- 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 August 24, 2008 - August 30, 2008
Total this week: 188
Learn to Build a Do It Yourself Biomass Gasifier
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.30.08
When TreeHugger featured Robert "Chip" Beaman's Wood Powered Pickup Truck, readers commented, aghast at the potential for humanity to destroy woodland resources if transportation infrastructure were to switch to wood gasification. Therefore, for your further consideration, may we introduce you to Victory Gasworks. Victory Gasworks' Ben Peterson has built his own gasifier, specializing in biomass such as wood scraps, yard waste, and corn cobs. ...
This Week in Huffpo: Biden, McCain, and Politics
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.30.08
How Biden's Foreign Policy Experience Supplements Obama's Climate Policy While the traditional media has largely focused on touting Biden's long tenure in the Senate and foreign policy expertise as key assets that will add gravitas to the Democratic campaign, it has spent little time examining how the Delaware senator's experience could supplement Obama's policies in other areas (the obvious ones being national security and foreign affairs, of course). Though it may not seem obvious at first blush, Biden may end up proving most valuable to Obama in lending his foreign policy chops to tackle climate change. ::Jeremy Jaquot
Wrapping Up Our Plastic Habit...In More Plastic Not surprisingly, our world is awash in disposable plastic cutlery. Google Answers' best estimates put annual production at about 40 billion pieces in the USA alone. Seem outrageous? Just tally your own consumption, or that of your office, in a two-week span and then calculate your personal annual consumption. ::Graham Hill
...
Getting to the Bottom of the World's Biggest Mass Poisoning Case (UPDATED)
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.30.08
Image from vm2827
Every year, over 70 million Indians and Bangladeshi are exposed to arsenic when they consume rice, the region's primary food staple, and water. Often portrayed as the world's worst case of mass poisoning, this chronic exposure has been linked to increasing cancer rates and is believed to impact 6 out of every 100 people in the Bengal Delta -- at least one of which will suffer from near-death symptoms. The situation is so critical that the WHO has described it as being "beyond the accidents of Bhopal, India, in 1984 and Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986," in scope. ...
Biking Across America with WE ADD UP - Day 24: Recycle
by Carson Poe and Eric Plosky, Boston, MA on 08.30.08
Environmental Photographer Mona Miri Explores the Shifting Cityscape
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 08.30.08
As a native of Iran who grew up in Boston, Mona Miri's life has always been defined by a constant state of change and development. No wonder, then, that "Modified Landscapes," Miri's first solo exhibition, sets out to explore this theme as it relates to the built environment. Focusing her lense on a fast-changing neighborhood in San Francisco, the young environmental photographer's work comments on "environmental stress and the constant progression of city life."
This week, TreeHugger sat down with her to talk about "Modified Landscapes," the urban environment and the philosophy behind her work.
Mona Miri: "All of the photographs in "Modified Landscapes" were taken in an area called Bayview-Hunters Point on the San Francisco waterfront, which contains a third of the city's toxic waste sites and is currently undergoing a massive process of redevelopment and gentrification. The photo exhibition actually took place a few blocks away from the site.
The place itself interested me as a hot spot - a toxic place, environmentally hazardous. There are signs up saying this place could be hazardous to your health. It has a history going back to WWII of shipyards, landfills, industry, and even power plants and nuclear research - but there is also a community that lives there. These days it is a prime location for developers, and there are big plans to redevelop the site."...
Sony Bank Becomes Japan's First Carbon-Neutral Bank
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.29.08
Photo credit: Getty Images
Sony Bank has become Japan's first carbon-neutral bank, thanks to its purchase of renewable-energy credits. Issued by the Japan Natural Energy Company, the Green Power Certificate equals 1.1 million kilowatt hours—enough to cover the bank's entire annual electricity consumption—and saves the equivalent of 400 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions.
In addition, for clients who own funds that exceed a certain amount, Sony Bank will use part of their service charges to purchase emissions credits, which it will then donate to the Japanese government. Sony isn't alone in its carbon neutrality, however. In April, Canada's Vancouver City Savings Credit Union announced that it succeeded in its goal to become the first North American financial institution with a zero-carbon footprint, two years ahead of schedule. ::Japan for Sustainability
[Via ::LOHAS]
More on banks fighting global warming
Bank of America Offering Hybrid Reimbursement
Wells Fargo Bank on Renewable Energy
Dutch Bank to Offer Carbon Credits to Brazilian Farmers
Triodos Bank Explores 'Ethical Consumption'
Ulster Bank Offers UK's First Solar Mortgage...
Scientists Develop Potent Acids to Take Down Destructive Fluorocarbons
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.29.08
While their brethren, the dreaded chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), may be on the wane, fluorocarbons -- a class of equally dangerous industrial gases -- are still wreaking havoc. As the name implies, the main distinguishing characteristic between CFCs and fluorocarbons is that the latter lacks chlorine; that is, unfortunately, one of the few meaningful differences, as both are extremely destructive in their own respects.
Unlike CFCs, which were banned from use because of their harmful impact on the ozone layer, fluorocarbons remain widely in use: found in everything from clothing, blood substitutes and lubricants to refrigerants. The strength and lack of reactivity of their C-F bonds, which renders them water repellent, has made them an ideal chemical for many industries. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/321/5893/1168...
Focus Earth with Bob Woodruff: the Gulf Coast, Katrina and the DNC
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.29.08
Image source: Planet Green
Focus Earth with Bob Woodruff looks at US environmental challenges of the past and what we can hope for in the future. With tropical storm Gustav on a collision course for the Gulf of Mexico, is New Orleans ready for another Katrina? On the third anniversary of Katrina, and after watching Gustav rip through Haiti, leaving casualties in its wake and head for Cuba and ultimately the Gulf Coast, Bob Woodruff takes a closer look at how far New Orleans has come in the last three years. Also, lots of promises were made this week in Denver as the Democrats nominated their candidate for President, but just what exactly is this ticket offering for America's environmental future?
Bob Woodruff takes a helicopter tour with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal through the 9th Ward, which suffered some of the greatest devastation from Katrina. The city is working on rebuilding, strengthening levees and even going green, but how much is left to do before they can feel safe again. Over 15% of Southern Louisiana has washed away over the last century, making it the fastest disappearing shoreline in the world. Another 600,000 acres, roughly the size of Rhode Island are expected to disappear in the next 50 years. How is Louisiana planning on dealing with this?...
Mexico to Phase Out Dirty "Vochos," or VW Beetles
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 08.29.08
The ubiquitous green and white Volkswagen bugs that serve as cheap taxis for millions of Mexico City residents while damaging their lungs by spewing ultra fine particulate matter and other pollutants will be phased out by 2012, according to the Spanish news agency Efe. The cars, known fondly as "vochos," proliferated in Mexico decades after Volkswagen began manufacturing them in the city of Puebla.
The municipal transport and road ministry, known as Setravi, issued a ruling Friday saying the Beetles are less safe and are responsible for more pollution than any modern vehicle. The ministry provided few details on how the phase out would occur, but the idea is to replace the vochos with modern, fuel-efficient and clean-vehicles.
...
Growing Food in the Arctic Circle
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 08.29.08
Photo: Lisa Gregoire via Canadian Geographic
As we reported over a year ago global warming will cause agriculture to migrate towards the poles. While it remains to be seen how, and which, crops will survive and thrive as they creep north, residents of Inuvik, NWT are already growing food in a town 120 miles north of the arctic circle sitting on top of permafrost at least 300 feet deep. ...
US, China, Wealthy Nations Should Bear the Costs of Reducing Carbon Emissions: Stockholm Environment Institute
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.29.08
Not that the principle of this is new, but in an effort to push forward a new global treaty on greenhouse gas emission reduction, the Stockholm Environment Institute has said that the United States, China, and other wealthy nations should be responsible for the majority of the costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Bloomberg reports.
Wealthy Would Have to Pay For Poor Nations' Reductions
Under the proposal both national income and overall emissions would be considered when determining the level of carbon emission cuts a country would be required to make. Furthermore, wealthy nations would be obliged to do more than simply cut their own emissions, but would also be required to pay for emissions reduction projects in poorer nations. ...
Quote of the Day: Michael Braungart on Population
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.29.08
Michael Braungart is co-author with William McDonough of Cradle to Cradle. He writes a very strange article in Abitare that includes a few gems, including this one about the population problem.
"But I can tell you, sustainability is boring. It is just the minimum. Like when you were asked: ”How is your relationship with your girlfriend?” What do you say? Sustainable? I’d say: “I am so sorry for you.” Design is the complete opposite of sustainability. We would still live on trees if we were sustainable. Sustainability just keeps the same things over and over again. Instead we should celebrate being human beings and our creativity, which is far more important than sustainability.
So believe me, we are not too many people on this planet. If you take the total weight of the planet’s ants on one hand and the total weight of human beings on the other, you’ll see that the ants’ weight is four times higher. It is not only the number, but ants weigh out human beings. Further they have a much shorter life span than we have. And because they work much harder physically than we do, the calorie consumption of ants equals about 30 billion people. It is clearly not about the fact that we are too many. Ants don’t produce waste. They don’t need to minimize waste. They produce nutrients. Again it is a design question."...
Rishi Tea Taste Test
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.29.08
Image source: Rishi Tea
Its no surprise that Rishi Tea was the winner of seven First Place Awards at the 2008 Tea Championships for best tea, and to top it off was the first company to win the award making organic teas. Beating out 300 other brands, Rishi "rose to the top"
I drink a lot of tea though I'd hardly say I'm an expert or connoseur, but this was good tea. You crack open the lid and a strong, sweet smell of peppermint hits you. It doesn't smell like old, dead packaged tea, but smells like tea leaves that have been freshly picked. Brew a pot and you're equally rewarded. ...
Buffalo: Where the Urban Dream is Going Cheap
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.29.08
From tiny apartment to big front porch
Buffalo has everything going for it; green hydropower, water, railways, canals, a temperate climate; it should be a hot spot. Instead it has a smaller population than it did in 1907 and acres of empty houses. Adam Sternbergh writes in New York magazine about how New Yorkers are taking notice and moving there- mostly the creative types that can work anywhere (and don't have a lot of money)
It is "a story about choices. It’s a story about reaching that pivotal moment when the dream life you imagined for yourself in New York no longer seems attainable or attractive, or simply no longer seems worth the wearying chase."
I hope it is the first of many stories about the revival of the American rust belt, where there is so much infrastructure already in place, so much opportunity to rebuild green, sustainable, walkable towns and cities....
Economic Advantages of Green Energy Take Precedence over Environmental Benefits in Obama Acceptance Speech
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.29.08
Natural Potato Chips Taste Test
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 08.29.08
"The Winner" photo by roboppy via flickr
While we usually visit Grist to check in on the latest news on topics like GMOs or federal farm policy analysis we couldn't resist reading Tom Philpott's unscientific taste test of 10 "health-food-store" potato chips. (Actually eight chips made from potatoes, one from plantain, and one from cassava, but why quibble?)
Even the most hardened locavore has their snack-food vice and we salute Philpott for taking this challenge and sharing his weakness for the mighty chip. He even manages to fit in a bit of food system education with his observation that organic potato chips are rare due to a lack of large scale organic potato farms to meet the demands of the potato chip processor.
On to the results:...
3 Ways to Reuse Nail Polish, Tomato Potato Soup and This Week's Cycling Tip
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 08.29.08
:: Use up your old nail polish with these three ideas.
:: Give your simple tomato soup a twist by trying this Tomato Potato Soup recipe instead!
:: Find a friend to go biking with you to make cycling more fun--and safe....
Rumor: Mazda Preparing Volt Rival Using Rotary Engine
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.29.08
Competition for the Volt
British car site Autocar claims that some "senior sources" at Mazda revealed that the company is working on a rival to GM's Volt. The series hybrid would use a gas engine to generate electricity to charge batteries, but it would always be electric motors turning the wheels (unlike the Prius). This could mean that Ford, who owns a significant portion of Mazda, will also use this technology.
Prototype
Apparently, it's not just a paper concept. "Trials are currently underway in Japan, with a prototype that uses a rotary engine [like the Mazda RX-8] to charge the battery pack. The tests are sufficiently advanced that Mazda has a working prototype in a Mazda 5 MPV bodyshell. Company bosses are said to be keen to put this system into production but no firm decisions will be made until the cost of batteries is reduced." ...
Strawbale Cabin by Studio Makkink & Bey
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.29.08
A lovely looking straw bale cabin in the Dutch countryside by Jurgen Bey and Rianne Makkink, built as part of an exhibition of 13 art projects. Can't tell you much about it as the designer gets the incomprehensible website design of the month award at ::Jurgenbey.nl More pictures at Designboom...
Toyota iQ: The Smallest Four-Passenger Car in the World
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.29.08
Toyota iQ: Coming to Japan and Europe
The Toyota iQ, which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, will go on sale in Japan in October and in Europe a few months later. Lets have a closer look.
Big Space in Small Package
Unlike the Smart Car which can only seat two people, the Toyota iQ has 4 seats, though only 3 of those can accommodate adults. The last one is better used for a small child, a baby seat or a grocery bag. Still, not bad for a car that fits somewhere between the Smart and Yaris in lenght (117 inches).
Update: 57 MPG Toyota iQ Goes on Sale in Europe, No U.S. Release Date Yet
...
Japan to Spend $4 Billion Next Year to Reduce Carbon Emissions: Develop Clean Energy Solutions, Electric Vehicles, Carbon Capture & Storage
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.29.08
photo: Maki_C30D via flickr
With the recent sobering news that not only is the trend in the Arctic indicating that climate change is happening more quickly than models have indicated, but also that permafrost in the region contains significantly more greenhouse gases just waiting to be released as the region warms, it’s good to hear that at least one nation is increasing its efforts to get its own carbon emissions under a semblance of control.
27% Budgetary Increase For Climate Change Mitigation
Earlier this week, Japan announced that it will spend $4 billion in the next fiscal year on efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. This would be a 27% increase in monies spend to combat climate change, Blooomberg reports. In June, Japan’s prime minister pledged that the nation would reduce its carbon emissions by 60-80% from current levels by 2050.
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Green Gear for Dads, EcoMedia Advertising and Holistic Bee Sting Remedies
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 08.29.08
:: Eco Child's Play features green gear for dads.
:: EcoMedia creates advertising where half of the proceeds goes to local communities.
:: We learn that common household items can come in handy when healing wasp and bee stings.
:: RoofRat helps simplify your solar panel shopping.
:: Catalog Choice helps cancel unwanted catalogs.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Indonesian Tofu Makers Turn Waste into Biogas: Video Clip
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.29.08
BBC Bloom: Science-Based Advice on Individual Carbon Reduction
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.29.08
What Actions Really Do Cut Carbon?
Is a vegan diet the greenest, or does eating a little meat make more ecological sense? Should you keep your old car or buy a hybrid? These are the types of questions that we TreeHuggers concern ourselves with every day – and sometimes the answers are not clear cut. It's great then to see a new climate-related site from the BBC called ‘Bloom’ that offers sound scientific advice on specific actions, and how much carbon they can really save.
I have yet to explore the whole site in detail (it is a little irritatingly Flash heavy), but so far there are a number of interesting topics explored – from solar phone chargers (the jury is still out on that one), to sharing a house with friends or lodgers (a sure fire winner on the carbon front), Bloom lays out the impact of each action, along with any debate or controversy that may still exist. Encouragingly, while the site does try to point out what actions may not cut as many emissions as you might think, it’s not all reduced down to a simple CO2 ratio – Bloom also discusses whether gadgets like solar chargers, while offering minimal to negligible emissions reductions in themselves, may serve to promote renewable energy among the general population. Good solid stuff from the BBC.
::BBC Bloom::via site visit::
...
Rabbis, Sheiks, Lamas and Missionaries See Green Eye to Eye at Israel's Sulha
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 08.29.08
It's becoming an annual thing and growing every year. Suhla, which means reconciliation in Arabic, is a three day meeting between Israelis and Palestinians. Although they live next door to each other, Israelis and Palestinians have little day to day contact. Sulha intends to break the cycle of regional hate and violence by getting these people to meet, dance, talk and party together.
This year the event took on a green spin, with organizers asking people to bring their own plates and utensils. But there were many more green elements, my friend from Green Prophet reports.
Other green ways of supporting the event included car-sharing and facebook invitations. Experiential lectures and workshops on making and using bio-fuel, and input from the good people at the NGO Bustan on bedouin and ecology complemented the programme, with many sharing & listening circles, voice & dance sessions, etc. Late night performances from Berry Sakhorov, Yair Dalal, and chilling out around a bonfire to the sounds of the friars chanting in the monastery ‘up the track’ rounded out the event....
Bike-Sharing Program at DNC Helps Convention Goers Get Around Carbon-Free
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 08.29.08
New Jersey Utility Invests $20 Million Into Compressed Air Energy Storage
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.29.08
image: CAES Development Co.
While I’m not convinced that the issue of renewable energy’s intermittency is as great a problem as it is often made out to be—in the sense that it's not a valid argument against deploying as much renewable energy as we can, as is sometimes claimed—storage solutions for renewable energy sources do need to be developed. In New Jersey, utility PSEG is turning to an often overlooked technology to address the problem.
Two Compressed Air Storage Systems Currently Developed
PSEG announced earlier this week that it would be investing $20 million over the next three years into developing underground compressed-air storage systems for wind turbines. Currently there are two Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) systems operating in the world, one in Alabama and the other in Huntorf, Germany.
...
The Importance of Not Always Being So Damn Earnest
by Earthwatch Institute on 08.29.08
In my last blog, I confessed my antipathy for camping. Today, I've got something a little hotter: two weeks ago, two Earthwatch colleagues and I took off our pants together behind the catering tent at a swanky cocktail party on the Charles River in Boston.
(Let me take this opportunity to issue our deepest apologies to the wait staff and to those unfortunate families touring the river on the famed Duck Boat tour that evening.)
What made the scene truly hot, I confess, wasn't our suite of Adonis-like attributes, but rather that we were doffing our trousers as part of Earthwatch's Beat the Heat Climate Change Campaign. We kicked off this two-month campaign (August 14-October 14) that night with a fundraiser at Boston's Museum of Science....
Survey: Will You Buy a North American Car If They Get It Right?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.29.08
Mike tells us that Ford is retooling it's plants to produce small cars instead of trucks. In WWII it switched from cars to planes pretty fast, so if they put their mind to it they can do remarkable things. But I suspect that many of our readers gave up on North American cars long ago and it might take a lot to bring them back. Will it be enough?
...
Meat-eating Warrants Same Scrutiny as Driving and Flying
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.29.08
According the the WorldWatch Institute (and an old post of our own) livestock contribute 18% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, even higher than the GHG emissions from transportation. As part of this figure they produce 37% of methane, which has more than 20 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. And if that weren’t enough to be concerned about, their manure emits nitrous oxide, 65% of world totals. WorldWatch also point out that in the United States, 70% of all anti-microbial drugs are now given to livestock.
Yet for all the welcoming news regarding decreased SUV sales, increased bicycle purchases and servicing, increased green home building, and so on, meat production, is on WorldWatch’s figures not declining. And in fact they see signs it is on the rise, with poultry, pig and beef production increasing between 2% and 4%. They dig out figures which indicate that globally about 56 billion animals are raised and slaughtered for food each year, the bulk of whom are ‘produced’ in factory farms....
What Do Robots, Sir David Attenborough and Kids have in Common?
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.29.08
Back to the Tap: Filtered Water Bottle
by Jenna Watson, Barcelona on 08.29.08
After writing about the benefits of tap water over bottled water, we received some info from the folks at Back to the Tap™. They have a serious movement going on to get people, as their name indicates, "back to the tap." Citing the benefits of kicking the bottle, like reducing plastic waste, and shrinking your carbon footprint, this organization encourages people to stay away from bottled water and use the EPA-regulated clear liquid that flows from your faucets.
In light of this important step in greening your drinking water, the Back to the Tap people created a water bottle with a carbon composite filtering mechanism that will last approximately 3 months before it needs to be changed (or the equivalent of approximately 80 gallons). They estimate that it will effectively eliminate an average of 300 water bottles from going to landfills and as many as 1000 bottles per person per year. The end goal – reducing global plastic waste.
...
Community Fruit Harvesting is Spreading
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.29.08
Fascinating the way the same idea can pop up at the same time in different locations. Take community fruit harvesting--when local volunteers harvest the fruit from trees for owners who can't (or can't be bothered) and share the bounty. First sighted in Toronto, Ontario, where a local group, called "not far from the tree" sends out a team of volunteers to pick the fruit. One third of the collection goes to the fruit tree owners, another third goes to the volunteers for their labour, and the final third is distributed (by bicycle or cart) to community organizations in the neighbourhood who can make good use of it. Next noted in Portland, Oregon and called the Portland Fruit Tree Project. The project has a database of 140 privately-owned fruit trees, and volunteers are gathered when it's time to pick ripe fruit. They keep what they can eat, and deliver the rest to food banks.
And now in Walthamstow, NE London, England, a group called OrganicLea and fruit picking is called scrumping. They reckon that even in urban areas, one in four detached or semi-detached houses have fruit trees in their garden and much of it goes to waste. Their group of dedicated volunteers has picked (scrumped) 12 tons of local fruit. Householders keep 25% of the fruit collected, while the rest is sold at a market stall or turned into (apple) juice. Over 30 trees were picked from this year. OrganicLea has its own allotment gardens and a weekly stall at a local market where it sells the surplus produce from its allotments; the stall takes 25% and the allotment holder gets 75% of whatever is made. :: Guardian
More on Community Harvesting
:: Backyard Fruit Trees
:: Community Fruit Harvesting
:: National Allotment Gardens Week...
Gary Snyder Wins 2008 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 08.29.08
(Photo: Giuseppe Moretti from BeatScene Online)
Few people may have seen as much of this beautiful planet and also looked as deeply within for inspiration as poet Gary Snyder. When he won the 2008 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize earlier this summer I was deeply moved. Gary is known here in Japan for having practiced Zen with Isshu Miura at a temple in Kyoto (back when almost noone travelled to this side of The Pacific). He first arrived in 1956, and spent a decade studying, researching and translating Zen texts. He also spent six months travelling throughout Asia, where he had the honour of a meeting with the Dalai Lama, and travelled through India with other poets including Alan Ginsberg.
In his Pulitzer Prize winning Turtle Island (1974) he is a very global treehugger:
The poems speak of place, and the energy pathways that sustain life. Each living being is a swirl in the flow, a formal turbulence, a 'song.' The land, the planet itself, is also a living being - at another pace. Anglos, Black people, Chicanos, and others beached up on these shores all share such views at the deepest levels of their old cultural traditions - African, Asian or European. Hark again to those roots, to see our ancient solidarity, and then to the work of being together on Turtle Island....
Eco-Graffiti and Grassity Moss Art Grace London, New York
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 08.29.08
Good public art stops you in your tracks, while the best public art also opens up a new thought channel in your head. Which, in terms of the evolution of the environmental ethos, may be what we all really need right now.
Moss greens up public space
Anna Garforth's green graffiti on display at London's Clissold Park, is called the Mossberger Project and is part of YCN, a two-week global art initiative - in Stockholm, Tallin, New York, Amsterdam, etc. as well as London. The moss, which Garforth uses for letters to display words, is just so much more friendly than spray paint as a way of leaving a semi-permanent message. And green...and biodegradable!
Garforth used a mixture of natural yogurt and sugar to get the moss to cling to the bricks. Eventually the moss in Garforth's messages will colonize and take over on the wall. Hit the jump to see the entire phrase, from a poem by Eleanor Stevens, as well as more examples of moss art. Via ::TrendHunter.com...
First Organic Fast Food Chain Opens in Germany
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.28.08
Organic. Regional. Seasonal. Fast. Fine. Nat.
Yep, Nat.. We really don't understand the period, but we get the concept. "Nat." is the name of an organic fast food restaurant which has opened in Hamburg as the first of a planned chain of fast-food locales to be run by both the parent company and under franchise. The menu starts with soups and salads, for a strong vegetarian or vegan basis. Entree offers include burgers -- either beef, lamb or vegetarian; grilled chicken, steak or fish plates; and a selection of seasonal hot casserole or pasta dishes. Your conscience will wince at turning down the fruit salad in favor of the chili-chocolate cake. Could it compromise on a sweet waffle with berries? A kids' menu suits the younger pallet and keeps the family pocketbook in order....
How to Tell Real Fur From Faux Fur
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.28.08
Image source: WashingtonPost.com
After reports last year of "raccoon dog" fur being used and labeled as faux fur, the Humane Society came out with a few quick tests you can use to test whether any animals were hurt in production. First, look at the base of the fur - fake fur will have a threaded backing while real fur will just have dyed skin. Second, animal fur tapers into a point - like a cat's whisker or a sewing needle. This one is harder to tell.
The third option is only for fur owners who want to check on a purchase they have already made - snip off a tiny portion of hair and light it on fire. Animal hair will smell like human hair when ignited - synthetic fur won't. If you do find that you have a fur coat and don't feel like you can wear it in good conscience, then the Humane Society has a tip for you (see below). There are other tests commonly used, such as "push-pin test, blow test, finger roll test, color of the fur, length of the fur and relative softeness of the fur" but none of these are very reliable. ...
4 Backpacking Tips, Cool Cucumber Salad and Eco-Brightened Linens
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 08.28.08
:: Go backpacking this weekend--and take along these four eco-friendly tips.
:: Savor the last tastes of summer with Emeril's cool and refreshing Cucumber Salad.
:: Get your whites white without having to use a toxic bleach.
...
Graphic Of The Day: US Natural Gas In Underground Storage
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.28.08
Anyone see a long-term trend here? Besides the fact that the annual variation in underground natural gas storage volume is large, and seems correlated with temperate zone solar input. Who'd have thought that there'd be less stored this August than last?
Last winter was pretty cold in the northern US states. Could happen again.
Hurricane Gus is barreling across the US Gulf as we write; and natural gas is extracted offshore just as is oil. That could cut production/storage for a period. Just thinking. Bet those future marketeers are too.
The reduced storage might have to do with power generation moving away from coal and toward gas??? Via::EIA, Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report...
Vote for Architecture for Humanity and Lulan at Amex Members Project
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.28.08
Christine wrote earlier about American Express' competition where cardholders and anyone else can vote to choose worthy projects, where the winner gets $ 1.5 million to "make the world a better place". Now TreeHugger hero Cameron Sinclair is asking for a little love for an Architecture for Humanity submission. Soon- time is running out.
It is "a locally driven social venture that creates an alliance of textile designers and gifted artisans in Southeast Asia to produce luxurious hand-woven fabrics. By providing economic opportunity, we help preserve hand-weaving in Asia while creating environmentally sustainable fabrics"- which are sold through Lulan, covered on Treehugger at ICFF here....
Pie Footwear Opens in Portland
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.28.08
Image source: Pie Footwear
Can your footwear be socially conscious and fashionable? Yes, according to Pie Footwear (the shoes are not edible), which just opened their doors in Portland, Oregon. JC and Stacey Matney own the store and began with the idea to have a comfortable shoe store, but realized they wanted their store to match their values and went vegan and sustainable instead.
Pie even holds in-store shoe recycling, including their upcoming event September 13, where for every shoe donated, Teva will donate $1 to the Waterkeeper Alliance. Shoes collected will be donated internationally through Souls4Soles. Pie also works with Nike's Reuse A Shoe program. ...
University of Richmond Awarded Energy Monitoring System
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.28.08
Image source: GradProfiles.com
Thanks to a grant from Dominion Power, the University of Richmond (Virginia) will get $100,000 to improve their energy efficiency. The money will go towards purchasing and installing a monitoring system in all 14 of its residence dorms. Over 1,000 students signed a petition in support of the project.
The system will be used no only to quantify just how much electricity students are using, but also to promote sustainability throughout campus as students can see how much they are saving and whether their efforts are working. Three large screens installed across campus will display energy savings for each dorm....
Endangered Elephants and Tigers Get to Keep More of Their Sumatran Habitat Thanks to Government National Park Decision
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.28.08
Sumatran tiger photo (not in wild, I might add): Silvain de Munck
Most of the time when the subject of Indonesia and wildlife comes across my desk it tends to be about the dire plight of the Orangutan. Today brings better news: The Southeast Asian nation’s dwindling populations of elephants and tigers have been granted a bit of a reprieve.
The government of Indonesia has committed to doubling the size of the Tesso Nilo National Park, one of the last places where the endangered Sumatran elephant and critically endangered Sumatran tigers are known to live.
With this commitment, the size of the Tesso Nilo National Park, created in 2004 in Riau Province, will increase in size from 94,000 acres to a total of 250,000 acres (213,000 in the park itself and an additional 47,000 of area managed by the park).
...
Eat Well Guide Shares High Tech Tools for the Sustainable Food Movement
by Jeff Nield, Vancouver, British Columbia on 08.28.08
Our friends at Eat Well Guide have just published their first book, Cultivating the Web: High Tech Tools for the Sustainable Food Movement. Weighing in at an efficient 39 pages the book highlights the power of the internet to spread the word on food and agriculture issues people care about, but traditional media ignores.
“Although it may seem the most unlikely of catalysts, digital technology is jogging our memories of real food and agrarian culture. We may be going back to the land, but lots of us are bringing our smart phones and laptops along., ” says Eat Well Guide director Destin Layne. Along with highlighting Eat Well Guide’s own successful web tools (including web favorites The Meatrix, the Eat Well Guide itself, and Eat Well Everywhere) the authors show how various other web tools have furthered the cause of a more localized and transparent food system.
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Fake Plastic Trees to Solve Climate Change
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.28.08
Image source: Getty Images
Okay so they're not necessarily plastic (though they could be), and they probably won't "solve" climate change, but according to Klaus Lackner, a geophysicist at Columbia University, the concept would give us time to develop alternative energies and slow the damaging effects of CO2 in our atmosphere. The San Diego Union Tribune reported today that both real and fake trees are being explored as options to fight climate change. Researchers are looking at both options to suck up CO2 out of our atmosphere and it looks like the fake trees might be winning.
The idea would be to make tall, fake "trees" that collect CO2; not in the way a normal tree would gather CO2, but rather, by using filters that stick to CO2 as it passes by. The current prototypes are 1,000 times better than real trees at sucking up CO2 and they are not using energy to photosynthesize anything....
Crossing Canada on an Electric Bike Using Only $10 of Electricity
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.28.08
Greenest Way to Travel Long Distances
Justin Lemire-Elmore loves electric bikes. He doesn't just sell them at his Vancouver store, he's also trying to show that he can cross Canada on one... on just $10 of electricity. So far, he has already crossed two provinces on his 6500+ km trip (4,000+ miles), using only $2 of his electricity budget. The bicycle he's using is a Xtracycle conversion. It's a pretty clever bike mod:
"It rides in a semi-recumbent position with a very comfortable posture and still has most of the storage capability of an Xtracycle. In place of the regular seat tube I've stuck another set of handlebars that links up to the front handlebars." More below....
Slow Food Nation’s Sustainable Movement Strolls into San Francisco This Weekend
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 08.28.08
Slow Food Movement Moves Into San Francisco
This weekend, the slow food gospel will wind its way through San Francisco’s streets mixing two city favorites, social justice and local eats. An event expected to draw 50,000 people, Slow Food Nation will speak to more than just those seeking a taste of great local cheese or a nugget of mind blowing chocolate. The Slow Food movement is about connecting us to our plates. It asks us to think about where our food is grown, who picks it, what resources it uses and what food system structures it is subject to.
Slow Food Nation will bring local, eco-friendly, mindfully made and fairly picked foods to engage San Francisco in the politics of eating.. Berkeley-based Slow Food Nation founder Alice Waters said at a recent talk at the city’s Commonwealth Club: ...
Rooftop Turbines vs. Offshore Wind Farms
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 08.28.08
Photo: Søren Krohn via windpower.org
It was good news for eco-conscious New Yorkers (and a joke to others) when Mayor Bloomberg suggested the installation of wind turbines atop city buildings and bridges or wind farms a ways offshore. The question is: which would be more effective? And which is more feasible? Let’s break down some of the pros and cons of the Big Apple’s wind power options....
Greener Flying? Renewable Aviation Fuel Being Developed by Swift Enterprises
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.28.08
If Swift Enterprises' bio-aviation fuel takes off, sorghum will one day power planes. Photo: Cobalt via flickr.
The race to find an alternative to petroleum-based aviation fuel just got a new contestant: Swift Enterprises. Though not yet ready for commercial production, the Indiana-based company says that it has developed a bio-aviation fuel made from landfill waste, sorghum, algae and wood chips which it says will be cheaper to produce and perform better than current aviation fuels.
Half the Cost of Petroleum-Based Fuel, Eventually
Currently it costs $60/gallon to produce the company’s so-called ‘Swift Fuel’ but Swift Enterprises expects that once it is ready to be produced in commercial quantities the cost will drop to about $1.80/gallon, or about half that of petroleum-based aviation fuel.
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ConEd Goes Green Roof on Long Island City Learning Center
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.28.08
photo: Con Edison
TreeHugger is all about green roofs on buildings—even taking part in building one—and can't say enough good things about the virtues of energy efficiency and energy conservation. So when Con Edison announced that it installed its first green roof, in an effort to conserve energy and improve air quality, it immediately elicited a big thumbs up from me. Here’s the details:
Cooling Costs, Stormwater Runoff Reduced
Installed on the quarter-acre rooftop of ConEd’s Learning Center in Long Island City, the project’s 21,000 plants are expected to allow the Learning Center to save up to 30% on the cost of cooling the facility at peak hours.
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Elementary School Teacher Builds Solar-Powered Tricycle
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.28.08
Ben Vander Heiden, a sixth-grade teacher at Woodbridge Elementary School in California, likes to include lessons about solar power and renewable energies into his science lessons. His most recent pet project: A solar-powered tricycle he assembled for less than $500 out of bike scraps and two solar panels donated by the Bay Area's Solar Institute.
Powered by a 600-watt motor, the three-wheeler can reach speeds of up to 17mph. And if the batteries short out, well, the pedals are always there for backup. With the rise in gas prices, Vander Heiden's wife, Renee, is the one who rides her husband's invention every day from their south Lodi home to her office about two miles away. "I get a lot of thumbs up on the road," The Record quotes her as saying.
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TreeHugger and Reddit Logos Now Dating, With Children
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.28.08
Aw, Cute!
Things move fast on the Internet. Just yesterday, they were still glancing at each other from across the digital room. Tentatively sharing their feelings for one another, trying to find out if it was mutual...
Today, they are holding hands with a few little baby logos in tow.
Can't imagine what it will be like tomorrow! One thing we're sure of, the baby aliens will grow up to be green. ::Reddit Environment
Trivia: It's actually the first time that the roots of our Tree logo have been shown in public....
Nanosolar Raises $300 Million, Plans to Further Accelerate Production
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.28.08
The Epic Battle to Power the World
Competition is good. Right now there are dozens of solar power firms fighting to bring inexpensive and clean energy to the world. Some are betting on solar thermal, like Ausra, while others like Day4 Energy are putting their chips on silicon-based solar panels, and a third group thinks that thin-film solar is the way to go. One thing is certain, there's a lot of innovation in the solar power world.
Nanosolar to Accelerate Production
One of the companies at the forefront of the fight to make thin-film solar viable is Nanosolar, and they just announced some good news on their blog. They were always well capitalized, but they raised $300 million more to accelerate the expansion of their production capability, bringing their total funding to about half a billion. This new money will help them upgrade their 430 megawatt San Jose factory and 620 megawatt Berlin factory....
$27 Million Set Aside as Reward for Electricity Demand Reduction by New York State
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.28.08
photo: Wally Gobetz
If the wide-ranging renewable energy vision that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg articulated last week at the National Clean Energy Summit are to be truly able to have a significant effect on fossil fuel usage, energy efficiency programs and demand reduction efforts will have to be increased. The problem doing that, from the perspective of the bottom line of utilities is that, in general, they make more money when they sell more energy. There isn’t great financial incentive for utilities to overly encourage reduction in energy use.
Utilities Rewarded for Reducing Demand
The state of New York is addressing this problem with a new energy efficiency reward program which targets utilities. Under the program the New York State Public Service Commission has set aside $27 million to be awarded to utilities to develop programs which would assist electric consumers to improve their energy efficiency.
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Mitsubishi to Make 2,000 i MiEV Electric Cars in 2009
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.28.08
i MiEV Electric Car: What We Know So Far
The saga continues. First, we learned about some improvements to Mitsubishi's i MiEV prototype. Then the company announced that its electric car would go global. We had a peek at the New York Auto Show, learned that it would be sold 1 year ahead of schedule in Japan (2009 instead of 2010), and that a small fleet was already being tested in the USA. So the i MiEV might not be as fast as those, but at least its development is moving along briskly.
New Details on First i MiEV Production Run
Now we learn that Mitsubishi plans to make 2,000 i-MiEV electric vehicles in 2009, and 4,000 units in 2010 before acceleration mass-production to a higher volume. "Most of the vehicles will be sold in Japan for some ¥3 million (US$27,530) each." We can speculate that prices might be lower by the time they get to the US. More photos below....
Stop Junk Mail: 7 Ways to Reduce It and Opt Out for Good
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.28.08
Nine million cars, seven U.S. states combined, or the emissions generated by heating nearly 13 million homes for the winter: That's junk mail's carbon contribution toward climate change, according to a report (pdf) by ForestEthics, which was released as part of their campaign and petition for a Do Not Mail Registry to give Americans the choice to stop receiving junk mail.
Signing the petition is a good first step toward putting a stop to the 100 billion pieces of junk mail that we collectively receive each year. But since the registry has yet to become legislation -- despite the support of big names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Adrian Grenier, David Crosby and Daryl Hannah -- here are (at least) seven ways to opt out of receiving junk mail for good....
evanhealy Natural Skin Care: The Skin Breathes
by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 08.28.08
Think of skin as your body’s atmosphere, a protective layer that helps regulate your internal environment, and like Earth’s atmosphere, is vulnerable to pollutants. According to Evan Healy, aesthetician and creator of the evanhealy skin care line, when we bombard our skin with chemicals that dissolve the epidermal layer we damage the skin’s ability to defend itself. Instead of thoughtlessly applying hyped-up synthetic ointments, serums and formulas, we must be conscious of the skin’s need for pure, natural sustenance that maintains skin’s integrity.
In a day when skin care has become so complicated one might need a PhD to understand what various salves and sprays are supposed to do (let alone decipher the ingredients list), Ms. Healy’s simple yet elegant approach is refreshing. Using organic ingredients whenever feasible and natural ingredients always, her products are health food for your skin....
More Bike Commuters on the Road, But Are They Being Safe?
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.28.08
Photo credit: Getty Images
More bikes take to the streets
Skyrocketing gas prices have resulted in a sudden glut of bicycle commuters on the road, reports the Christian Science Monitor, not just in metropolitan areas, but also in places like Louisville, Ky., and Charlotte, N.C.
The sudden surge of two-wheelers is also causing rising tensions among drivers who are unaccustomed to sharing their streets—and herding cyclists to traffic safety classes.
...
Open Heart Surgery on the Tesla Roadster Electric Car
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.28.08
Quick Look at Tesla's Insides
Number 1 on the photo above is the AC electric motor. It might look a bit like a vacuum cleaner, but this beast can generate 248 hp (185 kW), spin up to 13,000 RPM, and its max torque of 200 ft-lb is produced from 0-6,000 RPM.
Number 2 is the transmission. After some problems and a temporary two-speed transmission, the Roadster now will have a one-speed transmission with a drive ratio of 8.27:1 that allows it to do 0 to 60 mph in around 4 seconds....
Sierra Magazine Names America's Top 10 "Coolest" Schools
by Greg Haegele, Deputy Executive Director, Sierra Cl on 08.28.08
While it's been just a few years since I was in college myself *ahem* - I do enjoy thinking back nostalgically on those times. I also enjoy seeing how many young people today are taking major steps to green their lives and their campuses.
So of course I was excited to see the recent unveiling of Sierra magazine's list of the Top Ten "Coolest" Schools, based on each school's efforts to stop global warming.
These colleges and universities are taking the lead in creating a better world, and I am continually impressed by the initiative of the students, who are frequently the strongest voices in pushing the various green projects through the schools' administrations. And yet I know it goes both ways - school administrators can work just as hard to green their institutions. No matter who starts it, though, it benefits everyone, as noted by Sierra's Editor-In-Chief, Bob Sipchen....
The Archdruid Nails It: Energy Conservation, Not Efficiency, Is Key
by Mark Ontkush, Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 08.28.08
A good read for the eco-serious is The Archdruid Report, a collection of perspective on industrial society which is written by John Michael Greer. The posts are characteristically druid-like - long, thoughtful, laden with wisdom - and although sometimes grim, are superb. The one on "Net Energy and Jevons' Paradox" targets the problem of peak energy and is a charmer.
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Density Is For The Birds
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.28.08
We have previously noted examples of Achieving Density in Prefabricated Housing; now Belgian artist Maxime Delporte gives us not a bird house, but a bird apartment complex with La Mangeoire project....
Solar Thermal Really Heats Up in Nevada: BrightSource Plans 1200 MW Facilty Outside Las Vegas
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.28.08
image: BrightSource Energy
At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader, the scale of some of the new solar power plants being announced over the past few weeks are just astounding. PG&E has contracted with a 250 MW and a 500 MW solar plant in California, a 250 MW integrated solar plant/manufacturing facility is being built in India, and the Clinton Foundation is discussing building a similar 5,000 MW facility in a different part of India. At the beginning of the summer a new 10 MW thin-film facility was claiming the record for that category and a 400 MW solar thermal plant in the Mojave Desert was big news. Furthering the great solar scale-up:
Three 400 Megawatt Plants Planned
BrightSource Energy as announced that it will be developing a 1200 MW solar thermal power facility at a site northeast of Las Vegas, with 2012 being the target date for completion. According to The Desert Valley Times Online the facility would consist of three 400 MW plants near Overton Airport, as well as upgrading the transmission infrastructure needed to bring the power to the grid. ...
Kick Ash Furniture from Lost Trees Shown in Chicago
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.28.08
Ross Fiersten, "Junctures"
In the west we have the mountain pine beetle destroying the forests; in central USA and Canada we have the emerald ash borer, an accidental Chinese import, that has killed 25 million ash trees. The US Department of agriculture's method of dealing with is to destroy every tree within half a mile of an infected area. This produces a lot of wood.
Members of the Chicago Furniture Designers Association have put together an exhibition of furniture- chairs, chests, tables and shelves- made from ash trees affected by the beetle. Since much of the wood probably comes from the area around the infected area, it appears normal and probably isn't full of bugs.
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Is the Sky Falling? Diddy Ditches Private Jet for “Coach” Due to High Fuel Prices
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.28.08
A Picture is Worth...Square Watermelons
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.28.08
Here's an Internet oldie but goodie shipped directly from Japan. Don't worry, anti-GMO types, these watermelons didn't have their DNA tinkered in any way—they derive their unique cuboid shape from the tempered glass boxes the farmers grow them in.
While they may appear little more than novelties, square watermelons serve a more practical purpose: They save space during packing and storage, for one, which means less fuel can be used during transport. Plus, watermelon lovers can slot them neatly into their refrigerators without too much hassle.
Just one caveat: Each melon will set you back 10,000 yen, or about US$83, a price that is almost 10 times that of a regular ball-shaped watermelon.
More strange produce
Oddly Shaped Vegetables Allowed in Europe
Ugly Fruit Movement Could Help Organic Farmers
Eat Your Food with Vegetables: Biodegradable Cutlery from Vegware...
Paolo Soleri is Hot Again
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.28.08
Creative Commons CodyR
In the sixties, Paolo Soleri coined words like "ecotecture" and "arcology" to define his concepts for dense, energy efficient, car-free cities. Generations of architecture students, including this writer, made the pilgrimage to Arcosanti, his prototype arcology with a projected population of 5,000. Thirty-five years later it has a population of about sixty, but the Soleri who seemed like such a nut not so long ago is suddenly looking very smart. Steve Rose writes about it in the Guardian, and visits the 89 year old Soleri.
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South African Fruit and Wine Growers Consider Carbon Footprint
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 08.28.08
Photo credit: Prospect Wines
The British government has teamed up with South Africa's food and wine industry leaders to research the carbon footprint of South African fruit and wine exports. The research will be used to address how the industry can become carbon neutral without cutting crucial jobs for the poor and increasing the demand for South African products.
About 30 percent of South African wine and 20 percent of its fresh produce is exported to the United Kingdom, making it the most important export market for South Africa. ...
Freakonomist Gets Local Food Wrong Again
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.28.08
New York State used to be extremely productive
A few months ago Stephen Dubner trashed local food, primarily on the basis of the carbon footprint, since things like flavor are "subjective" and not therefore important. He also wrote that "the economies of scale and division of labor inherent in modern industrial agriculture would still render the greatest efficiencies in resource investment." We disagreed.
Now he has brought in a ringer, historian James McWilliams, to back him up. ...
The TH Interview: Adobe Talks Shop
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 08.28.08
Silicon Valley has officially had green fever for some time, now. A case in point is our recent interview with Chris Page, Yahoo’s sustainability maven. Adobe, the maker of Photoshop, Acrobat, Flash, etc. is also taking some of these lessons to heart and putting its buildings under the lens—and no, this isn’t a green Photoshop job. Adobe’s Randy Knox takes care of the company’s growing physical presence in San Jose, CA. Adobe’s buildings feature a bevy of cost-saving, energy-saving systems, including a computer network that checks the weather forecast before turning on the sprinklers. Adobe is also employing its infamous knack for slick visuals to illustrate and inform the process. ::TreeHugger Radio 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....
NYC Traffic Agent Killed in the Line of Duty
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.28.08
Traffic Agents are Heroes Too
TreeHugger often posts on the threats faced by cyclists and pedestrians as they brave the roads – from drunk drivers in Mexico to the Arizona driver who gloated about killing a "tree hugger, a bicyclist, a Frenchman and a gay guy all in one shot", there’s no doubt that some (and we do mean some!) motorist can exhibit a callous disregard for more vulnerable road users. Reader Matthew Rolnick emailed me recently to point out that it’s not just pedestrians and cyclists that face such dangers – traffic agents face abuse and threats everyday as they try to maintain order on our increasingly busy streets. In particular Matthew drew my attention to an article in the New York Times about Donnette Sanz, a New York City traffic agent who was killed, along with her unborn son, after being struck by a van driven by a 72-year-old man with 21 suspensions and 3 revocations on his license. As Ralph Blumenthal’s article points out, traffic agents face very real, immediate threats to their person, yet they are often not accorded the same respect as police officers, firefighters or other public servants responsible for our safety and well-being:...
Survey: Will Starck's Turbine Ever See Light of Day?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.28.08
Phillipe Starck's wind turbine design got a lot of press when it was shown last month; even the normally sensible Alice Rawsthorn suggested that "there are sound reasons for taking his product seriously." TreeHugger Matt tried to follow up and get some technical details and got this response from the company: "Unfortunately, this is still an ongoing project and we don’t have enough information to communicate on it. Please contact us again next year."
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Eighty Percent Of Cities Studied In Developing Nations Use Untreated Wastewater For Irrigation: And FDA Is Surprised About Salmonella Contaminated Peppers
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.28.08
Jalapeno Peppers and Salmonella: What's the Root Cause?
US print media continue to mince words about the summer-long, Mexican peppers linked, salmonella outbreak. What makes the general reluctance to 'tell it like it is' especially galling is that everyone knows it is best not to drink the tap water in Mexico. This is not some politically incorrect condescension: every tourist book warns visitors to avoid the water and salad greens or unpeeled fruits and vegetables because they might be 'washed' with contaminated water. Washington Post documented the facts about the recent Salmonella outbreak - and the bureaucratic (FDA) reaction. Mexican peppers posed problem before outbreakFood and Drug Administration officials insisted as recently as last week that they were surprised by the outbreak because Mexican peppers had not been spotted as a problem before. But an Associated Press analysis of FDA records found that peppers and chilies were consistently the top Mexican crop rejected by border inspectors for the last year. Since January alone, 88 shipments of fresh and dried chilies were turned away. Ten percent were contaminated with salmonella. In the last year, 8 percent of the 158 intercepted shipments of fresh and dried chilies had salmonella....
Outdoor Industry Pledges to Take Kids Back to Nature
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.28.08
We mentioned the other week how new recycled content backpacking tents were on display at the recent Outdoor Retailer trade show. Yet for all the goods green news that continues to comes from the adventure sports industry, forward thinkers in the marketplace know that as Nature Deficit Disorder takes hold, their customer base for tomorrow is shrinking.
So, in a move that mirrors the No Child Left Inside movement, The Outdoor Industry Foundation has been pushing its own approach, known as the “I Will” pledge. During the aforementioned Outdoor Retailer show, over 2,500 members of the outdoor industry committed to taking at least two kids outside during the next year to experience an outdoor activity, to support “healthier children, communities and businesses.”...
Junky Styling talks to BBC, Daryl Hannah meets Richard Branson, Greenpeace Get Frisky in the Forest, and More
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 08.28.08
BBC Thread: Junky Styling Interview
"The forward-thinking design team who have turned fashion on its head. Annika Sanders from Junky Styling discusses their unique approach to designing clothes. All their designs are made from second hand suits, shirts, woollen garments and vintage fabrics."
DH Love Life: Earth Prize by Daryl Hannah
Daryl visits Richard Branson at home in his own patch of the Carribbean - Necker Island. She finds out how Branson is making his island 100% carbon neutral, what he's doing with the profits from his airlines and what the Earth Prize is all about.
...
"Green Korea" Plan For 2030
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 08.28.08
South Korea will spend US$103 billion through 2030 in developing new renewable energy, to cut its reliance on fossil fuels and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The new plan, announced on Wednesday, is part of a long-term energy strategy and will come on top of other energy policies and overseas resource development plans. Capacity for solar, wind, bio and geothermal power generation will be expanded.
South Korea wants to lower the portion of fossil energy to 61 percent by 2030 from the current 83 percent, while bumping up the portion of new renewable energy to 11 percent, according to Reuters.
The new focus on renewable energy means the South Korean government will increase the proportion of solar energy 44-fold, wind power 37-fold, bioenergy 19-fold, and geothermal energy 51-fold.
In the sectors of wind power, tidal energy and bioenergy, South Korea plans to make it mandatory for energy providers to use a baseline percentage of new and renewable energies starting 2012.
(Image of the new Seoul City Hall to be constructed from Naver.com)
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Great Chefs Prefer Tap Water
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.28.08
Why do we have to keep proving over and over again that tap water is better than bottled? David Suzuki said that bottled water is toast but somehow everyone is not getting the message. This time seven very famous chefs and sommeliers from Michelin-starred restaurants in London did a blind tasting of ten different waters from various rivers across England. Since they are chefs, they have a very sophisticated palate. They used the lexicon of wine-tasting to describe the different waters as “complex,” “having a floral note,” having “good character” and being “honest and unpretentious. The water from the Severn Trent taps was “a mountain stream of freshness” (it came first) and that from Anglia was “pure and palatable” (it was second).
The organizers popped in a bottle of mineral water (no brand mentioned) and low and behold; it came in eighth in the list of ten. It's all part of a campaign to get people to "Do the Green Thing" and ask for tap water in restaurants. Despite the marketing, there is no evidence to suggest that bottled water is in fact any better for us than tap water. And the build-up of bottles in land fill sites, not to mention the carbon footprint is massive. So be brave and insist on tap the next time a waiter stares down his nose at you in a restaurant. :: Green Thing
More on Tap vs. Bottled Water
:: Do the Green Thing
:: Tap or Bottled, Which is Better?
:: Reasons to Ditch Bottled Water
:: Still or Sparkling?...
Eco-friendly Urinals at Expo Zaragoza Use No Water, No Chemicals, No Energy
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 08.28.08
We wrote about the Digital Water Pavilion and commented on how sustainable the Expo Zaragoza is in itself. However, we find the urinals of this Water Festival in Spain are worth an extra post as it illustrates perfectly how one small decision can make a big difference.
46 eco-friendly urinals have been installed at the Expo, which all together save around 48.000 cubic meters of water during the weeks of the show. According to El Confidencial, that is the equivalent of 19 Olympic swimming pools. Jump to see image....
UnTreehugger: Gas Powered Party Blender
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.27.08
Uhm. Yeah. We're not sure exactly what this is even used for. Maybe if you need to make enough margaritas to feed an entire army, literally, and in under 2.5 seconds, then what you need my friend is this gas-powered-party-blender. The best thing they have to say about it is that it is "the sensible alternative to cutting ice with a chain-saw."
It has a "2-stroke, 43cc gas powered variable speed engine" so you can go from chop to puree to obliterate with just the flick of a switch. Did we mention it's gas-powered? Get one now before gas prices go back up again. Seriously. At $275 USD, don't worry there's free shipping, you'd better sell more than lemonade with this thing if you want to recoup the cost....
U.S. and Canadian Researchers Begin Work on Commercially Extracting Methane from Gas Hydrates
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.27.08
Despite the tremendous risks involved, more and more countries are sinking ever larger sums of money into research examining the energy potential of gas hydrates, or methane clathrates. As Janet Pelley reports in the online edition of Environmental Science & Technology, government and industry scientists in Canada and U.S. have embarked on a long-term project to commercialize the extraction of methane from these hydrates, which some believe could hold the world's largest supply of carbon -- roughly 4,200,000 trillion cubic feet of methane.
The project was given new urgency following the release of a report by the nonprofit Council of Canadian Academies, which cautioned that were Canada to completely ignore gas hydrates it could find itself at a disadvantage vis-a-vis other countries or, worse, could be forced to rely on "more damaging ways" to meet its energy needs. While sounding an optimistic note on their energy potential, the report warned that the extraction process wasn't without risks. ...
Barack's Biofueled Endorsement, 7 Sea Turtle Species and $40 Bottled Water
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 08.27.08
Major ethanol producer, The American Corn Grower's Association, endorses Barack Obama.
Green Packs gives the low-down on the seven endangered living species of sea turtles.
Sustainablog exposes the ugly truth behind Hollywood's Bling bottled water.
TriplePundit explores the potential of agave-to-biofuels technology.
Eco-Libris reviews the book, Plan C: Community Survival Strategies for Peak Oil and Climate Change.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
Danish Cellulosic Ethanol Technology (Hopefully) Coming Soon to North America
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.27.08
image: Inbicon
In the ongoing push towards second-generation biofuels, Danish firm Inbicon, a spin-off of DONG Energy , has announced that it will be bringing its cellulosic ethanol process to North America, partnering with Thomas Corle and his G-Team to market its technology.
Inbicon toots its own horn:
Two significant advantages set Inbicon apart. First, its unique, patented cellulosic technology works at low-operational costs compared to other biomass process technologies emerging today. That translates to a low-cost fuel ethanol produced from biowastes to market to consumers [...] Second, Inbicon has proven its technology works over a 5-year period....
Party Like There IS A Tomorrow: Eco-Party Packs
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.27.08
Image source: Eco My Party
We totally agree that carrying your own tupperware is better than those styrofoam clam shells, and that reusing is important. But what if you are holding a party and don't have 40 sets of tableware? The Eco-Party Pack, by Eco My Party, will come to your rescue. At the end of the party, everything can be thrown in the compost and is 100% biodegrade.
The packs come in sets prepared for 10, 25 or 50 guests. The supplies all come in a recycled cardboard tote and contain: Plates, bowls, cups and food pots sustainably-sourced from sugarcane fiber. "Silverware" is made from sustainably-sourced birch. Napkins are all unbleached, recycled UK waste paper. Packs even contain biodegradable balloons made from fairly traded and FSC-certified sourced rubber. Place-settings are wrapped in compostable bags, and sets are taped with biodegradable packing tape....
Ford Spends $75 Million to Retool Michigan Truck Plant for Small Car Production
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.27.08
Ford Adapting to New Reality
GM has already announced that it would invest more in small cars, a hot market. Now Ford is announcing a $75 million investment in its Michigan truck plant to retool it for C-class small car production.
"The plant will begin converting its body shop in November when the tooling and equipment specific to the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator will be disassembled and transferred to Kentucky Truck Plant [...] in the interim, 1,000 employees will be transferred next door to Wayne Assembly Plant where a third crew will be added in January to accommodate increased production of the hot-selling Ford Focus" ...
Arctic Climate Tipping Point Happening Now! Sea Ice in Its “Death Spiral” Scientist Claims
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.27.08
image: NSIDC
After yesterday’s ominous news that North American permafrost (and presumably European and Asian, as well) stores 60% more greenhouse gases than we thought, here’s another siren announcing that we are rushing full speed ahead towards a climatic tipping point:
Scientists are reporting that the extent of sea ice in the Arctic is at the second lowest point on record. Currently ice covers 2.03 million square miles; last year's sea ice coverage, 1.59 million square miles, set the record. In the past ten years Arctic sea ice has declined 10 percent.
Given the seriousness of the situation, I’ll let the scientists speak for themselves:
...
Tree Yoga for a New Relationship with the Environment
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.27.08
Do you love doing yoga? The "tree" pose (Vrksasana) connecting your body to the earth while your soul reaches to the sky? Then you will enjoy the news that "husband and wife Hal Preussner and Debra Pruessner have taken yoga to new heights with the Tree Yoga Multi-Sling (TYMS)". This device allows users to suspend themselves from any strong tree, in a multitude of poses ranging from beginner to very advanced. Yes, it is yoga meets anti-gravity boots. ...
U.N. Study: Scrapping Fuel Subsidies Can Help Fight Global Warming and Boost World Economy
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.27.08
When Prices Are Low, They Want Subsidies, When Prices are High, They...
A U.N. report released yesterday shows that if subsidies on fossil fuels (which we already wrote about: Hidden Oil Subsidies: We Need to END Them) were abolished, it could "cut world greenhouse gas emissions by up to 6 percent" and also nudge up world economic growth.
Reuters explains: "Subsidies on oil, gas or coal are meant to help the poor by lowering the price of energy but the report, issued on the sidelines of a 160-nation U.N. climate meeting in Ghana, said they often backfired by mainly benefiting wealthier people."...
Milk Delivery Returns to Manhattan
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.27.08
Everyone used to get their milk from the milkman; it would come in glass bottles that would be picked up and refilled. As women joined the workforce it became less convenient than picking up the new cardboard-packaged milk at the supermarket.
Returnable bottles have been back for a while; We pay a $2 deposit on our milk bottles from Ontario's Harmony Organic Dairy, with the lovely motto "you can whip our cream, but you can't beat our milk." In Manhattan, the milkman is back as well- the Manhattan Milk Company will deliver organic milk from 51 Amish farms in Pennsylvania Dutch country in glass bottles every week.
...
Project BLUE Brings Competitors Together to Save the Oceans
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.27.08
Image source: Twinka Tison
Fortunately (or unfortunately) the surf was flat on Monday, which squashed our plans to paddle out, but did give me a chance to sit down with Vipe Desai, President and Founder of project BLUE. Now in its first full year of operation, project BLUE is set to raise $100,000 USD, all of which will go straight to the Surfrider Foundation, by giving consumers a way to help the oceans by doing something they already do. "Its not a charity. Its a plan of action."
Any time you buy an item with the project BLUE tag, $2 of every purchase goes to Surfrider and sales are tracked so that money raised in Australia, for example, goes back to the Australian chapter of Surfrider. All project BLUE items are not new items, they just have a blue color scheme to identify them. For example, the Mick Fanning beer-bottle opening Reef sandals in blue are dedicated to project BLUE. "A collaboration of competitors such as those in project BLUE is unheard of in any other industry." When was the last time you saw competitors like Apple and Microsoft or Ford and Toyota joining forces to save the planet?...
Romanian Windfarm Takes “Europe’s Largest” Title Away From Scotland
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.27.08
The likely short-lived record holding wind farm will be located north of Constanta, Romania, about 10 miles inland from the Black Sea. Photo: Martin Solli
Before anyone jumps on the Europe’s largest claim, pulling another planned project out of their “Gotcha!” hat, let’s be clear that the project I’m about to describe is only claimed to be the largest fully-permitted windfarm in Europe. Moving on...
Czech utility CEZ Group has announced that it has purchased two adjacent as-yet unbuilt windfarms in Romania from Continental Wind Partners. Taken together, the Fantanele and Cogealac windfarms will have a capacity of 600 megawatts. CEZ says that this is twice the size of the next fully permitted wind project in Europe, and more than three times the size of Europe’s largest operating wind farm. ...
John McCain on Amtrak
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.27.08
When he still rode the Straight Talk Express it had a banner on the front: "Get on Board the McCain Train" and alas, that may be as close to a train as John McCain ever gets. He is not fond of trains; according to Derrick Jackson of the Boston Globe:
In 2000, when he was chairman of the Senate Science, Commerce and Transportation committee, McCain killed $10 billion in capital funding for Amtrak. He denounced Amtrak as a symbol of government waste, claiming, "There's only two parts of the country that can support a viable rail system - the Northeast and the far West."
In 2002, McCain said "Amtrak needs to make more progress before any further funding schemes are enacted," while at the same time calling any money for progress a "multibillion-dollar blank check." In 2002, McCain declared that "Amtrak should be restructured to eliminate its reliance on the American taxpayers and to allow for its privatization."...
We Love You Too, Reddit Environment!
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.27.08
Reddit's Alien is Hitting on Us
As you can see from the screen grab above, Reddit Environment has a special logo today. We think it's very cool, and want to assure the Reddit team that the love is mutual! In fact, if you check the right side of the image above, you'll see a Reddit bookmark in my browser.
Reddit? What's That? Sounds like a Frog Noise
For those of you who don't know yet what reddit is, you need to check it out. We have a little primer below......
Beijing's Olympic Village is World's Largest Green Neighborhood
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 08.27.08
Image: Getty/AFP
Amidst the talk over the legacy of Beijing's "Green Olympics," there has been surprisingly little attention paid to the environmental impact of the city's new buildings. It's especially surprising given that buildings have the largest footprint of any human activity, that China is building more buildings every year than anyone else, and that the government says it's serious about cutting buildings' energy consumption. I'm taking a look at some of the bigger projects as examples -- or counter-examples -- of sustainable design for China and elsewhere.
The Olympic Village may be the world's largest green building complex. The 160-acre site, containing 42 residential buildings ranging from six- to nine- stories, includes a combination of high-tech and low-tech solutions to radically reduce energy and raise efficiency, including insulation, energy efficient windows, solar and green roofs, and a heat exchange system that collects and re-uses rainwater for heating and cooling, saving energy by 40 percent over typical HVAC systems.
Developer Guo Ao, which claims the buildings use half the energy of similar buildings in Beijing, was so obsessed with getting a gold award (not unlike his country's Olympic committee) that, one consultant told me, it did not want a coveted LEED rating if it were anything less. Last week, it was proudly announced: the US Green Building Council gave the complex a LEED gold certification, and the first such award outside of the US based on a pilot program designed for large-scale neighborhoods. And if our calculations are correct, at 370,000 sqm., it is also the largest LEED certified project yet....
Fuel Subsidies Simply Prop Up Destructive Industrial Fishing, Hurt Small-Scale Fisherman: Report Claims
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.27.08
Fishermen in Kerala, India photo: Ron Layters
Most of the time when the issue of fishing comes up on TreeHugger it’s in the context of some new government fishing ban, or what consumers can do to make sure the seafood they purchase is from a sustainable fishery. While these efforts are good, according to a new report in Conservation Biology the real issue which needs to be addressed if global fisheries are to be made sustainable is working to reduce the amount of subsidies industrial fishing receives.
For the purpose of this study, small-scale refers to operations which use boats 15 meters or shorter, use less energy-intensive fishing gear (in general), and operate close to shore....
Evite Alert: Solar Party and You're Invited
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.27.08
Image source: author
"Honey, can you pick up the kids after work today? And don't forget we have our solar party tonight." Solar party? No, this isn't some full-moon-dance-around-in-the-forest type party. This is the modern version of the tupperware party, for those wanting to go green. Sunset Magazine's September issue highlights one family who not only bit the bullet to get panels, but is also throwing parties to get other people to go green.
Each party comes complete with an evite, food, drinks and a sales rep from a local solar company. Attendees can climb on the roof, check out the system and even ask questions like, "yeah, but will my meter really spin backwards?" Answer: yes it will....
It’s so Hip to be Green: What will the next trend be?
by Stephen Brooks, Punta Mona, Costa Rica on 08.27.08
Organic veggies on the honor system.
Stephen Brooks is the co-founder of Kopali Organics and a correspondent for Planet Green’s G Word .
It absolutely blows my mind how cool it is to be green these days. Was it Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth? Or could it be the rising fuel costs? I mean didn’t you know that Cameron Diaz has “gone green”. Or maybe the time has just really come and people are really starting to wake up all at the same time? Oooh that’s deep! Do all these steps we take to walk lighter on the Earth actually matter?...
US Electric Grid Not Keeping Up With Renewable Energy Growth
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.27.08
Maple Ridge windfarm photo: David Laribee
The problem of the United States’ electrical transmission capacity not be ready for a renewable energy big push, in particular the large-scale wind farms planned for the Great Plains, is a subject coming increasingly into the spotlight. The main issue is that the areas with greatest wind capacity are far away from the population centers most in need of the energy.
The New York Times is running a good piece describing the situation. In typical Times fashion, its very descriptive, so rather than trying to distill it for you I’ll just pull out some quotes to tease you into reading more:
...
Landfill Mining, the Next Boom Industry?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.27.08
photo: D'Arcy Norman
Search the TreeHugger archives and you’ll find countless articles on the environmental and economic benefits of recycling. While for many of us separating recyclable waste from trash destined for the landfill and food scraps for the compost pile, it obviously wasn’t always this way and, as Reuters recently reported, the world’s landfills are a potential gold-mine of salvageable waste.
...
Stair of the Week: Why We Have Handrails
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.27.08
Litigators' heaven by Wiley Miller
, Full image here
We like showing examples of innovation in stair design; in non-residential settings it encourages people to walk instead of taking the elevator; in residential settings we like to show designs that take up less space and integrate storage.
So many of the gorgeous stairs we show (like the storage stair shown below) don't have handrails, which are required by building codes just about everywhere. I know people who have put them in just to get past the building inspectors and then have taken them out after the unit is approved for occupancy. I suppose the rules are there to protect us from ourselves and our architects, but it certainly stifles innovation. What do you think? ::Stair Porn...
GM's LIVE GREEN Grant Winners Announced
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 08.27.08
After Kenny announced General Motors and Discovery Education’s call for entries into their 2008 LIVE GREEN Teacher Grant Awards, educator applicants from across the U.S. began sustainably swooning Discovery Education judges, submitting essays about how they intended to teach their students about renewable energy, clean technologies and environmentalism, as a whole.
In my opinion, any teacher who took the time to apply for this grant deserves a green apple but with only 40 available $1000 grants, only a select few walked away as winners.
See the complete list of winners and find out how one all-star eco-teacher plans to use his award money after the jump!...
It's Time to Electrify the Railroads
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.27.08
In our post on Joe Biden and Amtrak, a commenter asked " How do other countries handle acquiring land for such use? Do you think we're truly beyond getting an infrastructure in place?" The answer is, we don't need to acquire the land, and the infrastructure already is mostly in place.
Over at the Oil Drum, Alan Drake lays out what should be done to develop a coherent program to reduce oil consumption, cut greenhouse gas emissions, fix the electrical grid and improve the speed and reliability of transport without using oil:
• Electrify 36,000 miles of mainline railroads
• Expand Railroad capacity and speed by adding double tracks, better signals and more grade separation
• New 110 mph tracks for passengers and freight added to existing rail ROWs as a second step
• In many, but not all cases, use the railroad ROW as new electrical transmission line corridors
• Promote the use of rail lines, usually spur lines, as wind turbine sites with rail transported cranes and materials
• Take advantage of the lower marginal economic costs of railroads, where the more we use it, the less it costs per unit. A diffuse economic benefit for many sectors of the economy....
Eloise Grey: Traditionally Elegant Organic Tweed
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 08.27.08
In the run up to London Fashion Week next month we are delighted by the display of talented young British Designers showing sustainable collections. Last week we were introduced to textile print designer Tamasyn Gambell and her gorgeous silk scarves. Today we take a peek at the new collection from Eloise Grey who specialises in using traditional Scottish woollen tweeds.
With immaculately tailored shapes evoking 1930s and 40s styles Grey says she's been inspired by writers of the mid-20th century. "Honouring her affection for Virago Modern Classics, she has named garments after writers such as Rebecca West and Antonia White." Along with Tamasyn Gambell's art deco inspired scarves there is a distinctly glamorous retro flavour about this season's fashion....
Coke and Ecotricity to Install 2MW Wind Turbine
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.27.08
Planning Application for Wind-Powered Coke Factory
The UK-based renewable energy developer Ecotricity is no stranger to working with large companies. From installing turbines at a Lotus car factory to joining forces with major DIY retailer B&Q, the company specialises in finding influential allies in their efforts to bring wind energy firmly into the mainstream. Their latest collaboration is likely to raise the hackles of those in the environmental community who believe that some companies are simply not reformable, but it is also another sure sign that renewable energy is being adopted by the biggest of big business - Ecotricity and Coke have just announced a public exhibition for a planning application to install a 2MW wind turbine at Coke’s Wakefield plant – the largest soft drinks manufacturing facility in Britain. Given Coke’s previous environmental sins, like industrial spillage in Bogota or efforts to sabotage Israeli recycling legislation (not to mention an inherently unhealthy product!), efforts such as these are not likely to green the company’s image overnight, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. (For those interested, Ecotricity also have an online exhibition showing photo montages of how the turbines might effect the local view)....
Carbon ONset Calculator Designed to Negate Carbon-Free Convention
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.27.08
If only politics really was about people looking at the issues and making intelligent choices. Instead we have Glenn Beck telling his audience to "Take part in our carbon ONset program. We are asking you to make just a few small sacrifices to completely wipe out any potential energy savings the Democrats claim credit for." He wants to add "70-million pounds of new C02 into the atmosphere to offset the Democratic Conventions offset program."
Interestingly, his onset calculator actually is probably a useful device- anyone looking at it will quickly realize that it will cost them a lot of money to onset the democratic convention, that with current energy prices making carbon dioxide is expensive. ::Glenn Beck via ::Think Progress
More on Carbon and the Election
What is the Carbon Footprint of the McCain Mansions?
Gingrich Says Obama is Pandering to Big Air
Coal Panderama In Kentucky...
Two-Month Bike Tour Promotes Green Living in Japan
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 08.27.08
BEE Japan (Bicycle for Everyone’s Earth) is on a great trip from Hokkaido in northern-most Japan and will soon arrive to Tokyo. BEE is a group of international members that promotes environmental awareness and green living in Japan. By September 15 they will be in Kyoto for a Model of the United Nations event. Good luck guys, you are great!
Their annual BEE Ride is a 2-3 month long self-supported cycle tour on Japan’s four main islands. The team is made up of an international group of volunteers, including English teachers, who also learn about environmental sustainablity during the ride.
Their direct action includes:
* Travelling the length of Japan exclusively by bicycle
* Eating low on the food chain (vegetarian)
* Choosing organic products whenever possible
* Choosing fair trade products whenever possible
* Supporting local economies by buying local produce
* Avoiding chain stores and convenience stores, and using no vending machines.
* Minimizing waste by choosing less packaged products, buying reusable, recycled and recyclable items, and using no waribashi or other disposable eating utensils....
Ad Creep Hits the Bike Lanes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.27.08
We have complained before about ad creep, how the public realm is being taken over by private marketers. I don't know if I should be happy or sad that the Egg Farmers of Canada have determined that there are enough cyclists in London, Ontario that they want to pay to advertise to them by painting ads onto bike lanes.
Matthew Blackett writes in Spacing: "What’s the next step? Using the dashes on the road to point you towards a Wal-Mart, or use the traffic screens on highways to promote a new car model?"
How did it come to this?
"The blame lies squarely on the managers of municipalities who forget that their primary job is to provide quality service to residents, not to sell our sight-lines and turn our infrastructure into advertising opportunities. A city doesn’t always have to say yes." ::Spacing
TreeHugger on Urban Advertising
A Picture is Worth...No Advertising , Please
New York Gets Decent Street Furniture
...
Higher Fuel Prices Increase Bicycle Sales (And Bike Sharing?)
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.27.08
At least this seems to the evidence gathered by the Bikes Belong Coalition, a U.S. bicycle industry organisation dedicated to putting more people on bicycles more often. After surveying 150 bicycle retailers in nearly 40 states they concluded that almost three quarters of this stores were selling more bikes than the same time last year. Close to 90% said they were also selling more bike servicing. According to Bikes Belong, this is because “many new customers are dusting off old bikes and bringing them in for repair. There appears to be a surge of interest in riding bicycles for short trips, errands, and commuting.”
95% of the shops surveyed said customers cited high gasoline prices as a reason for their transportation-related purchases.
In related news Bikes Belong have teamed with health company Humana to offer local bike share excitement via Freewheelin with 1,000 bicycles available free to convention delegates, visitors and Denver residents during the current Democratic National Convention. ...
Survey: Do You Use Escalators?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.27.08
Wherever there is an escalator there is often a stair beside it; escalator treads are not proportioned properly for climbing and don't count in the building codes as exits. (this rule seems to break down in shopping malls and stores) As we posted recently, escalators are insane energy hogs; they are also slower than walking.
...
Surfers Against Sewage Debut Artistic Surf Boards
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.27.08
Surfers Against Sewage are those wild and crazy surfer dudes from Cornwall, England who surf AND campaign for clean, safe waters, free from "sewage effluents, toxic chemicals, marine litter and nuclear waste." They were founded in 1990 by a group of surfers, who were literally 'sick of getting sick' through repeated ear, nose, throat and gastric infections after going in the sea. The eco-warriors specialise in great publicity campaigns; such as posing naked with "no butts on the beach " written on their bottoms and showing up at an awards ceremony with a golden toilet brush for one of the sponsors.
As a fundraiser they asked ten of Britain's hottest artist to create a surf board design for them, the theme being the threat of coastal pollution. These environmentally friendly boards would be displayed at several art galleries and then auctioned off for charity. The artists included Damien Hirst, Jamie Hewlett, Banksy, Adrenalin Magazine, and Aphex Twin. That auction netted £77,000, with the 2 Damien Hirst boards going for £59,000 (love that booming art market). After such a roaring success, another art surfboard auction is planned for October, and the artists participating get even more famous: Sir Paul McCartney, Gavin Turk and Tracy Emin. Start saving. :: Surfers Against Sewage
More on Surfers Against Sewage and Surfboards
:: Surfers Against Sewage
:: EcoSurf Store
:: Hawaii's First Green Surfboard
:: Bamboo and Soy Improve Surfing
...
West Coast Green 2008 To Highlight Emerging Green Building Technologies
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.26.08
Image source: West Coast Green
This year's West Coast Green 2008 conference will feature a technology "innovation pipeline" highlighting the future of renewable energy products. Each of these products are new to the market or right out of development. Over 50 products will be featured, including, "...electric plug-in vehicles, the Triac, the Moose, the Microwatt, and the Buckshot from Green Vehicles; compressed earth blocks from Midwest Earth Builders; Lamberts Channel glass walls from Bendheim Wall Systems; solar tracking lights from Solar Track; and a straw wall from Green Design Systems."Each year the conference highlights the best in green building. There are pre-conference workshops on topics like solar installation, biomimicry, and LEED training. In addition, there is a green homes tour. The conference always needs volunteers and you can attend the conference for free for donating your time. ...
Amex Members Projects Voting Closes in Six Days
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.26.08
American Express has set precedents with the social responsibility marketing angle before, with their Amex Red Card. Now for the second year, Amex sponsors a competition for Amex card holders to submit a project they would like to realize to make the world a better place. The submittals are in and voting is open to nominate projects to receive $2.5 million in funding. The top selection will receive $1.5 million, leaving $500,000 for second, $300,000 for third and two $100,000 awards. The project pictured above, Children's Safe Drinking Water, won the first prize in 2007. ...
Teko Socks Launches Certified-Organic Merino Collection
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.26.08
New from Teko this fall: A line of breathable yet buttery soft performance socks made from certified-organic merino wool and recycled polyester.
The wool comes from 20 farms in Argentina that farm organically in accordance to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and International Association Natural Textile Industry (IVN) guidelines, which means that no mulesing, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, herbicides, vaccinations, or chemical drenches are employed to keep your tootsties nice and toasty. ...
Baby Be Mine Maternity Belly Bands
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.26.08
Maternity garb might be considered the ultimate in disposable clothing. After all, they're not meant to last more than a few months.
Women who want to keep their pregnancy carbon footprints petite have a few options: Scrounge for hand-me-downs from their girlfriends, shop at consignment stores, or use belly bands, which are stretchy tubes of fabric that can extend the life of your "skinny" clothes and, more important, conceal unbuttoned pants.
...
Green(er) Printing with Big Ink
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.26.08
We'd like to give a quick nod to Big Ink. We know the printing world isn't always very green, and we appreciate their efforts to improve their operations and spread the word to their clients and others within their industry.
The Green Plan
They created an internal Green Team to work on a plan, and found a lot of small things that they could do. It all added up: “From the onset we started recycling over 2400 pounds of scrap waste each month along with 600 pounds of office paper. [...] In order to educate the industry about the initiatives they took, [we] wrote an article entitled Kermit Was Wrong! It Is Easy Being Green(er) that was published in Digital Graphics magazine, encouraging other printers to adopt the easy practices that make a difference." They launched a Zero-Waste Recycling Program and now take back anything they produce to recycle it (a lot of trade show graphics are used for a short time and then thrown out)....
DIY Berry-Based Blush, Summer-ey Sandwiches and a Green Design Competition
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 08.26.08
:: Give yourself a natural glow with a DIY, berry-based blush.
:: Get back to comfort food basics with Kelly's classic tomato sandwich.
:: Have an eco-artistic eye? Enter this international green design competition....
Cows Like M&M's, Too
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.26.08
Image source: Getty Images
Well, we don't know if they like them, but they will eat them. And as the cost of grains and corn has gone up because of the interest in ethanol, feeding cattle strictly corn is too expensive, reports the Wall Street Journal. So farmers are now moving to alternatives such as m&m's and potato chips mixed in with their corn, frankly because its cheaper. Compared to some of the other things that ranchers can and do feed cattle, maybe its not such a bad thing.
Grass-fed cattle make up only 10% of the beef market, according to the report. The farmers have to charge 30% more for the beef because its more costly to raise the cattle, and they can't pack as many cattle onto the property because of resource limitations when cattle just roam and graze. Americans are used to the high-fat taste of corn-fed beef, which is another concern for grass-fed cattle farmers when they take their beef to market. ...
60% More Greenhouse Gases Trapped in Permafrost Than Previously Thought
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.26.08
photo: ADM via flickr
In the spirit of an ongoing series of new discoveries which could be titled “whoops, things are a lot worse than we thought" Yahoo News/AFP is reporting that according to new research coming out to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and published in Nature Geoscience, the stock of organic carbon stored in Arctic permafrost is 60% higher than previous estimates.
One-Sixth of Carbon Currently in Atmosphere Stored in N. American Permafrost
The amount of greenhouse gasses stored in the area which the researchers examined, 117 sites across North America, is “roughly equivalent to one sixth of the entire carbon content in the atmosphere.” Again, that is just for North America: European and Asian Arctic regions probably hold a similar amount of stored carbon.
...
Nano-Sunscreens Not As Effective
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.26.08
Image source: Getty Images
The Cosmetics Design-Europe website reported this week that scientists at the University of Rochester found that sunscreens containing nanoparticles are not as effective at protecting people with sun-damaged skin. Tests done on lab mice using quantum dot nanoparticles (to simulate the titanium dioxide nanoparticles found in sunscreens) showed that the particles "penetrated UV damaged skin more than non-compromised skin."
This is particularly important as people put sunscreen on burned skin therefore really needing more protection and may actually be getting less. The scientists also said that more research is needed as, "direct comparisons were impossible to make at this stage as a wide variety of surface coatings were used."...
Joe Biden : Big Fan and Customer of Rail Transport, Amtrak
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.26.08
Joe Biden on a bus in 1976 (love the hat and sportsjacket matchup) and in 2004 on a train
Shortly after he was elected to the senate in 1972, Joe Biden's wife and daughter were killed in a car crash. To take care of his two sons he commuted an hour and a half from Washington to Wilmington, Delaware by train and has continued to do so ever since.
Not surprisingly, he is a big supporter of Amtrak and rail transport. In 2002 he said:
"For 30 years, I have witnessed Congress dangling a carrot in front of Amtrak's eyes, funding it just enough for it to limp along. And I'll tell you, this has to stop. Now is the time to commit politically and financially to a strong, safe, and efficient passenger rail system." ::Streetsblog
He showed up yesterday at Wilmington Station to say goodbye, saying: "I've been coming in here every single day for the last 35 years, and these guys have become my family." ::Delaware Online
TreeHugger on Amtrak:
CBS: Forget Flying, Amtrak is In
Taking the Train to New York: The Only Way to Fly
CBS: Forget Flying, Amtrak is In
...
3 of the Fastest Electric Cars Meet for Lunch at Buck's
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.26.08
Three of the Fastest Electric Cars
Now that's a nice family reunion. From left to right, the Tango (0 to 60 in around 4 seconds), the Tesla Roadster (0 to 60 mph in around 4 seconds), and the Wrightspeed X1 (0 to 60 in 3 seconds). What they have in common is that they are all electric cars, and unfortunately, that so far if you have driven one, you are in a very select club.
But while we wait for EV mass production and prices to come down, why not dream a little?...
High Gas Prices Mean Fewer Traffic Fatalities
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.26.08
We noted earlier a study from the Harvard Medical School that calculated that for every 10% increase in gas prices there was a 2.3% decline in auto deaths.
Now a new report from Michael Sivak of the Transportation Research Institute at the University of Michigan finds an even more dramatic fall. Associated Press reports that:
Over the previous 10 months, monthly fatalities declined an average of 4.2 percent compared to the previous year. Then, Sivak's data shows, fatalities dropped 22.1 percent in March and 17.9 percent in April of this year...The declines found by Sivak suggest that motorists reached what he calls a "tipping point" and have begun significantly changing their behavior — altering not only how much they drive, but where, when and how they drive. Sivak said early data for May and June show similar trends.
"There is something more than just the reduction in driving that has to be brought in as an explanation for the huge drop in fatalities," Sivak said.
...
Raising Energy Efficiency in a New Materials Economy, Part I
by Lester Brown, Washington, D.C on 08.26.08
This is the first of a two-part column on solutions for raising energy efficiency. As I note in Plan B 3.0, the production, processing, and disposal of material in our modern throwaway economy wastes not only material but energy as well, thus producing unnecessary, climate-disrupting carbon dioxide emissions. For Friedrich Schmidt-Bleek and Ernst von Weizsäcker, two early leaders in this area, have argued that modern industrial economies could function very effectively using only one fourth the virgin raw material prevailing at the time. Schmidt-Bleek, who founded the Factor Ten Institute in France, showed that raising resource productivity by a factor of 10 was well within the reach of existing technology and management, given the right policy incentives. Image credit::Dave Brandt - Nucor Corp, Marion, Ohio facility, Via National Instruments...
250 Megawatt Integrated Solar Power Facility Planned for West Bengal, India
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.26.08
map: Wikipedia — Haldia is near the bottom, on the Bay of Bengal
It may not be of the scale of the 5,000 megawatt project planned for Gujarat, recently discussed by the Clinton Foundation, but given the current size of most solar power plants around the world, this one is certainly big.
Solar Power & Materials to be Produced
Bhaskar Silicon Ltd has announced that it will be building a 250 megawatt integrated solar power complex in Haldia, West Bengal. The company claims that it will be the largest such complex in the world. The first phase of the project will occupy 200 acres of land, already acquired, and is expected to be completed by October 2009. An additional 600 acres of land is required to complete the facility.
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Quote of the Day: What's So Funny About Wind Power?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.26.08
All the media are making fun of Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to put turbines on New York buildings, covered by Matthew here. The Times noted that New York used to have them when it was Dutch and asks “Who knows what else he’ll come up with, Have everyone walking around in wooden shoes and eating chocolate?” The Daily News put an intern to work photoshopping turbines on famous structures around town. Why the joke? Perhaps Alec Appelbaum at Metropolis has figured it out.
"Bloomberg has touched a nerve. What is crazy is pretending this 350-year-old city can keep running on splintering electric lines from as far away as Ohio or from antiquated power plants in Queens. When we make jokes about how outlandish it is, are we mocking the mayor for hubris? Are we laughing because the mayor has dared us to admit how scared we are to keep driving blind into the future?" Metropolis
Other Urban Wind Turbines
Caught on Camera: An Urban Wind Turbine
New Turbine Design Wins Sustainability Award
Urbines at Elephant & Castle...
2004 Prius Worth Twice as Much as Same Year Ford F150
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.26.08
Gas Sippers Holding Their Value
It is common knowledge these days that fuel efficient vehicles are selling well (SUV and truck factories are retooling) and holding their value better than gas guzzlers, but it's still surprising to see to what extent. Certain types of vehicles and certain brands always held their value better than others, but rising gas prices are magnifying these differences. Our friends at EcoModder crunched some numbers and some of the things they found are pretty interesting.
For example, if you compare the Ford F150 truck (the most popular vehicle in the US) to the Toyota Prius hybrid, you see that 2004 models of those sell respectively for $9,670 and $21,035 according to the Kelly Blue Book. The Prius is worth more than twice what the F150 is worth, despite an original MSRP of about $4k less ($22,160 vs. $26,140, though dealer 'incentives' usually bring F150 prices down)....
Doing Well by Doing Good: Why Patagonia Makes a Profit, Naturally
by Rocky Mountain Institute on 08.26.08
Corporate sustainability -- no longer just the latest collection of business buzzwords -- now is a required feature in the mission statement, annual report, and work-force makeup of many companies. In fact, corporate sustainability is becoming more and more important in the business community -- now, you can even track the performances of leading sustainable-driven companies via the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, while the Greenhouse Gas Protocol monitors and measures corporate greenhouse gas emissions.
...The Insanity of Escalators
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.26.08
One of the world's shortest escalators
Jeffrey Hill writes in Next American City about escalators. “You know, it’s just stupid,” says mechanical engineer Matt Dermond. “If you have a place like a mall, you could install an elevator for the elderly and the disabled and tell everyone else to take a walk. It’s not the kind of machine that you can make practical. Because it’s not.”
There is definitely a place for escalators; many subway systems couldn't work well without them. But like the ones shown in our survey, many are superfluous and silly energy hogs- "The national energy use of escalators is estimated at 2.6 billion kilowatt hours per year, equivalent to powering 375,000 houses; its cost is roughly $260 million."
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Bayer in the Dock Over Pesticide Linked to Colony Collapse Disorder
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.26.08
photo: autan via flickr
Last week we reported on a lawsuit filed by the NRDC which seeks to force the EPA to turn over test results for a Bayer CropScience insecticide which may be linked to colony collapse disorder. The insecticide in question, clothianidin, was banned in Germany in May because of its potential harmful impact on bees.
In Court Over Clothianidin
Taking it one step further, German organization Coalition Against Bayer Dangers has brought legal action against the chairman of Bayer AG’s Board of Management, Werner Wenning, accusing Bayer CropScience of “marketing dangerous pesticides and thereby accepting the mass death of bees all over the world.”
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Sunrise Solar Introduces Solar Sunroof for Cars
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.26.08
Sunroofs to Live Up to Their Name?
Sunrise Solar has introduced its Solar Sunroof, a replacement for regular car sunroofs that includes solar PV cells to produce electricity. This can help recharge the vehicle's battery, but it can also cool down the car when it's hot, and warm it up when it's cold.
Solar car roofs in general will probably make a bigger difference on plug-in hybrids and electric cars, though even that might not make a huge difference since the panel would be small and add some weight to the vehicle....
North Dakota Gets Into The Wind: 10,000 Megawatts For The Gubernatorial Election Debate
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.26.08
Ever driven across North Dakota in August? North Dakota is the US State located top, center on the wind potential map (shown here). Step out of the car and the wind's fingers rip at your shirt buttons, threatening to tear them off. Day after day, wheat stems toss like waves in a storm.
If you've been there and felt that wind, seen the prairie expanses, you know why it is easy to take interest in a gubernatorial platform like this one: North Dakota should push for 10,000 megawatts of wind power development in the next 12 years along with local ownership of wind projects, the Democratic candidate for governor says.Via::Canadian Business Online, North Dakota gubernatorial candidate: State should push for 10,000 megawatt wind power goal Image credit::No Outage, US Average Wind Map...
Intel Shows Wireless Electricity System at IDF
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.26.08
Intel Shows Wireless Resonant Energy Link at IDF
Intel recently demonstrated wireless power transmission at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF). They call it "Wireless Resonant Energy Link" (WREL), and it is based on principles proposed by MIT physicists (Marin Soljačić & others). Intel CTO Justin Rattner showed such a system lighting a 60 watt lightbulb on stage (too bad it wasn't a CFL -- they could have used 3). In 2007 MIT researchers had a prototype working at 40% efficiency, and now Intel claims that 75% is possible.
Benefits of Wireless Power
Intel is mostly talking about charging laptops and cellphones without having to plug them in, which, from a green point of view, might or might not be a good thing. It depends on what kind of real-world efficiencies they can achieve and how that compares to our current "wall warts" transformers that aren't always very efficient and that can sometimes keep drawing power even when nothing's plugged in....
Check it Out: Bill Nye Tonight! Your Breakfast’s Environmental Impact Revealed
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.26.08
Can’t wait until September 2nd to get your Bill Nye fix? Well, that’s good because you can check it out tonight during a sneak peek of Stuff Happens on Planet Green.
An episode of Stuff Happens on Planet Green will air tonight, August 26th at 9 PM Eastern Time. While Bill will still be exploring the bathroom on September 2nd, tonight he will be delving into the origin and environmental impact of your breakfast.
All That Bacon Has a Weighty Eco-Footprint
What's the environmental impact of the 2 million pounds of bacon consumed in the U.S every year? What’s the eco-footprint of your daily dose of cured pork and is there a way to reduce it? What exactly is Fair Trade coffee, how many miles did it have to travel to get into your cup, and what is the best country to buy it from? And what's wrong with orange juice from frozen concentrate anyway? ...
Naked LUSH Employees Protest Excess Packaging in 24 U.S. Cities
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 08.26.08
Green Housing Sector Still Going Strong
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.26.08
The American housing industry is a mess, with homebuilding back to 1991 levels, in the last banking and lending crisis. In June, according to the New York Times, house prices were down 15.9% compared to a year ago, and sales were down 35.3%. But one sector is shining: green building is up to between 6% and 10% of the market this year, up from 2% in 2002 . According to an NAHB/ McGraw-Hill study, people buying green are after quality first, then energy savings, then "doing the right thing."
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Bats More At Risk From Wind Turbines Than Birds, Study Claims
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.26.08
Hoary Bat photo: Jerry Oldenettel
Based on past TreeHugger posts at least, the jury is still out on whether wind turbines really kill so many birds that we ought to overly worry about it. Well, a recent study published in Current Biology focuses not on the number of birds killed by industrial-scale wind turbines but on why more bats are actually killed than birds. The article doesn’t go into the numbers of bats which are killed but does provide evidence as to the cause of those that do. Science Daily provides the details:
Drops in Air Pressure, Not Blade Contact the Killer
Researchers from the University of Calgary say that 90% of the dead bats they examined showed signs of internal hemorrhaging such as could happen with a sudden drop in air pressure—a condition known as barotrauma. About 50% of the bats showed signs of physical contact with the turbine blades....
Becoming a LEED Accredited Professional
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 08.26.08
Passing the LEED Exam
Last Thursday I took--and passed--the LEED accreditation exam. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is a performance-based rating system for green buildings established by the U.S Green Building Council. It has come to be accepted as the benchmark for green building, and covers all aspects of a building, from materials, to energy, water and building operation. LEED is on the minds of many people in the building industry these days, and employers are looking to bolster their green credentials any way possible, including having employees that are LEED accredited. Becoming a LEED accredited professional (LEED AP) gets your name listed on a directory of LEED APs and gives you more credibility to employers or clients. Another benefit is that I can now sign my name Andy Posner, LEED AP. (Okay, it's not like having a PhD, but it's not bad!)
How LEED Works
I studied for about a month to pass the exam, which consists of 80 questions covering all aspects of the rating system. The way LEED works is that the points are broken down into 5 topic areas: Sustainable Sites; Energy & Atmosphere; Water Efficiency; Materials and Resources; and Indoor Air Quality. A final category rewards efforts that don't fall under the other topic areas. Within each category, points are awarded for achieving environmental performance. For instance, 1-10 points can be earned under Energy & Atmosphere, depending on the energy-efficiency of the building. Each category has pre-requisites that must be met, and depending on how many points the project is awarded a building can be rated anywhere from LEED certified to LEED platinum. (Learn more about how LEED works here.)...
Every Olympic Athlete's New Shirt: Made of Recycled Coke Bottles
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY on 08.26.08
Photo: Kevin Tressler
Michael Phelps' swimsuit may not look too comfortable, but what about a T-shirt made of Coke bottles? The idea is hardly new, but it's never been put on so many influential backs before: every athlete at the Games in Beijing received a recycled plastic t-shirt from the Coca-Cola, in a bid to spread the word about recycling. And it needs spreading: only about 10 percent of its bottles are recycled now in the US, where some 25 million bottles are consumed every day.
Hoping to clean up its act, the company is aiming to get no less than 100 percent of those bottles in the US recycled back into food-safe plastic. They're also aiming to recycle every Coke bottle consumed on the Olympic Green, and have secured pledges from hundreds of athletes to recycle during the Games. The athletes' new shirts, composed of a blend of cotton and the polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, out of which Coke bottles are made, have been touted as keeping more than 200,000 plastic bottles – weighing roughly 6 tons – out of the waste stream.
Every little reminder to recycle counts, and getting reminders from some of the world's best athletes isn't a bad idea. But what if the T-shirts prove to be less recycling reminders than cool ads for Coke (thanks to blogs like this?)...
Could a Virtual Buddhist Temple Help Save the Environment?
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 08.26.08
A bunch of young Japanese monks have created a virtual temple online to talk about issues close to their hearts. They are based in Tokyo, where there are surprisingly many Buddhist temples, many as old as the city itself, dating back to the Edo Period (1603-1868) before the city started to modernize. They note that no matter how artificial our environment becomes, monks continue to pass on age-old wisdom from master to disciple, inheriting the modes of living, using the temple as its vehicle:
The continuity of such lifestyle will become an aid for those who hope, with all of their heart, for a life full of love and appreciation. The Japanese lifestyle made of culture and traits influenced from Buddhist beliefs is the heritage for Japanese people and could be shared amongst people all over the world. We hope to transform these Buddhist thoughts into a lamplight and deliver this message to the world. Hope to fill the world with smiles of joy....
Sometimes, Less is just Less: the 250 SF Condo for $279K
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.26.08
Housing in San Francisco is expensive, and one way to make units cost less is to make them smaller, particularly if there is restrictive zoning and you can get more units in the same building envelope. Now they have squeezed units down to 250 square feet, smaller than most hotel rooms. George Hauser, the architect, notes that they aren't for everyone-
"It's not the last place a person might own, but a great place to spend three to five years as a young single ... to build equity and move up," said Hauser, principal of Hauser Architects in San Francisco. "You're in a small space with great amenities and the resources of the city."
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Survey: Do You Go To the Gym
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.26.08
We were impressed by Eliza's post on the Green Microgym that generates power from the equipment; somehow the idea of driving to the gym to get on an electrically powered treadmill seems almost as silly as the picture above. (sorry for the quality) We burn electrical watts to help us burn physical watts when we could do that ourselves.
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Madonna's Carbon Tour, Kid Rock's Political Rant, George Clooney's Eco-Donation, and More
by Terri MacLeod on 08.26.08
Madonna...Still the Material Girl
Madonna urged us all to save our planet at Live Earth. But, obviously her claim to care doesn't apply to her own material needs: There's not much eco-friendly noise on Madonna's "Sticky and Sweet" tour. Her crew released the goods needed for her 45-day world tour on the singer's website. Among the items: 3,500 pieces of clothing, 120 powder puffs, 100 pairs of kneepads, 12 traveling trampolines, 200 makeup sponges, 69 guitars...amd 4 YSL lipsticks. Only 4 lipsticks to cover entire tour? Perhaps, that's Madonna's way of reducing her carbon footprint.
Read the Entire List: Madonna's website
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Mono Wheel Bikes at Beijing Olympics (and Elsewhere)
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 08.26.08
Daily Mail photo found at Mixx
Maybe you caught sight of the 60 rather spectacular mono rimmed Light Wheels spinning around at the Olympics Closing Ceremony in Beijing on the weekend. And these weren’t the only homage that the Olympics paid to the bike. It was the first Games where BMX (bicycle motocross) was a sport in its own right, and if you looked carefully at the hand-over performance for London you might’ve have spied three cycle commuters accompanying the London double decker bus, including one on small wheel folder (was it a Brompton?).
Those Light Wheels were decidedly funky and were most certainly easy to see at night—at least from a side-on perspective. The official, somewhat overwrought, description of the bikes goes: ‘With a diameter of 2.008 meters, the "light wheel" gives off romantic and pure fluorescent light, resembling the structure of the Bird's Nest. When it revolves in the stadium like a beautiful light circle, it shows the collision of time and space and the human spirit of constantly surpassing oneself and never giving up.’...
Argentine Law Could Fight Sweatshop Labor
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 08.26.08
Picture: the Argentine Labor Minister, Carlos Tomada, pushes a new law to fight sweatshop labor. Credit: La Nacion.
The Argentine government is pushing a new law that, they say, will help regularize the situation of workers from the textile industry.
These days brands deal with workshop owners, who have an independent relationship with them and act as intermediaries with the actual workers, treated as independent contractors under a legal figure of 'home-based worker'. The new regulation establishes that workshop managers have to start companies and workers have to become their employees, with all the benefits of a registered job.
Even though from the government they say brands will continue to be held responsible for what happens inside the workshops, some organizations claim this will benefit those labels that have already been accused of using sweatshop labor. More details about the law and claims in the extended.
Via La Nacion and Pagina 12 newspapers....
Organic Goodies Make Perfect Green Thank-You Gift
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.26.08
Our mothers taught us (well, some of us) to send thank-you notes and to bring a gift when staying at someone's house or cottage as a guest. But what to bring? You don't know their taste, or you don't like their taste or you know that they don't need any extra knick-knacks. Here's a thoughtful answer that this TreeHugger appreciated: a box of organic and ecological goodies delivered by mail to the door. Ooooh, where to start? With the thank-you note, of course.... It is a grow-a-note, made of hand-made paper and embedded with wildflower seeds; plant it and watch it grow. The first-opened gift is the "Plant a Tree Save the Planet" kit. It contains one pinus koraiensis, a tall korean pine tree that is hardy and tolerates cold to -50 degrees and bears very large pine cones. If you don't have land, it can be grown as a bonsai and comes with a biodegradable pot and saucer made of rice, bamboo and coconut. Nice....
Pet Topic: Pet Fashion Week 2008
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 08.25.08
Pet Fashion Week may be a bit of a misnomer for the two-day pet-lifestyle trade show that took place in New York City over the weekend, but don't tell that to the dogs who roamed the floors of the sprawling exhibition space dressed to maim, if not to kill, in rock 'n roll-themed hoodies, blinged-out collars, and hand-crocheted "pupooses."
And if cat lovers felt marginalized, well, who could blame 'em? The event, now into its third year, was all about man's best friend. Click below the fold for some of Pet Fashion Week 2008's eco-friendly highlights.
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Metcalf Institute Diversity Fellows Announced
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.25.08
Image source: Metcalf Institute
This year's Metcalf Institute Diversity Fellowships in Environmental Reporting, were awarded this morning. The awards are given to minority journalists early in their careers to encourage diversity and excellence in environmental reporting. Environmental journalism is still a relatively new field and as climate change becomes a daily topic of conversation many newspapers and media outlets are scrambling to find reporters who can not only cover the issues but understand the science enough to translate what it means to the reader.
And the winners are..."Azadeh Ansari, morning news writer, KTVU-TV in San Francisco, CA; Hamida Kinge, press and marketing manager, Brooklyn Arts Exchange in New York City; Michelle Ma, environment, health and social issues reporter, The Daily Triplicate in Crescent City, CA; Brentin Mock, staff writer for Intelligence Report magazine; and Bina Venkataraman, reporting intern at the New York Times....
100-Mile Diet for College Students
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.25.08
Image source: Getty Images
So eating local and the 100-mile diet sounds good to you, but you're a college kid on a meal-plan. You don't get to choose your food any more than you got to choose that night-owl roomate of yours. Well help is on the way thanks to the Real Food Challenge.
The Real Food Challenge (RFC) provides all of the resources for how to move your cafeteria from pre-packaged frozen bagel bites to meals make from fresh veggies and healthy alternatives. According to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, colleges and universities spend more than $4 billion on food each year. Thats also a lot of money, energy and resources devoted to shipping food all across the country to your university. ...
DIY Organic Baby Food, Natural Work Space Decor and Renewable Energy Options for NYC Dwellers
by Jessica Root - Brooklyn, NY on 08.25.08
:: Make baby happy with homemade organic baby food.
:: Spruce up your work pad with potted plants and herbs.
:: Live in NYC? Reap the benefits of renewable energy.
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A Biodiesel Breakthrough, Candy Bar Wrapper Bags and Pesky Plastic Facts
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 08.25.08
A teacher-student team makes a breakthrough in biodiesel technology.
Terracycle paves the way for recycling unrecyclables.
Green Upgrader bullet points the facts about plastic bottles.
EcoLibris offers green book-themed gift baskets.
A UK-based car manufacturer unleashes the Biodiesel Trident Iceni.
Most Huggable is a regular roundup of some of Hugg's top green news stories. Why not submit your own green news?...
6 Planet-Saving Facebook Applications
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.25.08
Image source: Facebook
Oh Facebook. That 2.0 of Myspace, which allows members to catch up with frenemies from high school they never wanted to see again, as well as find embarrassing pictures about themselves the day after the all night kegger. But, with 90 million users, thats a lot of energy and potential mobilization for good that can also come out of the site. Here is a roundup of some of the green applications on Facebook that you too can use to save the planet, or at least learn about it.
1. Village Green Energy is using that potential to promote renewable energy projects in Northern California. When members add the "Green My Vino" application to their page they can give their friends "gifts." With each gift of one minute, five minutes or ten minutes, money is donated to a collective of wineries in northern California that pledge to the equivalent amount of renewable energy at the wineries....
Life Goggles Hosts Carnival of the Green
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 08.25.08
This week is Carnival of the Green # 142 and it's being hosted by Life Goggles, a blog that incorporates green reviews, news and interviews. So head on over to this week's Carnival 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!...
A Video Clip Is Worth ... Linfen, China: The Most Polluted City in the World
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.25.08
“Byolene”: The 95-Octane Gasoline-Substitute Made Directly from Municipal Waste
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.25.08
photo: Katie Blanch
There have been a couple of developments recently from companies trying to turn feedstocks normally used to produce ethanol or biodiesel into gasoline instead. The obvious advantage of such a development is that the current fuel distribution system as well as the millions of automobiles, motorcycles and trucks already on the roads could be used as is. Towards that end, Bakersfield, California-based Byogy is the latest company to tout its biomass-to-gasoline process.
Biomass Turned Into Gasoline Cheaply
Developed in conjunction with the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, Byogy’s claims its process can convert a wide range of biomass feedstocks directly into “Byolene”, a 95-octane gasoline substitute at a cost of $1.70-2.00 per gallon. ...
Outside Lands: Green Music Festival Rocks the City by the Bay
by Alex Smith, San Francisco, California on 08.25.08
This past weekend, around 150,000 happy people danced and swayed to sixty four bands ranging in style from rap to indie rock in the first ever Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco. Outside Lands not only blessed the hallowed stomping ground of the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin with Golden Gate Park’s first night concert in history (environmentally conscious Radiohead did the honors), it also celebrated San Francisco’s eco-loving energy in a serious way.
Festivals are not always the most green friendly places. Any compulsive recycler would go crazy at most of them. Music lovers rush off to catch the shows they love, often leaving behind a sea of cups across the lawn (bad news even if they’re these reusable festival cups). Then there’s the carbon footprint of all the people getting to the event. And as one artist said in a press conference at the festival, “it’s crazy how much [musicians] pollute… we travel all the time.”
More on how the organizers kept the festival clean after the jump......
Effect of Recession: Smelly Houses or Healthier Americans?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
Too small? Paul Kedrosky here
Paul Kedrosky thinks that US consumers live in smelly houses with fat pets, because according to a new Unilever study, they are cutting back on air fresheners but not on pet food.
I think there is a much more optimistic reading; the top five categories shoppers will stop buying are air fresheners (full of VOCs and shouldn't be in the house) Cookies (full of palm oil and high fructose corn syrup) Beer and wine, frozen dinners (more fresh home cooked food!) and Soda pop (full of high fructose corn syrup)- sounds like better air quality, healthier food, skinnier people all round. ::Infectious Greed
More on getting recession ready in TreeHugger:
Get Recession Ready : 11 Lifestyle Choices as a Hedge Against ...
Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach
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Defenders of Wildlife Contest Awards Gear for the Best Outdoors Story
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 08.25.08
Image source: Defenders of Wildlife
So you think you can tell a good tall tale? Got a great story about that one time in Denali when you were woken up by a chipmunk in a tree repeatedly throwing acorns onto your tent and laughing wickedly while he mercilessly woke you up at 5am? (I'm looking in your direction, Chester!). Well, Defenders of Wildlife is looking for a few good nature stories and if yours is chosen you'll earn $1,000 at REI. (Maybe to buy an acorn-deflecting tent cover).
Defenders of Wildlife is hosting the competition to garner support for wild places from the people who use them. "We want to hear why America's wildlife and public lands are important to the people who use them most," says Marcia Lesky, director of national outreach at Defenders of Wildlife. "Whether you're a hiker, climber, kayaker, hunter, angler, birder or outdoor photographer, whatever motivates you to explore our nation's wild places, we want to hear about it."...
U.S.S. Oriskany, From Aircraft Carrier to Largest Artificial Reef in the World
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.25.08
Turning Ships into Artificial Reefs
Some naval vessels such as the U.S.S. Oriskany get a second life. Instead of being sent to ship-breakers, they get a second career as artificial reefs and are turned into habitat for marine species.
U.S.S. Oriskany
The largest of those is the U.S.S. Oriskany (nicknamed Mighty O, The O-boat, and Toasted O), a Essex-class aircraft carrier that was launched in 1945 and commissioned in 1950. It was sunk by the Navy 24 miles (39 km) south of Pensacola, Florida, in 2006, and its 44,000 tons became an artificial reef where 38 species of fish have been seen so far....
Like Food, Half of our Water is Wasted
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
Why does France use so much water for its food?
Jeremy previously wrote about how half of all the food produced in the world is wasted; now a new report from the Stockholm International Water Institute says that water waste is just as extreme. To produce the $48 billion in food that is wasted each year in the United States took ten trillion gallons of water. ::PDF of Report Here
So often our readers insist that population control is the only way to ensure that we can feed the world's population, but really, it is the same as energy- get rid of the waste, improve efficiency and it goes a long way toward solving the problem. Andrew Revkin writes in the New York Times:
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“Run the City” Sight-Jogging Around Israeli Roots, Traditions and Diamonds
by Karin Kloosterman, Tel Aviv on 08.25.08
We wouldn’t be recommending you do it in today’s 2,000 degree Mediterranean heat, but come Fall (that’s stav in Hebrew) the weather will be more human and perfect for Israel’s latest trend in urban eco-tourism: “Run the City.”
We can imagine it’s a great way for business travelers to stave off jetlag, and tour Israeli cities without renting a car, taxi, fighting for a train, or elbowing your way onto a crowded bus. (Of course, there’s always cycling, but Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are no Amsterdam.)
Run the City, Green Prophet reports, is the first sightjogging company in Israel which also promotes sightseeing as you jog. A team of experienced recreational runners will meet you at your hotel or friend’s apartment and run you around town, while pointing out sights of historical and cultural interest, based on the tour you select.
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Submerged Forests to be Harvested in Ghana, Touted As Way to Slow Tropical Deforestation
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.25.08
Of all the ways proposed to monitor, slow or stop deforestation around the world this may be a first: Reuters is reporting that Ghana is looking to harvest 14 million cubic meters (494.4 million cubic feet) of timber that was submerged 40 years ago when Lake Volta was formed behind the Akosombo hydroelectric dam.
$4 Billion in Timber Under the Water
Ghana’s head of Climate Change in the nation’s Forestry Commission, Robert Bamfo, said that logging of rot-resistant hardwoods such as ebony, wawa, and odum will begin in October and will reduce pressure on Ghana’s forests, which are being chopped down at the rate of about 1.9% per year. It will also bring in an estimated $4 billion....
Massive Canadian Recall of Tainted Meat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
Wind Applications Center at Montana State University Receives Federal Funding
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.25.08
photo by Nic McPhee
Expanding the amount of the wind power deployed in the United States via proposals such as The Pickens Plan may face a number of hurdles, but one which is being lowered is educating the future engineers wishing to work in wind. The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has announced the first of six universities to receive funding to develop Wind Applications Centers and Montana State University in Bozeman is it.
New Wind Power Courses Start This Fall
MSU will receive $40,000 annually for the next three years—an amount to be supplements with other grants and industry partnerships—to incorporate more wind-specific topics into its engineering curriculum, to provide support for the Montana wind industry, and for public education efforts for wind power. The new wind-related courses will begin this fall. ...
What is the Carbon Footprint of the McCain Mansions?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
We have noted before that the rich are different from you and me- they emit a lot more carbon dioxide. Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain is no exception; Joe Romm of Climate Progress ran the numbers on as many of McCain's homes he could find information on.
He writes: "So what is the carbon footprint of McCain’s countless homes? Here is a rough estimate.According to press reports, just one of McCain’s homes, his $4.66 million condo in Phoenix, is about 7000 square feet, which is three times the size of the average American home built last year. His $850,000 Virginia condo is another 2,100 square feet. Given a total estimated value of McCain’s homes of $14 million, one can make a very rough estimate that McCain has 10 times the carbon footprint of the average American home, which is about 15 tons of CO2."
And that doesn't count the energy used commuting among them all, especially in the wife's private jet. Do the math at ::Climate Progress
More on how the rich are different:
The Rich Are Different from You and Me. They Emit more Carbon.
Shocking News: The Rich Have Bigger Carbon Footprints Than the Poor
The Rich Are Different From You and Me . They Use A Lot More Water ...
New York Times on Recycling Kitchens
NOTE: This post has been reconsidered and rewritten on the basis of readers responses in the comments, which may no longer make sense....
Lotus Makes Biofuel-Powered "Concept Ice Vehicle" for Antarctica Expedition
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.25.08
Cross Between Skidoo & Ultralight Plane
Researchers taking part in the Moon-Regan expedition have a new very cool toy. The biofuel-powered Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV), made by Lotus, will be used to cross the coldest contintent, Antarctica, to raise awareness about "how Antarctica’s fate affects the whole environment." Live feeds and results from scientific experiments will be available on the web and used in classrooms around the world.
Moon-Regan Trans Antarctic Expedition
The CIV won't be making the trip alone, though (duh). There's simply not enough space on board to carry scientific instruments, food, water, etc. It will act as a pilot for the two heavier Science Support Vehicles (pics below). "It is equipped with a special radar that can detect hidden crevasses, has a minimum of moving parts (which are liable to freeze up) and is light enough to be man-hauled across really rough terrain."...
What the...? "TreeHugger" Mercedes Unimog Hägglunds Bandvagn Truck Spotted in the Wild
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.25.08
We Did Not Expect That One
After the Treehugger "2REEHGR" Hummer (which we don't have anything to do with) comes the TreeHugger Yes, It's a Hyper-Pimped Out Toyota Prius from Sweden
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.25.08
Next Stop: Rap Video
On the lighter side... This video from Street Extreme (embedded below in this post) must be seen to be believed. Who knew the quiet little Prius could be turned into a barely recognizable loud, eye-peeling orange mutant. Not exactly my thing (15 LCD screens?), and not exactly green, but it will appeal to some people for sure (the 4,400-watt stereo would be a hit with my neighbor and his friends)....
Portland's Green Microgym Channels Human Exercise Power Into Electricity
by Eliza Barclay, Washington, D.C. on 08.25.08
We've covered gyms that harvest power from human exertion in Hong Kong, where California Fitness, a wholly owned subsidiary of the 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide chain, has installed cardio machines that help light the facility.
Now a gym in Portland, Oregon is taking the green gym philosophy one step further by incorporating an environmental ethic into the whole business plan. First off, the Green Microgym generates as much as 40 percent of its own electricity from solar panels and exercise machines like stationary bikes.
Gym owner Adam Boesel recently demonstrated for the Los Angeles Times the Human Dynamo, an exercise machine consisting of four spin bikes attached to a small generator. While pedaling one of the bikes and turning an arm crank that strengthens the upper body, a digital readout showed the amount of watts Boesel's produced. The Human Dynamo system can produce 200 watts to 600 watts of energy an hour, depending on whether all four bikes are in use. ...
The Garmin 705: Making Cycling Even More Efficient and Fun
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 08.25.08
The Garmin 705 Mounted to my Touring Bike
GPS Units Are Useful
Affordable GPS units are tremendously useful, enabling scientists to track global warming, drivers to save fuel, indigenous groups to document environmental destruction, and so on. GPS is also used for fun and recreation; for instance, geo-caching is a popular "high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world" that gets people outdoors, and for several years Garmin has sold GPS units for bicycles that display speed, distance covered, etc.
Combining the Fun and Functionality of GPS
All this is great, but what if we could combined the usefulness of GPS technology along with the fun? Well, I recently purchased a Garmin Edge 705, which does just that. The 705 has all the features of a standard GPS bicycle computer (speed, distance), but it also provides turn-by-turn directions and maps anywhere in North America. Bicycles are already the most efficient form of transportation, but getting lost on a bicycle (especially at night) is not only tiring and frustrating, but can potentially be dangerous. So I was especially excited about putting the 705 on my bike and testing things out....
Pickens Plan a “Herculean effort that simply may not be achievable”: Vaclav Smil
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.25.08
photo by Laura via flickr
It’s been about two months since T. Boone Pickens unveiled The Pickens Plan to wean the United States off foreign oil imports and transition our energy infrastructure towards more wind power for electricity and more natural gas for transportation. The back and forth debate on the feasibility of Pickens’ proposal has died down a bit since then, but still more questions remain than answers.
Yale Environment 360 is currently running “A Reality Check on the Pickens Energy Plan" by University of Manitoba professor Vaclav Smil in which he breaks down the challenges facing The Pickens Plan. Here are just some of hurdles which Smil says would need to be cleared:...
Green Board-Game Maker Tries to Bring Home Forbes' Business-Boosting Cash
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 08.25.08
If you are thinking that a pair of recycled-paper board games called Bioviva and Head1Liners not yet on your Big Christmas list, you are probably not alone. In spite of garnering 13 international awards, educational Bioviva and the newer Head1Liners are probably not about to compete with those cutthroat deal-making and war-mongering board games like Monopoly and Risk (#1 and #2 in most popular lists).
Recycled wood and recycled paper, right down to the tokens
But Tony Kvale, owner of Kvale Good Natured Games, has the stats to show why green games are a huge opportunity to cut waste and resources. The 100% recycled fibers used in Kvale's games have, he calculates, saved nearly 10,000 trees and 850,000 pounds of CO2, 450,000 pound of solid waste, and 3.5 million gallons of water since he started business in 1996. The U.S. board games market generates about U.S.$1 billion annually, so the opportunity for greening is pretty huge. Kvale has used his stats in a presentation to a Forbes contest to boost small entrepreneurs - his is one of 20 companies in the semi-finals (other 'green' companies Jimi Wallet and Big Belly Solar as well as newcomer Eco-Q BBQ briquettes are vying for the $100,000 investment prize).
Kvale's company is only the distributor, not the creator of Canadian Bioviva and some of the others games sold at his site. But it's good to have resources for green games that go beyond the wooden blocks and trinkets stage of smaller tots and might even amuse the adults. Via ::Kvale Good Natured Games
More on Green Toys
How to Green Your Kids' Toys
Gardenopoly: A TreeHugger Board Game...
Organized Crime Goes Green
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
TreeHugger has covered resource theft before, but now organized criminals in Canada are turning to environmental crime, according to a new report from Criminal Intelligence Service Canada. "Criminal networks can profit by collecting e-waste in developed countries such as Canada and selling it to 'recyclers' in developing nations," the service reports. According to Jonathan Montpetit of the Canadian Press,
The report does not put a dollar figure on illegal trafficking and disposal of computers, televisions and cellphones but warns such activity will peak, starting next year, as digital broadcast norms take effect in Canada and the United States, making millions of TVs obsolete.
"One of the reasons organized crime has been as successful as it is, is that they're (leaders are) very adaptable and it's not like they've given up any of their traditional markets," said RCMP Commissioner William Elliott, who chairs the intelligence service....
Buenos Aires Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2009
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 08.25.08
(Picture: Juana de Arco's show at the Buenos Aires fashion week. Via event's website.) The latest edition of the Buenos Aires Fashion Week (which took place from August 20 to 21) showed more environmental awareness than its predecessor, the winter edition (which we covered in the post Buenos Aires Fashion Week Winter 2008).
While at the runway shows two brands had some kind of green in their collections, in the showroom area the Metropolitan Design Center presented a two week event about sustainable design to be held in the city in October. Find out more in the extended.
Via La Nacion. Metropolitan design center activity via Corazon Porteño....
Quote of the Day: Edward McClelland on Air Conditioning
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
Willis Carrier with his first air conditioner
We have written often how electricity-sucking air conditioners caused the massive post-war transfer of people and votes to the sunbelt; Edward McClelland of Salon thinks that air conditioners make people vote Republican.
"Air conditioning offends my sense of Northern pride. They have a saying in Maine: "If you can't stand the winters, you don't deserve the summers." But the air conditioner allows Arizonans to enjoy a cool, lakelike breeze in the comfort of their living rooms, without ever having to buy snow tires. As one who has seen firsthand how the Sun Belt created a poor Yankee cousin called the Rust Belt, I blame the air conditioner for the decay of Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, N.Y. I blame it for the decline of the American labor movement. And I blame it for the election of George W. Bush, as well as the fact that we haven't elected a Yankee president in nearly 50 years. Honestly, I don't want something like that in my house. Especially if I have to pay for it." ::Salon
More on Air Conditioning in TreeHugger
Solar Powered Air Conditioning Just Makes Sense
The Rebirth of the Cool: 7 Innovations in Air Conditioning ...
Air Conditioning and Urbanism...
Video: StreetFilms on Smartbike DC Bike-Sharing Program
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 08.25.08
Solar-Powered Aircraft Makes Three-Day Unofficial World Record Flight in Arizona
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 08.25.08
photo: QinetiQ
It may not have been the weeks of air time potential we were touting two years ago when we first wrote about the Zephyr——an unmanned, solar-powered aircraft developed by UK firm QinetiQ—but at the US Army’s Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona a new unofficial solar-powered flight record was set: 82 hours, 37 minutes.
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The TH Interview: Brian Naess of Snowcamp Aquaponics
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 08.25.08
Brian Naess of Snowcamp Aquaponics, with his son and future fish farmer Arne
When I started getting excited about aquaponics, the practice of combining hydroponics with fish farming, I was delighted to discover Snowcamp Aquaponics – a blog about DIY aquaponics for those with zero experience. I was even more delighted to discover that Brian and Liz Naess, the authors of the blog, were living 20 minutes drive from my house. Having posted on their blog, I contacted Brian and they kindly invited me to check out their set up. Brian, a research associate and co-instructor of a coral reef ecology and management class at UNC, also took the time to talk me through his set up and offer some advice on other would-be backyard fish farmers.
TreeHugger: What got you interested in aquaponics? ...
Next Off the Plane to Save Weight: Safety Equipment
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
Jazz, Air Canada's discount airline spinoff, has pulled all the lifejackets out from under the seats to save about a pound per passenger and a bit of fuel. The regulations say that is OK if the plane stays within 50 miles of land, and they have adjusted a few routes accordingly. Instead of a lifejacket, passengers will grab a seat cushion.
Now my reaction may be emotional; while there have been a few cases where life jackets have saved lives in a crash, there aren't many. (See wikipedia here). In 2002 the Economist claimed that "No large airliner has ever made an emergency landing on water...So the life jackets ... have little purpose other than to make passengers feel better."
However I suspect that if a plane did ditch in cold water that my chances of survival would be a lot better with lifejacket that held my head up then they would be clinging onto a cushion.
Save fuel by cutting back on peanuts and newspapers, but safety equipment? Another good reason to take the train. ::The Star
More ways that airlines are saving fuel
Airlines Cut Flights and Planes to Save Fuel
Airlines Save Gas By Slowing Down, Just Like Drivers
...
Jargon Watch: "Terminal Gentrification"
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
Richard Florida talks of the creative and spiky cities, those places that attract the best and the brightest in an idea-driven economy. They are thriving, but one can have too much of a good thing. National Post columnist Kelvin Browne visited Venice and writes that it has become "a highbrow Disneyland. A "living museum city" is the euphemism often used. People will still own homes in Venice, but they will be mostly foreigners. The homes will be their second or third ones: Aspen in the winter, Venice in the summer, and New York, London or Dubai in between."
He notes that cities like New York and London are following this pattern.
"London is an example of a place that's becoming less real, or certainly less affordable, to most of the people that would normally live there. If you think Manhattan is expensive, double it and you have central London... As in Venice, houses that once held five families now have one -- and they're seldom home. The result is that the mix of housing stock available is now hardly a mix, it's all upscale. It's terminal gentrification." ::National Post
More on Cities in TreeHugger
Quote of the Day: Richard Florida on The New Spatial Fix
Where To Live in an America With $4 Gas
Streets Are For Vegetables (and People)
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Colorado Poised To Become Green Jobs Central: Vestas To Employ Over 2,000
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.25.08
This has nothing to do with political conventions, and everything to do with the wind and the future - a little bit about the tipping of the balance of power among lobbyists. Vestas expects to employ 2,450 people in Colorado.The towers will be built in Pueblo - biggest such in the world. Blades and nacelles in Brighton CO. Blades in Windsor. That's probably more people than work in "clean coal' combined, the world over: and they don't even have to get filthy. No support columns caving in on poor miners either. Nice. Who would have thought a Danish company would be the light at the end of the tunnel. Via::Forbes, Vestas picks Pueblo for wind-turbine tower plant...
Wretched Excess Dept.: Dubai Tower Has 57 Swimming Pools
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
Now under construction, 23 Marina sets a new bar for wretched excess: 57 of its 288 apartments have private swimming pools on the balconies. They are not huge at 5.2 meters (17 feet) by 2 meters (6-1/2 feet) but multiply that by 57 and you have a lot of surface area evaporating fresh water into the dry desert air. One of these puts paid to all the so-called "green" buildings going up in Dubai.
The 89 storey building is half-built now and will top out in early 2009; plan of main floor of the two-storey units below. via ::Skyscraper News...
Survey: Are You an Ant, a Grasshopper or a Worker Bee?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.25.08
John recites the parable of the Ant and the Grasshopper and concludes "Addicted to a constant flow of cheap heating fuel, electricity, and even food from overseas, a cold hungry awakening awaits those mindlessly living the Grasshopper Lifestyle."
That's not fair. Many of those "addicted" are are not "laughing and dancing the night away" but are working their butts off just to keep the lights on and the car moving. The parable is simplistic, we need to add a third animal, the worker bee. Other suggestions for additions to the menagerie are welcomed in comments.
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Avoid the Congestion Charge: Drive an Eco-car
by Bonnie Alter, London on 08.25.08
Londoners have a love-hate relationship with the congestion charge. It is great if you are walking or taking the bus or are interested in the environment, but at the same time it is a royal pain if you have to drive into town and don't want to waste the 8 pounds ($16). How to avoid paying? If you are the U.S. Ambassador you simply refuse to pay ( the American and other embassies owe millions of dollars in back payments) but that job is not available for a while.
Next idea: buy a green car because they are exempt from the charge. And many people have--this incentive has caused an explosion of green eco-cars. In 2003 there were only 90 electric cars in London, and by June 2008 there were more than 1600. The numbers of other eco-friendly cars, including gas and hybrid models, also rose sharply, from 1,000 vehicles in 2003 to more than 20,000 by the last count. Apparently, "the British buy about twice as many hybrid cars as Germans, and most of those who do drive in London."
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How Do We Teach Our Kids About Nuclear Power?
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 08.25.08
I went on a tour this weekend at the world's largest nuclear plant in Kashiwazaki Kariwa in Niigata prefecture, western Japan. It has seven nuclear reactors that are currently all undergoing repairs after the massive earthquake in July, 2007. The PR from Tepco, the electricity company that runs the plant, was confusing at first, and it is clear that damage was more severe than initially reported.
At the visitor center, I was surprised to see a lot of families with young children. The displays ranged from very technical to simply wonderful - for toddlers. There were activities and playrooms, as well as staff clearly skilled at dealing with all kinds of questions. But it was not until the bus ride that the guide started explaining about the serious damage to the seven reactors.
We were not allowed to leave the bus as we drove past each of the seven huge concrete buildings, and the guide noted that the office complex had been so damaged that staff now worked from a prefab building that had quickly been erected. Japan's children learns how to deal with earthquakes in many ways, but this tour really made me wonder if anyone can ever be sufficiently prepared for a major nuclear power plant disaster. A better lesson, of course, would be to teach energy conservation and alternative, renewable power production to the next generation.
More photos and info below the fold....
Summer's Soiree- Celia Chen shows how to throw an eco-chic party
by Bonnie Hulkower, New York, New York on 08.24.08
August has been mild in New York City and a perfect time for another Night of Eco-Chic Entertaining, presented by Celia Chen and her online magazine Notesonaparty.com. As with the magazine’s inaugural party in the spring, Celia used the opportunity of throwing a big bash to show how partying on a grand scale can be environmentally conscious. She partnered with the venue The Xchange to hostess a green roof-top party that was as delicious as it was glamorous. Party-goers were fed by Sage Events, a company which promises to provide clients with sustainable catering by seeking out small, local farms and offers hormone-free chicken, grass-fed beef, organic milk and eggs, and fair trade coffee and tea. Guests crowded around the chefs preparing fresh, made-to-order Cioppina (“San Francisco” style paella), and waiters circulated with delicious, signature treats like the “Heirloom Tomato, Long Island Corn and Scallion on a Zuchinni Cake” and the “Grass Fed Beef Empanadas with Tomatillo Salsa.”
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John McCain's Bear Problem
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.24.08
John McCain can't quite seem to make up his mind as to where he falls on the issue of conservation. On one hand, he proudly labels himself a disciple of Theodore Roosevelt's muscular approach to conservation, going so far as to proclaim on his campaign website that a "McCain White House will reflect the guiding principles of Theodore Roosevelt". On the other, he has amassed what can only be called an underwhelming (and deeply confused) environmental record over his long years in the House and Senate, earning a lifetime League of Conservation Voters score of 24 -- including a 2007 score of 0.
Nowhere is this seeming contradiction more apparent than in McCain's vote for a bill funding a study of grizzly bears in Montana, as Mongabay's Jeremy Hance reported a few days ago. ...
Outdoors Clothing Made in USA from Natural and Recycled Materials
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.24.08
The Greatest Outdoor Gear
How do you make the greatest outdoor gear? We went to Empire Canvas Works' Kevin Kinney to find out. If the quality of Kevin's work is any indication, the recipe is clear. Start with a passion seeded by stitching together a down vest from a frostline kit at 12 years old. Add some years of labor over piecework, learning first-hand what it takes to design for efficient assembly. Sprinkle in the irony that textile manufacturing jobs moving offshore lead to an offer to do R&D for a major outerwear company which recognized in Kevin an instinct for developing clothing that functions the way it should.
The way Kevin explains it, that instinct is simple common sense. A consummate outdoorsman, Kevin works and plays in those clothes himself. “We know why things break and why things work,” Kevin says, including his active wife, Beth, in the plural pronoun....
Bottles 2 Bags Recycled PET Makes Nifty Laptop Cases and Bags
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 08.24.08
Really it's a bit hard to keep getting excited about the idea of another shoulder bag or cosmetics case made from recycled PET plastic bottles - though the first TreeHugger reviews of Patagonia rPET goods were basically gushing, and for good reason. Anything rPET is better than anything virgin polyester.
rPET is the new polyester
And it is admirable when entrepreneurs take up the task of using harder-to-obtain, more expensive recycled materials. It's just the intrinsic short-sightedness of making barrels of oil into plastic bottles that we don't keep remaking into plastic bottles (EPA says 30% of U.S. bottles get recycled, in Europe the rate is around 40%) becomes more obvious over time. Our global systems seem exactly opposite the very necessary closed-loop thinking that Michael Braungart and William McDonough have espoused for a long time.
O.K. rant over. And, all that being said, Bottles 2 Bags 100% post-consumer rPET bags are really quite sleek and handy - the vertical shoulder bag is a desirable size for wallet, keys, and cell, and the laptop jackets and laptop sleeves are practical. But it is the messenger bags (predictably, perhaps) that arouse the most passion, as they are padded and have a divider for the omnipresent laptop on one side and all that extra stuff that goes along with carrying your laptop everywhere on the other. And U.S.$70 is less than some other stylish recycled-material bags. Bottles 2 Bags don't solve the problem of our out-of-control PET addiction, but they are still cool. Via ::Act 2 GreenSmart
Find More Cool rPET Bags
Engage Green Starlight Satchel Made from Recycled Plastic
Mountainsmith Set to Expand Their Recycled Series
Get Hip, Get Green, and Bring Your Own Bag
Voltaic Systems Unveils "Generator" Laptop Charging Solar Bag at CES
And
Plastic Bottle Recycling Is A Dying Dream...
Quote of the Day: Henry David Thoreau
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.24.08
Thoreau's cabin at Walden Pond- Stephen Erat at TalkingTree
"Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! We are happy in proportion to the things we can do without."
-via Megan Prusynski, who lists seven things one should think about before making a purchase at ::PlanetSave
More cute little cabins on TreeHugger
Clara Cabin by Bryan Meyer and Anne Ryan
Unplugged: Scott Newkirk's Cabin
Lyrical Sustainable Design- a cabin by Rob Harrison
Permanent Camping by Casey Brown...
