- Emily Pilloton Discusses the Hippo Roller and other Designs for Humanity (Part One)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part Two)
- Janine Benyus on Biomimicry in Design (Part One)
- Andy Revkin - Climate in the Obama Age
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part Two)
- Fred Pearce - Confessions of An Eco-Sinner (Part One)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part Two)
- Chris Goodall - Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part One)
Entries for June 1, 2008 - June 7, 2008
Total this week: 144
What Would Jesus Buy? Did you miss the movie on the big screen?
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 06. 7.08
If you missed What Would Jesus Buy, the satirical documentary produced by Morgan Spurlock (Supersize me) that follows Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping on their magical mystery biodiesel tour across the U.S., don't fret! The DVD came out on May 27th with a special deal for Treehugger readers. You can order the DVD here: http://www.aaadvdstore.com/WWJB.html. TH Code: WWJB
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Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen: Hummer's Gas-Induced Collapse
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 7.08
Remember how GM's Hummer used to be the toast of the town among Hollywood glitterati and certain high placed politicians? It turns out the past few years (and ever-rising gas prices) haven't been kind to its fortunes -- as the LAT's Dan Neil chronicles in a piece appropriately entitled "Requiem for a heavyweight?" Mike also reported on Hummer's imminent downfall a few months ago; GM has said it will terminate production in 2014.
Via ::Infectious Greed: Hummer Bummer (blog)
See also: ::GM Kills the Hummer H1, ::RIP Hummer H2?
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Hybrid by Former Head of Design at VW Due in 2009
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06. 7.08
Mindset Six50, a Light and Little Electric Car
Murat Günak, former Head of Design at VW, has measured the vital stats of the auto industry and his diagnosis is "too big, too heavy, too expensive". With the support of Swiss millionare Lorenzo Schmid, Günak plans to buck the trend. Günak and Schmid founded the company Mindset and developed a hybrid 2+2-seater they call the Six50, a name which rubs it in the faces of the traditional sleds and SUVs....
Climate Expert James Hansen Supports Cap-and-Dividend System
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 7.08
NYT climate reporter, and Dot Earth blogger, Andy Revkin does a great job getting to the bottom of the various cap and "X" policies currently being bandied around by a number of different scientists and legislators -- focusing mainly on NASA climate expert James Hansen's carbon tax and 100% dividend proposal (full presentation can be found on Hansen's website)....
NYT climate reporter, and Dot Earth blogger, Andy Revkin does a great job Ginger Strand on Inventing Niagara and the Excesses of Industrial Development
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 7.08
1.0 On The "Inhofe Scale": Climate Bill Stopped In US Senate
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06. 7.08
For decades, now, it's been a challenge explaining climate science. It will be even harder to objectively and succinctly explain the prospective economic impacts (both positive and negative) of "climate actions." Because partisans and lobbyists have a strong and continuing grip on laws and policies that could favorable shape our climate future, we see a need for a simple metric to characterize negative manipulations and grand standing. Hence, TreeHugger is proposing a scale similar to the famed 1935-developed Richter Scale, which quantifies the amount of seismic energy released by an earthquake. We call our propose metric the Inhofe Scale: named in honor of Senator James M. Inhofe, US Senate Republican of Oklahoma.
The Inhofe baseline starts at 1, pegged to this past week's requesting that the entire 500-page text of the McCain-Lieberman Climate Bill be read aloud in the Senate.“They do not want to address the most important issue of the day, so they stalled,” Mr. Reid said, noting that Republicans insisted on having the entire nearly 500-page bill read aloud on Wednesday. “They are doing everything they can to maintain the status quo.”...
Energy's Future- a panel with the Oil Industry, Venture Capital, Academia and Government
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 06. 6.08
photo courtest of API (left to right Murr, Pfannenstiel, Siegele, Vassallo and Victor)
The panel, entitled Energy's Future is in Technology: Innovation in Energy Supply, Energy Efficiency and Alternative/Renewable Energy, was sponsored by Newsweek and the American Petroleum Industry (API). Yes, the American Petroleum Industry; it also sponsored Treehugger’s transport for the event.
Many of the comments on the panel addressed the issue that gas prices are driving innovation and people’s choices. I was struck by this trend when renting a car at SFO. Despite having reserved an “economy” sized car, I arrived at the counter after midnight and was told that the only cars left were SUVs. In the past SUVs, like convertibles, were luxury rentals, but now they were sitting in the lot like dogs in the pound. The problem was it was 1am and BART had stopped running so SUV it was. I considered the irony of my first SUV driving experience being on assignment for TH! In any case, in gas guzzling form, I headed down the 101 to the panel, which was held at Stanford’s brand-spanking-new Yang and Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building. This green building has only been open since March 2008, and is airy with natural light, as well as energy efficient.
David Jefferson, Newsweek’s Senior Editor, kicked off the late afternoon panel and Stanford’s Dr. James Sweeney, Director of Precourt Institute for Energy Efficiency gave closing remarks. The panelists included: David Victor, Stanford University Professor, and Director of the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, Paul Siegele, Chevron’s V.P. of Strategic Planning, Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, Chair of California Energy Commission (CEC), Trae Vassallo, a partner in the venture capitalist firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), and Andy Murr, Newsweek’s L.A. bureau chief. Jefferson kicked off the panel by remarking, “The only time I really think of going green is when I pull up to the Chevron station and $4 a gallon gas makes money fly out of my wallet!” He posed the question: “What in the future will allow me to run my AC and drive my car as fast and as far as I want, without feeling guilty or going broke?” ...
Reminder: Greener by Design Conference is Next Week!
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 06. 6.08
Heads up product designers and engineers, green business gurus, supply chain experts and product development pros: we want to remind you about the Greener by Design conference that's happening next week (Thursday and Friday, June 12 and 13) in Alexandria, VA -- we mentioned it before. Just across the river from Washington, D.C., the conference offers you the opportunity to network with companies of all sizes and sectors who are integrating environmental thinking into their operations, and gives you a chance to share thoughts and bounce ideas off the leading thinkers on the greening of mainstream products. Come to the conference, and you're likely to walk away with a new outlook on green product development.
TreeHugger is happy to be a media sponsor, and I'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. Some big names from some big-time companies will be attending. Joel Makower of GreenBiz.com fame, will be moderating many of the panels, which will feature speakers from Nike's Considered program, Clorox's Green Works cleaners and a head honcho from Wal-Mart's sustainability team, just to name a few. Essentially, lots of smart people from big companies at various levels on the relative "green ladder," working to climb ever higher.
Hit the jump to learn more, and, if you're interested in the conference but can't make it, leave your specific questions in the comments section and I'll do my best to get an answer. ::Greener by Design...
Planet Green Tonight: Renovation Nation
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06. 6.08
By now, we're sure all of you know that this week was a big one for us at TreeHugger. Our parent company, Discovery Communications, launched Planet Green, the first ever 24-7 TV channel dedicated to green living. With more than 200 hours of original green lifestyle programming, Planet Green is a fresh conversation about what it means to be environmental. Over the next few days we’ll bring you clips from the new shows and, in the meantime, don’t forget to use our channel finder so you can watch Planet Green in your home.
We've featured Wa$ted and Mean Green Machines and Hollywood Green, and today we're bringing you the scoop on Renovation Nation. The green home building movement is unfolding in real time on each hour-long, information-packed episode of Renovation Nation, which answers the burning questions that every homeowner in America has about going green.
Catch a sneak peak below the fold....
Finding the Right Balance
by Marian Hopkins, Business Roundtable on 06. 6.08
EPA granted the right to regulate carbon, April 2007.
Congress passes energy legislation, December 2007.
Conference of the Parties in Bali, December 2007.
…Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act fails in the Senate, 2008.
While it’s clear our nation has come a long way on the journey toward a sustainable future in just over a year, we still have some distance to go. The climate change legislation that recently failed to garner sufficient support in the U.S. Senate did not adequately address some of the critical issues facing our nation’s businesses; but, we are committed to continuing the work to get it right....
Importing PCBs for Burning: In Port Arthur Texas
by Greg Haegele, Sierra Club on 06. 6.08
Who would want to do that? Well a company in Port Arthur, Texas, is currently seeking an exemption from federal law to do just that.
If you're not familiar with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), they are a compound once manufactured in the U.S. to insulate electricity transformers, among many other uses. In 1976, after realizing how nasty these things are, Congress passed the Toxic Substances Control Act, which made it illegal to manufacture any more PCBs in the U.S. - or to import them. Yet despite that law, Veolia Environmental Services is asking the EPA to let it ignore the law and import more than 20,000 tons of PCBs from Mexico for incineration....
Fast Growing Mountains Could Affect Evolution... And the Climate
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 6.08
Image from USGS/NASA
Who knew mountains, like awkward teens, could have sudden growth spurts? According to a new study published in Science (sub. required), the Andes mountains may have doubled their height in as few as 2 - 4 million years -- suggesting that the latest plate tectonics science may need some revision. ...
Today on Planet Green
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 06. 6.08
:: Check with your hospital so see if they’re going green using this check-list from Discovery Health’s, Dr. John Whyte.
:: Get inventive with this season’s hot stalk by following Kelly’s Asparagus Soup recipe.
:: Meet SuChin Pak, host of the G Word and Planet Green columnist.
:: See how Arnold took action on World Environment Day yesterday.
:: Point your favorite restaurant’s owner to this resource to help them go green....
Katrina Cottages Rolled Out By Lowes Nationwide
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 6.08
1200 SF 2 storey Katrina Cottage
Some say it is an exercise in bad branding, like naming a line of prefabs ‘Mt. St. Helens Villas’ or ‘Hurricane Andrew Mobile Homes.’ But in fact Marianne Cusato's original Katrina Cottage was so cute that "Katrina Cottage" became a meme for cute little New Urbanist designs. Now Lowes has rolled out a whole line of them nationwide. And not just by Marianne; other New Urbanist designers like Andres Duany, Eric Moser, W.A Lawrence and Geoffrey Mouen get a kick at it. 11 plans range from 544 sf to 1800 sf. You can buy the plans or an entire package, just like Sears and Aladdin did almost a century ago.
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Most Huggable: Electric Hot Rods, Cool Blue Campaigns, Obama’s Eco-Stance + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 06. 6.08
An electric, concept car proves to be faster than a Ferrari.
The government of Catalonia commissions an ad campaign in support of the seas.
Blogs begin taking a closer look at Obama’s environmental policy.
A new report stresses the importance of getting Junior outside.
The Huffington Post’s green section goes live—featuring TreeHugger and Planet Green!
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
J.R. Watkins Natural Home and Body Care
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 06. 6.08
J.R. Watkins’ new line of natural home care products brings the fresh-scented carefully crafted quality of their natural body care line to your spring cleaning routine. You might be wondering: “A body-care line that also makes natural home cleansers?” But once you think over it a bit – the concept makes perfect sense.
Both types of products are coming under greater scrutiny as we learn about the risks we take by applying toxic ingredients to our skin and using caustic chemicals to clean our homes. For too long we’ve made a Faustian bargain with the products we use in our personal and home care – accepting that to be effective they must also be a bit (or a lot) dangerous....
1939: The Electric House of the Future
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 6.08
O, the future. Where we get to live under power lines and mainline all the juice we need. Complete with electric mood control. Yet compared to many visions of the future, this one gets a lot of things right:
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Zeppelins are Back, Too
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 6.08
Sami noted that turboprops were back; It took a while, but Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin left an endowment to ensure that his eponymous airship rose again too. Sean Dodson of The Guardian is full of bad puns as he writes: "it's hard to keep an idea as audacious as the airship down. With the cost of oil at record highs, and airline chiefs warning of the end of cheap flights, the idea of the airship is being seriously floated once more."
The 12 passenger prototype is on its way to London, and then crossing the ocean and America to San Francisco. The Guardian concludes:
The rising price of oil may one day make them affordable. For a short-haul journeys, they could easily compete with the likes of ferries and trains, but the return to long-haul remains something of a dream. And yet who would have thought, a decade ago, that passenger airships would ever fly at all? ::Guardian
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A Picture is Worth... Surfriders' Catch of the Day
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 06. 6.08
How about freshly “caught” fillets of condoms, a plastic surprise or Styrofoam bites? Here are a few examples of “Catch of the Day,” a guerrilla ad campaign sponsored by Surfrider Foundation to educate people at farmers’ markets about the amount and kinds of pollution dumped into our seas.
Working with the ad giant Saatchi & Saatchi, real life trash was collected from various beaches in America (the condoms are from Newport Beach, California), packaged to look like seafood and then offered at various farmers’ markets.
(We seriously wonder if the ad execs from Saatchi collected the condoms or if they made the surfers do it. Ick.)
Jump over the fold to see what other kinds of “goodies” one can collect from the sea. There is also an educational video from Surfrider worth viewing.
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Efficient Modern Turboprop Aircraft are Making a Comeback
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06. 6.08
The turboprop aircraft is making a comeback, with sales to one of the only remaining manufacturers quadrupling in 2007 and a continued upsurge expected. With high oil prices, concerns over climate change, and uncertain economic conditions keeping airlines nervous, the return cannot come a moment too soon. As our very own Lloyd Alter testified after his bike/turboprop trip from Toronto to NYC, turboprops are among the most efficient aircraft in the skies, using only 64% of fuel per seat compared to the average jet (we’ve gone into more detail about turboprops in our overview of Porter Airlines and we’ve watched how a UK low-cost carrier has been producing eco-labels to back up their efficiency claims). So it’s no surprise our ears pricked up when we heard a report on NPR’s Marketplace about the renewed interest in turboprops among major carriers.
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Trophy for Energy Efficiency Designed by David Graas
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 6.08
We have shown the work of Dutch designer David Graas before; he does great things with cardboard. However, he appears to work in other media as well; he was commissioned by the Ministry of VROM (love that name!) to design the Net Trophy, " a national prize for energy efficient living and working. The prize is given annually to an initiative of municipalities, building companies, housing associations and project developers that excels in an energy efficient approach." David tells us:
"The tulip vase has the shape of an archtypical house, that is familiar to everyone; a house with a pointed roof and a chimney with a cloud of smoke. Only instead of one chimney, the roof is filled with chimneys. And instead of smoke there are now flowers coming from the chimney as a metaphor for the durability that the prize is about." ::David Graas
More TreeHugger on David Graas:
Davidgraas: Furniture from Cardboard : TreeHugger
Not a Box Lighting: More Cardboard Design from David Graas ...
David Graas: Finish Yourself Stool
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Survey: Are You a Packrat or a Minimalist?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 6.08
After we wrote about Brian Jones losing everything and starting over, one commenter with a similar experience called it "liberating" and another noted "We are chained down by our stuff and what we think we need." Some of us travel light through life; others have bulging basements and storage lockers.
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EPA Moves to Keep Rat Poison from Kids, Animals
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 06. 6.08
Just when you thought you’d heard it all, it turns out the EPA is finally getting around to keeping rat poison out of the hands of children.
Amazingly, it only took until 2008 to happen, but better late than never. And now it seems you’ll have to be a farmer, livestock owner or certified rodent control employee to buy the stuff in bulk. With bags over 8 pounds no longer sold in stores.
And to further ensure this nasty stuff stays out of the hands of kids, they’re making sure that the loose bait-like pellets and the four most hazardous types of pesticides, known as “second-generation anticoagulants,” will no longer be sold for personal use either.
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Prince Charles Saves Britain's Apples
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06. 6.08
We have applauded Prince Charles before for his willingness to spend massive amounts of money on green causes. And now HRH has done it again. He has purchased 1,000 of the rarest British apple varieties. So have Geoffrey Anderton, who owns Lochnaw Castle in Scotland, and the Co-operative Group. The sellers are a trust which looks after the living collection on behalf of the Government. Its collection includes 2,300 traditional varieties of apple, 500 of pear, 350 of plum, 220 varieties of cherry and 320 varieties of bush fruits, such as gooseberry. The apples have all been stored in one location and it was decided that it was too risky to put all your apples in one basket, as it were. The species being sold include the Bloody Ploughman, which was first recorded in 1883, the Fairie Queen, Forty Shillings and Ducks Bill, originating in England, and Great Expectations, which comes from Ireland.
Each of the buyers has committed to planting their saplings in different parts of the country. It is assumed the Prince's collection would be grown at the Duchy Home Farm in Gloucestershire. The Co-op plans to introduce the apples to its customers. They are planting the trees at their 800-acre fruit-growing operation in Herefordshire. They intend to press and blend the fruit for their own "heritage" brand apple juice. Watch for the Ashmeads Kernal (pictured) "it's an ugly looking apple, with black spots, and most supermarkets wouldn't touch it with a bargepole, but the taste is fantastic – really nutty, with a juicy, firm texture." :: Telegraph...
Turn off your lights and spend a candle night in Osaka
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 06. 5.08
How do you get thousands of people to turn off their lights and use less electricity? Since 2003, a small group of people in Japan have managed to do just that through the Candle Night events. Some 3,000,000 kilowatts of energy were saved during last year's event as over 60,000 facilities participated in the nation-wide campaign, with support from Japan's Ministry of the Environment....
Environmental Science Teacher Finds Teachable Moment Amid Classroom Noise
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 06. 5.08
It’s not every day you find a classes focusing on the issue of noise pollution and how it affects wildlife, but Tommy Hayes, a rookie environmental science teacher in Boston has done just that; turning the need to confiscate the blaring iPod of a student into a teachable moment that class won’t soon forget.
But how’d he turn a classroom distraction into such a great piece of environmental education?...
Scottish Company Claims Technology Can Double Vehicles' MPG
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 5.08
If electric vehicles aren't your thing, then you may be pleased to hear that at least one company is working on giving that tried and true internal combustion engine a major boost. Artemis, an Edinburgh, Scotland-based company, has developed a hydraulic hybrid transmission that could potentially double the mileage of most vehicles -- by accident, as it happens. The firm's original goal had been to simply reduce CO2 emissions on the highway by 30% (a goal it also achieved).
The results were confirmed independently by the U.K. Energy Saving Trust, which found that Artemis' prototype BMW 530i hydraulic series hybrid, equipped with the new transmission, achieved double the MPG in city tests over its manual alternative (you can see a video of the test on Artemis' website). Its breakthrough hybrid powertrain design is based on its proprietary Digital Displacement (DD) technology, which it has spent the last 15 years working on. ...
Graphic Of The Day: US Oil Stocks
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06. 5.08
One of the popular vote-pandering narratives pursued by US Congress Critters, lately, has been 'oil companies making too much money,' bankrupting the Middle Class. This Energy Information Agency graphic is consistent, however, with multiple explanations of high oil prices, including 'developing nation demand growth' and, Peak Oil. The data do not support a convenient single scape goat that can be affected by public policy or law. And that, Dear Reader, is the graphic of the day.
Via::Weekly Petroleum Status Report...
Today on Planet Green
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 06. 5.08
:: Park your gas-guzzler in the garage, and hop on a bike instead.
:: Nix the raisins in this raisin-less raisin bread—unless you want them, of course!
:: Put a hold on hot water and win a free copy of Naturally Clean by Seventh Generation.
:: Take note of wasteful minutia and cultivate an eco-mindset.
:: Whoop it up on World Environment Day!...
Frenchman Uses Spidey-Sense to scale Times building and fight global warming
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 06. 5.08
photo by NYT's Sewell Chan
Never a dull moment in New York City or at the New York Times ... an avid building-scaler, with an obvious passion for the environment, attempted today to draw more attention to the issue of global warming, with a breathtaking, and illegal, act of daredevilry.
Around noon today, in New York City, a 46 year-old named Alain Robert, known to the world as "the French Spiderman," climbed 52 stories in an attempt to unfurl a green banner that was illegible from the sidewalk, but readable from the office buildings. The banner proclaimed: "Global warming kills more people than 9/11 every week." Robert was also wearing a t-shirt with his website thesolutionissimple.org on it.
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The TH Interview: Mark Tercek—An Investment Golden Boy Heads for the NGO World
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 06. 5.08
As the world’s largest investment bank, Goldman Sachs raised some bushy eyebrows when it began putting its weight behind green investments. Spearheading the bank’s Environmental Markets Initiative was Mark Tercek, a managing director and longtime veteran of the bank. But now Goldman’s green golden boy is packing his bags to take the top seat at The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s largest environmental NGOs. Here, Mark speaks about crisis at the Conservancy, his two decades at Goldman, the green bubble, and the end of greenwashing. ::TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Also see: The TH Interview: Stephanie Meeks of the Nature Conservancy Special thanks to Calabash Music for the soundtrack....
TreeHugger Father's Day Gift Guide Promo with Summer Rayne Oakes VIDEO 30 seconds WATCH>>
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 06. 5.08
Confessions of a Reel Mower Addict
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 5.08
Update: You can read my review of the SunLawn LMM-40 Push Reel Mower here.
Reel Mowers Don't Need Fossil Fuels to Cut Grass
Grass is not a very good idea in the majority of cases. Native low-lying plants that require not extra water or pesticides are a much better idea (or even better: food crops). Yet most people have grass, including my parents. When I was younger (not so long ago - I'm 26), I hated mowing the lawn with the gas-powered lawnmower. It was heavy, smelly, and noisy. I always had the feeling of annoying the neighbors (I know they annoyed me when I was trying to relax outside and they were making all that noise), and I knew that using a gas engine to cut small blades of grass was overkill, but like most people I didn't give it much thought. It was just the way things were done.
Since then I've woken up to environmental issues and convinced my parents to try a reel mower. They bought one at a yard sale and immediately loved it. I suppose that like most people, they just never thought about them before, or assumed that they were more work than a gas mower, but now there's no going back....
Planet Green Launch Party Rocks L.A., Eco-Style
by Meaghan O'Neill, Newport, R.I. on 06. 5.08
Tommy Lee at the Planet Green launch party in Los Angeles last week.
If your eyes as puffy as mine are from watching several sweet hours of Planet Green TV last night, you’ll definitely want to check out what went down at the launch party in L.A. last week. Dozens of green celebs—from Tommy Lee to Ludacris to Keenan Ivory Wayans—showed up on the green carpet at Hollywood’s Greek Theatre for a pre-launch partay, and to film the final Tommy Lee versus Ludacris smackdown. (The unlikely duo play the starring role in Planet Green’s forthcoming Battleground Earth reality show, in which the two compete to see who can go greener.)
Click the jump for videos from the party.
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Tel Aviv March Leads to Passage of Clean Air Law
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 06. 5.08
Huffington Post Green Goes Live
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 5.08
Is green mainstream yet?
According to Technorati, the Huffington Post is currently the #1 blog on the internet. Hard to be more mainstream than that when it comes to blogs... So it's with great pleasure that we welcome into the online "green ecosystem" newcomer Huffington Post Green! Arianna Huffington's post about the launch is here. Kudos to the whole HuffPo team!
TreeHugger and Planet Green are Involved
Don't be surprised if some names over there are familiar. TreeHugger and Planet Green will provide content and help the HuffPo reach as many people as possible with the green message. ::Huffington Post Green...
SustainStyle: Gossip Girl, Design For Humanity, In The Sheets + More
by 1plus1 on 06. 5.08
Billabong's Design for Humanity event fuses art, music and fashion all for a good cause.
Gossip Girl gets green with organic beauty products.
Earth 911 teaches us how to "green our beach trips".
Plover does organic bedding in style.
Method clean products set up shop in New York City.
Jet Blue starts jetting green.
We get gorgeous with made at home beauty treatments.
xo....
Planet Green Tonight: Hollywood Green with Maria Menounos
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06. 5.08
Last night was a big one for us at TreeHugger. Our parent company, Discovery Communications, launched Planet Green, the first ever 24-7 TV channel dedicated to green living. With more than 200 hours of original green lifestyle programming, Planet Green is a fresh conversation about what it means to be environmental. Over the next few days we’ll bring you clips from the new shows and, in the meantime, don’t forget to use our channel finder so you can watch Planet Green in your home.
We've featured Wa$ted and Mean Green Machines and today we're bringing you the scoop on Hollywood Green, which delivers the latest in news regarding Hollywood stars and starlets who are going green while making headlines in movies, TV shows, music, events and fashion. Also included are expanded stories highlighting how celebrities are living green.
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TreeHugger Welcomes Guest Contributor!
by Guest on 06. 5.08
Back Alleys Fit for a Prince: Charles Crusades For Beijing's Hutong
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 06. 5.08
Prince Charles may be the last person you'd expect to find in Beijing's hutong. The alleys are Beijing's version of Venice's canal-crossed calli, Cairo's qasaba and Rio's favelas: a lively, inscrutably charming network of streets that better accomodate the chit-chat of neighbors than the honk of cars. Their Medieval roots, rich history and distinct character notwithstanding, the hutong's old-fashioned and resource-minimal courtyard-home lifestyles are increasingly the target of Beijing's eager high-rise estate developers. They're abetted by a government eager to rid the city of what it sees as slums. For those of us who like to feel human in the city, not cogs in a smoggy machine, the hutong is far and away the best part of Beijing. And it's estimated that one entire lane disappears every week.
Enter the green Prince. His Foundation for Architecture and Urbanism has proposed a plan to preserve Da Shi Lan, or Da Zha Lan, one of Beijing's famous remaining hutong neighborhoods, located just south of Tiananmen Square. Charles's planners say that by renovating and rebuilding the courtyard homes that make up the hutong, they can preserve heritage while building Beijing's environmental credentials. ...
Newest Green Roof Accessory: Bees
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 5.08
Bonnie wrote last summer about what one might call the 34 floor diet- the roof garden on the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto where Executive Chef David Garcelon grows herbs and vegetables. Now he has added bees.
"The only other place that's brought bees to such heights is the Paris opera house," Royal York spokeswoman Melanie Coates told Anthony Reinhart of the Globe and Mail. He writes that Chef Garcelon came up with the idea last summer, when he noticed a multitude of bees buzzing around the herbs, vegetables and edible flowers in the raised wooden beds of the hotel's 10-year-old rooftop garden. He evidently has "visions of fresh honey dripping into his salad dressings, soups, pastries and countless other creations." ::Globe and Mail
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All Quiet On The Wal-Mart Front
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 5.08
A few years ago when we wrote It's getting harder to hate Wal-Mart, we concluded, after reading Lee Scott's environmental and other plans, that "If these words came out of the mouth of Yvon Chouinard or John Mackey, everyone would stand up and cheer- it is a remarkable speech that all should read and hold up as a standard for any company. That it comes from Wal-Mart? We will wait and see."
According to the New York Times: after waging an aggressive public relations campaign against Wal-Mart for three years, the company’s full-time, union-backed critics, who once vowed never to let up, are putting down their cudgels. “It’s fair to say we have been less in-your-face,” said David Nassar, the executive director of Wal-Mart Watch.
On environmental issues, they must be making progress, because they are under attack from the right: " Wal-Mart's support for the anti-free market agenda of the environmental movement... may be undermining the company's financial future. " and "NLPC Calls on Scott to Revoke Support for CO2 Emission Regulation That Will Devastate Wal-Mart Customers."
Nassar of Wal-Mart Watch concludes: “As the company makes changes, it becomes harder to be critical,” Mr. Nassar said, “because our critique has to become more nuanced. But that’s O.K.,” he added. “We didn’t sign up for an easy job.” ::New York Times
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Japan's Media Going Green to Save the Future on World Environmental Day
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 06. 5.08
First post from greenz.jp! We are happy to see that Japan's media is going green and catching on to the global environmental message. With the upcoming G8 Summit in Toyako, Hokkaido, the level of concern is rising and so is the citizen driven green movement. One indicator is that over 120 people showed up at the Green Media Alliance launch party in Tokyo on May 29 in collaboration with green drinks Tokyo (which greenz.jp is hosting monthly), with participants from major TV networks, independent media, environmental activists as well as mega advertising agencies like Hakuhodo and Dentsu (see more photos here). And green.tv Japan is a success on the Internet with special programs you can enjoy on World Environment Day, June 5.
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Michelle Kaufmann Prefab On Exhibit In Chicago
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 5.08
photo courtesy of Brian Jones
Guest reviewer Brian W. Jones is a designer, photographer, and cultural observer who recently "relocated to Chicago just in time for the longest winter of his life." More on Brian in TreeHugger here.
A few weeks ago, the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit opened at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The exhibit is a pre-fab modular home, designed by Michelle Kaufmann Designs (MKD), and its surrounding landscape, designed by Jacobs/Ryan Associates. The Smart Home has been outfitted with some of the most sustainable and responsible options available for building and furnishing a house, while the landscaping illustrates many ways to sustain and replenish the surrounding environments we live in. It’s really spectacular to see the museum’s courtyard transformed in this way.
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Ready, Set, Green: My Eight-Week Journey To A Greener, Guilt-Free Me
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06. 5.08
I'm very good at guilt. Not just mama guilt, daughter guilt, and even sister guilt, but also something I'll call global world guilt (GWG). It's not just that vague unavoidable guilt about the less fortunate or those hit by tragedy, such as the recent victims of the earthquake in China. It's also this deep down guilty feeling that I'm not doing enough, never doing enough - not volunteering enough for causes I really care about or doing all that I can in terms of living the greenest eco-lifestyle. And while a little eco-guilt might be good - it keeps me reaching for ways to get greener - too much eco-guilt is just a drag - counterproductive and bad for my bitten-up nailbeds.
I was definitely ready - no, eager - for a book like Graham Hill and Meaghan O'Neill's Ready, Set, Green Eight Weeks To Modern Eco-Living. Not because they are (disclaimer alert!) my bosses. And not only because I secretly worry I have some decidedly non-green habits. Mostly because I wonder if maybe along the way in my own green journey I may have missed a few important basics. So I've decided to take Ready, Set, Green's eight week challenge....
Pop Quiz: How Many Asthmatics
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 06. 5.08
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A Story about Losing, Leaving and Buying It All Back
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 5.08
In August last year, designer Brian Jones packed a rental van for a move to Chicago and went to bed, planning to clip his bikes on and leave in the morning. When he woke up, everything he owned in the world other than what is in this picture was gone.
No story there; lots of people lose everything in floods and hurricanes. Lots of people run off to Wal-Mart to restock; Brian made it into an opportunity. He wrote:
"Design is used to sell. Period. Whether its the newest Nikes, or someone else's ideals. My job is to communicate their message. And since the dawn of advertising, the overwhelming majority of messages sent to the world, is to want what you don't have. Someone else wanted what they didn't have, which happened to be what I had, and no longer have."
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Schwarzenegger Heads Climate Coalition of Cities and Corporations
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06. 5.08
Schwarzenegger Continues to Push Climate Group's Together Campaign
Today on World Environment Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger will be continuing his push on climate change by helping spearhead the arrival of The Climate Group’s Together campaign on the US scene, with partners that include major brands like JP Morgan Chase, Dell, MySpace, Target, Nestlé Waters, Timberland, Fox, and Time Warner as well as seven major US city governments: New York, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. The campaign, which has been rolling in the UK for a year now, has already chieved some remarkable results, including getting Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and London’s new supposedly climate-change skeptic mayor on one video; uniting major corporations like British Gas, BSkyB and Tesco to work together to reduce emissions; and let's not forget the groundbreaking, and very funny Energy Wasting Day. More details on today's initiative follow:
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Survey: Can GMOs Increase Our Food Supply?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 5.08
Yesterday we quoted Barbara Kingsolver: "we have in every part of the world lost control of our food systems to agribusiness… [Monsanto has] quite systematically removed seed banks, have contaminated [and] diminished the genetic material that all people in the world have with which to feed themselves, and it’s a terrifying problem."
Also yesterday, Monsanto promised to "develop by 2030 new strains of corn, soybeans and cotton that can yield twice as much grain and fiber per-acre while consuming just two-thirds the water."If we succeed in doubling yields, it absolutely changes the opportunity for food availability," [CEO Hugh] Grant said.
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TH Blog Love - Our Favourite Greens Of The Week
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 06. 5.08
Fashion Made Fair: First event in Bristol this weekend by Jules Hau
"The UK’s leading ethical fashion sale, Fashion Made Fair, will take place from 6th to 8th June 2008 in the heart of Bristol, at 36 Park Street BS1 5JG. The event, which has become a regular fixture in every London ethical fashionista’s diary, will once again showcase the UK’s best selection of eco and ethical fashion and lifestyle brands."
Green Girls Global: Are You Enjoying The Asparagus Season? by Clare
Are you making the most of the incredibly short asparagus season? Blink and you miss it…May and early June see the brief few weeks when we can get hold of locally-grown asparagus (I’m talking UK and Europe here - apologies to the rest of the global community!)"...
Tokyo is the New California
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06. 5.08
Tokyo's mayor has seen the (green) light and is taking major steps to introduce a climate change programme for the city despite Japan's reticence nationally on the matter. Mayor Shintaro Ishihara is a 75 year old self-acknowledged rightwinger who has decided to go it alone and impose strict curbs on local green house gas emissions. Some have compared his initiatives to those of California's Governor Schwartzenegger's differences with the Bush administration.
As of 2010 Tokyo will impose caps on emissions on its largest polluters, along with credit trading for those who go over the limit. The city has budgeted $191M for green initiatives this year including subsidies to small businesses to help them comply. Building regulations are being tightened for new buildings and increased energy efficiency is being promoted in Tokyo homes and offices. Almost 1,000 hectares of new parks and trees will be planted in the next 8 years. Tokyo has a population of 13M people but it is only responsible for 5% of Japan's emissions because it is has little heavy industry. However this stance will certainly send a strong message to the Prime Minister in time for the G8 summit next month where he has promised to put global warming high on the agenda, and hopefully show more leadership in this area. :: Financial Times...
Avoid Plastic Utensils By Carrying Your Own - Wrapped In Recycled Cases
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06. 5.08
Utensil cases, of recycled materials or otherwise, may not be at the top of anybody's list of shopping necessities. But once you start to contemplate the vast amounts of plastic and wood made into cutlery that gets used only a few minutes (3 minutes is average) and then landfilled for eons, toting your own starts to make more sense. We've covered the Carry Your Own Cutlery (CYOC) movement before. And ten-year-old company To-Go Ware has been importing bamboo utensils - fork, knife, spoon, and chopstick sets - for a few years. Now they've got a full line of cutlery cases made from recycled plastic bags, from Indian NGO Conserve.
A small army of workers in the streets of India's New Delhi collect pounds of discarded bags each day. The bags are washed, sorted, cut and then heated and pressed into plastic fabric to make the cases. Though To-Go Ware doesn't carry them, Conserve also makes a line of colorful carry bags - view a video on the labor-intensive process of plastic bag recycling after the jump....
Ecoogler, the Ecological Search Engine, Has Difficulties Earning People’s Trust
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 06. 5.08
Ecoogler, the ecological search engine, has created quite a bit of confusion online about whether it is real and whether Google is behind it or not. With Ecoogler, you can basically google the same as with Google or any other search engine, but in addition your clicks help reforesting the rainforest and safeguarding water resources in the Amazon, which nowadays represents one fourth of our planet’s fresh water reserves. How is this done?...
Delta Airlines Takes Small Paper-less Step Towards Greening
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 06. 4.08
After posting on JetBlue’s new green initiative, we were eager to hear about the latest changes at Delta Airlines to go green as well. Heck, after all of the news this week about airlines suffering more setbacks due to rising costs, we figured that getting back to basics and greening their fleet couldn’t hurt. ...
Peak Oil and Pessimism: Lessons from Pooh Bear
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06. 4.08
With Planet Green, the first ever 24/7 TV channel dedicated to green living, launching today – it’s an interesting time to reflect on the changing role of us TreeHuggers and environmentalists. Not too long ago, we as a movement spent most of our time trying to convince people, sometimes a little shrilly, about the imminent dangers of climate change, resource depletion etc, and trying to get across the gravity of the situation we were facing. Yet while the doubters remain, the debate has noticeably shifted in recent years from “Is there a problem?”, to “Heck yes there’s a problem! What are we going to do about it?” Rob Hopkins has an interesting post about this over at Transition Culture, specifically discussing how the peak oil community is shifting from sounding the alarm, to leading people towards the fire exits. And what better way to illustrate his point, than to draw on the age-old wisdom of Winnie the Pooh:
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Planet Green Airs Tonight: Check Out Mean Green Machines
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06. 4.08
We just can't help but say it again: the big day is finally here with the launch of Planet Green coming to television sets near you! The first ever 24-7 TV channel dedicated to green living goes live in millions of homes tonight at 6:00PM and we can’t be more excited. With more than 200 hours of original green lifestyle programming, Planet Green is a fresh conversation about what it means to be environmental. Over the next few days we’ll bring you clips from the new shows and, in the meantime, don’t forget to use our channel finder so you can watch Planet Green in your home.
Earlier, we featured Wa$ted, and today we're also giving you the scoop on Mean Green Machines, a turbocharged thrill ride jam-packed with the latest, fastest, and greenest vehicles, bikes, and even aircrafts. ...
Lipstick on a Pig Dept.: Rob Walker on Fiji Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 4.08
We have discussed the so-called greening of Fiji Water, and ran a survey on it. Rob Walker of the New York Times' Consumed column, looks at the ambiguity of this. He writes:
But it’s probably wrongheaded to see Fiji’s greened-up image as being aimed at eco-opponents. It really speaks to consumers who are conflicted. Not so long ago we all felt good about drinking less soda; do we now have to feel guilty unless we drink tap water? Reid Lifset, the editor of Yale’s Journal of Industrial Ecology, says that bottle bills are a good idea but doesn’t swallow Fiji’s advocacy or other green measures as justifying the practice of transplanetary water shipments. Yet he empathizes with the consumer. “People don’t want to spend their lives wrapped up in ambiguities over one consumption decision,” he says. We want to be told whether something is terrible or perfectly acceptable. Fiji is offering its answer — an answer that, so far, people are still buying." ::New York Times via ::PSFK image: Peter Arkle...
Brazil's Lula Rebuffs Biofuels Critics at World Food Summit
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 06. 4.08
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday told off critics who have accused Brazil of reducing food production in favor of ethanol, according to a report from Bloomberg News. Instead, Lula says record oil prices and rich countries' farm subsidies are to blame for soaring world food prices.
"Biofuels are not the villain menacing food security in poor countries," Lula said at a global summit in Rome on world food security. "They can play an important role in the economic and social development of developing countries."
Various analysts, including many members of the environmental community, have noted that biofuel crop cultivation is responsible for about one-third of the increase in global food prices that have catalyzed riots in more than 30 countries. But Lula told the summit that cultivation of sugar cane for ethanol accounts for just 1 percent of Brazil's 340 million hectares of arable land. ...
Brad Pitt's Dream Green Job
by Terri MacLeod on 06. 4.08
…As if this guy doesn’t have enough on his plate. The soon-to-be father of six, is designing a new eco-friendly luxury resort in Dubai. “Whilst acting is my career, architecture is my passion,” declares Brad. The actor promises the 800-room hotel will be ‘socially conscious and environmentally sustainable’ – following on from his work rebuilding New Orleans. So, with Brad’s giant green heart – could he one day be the first eco-saint? I tease, people!
For More Eco-star Tidbits on Elizabeth Hurley, Kim Catrall, Tom Hanks Jump Here
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Planet Green Airs Tonight: Check Out Wa$ted
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06. 4.08
The big day is finally here with the launch of Planet Green coming to television sets near you! The first ever 24-7 TV channel dedicated to green living goes live in millions of homes tonight at 6:00PM and we can’t be more excited. With more than 200 hours of original green lifestyle programming, Planet Green is a fresh conversation about what it means to be environmental. Over the next few days we’ll bring you clips from the new shows and, in the meantime, don’t forget to use our channel finder so you can watch Planet Green in your home.
Today we take a closer look at Wa$ted, hosted by Annabelle Gurwitch who is best known to television audiences from her years hosting the cult favorite Dinner and a Movie on TBS. ...
New Power Plant Full of Fullerenes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 4.08
It is a silly demonstration of a new kind of organic thin film solar cell, consisting of "a plastic substrate, phthalocyanine layer, fullerene layer and so forth. And eight 7.5cm2 solar cells connected in series constitute about 60cm2 solar cell module." It was developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Mitsubishi and Tokki Corp, "aimed at expanding the use of organic thin-film solar cells to the fields where design is important, such as architectural materials including walls and windows, clothing materials, livingware, leisure goods, outdoor products and toys." ::tech-on via ::DVICE and ::BoingBoing
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FAO Takes on Biofuel Subsidies, U.S. Claims 2020 Climate Targets "Unachievable"
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 4.08
Image from flickr
As was widely expected, the U.S. and Brazil's biofuel programs came under heavy criticism at the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) food crisis meeting yesterday in Rome. Jacques Diouf, its head, reserved most of his reprobation for the U.S.'s billions of corn ethanol subsidies (roughly $12b in 2006), which he said were depriving developing countries of food, reports The Guardian's Julian Borger....
Quote of the Day: Barbara Kingsolver on Agribusiness
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 06. 4.08
Image: University of Kentucky
I believe there is absolutely a direct relationship between living with too much and living with not enough… we have in every part of the world lost control of our food systems to agribusiness… [referring to Monsanto] a number of companies… have quite systematically removed seed banks, have contaminated [and] diminished the genetic material that all people in the world have with which to feed themselves, and it’s a terrifying problem. [T]he only way we can reclaim control over our food systems is to [first] step away, to any extent that we can, from the dismal presumption that it’s too late, because it’s not, it can’t be (we owe this to our kids to try) and to try whatever we can to reinvest in [and re-energize] our local [diversified and sustainable] food systems. If you can do that, you are helping the farmers in India because you’re walking away from agribusiness; you are forcing them to relinquish absolute control....
Tragedy as Drunk Driver Collides With Cyclists in Mexico
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 4.08
According to the Associated Press: "A car collides into cyclists participating in a race in Mexico's northern border city of Matamoros, Sunday June 1, 2008. At least one person was killed and 14 injured when a driver slammed into a bicycle race." Nothing to add. This is just very sad.
Bicycle Safety Articles
Bike Safety Tips From MP Olivia Chow
It's More Dangerous NOT To Ride a Bike
Bicycle Traffic School Debuts in Santa Cruz
Thanks to TreeHugger reader Liz for the tip....
First Cellulosic Ethanol Biorefinery in the U.S. Opens
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 4.08
First Cellulosic Ethanol Plant in the US
The first demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in the United States is now open! The verenium biorefinery in Jennings, Louisiana, will produce 1.4 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol a year with agricultural waste left over after sugarcane production.
What are Second Generation Biofuels?
Ethanol made from cellulose, as opposed to ethanol made from corn, is a second generation biofuel. The difference, and it's an important one, is that second generation biofuels use non-food residual biomass like the stems, leaves, wood chips, and husks, or they use non-food crops that can be grown without high energy inputs, like switchgrass....
Ignorance, Illiteracy, Apathy or Bad Design?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 4.08
Photo used with permission of Steven de Sousa. Bigger image here.
So here are three separate bins for litter, bottles and paper; as is typical of the Toronto Transit Commission, the graphics are lousy and the titles nonsensical (why not say bottles or paper?) I suppose one should be happy that people are at least using it. We will repeat the question asked by Steven de Sousa on BlogTO: "What are your thoughts on the commonly observed yet rarely addressed problem of recycling sorting (not just on the TTC)? Is it a problem of illiteracy, apathy, or ignorance?" (I added bad design). ::Blog TO
Survey below the fold. ...
Carrot 0, Stick 1: Gas Prices Cause Boom in Bikes, Transit
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 4.08
As gas prices soar, so does interest in bicycling in Mass. BOSTON--Drivers clear a lane, bicyclists are taking to the road in record numbers in Massachusetts. In Cambridge ridership has soared 70 percent in five years, the MBTA is launching a "Bike Coach" to let riders bring their bicycles to beaches this summer and across the state bicycle shops are struggling to keep up with demand. ::Bike Commute Tips
High gas prices lead to surge in mass transit It's standing-room-only on many commuter buses from Washington's suburbs. Rail systems from Boston to Los Angeles are begging passengers to shift their travel to non-peak hours. And some seats have been removed from San Francisco's subway cars to allow more people to cram in. Around the country, high gas prices are pushing more people to leave their cars at home and crowd onto trains, buses and subways. ::Associated Press
The American car culture is running out of gas:Across the nation, the price of gasoline is sending more and more Americans to public transit. This ridership surge points up three things: (1) These millions of new riders can do it. Most of them always could have. They just didn't. (2): We're not at the end of car culture yet . . . that's a few generations off . . . but (3) it's clear, in not-quite-hindsight, that the U.S. car culture does not work. ::Philadelphia Inquirer
See TreeHugger"
Public Transit Looking More Attractive in the Face of Record Gas ...
Transit Should Be Free : TreeHugger
Invest in Transit , not Cars, Says PIRG : TreeHugger
Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars? : TreeHugger
Are Gas Prices High Enough? : TreeHugger...
Container Art Ambles Around the World, Filling Beauty Wherever They Stop
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 4.08
Its is so logical. There are a lot of surplus containers in the world; Moving art exhibitions is expensive. So why not put the art in shipping containers, with their own efficient transport infrastructure, and move them around the world.
It is "An urban, itinerant and adaptive art exhibit. Installations, sculptures, and paintings of the most innovative talents of the local and global artscape in many containers spread around town. A different work of contemporary art in each container, a different mix of artists in each city. Interactive containers connecting communities far away through art."
It is a moving Museum Without Walls. André Malraux would be proud. ::Container Art via ::Wooster Collective...
From the Forums: Stuck With SUV's
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 06. 4.08
greenteadrinker says:
The value has gone down, you can't sell it because you owe more on it than what you can sell it for. You can't trade it in on a higher mileage car/truck for the same reason. Same thing as the housing crunch, the mortgage balance is more that what the house is worth.jcoffman
Yep, I have a friend in the exact situation. She wants to get rid of her Dodge Durango, and they offered her NOTHING. I think a lot of people are going to be in this situation.New member Mark Ontkush:...
Hitachi Maxell Claims Huge Lithium-Ion Battery Breakthrough. Too Good to be True?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 4.08
Warning: This news might be too good to be true.
Hitachi Maxell, along with Nagasaki University, NIAIST, and Fuji Heavy Industries (the parent company of Subaru, makers of the R1e electric car), announced that it has developed a new chemistry for lithium-ion batteries. Part of the change is dropping the expensive cobalt element and using "nano-infused lithium" with manganese (a very Japanese-sounding element! Pictured left.).
The claim: 20 times more power storage, and the ability to mass-produce it inexpensively. Lets hope it's true and that it will get out of the lab quickly. We'd even settle for only 10 times more power storage...
More on batteries: Here's What Happens to a Tesla Electric Car Battery at the End of its Life, Lithium Polymer Batteries: A Review
Via Hitachi Maxell claims new Li-ion battery with 20x the power
Update: Thanks to readers who have pointed out in the comments that the most likely explanation for this claim which seems too good to be true is that Engadget, our source since the original story is behind a pay barrier, either got a bad translation or made a mistake and the real story is 20x more power, and not 20x more energy storage. Other sources seem to claim that this is about storage, so we're not quite sure yet: IT Examiner, TechRadar, etc....
Pop Quiz : Space Age Air Cleaning
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 06. 4.08
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Asus Bamboo Computer Arrives. Verdict: Feh
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 4.08
Last year I was all gaga over Asus' bamboo computer. This year it is out, and so is most of the bamboo, due to "heat management" issues. There is some decorative bamboo around the touchpad but that is about it.
Last year we were more impressed by the guts than the case; it promised that "All of the plastic in it is labeled and recyclable; it is lined with cardboard; there are no paints, sprays or even electroplating used on its components." It was designed to be demountable and upgradable. Not a word about that, and the case looks awfully shiny. ...
Metropolis on Singgih Kartono
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 4.08
We loved the idea of Singgih Kartono's wooden radios, made by hand in Indonesia to "redefine the relationship of the user between the product" and revitalize craft industries and local skills, while using local sustainable materials. (We even put it in our Fathers Day Guide) Now Metropolis picks up the story:
"The two-toned gadget, which comes in three sizes, has been drawing praise in the design world for its appealing mix of retro and modern stylings and its use of sustainable wood. But that doesn’t even begin to tell the most compelling part of the radio’s story: the designer, Singgih Susilo Kartono, began his business to improve the economic conditions of his Indonesian village and school its residents in the ways of environmentally responsible production."...
Survey: Would You Pay More For Certified Wood?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 4.08
This question came from the office of the Governor of Michigan; intern Brian Wildey is sitting up north in the middle of 8.5 million acres of forest, and writes: " I am trying to understand consumer motives and wants in regards to sustainability and furniture. Let's say we have two nightstands sitting next to each other, identical in every aspect, but one has an FSC certified stamp and the other does not. Would you opt for an FSC certified piece of furniture even if it costs more? Are there other factors that drive you towards buying the certified nightstand other than it be certified?"
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The Top 5 Buzzworthy Green Musicians of the Moment
by Summer Rayne Oakes on 06. 4.08
The hottest bands, freshest sounds, and fiercest messaging of the month—from my ears to yours.
5. Ben Jelen
I saw Ben play live for the first time at the Replay store during their Earth Day party. His dreamy piano-playing and sweet nature somehow makes his call-to-action on environmental issues an easy pill to swallow. Easy on the eyes as much as on the ears, the young musician’s songs often share a central theme: Our world is in flux and we need to wake up and do something—as individuals, as communities, and as a united planet.
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Book Review: Live Generously
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06. 4.08
“Something is better than nothing.” This is the unofficial motto of the Live Generously project, whose very basic premise is to encourage enough small ‘somethings’, such that their aggregated whole becomes a Tipping Point. It “is about wanting to do a little bit more and little bit more often in order to make shared life on our planet sustainable.”
Initially conceived in the UK as an online community that supports one another in suggesting small everyday but sustainable lifestyle changes, the project recently spawned a book, published by US-based Mountaineers Books’ Skipstone division. It comes with the subtitle of ‘50 small acts that make a big difference.’ The shelves of bookstores have, since the 70’s been weighed down by volumes offering 50 to 101 ways to save the planet. And to a degree Live Generously follows this path. But in one important regard it also diverges. It realises that to save the planet, we must first rescue ourselves. ...
FEMA Daleks Prepare For 2008 Hurricane Season: Formaldehyde Blasters At The Ready
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06. 4.08
The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has had plenty of practice at optimizing formaldehyde exposure for hurricane victims. Like the Daleks of BBCs "Dr. Who" series, they are prepared to constantly recycle the anti-humanitarian gesture. The government may house disaster victims in trailers this hurricane season as a last resort, despite promises never to use them again because of high levels of formaldehyde found in trailers used after the Katrina catastrophe.Evacuated "Family Units" must enter boxes glued with large volumes of toxic resin. Attack. Attack! This time there is a sign of reality sinking in. Dr Who has selected TARDIS coordinates right where the next hurricane will make landfall, and he has seemingly been spreading Tree Hugger corruption at FEMA HQ. ...
The Go Green Initiative's School of the Week: Brentwood Elementary in Texas!
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 06. 4.08
Not content with just talking about recycling and putting it into practice on a dailyi basis, the Go Green Initiative’s school of the week stepped up to the plate recently and turned ordinary cardboard boxes into a city of their own.
Of course, few cities today lack cars, and the kids above had a blast creating theirs as a way to raise awareness of the need for recycling and how vital an eco-friendly strategy it is.
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Yale Launches On-line Environmental Magazine
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06. 4.08
Yale University has launched a a new online magazine devoted to covering the global environment. It's a new venture and the first issue has some heavy hitters holding forth on the big topics of the day, both national and international. Famous environmentalist Bill McKibben has written a very frightening article about the tipping point--and the need to move quickly to save the world. Another article by Frank Pearce discusses water shortages and the impact they are having on food shortages around the world. As he says "Climate change, overconsumption and the alarmingly inefficient use of this most basic raw material are all to blame. With two-thirds of the water abstracted from nature going to irrigate crops — a figure that rises above 90 percent in many arid countries — water shortages equal food shortages."
There is a fascinating piece on China's emerging green movement including an interview with Zhao Zhong, who is leading the fight to save the Yellow River, one of China's largest rivers. He reckons that there are about 3,000 grass roots environmental groups active in the country. Ma Jun is another leading environmentalist who founded a Beijing-based non-profit group. These are very brave and idealistic young men and women who have a huge battle in front of them. There is an article on what individual states such as California, Arizona, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Florida are doing to tackle climate change, in the absence of presidential action and a piece on the oldest and largest fresh-water lake in the world: Lake Baikal in Siberia. Lots of food for thought; this is one to bookmark for future reference. :: Yale Environment 360 ...
BBVA Bancomer To Build Green Corporate Offices in Mexico City
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 06. 3.08
Once again Mexico's banking sector is demonstrating surprising initiative in the realm of green building. It's still not clear to us why it has become especially trendy for the big national and foreign banks to commit to building green, but we're impressed by it nonetheless. Perhaps inspired by competitor HSBC's LEED certified building, the Spanish banking giant BBVA Bancomer recently broke ground on new regional corporate offices in Mexico City, which the Spanish company claims will be ecologically friendly and sustainable. According to the bank, the new offices will use 30% less water and electricity that the current offices, which will be achieved through more energy-efficient air conditioning, electrical and water systems in the buildings. The new, green facilities are expected to be completed in 2013. ...
Today on Planet Green
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 06. 3.08
:: Stock up on organic body products and cosmetics.
:: Add Acai to your diet.
:: Embrace your inner cheapskate, save the earth.
:: Ban formaldehyde from entering your home this summer.
:: Replace your ordinary quiche with this Wild Leek Tart....
Number of the Day: 4
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 3.08
Sales numbers for cars in the US are out for last month, and there are some interesting trends.
4 -- For the first time in 17 years, the Ford F150 is not #1. It was displaced to #4 by the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla. More evidence that small cars are becoming more popular in the USA. Autoblog puts it poetically by saying: "Note to automakers: that would be the sound of the canary in your coal mine hitting the floor."
47.2 -- That's the percentage increase in sales for MINI, maker of the Mini Cooper, a compact car. Last month's biggest gain.
–61.7 -- That's the percentage decrease of sales of the Hummer brand, makers of big SUVs mostly bought by suburbanites. Last month's biggest loss.
These numbers are consistent with the bigger picture, such as GM closing down 4 SUV plants and shifting focus to passenger cars, and hybrid cars selling well. ::By the Numbers/May 2008: F-150 Falls Edition...
Grantham Prize Finalists Announced
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06. 3.08
Which US or Canadian environmental journalist or team of journalists will win $75,000 for exemplary reporting in 2007? And more importantly, have you read their ground-breaking work yet? To learn the identities of this year's finalists for the Grantham Prize and to link to their stories, read on. The Grantham Prize was established in 2005 by the University of Rhode Island's Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting and the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment....
Planet Green TV Launches Tomorrow, June 4!
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 06. 3.08
We've talked and talked about our wish to deliver the green message to the masses—now our parent company, Discovery, is helping us walk our walk. Tomorrow, June 4, Planet Green, the first ever 24-7 TV channel dedicated to green living, goes live in millions of homes.
We strongly encourage you to join us tomorrow by kicking back after work with an organic beer and checking out the channel's first day of programming:
6-7PM: Hollywood Green with Maria Menounos
7-7:30PM: Supper Club
7:30-8PM: G Word
8-8:30PM: Wa$ted
8:30-9PM: Stuff Happens
9-9:30PM: Mean Green Machines
9:30-10PM: Renovation Nation
10-11PM: Alter Eco
11-11:30PM: Wa$ted
11:30-12AM: Stuff Happens
(If you are a nerd like me, DVR the whole days line-up just to be sure you don't miss a green minute.) Find your channel's listing here, the full TV schedule here and be sure to keep an eye out for more Planet Green programming updates over the coming days. ...
Ontario School Gives Students a Lesson in Clean Energy
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 3.08
Green Education: Learning by Installing Solar Panels and a Wind Turbine
Elliot Lake, Ontario, is a small mining town of about 12,000. The town's secondary school has about 500 students and they have been given a hands on education in clean energy this year.
Thanks to a C$50,000 grant from the Ontario Ministry of Energy's Community Conservation Initiative (CCI) and help from local partners, the school was able to install 12 solar panels and a vertical wind turbine producing 5.5 kilowatts of clean, renewable energy. It helps power the cafeteria kitchen, but the biggest benefit might be what the students learned....
Home-made Electric Car Cycle
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06. 3.08
GM Closing 4 Trucks and SUV Plants, Betting More on Smaller Cars
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 3.08
Americans are Driving Less, Buying Smaller cars
The plate tectonics of the transportation sector are shifting and the new landscape is starting to become clearer. The change is particularly obvious in the US where fuel prices have been relatively low compared to most of the rest of the world for a long time. But the latest stats by the Federal Highway Administration don't lie: Americans are driving less. They're also buying more compact cars and hybrids.
Big Changes at General Motors
Another big sign of this changing world is GM's announcement that it will close 4 big SUV manufacturing plants and is thinking about selling its ailing Hummer brand. ...
NY Times on Eco-hotels, Linda McQuaig on Reopening NAFTA
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 3.08
Hotels Struggle to Find the Right Eco-Message: "Hotels that care about the environment often have a delicate balancing act. They want to offer guests the opportunity to stay, without guilt, in a pristine environment. Yet their very existence there is an intrusion. " ::Joe Sharkey in the New York Times
Read TreeHugger on Eco-Travel
Go ahead and reopen NAFTA:" Let's just consider ourselves lucky that the heated U.S. Democratic presidential race may result in NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) being put back on the table. Here's the problem: NAFTA contains a clause that effectively prevents us from cutting back exports of our energy to the United States – even if it means there will be energy shortages in Canada. [Mexico didn't agree to this;] a second time around, Canadian negotiators might at least be as tough as their Mexican counterparts." ::Linda McQuaig in the Star
Read Canadian Official Threatens Obama and Clinton With Cutting Off Tar ...
Survey: Is Free Trade Good or Bad? : TreeHugger
In Harpers Magazine: The Battle for the Melting North : TreeHugger...
Bamboo Houses Stand Up To Earthquakes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 3.08
It is called the "poor people's timber" and even in China it is not accepted as a modern building material. But bamboo, like lumber, makes a light, flexible house that is much better than "modern" materials at surviving earthquakes. Now International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) is actively promoting it as a replacement.
"So far, massive construction or reconstruction means concrete structures in China, and bamboo is little known for this [building on a large scale],” says Shayam Paudel, INBAR’s director of bamboo housing programs, in the Christian Science Monitor. Unlike the "Tofu" concrete structures that collapsed and killed thousands of kids in substandard buildings, bamboo makes a much simpler structure. ...
From the Forums: Will More Money Make You Happier?
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 06. 3.08
One of our best forum members, ed is asking the question of whether more money brings you greater happiness or is it living in a wealthier country?
Perhaps it is not about how much you earn, the flow, but how much wealth you have, the stock. When you have a larger bank account you experience a pure income effect. In this case, people born with wealth, who never had to work, will be the happiest. The Wealth Report cites a PNC Wealth Management Survey of wealthy individuals (by wealthy they mean Americans with $500,000 or more in investable assets). 69% of those surveyed made their fortunes themselves; just 6% inherited most of their money. The self made respondents are significantly happier than the heirs....
Travel By Rail In Style on a RailRider
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 3.08
Readers were in awe of the Trailcart, the four wheeled pedal car that will take over the ATV Market. But there is a lot of rolling resistance on a dirt trail; that is why they invented the railroad. That's where the RailRunner comes in; it is a recumbent pedal-power bike with models that sit up to four, for use on ABANDONED rail lines. ...
Share Your Garden Photos, Win a Giftcard
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 06. 3.08
Part of my ongoing mission in life is inspiring people to grow their own food...be it veggies, fruits, or herbs. You don't have to have a large plot of land or live in the country to pull this off. I've grown 40 pounds of tomatoes on a patio in San Francisco.
In that vein, we have a little contest going on in the forums for people to share photos of their gardens. It can be a garden full of growth, a new design, grown in the city, on a patio, in containers, in the country, etc. It can be from this year or years past. Share your photos and a little story.
Three of my favorites win a $25 Discovery giftcard. If anything come on in and look at the other garden photos people have shared. Maybe you'll be inspired to start your own. Feel free to ask members how to get started.
Share your photos here....
Quote of the Day: Elizabeth Kolbert on Buckminster Fuller
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 3.08
In anticipation of a new retrospective at the Whitney, “Buckminster Fuller: Starting with the Universe, ” Elizabeth Kolbert writes in the New Yorker, quoting Fuller about the need for innovation:
“If you are in a shipwreck and all the boats are gone, a piano top . . . that comes along makes a fortuitous life preserver, but this is not to say that the best way to design a life preserver is in the form of a piano top. I think that we are clinging to a great many piano tops in accepting yesterday’s fortuitous contrivings.”...
Listening to Cellphone Warnings
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 3.08
Instructions for making a tinfoil hat here.
We usually linked fear of wifi and cellphone radiation with the tinfoil hat brigade, but more evidence is coming out that indicates we should be concerned. A 13-country study looked at the issue, and Tyler Hamilton says it is " the most comprehensive look at the potential link between cellphone use and cancer, involves the pooled analysis of thousands of cases of tumours in the head and neck area: gliomas, meningiomas, acoustic neuromas and parotid gland tumours. It was originally supposed to be completed in 2004 and published in 2006. Years later the final report has still not been released, a source of frustration among some scientists who say such a delay would never be tolerated in the context of a drug study."
...
Father's Day Gift Guide
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 06. 3.08
Dad: We love him, but this guy sure is hard to shop for. He's a good sport no matter what we deliver -- gamely wearing that outlandish tie for years to come. Yet -- wouldn't it be nice to gift something easy on the earth that actually makes his eyes light up? With Father's Day around the corner (June 15!), we compiled a little green inspiration for those eco dads out there.
Folding Strida Bike
What's only 22 lbs, folds in a snap without greasy fingers, tackles traffic in cities like New York, and hangs from a meat hook? The Strida 5.0 Folding bike ($800), and TreeHuggers are addicted to this two-wheeled wonder like tap water. Dad will be too. The triangular aluminum frame pushes down to a compact shape in five seconds flat and some smart technology makes it grease-free -- so no black smears on your organic threads. Available in silver, red, black, dark blue, pink, white, yellow, and a cream special edition. ::Strida available through ::Areaware...
Solar Breakthrough: Better Crystals, "Oven-Baked" and Painted On
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 06. 3.08
Barring huge subsidies, bringing solar energy to the masses -- from your home to your cell phone -- requires a major drop in the cost of the technology. Treehugger has reported on many advances. Last week, a group of researchers in Australia and China announced they had moved one step closer to the "holy grail of cost-effective solar energy."
According to Professor Max Lu of the University of Queensland, Australia, the team has grown "the world's first titanium oxide single crystals with large amounts of reactive surfaces, something that was predicted as almost impossible." Here's the deal: titanium oxide -- a plentiful, renewable and non-toxic mineral often found in white paint -- is known for its ability to absorb UV light and produce electrons that can break down compounds on its surface. That makes it useful in self-cleaning windows and "pollution-eating" concrete. It can also be used in low-cost and low-efficiency solar cells, also known as Gratzel cells. Up until now, the challenge, tackled by coating titanium oxide in dyeshas been to make the stuff efficient over a large surface area, so the material can both absorb ample light and conduct electricity well. But growing more reactive titanium oxide cells could indeed be a breakthrough. Says Lu:
“The beauty of our technique is that it is very simple and cheap to make such materials at mild conditions. Now that the research has elucidated the conditions required, the method is like cooking in an oven and the crystals can be applied like paints.”...
Solar Jacket and Tech Clothes, by Indarra DTX in Argentina
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 06. 3.08
(Photo: courtesy of the firm.) Indarra DTX is a small design firm based in Buenos Aires that's experimenting with technologies applied to fabrics and different kinds of materials in modern clothing.
Launched about two months ago at Puro Diseno fair by Julieta Gayoso, the firm has started with a collection that includes a solar jacket (picture above), a vest with anti-stain treatment, bamboo t-shirts for women and lyocell t-shirts for men.
Learn and see more pictures in the extended....
More on the London Olympic Stadium
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 3.08
We reported earlier that the London Olympic Stadium was going to be demountable; Now we learn that Treehugger favourite Peter Cook, of Archigram fame , is on the design team with HOK Sport, and a few other details from a planning application:
-the exterior fabric cladding may be hemp. “Sustainable materials, options for the roof and wrap fabrics are currently being investigated,” the application states.These include materials using recycled polymer based fabric, hemp and where the polymer based fabric can be recycled after use. Many of these materials could also be re-used after the games for other purposes.”
-they are trying to make it as material-efficient as possible. "“The emphasis in the design has been and will continue to be on minimising the quantity of material, whilst still producing the required performance. By designing a lean, compact and lightweight stadium, the amount of materials used, and the associated embodied energy have been significantly reduced.”...
1939: The Trailer Grows Up
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 3.08
Trailers are fascinating models of efficient design, showing how one can live in small spaces, often demonstrating the efficiencies and promise of mass production. The trailer park is also an interesting model of tenure, enabling people to own their units but rent their land, reducing the price of entry. Both present real opportunities.
They thought so in August, 1939 in Popular Mechanics, too.
...
Marrone Organic Innovations, Inc. Commercializing Bacterial Control Of Quagga & Zebra Mussel Infestations
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06. 3.08
New York State Museum scientist, Dr. Daniel Molloy, has identified and patented use of a natural bacterium to control invasive Quagga and Zebra mussels. Marrone Organic Innovations, Inc. (MOI) of Davis, Calif. has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to commercialize the technology. No sweat on the collateral damage issue either. To find an environmentally safe control method, Molloy’s lab screened over 700 bacteria before identifying a strain of the common bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, as being lethal to these mussels when ingested....
EPA Unveils List of Fuel-Efficient Cars for Congressional Leasing Program
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 3.08
After a two-year long uphill battle, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) succeeded in getting his pet project, a fuel-efficient tweak of the federal vehicle-leasing program, approved last year as part of the energy bill. Now, with gas prices hitting new record highs every week, the EPA has finally unveiled the list of vehicles that House members will be able to lease under Cleaver's proposal, reports McClatchy's David Goldstein.
There had been a lot of (predictable) grumbling in the House when the measure was first proposed, mostly from congressmen in western states that had complained that they needed gas-guzzling SUVs and other big cars to navigate their constituencies' "rougher" terrain. Others, of course, just didn't want to relinquish the keys to their sleek (and otherwise fuel-inefficient) sports vehicles. ...
Bosch Buys Ersol for US$1.7bn - Solar Stocks Soar
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06. 3.08
Way back in 2005 we noted how the rising price of oil was drawing the attention of investors to renewables and energy efficiency, so it would be logical to assume that recent price hikes would further drive investment to the green side. And while the jury is out on what moves by Shell to extricate itself from certain segments of the solar market really mean, there are signs elsewhere that interest and enthusiasm remains high. According the The Guardian, news that German engineering giant Bosch is buying solar panel manufacturers Ersol, a company that has recently invested heavily in thin-film manufacture, for €1.1bn (US$1.7bn) has sent stocks in other renewable energy companies soaring as investors expect further big buyouts:
...
Forget Metric or American Measures, Just Be Sensible
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 3.08
There is a lot to be said in favour of the American system of measurement (I won't make the mistake of calling it Imperial again)- the units are based on human proportions and activities; zero degrees is really cold and 100 is really hot; why not have a system based on people instead of water. No wonder Liberia, Burma and the United States stand together in solidarity against the onslaught of evil French Metric.
That's why I am having so much fun with SensibleUnits- it translates weights and measures into things we understand, like five pounds equals 1.7 macBook Airs. Or 80 miles equals 2.6 English Channels. Everybody can agree on that! ::Sensible Units via ::Swissmiss...
Survey: Should TreeHuggers have Purebred Pets?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 3.08
A reader complained about a statement in How to Green Your Pet, where we said "Pet breeders have only one goal in mind—to raise large quantities of purebred animals for profit" and went on to encourage adopting unwanted pets, (which you can do at Petfinder.com) noting "love knows no pedigree." She said that there was a big difference between puppy mills and responsible breeders. This prompted much discussion among TH writers 'round the virtual water cooler.
...
Open Architecture Challenge: And The Winners Are...
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 06. 3.08
Drumroll please.....Today the winners of the Open Architecture Challenge have been announced. TreeHugger has been following this global architectural design competition over the last year with great interest. This ambitious concept launched by Architecture For Humanity in collaboration with AMD has involved three developing communities on three continents, all bidding for a new building that will have the power to improve a great many people's quality of life.
In the end there were 263 entries by designers from 57 different countries around the world. Over the last few months 51 jury members together with 80+ community jury members have been whittling them down to make their final selection. There is a winning entry for each of the three projects and one overall winner that will be built with the $250 000 given by AMD. Click over the page to find out who won....
Cornish Sea Salt is Direct From the Sea
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06. 3.08
Shari Lewis used to sing "She sells sea shells by the seashore...now isn't that a silly thing to do." And the Cornish Sea Salt company sells sea salt taken from the Cornish coast of the Atlantic Ocean. And it is a pretty clever, and organic thing to do. The couple who started this venture returned to Cornwall after years away and wanted to do something local. There was a rich history of salt making in the area and in Great Britain--the Cornish Sea Salt Company is reviving this--it is only the second British company to start making sea salt in the last 125 years (Maldon, a favourite of chefs, is the other one).
Getting it into production took three years. The sea water along the coast is the most pristine and has the highest purity ratings. However, since most of the coastline is protected by environmental agencies, they had to prove that could built a plant that would be environmentally benign. They developed an energy-efficient system which takes only a small percentage of the salt out of the water through heating, and then returns the water to the ocean. It is crystallised in stainless-steel tanks so it is a snow white colour. The packaging is also eco-friendly. The need to cut back on salt usage has been a constant health warning of late but this is salt with a difference: it has 60 natural minerals and only a pinch is needed whereas industrially produced table salt is stripped of many of the natural ingredients. The salt has passed the first taste test: local chefs are praising it and using it in their restaurants. :: Cornish Sea Salt Via :: The Times...
Even Cheney Thinks Gas Tax Holiday is a Bad Idea
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 06. 3.08
Just how bad an idea is the gas tax holiday being proposed most prominently by John McCain and Hillary Clinton? Well, it raised the ire of NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman, but that's certainly no surprise. No, Dick Cheney, the reclusive Vice-President, has actually said that the idea of a gas tax holiday is "a false notion, in the sense that you're not going to have much of an impact, given the size of the gasoline tax on the total cost of the gallon of gas." If Dick Cheney doesn't like the idea of lowering a tax, it must be a truly bad idea.
Of course, Cheney has a much better, more sensible plan. And what is that plan? Why, drilling in places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge! Forget the fact that doing so would have an infinitesimally small impact on gas prices (perhaps as infinitesimal as the very gas tax holiday he is deriding as silly?): Cheney thinks he knows what we need to do to solve our energy problems! Fortunately, neither the gas tax holiday (which isn't even supported by the President), nor drilling in ANWR, stand much of a chance of being passed. Still, it says something about the state of the energy debate when people on both sides of the aisle are spending their time discussing ethanol, gas holidays, and drilling in ANWR, none of which are going to do anything to help solve our pressing energy independence/air pollution/climate change issues.
Via: ::Yahoo News
Petroleum Politics
::Survey: Do We Need a Gas Tax Holiday?
::Are Gas Prices High Enough?
::Is the Lieberman-Warner Climate Bill on its Last Legs?
::Obama Says Climate Change is Real, Will Hire Gore
::Obama Gets a Boost From the Crucial Bicycle Swing Vote...
Satellite Images Show Papua New Guinea's Rapid Deforestation
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 2.08
More bad news on the deforestation front (see yesterday's piece about Japan's collapsing beech forests): According to a new report, Papua New Guinea is at risk of losing more than half of its rainforests by 2021 because of commercial logging, subsistence agriculture and poor conservation efforts. The team of researchers from Australian National University and the University of Papua New Guinea crunched 30 years' worth of data (1972 - 2002) from satellite images to reach this conclusion -- estimating that the country's forests were being razed at a rate of 3,620 sq km in 2001 alone.
Worse, they found that trees in protected areas were being cut down at the same rates as those in unprotected areas. Though small -- Papua New Guinea accounts for <0.5% of the planet's land cover -- the island country is "one of the most forested nations on the planet," according to lead author Phil Shearman. It also contains 6-7% of Earth's species....
Most Huggable: Devilish Disposable Cups, Rainforest Espionage, Cereal Box Smarts + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 06. 2.08
Green Upgrader reminds us to spare the trees and sip our java from mugs.
One blogger shares tips to re-purpose morning cereal.
Rainforest biologists turn to advanced camera technology to help with protective wildlife efforts.
Ecopreneurist takes a look at the rising trend of cause-related marketing.
A bill in Hawaii is passed, requiring all new homes to install solar hot water heaters.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
British Telecom to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions 80% By 2020
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 2.08
BT Has a Green Plan for the Future
Communication giant British Telecom (BT) has announced that it plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2020. But the real good news is that they are already on the right track so far, and are making big investments for the future like a $500-million wind farm that could generate enough clean electricity to power 25% of the company by 2016, making it the biggest non power utility investor in wind power in the UK (for now - we hope there will be a lot of competition for that top spot). They also installed a 500-kilowatt solar array on their US headquarters.
We wish other telecoms, especially in the US where they've been slow to move, would follow suit. BT is no doubt future-proofing itself by fighting global warming, and that will be a competitive advantage in the near future. ::BT to Cut Carbon Emissions 80% By 2020...
Texas Utility Spends $690 Million on Smart Meters
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 2.08
Smart Meters Lead to Electricity Savings
Smart meters are just, well, smart. They allow real-time pricing (f.ex. off peak electricity is less expensive than during peak demand), something that has a big impact on people's behavior. It basically rewards virtue: If you pay attention, you can save more, and if you don't, you'll pay more.
Texas utility Oncor is working with Swiss smart-meter company Landis+Gyr to roll out 3 million advanced meters by 2012. The bill is expected to be $690 million dollars, and will be first paid by customers (directly or indirectly), but over time it will more than pay for itself in electricity savings and a reduced need to built new power plants. Oncor Press Release, ::Texas Utility to Spend $690M on Smart Meter Roll Out. :: Boulder, Colorado: First to Have a Smart Grid?...
Green Ladywell Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06. 2.08
This week is Carnival of the Green # 130 and it's being hosted by Green Ladywell. So head on over to the site to check out a round up of green news and events from the past week, submitted by other bloggers and green sites.
To learn more about Carnival of the Green, where it will be and how to host (hurry, only a few dates left that are available 2009!), please click here to link to our previous post....
Rationing Of Carbon Contemplated in UK
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
In WW2 they rationed V8 Juice, among other things; in the UK, the Environmental Audit Committee says that a personal carbon allowance is the best way to cut CO2 without hurting the poor.
If you need fuel for your V8 and go over your allowance, you will have to buy credits from somebody else. 10 litres of gas would use up 23kg of credits; a flight to Rome from London would eat up 900kg. The chair of the Committee, Tim Yeo (of the Conservative party) says "We found that personal carbon trading has real potential to engage the population in the fight against climate change and to achieve significant emissions reductions in a progressive way,' he said. 'The idea is a radical one. As such it inevitably faces some significant challenges in its development. It is important to meet these challenges."
The Environment Minister, Hilary Benn, says "It's got potential but, in essence, it's ahead of its time. There are a lot of practical problems to overcome." But the rich who keep their lights on for no good reason would have to buy credits from the people who don't. Perhaps this is an idea whose time has come. ::the Mail...
Purolator Quicksider Electric Delivery Vehicle Displayed in Toronto
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 2.08
Green Electric Delivery
Purolator, a Canadian courier company, will be testing Unicell's Quicksider electric delivery vehicle in Toronto in a pilot program of 5 to 10 electric vans that should start in 2009. But in the meantime, the electric Quicksider was shown at the Green Fleet Expo III in Toronto.
The electric delivery truck is not only better for the environment, it is also better for the driver because it is designed to reduce repetitive motion injuries for the operator. On the green front, it has a top speed of 110 kph (65 mph), and an all-electric range of about 62 miles (100 km) during the summer and about 40 miles (65 km) during the winter (this is Canada, remember). And that's with a 6,500 lbs payload (about 10% more than regular trucks)! The electric motors generate 230 hp (172 kW). ...
Finally a Good Use for Aviator Sunglasses
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
Finally, a use for all those horrible aviator sunglasses that they can't give away on Canal Street, they are so over now.
"Iconic and original, inspired by the stars who rarely shun their shades in public, the Celebrity lamp has found a new use for aviator glasses, eyes and light switching their usual sides."
...
Ontario and Quebec Create Carbon Cap-and-Trade System
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 06. 2.08
Quebec and Ontario Bypass Federal Government on Climate
Tired of waiting for the federal government to make a big move on the climate front, Canada's two most populous provinces, Quebec and Ontario, have decided to forge ahead on their own. Today they're signing an accord that will create a system of carbon cap-and-trade. The two provinces hope that this will eventually be expanded to include all Canadian provinces.
“I just want us to be ahead of this curve,” Quebec's prime minister told reporters. “I don't want us to be playing catch-up to a new American government in less than a year from now.”...
Columbus, Ohio Unveils 20-Year Bicycle Master Plan
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 06. 2.08
Joining a growing number of cities, including New York, Seattle, Chicago, London and Copenhagen, Columbus, Ohio has just unveiled a $167.6 million, 288-page, 20-year plan to make the city more bicycle friendly. An integral part of the plan will be education--for cyclists as well as motorists--which, as we've seen before, is crucial to the safety of everyone on the road. Additionally, 58 miles of bike lanes will be added, as well as a downtown bike station (complete with bicycle parking and changing areas). Finally, "one of the biggest goals of the bike plan is to tie the area's trail system to neighborhoods and streets that will have bike lanes or bike signs."
There are also plans for a bike share program, the installation of more bike racks, the creation of several bike boulevards and significantly improved signage. Looks like nowadays cities of all geographies, political landscapes, and socio-economic conditions, are looking to find ways to make the bicycle a practical, safe and fun way to get around town.
Via: ::Columbus Dispatch and ::Alta Projects
Bike Share Programs
::University of Washington to Create Electric Bike Share Program
::Barcelona Has Gone Bicing Crazy: 30,000 Users in 2 Months!
::Next Stop For Bike-Share Programs: Capitol Hill...
Flatpack Birdhouse by Thomas Rasmussen
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
The pod people insist they have a design patent, but we discovered their scale model in Calgary of all places, designed by Vancouver designer Thomas Rasmussen who says it is really a bird house. ...
In Pod We Trust
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
It is a "continental camping hut" from Newfoundland Leisure Lodges, which appears to have nothing to do with Newfoundland and makes otherwise fairly conventional prefabs. It is 13'6 long and 8'-6 wide and can be dropped off a truck or can come with a single axle chassis. It only comes in one size: "is a bit of a handful to build. The curved roof means in effect we are sort of ‘upside-down boat builders’ as we similarly have to machine a lot of the components from templates. The size we have adopted is we believe the optimum for its purpose. If it was bigger, it would lose some of its charm and possibly become more of a planning issue. Any smaller and it would start to feel cramped. "
...
Ecover Responds to the Organic Consumers Association 1,4 Dioxane Test and TH Post
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 06. 2.08
Sometimes it’s easy to look at study numbers, and without any solid background in the field, infer judgment about what those numbers mean. We do this when we see cancer studies, read about glaciers retreating, or count the alarming number of species that appear to be on the verge of extinction every day.
But within those numbers, percentages and “evidence” there is something even more important to consider –– and that is context.
This issue came up after we wrote a post on the recent Organic Consumers Association (OCA) study which measured and reported trace toxins found in organic, “green” and every day consumer cleaning and beauty products. (Scroll down to read Ecover’s response).
In a forum over here in Israel, people started talking about Ecover and the fact that trace amounts of a chemical called 1,4 dioxane was “found” by the OCA in Ecover’s washing up liquid –– an all-purpose cleaner. And we posted about it. This wasn't the first time TreeHugger posted on the OCA (see USDA Waters Down Organic Standards)....
Bikes Faster than Subway or Car, Seven Years Running
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
creative commons at Flickr
Bikes don't get the kind of infrastructure or investment than cars do, (though they did take over the highways in Toronto this weekend) even though they are possibly the most efficient way to get around. In New York City, they held the seventh annual Great NYC Commuter Race, with commuters competing by car, a bike and a subway from Brooklyn to Union Square in Manhattan.
The result? For the seventh straight year, the bike won in 16.5 minutes; the driver gets in at 22 minutes; and the subway rider transit was last with 29 minutes....
Electronic Books Are Catching On
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
Electronic books are controversial at TreeHugger; I love the idea of separating the message from the medium, the words from the dead trees. Others love the Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge (BOOK) format that "is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology; no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use even a child can operate it." (Treehugger here and here)
Watching developments closely are the publishers and booksellers, wondering if they are going to the way of Tower Records and the music industry. While electronic books have been a niche idea for a while, Amazon's Kindle is catching on; Jeff Bezos told people attending BookExpo America that 6% of his unit sales of books are no electronic. Given the number of books he sells, that's a lot. Jeff Bezos doesn't expect to be all-electronic any time soon: “Anything that lasts 500 years is not easily improved upon. Books are so good you can’t out-book the book.” ::New York Times
UPDATE: Seth Godin writes about the fact that I missed- publishers sell the ebooks to Amazon for exactly the same price as the paper book, even though there are no trees.
Dematerialized Words from TreeHugger on E-Books:
Electronic Books: The Next Chapter : TreeHugger
TreeHugger Picks: Electronic Reading with E-Books and Readers ...
Core77 One Hour Design Challenge eBook Winner : TreeHugger
Survey: Do You Read Books? : TreeHugger
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Cultivate Kids Organic Infant and Toddler Tees
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 06. 2.08
Cultivate Kids organic kids Tees remind us that growing organic isn’t just about reducing pesticides and preventing the spread of GMOs – it is about cultivating a healthy future for our earth and for our children. When we give our kids toxic messages instead of nurturing their natural qualities like curiosity and creativity, we end up short-changing both the children and ourselves. ...
Green-Collar Jobs or Rust-Belt Future?
by Summer Rayne Oakes on 06. 2.08
This week the US Senate will begin debate on the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007 and a new bill called Investing in Climate Action and Protection Act (iCAP). I gather Representative Ed Markey, Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, who is introducing the latter bill, will no doubt receive opposition. ...
12 Big Steps to Make Building Better
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
Buildings consume 76% of electricity generated; they create 48% of our greenhouse gases; a quarter of our waste in landfills comes from construction. Over the past year we have suggested a dozen big steps that could be taken to make our buildings better and reduce their carbon footprint. We round them up here; they are long posts so you will have to follow the links. We invite suggestions for other big steps.
1. Ban Demolition.
“Every brick in building required the burning of fossil fuel in its manufacture, and every piece of lumber was cut and transported using energy. As long as the building stands, that energy is there, serving a useful purpose. Trash a building and you trash its embodied energy too.” Big Steps in Building: Ban Demolition
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Osprey Packs Adds More Recycled Bags and Go 100% Renewable
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06. 2.08
For nearly 35 years Osprey has made packs for the outdoor market. I have personally have a top-loading multi-day rucksack that has spent 15 years thrashing about in places like the Pyrenees, Patagonia, New Zealand, and South West Tasmania. I bought this much abused pack directly from company founder and head designer Mike Pfotenhauer.
Mike is still at the helm of a company that not only makes comfortable, durable packs, but does so with consideration for environmental and social impacts. Such an attitude to workplace ethics recently scored them a place in Outside Magazine’s list of “Best Places to Work.” but it has also lead them to move their Colorado headquarters to 100% renewable energy, and launch seven new bags made from almost 90% recycled-content materials and components. ...
From the Forums: Could a Biodiesel Hybrid Be the Missing Link
by Alan Graham, Portland, Oregon on 06. 2.08
While I've stated my dislike and skepticism of biodiesel in the forums before, I am one to keep an open mind and I do wonder if biodiesel and hybrid technologies could be the bridge we need to go from our reliance on gasoline to other cleaner renewable alternatives in the future. We're no doubt 5-10 years from seeing a major push and advancement in electric cars to the point where the average American would consider purchasing one....
Blue Jay, 'Herbivore's Dilemma' For A Changing Climate
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06. 2.08
Book Review: How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06. 2.08
When Ted Geisel a.k.a Dr Seuss writes, “Dear Lynne Cherry, I wish I could draw and paint as well as you do! That is a beautiful and powerful book [The Great Kapok Tree]…My Lorax doesn’t fell quite so lonely now that your great birds and beasts have come to join him,” I’m prepared to take notice. Lynne Cherry has authored/illustrated over 30 children books. In her latest publishing foray she teams with photojournalist Gary Braasch, whose recent work Earth Under Fire: How Global Warming is Changing the World we reviewed here.
Together they have crafted a very fine new tome. The subtitle ‘Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming’ pretty much sums up the scope of the book. It is about science—the observation and recording of natural occurrences and phenomena. It lays out pretty clearly what work scientists are doing to better understand the world around us, and how they have come to certain conclusions about our changing climate. ...
Water Contamination and Mining, Biggest Challenges for New Peruvian Environmental Ministry
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 06. 2.08
(Image: Andina news agency) During his first week as Peru's first ever Environmental Minister, Antonio Brack spoke to the press and referred to the Ministry's challenges and the country's environmental problems.
"Our first issue is water contamination, specially due to the dumping of sewage water into rivers, the sea and lakes," said the Minister according to EFE, pointing to the mining industry and iron and steel sectors as part of the problem. "Small scale informal mining is spreading like cancer. There's an estimated 100 thousand miners that use cyanide and mercury, and don't carry on any environmental studies or pay taxes," he added. Brack also said dealing with environmental problems is going to cost Peru up to 400 million dollars....
Renovation Uses Twice As Much Labor, Half as Much Material as New Construction
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
Lister Block in Hamilton, owned by the Laborers International Union of North America
Here is another reason that renovating old buildings is greener than building new: It uses a lot fewer resources and employs a lot more neighbours. Donovan Rypkema points out that new construction is about 50-50 labour and materials, whereas restoration and renovation can be as much as 75% labour- for every dollar spent you get twice as much local employment, and use about half the resources. "This labor intensity affects a local economy on two levels. First, we buy an HVAC system from Ohio and lumber from Idaho, but we buy the services of the plumber, the electrician, and the carpenter from across the street. Further, once we hang the drywall, the drywall doesn’t spend any more money. But the plumber gets a hair cut on the way home, buys groceries, and joins the YMCA – each recirculating that paycheck within the community."
A good reason to fix buildings up, rather than letting them fall apart. More from ::Donovan Rypkema...
Stair of the Week: New York Times Building
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
It doesn't look as dramatic a some of the stairs we have shown on this site, does it? In fact, the story of this stair is pretty remarkable. It is in the New York Times Building, designed by Renzo Piano with FXFOWLE, where we had a tour conducted by David Thurm, Vice President and CIO.
The corner of a building is usually given over to an office for some big honcho; at the New York Times building it is given over to an open communication stair that serves that one purpose: to help people work together and communicate better. ...
Recycled Survey: How Are You Spending Your Rebate?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 2.08
The New York Times writes that "The federal government is showering households with tax rebates to spur spending and invigorate a troubled economy. But many Americans are so consumed with debt and the soaring price of gasoline that they are opting to save the money or use it to pay bills." When the rebates were first announced, we did a survey asking how you were going to use it; Now that the cheque is in the mail, perhaps you have changed your mind. We ask again:
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"Scandinavian Preppy" Retailers Takeback Clothes For Second-Hand Sales
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06. 2.08
Polarn Och Pyret, the Scandinavian progenitor to Hanna Andersson, sells children's and women's cotton clothing in bright basic colors and (famously) lots of stripes. They've incorporated organic cotton into much of their line, and for two years have also allowed customers to use their web site to freely resell (better than Ebay!) the clothes, which of course cost a bit more than the super cheap stuff you can buy at places like H&M, but last longer.
Now the the even more preppy Boomerang clothing company will offer another sort of "recycling". Starting with the 2009 Spring line, Boomerang will let you bring in Junior collection clothes to retail stores, which it will then resell as second-hand (after washing). The customer gets a discount on the next purchase. Camino, Sweden's lifestyle sustainability magazine, says Boomerang has copied the concept from Japan's Uniqlo, which twice a year accepts its brand name items back for "recycling" (about 150,000 items come in and many are donated to refugees). But it was Patagonia who definitely blazed the trail in letting customers bring in Capilene for recycling (it now takes back fleece and cotton T's, too). It's great other retailers are experimenting with the concept. Via ::E24 (Swedish)
See also: World Peace Through Dirty Underwear, Patagonia Launches Common Threads Recycling...
Pedal Powered Four Wheel Drive SUV Invented in Germany
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06. 2.08
Trailcart, Four Wheel Drive Pedal Powered Adventure Machine
Meet the Trailcart, the future of offroad adventure for the post peak oil generation. A series of lucky coincidences led Frank Fraune and his invention -- a four wheel drive pedal powered vehicle called the Trailcart -- to the Adventure and Offroad Convention in Bad Kissingen Germany. There, surrounded by gas-guzzling, large footprinted vehicles, two trailcart prototypes drew a curious crowd. ...
The Office: Flexible, Green Office Space for All
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06. 2.08
Life can be hard for start-up companies, particularly in the current economic climate. Often the need to keep costs down means that decent office space becomes unaffordable. It can be even harder for a small company to implement a green office policy if it's dealing with short-term leases and unresponsive landlords. Fortunately the UK-based Office Group has set out to offer smaller companies flexible, managed and affordable office space that not only looks great, but includes some substantial green benefits too:
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Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06. 2.08
The Ashden Awards are given to visionaries in the developing world who are finding solutions to climate change and bringing real social and economic benefits to their local communities at a grass-roots level. In the past projects have shown how simple, innovative design, at a relatively small price can bring huge changes to large numbers of people in terms of health, education, and social welfare. This year the 7 finalists are no less inspiring.
In Western China, the Renewable Energy Development Project (REDP), has brought affordable, high-quality solar lighting to people who live in tents in rural areas. Since 2001, REDP has sold over 402,000 photovoltaic (PV) solar-home systems to yak and other herding communities in remote areas. Previously they relied on kerosene, butter lamps and candles for light. Now almost 1.44 million people who previously had little access to electricity have an improved quality of life through better light, communications and entertainment.
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HP Clearly Explains Life Cycle, Product Energy Use Starting With With Eco Highlights Label
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06. 1.08
This clearly laid out Eco Highlights label by Hewlett-Packard is very big news, we think. For three excellent reasons. The label indicates, for example, that this new model printer, the HP Laserjet P4515, uses 10% less power than the preceding model. (Note that the HP Eco Highlights label is not saying how much less or more power is used per sheet than the competitors models. Instead, it advertises relative energy efficiency improvement as an explicit reason to buy a new HP product.) And they acknowledge the full supply chain, even in the product use phase. More like that please! ...
Global Warming Could Snuff Out World Heritage-Listed Shirakami Forests by 2100
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 1.08
Image courtesy of Psymeg&Chooch via flickr
A new report commissioned by the Japanese government predicts that the Shirakami Mountains' beech forests, a UNESCO World Heritage site, could succumb to global warming by the end of the century. An international team of 44 scientists from 14 research institutions gauged the potential effects higher average temperatures would have on Japan's water resources, forests, human health, coastal areas and agriculture....
Need A Ride To The Sustainable Living Festival? Hop On the Bike Train!
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 06. 1.08
The Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living, based in Coventry, Rhode Island, will be hosting its annual Sustainable Living Festival on June 7 and 8. The great news is that the Festival is typically well attended, but what about all those carbon emissions from people driving to the event? Sure, you can carpool or take the bus, but what if you really want to get in the green spirit and take the greenest, most efficient form of transit there is? I'm referring, of course, to the bicycle, and anyone looking to ride to the Festival is in luck: on both days of the festival, "groups of cyclists and guides will leave from the Providence Train Station to ride to the Sustainable Living Festival." Cyclists like to call this a bicycle train. So what's so great about taking a bike train? ...
Scientist Who Coined "Global Warming" Calls for the Deployment of 20 Million Carbon Scrubbers
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06. 1.08
When the man who coined the phrase "global warming" speaks up, people tend to pay attention. So it was that when Wallace Broecker, a professor at Columbia University, recently called for the use of millions of giant tree-like "scrubbers" (see here for another recent example) to fight global warming, observers didn't immediately dismiss the scheme as harebrained.
The BBC reports that Broecker, addressing a literary festival in the U.K., said that roughly 20 million scrubbers would be needed to suck up all the carbon dioxide produced in the U.S. A grand total of 60 million would be needed worldwide to trap all carbon emissions; he estimated that the entire scheme would cost $600 billion a year -- though how he came up with that figure is unclear. Each scrubber would be 50 ft high and 8 ft in diameter and use a special plastic to capture CO2. The gas could be either pumped underground or liquefied under pressure....
First Eco-fashion Label Under Creative Commons License Promises Creativity and Sustainability
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06. 1.08
Dutch designer Frans Prins and Swedish designer Cecilia Palmer have joined forces to create Pamoyo, an ethical fashion label with a creative edge. Pamoyo is an open source label. Pamoyo invites designers to join their mission and enrich the offerings with their creations. Pamoyo, in return, will take responsibility to ensure consumers of the "high quality and sustainable production of every product made under the label".
Pamoyo will post patterns under the Creative Commons license. According to their blog, the Creative Commons office has confirmed that Pamoyo is the first fashion label under Creative Commons license....
It's The Efficiency, Stupid: New York Times Gets It Right This Time
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06. 1.08
A week after they published Ben Stein's silliness, the New York Times looks at the impact of efficiency.
"It's gone before you even knew it was there: As energy is unlocked from fuels at power plants, two-thirds of the energy consumed to create electricity is lost. The laws of thermodynamics dictate that conversion efficiency will never be 100 percent, because heat is lost at every step of the conversion process. But new technologies may be able to greatly increase conversion efficiency, moving from an overall rate of 36 percent to closer to 50 percent."
They also point out that this low-hanging fruit, doing what comes naturally:
""High fossil fuel prices will drive technology and innovation, because they respond to price signals," said Frank A. Wolak, an economist at Stanford. "Technology can improve efficiency by working the margin, gaining 10 to 15 percent. That's money." ::New York Times with ::terrific graphic here
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First Commercial Fuel Cell Powered Aircraft Just One of Many Eco-Angles at 2008 ILA Berlin Air Show
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06. 1.08
First Commercial Aircraft Powered by Fuel Cells
Airbus and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) presented the first commercial aircraft powered by fuel cells at the ILA Berlin Air Show 2008. The latest addition to the DLR research fleet is an Airbus A320 which has been converted for trials of a fuel cell system. The fuel cells cannot replace the plane's jet engines for powering the heavy plane through the air. Instead, the goal is to take the first step towards meeting ambitious targets to reduce aircraft environmental impact (fuel use, CO2 emissions and noise) by 50% by 2020: the fuel cells replace the auxiliary power units which meet the plane's power demands when the plane is on the ground. The system being trialled is serving as an alternative to the RAM air turbine, which uses an extendable mini-propeller to supply power in the event of an in flight engine failure. ...
