- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part one)
- Vijay Vaitheeswaran (part two)
- Vinay Gupta
- Alyce Santoro
- Mathis Wackernagel
- Tom Price
- Martha Marks
- Paul Hawken
- David Suzuki
- Wal-Mart's Green Gurus
- Alisa Smith and James Mackinnon, authors of Plenty
- Bob Perkowitz of ecoAmerica
- Ed Begley Jr.
- The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen
Entries for July 27, 2008 - August 2, 2008
Total this week: 158
Home-Sourcing Trend Could Get You A Green Job: The Upside Of Costly Oil
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08. 2.08
Not only is the world no longer "flat," greener jobs are coming to the USA as a result - in factories with 'down-home' supply chains. People don't need to lobby or protest to make it happen. By subsidizing it's own oil demand growth, China has effectively added a 9% tariff on its exports.
It is as if there exists an as yet un-named economics version of the Gaia Hypothesis emerging around increased shipping costs. Example: To avoid having to ship all its products from abroad, the Swedish furniture manufacturer Ikea opened its first factory in the United States in May.Home-sourced products are coming for rich people too....
Stephen Colbert Interviews Brendan Koerner, Slate's Green Lantern
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08. 2.08
Ocean Acidification: 100 Years in the Future
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08. 2.08
Image from jurvetson
A study published in an upcoming issue of the journal Current Biology paints a grim picture of the future impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms, reports ENN's Angelique van Engelen. While the study doesn't contribute much that is new in terms of our current understanding of the process -- indeed, the scientists' estimation that seawater pH will drop to 7.7 from a normal 8.1 is well in line with most estimates -- it provides yet more evidence that acidification will devastate many forms of marine life in the near future. ...
New Mexico (And Some Navajo) Object To 1,500-megawatt Coal-Fired Power Plant
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08. 2.08
Governor Richardson has stated that New Mexico will appeal USEPAs issuance, this week, of an air permit needed to begin construction of a massive coal-fired plant. New Mexico officials said Thursday they will appeal an air-quality permit the U.S. federal government granted...The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a permit Thursday for a 1,500-megawatt coal-fired power plant called Desert Rock being developed on Navajo Nation land by the nation's Dine Power Authority and by energy company Sithe Global Power LLC. The developers estimate the plant will cost $3 billion.Via::Dow Jones News Wires, New Mexico Gov Richardson Objects To EPA Permit For Coal Plant. The air permit does not limit mercury or C02 emissions. There are questions about USEPA's administrative procedures, used in issuing the permit. And, there has long been division and protest (as pictured) among the Navajo over the proposed plant. For details, see the Desert Rock Blog. Via::Z Magazine, A (Desert) Rock By Any Other Name. Image credit::ZMag, Resistance Camp against proposed coal plant—photo from Elouise Brown...
Israel: Political Vacuum Leads to Slew of Green Laws
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 08. 2.08
The Knesset, Israel's parliament: Soon to be painted green? (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
The Israeli Knesset, perhaps the most hyperactive spot in this more-wired-than-most country, may have caught on a bit late, but it appears that the green wave washing over the country has finally reached the benches of Israel’s parliament.
Maybe it was the teetering of the governing coalition or the multi-year water crisis, or maybe it was just the sticky and oppressive summer heat. Whatever the cause, the summer session of the Knesset closed last week with an unprecedented burst of environmental legislation.
Here's a roundup of the new laws......
New Electrode Design Could Make "Much Cheaper" Fuel Cell Possible
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08. 1.08
In related hydrogen breakthrough news, a team of scientists from Melbourne's Monash University has developed a new fuel cell prototype that could pave the way for a generation of much cheaper, more efficient fuel-cell vehicles. The results of their project, which was led by Maria Forsyth, a professor of materials engineering at the Australian Center of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, are published in the current issue of Science (sub. required).
The main obstacle to the mass production of hydrogen fuel cells has always been the high cost of platinum nanoparticles -- the small quantity contained within each cell typically adds $3500 to $4000 to the car's sticker price -- which are used to build the cell's air electrode. The electrode reduces oxygen and is thus a vital component of the fuel cell, helping in energy generation and storage. Aside from its high cost, platinum nanoparticles are also extremely difficult to find and have a nasty tendency to become inactivated by contact with carbon monoxide or by clumping together....
Green College Rankings Now Available From The Princeton Review
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 08. 1.08
Image: Getty Images
Just in time for the next round of college applications, the Princeton Review announced its latest round of college ranking guides, but this year the guides will include a green ranking of universities, among the other rankings like best program for a particular degree category, as well as colleges with the best campus social life. 534 schools were included in this ranking, with most progressive campuses earning Honor Roll status....
Maybe There's No Eco-Fur So How About Green Suede
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 08. 1.08
TreeHuggers, being a discerning lot, when recently polled came down in a clear majority against the concept of "eco-fur" when we wrote first about a chinchilla/polyester jacket from designer Chie Imai, and then about an expensive line of pillows and throws made from the skins of invasive possums wreaking havoc in New Zealand.
Green suede, no shoes
So there's probably little hope trying to persuade these same gentle readers that there's such a thing as green suede. But let's just give it a try. Bernardo, a clothing line based in New York City, is launching a line of suede garments to Nordstrom stores next week. Priced at between $168 - $198, Bernardo's suede jackets, in a number of styles such as a bomber, a trench and a kind of zippered poncho, are claimed by the company to be machine washable (and dryer-safe) and eco-friendly.
Biodegradable tanning agents
Bernardo uses pig skin for its suede from just a single company, Hormel Foods (yup, originators of SPAM) which breeds only U.S. animals and supposedly treats its pigs humanely. Once Bernardo gets the skins, they use biodegradable tanning agents, dyes, and finishes (eschewing the use of chrome in tanning means some of the colors can be a little less vibrant, the company says) at the IUV tannery in Slovenia. Certified by Britain's The Soil Association, the IUV tannery process is also "verified" by the British Leather Council. The solid waste from the process is made into fertilizer, the water is put through treatment so that it leaves the factory as drinkable. Nut, coconut and bone buttons are used on the jackets as well as organic cotton for trim, and the hang tags are made from a "residual" of the tanning process and then embedded with California poppy seeds....
Aral Sea Rehabilitation Program’s First Phase Hailed as Success
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 08. 1.08
Efforts over the past seven years have expanded the surface area of the Aral Sea by 30%. Photo by Mentat Kibernes.
Not too long ago everyone had pretty much written off the Aral Sea as a lost cause. Soviet irrigation policies had diverted water from the Aral for so long that the sea was going to irreversibly dry up. You’ve probably seen photos of ships stranded in the sand, left high and dry as the waters receded, in An Inconvenient Truth. Though used as a symbol of climate change in that film, that particular connection is tenuous at best. Nonetheless the death of the Aral Sea is true environmental disaster that is entirely manmade.
Now comes word that the Aral is getting a second life. In 2001, the government of Kazakhstan worked together with the World Bank to build a dam across the middle of what remained of the Aral Sea to enable the northern portion to be filled with water from the Syr Darya River.
...
How to Go Green: Hybrid Cars, Organic Breakfast and Dirt Cheap Bikes
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 08. 1.08
:: Get the low-down on hybrid cars: how they work, which to buy and helpful driving tips.
:: Sleep in this weekend and make a leisurely, organic breakfast.
:: Score a bike for $20 or less!...
TreeHugger Tip: Jack Johnson on Collecting Rain with Rain Barrels
by Chris Tackett, Fayetteville, Arkansas on 08. 1.08
20 Organic Wines Under $20, Alaska's LED Lights and VW's Tax Break
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 08. 1.08
EcoSalon lists 20 organic wines under $20.
Achorage, Alaska installs 16,000 LED streetlights.
VW Clean Diesels are issued a $1,300 Federal Income Tax Credit.
Ecovative Design creates an earth-friendly alternative to styrofoam.
Researchers from Spain and Nicaragua invent a solar-powered milk pasteurizer.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Camarada, Can You Spare a Few Dollars For the Amazon? Brazil Establishes Forest Fund
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 08. 1.08
photo: Getty Images
In an effort to raise money to prevent deforestation and preserve remaining areas of the Amazon rainforest, Brazil has announced that it has established an international fund for forest protection. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has signed a decree establishing The Amazon Fund, which will be able to receive up to US$21 billion over the next 13 years. Donations in the first year will be capped at $1 billion.
Norway the First Nation to Donate
On announcement, the fund is already a tenth of the way towards that first year cap. Norway has pledged to donate $100 million in September. Any money received will not be tax deductible or applicable to any carbon trading scheme.
...
Saving Money But Risking Injuries on Bicycles in LA
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08. 1.08
credit: Getty Images
An Exercise in Frustration
Here is a tip on recommended coffee break reading for a Friday. Check out this piece in the Wall Street Journal online, Risking Life and Limb, Riding a Bike to Work in L.A.. Caution: not recommended for bike commuters with high blood pressure.
In the wake of a July road-rage incident that sent two bicyclists to the hospital when a driver apparently slammed on the brakes just ahead of them, the WSJ reports on a collection of anecdotes from those few brave enough to venture into LA traffic on their bicycles. ...
"Major Breakthrough" in Hydrogen Production: Video Interview with Daniel Nocera
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 08. 1.08
You may have seen yesterday’s post on a “giant leap” breakthrough in hydrogen production, and its implications for storing renewable energy. MIT has posted a video interview with the scientist behind this research, Daniel Nocera. Nothing you may not have already read, but I always find it's good to hear things first hand.
via :: MIT News Office
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, Renewable Energy
A “Giant Leap” For Clean Energy: Hydrogen Production Breakthrough from MIT
Fuel Cell Cars Still 15 Years Away Says Government Study
Water + Sunlight = Solar Hydrogen
...
Tar Sands Less Damaging Than Coal, Shell Says: But They Sure are Profitable
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 08. 1.08
photo by Fraser Elliot
Earlier this week I wrote about a new report by WWF-UK that said that economic and environmental cost of developing unconventional sources of oil such as the Tar Sands in Canada and Oil Shale in the Rocky Mountains of the U.S. would be “unthinkable”. In the report it was claimed that the because of the tremendous effort required to produce a barrel of oil from these sources, the overall carbon emissions are dramatically higher than conventional oil sources: Tar sand extraction produce three times the emissions; Oil Shale producing eight times the emissions.
Well, oil company Shell didn’t take that report too well and has fired back. From The Guardian:...
Scientists Say Great Migrations Need Protection
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 08. 1.08
Image: Getty Images
Picture the scene: Millions of passenger pigeons crossing North America in packs over a mile wide, taking several days to finally pass over an area. (Not to mention the left-behind destruction of all that poop!). Or maybe, multitudes of stampeding buffalo crossing the wide open plains of Middle America. Hard to imagine these scenes today with all of our interstate highways and byways criss-crossing everywhere, but researchers on a recently published article in PLoS Biology report that these migrations are not only important but that they should be protected....
Carbon Emissions in UK 49% Higher Than Acknowledged: New Report Claims
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 08. 1.08
photo montage created from photos by (L-to-R): David Reece, Storm Crypt, and Kaustav Bhattacharya.
Two new reports, yet to be published but reported on by the BBC, show that contrary to previously published figures carbon emissions in the UK have not only not fallen since the early 1990s, they have actually increased dramatically.
One report by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says that emissions have risen by 18% between 1992 and 2004, while a report by the Stockholm Environment Institute says that greenhouse gas emissions are in fact 49% higher than currently reported.
...
Kids Retrieve Almost 40,000 Plastic Bags in Terrific Bid to Earn Free Fun
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 08. 1.08
In a terrific promotion we can only hope will lead to more creative thinking, Rye Playland in Westchester, NY recently held a promotion where every child that turned in 100 plastic bags for recycling received free admission to the park that day.
All told, the kids put together some 39,995 plastic bags as they worked their way through the turnstiles in search of a good time at one of the most historic amusement parks in the country.
...
Mammoth Environmental Festival
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 08. 1.08
The Outdoors in Mammoth Environmental Festival takes place next week, August 5 & 6, 2008, in Mammoth, California. This year's theme, Summit to the Sea, highlights the connection between the mountains and the ocean, and everything in-between. The festival will combine hands-on activities with short field trips, including watching environmental films under the stars.
Jean-Michael Cousteau will speak at several events during the festival, including the closing dinner. Representatives from the Paiute Indian community will attend to talk about issues of sustainable living, as well as lead hikes to the area's water source and hot springs to talk about geothermal energy.
All hiking and movie events are free, but the meetings with Cousteau are part of a larger package, of which proceeds will benefit the Mammoth Community Foundation. ...
New Algae Biofuel from Sapphire Energy "Chemically Identical to Gasoline"
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 08. 1.08
photo: Sapphire Energy
‘Green Crude’ Milestone
In what it calls its most significant milestone yet, Sapphire Energy , claims it has succeeded in refining a high-octane gasoline from algae that is chemically identical to crude oil. According to Sapphire Energy, “The resulting gasoline is completely compatible with current infrastructure, meaning absolutely no change to consumer’s cars.” This is of course in addition to the benefit that their Green Crude is a carbon neutral fuel.
...
Unleashing the Low Carbon Dragon? New Report Highlights China’s Renewable Energy Push
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 08. 1.08
Wind farm outside of Urumqi photo by Ken Driese
It may have recently officially overtaken the United States as the world’s leading emitter of greenhouse gasses, but China also leads the world in another environmental category: Installed Renewable Energy Capacity. A new report from The Climate Group rounds up the steps China is taking to wean itself off the polluting energy forms which are behind both its greenhouse gas emissions and its air pollution problems.
Here are some of the highlights:
...
Congress Moves to Ban In-Flight Cell Phone Use
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 08. 1.08
America is facing many challenges at the moment: gas prices, two ongoing wars, health care, social security, and the credit crisis, to name a few. So it might come as a bit of a surprise (or perhaps not!) that Congress spent yesterday trading horror stories "about their worst experiences with annoying fellow passengers who talk loudly on cell phones before takeoff and after landing." No, they weren't just being chatty; there was at least a reason for the discussion. They were actually debating a new bill, cleverly called the Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace (HANG UP) Act, which would "make the current Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communication Commission ban on cell phone use during flight permanent."
EU Has Approved Cell Phone Use
This is in contrast to the European Union, which recently approved the use of cell phones during flights. Under that plan, "the European Commission will be tasked with ensuring that customers aren't charged exorbitant prices for making the calls." Congress, however, has several reasons for moving forward with a ban, including the obligatory national security concerns, as well as a desire to minimize the stresses of travel. After all, who wants to listen to someone spend an entire flight on the phone with a friend, attempting to calculate the CO2 emissions from their cross-country trip?...
Green Products Directory 2008
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 08. 1.08
It might not quite be the Whole Earth Catalog of the glorious 1960s, but I like it anyway. Asian Productivity Organization publishes its biannual Green Products Directory with the latest from our part of the world (was WEC ever truly global?) and the listings are comprehensive.
This year, APO selected the greening of supply chains as a main theme and is working to ensure that Asian governments and enterprises promote the use of environment-friendly products and services as a fundamental strategy. APO believes that greening supply chains is a way to link manufacturing with sustainable economic development in the region. Their goal is to incorporate consideration for the environment into every stage of the supply chains, from the very beginning of the product life till the end, "making all chains green".
The fourth edition of the Eco-products Directory was released in conjunction with the opening of the Eco-products International Fair 2008 in Hanoi, Vietnam earlier in 2008.
I also like their photo competition: shown above is "Sifting Rice" by Dang Ngoc Thai, one of the APO Photo Contest winners in 2006....
The TH Interview: Chris Page—The Green Yahoo
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 08. 1.08
Climate impact might not be the first thing on your mind when jumping on a search engine (unless you’re searching “climate impact”). But much is going on behind the scenes of these ethereal data dealers of search. Yahoo! has recruited its secret weapon in the climate battle, Christina Page, from the arsenal of the Rocky Mountain Institute, Amory Lovins’ brainy and prestigious “think-and-do tank,” (also a TH guest poster). As Yahoo!’s director of climate and energy strategy, Page has been charged with bringing the company to carbon neutrality (which it accomplished in 2007), and with developing outlets like its green autos page, 18Seconds.org (the CFL initiative of Inconvenient Truth producer Lawrence Bender), and Freecycle (a Yahoo! group). Yahoo! is also trying to harness the brains and fingers of its 500 million users to create green iconography, do-gooder advertising, and a world of green Web users. ::TreeHugger Radio Also check out our interview with Yahoo! co-founder David Filo. Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download. Special thanks goes to CraigMichaels, the organizer of the Sustainable Operations Summit, for arranging this interview. (Full text after the jump)...
Green Branding: Free Your Inner Activist - Business Will Follow
by Jerry Stifelman, The Change, Chapel Hill, NC on 08. 1.08
Green Branding Brings Freedom to Act
A "brand" is business-speak for your standing in the community. And that standing is based on the sum of who you are, not just what you say. If someone in your neighborhood leads protests against a new coal plant, rides her bike to work everyday, and coaches a community soccer team — you're going to have an impression of her as a someone who cares.
However, the larger a company is, the more branding tends to get confined to the realm of communications. The reason for this is twofold. The first -- as businesses get larger, they hire outside communication agencies that are empowered to create messages, not policy. The second reason is that most of the things that people admire about companies stand in direct contrast to the kind of cost-cutting, stockholder-pleasing actions big corporations tend to take. Laying off employees and switching to a 12-prompt voice mail system are NOT the kind of actions that inspire people. The difference between what compels large conventional companies and what motivates dynamic mission-driven companies confers advantage on the latter. ...
Strawberry Fields Forever: 5 Reasons Why Preserving Your Own Food Is Green
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 08. 1.08
(Hamutal Dotan, from Toronto, goes berry-pickin')
It seems like such an old-fashioned “Leave It To Beaver” sort of tradition –– going out strawberry and cucumber picking and making your own jam and pickles. But more TreeHuggers, we are finding, are going out into the fields and back to the wisdom of our grandparents by making their own preserves. It makes green sense.
Our friend from Green Prophet, Hamutal Dotan, recently did it. She spent a day out berry picking, and wrote out a step-by-step recipe for the even the lamest cooks in the crowd.
So did this TreeHugger. While up in Northern Canada earlier in July, I decided to venture out with my family and spend a day berry-picking and making jam. In total, the whole process took about 5 hours from start to finish (including the berry picking) and created memories and yummy jam that will last a long time.
As we rack up food miles for everything we eat, preserving our own food seems to be the way of the future. ...
Kenya To Ramp Up Geothermal Energy
by Eliza Barclay, Nomad on 08. 1.08
Like many developing countries with a surging economy and population, Kenya is finding its energy supply increasingly tight. Currently, electric supply capacity is close to its limit at 1,080 MW when peak hour demand reaches nearly 1,000 MW, according to AFP. Though coal is the cheapest option for boosting supply, Kenya is also looking to further tap into its substantial geothermal resources to meet demand. Near the town of Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi, underground hot water sources and steam at 300 degrees Celsius can be piped up the surface from up two kilometers (6,500 feet) below and turned into electricity.
President Mwai Kibaki recently announced a plan to produce an extra 2,000 megawatts within 10 years, with 85 percent (1,700 MW) to come from geothermal plants. At the country's main Ol Karia plant, near Naivasha, engineers and experts are discussing prospection and drilling plans.
"Because geothermal energy is our only indigenous source of energy, we're going for it. We can supply Kenya's entire needs with geothermal alone," Silas Simiyu, who works at Ol Karia, says.
...
Survey: Is Conspicuous Consumption Un-TreeHugger?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08. 1.08
Well, we certainly got schooled in the comments for our post on Gil Arena's million dollar pool, being told to mind our own business and if a guy has the money to use as much water as the nation of Chad then it is his right. But when we do these posts we are trying to make a point- that perhaps in a time of crisis conspicuous consumption of limited resources is not appropriate. In World War II, many people with a lot of money were careful not to show it, in solidarity with other who were not spending money because of the war effort. Are we wrong?
...
UK Scheme's 100th School Solar Installation Complete
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08. 1.08
Not long ago UK-based Solarcentury completed the 50th installation in the innovative Solar4Schools initiative, which has received huge report from the Co-operative supermarket chain. Now they’ve announced that they’ve just finished their 100th installation – and judging by the photo above, the kids are pretty excited. But while 100 solar installations in schools is impressive, it’s a figure dwarfed by the scale of problems caused by the rest of our energy infrastructure - problems that kids in particular will spend much of their lives sorting out. So it’s particularly encouraging to see that The Co-operative and Solarcentury are not resting on their laurels, instead calling on the government to install solar on every school in the country – and the Co-op is backing that challenge up with a pledge of a further £1m (US$2m) to support renewable energy in schools. This from Derry Newmann, CEO of Solarcentury:...
Battleground Earth Sneak Peek: A BPA-Free Tommy Lee!
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 08. 1.08
Jack Johnson isn’t the only musician greening up his act with reusable water bottles. Tommy Lee, Ludacris and the Battleground Earth cast and crew ditched their disposables for one that’s more eco-sound—Water Geek’s reusable water bottle.
Unlike some Nalgenes, the sports bottle is made with BPA-free (phew!), low density polyethylene plastic (#4 recycle symbol) and comes with a built-in filter to remove chlorine, bad taste, odor and heavy metals like lead, mercury and copper. ...
Brazilian Melissa Teams Up with Zaha Hadid
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08. 1.08
It's good for your sole: Melissa, the hot Brazilian plastic shoemaker, has done it again. Melissa makes eco-friendly shoes that are 100% recyclable. The production process is fair and sustainable and the "plastic" shoes are made via injection molds, of a special material, melflex, a mono-material which can be dissassembled and recycled. The factory has almost (99%) zero-waste, recycling its factory water and waste, and the employees are well-paid. The company supports many social and environmental programmes in Brazil.
She also teams up with very hip designers such as Vivienne Westwood and the Campana Brothers. And now she has got Zaha Hadid, famous international architect to design a pair of rubber shoes. Hadid is controversial both from a design point of view (love her or hate her) and construction-wise--her swimming pool proposal for the 2012 London Olympics is already 3 times over budget and it hasn't been built yet. As for the shoes--they look great. She says "The fluidity of our design combined perfectly with the technology of Melissa's plastic, injecting pieces without closures or seals." :: Melissa Via :: PFSK
More On Melissa and Zaha
:: Zaha Designs a Hybrid
:: SustainStyle
...
Ethanol Produced from Perennial Grass Could Offset 20% of Gas Use with 9.3% of Cropland
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.31.08
For all the talk of switchgrass being the next miracle biofuel feedstock, there's still precious little to show for it. Yes, we did recently report on a study which showed that switchgrass could potentially yield 5 times more energy than was used to grow it and, yes, there are several companies that are working hard to bring cellulosic ethanol to market. Yet, for all its purported merits, we aren't likely to see it become commercially available for another few years.
That opening is giving other potential second-generation feedstocks, such as kudzu and cattails, an opportunity to prove their ethanol mettle. Enter Miscanthus giganteus....
Green Publishing, Farmers' Market Finds and Non-Toxic Tans
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 07.31.08
:: Get published the green way.
:: Splurge on chanterelle mushrooms at your farmers market.
:: Create a perfect summer glow without the toxins.
:: Simplify your life--and the landfill--and unsubscribe from junk mail.
:: Handle your candle soot problem with ease.
...
Is $339,000 For This Green Solar-Roof Home In Chicago Affordable?
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 07.31.08
Solar Verde is a planned 20-home community near Chicago's South Chicago Heights subdivision which is intended to have all zero energy homes as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program. The first two zero energy houses at Solar Verde, now completed, are supposed to be reminiscent of mail-order, Sears catalog-style homes of the early 20th century, except their solar roof panels, on-demand water heating, heat pump and high-efficiency building materials mean the homes should pay you back with significant energy bill savings.
Net zero electric bills?
The $339,000 price tag for the home is higher than Chicago's recent median of $262,000, and at 1,595 square feet it's also less roomy (U.S. median = 2,400 sq. ft.) than some would like, though with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a full basement. The sales pitch for the homes is that the photovoltaic systems can reduce electric bills to zero and avoid release of nearly 11,500 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, as well as around 40 pounds of SO2 and 30 pounds of NOx that would be emitted if coal-generated energy was used in a newly-built home.
Integrated 4 kilowatt solar roof panels
The homes' solar roof panels are a standard feature designed to provide most or all the energy and power a typical family would require, with a net metering system to feed excess to the grid when the sun shines as well as allow for owners to get all the electricity they need in winter and other low-sun periods. According to Solar Verde's builders, the solar rooftop tiles alone would run around $10,000 per kilowatt, or $40,000 for the 4 kW system. But the homes have a host of other features to make them energy efficient....
TreeHugger Tip: Tim Ferriss on Commuting in San Francisco
by Chris Tackett, Fayetteville, Arkansas on 07.31.08
Bangladesh’s Landmass is Growing Yearly, But Gains from Sediment Deposits Will be Overtaken by Sea Level Rise
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 07.31.08
Rickshaws driving through flooded Dhaka, Bangladesh streets. Photo by Shahid Sarker.
Put this one in your “life’s cruel ironies” file.
20 Square Kilometers Per Year Gained...
The BBC is reporting that researchers in Bangladesh say that their nation is actually getting larger by about 20 square kilometers a year. Sediments washed down the Ganges, Brahmaputra and numerous other rivers of Bangladesh each year are deposited in the delta which forms most of Bangladesh’s landmass. Only about one-third of all sediment actually makes it into the Bay of Bengal. By 2060 Bangladesh could be up to 1000 sq. kilometers larger at this rate of deposition.
...
Breathing in Beijing: An Emergency Anti-Smog Plan, Rainmaking, and New Words for Pollution
by Alex Pasternack, Beijing, China on 07.31.08
An Environmental Protection Bureau van checks air quality near the Water Cube
After over a week of mixed pollution, Beijing today outlined emergency measures for fighting smog during the Olympics, potentially expanding what is already the world's grandest pollution experiment. Under "extremely unfavorable weather conditions," like hot, humid air without the winds needed to disperse pollution, the government may enact further restrictions on factories and cars in Beijing and the nearby city of Tianjin as well as surrounding Hebei Province -- in total a region of more than 91 million people.
Instead of removing 90 percent of cars, as proposed earlier this week -- or erecting an enormous fan, as has not yet been publically proposed -- the rules would maintain the existing alternate-day car restrictions (on even-numbered days, only license plates ending in an even number are allowed to drive) with a further 10 percent reduction: if your license plate number ends in the current date, you'll need to grab a bike, a bus, a Segway, or ride the city's newly expanded network.
While the odd-even restriction may be too harsh for most people to swallow on a regular basis, the current date rule sounds like a more practical long-term idea. But are cars really to blame? ...
A “Giant Leap” For Clean Energy: Hydrogen Production Breakthrough from MIT
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 07.31.08
graphic of hydrogen bonds (in green) between oxygen (red) and hydrogen (white): Focus
One problem with wind and solar power is that for either to be able to provide a round-the-clock source of reliable power, you need some sort of back up power source. Or you need to have some way of storing the excess energy produced during the day for use at night or when the wind isn’t blowing. Well, though it’s a long way from being commercially deployed, a new development by MIT chemist Daniel Nocera may bring the holy grail of renewable energy storage a bit closer to hand.
...
Three TreeHugger Picks Win Design Awards
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.31.08
Three projects previously profiled on TreeHugger have won design awards from the Ontario Association of Architects, perhaps indicating that green ideas in architecture are becoming more mainstream, or that my taste in architecture is not as bad as so many commenters suggest. Only one of the three was overtly green and going for LEED certification; the other two had green aspects that I admired. I love the Credit Valley Hospital addition by the Farrow Partnership because of it's remarkable use of wood. See more at Study Proves Good Design Means Healthier Patients...
UK Technology Writer Takes His Electronics Off-Grid
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.31.08
Image Credit Danny Bird @ PC Pro/Dennis Publishing
British technology writer and TreeHugger emeritus Matthew Sparkes faced a challenge- could he run all of his technology on solar and wind power, even in gloomy London? It turned into an interesting demonstration of how far technology has come but how far it has yet to go.
Matt started with an advantage- he is a crazed cyclist, usually doing 15 or 20 miles a day on his fixie. That was enough time for a HYmini wind turbine fastened to his handlebars to half-fill his phone. (Although I must say that I think it is possibly one of the dumbest uses of wind-power; someone should take the old-fashioned generators that rubbed on the wheel of the bike and hook that up to a detachable battery pack or charger; I suspect that you would get a lot more power out of it.) The HYmini uses both wind and solar, so Matt was able to put it on his windowsill and get even more out of it.
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180,000 Square Miles of the Bering Sea Made Off Limits to Destructive Bottom Trawling
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 07.31.08
The Bering Sea isn’t exactly the easiest spot on the planet to fish, regardless of the technology used. This photo, by Nick Myers, shows just what sort of waves can occur in the Bering.
There’s no denying the fact that the world’s fisheries are endangered because of overfishing. In the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna are severely threatened, and the story is the same for many other commercial fish stocks. The pressure of too many boats, with too much technology, chasing too few animals could well be fatal to the world’s oceans.
A Total Area of Ocean Five Times That of California Now Protected
ENN brings us the good news is that from August 25th of this year, 180,000 square miles of the Bering Sea will be off-limits to one of the most indiscriminate, destructive forms of commercial fishing: Bottom trawling.
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Battleground Earth Sneak Peek: Electronic Recyclers International
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 07.31.08
E-Waste is a Growing Problem
It's not that often that you can see a TV show that includes the recycling of electronics in the plot, but Battleground Earth (Thursdays at 8pm Eastern on TLC) isn't just any regular ol' show. In episode #9, Tommy Lee and Ludacris will tackle an e-waste problem in Downtown LA with the help of Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the largest e-waste recycler in the US with over 170 million pound per year (we wrote about them a couple of years ago)....
Anchorage, Alaska, to Install 16,000 LED Streetlights. Will Save $360,000 per Year.
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 07.31.08
LED Streetlights in Anchorage, Alaska
We told you that LED streetlights were coming. The latest town to get them is Anchorage, Alaska. The municipality, along with Cree, Inc, a maker of LED lights, are planning to change 16,000 municipal roadway lights with high-efficiency LED fixtures (about 1/4 of total streetlights).
Bigger Benefits Up North
Because Anchorage has 85 days a year with less than 8 hours of daylight, any benefit over the tradition lighting architecture are compounded. Read on for technical benefits of LED streetlights....
Pine Ridge Reservation Radio Station KILI-FM Brings Its Renewable Energy Vision to Life
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 07.31.08
KILI-FM radio station’s new wind turbine. Photo by Keri Pickett
While most of the projects we post about are in the biggest and best category, sometimes small first steps are just as meaningful. This is one such step.
Wind Turbine to Entirely Power Lakota Radio Station
Later today 90.1 KILI-FM, located on the Pine Ridge Reservation in Porcupine, South Dakota, will dedicate the installation of a single wind turbine which will entirely power the station through renewable energy. The turbine dedication also marks the station’s 25th anniversary as the largest Indian radio station, and the “Voice of the Lakota People.” Expected to produce more than 92 MWh of electricity annually, the turbine will save the radio station $12,000 in energy costs.
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Miley Cyrus' Green Teen Scene, Matt Damon's Eco-Mission, Gossip Girl Goes Green, and More
by Terri MacLeod on 07.31.08
...Like it or not, Miley is suddenly the poster girl for the next generation's green scene. The tween superstar (who is all of 15) told me recently she's dedicated to being a positive eco-role model through her music and lifestyle. ...This week, Miley set-up her first eBay charity auction. She donated stuff from her closet, jewelry box, autographed photos, and a meet and greet with her -- which sold for close to $17 thousand. ....In total, Miley raised over $58 thousand to benefit her children's charity.
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Three US West Coast Governors 'United In Opposition To Offshore Drilling'
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.31.08
The oil lobby easily sways the US Federal government. Congress is wet lacustrine clay in their lobbyist-stained hand. West Coast governors: not so malleable; and, more practical. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, joined with Democratic Govs. Ted Kulongoski of Oregon and Chris Gregoire of Washington to reaffirm their opposition to opening undersea oil fields to new drilling, as part of an elaborate action plan for preserving coastal waters.Healthy fishing and tourism industries have a high net present value that accrues directly to residents of the three states (covering the entire US West Coast). Oil leases contribute less, and pose a risk to existing industries. We might call the three West Coast Governors the "anti-cartel." Their stand is more like delta-Nigerian than Washington DC-ian: looking out for the direct interests of their constituents. US Gulf Coast State Governors are, in comparison, seemingly much more compliant. Via::LAT, 3 West Coast governors oppose new offshore oil drilling...
2000 Megawatt Wyoming Wind Farm to Produce Power for Southern California, Las Vegas, Arizona
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 07.31.08
photo by Cory Grunkemeyer
Though it is earlier in the development process than yesterday’s announced 909 MW Oregon wind farm—which, yes, is smaller than T. Boone Pickens’ 4000 MW behemoth, but since it’s farther along the road to actually being built can claim the world record at the moment—a new massive wind project proposal may be bringing more clean energy to Southern California, Las Vegas and Phoenix, Arizona.
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US Bootprints On The Ground...Out Of The Heart Of Climate Darkness
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.31.08
Camel soldiering, a very old British military tactic in the Middle East, is not a a real option for modern armies.. Apologies in advance, though, to Joseph Conrad and T. E. Lawrence for the metaphor. The [Army's] goal is to bring Army emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide down by 30 percent by 2015, said Tad Davis, deputy assistant secretary for environment, safety and occupational health.As reported by Reuters, a majority of Middle Eastern, forward-base energy consumption is from air conditioning of tents. Air conditioned tents. And they are looking into spraying insulating foam on the tents, prompting the questions: would the Iraq war still be on without Air Conditioned Tents; and how long will the foam last?...
Shambala Festival: Costumes, Coaches and Compost Toilets
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07.31.08
From Coachella putting on its own train to Summercase’s reusable cups, it seems like every music festival is doing something to be a little cleaner and a little greener this summer. One festival that’s been doing its bit for a while now, but not necessarily shouting about it, is Shambala in the UK (Full disclosure: I was previously involved in organising a permaculture education area at Shambala 05 & 06). Besides a rigorous recycling policy, which seems to have become the norm among UK festivals, Shambala also uses funds from car parking to subsidise coach travel from around the country; offers secure bike parking and an organized mass bike ride; stipulates biodegradable serving utensils for vendors, and encourages vegetarian, vegan, organic, and “happy animal” caterers - there's even a bike-powered smoothy maker. Delving into Shambala’s sustainability policies a little further , it turns out that the festival also has the largest fleet of composting toilets in the country:
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The Pickens Plan and T. Boone Pickens Water Rights Grab, Video Recap
by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 07.31.08
Testing the Torqeedo Electric Outboard Motor
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.31.08
Survey: Do You Support Fluoridation?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.31.08
It is really about trust; The government and the scientists have been saying for years that fluoride is great and reduces cavities, while there have always been those opposed to putting chemicals in our water and particularly object to fluoride. But nobody objects to iodizing salt or adding vitamin D to milk; where is the dividing line between positive intervention and poison?
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Spain to Cut Speed Limit, Give Out 49m CFLs and Build 1m Electric Cars
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 07.31.08
Spain Announces Major Energy Saving Plans
This is one of those stories that sounds almost too radical to be true. We’ve already noted that bringing back the 55 mph speed limit could do a lot to reduce gas consumption and cut CO2 emissions, but usually when the idea is discussed we hear from numerous commenters that it would be political suicide. Spain’s government might not agree, as it has apparently just announced a raft of incredibly ambitious measures to help tackle global warming, including cutting the speed limit to 50mph, but that's just the beginning. According to The Guardian, other actions to be undertaken between now and 2014 include handing out 49 million low energy light bulbs, limiting AC use in public buildings to 26C (79F) and introducing a pilot program for the manufacture of 1m electric or hybrid cars! (Of course Spain is already a powerhouse for solar energy projects.) It seems the Spaniards are going to be busy.
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Allie Hosts the Carnival, JUNKraft Hits Top Speed, Natalie Portman on Project Runway, Petz on The Canary Project, Danny Seo on Whole Living
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 07.31.08
Allie's Answers: Carnival of the Green #138 by Allie
"I am so excited to be hosting Carnival of the Green #138. I moved my column from CelebCause.com over to start Allie’s Answers on July 31, 2007, and immediately signed up to host Carnival of the Green. My hosting date seemed so far off, and I worried I’d run out of eco-friendly things to talk about before I made it to my first blogiversary. But here I am, a year later, full of ideas, excited to move forward into year two."
JUNK: JUNKraft flying along, launch revisited by Anna Cummins
"As of 9:30 tonight, JUNK was forging ahead at top speeds (relative, of course), possibly making today another record mileage day. Last night, she hit record speeds - 3.2 knots - a 58 mile day. I asked Marcus how JUNK performs at high speed. Other than some new and strange bottle crunching noises, she apparently does just fine!"...
Battleground Earth Gets Wild (Not Wet) at the Car Wash
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 07.31.08
You might not see girls in thongs getting all hot and sudsy as they wash down corvettes (a la 90’s-style music videos), but you will see another sort of car wash going down in an episode of Planet Green’s Battleground Earth—a waterless car wash that is.
Is it true? Have Tommy Lee and Luda traded in their bad boy ways and cute music video girls for a responsible, greener way of life where water conservation becomes sexier than lathered up babes? Find out after the jump!...