- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for June 22, 2008 - June 28, 2008
Total this week: 181
Study Predicts Amount of CO2 Emissions that Could Lead to Greenland Melting
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06.28.08
Image from Bart de Haan
The chorus of bad news for Greenland's fate has been growing louder in recent months. I've written at length about numerous studies suggesting that Greenland may not last much longer in light of rapidly increasing carbon emissions. A new study published in the latest issue of Geophysical Research Letters (sub. required) predicts under which CO2 emissions scenarios Greenland will "irreversibly" undergo total melting.
In short, the team of researchers from France's Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, estimates that if the level of atmospheric CO2 emissions surpasses 3,000 GtC (GtC = gigaton of carbon), total melting will be inevitable. If, however, it remains below 2,500 GtC, Greenland will experience a partial melting followed by a re-growth phase. For some context, the current level of CO2 emissions lies slightly above 350 GtC. ...
Utah Shifts To A More Sustainable Four Day Work Week
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 06.28.08
Around 17,000 or 20 percent of all Utah state workers will shift to a new four-day, ten-hour work schedule beginning in August as part of the state’s one-year "Working 4 Utah" pilot program to save energy and money. By shutting down 1,000 buildings statewide on Fridays, an estimated 3,000 metric tons in carbon emissions will also be cut. Admittedly, though the energy and fuel savings is not as great as telecommuting, the idea of a four-day work week is probably more appealing to reluctant employers who are willing to test more moderate, but still viable, alternatives.
The initiative could also set a precedent for other states to follow. "It has never been done on the statewide level, so we would be the first state actually rolling this out," said Utah governor Jon Huntsman. "So, [in] July we're going to be working very closely with departments and agencies making sure we anticipate ... all of the issues and challenges that'll be associated with doing this right."
::KSL via Urban Workbench
Related Links on Greening Your Work
How to Green Your Work
Telecommuting is Green and Saves Money, but Most Employers still Resist it
All-Nighter PCs Cost U.S. Businesses $1.7 Billion
Image: KSL...
Is it Time to Ditch the MPG Metric?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06.28.08
Image from Science
Given the option, would you prefer to switch from a vehicle that gets 12 MPG to one that gets 14 MPG or from one that gets 28 MPG to one that gets 40 MPG? You might think the answer here is obvious: the second option, of course. Yet, if your guide in picking is whichever switch grants you the better fuel efficiency, you'd be wrong.
Wait, 12 to 14 MPG is better than 28 to 40 MPG?
That would be because, like most people, you probably consider the amount of gas consumed by a vehicle to decrease as a linear function of its MPG. Well, according to an article in Science written by Richard Larrick and Jack Soll (sub. required), two economists at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, the relationship is actually curvilinear -- which means people often underestimate the gains that can be achieved by removing the most fuel-inefficient vehicles....
This Weekend in NY: Dan Deacon at Citysol, Bucky at Whitney, Figment and the Waterfalls
by Alex Pasternack, Beijing, China on 06.28.08
If you needed another reason to hit up Citysol, New York's free sustainability-themed art and music event, here it is: Dan Deacon, the inimitable surrealist trash-synth community-building music man is playing tonight. He punctuates a weekend of concerts, comedians, green art installations and panel discussions.
For instance, at 6 tonight, there's a discussion on sustainable design with the chief of design for NYC parks; tomorrow, two discussions will will turn toward solar and the meeting of grassroots advocacy and interactive design. Sitting on that panel will be artist Eve Mosher, whose work Insert _Here, along with other artists' eco-minded art, will be appearing at the event all weekend. Mosher's work asks participants to use small yellow signs to identify sites in need of a bit of greening ("insert solar here," "insert a garden here," etc), and upload photos of the place to the web. From there, Mosher or another artist renders the photo in order to show how the site might look if re-mediated. The idea is to capitalize "on community awareness of place/environment and optimism in the face of climate challenges.”
Also lighting your compact-florescent fire this weekend in NYC: Figment, a multidisciplinary Burning Man-ish party at Governor's Island, the Buckminster Fuller retrospective at the Whitney Museum, and Olafur Eliasson's awesome Waterfalls.
Citysol: Stuyvesant Cove Park, near the East River and 23rd Street. Map and directions here. via Papermag...
Greenpeace Sneaks In, Addresses Coal Conference
by Alex Pasternack, Beijing, China on 06.28.08
Who says coal and environmentalists -- even the most hardcore take-no-prisoners kind of activists -- can't get along? Or at least listen to each other. And who says that just because coal companies can rally under deceptively-titled front groups like Americans For Balanced Energy Choices, green groups do the same?
That's exactly what happened this week, when members of Greenpeace crashed a major coal conference, Coal USA 2008 -- by co-sponsoring the event under the buttoned-up moniker “Institute for Energy Solutions." When organizers discovered that the group's site redirected to Coal is Dirty, they not only grudgingly permitted Greenpeace to keep their booth (where, of course, they handed out asthma inhalers, gift baskets of coal, and water samples from coal mining regions) but even invited the green agitators to address the gathered audience of coal executives.
The big moment came yesterday, when Greenpeace spokesman Carroll Muffett was asked to speak to an audience not of "evil, mustache-twirling Snidely Whiplash impersonators" but of "(mostly) normal people." Here's the advice and question he posed just before being whipped off the stage by a security guard ......
Berkeley Protesters Treetop Insanity No Help to Environmental Movement
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 06.28.08
In a case of civic action that’s gone way too far, student protesters at Berkeley living in trees for the last 18 months to protest the removal of an oak grove on campus to make way for athletic fields have begun throwing human excrement at arborists intent on cutting the supply lines they have set up to move in food and water as protesters have cycled in and out during a protracted court case.
But with supply lines cut they’re basically huddled in one tree, informing University officials that they were both not moving and rationing water. Officials at first attempted to cut them off completely, but now they’ve provided the students with water, and police are negotiating to keep them from flinging feces in return for basic supplies.
...
Your Crab Cake May Be Permanently On Back Order
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06.28.08
Harvest too many Maryland Blue Crabs, year after year, and they'll go away. Let soil erode badly from farm lands that feed essential estuaries, they'll go away. Spray pesticides thoughtlessly, they'll go away. Only in living systems can "away" be made so permanent, so quickly, so painfully. A predetermined outcome of the present course: no more TeeVee ads for delicious crab cakes shipped to your door. Maryland and Virginia's U.S. senators say there's no time to waste in declaring the decline of Chesapeake Bay blue crabs a federal disaster...In a letter to federal authorities, the senators argue for a declaration that would provide about $20 million in federal aid to watermen and seafood processors hurt by the crab's decline...The letter was sent yesterday to Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland and John W. Warner and Jim Webb of Virginia point out that blue crab stocks in the estuary are down about 70 percent from 1990....
Objects in mirror...could be saved
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.28.08
A guest post by Brian Jones, subject of TreeHugger Post A Story about Losing, Leaving and Buying It All Back and author of ::Buy By Brian
Earlier this month, at the beginning of Chicago's Bike to Work Week, Clinton Miceli died after being doored and knocked in front of a passing vehicle. Less than two weeks prior to this tragic incident, Treehugger ran a poll about the punishment for those who give out "The Door Prize." Clinton, a 22-year old graphic designer, was said to have always worn a helmet and lights, as well as advocating bike safety to his fellow co-workers and friends who rode.
When traffic conditions—or the complacency of riding in a bike lane—leave a rider vulnerable to the "door zone," there is only so much responsibility the rider can take to avoid these encounters. Lighting conditions, tinted windows and larger vehicles don't always allow a rider to see if anyone is in the driver's seat. In these cases, even the most vigilant rider can be caught off guard. Once that door pops, there is very little time to react and this is why the responsibility rests on those exiting the vehicle....
Graphic Of The Day: Worldwide Unconventional Liquid Fuel Production
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06.28.08
Following on the heels of yesterday's Graphic Of The Day: The "Not Going To Happen" Scenario about growth in world-wide coal consumption, here we have 22-year projections by US Energy Information Administration for the "unconventionals." The bar graph categories cover growth in liquid fuel not originating from typical petroleum wells: those with unique feedstock, production techniques, processing, or refining technologies. As in yesterday's post, the standout issue, here, is rather obvious: it's the onset of a 20-year race between Alberta Tar Sands and a variety of "biofuels."...
Wing House from Recycled 747 Jet Airplane Finally Under Construction
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06.28.08
Francie Rehwald of California is trading in her plain home for a plane home. "My mom is definitely a hippie at heart," says her daughter in the AP video clip below. TreeHugger reported the original plans to build the recycled 747 house already in 2005. It takes time to get approvals for building a house that will need to be marked so rescue teams know it is not debris strewn by a crash!
The Wing House is a sleek and elegant design, without doubt. But we ask the hard questions which the mainstream media, so enthused about the jet plane aspect, neglects to ask: does this newest mansion exemplify sustainable architecture? ...
Ice-Free Arctic by... This Summer?!
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 06.28.08
Portland's Bike Boxes: The Movie
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06.27.08
Wallace Broecker vs. Greenpeace: Climate Scientist Argues in Favor of Ocean CO2 Storage
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 06.27.08
Image from tata_aka_T
The Guardian has been playing host to a lively debate between Wallace Broecker, a world-renowned climate scientist at Columbia University (and originator of a scheme to deploy millions of tree-like CO2 "scrubbers"), and Bill Hare of Greenpeace. It kicked off with a lengthy piece by Broecker challenging Greenpeace's stand on ocean storage last week and has now seen the two take each other's arguments head-on. ...
Vegetarian Eats, Organic Cotton and Eco-Curb Appeal
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 06.27.08
:: Still a meat eater? Strike a balance with vegetarian options.
:: Take stock of your cotton clothing—is it organic?
:: Boost your home's curb appeal with these DIY projects.
:: Grill up some tasty, green food choices.
:: Reduce your hot water use by up to 50% with low-flow devices....
Ottawa Student Could Make Water Desalination 600-700% More Efficient
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 06.27.08
Water For All
The Economist recently published a very good primer on water desalination. It contains some cautious prediction about future growth of thermal and membrane desalination plants, but all of that could change if Mohammed Rasool Qtaisha, a chemical engineering PhD student at the University Ottawa, has his way. He founded Water for All with the goal of turning seawater into drinking water on a large scale, and it seems like he has a breakthrough.
We can't be 100% sure yet because his technology is secret and patent-pending, but he claims that his new membrane technology is 600 to 700% more efficient than what is currently on the market. "His prototype is able to run on solar panels and produce 50 kilograms of water per metre square of the membrane per hour [...] current technology would produce about seven to eight kilograms per metre per hour."...
Great Apes Granted ‘Human Rights’ by Spanish Parliament
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.27.08
photo by youngrobv via flickr
So, the subject of this post is a little outside the boundaries of the normal subjects I cover here at Treehugger, but the implications of this news are great.
Rights for Humans' Genetically-Closest Relatives
Via :: The Guardian
Great apes should have the right to life and freedom, according to a resolution passed in the Spanish parliament, in what could become landmark legislation to enshrine human rights for chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-utans and bonobos....
Green Eyes On: Jack Johnson’s All At Once Tour
by Sara Snow on 06.27.08
A little over a week ago, I braved threatening skies and a severe thunderstorm warning to visit with Jack Johnson on the kick-off of his 2008 summer tour. The show was in Noblesville, Indiana right outside of Indianapolis where I live when not in hotels and airplanes around the country. I hit the show with my husband and good friend, photographer and director Matt Mays.
Let’s be honest, this isn’t the first blog or even the first TreeHugger post about the mellow, eco-loving musician, and it’s not likely to be the last. But here’s why I think you’ll enjoy this. ...
Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff Legislation Introduced in U.S. Congress
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.27.08
photo by Patrick Boury
While the Senate dawdles with one set of renewable energy incentives, four members of the House of Representatives, led by Jay Inslee (D-Washington), have introduced a new piece of legislation that everyone concerned about alternative energy in the United States really needs to watch.
...
Off-Grid Living Means Solar-Powered Blogging, Even With a Lack of Sunshine
by Deane Brebner and Don Bissonnette, Sutton, Quebec on 06.27.08
Prepping for off-grid, locavore living
Prior to the month of June, we had some preparations to make before we moved our home off the grid and became locavores. A hose was attached to the pond and brought downhill to the house. A small "room heater" wood stove with a precarious home-made chimney was erected near the house. A solar panel and back-up battery was ordered and on the way. The fridge was emptied; we ate the contents or gave them to friends....
Meet the Cardboard Bicycle
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 06.27.08
Cardboard Bicycle Brings Costs WAY Down
We already know how wonderful, efficient, fun, safe and green cycling is. The only problem, however, is that for people interested in getting into cycling--but who aren't sure if they'll like it or stick with it--it's hard to justify making an investment in a bicycle, even if it is of the cheap (some might say schlock) Wal-Mart variety. Well, Phil Bridge, a 21 year old design student at Sheffield Hallam University, has come up with a solution (maybe): build the bicycle out of cardboard! Why? Because it makes it extremely inexpensive. In fact, Mr. Bridge claims he can sell the complete bike for around $30 USD. At that price the up-front cost of the bicycle becomes a non-issue.
What will be an issue, however, is the possibility that the cardboard frame will collapse or break, especially in the rain. Nevertheless, Mr. Bridge claims that "the prototype does work but it is still quite limited and there are a few problems." Learn more about the bike after the fold.
...
Little Known Fact: Thirteen People Can Fit Inside a Smart Car
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 06.27.08
Don't Try This at Home
What better way for Smart to celebrate its 10th anniversary than to cram 13 gymnasts inside one of its tiny ForTwo urban cars (except maybe making a real Smart Car vending machine)?
But the best thing is, 13 isn't even a record for the Smart ForTwo. "Eighteen people managed to squeeze inside a smart in Germany back in 2002." Yes, 18. We wonder if using amputees would be considered cheating..?...
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting to Begin for Australian Corporations
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.27.08
photo by Dallas Ewing
In addition to British Columbia’s efforts to combat climate change, July 1 marks the start of another greenhouse gas reduction initiative: Australia’s National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System.
Mandates Greenhouse Gas Emissions Record-Keeping
From next Tuesday, corporate groups which emit more than 125 kilotonnes of greenhouse gases, or produce or consume 500 terajoules or more of energy will be require to begin collecting data on their emissions. Also, corporations controlling facilities that emit more than 25 kilotonnes of greenhouse gases, or produce 100 terajoules or more of energy will also have to begin keeping records. The data collected will have to be submitted, from October 2009, as part of annual greenhouse gas and energy reports. ...
Surreal 'Fish Head' WWF Climate Change Ad
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 06.27.08
Most Huggable: China’s Double Wind, Green Birthday Books, Not-So-Surprising Car Stats + More
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 06.27.08
Wind power in China is expected to double over the next two years.
Celebrating a book-lover’s birthday? Give them this cool, carbon neutral gift from Eco-Libris.
Gas2 reminds readers of the cost of owning a car and lists the least expensive hybrids.
Make an eco-statement in baby’s nursery or play space with recycled and organic stretched canvas prints.
An environmental leadership program called Be the Change emerges, offering people the direction and tools needed to make a positive difference.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
British Columbia Carbon Tax Criticized on Eve of Implementation
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.27.08
Couldn’t find a good photo of Williams Lake so this beautiful photo of trees in BC will have to suffice. Photo by haRee via flickr
Announced this past February, British Columbia’s carbon tax is set to begin on July 1, and though it’s a legislative done deal, that hasn’t stopped Scott Nelson, mayor of Williams Lake, from criticizing the plan.
Reuters has quoted Nelson as saying, “The last thing [residents of his community] need now is a tax on top of these soaring prices to add insult to injury.” He also predicts that taxpayer revolt will scuttle the new tax.
...
Industrial-Scale Waste-to-Ethanol Facility Planned for Edmonton
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.27.08
photo by Wade Kelly
Recently it feels like I’ve been writing “world’s first” quite frequently, though “world’s largest” might come in a close second. Greenfield Ethanol's plan for Edmonton, Canada is the latest project to warrant a “first”.
The first in question is the world’s first industrial scale facility to produce biofuels from municipal solid waste. Under a 25-year agreement with the city, the $70 million facility will initially produce 36 million liters of biofuel per year. Greenfield claims that this will reduce Alberta’s carbon footprint by more than 6 million tonnes over the next 25 years, an amount it says is equal to removing 12,000 cars off the road every year. The project will be jointly developed by Greenfield Ethanol and Enerkem....
New Solar Power Projects on U.S. Public Lands Placed on Hold
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.27.08
photo by Petor Smit
After the absurd news of the past week revealing in pathetic detail just how far the current U.S. administration has its head in the sand when it comes to pressing environment problems, for some this next bit may just add fuel to the fire.
Moratorium on Solar in Six Western States
We learn from The New York Times, that citing the need to review environmental impact, the Bureau of Land Management has placed a moritorium on all new solar power projects on U.S. public lands in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. Project applications which were received before May 29 will continue to be reviewed however.
The policy reassessment is expected to take two years to complete and applies to both solar photovoltaic and solar thermal projects.
...
Abilmo Pop-up Hotel Rooms: Instant Accommodation
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.27.08
We have shown a few instant hotel room ideas before; they are big in Europe where there are a lot of festivals and a lot of people with a lot of money who need something better than a tent. Abilmo squeezes a lot of stuff into 12 Sqm, (130 SF) including a bathroom with toilet and shower, thermal and acoustic insulation, individual heating and air conditioning. It is an interesting idea- why build an entire hotel for a big event when you can just move it around? ...
Julia Roberts' Green Shopping Trip
by Terri MacLeod on 06.27.08
James Gandolfini, Brooke Shields, Brad and Angelina, and Kermit are rocking the green life as well.
Unlike some green-talking stars, Julia is a genuine go-to-green gal. She knows to shop with re-usable bags. The actress always tries to pack up her goods in ‘organic’ bags, as seen here at a supermarket in Los Angeles. She and her hubby Danny Moder are also fixing up their Malibu home with lots of hip green updates, including building with wood harvested from ‘sustainbly managed forest, solar panels, and recycled tiles.
Thanks: ecorazzi
...
Unlike some green-talking stars, Julia is a genuine go-to-green gal. She knows to shop with re-usable bags. The actress always tries to pack up her goods in ‘organic’ bags, as seen here at a supermarket in Los Angeles. She and her hubby Danny Moder are also fixing up their Malibu home with lots of hip green updates, including building with wood harvested from ‘sustainbly managed forest, solar panels, and recycled tiles.
Thanks: ecorazzi
...
Disney's New Dream Home: Worse Than We Dreamed
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.27.08
I adored the 1957 Monsanto House of the Future; it was full of fabulous furniture, ideas for the future, and innovative, original design. OK it was all plastic and sponsored by Monsanto, but they were cool then and as we knew from the Graduate, the future was in plastics. I was disappointed to learn that the new version was to be a 5,000 SF McMansion that "will look like a normal suburban home outside, but inside it will feature hardware, software and touch-screen systems that could simplify everyday living."
But I couldn't imagine how ugly and stupid it actually turned out to be.
...
Stockholm Strives To Be LED Capital
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06.27.08
Stockholm's Central Station Is Lit On Holidays With LEDs.
Stockholm's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Miljöforvaltningen) said it will light all its new municipal office spaces with only 100% LED lighting in future, eschewing both incandescent lights and the compact fluorescents that are here called low-energy lights. Tiny Torraca in Italy and Ann Arbor, Michigan are two smaller cities that are similarly enamored of LEDs.
First with LED traffic lights
Stockholm was an early adopter of LEDs for traffic and crosswalk lights - which have now become widespread in lots of cities. Now the Stockholm State House, the Medieval Museum and the State Museum in the city are all in the process of switching out their regular bulbs to LEDs to save money and energy. Swedish Optoga has developed less-stark LEDs that IKEA is using for its LED collection. The city reckons it will save five million crowns per year with its ongoing switch to LEDs. Via ::NyTeknik
Basics
How To Green Your Lighting
LEDs At The Office
Office Building Lit By 100% LED Light
On The Streets
LED Street Lights Are Coming
...
War Gardens: Theater among the Vegetables
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.27.08
It is estimated that 20 million Americans produced 40% of all the vegetables consumed in the country through Victory gardens during World War II. In Chicago, the Walkabout Theater Company is exploring "the function of gardening in wartime through the story of Captain Streeter, a legendary vagabond, and a Ladies' Auxiliary in a battle over Chicago's open spaces....War Garden seeks to celebrate the institution of the community garden by presenting, through performance, a cathartic experience of civic engagement with questions of patriotism, war, territory and community values.
Not only that, they are performing throughout July in Community gardens around the CIty of Chicago. Sounds like good street theater; I hope they take it on the road. ::War Garden via ::Apartment Therapy
TreeHugger on Victory Gardens:
Victory Gardens : War on Waste
Futurefarmers Victory Gardens
Victory With Rosemary
Victory With Pole Beans
How to Green Your Gardening...
Graphic Of The Day: The "Not Going To Happen" Scenario
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06.27.08
The US Energy Information Administration has just presented this graphic as part of "International Energy Outlook 2008 with Projections to 2030," available for download here as a pdf file. The dominant trend shown, obviously, is that China rockets out of control with coal consumption. That's the "business as usual" scenario, with China making cheap goods for the OECD nations and trashing the climate on their (our) behalf.
Other scenarios are equally plausible, involving certain overlooked freed-back loops and consumption drivers. For example:...
Art and Science Mashup at the Solar Collector
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.27.08
Think of it as a computer-controlled Sun Jar on steroids, a mix of art and computer science. The Solar Collector is a a sculpture created by artists Matt Gorbet, Rob Gorbet, and Susan LK Gorbet as a commission for the Region of Waterloo, which happens to be the home of Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, and the University of Waterloo, one of the world's best computer engineering schools.
On the "art" side, "the sculpture is solar-powered and interactive, inviting the community to choreograph its nightly performance via the web. Each shaft has three sets of lights, along with three solar panels. Their angles reflect the angles of the sun through the year. The tallest shaft is perpendicular to the sun at winter solstice, when the sun is low in the sky. The flattest shaft faces the high sun at summer solstice."...
Weathercocks, Signposts, and Compact Fluorescents
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.27.08
We at TreeHugger promote a lot of small steps toward sustainability, thinking they lead to comprehension and then to political action; we wouldn't have much of a website without our Wattsons and, um, solar bikinis. Bill McKibben thinks small steps are like calisthenics, getting us ready for the big changes we’re all going to have to make.
Alex Steffen at Worldchanging doesn't think much of small steps at all: "change your light bulb today, and you'll move to a walkable neighborhood and sell your car before you know it!" He derides solar bikinis and energy trackers, suggesting that small steps don't make much difference and that "Indeed, between greenwashing and green fatigue, emphasizing little behavioral changes may actually be hurting." He is, I think, counterproductively negative and sounding a bit like Marvin the Paranoid Android again.
...
Bamboo: Finding Solutions Where Others Only See Problems
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 06.27.08
Bamboo grows wild in forest grooves in Asia, shutting out the sunlight and making forest management difficult. Instead of just complaining, some people at a non-profit group called Tojiba started using bamboo as raw material for market tents that are getting popular here in Japan. An old solution perhaps - using bamboo is as ancient as people have shared the land with the fast-growing plants - but the design is nice and the tents feel great.
Using the bamboo tents turns out to be pretty easy. The bamboo poles are more light-weight than ordinary iron poles, and can be transported easily. Assembly is easy, and people using the tents say they like the fact that they help with forest management and feel a connection to farmers in rural areas....
5 Alternatives to the Buy vs Rent Question
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.27.08
When we talk about housing, in North America the discussion almost always comes down to 1) own a house in the 'burbs or 2) rent an apartment in the city. One commentator at Bloomberg wrote:
"With gasoline at $4-plus a gallon, lots of thinking people see the U.S. undergoing a vast demographic shift, with millions of people moving back to cities. The suburbs, and those places beyond the suburbs, the exurbs, will dry up and blow away.
The notion appeals especially to people who like to think they'll be in charge after the revolution. They would apparently love nothing more than for the population to be confined to Soviet-style concrete-block high-rises and be forced to take state-run streetcars to their little jobs at the mill. "
It is in fact not so black and white; there is a range of shades in between. There is, of course, condominium ownership, but also many other models of tenure and design that we just don't think of as conventional in North America but are popular in Europe.
Co-operative Ownership
In Freiburg, Germany, the co-op model is common. They say that co-ops "are the fertile ground for a stable district's community and rise of ecological awareness"- everyone has to work together, they even have "muscle mortgages" where you work toward your ownership of the unit....
Book Review: Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener, World
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 06.27.08
“Women spend 85 cents of every dollar in the marketplace.” That’s an astonishing statistic. It’s so incredible that Diane MacEachern wrote Big Green Purse to inspire women to use their spending dollars to help protect the Earth and to send a message to manufacturers that consumers want environmentally friendly products.
Big Green Purse explains in twelve chapters, how some seemingly insignificant decisions can make a difference, leading to bigger shifts in everyday habits and a cleaner planet. The book starts with easy to understand explanations of issues and concepts. MacEachern breaks things down, like the precautionary principle, chemicals, climate change, and air and water issues so that anybody can understand it, yet she doesn’t over-simplify things. ...
50/50 Bet North Pole Melts Away This Summer
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 06.27.08
According to the informal betting pool among scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado there's a 50/50 bet that the geographic North Pole will melt away completely this summer.
The ice had retreated to a record level in September when the Northwest Passage, the sea route through the Arctic Ocean, opened up briefly for the first time in recorded history.
According to the center's senior research scientist, Mark Serreze, specific weather patterns will determine whether the North Pole's ice cover melts completely, but the speed at which the projections for total ice loss at the pole have increased is really disturbing. With many scientists predicting just a few years ago that total loss would not occur in summer until at least 2050.
...
Survey: What Will You Be Driving in Four Years?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.27.08
Economist Jeff Rubin predicts that there will be ten million fewer vehicles on the road in four years, as people switch to public transit because of the cost of fuel. 57 million Americans with cars have access to public transit; will you be making the switch?
...
Cheap Hybrid Auto Rickshaw the Focus of Student Competition
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 06.27.08
With 100 million auto rickshaws in use across Asia, student teams from Dutch and Indian universities are taking the challenge to design the cleanest, cheapest and most practical upgrade kit to cut carbon emissions from their incredibly polluting, two-stroke motors.
Each of the rickshaws, known as tuktuks in India, creates as much pollution as 50 cars, and project organizers have set themselves the goal of adapting one million of them to reduce their CO2 emissions by 40-60%.
...
Heart-Beans Grinds Coffee With the Rhythm of Your Heart
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 06.27.08
Machines have a reputation for being cold and impersonal, except of course if you rely on your laptop’s hard drive to be your second (sometimes better) brain. But it’s not everyday that designers create things that tune into your emotions like the funky moon rings our sister used to wear in the Seventies.
...
Furniture Takes to the Streets
by Bonnie Alter, London on 06.27.08
It's the London Festival of Architecture and the architects have taken their furniture to the streets. Literally. Called 'London's Largest Living Room', the courtyard at Somerset House has been transformed into a complete suite of over-sized furniture on a colourful carpet. It was designed by Studio Weave with a pattern by Eley Kishimoto (a clothing and fabric designer) which is pink (the festival's colour) and inspired by the streetscape.
These delightful wooden plywood cut- out versions of sofas, armchairs, bookshelves and lamps offer a perfect resting place after a weary day at the gallery. Each one has a message written on it, about the location, the festival and other activities taking place. More of the chairs are scattered around town in random places. By taking these domestic items out into the public realm "it invites members of the public to think about the city landscape as their home, and consider how we could better use the often neglected open spaces around us." It's a way of getting people to take a fresh look at their environment....
Americans Direct Scorn Over High Gas Prices Towards Washington, Willing to Cut Safety to Up Mileage
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 06.26.08
In a break with the time-honored practice of blaming oil companies for high gas prices, Consumer Reports released their latest Auto Pulse Survey on Thursday indicating that 77% of consumers said the root of high gas prices lies with the government’s failure to implement effective energy policy.
Now the question is whether those same respondents realize that even higher gas prices are necessary to break the cycle, or if they’re just wishing for a handout to foot their latest bill.
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High Fibre Compost Works: Confessions of a Rotter
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 06.26.08
Compost isn’t Just for Kitchen Scraps
You know you’re a hippy when you move house and take your compost pile with you. Having spent three years in a house too shady to garden, yet composting all of our organic waste, we just couldn’t leave all that beautiful, dark, crumbly compost behind. So on the back of the truck it went, along with all the creatures who call it home. In the process we got to take a good look at the fruits of our labours, and that look validated our approach to composting. We had been experimenting with something called high-fibre composting, in which we not only added kitchen scraps to our heap, but also a good chunk of our household paper and cardboard waste. The idea has been long touted by the Centre for Alternative Technology, and is a great way to stop domestic heaps getting slimy or smelly (heaps with too much nitrogen-rich kitchen scraps, and too little carbon-rich woody materials, can suffer from lack of oxygen). It was amazing how quickly much of the cardboard, paper and other packaging materials had broken down, and I’m only sorry my camera is still in a packing crate somewhere, because (like any proud father), I would have loved to share a picture of my baby (I’ll have to content myself with a picture I took of someone else’s high-fibre system).
Correction to first sentence: you know you’re a hippy when you start calling your compost your baby…
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Yachana Lodge: Training Amazon Youth in Eco-tourism
by Eliza Barclay, Nomad on 06.26.08
One of the more impressive winners of The Geotourism Challenge, a recent competition sponsored by Ashoka's Changemakers and National Geographic, was Yachana Foundation and Lodge, an education and sustainable development project for poor youth from the Ecuadorian Amazon.
The Yachana Technical High School opened in September 2005 to meet a regional need for practical, hands-on education and is the only school in Ecuador offering a degree in Eco-tourism and Sustainable Development. The school has 128 students, 80 percent of whom are indigenous, from five provinces and four ethnic groups.
The school is linked with Yachana Lodge, a luxurious eco-tourism destination in a remote part of the Ecuadoran Amazon. The students are involved in ecological and cultural programs for the lodge guests, including an Amazon culinary tour where guests harvest and prepare Amazonian foods with students....
40% of Britons Fear the Carbon Police
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.26.08
While Britain's Energy Saving Trust has a positive vision for reducing carbon, laid out in a new report with the questionable title Emission Impossible? (they have a penchant for bad puns, their last report was The Ampere Strikes Back) their CEO Philip Sellwood made the mistake of releasing a survey on the same day that is getting a lot more press coverage. He writes:
"Well, according to a survey we carried out recently it appears that people in the UK have a somewhat Orwellian view of what life might be like in 2050! More than four in ten Brits think the UK will need its own Carbon Police to enforce regulations and a quarter believe the worst environmental offenders will be forced to go to energy rehab, or take energy addiction courses."
::Reuters Great cover of 1984 from ::Lundblog via ::BoingBoing
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California Agency Outlines Plan to Fight Global Warming
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.26.08
photo by photoreb via flickr
The California Air Resources Board announced today that they have developed a plan which will reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, from projected levels by 2020 or about 10% from today’s levels.
The report estimates that this means reducing state average individual carbon emissions from 14 tons per year to 10 tons per year. The long range goal of this plan is to reduce emissions by 80% of 1990 levels by 2050.
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US Department of Energy to Invest $90 Million in Advanced Geothermal Research
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 06.26.08
Geothermal Energy Deserves More Attention
Like wave-power, geothermal energy lives in the shadow of its two more popular brothers, solar power and wind power. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is trying to do something about that with a $90 million "Funding Opportunity Announcement"; it plans to award 26 grants to both industry and academia. "A minimum of 20% private sector cost share is required for R&D projects and funding for the awards is subject to Congressional appropriations."
Hopefully, this new investment by the DOE, along with private sector funds, will help geothermal (not to be confused with residential ground source heat pumps) move forward into the spotlight. As we said before, geothermal energy has a huge potential and could be used alongside intermittent renewable sources such as wind and solar....
White House Won’t Open EPA Emails on Global Warming, Part Two: The Funnier Version
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.26.08
Paul Krugman on Home Ownership
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.26.08
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
When we asked the question Is Home Ownership a Good Thing? the consensus among the commenters was that indeed, it is. When we questioned the logic of mortgage interest deductibility they weren't impressed either. Now economist and New York Times writer Paul Krugman weighs in on the subject, asking
Why should ever-increasing homeownership be a policy goal? How many people should own homes, anyway?
Listening to politicians, you’d think that every family should own its home — in fact, that you’re not a real American unless you’re a homeowner. “If you own something,” Mr. Bush once declared, “you have a vital stake in the future of our country.” Presumably, then, citizens who live in rented housing, and therefore lack that “vital stake,” can’t be properly patriotic. Bring back property qualifications for voting!...
Author Lee Welles on Being Green By Inspiring Children
by Chris Tackett, Fayetteville, Arkansas on 06.26.08
Biofuels, Food, and Sustainability Examined: Michael Pollan Interviewed by Yale Univ.
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.26.08
photo by Slinger via flickr
By way of intellectual disclaimer let me say that I’m a big fan of Michael Pollan's work. He shows an uncommon insight and clarity of thought, as well as an ability to synthesize the many strands of what I consider to be the essence of environmentalism that is often lacking in the prevaling compartmentalized issue and solution mindset. He’s big picture and little picture equally. So with that gushing behind us...
Yale Environment 360 is running an interview with Michael Pollan that I wholly encourage everyone concerned about biofuels, rising food prices and agriculture to read. He might be preaching to the choir in this audience (something he says in the interview he doesn’t like to do), but there’s some really choice bits in this one.
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Jeff Rubin Predicts "Mass Exodus" From Cars in US
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.26.08
We previously reported on Jeff Rubin of CIBC World Market's prediction of gas costing $7 to $10 per gallon in four years; Now Rubin makes his prediction of its impact.
Over the next four years, we are likely to witness the greatest mass exodus of vehicles off America’s highways in history. By 2012, there should be some 10 million fewer vehicles on American roadways than there are today—a decline that dwarfs all previous adjustments including those during the two OPEC oil shocks....
Rebuilding Green in the Wake of Disaster
by Rocky Mountain Institute on 06.26.08
The May 12th earthquake in Sichuan province, China was completely devastating. In some towns near the epicenter, 80 percent of structures were destroyed.
With more than 5.5 million people left homeless and many more displaced, there is a huge urgency to create new living spaces and get people working again. Dramatic proposals for solutions to this huge challenge range from building entirely new cities in safer locations to relocating millions of refugees to other provinces....
Mercedes Gets It: Plans to Eliminate Fossil Fuels from Car Lineup by 2015
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 06.26.08
Mercedes Wants to say 'Goodbye' to Petroleum by 2015
If you want to achieve great things, you have to set bold goals and then do your best to meet them. Mercedes now has the first part of the equation down, lets hope they can deliver on the execution.
Their plan is to make their whole car lineup petroleum free in 7 years. To do that, they're looking at battery electric cars, fuel cells, and more efficient combustion engines that can run on biofuels (lets hope that by then we have truly sustainable ethanol and biodiesel). "The company have already spent £2million on their new long-term Sustainable Mobility plan and are set to invest a further £7billion before 2014." Of course, there's a catch: A car that can run on biofuels can still run on fossil fuels, so without a good supply of sustainable biofuels, that's probably how they're going to be used. But still, a step in the right direction....
Energy Drink High, Greener Yoga and Cilantro Coconut Soup
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 06.26.08
:: Don’t be deceived by innocent looking energy drink labels.
:: Practice full eco-mindfulness on (and off) the mat.
:: Spice things up with this flavorful Cilantro and Coconut Soup.
:: Host a dinner party without all the waste.
:: Remove lead paint when salvaging old wood....
New Renewable Energy Plan Unveiled by UK Prime Minister
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 06.26.08
photo by Phil Hollman
As the UK Renewables Advisory Board announces that the nation is going to miss its renewable energy targets under current government policy. In a speech as the Low Carbon Energy Summit, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announces a £100 billion plan which he says is “the most dramatic change in energy policy since the advent of nuclear power.”...
Utility Company Spent 76 Percent Of Renewable Energy Funds On Administration
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 06.26.08
Here's one for the "What were they thinking?" file. An audit report from the Florida Public Service Commission makes it seem as if Florida Power and Light (FPL) saw renewable power as "the competition" instead of as a way to do good by doing well. The voluntary program charges FPL customers $9.75 per month - on top of the regular energy bill - to help develop alternative power sources...Public Service Commission staff said only 24 percent of the $11.4 million collected from customers went toward developing renewable energy. The rest went to marketing and administrative costs.And this, at a time when energy bills are increasing consumer pain. The good news: management systems can be improved. The bad news: complete loss of credibility for the program. ...
Expo Zaragoza 2008: The Biggest Water Festival Opened its Doors in Spain
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 06.26.08
Last year we announced EXPO ZARAGOZA when Lloyd wrote about the Digital Water Pavilion. Now it’s time to visit Zaragoza in Spain, where the international Water and Sustainable Development show opened its doors this month. With 5,000 shows, 2,000 experts and 140 pavilions it claims to be the biggest water festival on earth. The Expo had quite a difficult and ironic debut when during the days before the official opening, unpredicted massive rainfalls almost ruined the site due to flooding of the river Ebro. Luckily the Expo organisers could avoid most of the damage and EXPO ZARAGOZA opened its doors on June 14th and will stay open until September 14th. ...
Sunday Parkways: Portland's First Ciclovia-Style Street Closure
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 06.26.08
Sweden To Launch Wave Energy Site To Power 20 Homes
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 06.26.08
On an island right off the coast of Western Sweden near the quaint coastal town of Lysekil, researchers from Uppsala University are putting the final touches on two generators and a small underwater turbine anchored 25 meters down on the sea floor that will turn wave action into energy for 20 homes on the island.
The researchers have formed their own company called Seabased to manufacture and install the wave turbine systems, which they say have a simple robust design, adapted to the slow vertical movement of the waves better than systems currently on the market designed for more intense surface wave action. In Seabased's design a buoy on the surface is connected to the generators - the up and down action of the waves activates pistons and strong magnets inside these, which creates the electricity. A first prototype is scheduled to be installed in early July and within two years the site should have ten generators and 40 buoys. Seabased is hoping the buoys create safe havens for local marine life...instead of the opposite. Via ::Seabased
Wave Power
The Suntory Mermaid II: A Wave-Powered Boat (!!!)
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