. In exchange for no snow shoveling, Wisconsin emigrants are moving into a danger zone, the lands of environmentally-unfriendly energy and water shortages, especially in the booming desert southwest.
Having the Great Lakes Compact in place assures these folks (and entire generations of eco-savvy, recreation-hungry younger Americans, too) will long have a Wisconsin to return to that harbors clean, abundant water – a Wisconsin that will welcome those who care to enjoy it and help sustain it. It's not unreasonable to expect that, in not too long, the state will see an eco-boom – a reverse exodus, a return." ::Oshkosh Northwestern via ::Great Lakes Blogger
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Re-thinking the Variability of Wind and Solar Power
by Rocky Mountain Institute on 05.30.08
As utilities, investors, and researchers gear up for next week's WindPower 2008 conference in Houston, the nascent wind industry's potential is on many people's minds. Just how much of future electricity demand will wind be able to meet? And what will the industry need to get there?
TreeHugger readers are probably already aware of a recent DOE study that projected wind supplying 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030. That's about as much electricity as nuclear power contributes to the U.S. mix today.
But bringing that much wind online means overcoming many hurdles....
House Made From Umbrellas by Kengo Kuma
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.30.08
A few years back TreeHugger built an entire website around dresses made from umbrella parts; now Kengo Kuma builds a house for the Milan Triennale. Designboom writes:
"Kengo Kuma used modified umbrellas, which have zippers along their outer edges are zipped together to create this modular shelter. Each umbrella has two extra 'flap's that hang from its central segments to allow for different compositions . The zippers are cut slightly longer than the umbrella's edges so that the excess material can be tied together to seal joints. The inside of the structure leaves the umbrella mechanisms exposed."...
Brighter Planet and 350.org Challenge Bloggers to Offset Carbon Emissions With Onsite Badge
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 05.30.08
350 Blogger Challenge to Fight Climate Change from Brighter Planet
Brighter Planet, a Vermont start-up committed to fighting climate change and building a clean-energy future, will offset 350 pounds of carbon in the name of bloggers who post a nifty badge on their own blogs. It's like being in the Cub or Girl Scouts but not having to attend den meetings presided over by your friend's creepy dad nor being obliged to go door to door selling boxes of lethal cookies. Oh, and 350 pounds of carbon is like flicking off 100 lightbulbs for a day or going two full weeks without a car. The ultimate goal is to get 350 bloggers involved for a total of 122,500 pounds of carbon offset, or the equivalent of turning off the lights in Washington D.C. for five minutes (haven't the lights in D.C. been off for about the last eight years? *yuk yuk*) As important is simply spreading the good green word about the climate movement far beyond the typical “environmental” realm and into the norm. See the beautiful badge that could be all yours for the low low price of ZERO after the jump....
Barcelona Parties Under the Largest Urban Solar Structure
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 05.30.08
This weekend, the summer festival season has officially kicked off in Barcelona with Primavera Sound. Like last year’s Kubick (the recycled pop-up club) and the upcoming Daydream festival (a tribute to Radiohead), this pop, rock, as well as underground electronic music festival also takes place in the Forum Park, right by the sea. One thing that is hard to miss is the massive solar panel located at the Forum Esplanade. It is said to be the largest urban solar structure in Europe, which is no surprise considering it has a surface of 10.500 m2. The electricity produced by this structure is delivered to the electric public utility system and achieves an annual reduction in emissions equivalent to 440 tons of CO2....
Solar-Assisted Rickshaw Easier on Drivers
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.30.08
We have seen eco-cabs, electric motor-assisted rickshaws in Toronto; Now London's Solarlab, the team that brought us the Solar boat that Bonnie sailed on the Serpentine, adds solar. "The solar generatior will create 80% of the total power needed to drive the vehicle, while the remaining 20% will be provided by the drivers' pedal-power. The physical exertion needed will be dramatically less than that of even a standard bicycle, much less than a traditional rickshaw, allowing any driver, not just athletes, to drive the vehicle."...
DIY Aquaponics: A Video Roundup
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.30.08
Folding Greenhouse by Daniel Schipper
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.30.08
Dutch designer Daniel Schipper has developed this self-supporting folding greenhouse; he writes "A light-weight, flexible, modular greenhouse especially suitable for small spaces like cityhouses, balconies, roof terraces or town gardens. My folding greenhouse is a frameless folding construction made of different components of recyclable plastic which can be folded flat or expand when required."
Schipper is the king of origami; see below the fold for a folding shelter, made from misprinted milk packaging....
Peak Guano: Peru Posts Guards as Demand Soars
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.30.08
Tomas Munita for The New York Times
For thousands of years, seabirds ate anchovies and then crapped all over islands off the coast of Peru. It got up to a hundred and fifty feet deep and was the world's best fertilizer; wars were fought over it as thousands worked the quano mines. Soon they hit rock, Fritz Haber invented synthetic fertilizers and the party was over.
Now it is a sustainable industry, where they take guano at the same rate as the birds drop it. The New York Times writes "It is a minor miracle that any guano at all is available here today, reflecting a century-old effort hailed by biologists as a rare example of sustainable exploitation of a resource once so coveted that the United States authorized its citizens to take possession of islands or keys where guano was found."
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Peak Grease: Restaurant Thefts Rise
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.30.08
Pizzaria owner had his fryer oil stolen. New York Times
The Times picks up a story Mike covered earlier: People are stealing fryer grease to make biofuel. This pizza shop owner has been hit seven times and is installing video cameras.
The Times notes that processed fryer oil, which is called yellow grease, is actually not trash. The grease is traded on the booming commodities market. Its value has increased in recent months to historic highs, driven by the even higher prices of gas and ethanol, making it an ever more popular form of biodiesel to fuel cars and trucks.In 2000, yellow grease was trading for 7.6 cents per pound. On Thursday, its price was about 33 cents a pound, or almost $2.50 a gallon.::New York Times...
Brazil and India Top Greendex; USA, Canada and France Finish Last
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 05.30.08
National Geographic, together with our friends at Globescan, have released the Greendex. The international study, which covers 14 countries measures consumer progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption. The intent is “to give people a better idea of how consumers in different countries are doing in taking action to preserve our planet by tracking, reporting, and promoting environmentally sustainable consumption and citizen behavior.” The 14 countries included in the survey represent 55% of the world's population and include seven of the world's top eleven. In 2007, these 14 countries accounted for 75% of the energy consumed in the world that year.
The findings show that consumers in Brazil and India tie for the highest Greendex score for environmentally sustainable consumption at 60 points each. They are followed by consumers in China (56.1), Mexico (54.3), Hungary (53.2) and Russia (52.4). Among consumers in wealthy countries, those in Great Britain, Germany and Australia each have a Greendex score of 50.2, those in Spain register a score of 50.0 and Japanese respondents 49.1. U.S. consumers have the lowest Greendex score at 44.9. The other lowest-scoring consumers are Canadians with 48.5 and the French with 48.7....
Survey: Could you marry someone who doesn't share your green views?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.30.08
The other day commenter Nichole said of our survey: "Lame poll. Think of something better". I was so shattered by the criticism that I put out the call to TreeHugger writers around the world to help fill this empty vessel, and they responded, filling the void while I go off to rehab. From Mike and Mark:
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‘Going Green’ A Great Primer For, Well, Going Green.
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 05.30.08
Today green is the new black. Or is it the new blue? Either way you look at it, green is the latest buzzword and everyone these days is coming out with a new book to help you exclusively go green. (including us. Shameless plug: Buy it here). Going Green by mother-daughter duo Dr. Sally Kneidel and Sadie Kneidel is a great, basic primer for anyone looking to understand subtle differences like what is the difference between veggie oil and biodiesel or what the heck is a yurt. ...
School Joins Frontlines of Energy Efficiency with Absorption Chiller
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05.30.08
It's not every day the more industrial inner workings of a school district are featured on the front page of TreeHugger, but if you’re looking for a school that’s on the cutting edge of energy conservation and making smart use of taxpayer dollars look no further than Branford High School in Connecticut.
To control heating and cooling costs they’ve implemented a device called an absorption chiller that runs off of the hot exhaust from the four natural gas powered micro-turbines used to create their electricity on-site. And the results are terrific. Achieving energy efficiency rates of 80-90% where the nationwide average from more traditional methods is closer to 33%.
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Victory Gardens: War on Waste
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.30.08
It's not quite war time, although sometimes it feels like it... Endless articles on the "credit crunch", cutbacks and soaring food prices are putting a chill in the air. During WW2 the British were digging Victory gardens in squares and public parks across the country. They were growing their own food in very tight compact spaces as a response to food shortages due to the wartime restrictions on food imports. Wartime principles of eating seasonal food grown locally and organically have a message for us now.
In the heart of historic St. James's Park, the Dig for Victory allotment garden has been created to bring back the flavour of those times and encourage people to embrace the idea of growing your own. For the second year running, a small allotment garden has been created in the spirit of those from the war. Included is an Anderson Shelter (pictured), a bomb shelter made of prefab. metal sheets and secured with bags of sand. Zucchinis are growing around and over it as camouflage. The beds are raised to allow for deep rooting. Companion planting was encouraged--different plants side by side can repel insects or attract them. The approach was quite organic, although the intent was to produce crops with the highest nutritional value.
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Hong Kong's Real Recycling Blends Bin Collection With Street Sales
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.29.08
Household separation of waste is just getting started in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China that is also a super-city with a population of 7 million people. Currently, just over 800 apartment buildings or complexes have joined the government's voluntary recycling program. The household recycling rate is about 10 to 14%, which the government hopes to take up to 26% by 2012. In apartments where common area bins have been implemented, the government says recycling is popular, and the addition of widespread street-based recycling bins in the last two years has also been well received.
Perhaps it's not surprising that Hong Kong residents have been slow to take up recycling, for while they are huge consumers (shopping is the number one past-time) they also retain a thrifty streak and a deep respect for the value of supposed waste. Interspersed in the city are collection trucks that form the unofficial "recycling" network. These privately-owned trucks, unconnected to any corporation, are where you can bring a bag full of old newspapers or a hundred kilos of used computer equipment and trade it in...for cold hard cash. There's a sliding scale - at one truck old CPUs that might have more precious metals fetch more, about US$.25 a kilo, while at the paper truck you get just $.15 per kilo. The trucks, of course, aren't sanctioned by the government - they are simply commodity trading on a tiny scale. But they point to an alternative view about resources....
Celine Dion's Florida House Guzzles 6.5 Million Gallons Of Water Per Year
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.29.08
This TreeHugger doesn't usually cover the celebrity beat and I would rather chew on ground glass than listen to her, but Canada's gift to the world, Celine Dion and her husband René Angélil, drink up 18,000 gallons of water per day in their modest 9,800 square foot Jupiter Island pile. And they are not even there. Drought or not, Jupiter Island officials defend her right :"Irrigation accounts for the bulk of any homeowner's water use. Since they have larger properties with an abundance of vegetation -- ideal for ensuring privacy, which is of special importance to well-known personalities -- it looks like higher-than-usual water usage. In reality, per acre, it's only a little above average," said Shannon Dunne, director of utilities for South Martin Regional Utilities, which provides water for Jupiter Island.
Sounds like they need a new Director of Utilities. ::ABC News
UPDATE: It was a water main break during construction, now fixed. read We're Sorry Celine: Not Such A Water Hog After All...
Wired On The Environment: PASS or FAIL?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.29.08
My daughter grabbed our Wired before I knew it arrived, so I am late to the pile-on. The cover article is an attempt to challenge the cherished chestnuts of the green movement.
Hank at Eco-Geek did a section-by-section analysis which I think mostly gets it right, although I think Wired is cooking the books on Air conditioning; they say that it takes less energy to cool a house than to heat it, and that the carbon footprint of a house in Phoenix is less than a tenth of a house in the Northeast; a) I don't believe it and b) you can heat a house with all kinds of fuel, including that big unshielded fusion reactor in the sky; you can pretty much only cool with electricity. Hank also hides behind "nuclear neutrality" and is called out on it in the comments.
Dave Roberts crapped all over it, "This techno-futurist, hipster-libertarian, self-consciously contrarian shtick was fresh and interesting ... back in 1996, when Wired was founded. Since then, it has congealed into a set of knee-jerk mannerisms and affectations. It has lost its edge. At this point it just makes me yawn."
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Today on Planet Green
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 05.29.08
:: Chow down on homemade onion rings.
:: Learn how Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo has gone back to the earth.
:: Join Kelly and hop on the gardening bandwagon.
:: Celebrate World Environment Day in one of 80 different ways.
:: Use the tuna calculator to make sure you’re not ingesting too much mercury....
Headliners In The Sun: A Solar News Roundup
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.29.08
Record Makes Thin-Film Solar Cell Competitive with Silicon EfficiencyResearchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have moved closer to creating a thin-film solar cell that can compete with the efficiency of the more common silicon-based solar cell. The copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cell recently reached 19.9 percent efficiency, setting a new world record for this type of cell......
Send An Origami Whale From Greenpeace
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.29.08
Greenpeace Australia is running an extremely cute campaign against Japanese whaling where one gets to make an origami whale and send it swimming to the Japanese Prime Minister. Much easier than actually learning origami!
It's Official: Green is Sexy
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.29.08
Study Shows Green is Hot
A national survey conducted in the US by Kelton Research for GM shows some encouraging trends:
Fuel- efficient -- The new chick magnet? "Close to nine in 10 women (88 percent) say they’d rather chat up someone with the latest fuel-efficient car versus the latest sports car."
How to win friends and influence people. "Eighty percent of American car buyers would find someone with the latest model fuel-efficient car more interesting to talk to at a party than someone with the latest model sports car."...
Put Your Waste Heat To Work With a Green Machine
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.29.08
Recently we discussed how It's the efficiency, stupid!- how 56% of the energy created is wasted. Electratherm goes after low-grade heat that is usually wasted with its Green Machine- making electricity from water that is only 200 Degrees F. (96 C) at a cost of under 4 cents a kilowatt-hour. (3 cents per horsepower-hour for those who don't use the metric system).
It is based on the organic Rankine cycle, where a high molecular mass organic fluid (in this case an EPA/Kyoto approved chemical) is vaporized, runs a turbine and then condensed in a closed loop, creating no emissions. How much waste heat is there that could run these things? Probably thousands of industrial and commercial sites. Hook them up to warm water coming from geothermal sites across America and you have both power and heat. Perhaps a bank of solar hot water heaters.
...
Report Finds Lexington Has Largest Carbon Footprint, Los Angeles Has Second Smallest (With Big Caveats)
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 05.29.08
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
For a brief explanation of what a "carbon footprint" is, head on over to our primer
Imagine my surprise when the first headline I read in today's LAT Environment section blared: "Los Angeles' carbon footprint is a light one -- sort of." Yes, according to a new report released by the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, Los Angeles ranked second only to Honolulu in having the nation's smallest carbon footprint. The city received plaudits for its strict buildings codes and tough utility pricing rules, which have helped moderate energy consumption. ...
Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth To Be Staged As Opera
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 05.29.08
We hope it's not a tragic one where all the main characters die in the end: The Associated Press is reporting that Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth is going to be staged as an opera. From lecture halls to film, okay we get it. From film to books, a natural transition. But opera?
According to AP, the Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli has been commissioned to produce an opera on Gore's international multiformat hit, for the 2011 season at the Milan opera house, La Scala.
We wonder if Gore will be cast in a part. Any ideas?
Somewhat related, watch Adam Sandler as Opera Man, sing about Al Gore.
::AP...
Survey: Should Drivers Who Give Out The Door Prize Be Charged?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.29.08
Ron Bull, The Star
They erected another ghost bike in Toronto this morning, in memory of a 57 year old cyclist who got the door prize last week and fell in front of a cube van. The Highway Traffic act says that drivers opening the doors of parked vehicles are forbidden to do so “without first taking due precautions to ensure that his or her act will not interfere with the movement of or endanger any other person or vehicle,” but the cops didn't charge the driver. According to Eye Weekly:
Sgt. Tim Burrows of the Toronto Police seemed inclined to err on the side of sympathizing with the driver. In the Post report, he described the Volvo driver as “shaken,” and being in a state of “shock.” He said it’s difficult for a driver to see a cyclist even if they do look, and seemed to warn cyclists to take responsibility for their own safety. “If she didn’t look, would that be negligence? It’s very hard to label that as negligent.”...
SustainStyle: VolunteerMatch, Recycled Polyester Bikinis + More
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 05.29.08
Welcome to SustainStyle, a weekly digest from the writers at 1plus1, a blog dedicated to eco-friendly fashion.
VolunteerMatch makes our holiday weekend more than just poolside and BBQ.
A "Simple Living" T-shirt ends up complicated when Louis Vuitton's lawyers are involved.
Urban Outfitters takes a step to making a difference.
Artist Josh Podoll puts his pieces of work on bamboo t-shirts for men and women.
Aaron Chang's bikini made from recycled polyester has us turned inside out!
Ecoetsy becomes the cliff notes to eco buys on etsy.com
A pocket pal saves the day and all of our most important digits.
Earth and Sky's Grey Gauze Tunic is a pretty pretty thing.
xo....
VolunteerMatch makes our holiday weekend more than just poolside and BBQ.
A "Simple Living" T-shirt ends up complicated when Louis Vuitton's lawyers are involved.
Urban Outfitters takes a step to making a difference.
Artist Josh Podoll puts his pieces of work on bamboo t-shirts for men and women.
Aaron Chang's bikini made from recycled polyester has us turned inside out!
Ecoetsy becomes the cliff notes to eco buys on etsy.com
A pocket pal saves the day and all of our most important digits.
Earth and Sky's Grey Gauze Tunic is a pretty pretty thing.
xo....
From the Forums: The Perfect House
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 05.29.08
greenteadrinker is asking, in your mind's eye...what's the perfect house?
For her:
Rammed earth 24"-36" thick walls,(so no heater and no a/c) a planted green roof solar array in yard......
Bisphenol A Is In Your Tomato Sauce
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.29.08
video: Hidden chemical in cans
We have discussed the danger of gender-bender chemical Bisphenol A from cans before; (see BPA Danger may be greater from Tin Cans than Water Bottles) Now the Globe and Mail and CTV have tested a range of canned foods and found that they are leaching more than double the amount of the stuff than the baby bottle and Nalgenes that everyone has been dumping. Tomato sauce had 18.2 parts per billion, kid's ravioli 6.2 ppb and tomato juice 14.1 ppb. "These results provide further evidence that we are marinating in this chemical on a daily basis," said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence....
Glowing Adhocism: Lamps From Recycled Materials
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.29.08
"Adhocism is the art of living and doing things ad hoc- using materials at hand, rather than waiting for the perfect moment or "proper" approach. As a principle of design, it begins with everyday improvisations, such as bottles for candle holders and tractor seats on wheels for dining chairs."
It also keeps a lot of stuff out of the garbage, like these yoghurt containers turned into a lamp. ::Re-nest...
Who Buried the Telectroscope All These Years?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.29.08
New Yorkers and Londoners are agog about the discovery of the Telectroscope, which connects the Cities with a “device for the suppression of absence”.
The tunnel was apparently conceived by Paul St. George's great-grandfather during a rough sea voyage to look at the Brooklyn Bridge in 1884. His first idea was to build a tunnel for people, but in the end decided that one could travel without moving if one could see all the way to New York without having to leave London. Of course he had no idea of the resources and energy that such a device would save. And all these years, this incredible feat of engineering was hidden beneath our feet....
Survey: Should America Go Metric?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.29.08
We got a lot of comments on our proposal that America go metric to avoid the hassle of changing gas pumps that cannot deal with the current high prices. Canada did it about when gas hit a buck a gallon (a bigger, imperial gallon too!) and kept those pumps going for years.
Discuss in the Forums
...
The Rains Came To Atlanta This Spring: Lake Lanier Slowly Fills
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05.29.08
This spring-born foal is feeling good about life. The sun and spring rains have returned and things are greening up. People of the drought-threatened Atlanta region of the US State of Georgia, too, are encouraged by the rains of late winter and spring, 2008. But, unfortunately, we have to look at the data rather than just let emotions shape our future. Lake Lanier, Atlanta's major water supply, is indeed looking better with every month that passes (see previous month's water level chart posting here). Then, check out the updated comparative water level chart below the fold....
World Environment Day and an Interview with UNEP's Achim Steiner
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 05.29.08
Last week, Treehugger Writer Bonnie Hulkower interviewed Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nation's Environmental Programme (UNEP). Steiner was unanimously elected to his position in 2006, and is in the middle of serving a four year term. Mr. Steiner has managed 1,000 people in 42 countries, and is especially known for building partnerships between the private and public sectors. Working at the grassroots level as well as at the highest levels of international policy-making to address the interface between environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic development, Steiner stresses the need for a more intelligent economic system that considers the GDP generated by nature. A recession, Steiner firmly believes, is precisely when we should be even more focused on combating climate change, and on creating an inclusive green economy.
Most recently, Steiner has been focusing attention on marine dead zones resulting from fertilizer use, and has been heralding the importance of drip irrigation, indigenous knowledge, agricultural biodiversity, and yes, the coral chomping parrotfish.
Treehugger gained insight on how living in five continents truly gives one a diverse and international perspective, and was impressed by Steiner’s admonition that developed countries "should shoulder their full responsibility for having used the atmosphere as a dustbin for some 200 years.” Mr. Steiner also outlined suggestions for strategic government incentive programs, as well as a preview of the environmental topics he will be discussing on World Environment Day, June 5th....
Electric Vehicle Charging Continues to Spread Across London
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 05.29.08
The image above comes from Newride London, and shows just how easy it is for electric vehicle owners in London to find charging points. And despite a change in mayors, the expansion of infrastructure for electric vehicles in the city seems to be continuing apace, with many developments being pushed by individual boroughs within the city. Earlier this month we heard about 12 new on-street charging points in Westminster, and now we hear that the borough of Islington is making moves in a similar direction – opening two new charging stations. And for those who are concerned that electric vehicles are becoming the new “silver bullet” to transport issues, it’s encouraging to see that this is just one in a whole range of measures taken in Islington, from running an electric van to using GPS to reduce mileage. This from their website:...
Fantastic Plastic on Show
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.29.08
A small but interesting show of handbags made of recycled plastic gives an idea of the full range of innovation and creativity going on today in England. Some of treehugger's favourites such as the " I am not a plastic bag" and the Modbury free bags and Kate Ward's handbag were on display, as they should be. Ryan Frank's stool, Ishongololo, made out of orange Sainsbury recycled plastic bags was front and centre (pictured). There was a delightful key chain, crocheted to hold 3 blue plastic bags by Cerys Marks, doing her bit by knitting and crocheting plastic because "the UK grocery industry uses enough carrier bags to carpet the entire planet twice a year." Emma Neuberg took an old denim skirt and made it beautiful by using applique design created by heat-pressing colourful pictures from plastic bags and packaging (pictured after fold). A little stiff to wear everyday but a party special. Emma Berry also used skirts; only she made soft handbags out of old pleated ones.
We loved the idea of morsbags: download instructions to make a bag in half an hour out of an old curtain or sheet. Nat Thakur's bag of stripy recycled leather pieces is eye catching and attractive. Bags2riches makes some great looking bracelets of recycled plastic.
...
It's A Good Time For America To Go Metric
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.28.08
For some reason there are gas pumps in New York State that can't go above $3.999 per gallon. (I can understand $9.999, but 3.999? that makes no sense!). Syracuse.com writes that the "New York state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker today announced that gas stations with non-digital fuel dispensers can apply for half gallon pricing."
Why not solve the problem by using this opportunity to go metric, and sell the gas at about $0.90 cents per litre? You will have three or or four years to change the pumps before you hit $3.999 again. ::Groovy Green...
LED Street Lights are Coming
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.28.08
New Foothold for LED Lights
Dusseldorf, Germany, has 17,000 gas street lamps. The city's power utility has decided to replace 10,000 of them with LED street lights, but that hasn't happened yet. So far, only about 25 of them have been installed.
Of course, LED are still kind of expensive, so there's a capital cost. But once they are in place, their operating costs are lower and they can last for a very long time. Another benefit is that you can direct light much more easily, so you can avoid sending light in all directions (people with a street light across the street from their bedroom window will understand...). The first bump in the road for LED street lights was that some people thought their white light was too cold compared to the red-ish glow of the old lamps, but that can easily be fixed by using colored LEDs. ::Replacing gas lamps with LEDs
More on LED lights
::Nanocrystal Coating = White LED Big Breakthrough?,