- 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 July 6, 2008 - July 12, 2008
Total this week: 184
Republican US Senator John Warner Asks US Department Of Energy To Determine Most Energy Saving Highway Vehicle Speed
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.12.08
The truth about vehicle fuel efficiency is coming out: at last! Of course, Senator John Warner would not want to ask the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) - the Agency which for decades has been officially charged with determining and publishing fuel efficiency estimates for vehicles - to determine the optimal highway speed for fuel savings, because...you know...USEPA might actually promulgate a regulation. (Joking of course.) [Senator] Warner has asked the Energy Department to determine the most energy-saving speed — and the potential fuel savings — if a new national limit is imposed.While US Department of Energy is cogitating on this Senatorial challenge, here's the money quote on the story from McClatchy: ...
Graphic Of The Day: Bloom Is Off The Corn
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.12.08
Except for a few US states (in blue) that seem intent on saluting the officially sanctioned corn blossom, it's over for a strong majority (states in red). Ethanol's flash in the cylinder is essentially silenced. Not much more for energy security is offered by ethanol, except indirectly, through it's fuel oxygenation functionality. (EtOH always was superior to MTBE for fuel oxygenation, a fact generally overlooked by US print media and blog-xperts. )
Security dimension:- if pure ethanol is spilled on the ground, your well provides no more danger than "good old mountain dew." EtOH was always much superior to MTBE or straight gasoline in that regard....
How Studying Cow Burps is Helping Argentinians Learn about Climate Change
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.12.08
Image from Reuters/Marcos Brindicci
Cow flatulence and its link to climate change has been a favorite topic for us to cover at TreeHugger. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that we'd jump on a Reuters story describing the climatic implications of cow burps.
Researchers in Argentina have been "collecting" cow burps by strapping big, red plastic tanks to their backs. Just as cow farts are a significant source of methane emissions, so are their belches -- combined, the two can account for 800 to 1,000 liters, or roughly 25 to 35 cubic feet, of emissions a day (and that's per cow). ...
Garbage Art: Plastic Bags Come to Life
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07.12.08
VW Goodness Over 1 Liter Car Offset by New 4.7 Liter SUV
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.12.08
Remember when Toyota compromised its green cred with the monster Tundra? Well, All teh netz are gaga over Mike's 1-Liter Supercar but nobody notices that they are also now producing this SUV designed to make a Hummer look like a pansy. Imagine the looks you will get when you drive down the street in this. Quiet inside, bulletproof, looks like it could transform into a robot at any second, what more could any rock star want? Oh, it's an armoured car? Never mind. ::Autocar via ::Notcot...
EPA Drops the Value of an American Life Almost a Million Dollars
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07.12.08
Headlines revealing the discovery that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reduced the value of a statistical life by almost a million dollars abound. The news, as you might expect, generates some of the best humorous comments (quotes overleaf). But what does it all really mean? How does it affect your environmental quality? And how does it affect your finances, especially in a down economy?...
This Week in the Huffington Post
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.12.08
TreeHugger is proud to be contributing original content to the Huffington Post Green section. This week's posts:
A Field Guide to the New Enviromentalists: Lord knows we have tried, Al Gore has tried, so may have tried to sell climate change as the big issue of the day. ::Lloyd Alter
Lo-Tech Hi-Tech: The Simple Solutions All Around Us: There are a lot of great low tech things around us that could help us reduce our impact. Take the bike, the sweater, and the awning, for example. Here are three pieces of "old" technology that are invisible to most of us despite their power. ::Graham Hill
Terrorists or Heroes? Sea Shepherd Fights for Marine Life: When it comes to making positive change to the world's habitats, sometimes the waters are murky. To put it bluntly, there's nothing like a few photos of clubbed seals to get the crowd all hot and bothered -- but is this really the best way? ::Mairi Beautyman
Which Small Actions Make the Biggest Difference?: As the notion of "going green" has continued to grow, the number of lifestyle choices and changes we can all make has grown with it. But which ones really make a difference? ::Collin Dunn
4 Fun Green Stories and 2 Sad Ones: In the past, the green movement has often been accused of being too "doom & gloom", too serious. Below are 4 fun green stories, but to remind us that it's not all rainbows and bunnies, there are 2 sad ones at the end. ::Michael Graham Richard
An Olympic Smokescreen: Why We Need to Get Over Air Pollution at Beijing's Games : The issue of air quality during Beijing's "green" Olympics isn't really such a big deal. It's a red herring. A smokescreen. ::Alex Pasternack
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Gas Prices Make Online Classes More Popular
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 07.12.08
High gas prices have had some positive effects, such as increasing the popularity of mass transit, cycling, and compact cars, as well as reducing the amount of miles that Americans drive. However, as the NY Times reported yesterday, gas prices are also causing a surge in enrollment in online courses, as students are increasingly finding it too expensive to drive to class. Whether or not online courses are effective can be debated, but few would argue that they can provide the same educational and social experience as traditional courses. One student summed it up best: “I don’t feel I get as much out of an online class as a campus course. . .But I couldn’t afford any other decision.” Yet at a time when America is falling behind in education (it has been for quite some time), we can't afford to diminish the quality of the education our students receive.
Alternatives Don't Sprout Overnight
The problem is that "of the nation’s 15 million college students — at least 79 percent — live off campus," and given how spoiled we have become by cheap gasoline, many of those students have never had to consider alternative ways of getting to class. What's more, now that they are looking for alternatives, often times they are lacking entirely or highly inefficient, since mass transit, bike lanes and cities designed on a human scale don't just sprout overnight. So instead, "colleges from Massachusetts and Florida to Texas to Oregon have reported significant online enrollment increases for summer sessions, with student numbers in some cases 50 percent or 100 percent higher than last year."
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Tidal Energy Plans for Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket in the Works
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.12.08
photo by Amelia Davis
When most followers of renewable energy think of Cape Cod, the first thing they probably think of is the embattled Cape Wind project. That may change if feasibility studies concerning developing tidal energy in between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket prove fruitful.
Cape Cod Times provides the details of two projects currently being investigated:
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The ‘Hydrogen Fridge’: A Home-Based Hydrogen Refueling Station
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.11.08
Hydrogen home concept drawing by ITM Power.
We reported on an Australian version of the home hydrogen refueling concept over a year ago. This time, a British company is pushing the same sort of idea forward: Enter the Hydrogen Fridge.
Hydrogen in Your Garage
The BBC is reporting that ITM Power of Sheffield, England has unveiled a hydrogen home refueling station which has been installed in showcase “hydrogen home”. The device works via and electrolyzer to produce hydrogen from water and electricity—so, still, if you’re using non-green energy your hydrogen really isn’t a clean source of energy.
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Mapping the Alternative Energy Potential of the United States
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.11.08
map courtesy of US Dept. of Energy
It may be rather basic knowledge for many readers of this site that different renewable energy sources have greater or lesser potential in te diverse parts of the United States. However, apparently Forbes thinks its readers need a refresher course on the subject, and has put together a slideshow of maps of the best places to develop wind, geothermal, solar, etc. both nationally and in individual states.
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NASA Satellite Could Make Floating Ocean Wind Farms Possible (UPDATED)
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.11.08
With all the talk about expanding the world's existing wind capacity, there is still surprisingly little attention being paid to the tremendous potential offered by ocean winds -- save for the occasional offshore wind park. Enter NASA: It turns out scientists have been using its QuikSCAT satellite for years to create maps of areas with strong wind activity.
Paul Dimotakis, NASA's chief technologist at Pasadena's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, believes areas with high winds could produce 500-800 watts of electricity per square meter. While a bit less efficient than solar -- it generates roughly 1 kilowatt per square meter -- wind energy can be converted to electricity at a lower cost. ...
Baja Positioning To Be Regional Solar Leader
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 07.11.08
The Pacific Mexican state of Baja California is swiftly becoming the region's solar panel manufacturing powerhouse, boosting its profile as the "Silicon Border." In recent weeks, two foreign companies -- Q-Cells of Germany and Kyocera of Japan -- announced new investments totally nearly $4.9 billion in plants that will produce for export mainly to the United States.
Q-Cells, the biggest producer of solar panels in the world, is investing $3.5 billion in a plant in Mexicali. The plant will open in October and will create 600 direct jobs and 12,000 indirect jobs, according to the Baja California government. ...
Obama to Sponsor Race Car in NASCAR
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.11.08
I know that Barack Obama has the better environmental policies. I know he loves bicycles. I know he has to attract the middle American audience. But really, sponsoring a NASCAR race car? Via Wonkette, we learn from Sports Illustrated that "for the first time in history, a major presidential candidate may sponsor a race car in NASCAR's premier series. According to sources, Barack Obama's campaign is in talks to become the primary sponsor of BAM Racing's No. 49 Sprint Cup car for the Pocono race on August 3.
Back in the day when I used to work political campaigns, my manager used to say "work from your strength"- don't go after the voters you don't have a hope for while ignoring your natural base. I hope he is going to sponsor a few bicycle racing teams as well. ::Sports Illustrated
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Watch the Premiere Episode of Planet Green's Focus Earth - Saturday, July 12!
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 07.11.08
Finally! A news program that won’t give me the week’s projected weather forecast a million times or uplift me with stories about local shootings.
That’s right. At 6PM EST, tomorrow night, Saturday, July 12, Planet Green will premiere Focus Earth With Bob Woodruff. Produced by ABC News, the weekly newscast prides itself as one of the more serious shows in the Planet Green line-up, covering subjects like climate change, environmental policy, politics, events and religion.
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Doctor Fish Invents Fan Blade With Twenty Percent Greater Efficiency By Mimicking A Whale Flipper
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.11.08
Christian Science Monitor has published a totally charming story about how Dr. Frank E. Fish was inspired to "bio-mimic" a fan blade design, upon viewing a Humpback Whale sculpture in a Boston MA gift shop. There are prospective efficiency gains from re-designed wind turbine blades, also, based on this "discovery". Fish, a biology professor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, is now using this technology perfected by nature to produce fans with serrated blades that use 20 percent less electricity than traditional models. This finding contradicts conventional designs that strive for the smoothest possible edges.Apparently the tubercles on the leading edge of a Humpbacks flips are unique: offering a significant increase in "lift." The result of Dr. Fish's discovery was formation of WhalePower, a Toronto-based company that markets the whale fin-based technology. ...
China's Gas Hike Pushes Drivers to Public Transit
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 07.11.08
Beijing is "trying it's best to improve the environment" for the Olympics, largely by shutting down factories. But to really improve the environment in Beijing in the long term the government will need to focus on a much smaller but more prevalent carbon and particulate emitter: the car.
In the past, the city hasn't shown much interest in lowering the subsidy on gasoline or limiting cars, which, in a typically Chinese conflict of interest, are largely produced by state-owned companies. But last month, in a reflection of global pressure on gas prices, Beijing instituted a 16-18 percent rise in gas prices. Like elsewhere, the effect has been to increase public transit ridership. According to today's China Daily, a survey by news portal Sina.com found that
Nearly 28 percent of those surveyed said they would considering switching to buses, while more than 12 percent said they would give up driving and take the subway...They're just like us!...
The early bird gets the iPhone. And also gets media attention for an organic farm at the White House
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 07.11.08
Farmboys turned fanboys?
You may have heard that the iPhone 3G went on sale this morning. I saw a line outside of the AT&T stores here in Manhattan, and I heard there was a line around the block this morning at the Union Street Apple store in San Francisco. But for the most part the lines this year paled in comparison to the initial launch. Yet my friend, Daniel Bowman Simon, takes the cake. Or, should I say, the Apple. Daniel and five other members of The WhoFarm environmental collective have just finished spending a week outside New York City's flagship Apple store waiting to buy the new iPhone 3G in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for "longest time waiting in line to buy something." ...
You may have heard that the iPhone 3G went on sale this morning. I saw a line outside of the AT&T stores here in Manhattan, and I heard there was a line around the block this morning at the Union Street Apple store in San Francisco. But for the most part the lines this year paled in comparison to the initial launch. Yet my friend, Daniel Bowman Simon, takes the cake. Or, should I say, the Apple. Daniel and five other members of The WhoFarm environmental collective have just finished spending a week outside New York City's flagship Apple store waiting to buy the new iPhone 3G in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for "longest time waiting in line to buy something." ...
Tesla Hires Chrysler Exec to Become VP of Engineering and Manufacturing
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07.11.08
Tesla Motors Gains Credibility
Making cars is hard, and Tesla is trying to improve its luck by hiring Mike Donoughe, a former Chrysler executive who has shown in the past that he can get things done. He will become Tesla Motors' Vice President of vehicle engineering and manufacturing. Mr. Donoughe could have got a job at any car company, so it's a good sign that he thinks the future is in electric cars, and it's also a vote of confidence for young Californian electric car company.
Next Step: Model S
And Tesla will need all the smart people it can get if it wants its next electric car, the 4 doors, 5 passengers, built-in-California 'Model S' sporty sedan....
Energy Security Requires Diversifying Fuel Mix and Supply
by Marian Hopkins, Business Roundtable on 07.11.08
Enhancing America’s energy security is one of our country’s most pressing challenges, and U.S. policymakers are facing increased pressure to come up with solutions. Here’s why:
As negotiations around the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol loom and both domestic and international economies continue to grow, worldwide energy demand is surging. Indeed, by 2025, worldwide demand for petroleum is expected to increase by 30 percent*.
Business Roundtable firmly believes that enhancing our energy security will require diversifying our fuel mix and increasing fuel supplies to meet the energy needs of the transportation sector. Investing 100 percent in renewable biofuels is not the answer. Relying on petroleum alone is not the answer. Our energy blueprint, released last year, outlined our belief that a more secure energy future requires the nation to aggressively pursue the following six parallel strategies:...
Building the Green Modern Home: Looking at Windows
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.11.08
I used to be a strict modernist; my role at TreeHugger was to demonstrate that green design could be wonderful and cool and I filled the site with all kinds of modern houses with some claim, often weak, for being green. Those houses became less common on the site in recent times, as I worried more about house size, the appropriateness of single family dwellings on big suburban lots, and trying to reconcile my love of clean, modern design with my concern about the use of fossil fuels or building materials that cannot be maintained in a world made by hand.
With some trepidation I recently posted a lovely house in Slovenia with a qualifying statement "While we have not shown a lot of big suburban houses on TreeHugger for a while, the HB house by Matija Bevk and Vasa J. Perović of bevk perović arhitekti has some interesting attributes that are worth noting."
The expected comments came in. "Windows let in too much light causing a "green house effect" inside, even when mitigated with vegetation for shade...glazing insulation values are still far below standard walls....I see no solar overhang."
A few years ago I would have written such comments off as whining from the cob-and-turf granola-eating anti-architect they-don't-build-them-like-they-used-to crowd. Now I am beginning to think they are right....
BMW to Make Electric Mini. Only in California. Only 500 of Them.
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07.11.08
Electric Mini Cooper: Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty?
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Following VW's announcement that it would make a limited number of its 1-Liter 282 MPG car, BMW says that it will build 500 electric Mini Coopers for the Californian market. Now the optimist might say: "That's great! They're more likely to go from limited to full production than from nothing to production!". The pessimist is probably thinking: "Ok, California has a mandate for automakers to make 7,500 zero-emissions cars by 2014. That's probably why we're seeing the Honda FCX hydrogen car in that state, and now BMW will pull a GM EV1 on us."
Strong Demand for Electric Cars
Our 2 years old post about an unofficial electric Mini that could do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds is still getting traffic, so that's probably a sign that there's interest. And with small cars selling like hotcakes, hybrid supply not meeting demand, and rising fuel costs, we're sure that if BMW wanted to be bold and make more than a handful of token electric cars, it would be a big hit. ...
Tap Water or Bottled Water: Which is Better?
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 07.11.08
Image credit: Robert McLassus
As a dedicated Treehugger you knew it, but…in case you needed more proof:
"A direct comparison of drinking water from the tap with unrefrigerated bottled water shows an environmental impact of tap water which is less than one percent of that of bottled water. Even when refrigerated and carbonated, the environmental impact of tap water is approximately only one fourth of that of bottled water. Thus, from an environmental point of view, tap water is preferable to bottled water as a beverage."
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Pop Quiz: First Ever National Park Founding Date
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 07.11.08
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Community Supported Agriculture: Hiring a Personal Farmer
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.11.08
TreeHugger has covered community supported agriculture many times; one contracts with a farmer for delivery of a season's worth of food. It is great for the farmer, who gets a secure income; it is great for the customer, who gets fresh, seasonal produce. Susan Saulny writes in the International Herald Tribune about a CSA with a twist: shareholders can come out and work the farm.
Shareholder Steve Trisko helps out at Erehwon Farms near Chicago, and says that without his volunteer labor and agreement to share in the financial risk of raising crops, the small organic farm might not survive. "It's very hard for them to make ends meet," he said, "so I decided to go out and help. We harvest, water, pull weeds, whatever they need doing."
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Where Wiffle Ball’s a Crime There May Be No Child Left Outside
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 07.11.08
With kids across America suffering from a severe case of nature deficit disorder as technology creeps in and takes over their room for creative play it may come as a surprise that a group of kids putting together their very own field of dreams on which to play Wiffle ball have stirred up quite a ruckus in Greenwich, Connecticut.
It seems they’ve put a ton of time and energy into their recreation of Fenway, complete with a miniature Green Monster constructed out of reused pallets and painted green. But almost as soon as they began to play ball there were angry neighbors with a legal team, the police, the town nuisance officer and tree warden and other officials in all shapes and sizes coming down to condemn them for one reason or another.
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Pedal-Powered Businesses Popping Up In Portland
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 07.11.08
SolPops photo by gisarah @ flickr
A new era of "post peak oil" bicycle-powered commerce is creeping into Portland's downtown, and what a welcome sight it is. At the Portland Farmer's Market, this year SolPops hit the scene on a sky blue cargo bike with a leafy shade canopy (unfortunately not pictured in this photo) to keep the patrons cool while they choose their frozen treat. SolPops (the SOL stands for sustainable, organic, local) are closer to a Mexican paleta than a regular popsicle, with their thick cold fruity goodness - strawberry, orange, coconut - usually tinged with a surprising extra flavor like basil, or chile.
But while SolPops are currently a seasonal business, more and more year-round Portland establishments have taken to bicycle-based sales and/or delivery. Hot Lips Pizza, whose owner is a long-time Portland sustainability leader, is making deliveries on bike, as is Old Town Pizza. Lulu's Confections's cookies and treats are bicycle delivered -Lulu doesn't yet have a storefront - and Staccato Gelato is pedaling low-carbon gelato from a trike. And two cafés, Black Sheep Bakery and Little Red Bike Café offer bike-through lanes. Via ::Portland Mercury...
Home Delivery: Wrapping It Up With The Cellophane House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.11.08
Four years ago I was invited to speak about prefab housing at a conference in Austin, Texas. I was building prefabs at the time, and was one of the early bloggers about modern prefab; I thought I knew just about all there was to know about the subject.
Then Steven Kieran and James Timberlake got up to speak and I quickly learned how little I really knew, how they were a generation ahead in sophistication. I first learned terms like "mass customization" and "chunking"; followed analogies to the automotive, aircraft and shipbuilding industries, and fell in love with the first drawings of the Loblolly house, which I have followed in these pages ever since. I saw that prefab wasn't just about building in a factory, but was about reinventing the way we build, not just where.
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Eco-Tourism in Japan
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 07.11.08
Ecotourism or green tourism started getting attention in Japan about 15 years ago, and if you carbon offset your airticket (which some tour agencies will now help you with) you could probably spend a rather planet-friendly week or two over in these parts of the woods. Rent-a-car? Oh, do pick up a Prius, but high speed trains are the most convenient way to get around, and there are local trains and bus services connecting even the most rural parts of the country to Tokyo and Osaka, the 2 largest cities. Here is a brief list of things to do on a greenish summer holiday to Japan:
1) Hotsprings - enjoy the volcanic activity that heats up mineral water for your bath, naturally
2) Mountain climbing/hiking - Japan's highest mountain, Mt Fuji, is not the only tourist spot!
3) River rafting - just two hour northwest of central Tokyo, there are great rivers like the Tone
4) Scuba diving/ snorkling - Okinawa or the Ogasawara islands with corals and rare ocean fish
5) Shrines & temples - these are the spiritual "homes" of Japan, and for many foreigners too!
Japan Ecotourism Society was founded in 1998 and participates in TIES, the world's oldest and largest ecotourism organization, to promote the principles of ecotourism and responsible travel. Web Japan has more details....
Survey: Should Cyclists Be Allowed to Go Through Stop Signs?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.11.08
We promised a survey in our post on cycling: San Francisco is considering a change in the law so that cyclists can go through stop signs, but they have to yield if a car is at the intersection. Is this a good idea?
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Gas Stations of the Future: Waste Land?
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07.11.08
Transport Infrastructure Will Change
With the i-MIEV electric car being rolled out sooner than expected and electric vehicles like the G-Wiz and Vectrix becoming ever-more common sights on our streets, it’s a good time to start figuring out what the transport infrastructure of the future will look like. Dale Vince of Ecotricity fame, who is himself building an electric car to rival the Tesla, has taken up the topic of gas stations (aka ‘garages’ or ‘petrol stations’ as we Brits call them) on his Zerocarbonista blog. After initially discussing the petrol stations of the future, and whether they will be swap shops for batteries or a collection of charging points (Dale favors charging points over swapping batteries), his latest post suggests that gas stations may in fact become all but obsolete:
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Eco-Tourism Takes Root in Lebanon
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 07.11.08
Although we haven't traveled to Lebanon, we have had a Lebanese friend when touring through Syria. He told us that Lebanon was an advanced country and much different than the "time machine feeling" we were getting in Syria: It was 9 years ago, and the cars looked like they were from the 30s; people everywhere were dressed in traditional gear and it seemed that the environment was very low on the country's agenda (litter was everywhere and cars spewed fumes).
We never did get to visit Lebanon (mainly because getting a VISA would take too much time), but we have been able to see into what's happening there from an eco-tourism point of view, thanks to Green Prophet writer Karen Chernick.
Karen studied with the children of ambassadors from all over the world at an American School in Israel and has been using her ambassadorial skills to connect people from across the Middle East to build peace through the environment. In one of her recent posts she reports about green eco-tourism options in Lebanon. There is no system in place in the Middle East (unlike in Latin America) for verifying how green eco-advertisers say they are, but we can laud them for their efforts.
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Solar Subsidies in Spain May Be Capped at One-Third Current Levels
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.11.08
photo by laurenatclemson via flickr
Rising oil prices may be making wind power cost-competitive in Spain, but the key to Spain’s rapidly growing solar industry has been generous government subsidies creating market stability. Although nothing is definite yet, simply the mention of reducing the level at which subsidies are capped has created waves in the Iberian solar industry.
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Sustainability at the Hampton Court Flower Show
by Bonnie Alter, London on 07.11.08
It's the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, set against the backdrop of historic Hampton Court and a more informal and casual event than the Chelsea Flower Show. Sustainability is definitely one of the under-lying themes of the show this year. Many of the gardens feature a recycling and sustainability aspect to their creation. We loved the idea of the Climate Change Dome which is staffed by experts providing advice on the impact of climate change on gardens and the right plants and techniques to use at home. The Porsche garden features a front yard garden with a hydraulically operated ramp that hides the car, leaving behind a planted garden. Perhaps truer to life (and more accessible), is the British Racing Green; the shell of a Mini Cooper car, planted and overgrown with a selection of drought resistant and colourful plants in containers made of old tires.
The Recycled Garden (pictured) is created by the Guerilla Gardener, whose fame has spread to being acknowledged by this mainstream show.He was invited to make a garden out of recycled....everything, including the plants. Some were scavenged from the Chelsea show and others scrounged from fellow exhibitors. He even taped a sign to his back, asking for plants. Being a novice, he outlines in his blog his trials (and errors) and serendipitous events that led to the creation of the garden .
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Answers to All Your Electricity Questions Help Save Energy
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07.11.08
Electricity Overload Leads to Bad Energy Saving Decisions
Do you suffer from "electricity overload"? We don't mean the number of plugs crowding your outlets. We mean the short circuit in your brain when you try to figure out: - Do you save energy by turning lights off for only a few minutes?
- Which takes more energy: leaving air conditioning on all day or cooling your house after you come home at night?
- What is a watt?
- Do I pay twice as much for an appliance running on 240V as one on 120V?
MIT Solar Concentrator Improves Solar Cell Efficiency and Design Options
by Tim McGee, Western Massachusetts on 07.10.08
Imagine if every window in a skyscraper was a solar concentrator.
MIT Solar Concentrator Innovation: More Bang for your Buck
Solar concentrators do what you might expect, concentrate solar light. Usually they are large mirrors or other devices, but the goal of any solar concentrator is to concentrate the light that falls on a large area to a smaller one. The idea is that the (usually cheap) solar concentrator increases the efficiency of the (usually expensive) solar cell, getting more energy for input of money. Recent advances in this technology have focused around better performance of the solar cell, like the IBM's solar cell cooling technology, but not this time.
The MIT solar concentrator, devised by a group led by Marc Baldo at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, takes advantage of recent advances in laser technology and materials science to develop a 'window' that concentrates solar light that would normally pass through a window, and pushes (some) of the light to edge of the glass. The concentrator passes the first test in that it is cheap to produce, and it may even be effective at increasing efficiencies of existing solar cells....
Agricultural Land Degradation Increasing, Affecting New Areas: FAO Report
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.10.08
photo by Ray Witlin/World Bank via flickr
Several African countries have recently begun a program to halt desertification in the Sahel, but even in places where the desert isn’t advancing, agricultural lands face challenges from chemically intensive agricultural methods degrading the soil, overgrazing from cattle, erosion from wind and rain, as well as other sources.
Worldwatch Institute is relaying the gist of a new UN Food and Agriculture Organization report which paints a not so good picture just how degraded the world’s agricultural lands have become....
Intel Capital Continues Renewable Energy Expansion
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.10.08
Sulfurcell Headquarters photo courtesy of Sulfurcell.
It was only a few weeks ago when we learned that Intel was getting into solar hrough its Intel Capital division. Well, their solar investments continue once more. This time with a €24 million investment in Sulfurcell, a German thin-film solar developer and manufacturer using
Intel was the leading single investor in the €85 million total equity round, with an additional €38 million coming from a mix of European investors—Climate Change Capital Private Equity, AIG, Demeter Partners, Zouk Ventures and BankInvest. The balance of the total was provided by existing investors.
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Drug Smugglers Wreaking Havoc on Guatemalan Protected Areas
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 07.10.08
Photo credit: Hector Tobar/ LAT
Criminal mafias have long been associated with environmental destruction in countries around the world including Mexico and Liberia. A recent story in Los Angeles Times reveals that narcotraficantes, or drug traffickers, are clearing land in protected areas in Guatemala's Peten region, an area known for its exquisite biodiversity and ecological wealth.
According to the report, this region is also prized by smugglers for its proximity to the weakly guarded border with Mexico and for the swamps and dense forest undergrowth that help them beat the legal authorities who can only scramble to keep up.
Meanwhile the "narco cattle ranches" and "narco communities" are destroying the habitat of spider monkeys, jaguars, river turtles and numerous other flora and fauna. The "farmers" level the mahogany and tropical cedar trees with power saws, and then set fire to the underbrush, the Times reports.
The cleared land is also used for clandestine airstrips to land small planes loaded with cocaine which is then trucked through Mexico and across the border to US consumers.:: Via Los Angeles Times...
TreeHugger Tip: Tomm Stanley With an Energy Saving Tip On Flooring
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 07.10.08
Sea-Water Air Conditioning Plan for Honolulu, Hawaii Finishes Funding
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.10.08
photo: Getty Images
Recently the state of Hawaii passed a law requiring new buildings to install solar water heater. Now investors have secured the final funding for another green initiative in the island state: Seawater air conditioning.
The project is titled, appropriately enough, Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning, and is being funded to the tune of $10.75 million by private investors, with the balance of the estimated $152 million in project costs to be covered by US and Swedish investors.
...
Hé! Taxi! Vectrix Electric Scooters Used as Taxis in Paris
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07.10.08
Electric Scooter Taxis in Paris
If you find yourself in Paris and need a taxi to move around the city without luggage, think of City Bird's Electri-City service. City Bird itself is the first French motorcycle taxi service, and they have just added a couple of Vectrix electric scooters to their fleet.
Because of the limited range of the electric scooters, they can only be booked to go to locations inside of the city. Of course, you could always take the subway, or walk, or cycle. But if you need to go somewhere quickly and still want to see the city, this seems like the way to go....
“Wall of Trees” Planned to Help Stop Sahara Desert from Expanding
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.10.08
photo by Damien Rafferty/Fly Global Music Culture
I admit that it’s often easy to get down when thinking about environmental degradation, especially in a place like Africa which has had so many other problems as well. Every once in a while though you come across a story that makes you reconsider your assumptions about stopping a seemingly relentless force such as the expanding desertification in the Sahel.
The Great Green Wall
ENN is running a story about how African nations on the creeping southern border of the Sahara are taking action to attempt to halt the march of sands. The so-called “Great Green Wall” won’t be a continuous band of trees, but will involve several areas of planting stretching from Mauritania in the west to Djibouti in the east. The plan has been in the works for several years, but planting will soon begin....
For Mountains to Grow, Just Add Water
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.10.08
Image from little byte of luck
It's not exactly what you might think. While adding water will speed up the mountains' growth, it's not because the rocks themselves are growing -- rather, it's because extreme rain events help buoy the mountains upwards. As Discovery's Larry O'Hanlon reports, a team of researchers, led by Potsdam University's Andrés Mora, has published a new study examining the impact of rain on Colombia's Eastern Cordillera mountains. ...
Profitable Climate Protection
by Rocky Mountain Institute on 07.10.08
Rocky Mountain Institute cofounder and Chief Scientist Amory Lovins has long argued that it's possible to protect the earth's climate at a profit.
By taking an integrated approach to climate protection, he explained Tuesday night during a talk in Aspen, CO, we can find cost-effective solutions that generate more solutions -- not more problems:...
New York Times Building's Sunscreen Removed, Emissions Increased, Thanks To Climber "Fighting Carbon Emissions"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
David Dunlap, New York Times
When Alain Robert climbed the sunscreen on the New York Times building I wrote:
"the screen was an elegant and creative way for the New York Times to make a graphic expression of environmental concern by wrapping its building in an exterior sunshade like this. Alain Robert may claim to have climbed it for environmental causes, but in fact he has done the environment a huge disservice- it will be a long time before architects put exterior shades on buildings again. Thanks for nothing, Alain." Robert had written that his climb was "a peaceful way to create support for far greater and urgent action from world leaders on global warming. Emissions are still climbing. So am I."
Two copycats later, the New York Times is removing the ceramic tubes. Now the system which cut down the heating load by almost 50% is being removed from the lower portion of the building, directly contributing to the use of more fuel and contributing to global warming. Once again, Thanks for nothing, Alain Robert. ...
The Circular Bike, a.k.a. "Vicious Cycle"
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07.10.08
Circular Bike made from Salvaged Parts
Yeah, it's pointless and not necessarily green, but once in a while you just gotta have fun with bike culture. We'd rather see this than "pimp my car". As one commenter on reddit sait:
- [ ] useful
- [X] want one
Leonardo DiCaprio's Eco-Charity. Plus Tommy Lee's Rockin' Green Life and Jesscia Alba's A Green Mom
by Terri MacLeod on 07.10.08
...A genuine go-to-green guy, Leonardo DiCaprio always takes time for the environment. Now, the actor is selling his $300 thousand Jaeger-LeCoultre watch to benefit his eco-charity, the Leonardo Dicaprio Fund. DiCaprio teamed up with the Swiss watch-maker to sell his and another $400 thousand time-piece in the fall of 2008 - 100% of proceeds will go to his fund. A big chunk of cash to drop on a watch - no doubt! But, at least the "crazy" money spent on these luxury items will go to a worthy cause.
Check Out: Leonardo Dicaprio Fund ...
New York Times on the Disney Dream Home
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
We were previously appalled at the new Disney Dream Home (read Disney's New Dream Home: Worse Than We Dreamed or go direct to the appalling video on the hideous website with the nauseating music. We concluded that Walt is spinning in his cryogenic cylinder.
Now David Rakoff of the New York Times visits it, and comes to much the same conclusion. "All this is worlds away from Disneyland’s original utopian domicile, the 1957 Monsanto House of the Future, sponsored by that company’s plastics division. Meant to represent life in 1985, it was a paradigm-shifting, atomic age showplace of sleek surfaces and synthetic materials. “Hardly a natural material appears anywhere,” the original narration bragged."...
Compost Conundrum, Part II: Backyard Box, Indoor Bin, Or A Can-O-Worms?
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 07.10.08
Backyard bin image by Pete Baugh; worms by kafka4prez at flickr
It's amazing, but in a completely unscientific survey, it was found that quite a few people have fear of compost. I empathize, being of lazy disposition and a low 'ick' threshold. But the benefits of composting are so big - solid waste reduction, shrinking your home's carbon footprint, and making your own ready-to-apply garden soil - that it behooves us all to conquer that ick. Here's an inspiring compost stat: Going from a 60-gallon trash container or equivalent to a 35-gallon container means an annual "savings" of 2,650 pounts of CO2! (That stat is from the Low Carbon Diet by David Gershon)
Composting: Where to start
At TreeHugger we've written plenty about composting, and Collin's Green Basics is a great place to start. Once you are ready to compost or even expand your compost production, the choice of which type of system to use is fairly personal. There really isn't a best, but rather a best for you. Sometimes simple, simple, simple is the best way to transition, especially for beginners, and in that case the backyard black (or green) bin purchased from a well-stocked garden store might be the way to go. The advantages are that it is very little work and the bin can be abandoned during the winter when it may get too damp to really process much vegetable waste. For apartment dwellers, NatureMill is a really good choice - but do read Part I of this post for some possible downsides.
If you are however the type of person or family that for whatever reasons feel you want richer compost (or you are into pets and pet projects) than worm composting might just be the system for you. ...
G8: The Devil Is In The Details - Where Are The Angels Hiding?
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 07.10.08
Over at greenz.jp we just finished an event tonight with invited guests speaking about their experiences from Hokkaido and the G8 Summit. Clearly, many young participants felt left out of the picture, unless you were a member of one of the NGOs and maybe even got to actually shake hands with a G8 leader. One thought: Susan George, long-time activist and author asked here in Tokyo last week: "How many people have actually read a G8 Summit Document?"
Good question.
This year, the documents are all available on the official Hokkaido Toyako Summit website. Do have a look. What do the dear leaders of the world's largest economies think about nuclear power, climate change - they even have comments about illegal logging, for whatever it is worth.
I was struck by the comments on the global food crisis, called the G8 Leaders Statement on Global Food Security. Note how they think "sustainable use" means go ahead and grab whatever is there to use. More below the fold: organic farming is not even mentioned!
...
Waste of Energy Dept: More Silly Appliances
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
Last year we had some fun looking at silly single-function appliances that cost money, take up space, and do almost nothing that you couldn't do just as well without them. We recently learned that this is a Wednesday tradition over at Unclutterer. Top o' the list is the incredibly useful Microwavable S'mores maker, where as one commenter put it, a little R2D2 holds "cardio-paddles from a defribulator" for marshmallows. "You can microwave 2 S'Mores in 30 seconds or less using this innovative product. Just fill the water reservoir, place your graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallow on the tray and heat. The marshmallow and chocolate heat at the same time, thus ensuring a perfect S'More every time." ::Unclutterer...
i MiEV Electric Car to be Sold 1 Year Ahead of Schedule in Japan
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07.10.08
Mitsubishi's i MiEV Electric Car is Ahead of Schedule
A couple months ago, we got our hands on Mitsubishi's roadmap for its i MiEV electric car. The plan was to lease a few units to fleet customers first in 2009 and then launch it in 2010 (with a focus on Japan, but also in North-America and Europe), but reality is turning out better than even the optimists thought.
Japanese Launch: Summer 2009
The new plan is to launch the retail version of the i MiEV electric car in Japan in the summer of 2009. The reasons are "smoother-than-expected" preparations for mass-production and, as we can imagine, the increased demand generated by skyrocketing oil prices. There's really nothing like an economic incentive to focus the mind....
Toyota Switches Mississippi Plant from SUVs to Next Generation Prius
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07.10.08
Next Generation Prius to be Made in USA
Toyota has just announced on its blog that the next generation Prius hybrid (certain models of which might have solar panels) will be made in the US, becoming the second Toyota hybrid car made in the country after the Camry hybrid, which is made in Kentucky.
Blue Springs, Mississippi
"As part of a sweeping set of changes that reflect the state of the automobile business in the United States, Prius production will begin here in late 2010 at a brand-new plant currently under construction in Blue Springs, Mississippi." This should reduce the total life-cycle environmental footprint of US Toyota Prius drivers....
Recycling, Labeling, Picnic-ing and more
by 1plus1 on 07.10.08
Welcome to SustainStyle, a weekly digest from the writers at 1plus1, a blog dedicated to eco-friendly fashion. SustainStyle runs every week.
She-Bible, sophisticated basics with a witty edge and charming price point.
The 1, 2, 4, 5, 3, 6, and 7's of recycling plastic.
White denim is our must have of the month, especially when it's on sale.....
Cool down with a guide to Organic Beers. Cheers!
Spice up your beach picnic with vegan brown bag burritos.
xo....
She-Bible, sophisticated basics with a witty edge and charming price point.
The 1, 2, 4, 5, 3, 6, and 7's of recycling plastic.
White denim is our must have of the month, especially when it's on sale.....
Cool down with a guide to Organic Beers. Cheers!
Spice up your beach picnic with vegan brown bag burritos.
xo....
House HB Blends Into Slovenian Landscape
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
One can plunk a two storey house on a big lot in the Slovenian suburbs, "surrounded by accumulation of anonymous cliché two story individual houses," or you can "define another kind of domestic environment. The house HB is a redefinition of a specific from of traditional house, of low and elongated rural typology."
While we have not shown a lot of big suburban houses on TreeHugger for a while, the HB house by Matija Bevk and Vasa J. Perović of bevk perović arhitekti has some interesting attributes that are worth noting. ...
The skinny on a month off grid eating locally in Quebec
by Deane Brebner and Don Bissonnette, Sutton, Quebec on 07.10.08
Ten Revelations from Living Off the Grid and Eating Locally in Quebec
If you EVER try going off grid completely and eating strictly locally here are our 10 beat do’s & don’ts.
Don’ts
Don’t try to carry more than one bottle of wine per panier on your bike (La Route des VIins) , unless of course you live in Saskatchewan.
Don’t be in a rush: making fundamental life changes takes time and so does making fires and slow cooking.
Don’t expect clean clothes unless you can find a washboard or a hand/pedal-operated washing machine.
Don’t expect uninterrupted internet access unless your solar panel is better than ours!
Don’t worry about your waistline; you are sure to lose weight whether you need to or not.
...
Big Surprise: Highways Don't Pay For Themselves
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
Whenever we write about the need for more money for transit, trains and bike routes, we get lots of comments about how drivers pay through the nose in gas taxes to pay for the roads they drive on, while transit and train are highly subsidized and cyclists? "when you start paying taxes on the roads like we do then you can take up space on them."
In fact, a new Texas study looked at the cost of building and maintaining roads, and determined that for roads without tolls, the gas tax would have to be $ 2.22 per gallon, almost ten times what it is now in the States.
...
The TH Interview: Ray Anderson—The Man with a Spear in his Chest (Part Two)
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 07.10.08
Interface sells carpet to the tune of $1,100,000,000 each year. That is just one reason why the business world listens up when Ray Anderson speaks. Ray describes his ecological awakening as “a spear in the chest,” a wound he has used to both his company’s advantage, and the planet’s. Giving rebirth to 133 million pounds of carpet is just the beginning. Anderson and his design teams are hard at work studying nature’s delicate technologies—like the sticky feet of geckos—to make products better, cleaner, and more beautiful. Here, the founder of Interface shares his insights on biomimicry, right-brain thinking, cradle-to-cradle design, and our innate “biophilia.” ::TreeHugger Radio Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Special thanks go to CraigMichaels, the organizer of the Sustainable Operations Summit, for arranging this interview. Also, check out part one of our Ray Anderson interview. (Full text after the jump)...
Should Cyclists be Allowed to Blow Go Through Stop Signs?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
Video of San Francisco Cyclist blowing every light and stop sign here
We learn from Kate at Carectomy that San Francisco is considering changing the law to permit cyclists to blow through stop signs. "Bicycles would still have to yield if there was a car at a stop sign. They would still have to stop for that car and let them go through," Rachel Kraai of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition told CBS News. "At a stop light they would still have to stop and look both ways, but then they could go through."
Supporters hope that the law, which already passed in Iowa, will encourage people to ride bikes because it “makes it easier” to do so.
...
Detroit Charity Turns Wasteland into Farms
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07.10.08
From Motown to Growtown
The growing international food crisis, coupled with spiralling energy costs, is without doubt causing much suffering. But there is a silver lining – as the unsustainability of business-as-usual becomes apparent, alternatives are beginning to gain traction in mainstream consciousness. Detroit provides the perfect example of the need for change – once the thriving hub of the US motor industry, the city has seen a massive exodus of its population and major industries, leaving vacant plots everywhere. As TreeHugger noted before though, many citizens are seeing opportunity in the crisis, with derelict land being turned over to urban farms and community gardens. Now the BBC picks up the story with an inspiring account of how a Detroit-based charity called Urban Farming is mobilizing the local community for increased self-reliance:
...
TreeHugger Tips: SuChin Pak on Eco-Friendly Cleaners
by Chris Tackett, San Francisco on 07.10.08
No, No, Nano: Micro Materials Could Pose Health Risks
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
Full Illustration of Article, complete with lame hockey rink analogy
A new Canadian study looks at the risks of engineered nanomaterials, and raises serious concerns. According to Martin Mittelstaedt in the Globe and Mail, the Council of Canadian Academies was asked by Health Canada to "study the state of knowledge about these novel substances and the regulatory changes needed to oversee their use. They concluded that "there are inadequate data to inform quantitative risk assessments on current and emerging nanomaterials." Their small size, the report says, may allow them "to usurp traditional biological protective mechanisms" and, as a result, possibly have "enhanced toxicological effects."
About 517 different products containing nanomaterials, ranging from suncreens to tennis racquets, have been admitted to Canada from the United States. Dr. Pekka Sinervo, Chair of the study, says "One can argue fairly strongly that some of those products probably should be looked at on a going-forward basis. It's a new technology. We are concerned." ...
Home Delivery: The Micro Compact Home Comes To America
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
Richard Horden of Horden Cherry Lee Architects, one of the designers of the Micro Compact home, has it easy compared to the others; at 2.6 meters square (8'-8") it was designed to go down any road, and he could just ship the unit to New York.
"At a mere 76 square feet, this perfect cubic form packs a remarkable amount of muscle into its tiny envelope. The project is intended as a modern "machine for living," providing functioning spaces of sleeping, working/dining, cooking and hygiene for one or two people. Taking inspiration from the aerospace and automobile industries, the architects fashion a "high performance" cocoon primarily geared toward single persons with a mobile work or leisure-oriented lifestyle."
...
You Are Where You Eat: Obesity Maps of North America
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
CalorieLab maps the obesity rate in the United States. What makes Mississippi the fattest state and Colorado the skinniest? It certainly can't be Colorado's love of bicycles, judging by their congressmen. I am told that the love of deep-fried food affects Mississippi and the four fat states surrounding it. Or could it just be too hot and languorous there? And why are Washington and Oregon, where everyone bikes and kayaks to work every day, pleasantly plump compared to Montana and Utah?...
Ain't No Bodys' Business But My Own (Carbon Foot Print Calculation For Businesses)
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.10.08
Corporate Climate Action Pioneers
In recent years, a handful of large corporations have estimated and publicly documented the cumulative carbon "footprint" of their operations. Most firms, however, are waiting...nervously eying pioneering efforts...for the declaration of the corporate environmental "footprint" to become a community standard.
The usual starting point is to sum the Green House Gas equivalent (GHG-e) emissions of manufacturing sites under company control, including contract manufacturing. a.k.a. "outsourced manufacturing." A trickier aspect is to apportion the corporate footprint attributable to joint venture manufacturing facilities.
Somehow apportioned, are annual GHG-e emissions associated with operation of owned or rented office buildings, as well as company-required travel. ...
Ponoko Visits Unto This Last
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
We have prattled on about how new technologies will change mass production into mass customization, and how Unto this Last, a store/factory in London, is a prototype of things to come: Instead of driving the minivan off to IKEA, you walk down the street to your neighbourhood CNC equipped shop, choose the design that suits your needs, choose your plywood and size, and they cut them out on the spot.
Roy from Ponoko visited the London shop, and describes it:
"The beauty is the production is entirely visible from the shop - I stood watching for a while captured by that peculiarly mesmerising quality that all computer controlled fabricators seem to have over onlookers! The router head whizzed and whirred back and forth, churning out another set of mysterious shapes from an eight by four bit of ply."...
Experience Green Initiative Offers Online Community for Recent Grads, Hopeful Interns
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 07.10.08
If you’re a college student or recent grad out hunting for a green job or internship there’s a new online community launched by Experience, a career-advice and job search services provider, that’s aimed just at you. In fact, it hopes to help various organizations nationwide hire interns for positions that help support environmental protection and the development of clean energy sources as well.
...
Survey: How Do You Keep Cool?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.10.08
When we posted on innovative air conditioners, commenters weren't cool about the fact that we were showing them instead of fans, a deficiency which Christine has rectified. Certainly there are lots of alternatives that do not involve sealing yourself up inside "like dairy products chilled behind glass."
...
The Pickens Plan, Part Two: Partial Deconstruction
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07.10.08
photo: Getty Images
All I have to say is ‘wow’. When I posted a video clip of T. Boone Pickens promoting his grand scheme for saving the US from energy dependency I promised commentary on it in a future post, but commenters have stolen most of my thunder in pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the plan. I guess that “post an intelligent and civil comment” button brought out the best in people. Kudos to TreeHugger readers. However their are some points still worth mentioning.
...
Architects Make Jelly Moulds Too
by Bonnie Alter, London on 07.10.08
It was the competition to end all competitions; take some jello, add some architecture, with a dash of fun and here's what you get. Over 100 top architects worldwide submitted proposals for this jelly mould competition that ends up with the top ten entrants being cast in....jello. Part of the London Festival of Architecture, it's all for a good cause--Article 25,a disaster relief and design charity--and it challenged the architectural soul and notion of structure and technology. Said one (Will Alsop) : "I loved doing this, I had to mentally project myself into jelly to find the necessary inspiration. But once I had made the leap, I realised that there is a genuine relationship between jelly and architecture. It's to do with the spaces between buildings; the jellified urban fog of a city. It's about creating without destroying what's already there."
The winner was Tonkin Liu: Fresh Flower Jelly. They had created The Fresh Flower, a moveable pavilion for the Architecture Festival and this was reminiscent of the building. Since this is architecture, there is a certain intellectual slant to the explanation of the jelly experience: (Ivan Harbour) "Architects create space. But it is a specific sort of space: it is a space that you experience from within. This means that designing in jelly is a fascinating experience for us in doing the exact opposite to what we usually do."...
Best Cooling Fans for a Good Night's Sleep
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07.10.08
Good things come in threes. TreeHugger recently reviewed the Bedfan and SunFrost Sleep Genie. The Bedfan cools you under the sheets while you sleep. The Sleep Genie is sized to cool just your sleeping area by insulating around the bed ("Victorian bed curtains" suggests TreeHugger's Lloyd Alter), and could be solar-powered.
Making it three, we mention the Sleepbreeze Personal Cooling System. The Sleepbreeze cooling fan sips just 4 watts power, and a timer option gently slows the fan to a stop (so you won't awaken at a sudden change) after 15, 30 or 45 minutes if you choose....
Don't Throw It Away! Give And Take For Free Works In Catalonia
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 07.10.08
For those of you who are fed up with consumerism or simply don’t like shopping and are looking for another way to acquire things or get rid of stuff, check out Vols Tens in Catalonia, Spain. Similar o Freecycle, this web site let’s you find or give away things in a very easy way, although it is in Catalan only. Vols Tens, meaning ‘Want Have’ in Catalan, is an anti-consumerism, non-profit project, created to get/give things without having to pay.
...
New SEED Blog: Next Generation Energy
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07. 9.08
SEED Magazine, the parent of the ScienceBlogs' network, has just launched a new group blog all about alternative energy, something we know a little about here at TreeHugger. It's called Next Generation Energy (not the most original name ever, guys) and will be co-authored by at least 7 people, many from inside the ScienceBlogs family, and a few from outside ("from journalism, marine biology, banking, and engineering").
Like good neighbors, we want to welcome them to our little blogging ecosystem and wish them the best of luck. Energy - the clean kind - is an especially important topic, and the more people in general know about it, the better. If you pay them a visit, say TreeHugger sent you! Next Generation Energy...
CEOs of Twelve U.S. Airlines Don’t Read IEA Reports, Blame High Oil Prices on Speculation
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 9.08
photo by Matt Hansa
A couple of days ago we wrote about how the Internataional Energy Agency believes how it is wrong to blame speculators for the current high oil prices. Based on an email titled “An Open Letter to all Airline Customers” apparently the CEOs of twelve U.S. airlines didn’t get the memo.
You may have gotten the same email as I did from Delta Airlines, but for those you didn’t here are the choice parts:
Since high oil prices are partly a response to normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on increased energy supplies and conservation. However, there is another side to this story because normal market forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly regulated market speculation....
Renewable Energy Begun to be Embraced by India’s Hindu Temples
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 9.08
Tirumala temple photo by SJ Jagadeesh
I’ve often thought that way for eco-consciousness to really become ingrained in people’s lives is for it to be truly adopted by the major faiths of the world—for the interconnectedness of all life to be impressed upon everyone from a young age. Such a belief is already the foundation of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism so when Time recently ran an article about how India’s Hindu temples are increasingly embracing green ethics, it seemed a perfectly natural match.
...
Peacock Kale, Biking Self-Motivation and Eco-Scrub
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 07. 9.08
:: Add color to your diet with Peacock Kale.
:: Stop making excuses and get biking!
:: Wipe away food encrusted pots and pans with DIY scouring scrub.
:: Dress up your lawn with eco-friendly accessories.
:: Turn old, tattered t-shirts into something new again....
Plastic Bags Aren’t Biggest Problem, Japanese Professor of Recycling Science Says
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 9.08
photo by greenhem via flickr
We recently reported how China's scheme to ban free plastic bags in stores eems to be working in reducing their consumption, with people apparently turning to the most eco-friendly option: reusable cloth bags. And we also recently presented the low-down on the life-cycle analysis of paper versus plastic bags. Well, Kazuko Nakano, professor of recycling science at Kobe Yamate University in Japan, has put in his two cents on the matter.
...
Shipping Pallet Homes, Bathtub Tips and Guerilla Gardening
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 07. 9.08
Shipping pallets become low-cost, low-impact housing materials for displaced people.
When it comes to water conservation, the shower beats the bath.
Eco-Libris reviews The Urban Homestead, a how-to book about city livin' sustainability.
A recent poll reminds us that carpooling can help make a difference.
TriplePundit shares tips on how to help push for cleaner, easier e-waste disposal.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Coral Reefs Dense With Unusual Wildlife Discovered in Brazil
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 07. 9.08
Image: Colony of Mussismilia braziliensis corals (photo by Carlos Secchin, from report by SIGEP) An extensive new reef – deep in the ocean and abundantly packed with unique marine life – has been located by scientists off the southern coast of Bahia state in Brazil. The discovery was made in the Abrolhos Bank in the Southern Atlantic, already one of the world’s largest and most bio-diverse reef systems. Yet it is believed that the newfound reef areas will potentially double the size of the known Abrolhos Bank. "We had some clues from local fishermen that other reefs existed, but not at the scale of what we discovered," says Rodrigo de Moura, a marine specialist for Conservation International Brazil. ...
Greenwash Watch: May the F.O.R.C.E. Be With You
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 9.08
That's "Families Organized to Represent the Coal Economy", saying that coal is "now clean and green with new technologies." Their mission: "to be a unified voice in support of Pennsylvania coal, the families and businesses whose livelihoods depend upon it and the importance of a healthy coal industry to our regional, state and national economies."
Dennis at the Greenwash Brigade says that it's time there were transparent standards "that can compare business practices within sectors (and potentially across sectors). Some of the best ones include LEED standards for green building and an emerging tool called STARS being put together by AASHE to weigh green cred between college campuses. We need to keep improving and expanding user-friendly standards for folks to gauge the greenness of different companies and their goods." And can't flagrantly lie in advertising.
After all, you can't put out Vending Machine for Bike Parts Introduced by Trek
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 9.08
When we wrote that Bike Mechanics are the New Doctors commenter Nate suggested that "bikes are remarkably simple machines to work on," who needs a mechanic?. In Madison, Wisconsin, you get your choice; James of BicycleDesign tells us of the Trek Stop- a vending machine where you can "stop by anytime to put air in your tires or buy basic small items like a tube, patch kit, water bottle, energy bar, chain lube, etc." According to Olive on Flickr, "contains items for doing minor repairs (like bike tire inner tubes.) Air hose, maps, message board, a bike stand, and a kiosk with video instructions on how to do various repairs. (see picture here)
...
A Question for 'Water Car' True Believers
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07. 9.08
Water-Powered Car Saga
Last month, we wrote about the Genepax 'Water Car' and were surprised by how many people were ready to believe that it truly worked with water as the only fuel without special explanation or evidence from those who make the claim. Right now the post has 124 comments, which is higher than average for TreeHugger, and a significant portion of those talk about rewriting the laws of physics and such.
A Question for 'Water Car' True Believers
But there's a question we'd like to ask those who are so certain that 'water cars' (with water as the only fuel, and not as an energy carrier via hydrogen) already work and are somehow kept hidden: If some people had that technology, why would cars be the first thing they try to make? That's hard, with huge supply chains and massive capital investments, lots of regulations and red tape, etc. Why not make power plants right next to rivers (or just use tap water) and sell the power?...
Alberta Tar Sands Go All High Tech and Futurist
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 9.08
There is too much oil in the ground there just to leave it, so what about the carbon dioxide and the natural gas consumption. We will just throw some high tech at it; problem solved.
Use Blimps to Move Stuff to the Tar Sands
First up is the Skyhook JHL-40 Rotorcraft. A cross between a dirigible and a helicopter, Skyhook prez Peter Jess says the patented craft will be capable of hauling 40-tonne loads up to 320 kilometres in areas without basic infrastructure such as roads. Boeing will build them for Skyhook, and says that "the blimp would be environmentally friendly because it would eliminate the need to build roads and rail lines to remote locations, where transportation can be costly, inadequate or unreliable." Right. So how are they going to get the crap out? ::Calgary Herald
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Pop Quiz: World War Two Victory Garden Output
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 07. 9.08
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Photo Essay of Home Delivery Houses in New York Times
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 9.08
We have been showing each of the houses being built for the MoMA's Home Delivery exhibition, opening next week; The New York Times has a good slideshow of the houses. I think it is going to be really down to the wire for these...::New York Times
Other Prefabs in this Series So Far:
Home Delivery : BURST*008 : TreeHugger
Home Delivery : Digitally Fabricated Housing : TreeHugger
System3 House Installed at MoMA Home Delivery Exhibition...
Paper Bags or Plastic Bags? Everything You Need to Know
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 07. 9.08
Paper or plastic bags: which is better?
It's an age old question, when it comes time to check out when grocery shopping: paper bag or plastic bag? It seems like it should be an easy choice, but there's an incredible number of details and inputs hidden in each bag. From durability and reusability to life cycle costs, there's a lot more to each bag than meet the eye. Let's take a look behind the bags.
Where do brown paper bags come from?
Paper comes from trees -- lots and lots of trees. The logging industry, influenced by companies like Weyerhaeuser and Kimberly-Clark, is huge, and the process to get that paper bag to the grocery store is long, sordid and exacts a heavy toll on the planet. First, the trees are found, marked and felled in a process that all too often involves clear-cutting, resulting in massive habitat destruction and long-term ecological damage....
50 Things You Can Blame on High Oil Prices
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 9.08
Everybody's gotta have someone to blame and you can't always blame Canada, so The Wall Street Journal has compiled a list of 50 things you can blame on the high price of oil. Some of the interesting ones:
3. Some schools are considering route changes that would create longer walks to the bus stop, raising safety concerns. (The Gazette, Maryland)
8. Kangaroo harvesters are seeking alternative careers. (Australian Broadcasting Corp.)
19. Golf-cart regulation becomes a subject of debate in Indiana. (UPI)
34. Japan girds for a sashimi shortage. (AFP)
38. Yes, we have no cheap bananas today. (WSJ)
50. Indie music fans are out of luck due to some bands canceling tours and staying home. (AP)
Catch them all at the ::Wall Street Journal They asked for contributions from readers in comments, as do we.
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"The Most Important G8 Gathering In A Decade" Ends
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 07. 9.08
The Rebirth of the Cool: 7 Innovations in Air Conditioning
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 9.08
Victorian Bedcurtains are back, as Sun Frost introduces the Sleep Genie, a tiny air conditioner just big enough to keep you comfy while you sleep in your insulated bedchamber. They note that it runs at 72 Watts, and can be powered by a 280 watt solar array. It is so logical, to reduce the load to reasonable amounts for solar simply by reducing the area cooled to the minimum. ::Sunfrost
But as Allison Arieff says in the New York Times: "Great. You may be cooler, but now you’re claustrophobic." She continues: "its execution speaks to a larger issue: a general lack of innovation. Instead of re-imagining what an air conditioner could be (something portable, something that took a different form, something that ran on an alternative energy source), they simply took the existing form and shrank it."
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System3 House Installed at MoMA Home Delivery Exhibition
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 9.08
High Fructose Corn Syrup Producers on a Roll
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 9.08
One would think that the Corn Refiners Association would be busy enough right now that they could sit back and relax, but instead they are starting a big marketing campaign to beat back the Michael Pollans, Daniel Imhoffs and Richard Johnsons of the world who complain that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is making us fat. They are taking it to the public with a big new $30 million ad campaign, saying that the stuff has the "same natural sweeteners as table sugar and honey."
They have the courts behind them; Stacy Holk went after Snapples at the FDA for claiming that their product was "all natural," when it was full of HFCS, noting that there is nothing natural about the process of making the stuff:...
Transition Towns Reach New Zealand
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07. 9.08
TreeHugger Tip: Craig Newmark on Using Less
by Chris Tackett, San Francisco on 07. 9.08
Green your Toilet Paper - Over is Better!
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 07. 9.08
Current Configuration has put some thought into the poo-poo problem and has hit upon the solution - hanging the bog roll with the sheets coming over the top wastes less paper. The hand-made diagrams and flowery explanations are priceless, including the one on the oft-tried, seldom-successful one-handed tear....
Survey: How Do You Bag It?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 9.08
Cue up Let's Do the Time Warp Again as Collin takes us back, with his latest Green Basics post, to the age-old question- Paper or Plastic?
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Duckweed: The Pollution Cleaning, Climate Change Fighting Super Food?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07. 9.08
Image from Wikimedia Commons
Though it may be a bit premature to heap too much praise upon duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) -- after all, relatively little is still known about its properties -- the early signs, at least according to a team of Rutgers scientists, seem very promising. A team of plant biologists from Rutgers' Waksman Institute of Microbiology have convinced the DOE to focus resources on the genomic sequencing of the diminutive aquatic plant, claiming it holds immeasurable potential for feeding the planet and fighting both pollution and climate change....
The New School Tackles Green Urban Design Through Environmental Education in NYC
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 07. 9.08
As Mairi Beautyman pointed out not too long ago, The New School in NYC has been taking significant steps in a greener direction by offering degrees for students in environmental programs taking a holistic approach to design through the Tishman Environment and Design Center.
But now there’s word that they’ve begun a new environmental studies program focused on New York City and the urban environment in a bid to help students prepare to tackle the challenges posed by the reality that experts predict that a majority of the world’s population will live, work and play in large urban areas by 2025.
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Hess Natur Organic Fashion Coming to America
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 07. 9.08
It sounds like a common enough story. Freshly minted parent can’t find chemical-free clothing for their new-to-the-world child. What makes this version different from so many of the introductions found on new green apparel websites, is that it happened 32 years ago. Heinz Hess created organic clothing for his son, and in doing so pioneered a corporate ethic, through his firm Hess Natur, that is only now being taken up by the most enlightened of businesses.
A model of responsible enterprise that is soon to be making its presence felt in North America. A German clothing company that pays 40% more than they could for their cotton, one that teaches farmers and their families to read and write, that sources silk from what they believe is the only organic silk farm on the planet. The impressive story after the fold....
“Secret” World Bank Biofuel Report May Not Have Been So Secret After All
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 9.08
The status of the claimed-to-be secret World Bank report which asserts that 75% of the recent rise in food prices can be linked to biofuels may have to be revised, based on statements from the World Bank.
Only a Working Paper
The Wall Street Journal has quoted Donald Mitchell, author of the report, as saying that the paper was a working paper only and not the official position of the World Bank. Any changes made to the document were done for the sake of normal editing and not political reasons, Mitchell added....
Wind Power to Displace Natural Gas for Electricity, Natural Gas to Power Cars: The Pickens Plan
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 9.08
Goldman Environmental Prize Winner Marina Rikhanova
by Bonnie Alter, London on 07. 9.08
Marina Rikhvanova, Co-chairwoman of the NGO Baikal Environmental Wave, was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for Asia for her on-going achievements in the protection of Lake Baikal, the "pearl of Siberia," in Russia. Founded in 1990, the prize is given annually to six grassroots environmentalists working for change around the globe.
The pristine lake is the largest and deepest fresh water body in the world. Because of its age and isolated location in Siberia, it contains unusual collections of freshwater flora and fauna and 1,700 plant and animal species. In 1990 Rikhvanova co-founded the Wave, an environmental group focusing on the protection of the lake. None too soon because in 2002, the Russian government announced plans to build the longest petroleum pipeline in the world, extending nearly 2,570 miles from eastern Siberia to an oil terminal on the Pacific coast. The pipeline would be built within a half-mile of Lake Baikal, despite concerns about possible oil spills and leakage.
Rikhvanova and the Baikal Environmental Wave (the Wave) opposed the plan. They wanted the government to reject the project because it was environmentally unsafe. The pipeline would carry 1.6 million barrels of oil per day within half a mile of the lake. Any breakage in the line would dump thousands of tons of oil into the lake and cause irreparable damage. Even the monopoly in charge of it admitted that a breakage could release 4,000 tons of oil into the lake.
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Petition to Google: Please Add 'Bike There' Feature
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07. 9.08
Led by Peter Smith, the Google Maps Bike There Team has started a petition with merit. Take a minute to add your signature today. Mine is 34708 if you want to check out Google Petition signatures! The text of the petition is also shown here below:
Petition to Google for a Bike There Feature
To: Google, and the Google Maps team
We would like a 'Bike There' feature added to Google Maps - to go with the current 'Drive There' and 'Take Public Transit' options. ...
The Best Green Search Engines
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07. 9.08
Green Search Engines, or search engines that help charitable causes, are one of the newest trends online. These sites are similar to – and are actually powered by - other search engines, such as Google.com or Yahoo.com, however they divert advertising dollars back into charitable causes. But with 8 billion ad dollars changing hands in 2007, this is clearly an area open to abuse. To help you use your search clicks to the best advantage, TreeHugger has rounded up many of the Green Search Engines. Our review and recommendations are broken into three categories:- Best Do-good Green Search Engine: the best of green search engines which donate a percent of revenues to green causes;
- Best Network Green Search Engine: the best of green search engines which limit hits to information or products from vetted green suppliers;
- Best of the Rest: Search Engines with other eco-angles
Beijing's Latest Olympic Crackdown: Recyclers
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 07. 8.08
Airlines To Be Included in EU Emission Trading Scheme from 2012
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 8.08
photo by Craig Forrester
In the ongoing effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector, the airline industry has been the focus of a good deal of criticism. Some airlines themselves have announced plans to reduce their environmental impact—Lufthansa, JAL, and Virgin Atlantic have all taken steps in this direction. Now comes word from the EU that government will at last partially dictate the pace of emissions reduction from aviation.
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People-Powered Hair Salon in Paris, 1945
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
The electricity supply in Paris was pretty intermittent in the spring of '45, so an "ingenious beautician hires unemployed 6-day bicycle racers to peddle away on a bike, the back wheel of which is attached to a small generator! The current runs 6 driers." Charlie at Modern Mechanix doesn't buy it- "Hair dryers use a LOT of electricity." Having tried to keep a lightbulb going at the Ontario Science Centre as a kid was a lot of work; the Eco-Geek says that "the maximum output for a toned adult would be about 500 watts, but a sustainable level for someone like me (who's eaten his share of Whataburgers) is more like 150 watts"- six hair dryers? at minimum we are talking 6,000 watts. Not a chance.. ::Modern Mechanix
Now perhaps if we had an entire gym generating power:
Hong Kong Gym Harvests People- Power
Ask the EcoGeek: Muscle Power
Notions of Expenditure...
General Motors Factory to Host World’s Largest Rooftop Solar Array
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 8.08
photo courtesy of General Motors
Yet another “world’s largest” in solar power: General Motors has partnered with Clairvoyant Energy, Veolia Environmental and the Government of Aragon to install what will be the world’s largest rooftop solar array on its Zaragosa, Spain assembly plant.
According to GM the array will be 12 MW in size and cover two million square feet and consist of approximately 85,000 panels. Installation is expected to be completed this fall. The space for the project will be leased from General Motors by Veolia Environment and Clairvoyant Energy, who will operate and maintain the installation. According to GM the project will help the corporation reduce costs, while at the same time providing green power to the local electric grid.
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Tasty Rice & Beans, PCs With a Purpose and Eco-Vacation Tips
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 07. 8.08
:: Live happily on this flavorful rice & beans lunch.
:: Transform your old desktop computer into something useful.
:: Book a greener vacation with help from the Sierra Club.
:: Seek out grill-friendly veggies at your farmers' market.
:: Resolve to de-clutter your living space with tips from the show, World's Greenest Homes....
Exposing Stores With Open Doors
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
Every summer we rant about the retailers who leave the doors of their air conditioned stores open to attract customers in, while the units work overtime to cool the sidewalk. We might just rant, but over at Racked, they are doing something about it; they have started a section of their website called This Store Blows, where readers are invited to send in submissions of photos of stores egregiously wasting energy and creating greenhouse gases for no purpose at all. These are all in New York, but if you have any examples from where you live, put them up on Flickr tagged treehuggerstorefront and let us know in comments, or email them to me. ::Racked via ::PSFK
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Copper Nanorods Increase Boiling Water Bubbles 3,000%!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07. 8.08
Copper Nanorods Reduce Energy Needed by an Order of Magnitude
After super-efficient solar panels that are "hairy" on the nanoscale, here come "hairy" pots & pans, as well as computer chip heatsinks and other heat-transferring devices. Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute made the "unexpected" discovery: "by adding an invisible layer of the nanomaterials to the bottom of a metal vessel, an order of magnitude increase in efficiency is achieved in bringing water to boil. [...] The potential applications for this discovery are vast and exciting, and we’re eager to continue our investigations into this phenomenon."
Boiling: Now with More Bubbles!
When using their copper nanotech coating, the researchers "observed a 30-fold increase in active bubble nucleation site density — a fancy term for the number of bubbles created — on the surface treated with copper nanotubes, over the nontreated surface.” Read on to find out how these bubbles help....
NOAA Report Finds Half of U.S. Corals Are in Poor or Fair Condition
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07. 8.08
Image from Wikimedia
There really is no respite for our battered coral reefs. As much as I'd like to say that there has been some good news on this front, the latest headlines have been growing bleaker by the week. Now a new report released by NOAA, hardly your alarmist types, has revealed that close to half of all U.S. coral reefs are in "poor" or "fair" condition -- a direct result of anthropogenic activities such as coastal development and overfishing and climate-influenced effects such as ocean acidification.
The 15-chapter analysis was authored by over 270 scientists and managers who graded coral ecosystems from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Palau and other places on a 5-tier scale -- excellent, good, fair, poor or unknown. ...
TreeHugger Tip: Tomm Stanley on Refrigerator Efficiency
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 07. 8.08
Hot Summer Nights? Sleep Cool And Cut Electric Bills With a Bedfan
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 07. 8.08
Home air conditioning accounts for about 5 percent of U.S. electricity usage. In the winter, snuggling under the comforter and turning the thermostat down is a time-honored tradition, but what about in the hot and sweaty mid-summer season?
Texan Ken Tompkins wanted to cut his high summer electric bill by turning his thermostat up, so he designed a small fan cooling system that attaches to a bed. The fans nestling next to the floor underneath the bed blow cooler air up into the sheets, moving body heat out of the bed. Sounds kinky but Bedfan claims it can cut an electric bill by up to 20 percent in summer if the user turns a home's thermostat up around eight to ten degrees. At around $90 the unit could soon pay for itself - though of course multiple beds mean multiple Bedfans. While for many homes it wouldn't replace air conditioning unit or HVAC systems, for climates where unbearably hot evenings are generally only a handful per year it could replace the need for a summertime only unit. For hot climate living, Bedfan could take some of the strain off of a solar air conditioning system. The Bedfan uses around 10 watts of power and can move 100 cubic feet of air per minute. Via ::Bedfan
Read more:
The Sun Lizard - Solar Air Conditioning
Air Conditioning With Ice Energy - Climate Saving Can Be Cool
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Why Do Republicans Hate Bicycles So Much?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
How to Save Fuel Costs with a Wood-Powered Pickup Truck
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07. 8.08
Robert "Chip" Beam built his own wood-powered pickup truck. The wood-burning, or rather wood-gas burning truck is now a sort of mascot for Beaver Energy, the Williamsport, Pennsylvania based startup company Beam and partners Larry Shilling and Aron Lantz have formed.
If he did it, you could too. Read on for tips and links to learn how to make your own Wood-powered Pickup Truck, with videos of the wood-powered pickup truck in action and a video guide to building your own wood-gas generator....
Wall Street Journal on The New World Order Climate Change
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
Rupert Murdoch's first speech to the Wall Street Journal Staff
A year ago Justin wrote "Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corporation, has announced that he is becoming a green campaigner. He is making the whole of his worldwide operations carbon neutral and setting out to "educate and engage" his readers and viewers about global warming". According to Mark Bowden in this month's Atlantic, Murdoch "has announced his intention for the remade Journal not just to supplant The New York Times as the nation’s preeminent daily newspaper but to become the first truly global daily."
Therefore we were surprised to see Bret Stephen's article Global Warming as Mass Neurosis in the Journal. We won't argue with his statement "Much of the science [about global warming] has since been discredited."- the folks at DeSmogBlog did a great job of that. Having mangled the science, Stephens goes after religion....
Prefab Trybo Cottage Was a Hit in 1969
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
It is a problem that continues to this day: the depopulation of the harsher regions of northern countries, the conversion of jobs from resource extraction, farming and making things to scooping ice cream for tourists or building cottages.
In Norway, The Trybocottage was "designed in response to two needs. The first was to create more work in an area of depopulation. The other was to produce a holiday house which was easy to erect and would fit into the landscape, as part of a plan to develop tourism in the region."...
Pop Quiz: Who's Cradle To Cradle
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 07. 8.08
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Redesign for Sustainability: Recycled and Recyclable Hangers
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07. 8.08
Here is a small reminder that we really need to redesign everything about modern life, from the smallest, least noticed items on up. Who thinks about 8 - 10 billion polystyrene or polycarbonate hangers manufactured per year, of which only about 15% are recycled?
Green Heart Global, the parent company and designer of Ditto Hangers, that's who. Green Heart Global offers two options, both made from recyclable materials....
Free Gas Becoming a Prize in State Lotteries
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 07. 8.08
Free Gas Instead of Cash?
In yet another sign of how gas prices are affecting the economy, several states, including Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma, have begun offering free gas for life instead of the usual cash prizes in lotteries. Of course, there's a catch: in Florida, for instance, free gas for life means that "each winner will be awarded 26 prepaid gas cards, each worth $100, every year until death." Interestingly, in Florida the free gas will go to the second-prize winner, while the first prize winner will win a cash prize. What's interesting about this is that many people say that “gas has become more precious than cash now,” and therefore they would rather win the gas--even though the cash value of the gas is far below the cash value of the first-place prize. Valuing gas more than money? Has our addiction to oil become that endemic?...
New Garbage Management Plans for Buenos Aires to Involve Cartoneros
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 07. 8.08
(Picture: Cartoneros in Buenos Aires. Credit: dandeluca.) After trying two different garbage separation and recycling plans that didn't work, the Buenos Aires government is finally launching a new plan that involves cartoneros: a group of people that have learnt to live out of waste collection during the crisis years in Argentina.
The new plan seeks to install new rules for the garbage management companies that work with the government, and leave the collection of recyclable waste to cartoneros, first in big malls and hotels and then in particular houses. So far, the government had installed containers to separate dry and humid waste, but they didn't work. Meanwhile, cartoneros continued to cooperate with the city's waste management, but where criticized by society because of their disorganization.
A complete explanation of the new plan in the extended.
Via Página 12 Newspaper....
New York City to Cut Emissions From Public Buildings by 30%
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 8.08
photo by Stig Nygaard
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Monday that the city would spend $2.3 billion to cut greenhouse gas emissions from municipal buildings and operations. The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions 1.68 million tonnes a year from 2006 levels by 2017.
These reductions will be accomplished through improvements to the heating, cooling and ventilation systems of municipal buildings. Repairs to firehouses, police precincts, city offices and courthouses, along with purchases of more fuel efficient vehicles will also help reduce emissions
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Ethanol Was Proposed for Farm Relief, 1933
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
Larger version at Modern Mechanix
There is nothing new under the sun, including corn for ethanol. Farm relief advocates apparently proposed it in the depression as a way of reducing the crop surplus and getting more money for farmers. ::Modern Mechanix...
George Clooney's Electric Dream:
by Terri MacLeod on 07. 8.08
Julia Roberts, Sheryl Crow, and Cindy Crawford are also rocking a green attitude.
He's on the market again and ready to cruise in the sexiest bachelor wheels – a Tesla Roadster. George is expected to get his electric dream machine next month. Meanwhile, the newly single George now rides in an electric car built (appropriately) for one – the Tango one-seater. And, he’s committed to his eco-driving, adding, “We are going to have to find a way to get away from oil. It has start with someone, somewhere, changing policy. I try and be photographed in the Tango and hope someone thinks it’s a good idea.”
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He's on the market again and ready to cruise in the sexiest bachelor wheels – a Tesla Roadster. George is expected to get his electric dream machine next month. Meanwhile, the newly single George now rides in an electric car built (appropriately) for one – the Tango one-seater. And, he’s committed to his eco-driving, adding, “We are going to have to find a way to get away from oil. It has start with someone, somewhere, changing policy. I try and be photographed in the Tango and hope someone thinks it’s a good idea.”
...
City of London Withdraws free Electric Vehicle Parking
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07. 8.08
London Borough to Reverses Free Parking for EVs
No sooner do I report on the virus-like spread of electric vehicle charging points in London, that I hear from our friends at GoinGreen that at least one London borough is preparing to withdraw some of the privileges enjoyed by EV drivers:
Today saw the announcement of changes in the City of London's parking concessions for electric vehicles. Existing users of the borough's electric vehicle scheme will see an increase in on-street parking from zero to £50 per year whereas off-street parking (in the City's car parks) will increase from zero to £2,000 per year in 2009. This off-street parking fee will then increase further to £4,000 per year by 2010 and £6396 in 2011, the same as a ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle.
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Review: King Corn- You Are What You Eat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
Blame Earl Butz. That is how we started our post on Peak Corn, noting that Richard Nixon's Secretary of Agriculture told farmers to "get big or get out," and to plant crops like corn "from fence row to fence row." Almost forty years later, Director Aaron Woolf interviews an unrepentant Butz (just prior to his death), but unlike a Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock, does it with grace, dignity and humor.
That's what separates King Corn (now out on DVD, previously covered by Jasmin for its theatrical opening) from so many other documentaries; It is warm, funny and treats its subjects with respect. ...
Shed of the Year Announced: The Rugby Pub
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
I had the honour of serving as a juror on the prestigious Shed of the Year competition held during National Shed Week in the UK. Since in the US jurors are allowed to talk about what went on in the jury room, I can say that Tim in Suffolk did a wonderful job with his pub shed, with complex framing and difficult trapezoidal skylights (and a long description of the troubles he had building it.) Considering that Tim had never built anything before, and he had all that beer, it is surprisingly well done. "No phone, no TV ,no interruptions, no shortage of liquid refreshment, no inclination to go any where else and no need to. " ah, but no bathroom either.
However, I think notice should be taken of the runner-up, who got my top vote. ...
BURST*008: More Prefab at MoMA's Home Delivery Exhibition
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
We look at the five prefabs being installed at the MOMA for Home Delivery.
Douglas Gauthier of Gauthier Architects and Jeremy Edmiston of SYSTEMarchitects in New York are building the BURST*008 which they consider to be more of a kit home than a prefab. Like Lawrence Sass's New Orleans home, it is cut out of plywood with a CNC machine, but there the similarity ends. They describe it as " a tension-based structure. The ribs provide the sub-structure but are not complete without the skin to lock them down. The skin—the floors, the walls, and the roof—is made of insulated panels which are pre-cut to accommodate the ribs precisely. Once the ribs are locked in place, everything is held taut, much in the same way that a hide creates tension on a drum. These panels are pre-treated with insulation so that as soon as the skin goes on, the house is fully insulated."...
Survey: Can a Car Run on Water?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 8.08
Mikes post questioning the Genepax Water Car has now collected an awesome 120 comments, splitting just about down the middle between those who say that you can't get sumthin' for nothin' and those who say "shame on you TreeHugger", "the only people trying to suppress this is you and big oil." or my favourite "try doing something admirable and stick to writing about trees." But they do make the point that one shouldn't be closed-minded, and that we shouldn't automatically discount technologies that we don't understand.
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Children's Book "Planet Earth Gets Well"
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 07. 8.08
CHILDREN'S BOOK Planet Earth Gets Well, author Madeline Kaplan, illustrated by Taillefer Long
As a green dad, I'm always on the lookout for informative books that can help to make a better world for my children's future. Ecolibris.net, who plants a tree for each book purchased, put together a nifty list of green book gifts for this past Fathers Day, but not since The Lorax by Dr. Seuss has a whimsically illustrated book come along aimed at sparking serious conversation with kids about the depleted environment they could inherit if each and every one of us don't continue to act....
Kids Have Fun Exploring Trees Inside and Out
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 07. 8.08
There’s a great new exhibit sponsored by Doubletree Hotels and created by the Arbor Day Foundation that hopes to encourage kids from 2 to 10 to explore the beauty of the great outdoors by giving them an incredible learning experience with trees. Titled “Exploring Trees Inside and Out”, the traveling museum exhibit is expected to reach kids in a number of cities across the U.S. by the end of 2010, but there’s a good chance it’s coming soon to a museum near you....
France To Complete European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) By 2012
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07. 8.08
Much is made in the US of the fact that nuclear power accounts for 87 percent of France's electricity. What is seldom pointed out, however, is that France is about as big as the US state of Texas, and that France's 58 existing reactors have far less combined capacity than the US does from its nuclear fleet. As in the US, however, France's reactors are soon to reach the end of their respective design lives. Look past the one-plant headline, then, to see how many existing plants can be upgraded or replaced, and with what technology. If it's the EPR which proves most cost effective, the export of its design will bring large licensing fees, and possible fuel rod revenues, to France's Areva and to Germany's Siemens. The EPR, developed in the 1990s by Siemens and a subsidiary of Areva, is said to use 17 percent less fuel than current types of reactor and is designed to generate power for 60 years.See also: Climate Stage Right: Enter The French Nuclear Empire Via:The Tocqueville Connection France To Build Second Latest-Generation Nuclear Plant Image credit::EDF France, excerpt from photo of turbine building at Flamanville 3 site....
Victory Gardens Come to San Francisco Again
by Bonnie Alter, London on 07. 8.08
Victory gardens originated during World Wars 1 and 2, when citizens were urged to grow their own food, in fact 40% of America's food was produced in them. San Francisco’s victory programme was one of the best; there were over 250 garden plots in Golden Gate Park. In recognition of this history, and the need to become more ecologically self-sufficient, the front lawn of San Francisco City Hall has been dug up and over the summer will be turned into a mass of vegetables. Calling it "a living quilt of plants and people, a garden of communities", it will feature a wide range of heritage organic vegetables native to the Bay Area climate. A host of serious food celebrities will be in attendance such as Alice Waters of Chez Panisse restaurant, Treehugger's favourite author Michael Pollan, and Slow Food genius Carlo Petrini.
It will be a huge educational undertaking. Starter kits are being made available for people wanting to start gardening. They will be delivered by a gardener riding a tricycle, and will include a lesson on how to build a raised bed, planting and a follow up harvest and seed saving lesson. Volunteers will be welcomed on several projects around town. In addition, 15 pilot urban organic food gardens will be started for 15 families of varied ethnic background. The event culminates on Labour Day when there will be a huge feast and harvest day. The idea is spreading--there is a demonstration project in London's St. James Park, and now London's Royal Parks are considering growing formal cabbage gardens instead of flowers next year. :: flavorpill
More on Victory Gardens
:: Victory Gardens: War on Waste
:: Alice Waters' schoolyard food programme
:: Carlo Petrini, Slow Food
:: Michael Pollan on Food
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How to Start Swishing: Get Fabulous Free Clothes
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07. 8.08
Face it: you love that chorus of "Oh that is so darling! Where did you get it?" But if you want to live the eco-chic lifestyle, consumerism is out. What to do? Start swapping instead of shopping with a new trend called Swishing. Swishing started in London. Now the push is on to bring Swishing to American shores.
Why "Swishing?" The dictionary definition: To rustle, as silk.Swishing has been redefined by London's Futerra Sustainability Communications.
Swishing: To rustle clothes from friends....
Orangutan Could be First Great Ape to Become Extinct
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 7.08
photo: Getty Images
According to new research published in the conservation journal Oryx, due to rapid declines in population because of habitat loss the orangutan could be the first of the great apes to become extinct.
New data decreases Orangutan populations
On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the orangutan population has been revised downwards from 7,501 to 6,600 in 2004. The new figure is the result of the discovery that a large area of Aceh which was thought to contain orangutans, did not in fact have contain any. Researchers also state that the 2004 estimated population on the island of Borneo of 54,000 orangutans has probably declined due a 10% loss in habitat from 2004 to 2008.
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Zapping Gas Prices With A Three-Wheeled Electric Vehicle, A Zipcar And A Bike
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 07. 7.08
My friend Carey is a single Portland, Oregon mom with a mortgage, a short commute to a full-time job and two school-age daughters. That translates to a fairly mainstream transportation need. She's also my choice for TreeHugger of the week because as of about two months ago she finally found a way to mothball her Honda and get off the gas roller coaster ride by buying a Zap three-wheeled electric vehicle.
Part of a personal transportation network
Carey is nothing if not pragmatic. She surveyed the small playing field. Of the five electric vehicles currently for sale, Zap seemed the best choice. If she was going to plonk down $11,700 for a Zap Xebra electric sedan, it did not have to meet her every transport need, but it did need to fulfill some criteria. The family of three had to comfortably fit in it, along with at least a few bags of groceries. The Xebra had to make it to her academic job and back on a single charge, and it had to be both fast enough to feel part of neighborhood traffic and safe enough for her teenager to learn to drive with (as the Zap is not classified as a low-speed vehicle, it can go beyond the 25 mph of those low-speed alternatives - going up to about 40 mph). After two months of getting to know her Zap, Carey has been satisfied...and even unexpectedly surprised....
Hypermiling Causes Road Rage? Hypermiling a Fad?
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 07. 7.08
According to this article, hypermiling is both a "fad" and a cause of road rage. We think it's important to avoid generalizations and keep things in perspective.
The "Hypermiling Causes Road Rage" Argument
Firstly, we're pretty sure that a lot more road rage incidents are caused by aggressive and foot-heavy drivers than by hypermilers. So while it is perfectly justified to blame those specific hypermilers that drive in dangerous ways, something we don't recommend, we must be careful not to put all of them in the same basket. Hypermiling is not one single thing, but rather a bag of tricks, and drivers should think about which ones are appropriate in any situation (and some might never be recommended). So we should encourage safe and fuel-efficient driving, and discourage unsafe driving, both of the fuel-efficient and gas-guzzling types, not throw the baby out with the bath-water....
Small Spaces, Sweet Peas and Train Travel
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 07. 7.08
:: Remember that less is usually more—especially in living spaces.
:: Add some in-season crunch to your dishes with homegrown sugar snap peas.
:: Travel by train to save cash and avoid traffic.
:: Treat yourself to a face mask using ingredients in your cupboard.
:: Work up a sweat without heating up the planet....
Biofuels Policy in UK Requires a “Cautious Approach”: Transport Minister
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 7.08
photo by Wiliam Rowlands
It’s sure not to be the final world in the whole food versus biofuel debate, but the recent secret World Bank report which finds that biofuels are responsible for 75% of the recent rise in global food prices certainly frames the debate in a stark new light.
So does a recent report on the environmental and social impact of biofuels by Professor Ed Gallagher, which recommends slowing the introduction of biofuels because current production targets will result in a rise in greenhouse gas emissions and an increase in poverty in the poorest countries.
UK to Continue With Biofuels, But More Slowly
Based on a statement in The Guardian, UK transport minister Ruth Kelly has apparently taken these reports at least partly to heart....
Who’s Investigating the G8 Summit?
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 07. 7.08
Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved. Photo by Masatsura
In a comic book twist to the G8 story, this year’s G8 Summit is under investigation by Detective Conan, a brilliant detective who has been transformed into an elementary school kid. Conan also happens to be the star of the Case Closed manga, which is extremely popular with kids of all ages here in Japan.
As many of you know, Japan is famous for its prolific manga comic books on all subjects ranging from ancient history through to the latest current affairs. In the best Japanese tradition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan (MOFA) has commissioned a special edition of Detective Conan to help explain the ins and outs of the G8 summit in an easy and quick format that anyone can take in without expending too much of their own brain power.
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London's Eco-Club, Stewart+Brown's Fave Books and Rooftop Lakes
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 07. 7.08
Clubgoers in London dance their way to a carbon-free world.
Founders of eco-fashion brand Stewart+Brown dish on their favorite green reads.
An Austrian artist presents an alternative to green roofs—artificial rooftop lakes.
San Francisco's My Farm helps make meeting local food needs easy.
Soaring gas prices have some folks doing strange things.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
El Segundo's First Annual Environmental Expo
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 07. 7.08
This past Thursday, before the madness of the 4th of July set in, the City of El Segundo, California held its first ever Environmental Expo. Summer was in full swing as people shopped for organic corn and grass fed beef to grill, and for green bikinis to wear, over the holiday (And you know you are in Southern California, when there is a booth at an environmental expo with green bikinis.)
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Australia's Climate Change Report Reads "Like a Disaster Novel"
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07. 7.08
Image from suburbanbloke
The conclusions of a new report written by Australia's top climate scientists are grim: Heatwaves are expected to increase 10-fold while droughts will almost double in number and become more widespread -- possibly impacting an area twice as large as now. Rainfall is also projected to continue its long decline throughout the country.
The report's release prompted agriculture minister Tony Burke to compare the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO's (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) findings to "a disaster novel," according to The Guardian's Barbara McMahon....
Greentime Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 07. 7.08
This week is Carnival of the Green # 135 and it's being hosted by Greentime, a blog from two urban professionals living in South Florida who are learning to live more sustainably. So head on over to the site and 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, please click here to link to our previous post.
PLEASE NOTE: Because the Carnival of the Green books so far in advance (thanks to all of you!), we are currently not accepting hosting requests. Please stay tuned - we'll open 2010 soon! ...
Green Eyes On: New Non-Dairy Probiotics and the Future of Food
by Sara Snow on 07. 7.08
Photo: Hans Neleman/Getty Images
After a weekend of fireworks, barbecues, and cuisine that may contain more than one hot dog or Jell-O fruit mold, we turn our attention to the gut. And a new breakthrough in probiotics.
"The gut?" you ask. Um, yes. The gut.
Sometime shortly before the holiday weekend I spoke with Steve Demos, a man I’ve known for quite some time and someone my dad, Tim Redmond, has known for quite a few more, since they were both pioneers in this industry of natural and organic foods....
Solar Powered Prius Could Be First Hybrid With Solar
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07. 7.08
Japan's business news source, Nikkei (subscription only), has reported that Toyota is planning a Prius with solar panels manufactured by Kyocera Corp. Toyota has not confirmed the reports. If Toyota achieves the rumored timing, it will be the first major manufacturer to bring a car with integrated solar panels to the mass market.
Toyota has not unveiled any design plans for the solar panels: pictured above is an artist's conception of how the Solar Prius might look. The solar panels will power the air conditioning on the world's most popular hybrid car. The last major revamp of the Prius power system was an upgrade of the hybrid synergy drive in 2003. The third generation Prius is due to be unveiled in 2009 for the 2010 model year....
Tommy Lee On Going Vegetarian
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 07. 7.08
Shipping Container Funhouse From Phooey Architects
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 07. 7.08
Image: Phooey ArchitectsWhat can’t the shipping container do? We know you can live in these fabulous prefab versions of shipping containers (such as the All-Terrain Cabin or Detroit's planned container condos by Steven Flum); you can shop in them (like in Freitag’s shipping container store in Zurich); you can even serve beer out of them (we like the industrial hipness of Melbourne’s Section 8 bar). Now, even more recycled fun can be had in Melbourne-based Phooey Architects’ shipping container playground, which revamps four shipping containers and other reclaimed materials into an attractive yet functional activity centre, designed to provide kids living in South Melbourne’s public housing with safe spaces to create art, dance and play....
3rd Living Steel Competition: And the Winner Is...
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
Peter Stutchbury Architecture, for the design of "creating energy efficient, single-family, detached housing that minimises climate change emissions and can withstand temperature extremes, yet is affordable to build and to buy," to be built in Cherepovets, Russia. The jury, led by Glenn Murcott, said “Peter Stutchbury Architecture’s scheme represents the kind of thinking the Living Steel competition is meant to inspire, offering a more considered, thoughtful and larger trajectory to the project brief requirements. It is the most memorable of all of the schemes offered in the competition, and the Jury made a 5 to 1 decision to select it as the winning scheme for the 3rd International Architecture Competition for Sustainable Housing. It is radically different and has a very imaginative understanding of the landscape theme, and the suggested neighbourhood plan provides an incredible play field for children and park-like setting for the community.”...
4-Hour Workweek Author Tim Ferriss on Green Lifestyle Design VIDEO
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 07. 7.08
Author Tomm Stanley With A Green Tip That Will Save You Water
by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 07. 7.08
Wave-Powered Boat Sails from Hawaii to Japan, Slowly
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 7.08
map of voyage courtesy of Kenichi Horie
Does the future of ship propulsion lie in the waves themselves?
Ship powered by two fins, has other green tech
Completing what he calls the longest voyage in a wave-powered ship, Kenichi Horie has finished a 4,800 mile, 110-day voyage from Honolulu, Hawaii to Wakayama, Japan. Though equipped with engine and sails for emergencies, Horie’s 31-foot catamaran relied on power generated from two fins at the bow of the ship to propel it through the water. The hull of his ship was recycled aluminum and all electric power, used for navigation equipment, radio and a personal computer, was generated from solar energy. The average speed on the voyage was 1.5 knots, a speed which MSNBC points out is slower than people walk.
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FEMA Trailers Had Too Much Particle Board, Too Little Ventilation
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that Katrina trailers emitted four to eleven times as much formaldehyde as one might get in conventional housing. There are rules restricting the amount of formaldehyde that can be emitted in mobile homes, but not in wheeled trailers. According to the Washington Post:
Berkeley researchers said they found "exceptionally large emissions of formaldehyde" in units tested and traced the chemical's presence to extensive use of cheap, light plywood and particleboard for walls, flooring and cabinet surfaces. At the same time, trailers "are not outfitted for adequate ventilation and are tighter than would be desired for housing with such small volume," they said.
The combination of weak regulation and manufacturers intent on selling the cheapest possible product led to 11,000 health complaints....
Victorian Houses Can Have A Green Makeover Too
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
Victorian houses in Toronto
It's all very nice to talk about green, energy efficient housing from the ground up, but what do you do if you live in an old Victorian house with solid brick walls? As Louise Bloom of the South East England Regional Assembly told the Guardian, 'Eco design is very sexy, but it's good to see what ordinary householders can do. The majority of our housing is old, so it's important to put across the message that a lot can be done to improve it.'
One Brighton area family spent eight months insulating floors and walls, adding solar hot water and radiant heating to cut CO2 emissions by 72%.
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WineLibrary.com's Gary Vaynerchuk: Eco-Tips for Winos >>VIDEO 2.5 minutes WATCH>>
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 07. 7.08
98% of Commuters Favor Public Transit For Everybody Else
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
The Onion reports on a new study from the American Public Transportation Association, which concludes that something must be done to get everybody else off the road.
"Improving public transportation will do a great deal of good, creating jobs, revitalizing downtown areas, and reducing pollution," said one commuter. "It also means a lot to me personally, as it should cut 20 to 25 minutes off my morning drive."
The study is also big on car pooling. "When public transportation is not practical, commuters should at least be carpooling," said another commuter. "Most people, unlike me, probably work near someone they know and don't need to be driving alone."
The APTA is kicking off a campaign to promote mass transit with the slogan, "Take The Bus... I'll Be Glad You Did."...
Renewable Energy Promotion Center Established in Egypt
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 07. 7.08
photo by Thierry via flickr
We’ve written before about the enormous solar potential of North Africa. In an effort to tap into that potential, a new renewable energy promotion and research center has opened near near Cairo.
Significant funding from European Agencies
The Regional Centre for Excellence for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency was open last week in Nasser City. The $30 million center received financial support in the form of grants from the European Union and the EU Commission in Egypt, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation, and the Danish Development Agency. The Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Energy contributed $6.3 million of its own funds.
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Beijing's Olympic Security Forces Drive ... Segways?
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 07. 7.08
Combine rising fuel costs with escalating security concerns in China, and this makes perfect sense -- kind of: ahead of the Olympics, a Chinese anti-terror team has recently been training on specially-outfitted Segways, the electric, gyro-balanced scooters that are more commonly seen zipping across Silicon Valley campuses.
The scooters, which claim a top speed of 12.5 km/hour and which inventor Dean Kamen billed as nearly impossible to tip-over (George W. didn't get that memo) will also be used by officials and security personnel around the main stadium, the partially solar powered Bird's Nest, come the "Green" Olympics in August. (Segways are still uncommon in China, where they cost $10,000 -- double the cost in the U.S. due to import duties.)...
Energy Policy: Asleep at the Spigot
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
"Americans have seen the current oil crisis coming for 30 years. But analysts say chances to head it off were ignored, missed or blocked." - that is the subhead that says it all. Nelson Schwartz writes a long and thorough article in the New York Times about how we got into this mess, and how this may be "a fundamental repricing of the commodity responsible for much of modern American life, the impact of that change will affect everyone from home builders and homeowners in exurbs to corporate leaders, landlords and commuters in cities."
Unfortunately, the vision and action to fix things still seems lacking; for example, Newt Gingrich, who fought efforts to tighten fuel standards when he was in office, still says about regulations: “They will work if you coerce the entire system and if you pretend the American people are Japanese and Europeans. Our culture favors driving long distances in powerful vehicles and the car as a social expression.”
Not for long, Newt. ::New York Times...
Home Delivery: Digitally Fabricated Housing
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
It is getting awfully close to the July 20 opening of Home Delivery at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where five architects are building and displaying seriously cutting-edge prefabs. We will be looking at each of them this week.
Lawrence Sass of MIT has been working with the idea of the digitally fabricated house for a few years; we first met him at Prefab Now two years ago, but it has evolved significantly since then. Imagine a flatpack house that you assemble like a kid's toy....
NYC Block Parties: Letting the City Breathe
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07. 7.08
Toyota Cranking Out More Prefabs
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
It isn't bad looking. It's a prefab built by Toyota in an assembly line with robots and conveyor belts, and comes with a sixty year warranty. It is fire and earthquake-proof. It will soon come with an electrical system that can charge up your car during off-peak hours.
According to the Wall Street Journal, prospective purchasers can step into an earthquake simulator " for a lesson in why a durable home is important in this earthquake-prone country. Other displays focus on how Toyota's car technologies have been applied to houses, including a rustproofing process that preserves the house's steel structure for decades; a device to quiet engines that can help damp vibrations from foot traffic on the upper floors; and a single key that can be coded to open both the owner's Toyota car and Toyota home."...
Vacant Lot Becomes a Garden
by Bonnie Alter, London on 07. 7.08
Vacant Lot is an exploration of land use in inner city areas. As part of the London Festival of Architecture some abandoned and derelict patches of land in deepest east end London have been turned into a beautiful oasis of green (vegetables). Forget about allotments--so far away and hard to get to. Instead, seventy individual bags containing in all a half ton of soil have been distributed to form this instant garden. Working with local residents in a subsidised housing project, the architectural firm What If has posed this concept as a possible solution to inner city living. Now, within their individual plots, the participants are tending a spectacular array of vegetables, salads, fruit and flowers.
From an investment of £6 ($12) per person for the seeds, one man has grown 200 lettuces as well as cucumbers, spring onions carrots and beet roots. The vacant lot has become a space for growing food, socialising, picnics and barbecues. And an educational tool as well. ...
Traffilog Helps Taxi and Truck Fleets Save 16 Percent of Fuel
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 07. 7.08
The rising gas costs are hurting everyone these days. Public transportation prices are rising because of it; taxi drivers are crying over the climbing fuel prices; and the cost of goods rises everywhere, as shipping and trucking costs are factored into the price of everything we purchase. Truckers are protesting around the world.
A new software called Traffilog could help truck and taxi fleet owners better manage their assets and what drivers are doing when on the road. The company says it can save up to 16% of fuel costs. Traffilog has developed a product for the field of "mobile asset management," designed to keep fleet drivers out of accidents but to also make sure they do everything within their power to use fuel efficiently, reports David in the Jerusalem Post. TreeHugger has reported extensively on the optimal speeds for drivers to use fuel most efficiently; and tips for saving gas.
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Germany Targets 125,000 Megawatts Of Wind Power By 2030
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07. 7.08
In the North Sea, the upshot of this 2030 goal would be a very large population of wind turbines, and probably a maintenance fleet made up of ex-fishing boats, supported by former fishing ports. Remarkably, the vision is to supplant the German nuclear plants which are, officially at least, slated for a phase out. The government has agreed to honor a decision to close the country's 17 nuclear power plants by 2020 but remains divided over the issue. [Chancellor ] Merkel insists that a nuclear phase-out would hinder efforts to slash Germany's dependency on greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuels. But Tiefensee, a member of Merkel's Social Democrat coalition partners, said that investing in wind farms was better than keeping the nuclear plants running.Via::Yahoo News, Image credit::AFP/File/Barbara Sax, via Yahoo News....
Greenwash Watch: HSBC Headquarters
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
The new HSBC headquarters is over half a million square feet of green goodness, with rainwater collection, drought resistant landscaping, renewable energy, paper-free cafeteria all topped off with a green roof and going for LEED Gold certification. What could be wrong with that?
For one thing, 3,000 employees formerly working in Chicago are now commuting to " Mettawa, once predominantly a horse farm, chosen in part because of its open space and rural setting. The village, with only 500 people and an area of about five square miles, is so small that it does not have a village hall."
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Will We See A Hybrid Ferrari?
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 07. 7.08
The Drive for Alternatives is On
One clear sign that the search for alternatives to oil has reached a fever pitch is when Ferrari, one of the world's most renowned sports car manufacturers, announces its intention to build vehicles powered by biofuels and electricity, as well as hybrid drivetrains. Ferrari, of course, isn't doing this out of the goodness of its heart: it has to meet more stringent European emissions standards, and the company has set a goal of reducing "CO2 emissions by 40 percent between now and 2012."
That the makers of high-end, performance vehicles are looking to alternatives to inefficient, polluting engines is not a new trend; Tesla has been getting tons of attention for its electric sports car and the Lexus LS600H is a 430 horsepower, Super Ultra Low Emission hybrid sedan good enough for the likes of Paul McCartney. What we're seeing, then, is that all automakers, from Ferrari to Ford to Toyota, are looking to get around the high cost and environmental/geopolitical stigma of oil. When asked if people would still buy hybrid or electric Ferraris, the company's CEO replied "yes, of course. It's the best sports car in the world. It's still fundamentally a Ferrari."
And while very few Ferraris are actually sold--reducing the direct impact of an increase in their efficiency--millions of people worship the iconic vehicles. If the object of their desire were powered by an innovative, elegant hybrid or electric motor, then all the better.
Via: ::AFP
More on Sports Cars
Ferrari: Now Available in Greenwash
Tesla's Next Electric Car to be Called "Model S," New Factory to Open in Northern California
Wrightspeed X1: "Amazing Electric Car Pwns Ferrari"
Citroen's C-Metisse Diesel Hybrid Sports Car
The Audi R-Zero Electric Wet Dream...
ImagiPLAY Toys Creates Neat Line of Eco-Friendly Puzzles for Kids of All Ages
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 07. 7.08
After last year’s seemingly endless summer of toxic toy revelations, it’s been awhile since we made a whole lot of neat toy recommendations here at TreeHugger. But it seems there’s a great set of 3D Puzzles from ImagiPlay that just may be able to help entertain your little one this summer between trips to the beach and time spent outdoors rediscovering nature itself.
With a Rocking Horse, Lion, Elephant & Calf, Clown Car, Train, Tugboat and Cow and Calf available, these ImagiPLAY toys are fair trade, sustainable, and non-toxic so you won’t have to worry a bit about how they were produced, where they came from, or what they might do to your child if they pick one up and put it in their mouth.
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Survey on Gas Prices- Do You Always Look on the Bright Side of Life?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 7.08
The meme of the moment is 10 benefits of a high fuel price or The Gas Price Cloud Has a Green Lining or The Upside of $200 Oil. I have suggested that "people would change their habits to adapt, and suddenly the world would be filled with small efficient cars, lots of mass transit, all food would be locally grown and every new home would be New Urbanist or multifamily, mainly in reborn Buffaloes or Detroits with a bicycle in every garage and an organic chicken in every pot. Oh, and CO2 levels would drop like a stone in this bucolic New Jerusalem." Do you, like me, always look on the bright side of life?
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Living For The Greater Green In Las Vegas: The Art Of Lawn Styling
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07. 7.08
Some municipalities have ordinances requiring that a grass-only lawn be kept growing, and at a certain height. Some places, you can get busted for growing other than grass. In Atlanta, Georgia, some people have taken to painting green the entire drought-killed lawn to make it look like it's alive. Not so in drought threatened Las Vegas Nevada, where you can get a government incentive check for skipping the grass entirely.
And, who better than a Las Vegas-based artist to create a 'lawn style' as performance art? His change in lawn style was fun and simple and saved lots of money: like putting in a CFL bulb. In doing so Bob Curry symbolized his effort to go for the greater green.
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G8: Are NGOs Stealing The Show?
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 07. 7.08
Argentine Glacier (Perito Moreno) Breaks in Winter for the First Time Ever
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 07. 7.08
(Picture: Santa Cruz tourism office via La Nacion newspaper.) The Perito Moreno is one in a group of 48 glaciers located in the Andes, near the limits between Santa Cruz province and the Chilean frontier. Its break is a periodic event caused by the glacier's advance on the lake where it's located, and so far it had only happened during the summer, when the ice is weaker. This year, the process began last Friday and the glacier is about to break in winter for the first time in history.
Even though specialists have not officially linked the phenomenon with global warming, the mayor from the National Park that shelters the glacier has recognized in several media declarations it could be due to higher temperatures and stronger water pressure. The Perito Moreno glacier, however, is one of the only three that are not retreating in Patagonia....
Could Magic Mushrooms Help Treat Cancer?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07. 7.08
Credit: Getty Images
Doctors at the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit of Johns Hopkins University are seeking volunteers for a study assessing the therapeutic value of the psychoactive substance, psilocybin, in sacred mushrooms (aka magic mushrooms). Volunteers with a current or past diagnosis of cancer are being sought. Our source notes: "Publicizing this trial has been very challenging so we are asking for your assistance to help us get the word out." We can imagine, given that "spaced out" and the "hemp effect" come immediately to mind upon suggestion of beneficial applications for psychedelic substances....
Pop Quiz: How Boisterous is Bamboo
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 07. 6.08
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Swedish Climate Carrots Delayed, But Consumers Eager
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 07. 6.08
Norwegian carrots - they might not meet KRAV's climate criteria! By color line @ flickr
Sweden's organic food organization KRAV and local-food certifier Svenskt Sigill were supposed to release the first round of climate-certified basic foodstuffs this fall. The organization of Swedish consumers has slowed up the process complaining that a new climate label would confuse and bewilder Swedish consumers, while the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency said opposes a new label for each new environmental problem. The Swedish National Board of Trade said the labeling was anti-trade as only Swedish products - fruit, veggies, grains, fish and shellfish - were to be labeled.
Consumers strongly in favor of climate labeling
Some critics wanted a detailed label that totaled the amount (in grams) of greenhouse gas that production of each foodstuff entailed. So say, local carrots, would have a much lower greenhouse gas number than carrots trucked in from Italy. But KRAV said that type of labeling (a lá Tesco) would require 7 to 10 years of research. Instead KRAV planned to certify goods that met criteria including a maximum amount of CO2 for production and transport. That label may now be delayed as the organization runs its suggestions through another round of commenting. An early July survey by Svenskt Sigill's sister organization found 8 out of 10 consumers wanted climate labels, while half were ready to pay a premium for certified "climate friendly" foods. Via ::Miljöaktuellt (Swedish)
Read More:
Climate Carrots
Holy Cow! Sacred Beef Takes Backseat In Swedish Climate Debate...
Flawed Methods Seriously Underestimate Projected Extinction Rates... A Hundred-Fold
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07. 6.08
The more than 16,000 species currently listed by the IUCN as seriously endangered may be gone much sooner than we think. In a new study published in Nature, the University of Colorado's Brett Melbourne and UC Davis' Alan Hastings estimate that endangered species may become extinct 100 times faster than originally expected, blaming earlier predictions on erroneous, outdated models, reports The Guardian's Ian Sample.
It wouldn't be the first time that a previously well-established model has fallen by the wayside in light of stark new evidence (think melting Arctic ice cap). Yet the consequences here could be especially dire: According to Melbourne, certain species "could have months instead of years left" (emphasis mine)....
Will Beijing Continue Down its Environmental Path?
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07. 6.08
Image from angus_mac_123
We've all seen the length to which China has gone in order to burnish its environmental credentials ahead of the Olympics. Whether it be building sparkling new sustainable facilities for the Games or "forcing" good weather through unconventional means, China has been doing its utmost to ensure it not be perceived as eco-insensitive. The big question, however, remains: Will it stay green?
ES&T's Naomi Lubick ponders this very question in a recent story tracing China's progress-to-date and examining its future ambitions. While China may have already surpassed the U.S. in becoming the world's greatest emitter of carbon dioxide, what Lubick sees certainly portends well for the country's future.
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Climate Diet book - the Latest Dieting Fad?
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 07. 6.08
Will this diet go the way of the dodo, like so many diets before it? Image via: Flickr
While there are books aplenty today about going green, greening your lifestyle and green for dummies, The Climate Diet is the first to offer you greening solutions in terms of a weight watchers diet. The book also shows how you can not only cut emissions but also save money by cutting out the excess in your life.
The Climate Diet: How You Can Cut Carbon, Cut Costs, And Save the Planet, by Jonathan Harrington, offers readers tips on how to reduce their carbon footprint in areas of their life, such as, heating, transportation, community and home. While it's a good 'how to go green' book, it doesn't necessarily offer anything that the other green books haven't. ...
The Gettysburg Of US Climate Action: Clean Air Act Could/Could Not Be Used To Cost-Effectively Regulate Green House Gases?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07. 6.08
Here's a glimpse at what went on behind closed doors in Washington DC, prior to the G8 summit being held in Japan. The door opens with this citation from two battle-embedded reporters for Dow Jones Newswire: The White House is fighting an intense private battle with officials at the Environmental Protection Agency to prevent the publication of a document that could become the legal road map for regulation of greenhouse gas emissions across the U.S. economy, according to people close to the matter. Senior White House officials are eager to prevent the original document from being published because it is in opposition to their belief that regulating emissions could create major policy havoc....
Robert Seamans 1918-2008
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07. 6.08
Robert Seamans is best known for his role in the Apollo Program, but he was also appointed by President Gerald Ford in 1974 to be the first administrator of the Energy Research and Development Administration, which was a precursor of the Department of Energy, to deal with the effects of the Arab oil embargo.
According to the New York Times, on his first day in the job he said “There is no way we can become self-sufficient in 10 years or any time in the future if we keep increasing the use of energy.” Important elements in energy conservation, he said, would be the development of automobiles that get more than 40 percent better gas mileage and the design of buildings that would be less expensive to heat and cool. He told the Times in 1974: “We are never again going to have a cheap-energy situation, and we have got to use every string in our bow if we are going to maintain the lifestyle of this country.”
Too bad nobody listened. Robert Seamans, dead at 89. ::New York Times...
Knitting Project Kits and Alpaca Yarns for Ethical Knitting
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 07. 6.08
Your fingers will itch for a pair of needles when you see the luxurious, stylish and ethical knitting yarns and craft kits from The Toft Alpaca Shop. A peek at The Toft Alpaca Shop's introduction information immediately convinces one that Toft is committed to sustainable and ethical best practices across the entire product line and all production processes. For example: - Alpaca wool is harvested from the flock at the Toft site or purchased from farms within 50 miles of the point of sale.
- All hand-knitted finished products are crafted by knitters working from home in the surrounding areas -- Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire-- or are imported from Peru under a verified fair trade scheme.
- Machine-knit socks are sustainably powered by water at Coldharbour Watermill, Devon, dedicated to environmentally-friendly textile production.
- Toft is a family-run business, including the dedicated efforts of three generations of the Bettinson family.
Cyclist Injured By Dog Gets His Day in Court--On Judge Judy
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 07. 6.08
G8: Japan-US Summit Meeting, Demonstration in Sapporo
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 07. 6.08
What do you think - should the United States wait until China and India also decide to do something about climate change?
On measures against global warming, which are a focal point of the G8 summit, US president George W Bush met with Japan's prime minister Yasuo Fukuda today on Sunday. The two leaders agreed to cooperate in making progress, including setting up long-term targets, according to NHK World. Mr Fukuda said the two countries' opinions are getting closer, and he does not think the United States is losing sight of its direction.
Mr Bush responded that he wants to act in a constructive way, but said he is a "pragmatist" and noted that the issue will not be resolved unless China and India share what the United States is being urged to do. Mr Bush also said he will be attending the summit for the 8th time, and he feels that it is going to be a success this time, hinting that the United States will cooperate with the chair country, Japan. Mr Fukuda said the two countries agreed that soaring crude oil and food prices are severely affecting the world economy, and swift measures are needed to address them.
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TreeHugger breaks it down for you in a series of in depth how-to articles that will help you green your life. No time like the present!
Here are a few recommended websites.
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